More photos!!

Our scorpion friend who travelled with us in Eddie's backpack back to Bangkok


Eddie and Aidan, the 17-month old son of our friends Justin and Dana, with the Hong Kong skyline in the background



Eddie and I at the Peak in Hong Kong




Golden Buddha in Luang Prabang, Laos






We've found a bit of time in our very busy holiday schedule to post some photos. The last post was a bit rushed and I forgot some very important events, so we'll show you instead.

We visited several Buddhist temples (vats) in Luang Prabang, Laos, where apparently it is not taboo to photograph Buddhas, so we took the liberty just once. They say you can pray to the Buddha to forgive you for photographing his soul and it's ok. Hmmm....

When we returned to Chiang Mai, Eddie wanted to go see Muay Thai boxing and there just happened to be a fight that night, so I indulged him. I was a bit skeptical as it just doesn't seem right, as a health care provider, to watch people beating the life out of each other. The first match, I almost cried and then I got a bit more accustomed as the women and the nine year olds took the stage. It was a good experience, but one I don't think I need to have again. Eddie was happy to have the chance to take in the national sport.

Then we headed to Pai, where I really wanted to do yoga, which I did with one of the more colorful people we've met on our trip. We found Mama's Yoga studio and walked under lots of bells and tapestries into a bohemian bamboo and steel home to be greeted by the most flexible, 60 year old Thai Hindu yogini with dreadlocks down to her bell adorned feet. It was pretty amazing to watch Mama drop into the splits and contort in all sorts of very uncomfortable looking ways.

So when we got back to Bangkok, Eddie found that he had a hitchhiker. He opened his backpack and felt something funny. It was after he pulled the "critter" out that he realized it was a scorpion, which he thought was dead. However, after further inspection and when it's tail stood straight up, we realized he was alive and well and probably ready to attack at any moment. We sprayed him vigorously with DEET and watched him wither to a lifeless skeleton. It was a bit scary to say the least. We hope any further companions will present themselves first.

Ok, more later. Hope everyone is full of delicious holiday victuals! We are getting ready to celebrate Eddie's bday in a couple of days at the Big Buddha Ivery appropriate since Eddie's such a sweet little Buddha)and will write more later.

Peace, Laurie and Eddie

HappyChristmas!!!

That's what the Brits in Hong Kong say anyway. So we just finished a spectacular holiday eat a thon, complete with imported French turkey with all the homemade fixins, fantastic wine and the traditional Christmas apple-rhubarb pie.

We are in Hong Kong with my childhood friend, Dana, her lovely British husband, Justin, and their adorable 17 month old son, Aidan. We arrived a few days ago and have been fully entertained since we stepped off the plane. Dana knows me so well that she had pints of Guiness and gourmet hamburgers waiting for us when we arrived. I'm pretty sure we haven't gone more than a couple of hours without eating since then.

Hong Kong is an incredible island metropolis. Today, after a lovely Christmas service at St. John's Cathedral (complete with an explanation of why Christmas trees are green), we visited Hong Kong Park, a tropical rainforest habitat right in the middle of the city. While watching exotic, brightly colored lorikeets and green imperial pigeons tree hopping in what seemed to them to be their natural habitat, we almost forgot about the the hustle and bustle of the city in the background. It wasn't until I looked up and noticed the skyscrapers (hundreds of them)towering above the chain link fence that I realized I was not on a trek in the jungle.

From there, just for the contrast, we walked to a mall and did a little last minute Christmas shopping. The people here love to shop and they spend a lot of money doing it. Louis Vitton, Hugo Boss, Prada and many other designers I can't even pronounce, much less afford. What did we buy? Food, of course!

Although we miss everyone, especially during this time of celebration and love, we have been welcomed with open arms to Dana's house and by all of her friends here. Eddie and I are both very happy to not be eating daal baat on the streets of Kathmandu or pad thai on Kao San road in Bangkok for Christmas. Of course, we'll have to work off the 5 kilos we will gain here, but every bite is worth it.

Prior to coming to Hong Kong, we spent a couple of days in Pai, a small "new agey" town north of Chiang Mai. It was quiet and relaxed and Eddie and I took a really nice Thai cooking class together. Again, the theme was to eat as much as possible in an afternoon. The food was delicious and we can't wait to have you all over for a Thai food extravaganza.

