Arriving back in the Philippines was extremely surreal! I was very happy to be staying in the same village that I had on my previous visit. After travelling for 3 months, it was nice to be somewhere familiar with familiar faces! After several flight delays/problems, I arrived in the town of Bliss on December 14th late in the evening. Walking into the town I was greeted by MANY old friends with smiles and hugs. It was such a wonderful feeling!
In the first couple days, I was involved in a Christmas gift giving program run by the volunteer organization I work with (Volunteer for the Visayans - VFV). We drove to all of the VFV sponsored sites in the area (orphanages, clinics, a woman's rescue home, a centre for abused girls, and under-privileged schools), and gave Christmas gifts to many people who are in need and otherwise would likely not receive anything. It was awesome to watch the faces of both the children and the adults as they unwrapped their gift!
I started my volunteer project, the Community Nutrition Program, the first Monday after I arrived. The Program has identified 30 children between the ages of 3 and 6 in the village of Tanaun that are extremely malnourished. The children (and generally their siblings) are invited to come to the community centre for one meal a day 5 days a week. My job was to facilitate the purchase, preparation, and service of the food to the children. It also gave me the opportunity to interact with the children and get to know them (which was my favourite part). I loved being a part of this program and I was really able to see the difference it made in the lives of the children and their families!
Since my volunteer project took place in the morning, I had plenty of free time to spend on other projects, such as the tutoring program and the sponsor kid's program. I also was able to visit my old friends at the Rural Health Unit in Jaro (where my volunteer placement was on my previous visit), and spend time with the friends and children from Bliss that I had gotten to know on my last visit. I have really enjoyed being able to maintain these relationships and watch the children grow!
The Philippines is still the same happy place I remember it to be. Many things have changed within the area where I live (mostly for the better), but the people and the culture are still as wonderful as I remember!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thai(land of temples)
I re-entered Thailand with my GAP adventure tour group on December 10th. We started in the North in the area of Chiang Kong, since we came from Laos/the Mekong River. I was definitely looking forward to having more time in Thailand, since my first stop there was so brief!
In Chiang Kong, we visited the White Temple. As it's name implies, this temple is all white, and has the most intricate architecture. It houses a large Buddha statue. You have to cross a white bridge over a small lake to get to it. From Chiang Kong, we drove to Chiang Mai. Unfortunately we didn't have much time there, but I was able to explore the city and it's markets a little. The markets have EVERYTHING you could imagine, I even got a foot massage in the middle of the market for less than a dollar. It was a nice massage, but not the most relaxing environment!
After Chiang Mai, we took a sleeper train back to Bangkok. In Bangkok, I visited the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the Big Swing (which isn't really a swing at all) and Khao San Road (the touristy area with many shops and restaurants). The Grand Palace was amazing! There are many buildings of gold, marble and gems, including the temple housing the Emerald Buddha. We had to rent clothes that were more "covering" just to get in. We had to cross the river on a ferry to get to Wat Arun, "the temple of the dawn". The stairs of this temple were so steep I felt like I was going to fall backwards, but the view from the top of Wat Arun was completely worth it. I spent my last night in Thailand and my last night with my tour group enjoying the club/bar scene on Khao San Road.
I left Thailand for the Philippines on December 13th, exactly a month from when I arrived. I experienced Thailand as a country of beautiful temples with a very majestic feel. On the other hand, it is developing very quickly into a more modern country with a fun and light vibe. I think it will be a very different place in the near future. My time in Southeast Asia seemed to fly by. I still can't believe how different each of the four countries were from one another and yet they are so close together. I am glad to have gotten a taste of each of the countries, but it does leave more to be explored! In some ways, it was a little more touristy than I had expected it to be, but I have had some pretty unreal experiences because of that. I am very thankful that my GAP tour group was such a great group of people to travel with. I have made some good friends and shared some unreal moments with them! Overall, I am glad I chose to tour Southeast Asia and have certainly made many memories that will last a lifetime!
