TravelStream™ news feed for member laneandsarah on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/laneandsarah en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:31:16 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1229745900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1229745900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1229745900/tpod.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:31:16 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Bangkok, Thailand

(Sarah has finally contributed to the blog that she conceived, and as usual she proves that anything I can do, she can do better. As we begin our journey back home for Christmas, here is her reflection on the women of Southeast Asia.)

you are the trash collector
pushing the remains of the day into putrid piles
you are the farmer
moving your machete like a metronome across the tall grass
you are the hunter
following your dinner elbow deep in the mud of the mangrove swamp
you are the mother
wearing hungry babies like extra skin, stretching out your life in each breast

you are beautiful dark angels.

war and wind are like bamboo and rice here
just part of the landscape
and your straw hat plots points down a long dirt road
i follow the swoops and swells of your broken gate
and the arcs of indigo from your swinging hands
i buy your crafts to cloak my guilt for not being that poor, for having teeth, for seeing your land and loving it
and because secretly i want to be your sister

you wear your work in baskets and buckets
like crowns, they adorn your head
with invisible strings stretching down from heaven

yours are the longest shadows ever cast.

and with a handkerchief slung from ear to ear
like a hammock to hold up your smile
you smile. you do.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228649220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228649220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228649220/tpod.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:45:22 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Timika, Papua, Indonesia

Sure, I ate tombello (a giant bi-valve like a foot-long, inch thick string of snot) out of a tree lying in the foot-swallowing mud of a mangrove swamp at low tide, but that's not what I'll remember. It is the sweet Kamoro woman taking hold of my leg to clean the mud off of my foot as I climb into our giant canoe, dug from a tree that once stood somewhere nearby.

I tried the Sago grubs too, both fresh and roasted, and they weren't that bad. But though quite memorable, they're not what come first to my mind. Instead it is a man smiling as his thighs are slit over and over until blood runs in bright red ribbons down his legs to be collected and mixed with the ashes of burnt seashells. This then becomes the glue used to attach the skin of a monitor lizard to a headless drum which, dried for a few minutes over a fire, soon plays and sounds as good as any I've heard.

I met people in full "traditional" dress, covered in shells and feathers, bones and body paint, presenting to us their "primitive" carvings, but I'll remember them as the welcoming, gentle, regular people they were later, back in their board shorts and rolling stones t-shirts, just proud to have their culture and incredibly refined art skills acknowledged.

I stood at eye level with one of the seven summits, over 14,000 feet high, and looked down into the world's single largest reserve of gold and the source of 10% of our copper, but what took my breath away was the patchwork of clouds below dotted with the fresh green of the jungle-covered landscape stretching to the sea.

I went to Papua, which, though together with the rest of New Guinea is the second largest island on the planet and the home to 1/5 of all known languages, is still considered by many to be one of the most remote and primitive places on earth. But I'll just remember it as a hell of a lot more.

(Thanks Paul. We'll never forget it.)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228043160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228043160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1228043160/tpod.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:24:37 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

There is a place more perfect than Bali. There are nicer, more beautiful people. There is fresher, more delicious food. The scenery is more soothing, the vegetation more lush, and the culture more fascinating and lively. But thanks to two jackasses that couldn't keep their hands off of the local apples, we're no longer welcome there (Thanks Eve).

I've been so blessed to have the chance to travel to many places in my life. I've loved all but a few of them (sorry Aiken, Bak Ha, Tomato, and Marietta), but every once in a while a place just takes my breath away. The Rockies, from New Mexico to Montana, the marshes of coastal Georgia, the terraced hills of the Sapa valley, every inch of New Zealand, and now Bali.

The culture here remains rooted in the rich history of this island and the glory that covers and surrounds it, but it's creative and vibrant spirit is just as fresh and relevant today as it was 1,000 years ago. An oasis of freedom in the world's most populous Muslim nation, Balinese Hinduism must permit lacing the local water supply with something to guarantee that everybody's in a great mood, and it's working. Bali is currently fighting "pornography" legislation that criminalizes women for the sins of men (maybe it wasn't just Eve's fault), and I've gotta say that I support the right of all of these people to walk around wearing as little as they like, cause they're beautiful.

We've loved every place we've been so far, and we also can't wait to get back home, but I must admit that Bali made me hope, just a little bit, that my passport would get stolen and I'd never get out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227706200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227706200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227706200/tpod.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:44:20 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Amed, Bali, Indonesia

Bungalow ON the black sand beaches of East Bali - $10
Snorkeling on the reef 50 feet from your door - $4
2 large Bintang beers - $4
1 hour full body couples oil massage on the porch at sunset - $8
True happiness - Quite affordable, actually
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227176160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227176160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1227176160/tpod.html Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:02:42 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Hanoi, Vietnam