We went back to Chiang Mai for a night and managed to find our way to a movie theater, where we saw a Thai movie with English subtitles which reminded me a bit of a comical "Cinema Paradiso". Unfortunately, we don't know the name, but it entailed a theater haunted by ghosts (who spent most of their time in the bathrooms), a vertically challenged, obese, drunk movie distributor and, of course, a love story. The theater was really nice, complete with "honeymoon seating", two seats without an armrest between them, for which you pay an extra 20 baht (about 60 cents). We even had popcorn and coke! It was pretty entertaining and a good cultural experience. I'm not sure I'm hooked on Thai movies, however.

From there, we took the overnight sleeper train to Bangkok and arrived just in time to see the lines of monks collecting alms on the street. I tried to buy a food collection to give one of them, but I think the salesperson thought I was trying to buy it to eat it myself, so I just gave the monk cash, which I hope he doesn't waste on cigarettes and whisky. Ok, probably no whiskey, but you do see a surprising number of monks hanging out in the smoking sections of the city and the temples. Interesting...maybe cigarettes are no longer considered one of the 108 earthly desires. Anyway, watching the morning ritual is always interesting and educational.

As usual, we are having a great time and meeting some amazing people, as well as some ridiculous people. Eddie met one of the ugliest travelers ever in Pai. I'll let him describe the interaction in his next post, but the overall gist of it is that even the most patient man in the world couldn't stand the guy, so he must have been horrible. Fortunately, I missed the encounter.

So we'll be here until the 30th and then head back to Bangkok. We hope to spend New Year's Eve in Cambodia at Angkor Wat. We hear from everyone that it's not to be missed.

Eddie's bday is on December 28th, so we're going to do something incredible, I'm sure. If any of you can, please send him a birthday email when you can. It's the big 3-0!!

We will update again in the next couple of days and download some photos as well. We actually have figured out how to do it now, but it takes quite a long time, so we need to have a lot of time to sit around the computer.

We hope all of you have an incredible holiday, whichever one it is you celebrate. We wish you the best in your hopes and dreams and thank you for supporting us in ours. All of our love to you and your families.

Peace!!
Love, Laurie and Eddie

Back in Thailand...

Laurie riding through a village on the island of Don Khon

The Mekong River before sunset

It is such a change being back from Laos. That is such an incredible country; the mountains, the importance of the rivers, the food!!! But most notably, the people. I didn't think it was possible to come across more welcoming people than in Nepal and Thailand, but Laos proved me wrong.

Luang Prabang was a great city. A diverse mix of Lao, Hmong, and Khmu peoples, rich Lao culture and French colonialism, Buddhist temples and tourism. It was a great way to spend our last days in Laos.

We have been in Chiang Mai for the last couple of days. Laurie took a really great class in making silver jewelry. I was dazzled by the beautiful ring she made in just 6 hours!!! Now we are off to Pai, a small hippie community in the north.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Much love,
Eddie and Laurie

Beautiful Laos...

Hello family and friends!!! We have found a great resting point here in Luang Prabang. We decided that being on the go all the time is a little much (and the buses are getting old).

We have been here for three days and are having an unbelievable time. The main tourist street reminds Laurie a bit of Telluride, but on a much smaller scale. When you leave the main street is when you find the beauty and charm in this town. The markets are great and the food on the street is some of the best food I've ever had. And you can eat a feast for 25,000 kip ($2.50)!!!

The other day we went to a spectacular waterfall about an hour tuk tuk ride away from town. There was a bear and tiger sanctuary there, and some pools below the waterfall that had a ropeswing which dropped you into crystal blue springwater.

Yesterday, Laurie explored the town and found some really cool local spots for us to check out while I explored the local Lao cuisine with a cooking class. I can't wait to cook Lao food for all of you- it is so scrumptious!!!

Later in the evening, we went to a Hmong New Year festival about 20km out of town. Laurie had met a woman from Massachusetts who runs a local library and invited us to the celebration (we were the only foreigners there!!!).

After, we had the most amazing dinner of Lao food, and then met up with our friend Xay for a great night of local drinking with all his buddies. It was a real taste of the local scene that not everyone gets to experience.

We are going to hang out in Luang Prabang for a couple more days and then we're off to Northern Thailand.

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Peace and love,
Eddie and Laurie

Safe in Vientiane...