In Chiang Kong, we visited the White Temple. As it's name implies, this temple is all white, and has the most intricate architecture. It houses a large Buddha statue. You have to cross a white bridge over a small lake to get to it. From Chiang Kong, we drove to Chiang Mai. Unfortunately we didn't have much time there, but I was able to explore the city and it's markets a little. The markets have EVERYTHING you could imagine, I even got a foot massage in the middle of the market for less than a dollar. It was a nice massage, but not the most relaxing environment!
After Chiang Mai, we took a sleeper train back to Bangkok. In Bangkok, I visited the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the Big Swing (which isn't really a swing at all) and Khao San Road (the touristy area with many shops and restaurants). The Grand Palace was amazing! There are many buildings of gold, marble and gems, including the temple housing the Emerald Buddha. We had to rent clothes that were more "covering" just to get in. We had to cross the river on a ferry to get to Wat Arun, "the temple of the dawn". The stairs of this temple were so steep I felt like I was going to fall backwards, but the view from the top of Wat Arun was completely worth it. I spent my last night in Thailand and my last night with my tour group enjoying the club/bar scene on Khao San Road.
I left Thailand for the Philippines on December 13th, exactly a month from when I arrived. I experienced Thailand as a country of beautiful temples with a very majestic feel. On the other hand, it is developing very quickly into a more modern country with a fun and light vibe. I think it will be a very different place in the near future. My time in Southeast Asia seemed to fly by. I still can't believe how different each of the four countries were from one another and yet they are so close together. I am glad to have gotten a taste of each of the countries, but it does leave more to be explored! In some ways, it was a little more touristy than I had expected it to be, but I have had some pretty unreal experiences because of that. I am very thankful that my GAP tour group was such a great group of people to travel with. I have made some good friends and shared some unreal moments with them! Overall, I am glad I chose to tour Southeast Asia and have certainly made many memories that will last a lifetime!
Laos Laos
Before leaving to travel, Laos was the country I knew least about and had the least reason to be excited for. However, it ended up being my favourite Southeast Asian country of the four! Laos is a mixture of open beautiful scenery and small towns/cities full of character. I entered Laos at the beginning of December in the small border town of Lak Xao. I could immediately see and feel the difference between Vietnam and Laos. Compared to the busy feeling of Hanoi, Lak Xao was extremely relaxed and peaceful. The people were friendly and easy going (and didn't seem like they were always trying to sell me something!).
We spent the next few days in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A couple of friends and I rented push bikes and drove around the city to see the sites. We went to Pha That Luang (the gold stupa and national symbol) and the National Monument/Gate (also called the vertical runway), which is a tower that was built with supplies donated by the French to build a runway. Instead, the Laotian people built the monument as a symbol of their independence. We were able to see a lot of Vientiane from the top of the tower.
From Vientiane, we went to the small town of Vang Vieng along the riverside, known for it's limestone mountains and caves. We only had a day there, but I went kayaking in the river (through rapids) and caving/swimming in one of the caves. It was dark in the cave, so they gave us little candles, which were quite impractical as I kept falling into deep water. Still, it was a lot of fun! In the afternoon, we went tubing down the river. It's a very popular spot for partying backpackers. I couldn't believe how many people there were. There are many bars along the river and they hook you in on your tube. The bars also have giant rope swings, slingshots and slides. I tried the slinghsot, but the wooden slides looked a little too unsafe/painful to me.
Our last stop was Luang Prabang. It is a small town that used to be the capital of Laos. It has many temples and Mount Phousi (mountain of monasteries) in the centre of the town. I got up at 5am to watch the monks procession down the main road near the mountain. All of the monks walk to collect food donations from the local people lined up along the street. While in Luang Prabang, we also visited an elephant centre, where we road the elephants down to the river and got to bath them. I had the most stubborn elephant, who didn't listen to any of the commands of the Mahout (trainer), which made for an even more interesting experience. She did make sure to completely drench me with a consistent blast of spray from her trunk during the bathing! Finally, we visited Kuang Si Waterfalls (a 3-tier waterfall), which we were able to swim in, jump off of, and rope swing into!