If Southeast Asia were the A-Team, Thailand would definitely be Faceman. He's pretty clean, good-looking, he probably knows some British people, and he's definitely the only one with a tux. If somebody's gonna welcome you into the A-Team garage, or wherever it is that they keep the van, from a PR standpoint it should be Face. He's definitely not my favorite member of the team, but he's nice and he's still one of the guys and can provide all the weird smells and incredible sights the rest of the crew can, he's just a little more westernized.
Then Lao's gotta be Hannibal. He's been through at least as much, if not more, than the rest of the guys (hell, the US dropped more bombs on him during the "secret war" than they did on Nazi Germany during all of WWII) but he just quietly hangs back, relaxed, smoking a cigar and sipping some Lao Lao. He never gets pissed off, he's always smiling, but you know he's the cornerstone of the group and as such he's worth paying close attention to. He can dress up for a mission, but he never pulls it off. He's just Hannibal in a costume, and that's why you gotta love him. When his cover gets blown (yeah, like Hannibal ever looked like a valet parker anyway) he's cool, 'cause he knows that when you're as beautiful and charming as Lao, no matter what goes wrong, the plan's gonna come together. He just listens to your question politely, looks down at the 6 foot long bomb, and says, "Cluster bomb. From America. Where you're from, right?" Then offers you a shot of Lao Lao. Nervously, you accept. "I have an uncle in Fresno. Have you been to Fresno?" No, not yet, but it looked cool in The Karate Kid.
And then there's Vietnam. We've only got two choices left, but even if there were thousands, it'd have to be Murdock. Everyone knows that Murdock is the biggest baddass of the crew, not just those of us who identified with the weird, smart, dorky one who sometimes dressed as a woman and always had to see a psychiatrist. I will remind you that Murdock could do anything the rest of them could, perhaps better, he was just a little unstable. He has to be the most intriguing one of the bunch, with the charm and beauty of the terraced hills of the sapa valley, the magnificent limestone formations of Halong Bay, the excitement and personality of Hanoi, and the absolute craziness of having what Sarah referred to as "the most bizarre combination of true kindness and complete cruelty." (or something like that) He offers the best and worst food on the planet, and like that poor hand that often rose up from under Murdock's jacket to strangle its unwitting owner, Vietnam seems to be trying it's darndest to drive people away. But it's just too damned beautiful a place. It's crazy, but it's just crazy enough to work.
So then I guess Cambodia is B.A. Baracus, the surprisingly sweet one capable of unspeakable violence who'd drive that damned van right through every garage door in Asia if he got the chance. (that is, of course, if they had garages over here) But while I absolutely love the idea of a Cambodian Mr. T, my commitment to honesty and accuracy in all of my travel reporting demands that I mention that I haven't gotten to Cambodia yet, so I'll have to let you know about that one later on.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225943700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225943700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225943700/tpod.html Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:10:02 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Like the rapture, it will come when you least expect it
And like the rapture, it will leave one hell of a mess behind.

Known by many names:
Chulalongkorn's Revenge
The Green Curry Quick Step
The Mekong Flood
It answers to none

It glides like the fog between the hills
And when it comes, it was always there

If you run from the rain, you will find naught but water
Remain still, and beneath your feet will always be dry ground
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225938900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225938900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225938900/tpod.html Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:54:14 -0500 Southeast Asia - '08

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

So we've been here in Lao People's Democratic Republic for a few days now. I've been packed into their boats, tried on their t-shirts, rented their bicycles, sampled all the whiskey, leeches, and diarrhea they have to offer here, and I feel like I'm starting to get a feel for this place. Mind you, this is the first and only communist country I've ever experienced, but having walked in their proverbial flip-flops for a couple of days, I feel compelled to report my experiences from the other side of the iron-colored Bamboo Curtain. The way I see it, just like any other franchised institution (except Chic-Fil-A, cause Communism is open on Sundays!) designed to convince those at the bottom to surrender what little they have to those at the top, your experience at your local communist state should be much the same as mine here (just remember, "venti" means large).
We're always told in the west that while communism is crazy in theory, it's even more of a disaster in practice. Sure, if you hate rampant poverty and a justice system that, well, let's just say no justice system. But there are some things that communism does quite well (fresh croissant anyone? Oh wait, that's left over from Colonialism, not Communism), and I'm sure that they've got some of their best minds chained to the floor in a basement somewhere working out the kinks in the system (that is, of course, after they work out the kinks in their daily quota of Nikes).
And so, in the interest of sharing the communism I've come to know, I present

Communism: the man behind the legend.