We've arrived safely in Vientiane.  We took an overnight bus from Pakse and got hear early this morning.  The time we spent waiting for our bus was really interesting.  This older man named Khan (who took us around the temple where our monk friends were living; he was the English teacher of some of them), welcomed us into his home.  We found out he worked for the Laos Army in the 1960's through 1975 as a bombadier and was trained by the US Army.

 

It came to light that he was a participant in what we know as the "Secret War," when the North Vietnamese came down the Ho Chi Minh Trail(s) and occupied eastern Laos, which the US government with a massive bombing campaign of much of the country.  It's a shame to think about this sweet old man dropping bombs on his own country.  We saw documents that stated he was in an aircraft that was shot down and he carried the injured pilot in his aircraft to safety and evacuation.  Unfortunately, in my opinion, this bombing campaign by the US was the reason the nation ultimately supported the North Vietnamese.  In any case, the communists took over Laos in 1975.  This man Khan was so pro-Bush and pro-bomb anything, and when he told me that he was a fan of Henry Kissinger, it made me think that maybe he was kind of brainwashed during his pilot training in California during the 60's.

 

I'm curious to see what the capital is like here in Vientiane.  It is still a communist state with a capitalist mindset.  It should be interesting.

 

Anyway, we have come across yet another gem of a person in Vientiane; a very cool girl from Quebec who has moved to Laos and is giving us tips and connections in the northern part of the country.  We'll keep you posted!!! 

 

Much love,

Eddie

laos update

It's amazing how much happens in so little time when you travel.  I feel like I can't keep up with all of the incredible people and beautiful scenery that come our way. 
 
We are currently in Pakse in southern Laos, one of the most bombed countries in history.  We are passing time on the internet waiting for a bus north to Vientiane, the capital.  We are headed north to spend some time in the hills before heading back to Northern Thailand.
 
Our trip to Laos has been truly an array of unbelievable experiences.  We took an overnight train from Bangkok to the border and were surprised to find that the train arrived early and we were still snug in our sleeping car.  They proceeded to disconnect our car from the rest of the train and we were on our way to the yard when we got someone's attention and they pointed us in the right direction (only about 100 yards from the station). It was pretty comical.
 
When we asked about the bus to Laos, we got alot of blank stares until a cute little old man arrived to help us and loaded us into his pickup, gave us a short tour of town, including his house, and then delivered us to the bus station. We waited for a couple of hours, met some kind Thai people, and I watched a German tourist toss his cigarette butt down on the recently cleaned street in front of the station.  I wondered to myself if he does that at home or if he was just doing what the Thais do.  It was a little disconcerting.
 
Anyway, we got on the bus, which dropped us at the border, where pretty much no English was spoken and we handed them our passports and $35.  Then we went around the corner and they charged us another $2 for something else (extortion fee, perhaps).  The whole process took less than 30 minutes and we were on our way to Pakse, where we spent the night in one of the dingiest hotels yet.  For a whopping $3.50, we had a bare room which actually seemed pretty clean, but luckily it wasn't well lit.  They did, however, serve really tasty Indian food.
 
We walked around the quiet town and ran into a woman from Tucson, AZ, who has been living in Laos for 5 years.  She just opened a new restaurant, so we stopped in and chatted about Laos and it's history and places to go.  It was good to get a local perspective from someone who spoke English.  She told us that to rent her restaurant space, which was a two story house with a bathroom and kitchen, she pays $800/year.  Wow!!!  THis is a totally different world.
 
The next morning, we hopped a bus to the south to Don Khon, a tranquil little island on the Mekhong River, where we basically hung out with a sweet Lao family for a couple of days.  Papa and his three young daughters were very welcoming.  He runs a guesthouse and restaurant and loves to drink Lao Lao, the Lao national drink made of rice alcohol (pretty bad homebrew).  We arrived and he was getting his hair cut in his back yard, so Eddie and I jumped on the bandwagon.  I'm not sure what the haircutter's real profession is, but I don't think he's been through the Paul Mitchell Design courses.  But the split ends are gone and he made 50 cents off of each of us.
 