Before leaving Laos, we took a 2-day boat trip down the Mekong River to the Thai border. We rode in a traditional junk boat owned by a local family. We saw many people and animals along the riverside. We stopped at Pak Ou - the cave of 4,000 Buddhas and stopped for the night in the small riverside town of Pak Beng.
On December 10th we arrived at the Thai border, where we left our boat for the town of Chiang Kong. I was definitely surprised with how much I enjoyed my time in Laos. I especially liked the friendly and easy going nature of the people and the relaxed atmosphere. I think I would like to return to one of the smaller areas one day as a volunteer.
We spent the next few days in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A couple of friends and I rented push bikes and drove around the city to see the sites. We went to Pha That Luang (the gold stupa and national symbol) and the National Monument/Gate (also called the vertical runway), which is a tower that was built with supplies donated by the French to build a runway. Instead, the Laotian people built the monument as a symbol of their independence. We were able to see a lot of Vientiane from the top of the tower.
From Vientiane, we went to the small town of Vang Vieng along the riverside, known for it's limestone mountains and caves. We only had a day there, but I went kayaking in the river (through rapids) and caving/swimming in one of the caves. It was dark in the cave, so they gave us little candles, which were quite impractical as I kept falling into deep water. Still, it was a lot of fun! In the afternoon, we went tubing down the river. It's a very popular spot for partying backpackers. I couldn't believe how many people there were. There are many bars along the river and they hook you in on your tube. The bars also have giant rope swings, slingshots and slides. I tried the slinghsot, but the wooden slides looked a little too unsafe/painful to me.
Our last stop was Luang Prabang. It is a small town that used to be the capital of Laos. It has many temples and Mount Phousi (mountain of monasteries) in the centre of the town. I got up at 5am to watch the monks procession down the main road near the mountain. All of the monks walk to collect food donations from the local people lined up along the street. While in Luang Prabang, we also visited an elephant centre, where we road the elephants down to the river and got to bath them. I had the most stubborn elephant, who didn't listen to any of the commands of the Mahout (trainer), which made for an even more interesting experience. She did make sure to completely drench me with a consistent blast of spray from her trunk during the bathing! Finally, we visited Kuang Si Waterfalls (a 3-tier waterfall), which we were able to swim in, jump off of, and rope swing into!
Before leaving Laos, we took a 2-day boat trip down the Mekong River to the Thai border. We rode in a traditional junk boat owned by a local family. We saw many people and animals along the riverside. We stopped at Pak Ou - the cave of 4,000 Buddhas and stopped for the night in the small riverside town of Pak Beng.
On December 10th we arrived at the Thai border, where we left our boat for the town of Chiang Kong. I was definitely surprised with how much I enjoyed my time in Laos. I especially liked the friendly and easy going nature of the people and the relaxed atmosphere. I think I would like to return to one of the smaller areas one day as a volunteer.
Rickettsia in Vietnam
Hello Vietnam!
I entered Vietnam from Cambodia on November 21st via the Mekong Delta area. The Mekong Delta is a large area of paddy fields, orchards, and streams/canals. The water is everywhere, it almost looks like flooding, but it's like that year round. Most of the people live on the water and the water is used for transportation and to make a living. Our first stop after crossing the border was the small city of Chau Doc. I took a motorbike trip up Nui Sam or Sam Mountain to watch the sunset over the Mekong Delta.
After leaving the Delta, we arrived in the city of Saigon or re-named Ho Chi Minh City. It's a very big and busy city! One of the first places we visited was the Ben Thanh Market. This market is insane! The shopkeepers will literally grab you and pull you into their shop. I only lasted about 10 minutes in there, a bit too aggressive for my liking. While in Ho Chi Minh City, I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Reunification Palace (originally the presidential palace before the war, re-named and re-built when Ho Chi Minh's army took over the building/city during the war), and Notre Dame Cathedral (gothic style church built by the French). The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground tunnel network built by the Viet Cong during the war. The tunnel system stretches over 250kms and is several storeys deep. We got to go down inside one of the tunnels, but most of us only lasted 50m or less because it is so compact and you have to walk completely bent over or crawl. It was actually a little bit scary, I can't imagine spending much time down there!