1- Communism thinks that water pressure is for capitalist sissies
2- Communism hates your mouth and wants to burn it right off your face with it's incredibly tasty but even more incredibly spicy papaya salad
3- Communism is working on the humidity problem, but otherwise provides delightful weather
4- Communism really likes the whole moped idea
5- Communism enjoys a Coke, a Sprite, or even a Fanta as much as the rest of us, but is yet to develop a taste for Dr. Pepper or Moutain Dew.
6- Communism loves having cats all over the place
7- Communism produces some of the most beautiful people and waterfalls I've ever seen
8- Communism thinks that you should all be in your homes and guest houses by midnight and will take whatever steps necessary (wink-wink) to ensure that you are. That is, of course, unless you are at the bowling alley, in which case you can stay out until 2:00 am. (this is actually not made up)
9- Communism doesn't seem to understand the fact that # 8 pretty much explains why Communism never gets laid at the annual U.N. beach weekend in Daytona
10- Why # 4? Because Communism knows, if nothing else, that anything (20 live chickens, a family of 5, a refridgerator, a whole water buffalo carcass) can be carried on the back of a moped
11- Communism believes that you should have free mini-bananas and Lao Lao (Lao rice whiskey) everywhere you go
12- Communism is apparently pretty damned sure that you will be the one to swerve
13- Communism thinks that the stone age really wasn't all that bad
14- Communism is one hell of a good cook
15- It's not that Communism doesn't trust you, it's that it just doesn't care about you

We're headed to Hanoi in a couple of days, so I'll get to check and make sure the Vietnamese franchise is toeing the company line, and I'll be sure to bring home more in-depth, well-informed political analysis.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225252920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225252920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1225252920/tpod.html Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:34:40 -0400 Southeast Asia - '08

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Greetings from behind the iron curtain. So we caught the slow boat in Huay Xay, Lao PDR on Saturday for a two-day cruise down the Mekong River, stopping for a night in Pak Beng before proceeding to Luang Prabang. The scenery was unbelievably beautiful, and being on a huge muddy river all day reminded me of another trip I took long ago. (Barry, what about Mekong 2010 -question mark doesn't work on this keyboard-) So when we arrived in Pak Beng for the night I decided to take a little dip in the Mekong down by all of the boats. Well, the Mekong's a pretty big river, and the current really moves. So in a violent fit of grasping at rocks to avoid being swept under the mass of boats tied up to the shore, I managed to lose my wedding ring in the Mekong. Sarah and I are pretty excited, really, because we have always wanted to have new wedding rings hand made, and so when we head down to Bali in a few weeks we've got an exciting and romantic task to undertake. And in the meantime I've made a nice temporary band out of blue duct tape that's hanging on very well. So if anyone has any good ideas for ring designs, Mark Hanf, I'm looking in your general direction, we'd love to hear your ideas.
Anyway, now we're in Luang Prabang and loving what is quite likely the neatest town in the world. We were actually told that by several of our friends who had been here among many other wonderful places, and we could not agree more. Imagine a small, French village at the confluence of two rivers, covered in palm trees, with incredible art, fresh fruit, and an amazing mix of French bakeries and Lao restaurants and street vendors. And waterfalls. Clean, cool, awesome waterfalls. From swimming in a local swimming hole yesterday with some new friends and six little local boys to trying out fried buffalo skins and buffalo brains (tastes like fresh mozzarella actually), to relaxing and playing guitar in our room overlooking the Nam Khan river and the mountains beyond, we're doing just fine.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224853620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224853620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224853620/tpod.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:28:57 -0400 Southeast Asia - '08

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Chiang Khong, Thailand

I don't have much time, so I'll spare everyone the commentary and just stick to the boring crap that our parents want to know.
We made it up to Chiang Khong this evening and right now I'm sitting on the deck of our guest house overlooking the Mekong River, listening to music coming from a restaurant across the river in Laos while Sarah is getting a Thai massage. I've been a little out of it the last couple of days, but medical problems are completely par for the course for me. Anyway, we cross the border into Lao Democratic People's Republic in the morning. It's our first communist country, so we're really excited. We're hoping I can finally get the affordable healthcare those stingy capitalists have been keeping from me all this time. Maleewan, the owner of our guest house for the night, says she only believes two things: "big fish always eat small fish" and "never want go jail in Lao." With that in mind, I'll be on my best behavior. We're catching a boat on the other side of the river in the morning and will have a two day boat trip down the Mekong to get to Luang Prabang, Lao DPR, a UNESCO world heritage site and apparently one of the most breathtaking cities on the planet. That said, we hope to be able to update y'all on the boat trip and our opinion of the infamous Lao whiskey on Sunday evening our time, which is like last november for you guys.

Lane

and yes, I did refer to it as Laos, Lao, Lao Democratic People's Republic, and Lao DPR because nobody refers to it the same way, and I'd like to share the confusion. Come to think of it, maybe I don't want these people operating on me if they can't even figure out their own name.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224517920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224517920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/laneandsarah/1/1224517920/tpod.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:32:53 -0400 Southeast Asia - '08

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

I've seen plenty of pictures of English-ish signs that just don't quite get their point across, but I had no idea what a consistent source of entertainment they would be for me on this trip.
A few of my favorites:

1) "Foot Oil
Thai Face"

- Yes, Will Shortz, the answer is "massage."

2) "Beware of your valuable possessions"

- My favorite so far. I think the monks in this temple would be delighted to know that their entire tradition had been so well summarized in one failed attempt to warn against thievery. I only wish we had some of these signs back home.

3)" Satanic - Majestic

It's Happened to be a Closet"

- I have no f-ing idea
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