Don Khon has several beautiful Buddhist temples and some really quaint villages which are all accessible by bicylce.  We cruised around for the afternoon and watched children swimming in the river, ladies working in the fields and enjoyed sunset at a beautiful waterfall, Li Phi Falls.  It's name means spirit trap because during the war, many of the dead bodies ended up caught in the falls after floating downstream.  A bit gruesome to think about when it looks so beautiful now, but it's the reality of war, I suppose.
 
THe next day, we went on a boat tour with Papa to see the largest waterfall (by volume) in Laos.  It was a gorgeous cruise down the river and he took us to a little cove where he jumped off of the little wooden canoe and started on a "trail" through the trees, over the river, across some rocks to view the thunderous falls.  He sat down next to the river in several places and said a prayer, fed it some Lao Lao and then helped himself to some.  He was pretty adamant about us joining him as well.  Eddie was a good sport, but I had to pass as I couldn't really stomach the stuff.
 
We sat and enjoyed the beauty and tranquility for a while and then headed back to the guesthouse for a delicious dinner, more Lao Lao and Beer Lao.  By that time, Papa was more than half in the bag and a couple of French cyclists showed up looking for a room.  Papa just kind of looked at them blankly, so I took over and made sure they got a room and Papa had some more business.  They had started in Mongolia about 4 months ago and had some great stories to share. 
 
The next day, we reluctantly had to leave Papa and the sweet little girls and head north. But not before some wake up Lao Lao and well wishes.  Papa and some lady we'd never seen before came out and tied white strings on our wrists for safe travels and while Eddie was force fed Lao Lao, the lady, Phetamy, took me to her house down the road and showed me pictures of her family, introduced me to her children, put an old butterfly earirng in my ear and sprayed me with perfume.  Of course, neither of us could understand anything the other said, but her biggest concern was giving me her phone number so I could call her -- hmmmm....not sure how well that call will go over.
Anyway, I finally convinced her I really had to go and just as we walked out, Eddie was coming to find me not knowing if he ever would.
 
We finally got on the boat across the river and then the bus to Champasak, a really cool little village at the base of a mountainside temple called Vat Phou, one of the oldest temples in Laos and recently named a World Heritage Site.  Its original construction dates to the fifth century, but most of the ruins are from the 11-12th centuries.  It was first a Hindu temple and then converted to Buddhism later.  We got to enjoy it early in the morning before all the tourists showed up and it was really impressive.  Huge pavilions, a long steep stairway and a gorgeous temple in which sit three very old stone Buddhas.  I sat and chanted in the serene setting for a while and it was very peaceful.  THere's also a spring that runs from the top of the mountain through the temple.  Of course, they sell the sacred water (can't get away from the exploitation).  As we were leaving, all of the vendors were arriving to sell their wares, which I would imagine appeal to nobody but the foreigners.  At least the local people are benefitting.
 
One of the best parts of the morning was that we rented a motorbike to go to the wat and it was pretty comical.  Eddie has never driven one and the last time I did was when I was 10 and I drove it straight into the side of a house.  Needless to say, it was entertaining, but we managed.  We even stopped to help a couple and their baby who had a flat tire.  Eddie walked with the guy while I rode his wife and baby to the shop in town.   Luckily, she couldn't speak English so had no idea that her infant was probably better suited to drive the moto than I.  But everyone made it safely and we had tons of fun.  Eddie did a great job too -- I had to practice relinquishing control and let him drive, which was a good lesson for me.  I'm still amazed at the amount of patience this man has!
 
So, we left this am on a bus, ferry and bus to Pakse.  On the way, Eddie helped a cute old lady to the ferry and then we chatted with Chay and Noi, two young Buddhist monks who were on our bus.  They were practicing English and invited us to their temple in Pakse.  So we were dropped off at the bus station and then got a tuk tuk to the temple.  Fortunately, one of the men sitting at the food stand in the parking lot happened to speak English and just happened to be the English teacher for the monks at the temple.  So he took us to the temple where we met almost all of the monks (one by one, they slowly emerged to check out the falang -- foreigners).  It is a new temple with several gorgeous Buddhas, many live rabbits, pigeons, catfish, a parakeet and a gibbon.  We had a really nice visit and made some new friends.  Apparently, all men in Laos go to the monastery for at least six months and then can decide whether to stay or not.

The beaches of Southern Thailand...

The overnight train to the south was over fifteen hours.  We were on the eastern side of Thailand and it seemed as if the towns to the east of the railroad tracks had built giant man-made ditches to trap the rainwater during the monsoon season.  I can't imagine how high the water levels get during peak season- the flooding is quite apparent even now.