Our next stop in Vietnam was Nha Trang, a coastline city. We got one of the nicest days of the season at the beach. From Nha Trang, we went by sleeper train to Hoi An. Hoi An is a very pretty port town, made up of many markets, tailors and the old town. Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy a day in Hoi An before beginning to feel extremely ill. I hadn't been feeling 100% in quite a while (I had already seen two doctors, who had prescribed me antibiotics), but my fever became so high that I was admitted into the hospital in Danang (the closest hospital to Hoi An).
I spent three long days in the Danang hospital with a diagnosis of "fever of unknown origin". During my time there, the doctors ordered 9 blood samples, a blood culture (from the foot.. oww!), urine and stool samples, a chest x-ray, an abdominal ultrasound and tracked my blood pressure, breathing rate, and temperature every hour. I was also hooked-up to an IV for fluid and antibiotic treatment. Despite all of this, my condition was not improving, and no diagnosis could be made. The blood tests seemed to show some sort of viral infection and the ultrasound showed that my liver and spleen were both greatly enlarged. So, I was flown to a hospital in Hanoi (the capital) to see a Canadian doctor who specialized in diseases of the liver. There I was finally diagnosed with Rickettsia, a bacterial infection (non-responsive to antibiotics) caused by dead ticks found on unclean fabrics. Both myself and the doctor assumed I picked it up while trekking in Nepal, but the bacteria were dormant (inactive) for a period of time. I was just glad to have a diagnosis! I spent two more days recovering and being treated in the hospital before being released in Hanoi.
Thankfully, since I had been flown to Hanoi, I was actually caught up to where my GAP tour group was and was able to re-join the group. Unfortunately I had missed the town of Hue and Halong Bay. I was also thankful that I had purchased good insurance and didn't have to pay a thing for my time in the hospital! Finally healthy, I was able to enjoy my last day in Hanoi. I explored the city, Hoan Kiem Lake (a small and beautiful lake in the center of Hanoi) and went to see the famous Water Puppet Theatre in the evening.
The next day, we headed for the border of Laos. I enjoyed my time in Vietnam, despite having to spend some of it in the hospital. What I saw, I liked! It's an extremely interesting country with a diverse historic background. I have come to the realization that being ill is a part of travel. I guess I am just unlucky enough to be as ill as I was. Regardless, I am thankful to continue on my journey feeling well and I am very thankful for the doctors and nurses that looked after me. Everything is an adventure!
I entered Vietnam from Cambodia on November 21st via the Mekong Delta area. The Mekong Delta is a large area of paddy fields, orchards, and streams/canals. The water is everywhere, it almost looks like flooding, but it's like that year round. Most of the people live on the water and the water is used for transportation and to make a living. Our first stop after crossing the border was the small city of Chau Doc. I took a motorbike trip up Nui Sam or Sam Mountain to watch the sunset over the Mekong Delta.
After leaving the Delta, we arrived in the city of Saigon or re-named Ho Chi Minh City. It's a very big and busy city! One of the first places we visited was the Ben Thanh Market. This market is insane! The shopkeepers will literally grab you and pull you into their shop. I only lasted about 10 minutes in there, a bit too aggressive for my liking. While in Ho Chi Minh City, I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Reunification Palace (originally the presidential palace before the war, re-named and re-built when Ho Chi Minh's army took over the building/city during the war), and Notre Dame Cathedral (gothic style church built by the French). The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground tunnel network built by the Viet Cong during the war. The tunnel system stretches over 250kms and is several storeys deep. We got to go down inside one of the tunnels, but most of us only lasted 50m or less because it is so compact and you have to walk completely bent over or crawl. It was actually a little bit scary, I can't imagine spending much time down there!
Our next stop in Vietnam was Nha Trang, a coastline city. We got one of the nicest days of the season at the beach. From Nha Trang, we went by sleeper train to Hoi An. Hoi An is a very pretty port town, made up of many markets, tailors and the old town. Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy a day in Hoi An before beginning to feel extremely ill. I hadn't been feeling 100% in quite a while (I had already seen two doctors, who had prescribed me antibiotics), but my fever became so high that I was admitted into the hospital in Danang (the closest hospital to Hoi An).