 

The first island that we stopped at was Koh Mook, on the western side of Thailand.  It was very quiet and peaceful there.  We stayed in a quaint little bungalow right on the beach, and fell asleep and woke up to the waves breaking on the shore.  Each day was just as incredible as the last.  Laurie did yoga every day, and we would lay on the beach and calmly walk into the sea when it would get hot.  Every morning I would sit on the sand and have a moment of silence for the victims of the tsunami.

 

The water there was so warm.  We got massages at sunset.  What an unbelievably relaxing place!  Every moment we could look out at the painting-like landscape and horizon, with only the sound of the water.  We befriended a couple of the locals there who showed us around the neighboring islands.  We were fortunate enough to see the sun drop behind the Andaman Sea at sunset several times.

 

We took a boat to Koh Kradan one day- it was the most beautiful island we had seen!!!  The soft coral we saw while snorkeling was incredible, and the perfect white-sand beach extended at least 100 yards into the sea, creating an enormous natural "swimming pool."  It was incomparable to anything I have ever seen.

 

We went to Emerald Cave after that- this dark cave that you swim through (in pitch black darkness for a short moment) that opens up into a lagoon.  When you look up while you're on a tiny beach, it was as if you were standing inside a volcano, where the walls around you stood a few hundred meters high.  And swimming out of the cave into the turquoise water was stunning!!!

 

We made Koh Mook our home for eight days.  It was such a peaceful island, and the tourist businesses seemed to work together with the villagers that inhabited much of the island.  The village was great- the people were so friendly, and we could buy fresh pineapple, mango, and bananas.  It was a shame to see the devestating effects of the tsunami, but there seemed to be quite a bit of foreign aid and money present to rebuild the island.  I am convinced that, in any situation, there is always hope.

 

We finally left Koh Mook and went to Koh Ngai for a couple of days.  On the way, we went on an incredible snorkeling tour.  There was a French fisherman on our boat who gave us a fresh grouper that he caught on the way.  On Koh Ngai, one of the resort managers fired up a grill for us.  He let me go into the kitchen to fillet this beautiful grouper (which I had to do break down with a knife that was as sharp as a spoon), but in the end, we ate a delicious meal by candlelight on the beach with our Swedish friend Karin. 

 

Our last day on Koh Ngai was a good one- Laurie and I got some great massages at sunset.  It was really gratifying to see Laurie getting her back worked on and feeling like she was in Heaven.  And after I jumped into a pickup game of soccer with a bunch of the local Thais.  Still got it, kind of.

 

I'm going to let Laurie tell you about Koh Lipe.  Hope you are all well and in great spirits.

 

Much love, Eddie

 

 

Hello Friends!!

The adventure continues.  After much deliberation, we decided to go to Koh Lipe, a supposed "untouched island" in the Andaman Sea.  We actually bought tickets on the ferry with our friend and new traveling partner, Karin, and at the last minute, we bailed and traveled back to Koh Mook with our new Thai best buddy, Bank, and then went down the next day (a bit of a money saving venture). 

 

We took a ferry, then a bus, then a speed boat and arrived in Koh Lipe around 5pm and were transported by another boat to the Porn Resort (get your minds out of the gutter).  We're still not sure why it's called that, but it was supposed to be nice and the least populated.  So we got a cute little bamboo bungalow and within the first 20 minutes, I was greeted by a giant, red, flat millipede in the bathroom.  Now, as most of you know, I'm a tough Colorado mountain girl, but Eddie can attest to the fact that sometimes I'm a girly girl, especially when it comes to crawling critters.  He consoled me and I decided I could put up with it for a night and we had a mosquito net, which we tucked snuggly around every corner and we survived.

 

So we went to the restaurant for a bite and a beer and after about 20 minutes, a longtail boat (the long wooden boats without mufflers that are the main mode of transportation in the islands) began to sink.  All of the Thai men ran out to bail it out and, while Eddie was watching, he decided to give a hand.  For the next 20 minutes or so, about 10 men were in the water, waves crashing, trying to keep the boat upright.  Success!! It was a bit exciting for Eddie, especially because he couldn't understand what they were saying or their plan.  As usual, they probably all thought he was Thai, but weren't sure. 

 

THe next day, we checked out some other bungalows and moved to another beach, where we promptly ran into Karin, our Swedish buddy.  So for the next 3 days, we all hung out together, eating (as usual), sunbathing and relaxing -- movies, massage, fruit shakes, fried chicken sticks, swimming in the clear blue waves.  We also made some other good friends from Seattle, who were on the last couple of weeks of an 8 month around the world journey.  It was interesting talking to them and comparing notes. 

 

Koh Lipe is a beautiful island with clear blue water and amazing views.  However, the development, like most "untouched" places in Thailand, is rampant.  There is a village of about 700 natives that is slowly being pushed out and might even be relocated to a neighbouring island so that the resorts can move in.  It was hard to tell what the locals felt considering they don't speak much English, but to us it seemed as if they were on the raw end of the deal.

 

We did talk to a couple of Rastas who ran a reggae bar on the very crowded beach, who were pretty upset about the fact that their bar, "Time to Chill", had to move in less than a week.  It was a very cozy spot right on the water, close enough so that when the tide was high, you couldn't occupy a couple of the tables without your feet dangling in the water.  They had an open mike and Eddie got up a couple of nights and worked his magic fingers on the guitar.  It was a good end to a great couple of weeks on the beach. 

 

So, after a delicious barbeque of fresh king mackerel on our last night, we got a mellow night's sleep  and got on a 3 hour ferry, a 90 minute bus ride and then a 16 hour train back to Bangkok.  Unfortunately, the sleeper cars were sold out, so we sat up all night -- needless to say, not comfortable.  But we arrived safely and are back in the city for a few days.  Went to the Grand Palace today with our friends, Brent and Leah, from Koh Lipe and enjoying the city life.

 

We'll be here for a few days and then head to Cambodia or Laos.  We'll keep you posted.

Namaste,

Laurie

 

 

The Grand Palace in Bangkok (just turn your computer a quarter turn clockwise)




Sunset in Koh Lipe




Sunset in Koh Mook

Entrance to The Emerald Cave, Koh Mook, Thailand



Yes, another sunset in Koh Mook!

Finally photos!!!!

Wow!! For two blog illiterate posters, this has been a nightmare. So check them out b/c we are going to sleep now.
Peace, Laurie and Eddie


Tsho Rolpa at 15000 feet in Na, Nepal





Laurie's new lover (the elephant, not the nepali)in Royal Chitwan National Park




Bodhnath Stupa, largest stupa in Nepal




Gauri Shankar, the sacred peak of the Rolwaling Valley





Beding Medical Clinic



The streets of Kathmandu, sideways






With the porters and locals in Dongan, Nepal on the way to the Rolwaling valley

Nepal to Thailand

Sawadee from Thailand!!

Wow, what a contrast.  We arrived safely, conveniently and organizedly to Bangkok last night and it's been a breeze ever since.  We had an amazing time in Nepal, as recounted by Eddie, but it was nice to get to a place where there is some sort of organization.  Nepal is full of amazing people, beautiful landscapes and sights, but the two lane roads with 4 lanes of cars, buses, yaks and bicycles going in different directions can get a little overwhelming (not to mention life threatening). 
 
Our last days in KTM were spent with our friend, Chandra (thanks to KJ), who is a mutual friend of a friend in Colorado.  He met us in Pokhara, a small town at the foot of the Annapurna Range (which, unfortunately, was snuggly hidden in the clouds the whole time we were there).  We spent a few days there relaxing and in the serenity away from KTM and then headed to Chitwan National Park to see the "wildlife".  However, we spent more time just socializing with the very friendly people in our group rather than seeing any jungle animals.  We did spend an afternoon tracking and chasing a rhino (I think I saw a glimpse of his shadow, but it could have been my imagination - Eddie actually saw his head).  The elusive tiger never made an appearance.  We had a great guide and bathed with the elephants (more like they bathed us), which was definitely the highlight of the jungle experience.  It could, however, have been the culprit of the following 4 days of diarrhea and excruciating belly cramping I endured in Pokhara (at least it was a comfortable room with a fan and a loyal boyfriend catering to my every whim). 
 