I spent three long days in the Danang hospital with a diagnosis of "fever of unknown origin". During my time there, the doctors ordered 9 blood samples, a blood culture (from the foot.. oww!), urine and stool samples, a chest x-ray, an abdominal ultrasound and tracked my blood pressure, breathing rate, and temperature every hour. I was also hooked-up to an IV for fluid and antibiotic treatment. Despite all of this, my condition was not improving, and no diagnosis could be made. The blood tests seemed to show some sort of viral infection and the ultrasound showed that my liver and spleen were both greatly enlarged. So, I was flown to a hospital in Hanoi (the capital) to see a Canadian doctor who specialized in diseases of the liver. There I was finally diagnosed with Rickettsia, a bacterial infection (non-responsive to antibiotics) caused by dead ticks found on unclean fabrics. Both myself and the doctor assumed I picked it up while trekking in Nepal, but the bacteria were dormant (inactive) for a period of time. I was just glad to have a diagnosis! I spent two more days recovering and being treated in the hospital before being released in Hanoi.
Thankfully, since I had been flown to Hanoi, I was actually caught up to where my GAP tour group was and was able to re-join the group. Unfortunately I had missed the town of Hue and Halong Bay. I was also thankful that I had purchased good insurance and didn't have to pay a thing for my time in the hospital! Finally healthy, I was able to enjoy my last day in Hanoi. I explored the city, Hoan Kiem Lake (a small and beautiful lake in the center of Hanoi) and went to see the famous Water Puppet Theatre in the evening.
The next day, we headed for the border of Laos. I enjoyed my time in Vietnam, despite having to spend some of it in the hospital. What I saw, I liked! It's an extremely interesting country with a diverse historic background. I have come to the realization that being ill is a part of travel. I guess I am just unlucky enough to be as ill as I was. Regardless, I am thankful to continue on my journey feeling well and I am very thankful for the doctors and nurses that looked after me. Everything is an adventure!
Monday, December 26, 2011
The Khmer Kingdom - Cambodia
I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on November 13th (my birthday!). Unfortunately, I was exhausted from travelling through the night and spent most of my day resting up for my next adventure. On the 14th, I met up with my group of backpackers for our "GAP tour" of Southeast Asia. I was surprised at how modernized the city of Bangkok is and how little damage I could see from the flooding. I really didn't get to explore much of Thailand before leaving to Cambodia on the 15th. I returned to Thailand at the end of my Southeast Asia tour, and had more time to explore then!
The transition from Thailand into Cambodia was not distinctly noticeable, but the roads in Cambodia seemed much worse, rice fields and open space became more common, and the style of houses changed to wooden houses on stilts.Cambodians speak the language of Khmer, drive on the left-hand side, and use both Cambodian and US currency very commonly (ATM's withdrew cash in USD and USD was accepted everywhere!)
Our first stop in Cambodia was Siem Reap. The evening we arrived we were taken to a small local project site, where a school and home for children had been built. The children were just finishing school when we arrived and they were very excited to see us and practice the English they had been learning. Our second day in Cambodia we travelled to Angkor Wat, the ancient city of brick buildings hidden amongst the jungle built during the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia. Most of the buildings are still standing, although some parts are beginning to crumble. It is really an amazing site! It was also quite exhausting climbing up many many steep stairs to reach the top of each of the temples.
Our second stop in Cambodia was the capital, Phnom Penh. Their I visited the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. The Silver Pagoda has a floor made of 5000 silver tiles. Unfortunately, most of the floor was covered by carpet, I guess to avoid damage. Our group also visited the Tuol Sleng Museum (the security prison where many educated Cambodians were tortured and killed during the Pol Pot regime) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (where the remains of the victims were left). Both of these places were extremely sad and difficult to visit, but they were also really meaningful stops in understanding Cambodian history and the people of Cambodia.