The other bonus of the jungle trip, which, most of you know, is one of my least favorite climates, was seeing a local village, where I made a new little friend, Sasathi, an 8 year old boy, who walked with me, consistently gazing up with curious brown eyes, for about 2 hours.  He even walked us to the boat to say goodbye and kept waving until we could no longer see him.  It was really touching.  I asked if he wanted to come, but he had other responsibilities.
 
Anyway, back in Pokhara, we visited a beautiful Tibetan Monastery with Chandra, where we sat with the monks chanting for a special, once a year, fire ceremony.  They had beautiful colored flour mandalas, yak butter altar statues and soothing sounds with chanting, bells and drums.  It was truly a magical experience and definitely a different spiritual feel than in Beding, where we carried the drunk lamas home. 
 
We then headed to Bandipur, an historical town which was once the center of the trade route from Tibet, perched on top of a hill, again with incredible views of the mountains which eluded us again.  However, we had a really nice couple of days, the highlight of which (for me, at least), was chatting with two young doctors fulfilling their responsibility to treating patients in a rural area after med school.  One of them was very passionate about promoting change and opportunity in Nepal.  It was nice to see that there are people who don't have the same apathy we've seen in some other locations.  It was a bit sad and surprising to find out that most doctors in Nepal make only $150 -500/month, despite paying $30,000 for med school.  Most of them then leave the country for post doc work in a foreign land, never to return.  Hence, the country is losing intellectuals and motivated young people by the day.  It almost seems a hopeless situation, but the young doctor expressed optimism.
 
Back in KTM, we took a mountain flight to see the Himalaya since we are probably some of the only tourists in the world who went to Nepal and didn't trek to the majestic giants.  I must admit I felt a little soft seeing the peaks from a plane, but it was pretty incredible.  There was a high cloud cover, so they rose right from the clouds like from the ocean.  Flying at 25000 feet and seeing Everest towering above was breathtaking.  Next time we might need to get in shape and manage to see them in person.  We did get to see Gauri Shankar, the mountain which towers above Beding, from above.
 
Then we headed to Pashipatinath, a famous temple of Shiva, where Hindus from all over travel to be blessed before dying and to cremate their family members.  It was quite a spiritual experience watching the rituals and seeing the burning of bodies on the banks of the holy river.  We also visited a bit with a Sadhu (holy men dedicated to living esthetically, who are dressed in brightly colored robes and artistically painted faces), who instructed me in sitting on the stone penis of Shiva for fertility.  Apparently, women from all over come to the temple to touch the penis.  No, no plans, but just in case.
 
For the last tourist attraction of the day, we headed to Bodhnath Stupa, the largest in Nepal.  It is a huge, white stupa with prayer flags, prayer wheels and monasteries on every side.  The brightly painted monasteries filled with golden buddhas leaves one with a very peaceful and hopeful view of life.  Inside Bodhnath seems like a tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.
 
So, now we're in Bangkok and have slept well, eaten amazing pad thai on the street for thirty cents, and are heading to the beach tomorrow night on the overnight train.  After a day of shopping and eating in Bangkok, we are sure it will be nice to relax in the pristine waters of the Andaman Sea. 
 
So, for now, we wish you all a happy day.  We're going to attempt to add photos now, but don't hold your breath.
 
Peace, Laurie and Eddie

Greetings from Nepal!!!

October 25, 2007

 

Hello family and friends!!!  Laurie and I are in safely in Kathmandu and loving life.  We've been in Nepal for over three weeks now, so I'll try to catch you up.  Sorry its the long version.

 

We arrived on October 2nd- although I miss all of you already, it was nice to not only be in a part of the world I've never seen, but to also leave the part I know (we dealt with countless of horrible people in Denver and LAX alone that were part of some organized effort to ruin our travel plans, but we don't need to discuss that).

 

Kathmandu is crazy.  It took a couple of days to get into the flow of the city.  At first it seems quite chaotic- the streets have so much activity.  They are so narrow and just packed with people.  Cars and taxis drive at absurd speeds, and motos dodge rickshaws and pedestrians as if there were no consequences.

 

The people here are so kind.  It didn't take long to feel like I could greet people with genuine compassion, and it's generally reciprocated immediately.  It is a very safe country.

 

Just under a week later we left for the mountains.  We were part of a team of eleven (including five healthcare providers, with Laurie being the medical director) that was to establish a health clinic in the sherpa village of Beding in the Rolwaling Valley, one of the most remote parts of Nepal.  Many of the men in the village are guides in the Khumbu region, so they can all receive healthcare in Kathmandu, but the women, children, and lamas are left without the same benefits.