Speaking of, I found the people of Cambodia to be quite friendly and happy. They were very easy going and most seemed interested in speaking with tourists. However, in our last Cambodian stop, the beach town of Sihanoukville, there were both adults and children constantly following us and bugging us to buy whatever they were holding or any service they could offer. I found this quite annoying, but I think it is more of a reflection of what major tourism can do to a developing country than of the nature of Cambodian people and their culture. Regardless, I enjoyed Sihanoukville and did get to do some snorkelling and boating.
We left Cambodia through the Mekong Delta on November 21st. Overall, I found Cambodian to be an extremely interesting country. I would definitely like to return one day, but I would be more interested in seeing some of the less visited areas and getting a better taste of the Cambodian lifestyle.
The transition from Thailand into Cambodia was not distinctly noticeable, but the roads in Cambodia seemed much worse, rice fields and open space became more common, and the style of houses changed to wooden houses on stilts.Cambodians speak the language of Khmer, drive on the left-hand side, and use both Cambodian and US currency very commonly (ATM's withdrew cash in USD and USD was accepted everywhere!)
Our first stop in Cambodia was Siem Reap. The evening we arrived we were taken to a small local project site, where a school and home for children had been built. The children were just finishing school when we arrived and they were very excited to see us and practice the English they had been learning. Our second day in Cambodia we travelled to Angkor Wat, the ancient city of brick buildings hidden amongst the jungle built during the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia. Most of the buildings are still standing, although some parts are beginning to crumble. It is really an amazing site! It was also quite exhausting climbing up many many steep stairs to reach the top of each of the temples.
Our second stop in Cambodia was the capital, Phnom Penh. Their I visited the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. The Silver Pagoda has a floor made of 5000 silver tiles. Unfortunately, most of the floor was covered by carpet, I guess to avoid damage. Our group also visited the Tuol Sleng Museum (the security prison where many educated Cambodians were tortured and killed during the Pol Pot regime) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (where the remains of the victims were left). Both of these places were extremely sad and difficult to visit, but they were also really meaningful stops in understanding Cambodian history and the people of Cambodia.
Speaking of, I found the people of Cambodia to be quite friendly and happy. They were very easy going and most seemed interested in speaking with tourists. However, in our last Cambodian stop, the beach town of Sihanoukville, there were both adults and children constantly following us and bugging us to buy whatever they were holding or any service they could offer. I found this quite annoying, but I think it is more of a reflection of what major tourism can do to a developing country than of the nature of Cambodian people and their culture. Regardless, I enjoyed Sihanoukville and did get to do some snorkelling and boating.
We left Cambodia through the Mekong Delta on November 21st. Overall, I found Cambodian to be an extremely interesting country. I would definitely like to return one day, but I would be more interested in seeing some of the less visited areas and getting a better taste of the Cambodian lifestyle.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monks, Monkeys & Money
During my last few days in Nepal, I had the opportunity to volunteer teaching English to Buddhist Monks in a Monastery. Young boys who become Monks do not attend school and are therefore only educated by their elder Monks and from school books brought in for them. The boys I taught ranged in age from 8 to 14. They were all very eager to learn and are actually quite bright considering their lack of education. Sometimes it was a bit difficult because they were all at different learning levels, but I had so much fun with them! The younger ones look especially adorable in their red and gold robes. On my first day of class, one of the youngest boys fell asleep. I asked the other boys if my class was boring, but they told me he was hearing impaired. After that, I thought of some English songs with actions that I could get everyone to do (I know the older boys hated that!)
The Monastery I was at was directly across from Swayambhunath - also known as the "Monkey Temple". During my time at the Monastery, I had two very interesting monkey run-ins. On my second day, I had my back turned to the class and was writing on the board, when I saw something run right passed me. The boys all started laughing and at first I had thought it was one of them. But, when I turned to look in the door way, there was a monkey staring back at me! Then, on my last day in Nepal, Karma (the head monk) took me for a walk up to the top of Swayambhunath where the Stupa is. On our way up, I bought ice-cream and was eating it. A big monkey leaped out of a tree and onto me!! I turned my back and stuck my hand out to push it off. I was SO scared and Karma just laughed at me!
My transportation to the monastery was an adventure in itself. I rode on the back of the motorbike of Saman - a man who works for the volunteer organization. Motorbikes and motor traffic is insane in Nepal! It it constant accelerate-break hard-accelerate! On top of that, you weave in and out of cars and buses, and the only way to signal is to honk. Only the driver is required to wear a helmet, even if there are passengers on the bike (sorry Mom!). It was such a beautiful drive though since the Monastery is located at the top of a big hill!
Finally, I have had many people ask that I give some sort of follow-up about the money situation. So, here goes... Basically, the room was broken into and the money was taken by a 16 year old boy in the orphanage. He took the money and ran, and no one has been able to track him down since. As far as myself and the orphanage are concerned, with that kind of money, he is never coming back. The volunteer organization (RCDP) offered me the percentage of my fee that goes to the orphanage as a donation for my stay - about $170 USD. The money hadn't reached my hands before I knew exactly where it needed to go. I took the money, got on a bus, and brought it right back to the orphanage. I wrote a letter to Renu, the young lady that primarily takes care of all of the children, explaining to her where the money was coming from and why I was giving it to her. I asked that she continue to do the amazing job that she does with the children and wished her all the best. Despite what had happened, I could not accept the money for myself. It belongs to the orphanage and to the children that I have grown to love. Going back meant I had to say another hard goodbye. :(
I was very sad to leave Nepal. It was such an incredible adventure the whole way through! I met some unforgettable people and saw some breath-taking sites! I will always remember my time there! But, on to the next adventure!!!
The Monastery I was at was directly across from Swayambhunath - also known as the "Monkey Temple". During my time at the Monastery, I had two very interesting monkey run-ins. On my second day, I had my back turned to the class and was writing on the board, when I saw something run right passed me. The boys all started laughing and at first I had thought it was one of them. But, when I turned to look in the door way, there was a monkey staring back at me! Then, on my last day in Nepal, Karma (the head monk) took me for a walk up to the top of Swayambhunath where the Stupa is. On our way up, I bought ice-cream and was eating it. A big monkey leaped out of a tree and onto me!! I turned my back and stuck my hand out to push it off. I was SO scared and Karma just laughed at me!
My transportation to the monastery was an adventure in itself. I rode on the back of the motorbike of Saman - a man who works for the volunteer organization. Motorbikes and motor traffic is insane in Nepal! It it constant accelerate-break hard-accelerate! On top of that, you weave in and out of cars and buses, and the only way to signal is to honk. Only the driver is required to wear a helmet, even if there are passengers on the bike (sorry Mom!). It was such a beautiful drive though since the Monastery is located at the top of a big hill!
Finally, I have had many people ask that I give some sort of follow-up about the money situation. So, here goes... Basically, the room was broken into and the money was taken by a 16 year old boy in the orphanage. He took the money and ran, and no one has been able to track him down since. As far as myself and the orphanage are concerned, with that kind of money, he is never coming back. The volunteer organization (RCDP) offered me the percentage of my fee that goes to the orphanage as a donation for my stay - about $170 USD. The money hadn't reached my hands before I knew exactly where it needed to go. I took the money, got on a bus, and brought it right back to the orphanage. I wrote a letter to Renu, the young lady that primarily takes care of all of the children, explaining to her where the money was coming from and why I was giving it to her. I asked that she continue to do the amazing job that she does with the children and wished her all the best. Despite what had happened, I could not accept the money for myself. It belongs to the orphanage and to the children that I have grown to love. Going back meant I had to say another hard goodbye. :(
I was very sad to leave Nepal. It was such an incredible adventure the whole way through! I met some unforgettable people and saw some breath-taking sites! I will always remember my time there! But, on to the next adventure!!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
5364m - Everest Base Camp
I have finally returned to the Kathmandu valley from the mountains! The airport in Lukla that Everest trekkers must fly in and out of was closed for 8 days due to poor weather conditions. The fog and clouds over the mountains made for very poor visibility, so planes could not risk flying, especially when trying to land on a 450m runway at an airport rated one of the worst in the world! My group was stuck for 5 extra days after our trek, but luckily, I was able to leave Lukla safely yesterday! Over 3,000 trekkers were stuck in Lukla waiting for flights out!