 

The rest of us were to work on various other projects, most importantly the assessment of the water quality and supply, in conjunction with the people of the village.

 

It was a great group of volunteers that was sensitive to what we were involved in.  It was important that we went there to provide the people of Beding with what they think they need and want, and not with what we think they need and might want.

 

The bus ride up to Singhati was quite the ride!  At first it was great coming into the mountains- Kathmandu was a little too much after a week.  There were magnificent terraces of rice- the smell was so powerful, like it was fresh in the rice cooker at home with my family.  And brick-making factories were scattered throughout the rural lowlands.

 

We averted head-on collisions with other buses on several different occasions.  When we arrived in Dolokha, we reached a Maoist checkpoint.  It was interesting how business-like it was being robbed (aka giving donations).  I imagined it would have been in a more threatening manner if we were to be confronted by Maoists.  We were given receipts, thanked, and sent on our way.

 

The bus on the "road" from Dolokha to Singhati was one of the more terrifying experiences I have had in a motorized vehicle.  I only felt we were in grave danger a couple of times, but the road lasted for about four hours, pouring rain in the dark.  We drove through a river at one point,and the water was coming up the steps onto the bus!!!  I couldn't believe we didn't get swept away by the current.  We made it to Singhati alive, though.

 

We left in the morning to start day one of the trek to Beding.  Before we left I experienced yet another cultural enlightenment.  When I was taking pictures of the children of the village and revealing each one to them, they were so astounded.  It made me wonder whether or not some of these younger children, especially on the very remote parts of the trail, have ever seen themselves.  Maybe a mirror has never been in their presence.

 

The trek overall was quite challenging, but the views were spectacular.  The focus along the way to Beding became the needs of a little girl that was being carried by her father and mother from a two-days walk from Singhati.  The thought was that our team could provide more care for her with the knowledge and medicine that we had than what was to offer in Singhati.  She had a systemic bacterial infection, and after two days of treatment there was a 180 degree turnaround.  It was incredible to see Laurie and the medical team save this girl's life.

 

In Beding we stayed with a lama and his wife.  Their only son was Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa, who was killed in an Everest expedition (in Into Thin Air) and was one of the rising Sherpa guides of his time.  They were incredibly sweet and welcoming.

 

Within days of being there, the medical clinic was almost finished (the building was already established), the solar panel was up, and the layout of the water distribution was figured out.  After finding the bacteria levels in the water to be negative, we found a great source in the waterfall above the village, which would not be contaminated by nak, sheep, and goat.

 

Views of majestic Gauri Shankar, a sacred mountain that is not to be climbed, were visible on a clear day from every part of the village.  Chekego could be seen as well.

 

We hiked to the village of Na and stayed for a couple of days.  On our way up it snowed on us and reminded us of Colorado.  Definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  A day hike from Na brought us to Tsho Rolpa, a glacial lake above 15,000 feet, brought us views of Tibet to the north.

 

When we returned to Beding, it was the start of a festival (the name I can't recall at the moment).  There is a Hindu festival called Dashain at the same time in other parts of Nepal where they sacrifice animals to the gods.  This Buddhist festival that was occuring in Beding was to pray for the souls of those slaughtered animals.  It was quite the eye-opening experience.

 

After the lamas finished praying, there was dinner and laughter and Sherpa dance.  The joy in the Sherpa people is what I have found most fascinating in this country.  The lamas, however, have too much chang to drink, which is unfortunate (there is a history of hard drinking in the sherpa culture). We ended up carrying a couple of them home!!!

 

We got back to Kathmandu a couple of days ago.  Thankfully, 'cause we can't eat any more daal bhaat (rice with lentils and curried vegtables).  It sounds good on paper, but around the ninth or tenth time you have it within a four-day stretch, it gets to be a little much.

 

We will travel around Nepal for another week, so we'll update.  Sorry this was so long but it was the first entry.  Hope all is well with everyone!  Take good care!

 

Much love,

Eddie

Welcome

This is the first post to Laurie and Eddie's trip... please enjoy following along with their travels over the next several months.

Laurie and Eddie are in Los Angeles in the middle of a five hour layover.

I now turn this blog over to my brother.

Regards,

Edgar