The trek itself was absolutely amazing! We saw some of the most unreal views! Lower in the mountains, the trekking trails ran through forests and along riversides. As you get higher up, the trails are only on rock and dust, and can run cliff-side or over glaciers. I was travelling in a group of 3 people with one guide. It took us 8 days to reach Everest Base Camp! We arrived on October 31 (the most unique Halloween). We spent about 4-6 hours walking each day. Physically I did not find it to be too challenging and I was lucky enough not to experience any symptoms of altitude sickness, but I did find it extremely cold and windy! We stayed in little teahouses in small villages along the way! The lodges were cute and cozy, and the Sherpa people that lived there were very friendly!
Before heading back down from Base Camp, I got up at 5am to make the pitch black climb up Kala Patthar, a summit of 5500m that is near to base camp. I was the only one in my group able to go because the others were having altitude problems. The climb was tough, but I got there just in time to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It was so beautiful! The mountains lit up and a layer of fog was sitting below the mountains. I couldn't enjoy the view for too long though because the temperature is so cold up there that frost bite can quickly become a problem.
It took us only 3 days to make our way down the mountain. It is easier to walk down hill and you don't have to take the time to acclimatize like on the way up. On our way down, myself and Marc (another Canadian in my group) were well ahead of the group and the guide. We accidently took a wrong turn, which actually turned out to be a good thing, because we stumbled upon a big beautiful blue lake at the foot of a mountain. We later found out that the lake is called "Chola Tso Lake" and the mountain was "Cholatse". Once we found the lake and realized we were lost, it wasn't too hard to find our way back to the group. It was definitely a worthwhile detour!
Now that I am back in Kathmandu, I only have a short time left before I am off to Thailand. Over the next few days I am volunteering in a Monastery, teaching English to Buddhist Monks. They are great people and very eager to learn! :) I fly out on Saturday, November 12th and arrive in Bangkok on the 13th (my Birthday!). As far as I know, arriving in Bangkok should not be a problem with all of the flooding. I am starting to get pretty sad about leaving Nepal! I have really enjoyed my time here!
The trek itself was absolutely amazing! We saw some of the most unreal views! Lower in the mountains, the trekking trails ran through forests and along riversides. As you get higher up, the trails are only on rock and dust, and can run cliff-side or over glaciers. I was travelling in a group of 3 people with one guide. It took us 8 days to reach Everest Base Camp! We arrived on October 31 (the most unique Halloween). We spent about 4-6 hours walking each day. Physically I did not find it to be too challenging and I was lucky enough not to experience any symptoms of altitude sickness, but I did find it extremely cold and windy! We stayed in little teahouses in small villages along the way! The lodges were cute and cozy, and the Sherpa people that lived there were very friendly!
Before heading back down from Base Camp, I got up at 5am to make the pitch black climb up Kala Patthar, a summit of 5500m that is near to base camp. I was the only one in my group able to go because the others were having altitude problems. The climb was tough, but I got there just in time to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It was so beautiful! The mountains lit up and a layer of fog was sitting below the mountains. I couldn't enjoy the view for too long though because the temperature is so cold up there that frost bite can quickly become a problem.
It took us only 3 days to make our way down the mountain. It is easier to walk down hill and you don't have to take the time to acclimatize like on the way up. On our way down, myself and Marc (another Canadian in my group) were well ahead of the group and the guide. We accidently took a wrong turn, which actually turned out to be a good thing, because we stumbled upon a big beautiful blue lake at the foot of a mountain. We later found out that the lake is called "Chola Tso Lake" and the mountain was "Cholatse". Once we found the lake and realized we were lost, it wasn't too hard to find our way back to the group. It was definitely a worthwhile detour!
Now that I am back in Kathmandu, I only have a short time left before I am off to Thailand. Over the next few days I am volunteering in a Monastery, teaching English to Buddhist Monks. They are great people and very eager to learn! :) I fly out on Saturday, November 12th and arrive in Bangkok on the 13th (my Birthday!). As far as I know, arriving in Bangkok should not be a problem with all of the flooding. I am starting to get pretty sad about leaving Nepal! I have really enjoyed my time here!
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