Mitad del Mundo

After the Amazon, I returned to Quito for two nights. I took advantage of this day to wash all my wet, stinky cloths from the Amazon. Nothing dries there and everything gets slimy! Yuck! I also went to the middle of the world, Mitad del Mundo. I got my picture at the famous monument located at the “fake” equator. The monument is surrounded by Ecuadorian shops, museum, and a cultural center which has a  touristy, Disneyworld-like feel. About 100 meters down the road is the real equator and a smaller, more authentic museum. Here is where I saw an egg balance on a nail head, water drain straight down (compared to swirling right or left less than 5 ft away from the equator) and your strength holding your arms up decrease due to the force pushing down on you at the equator. I have now stood on the northern and southern hemispheres at the same time, and have a stamp in my passport to prove it! I have to admit, I think this is a step above the four corners!

Solo Traveling

Its good to be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want it. However I miss sharing the experiences with someone. I miss killing time before the bus with someone or laughing about a language barrier mistake or how late everything is. Of course my tour is a German family, their guide, and me. There are so many different languages being thrown around it is kind of comical. It is also kind of isolating. Very often do I sit at the table and have no idea what everyone is talking about. I’m excited for the next town to stay in a hostel with other travelers.

The Wild Amazon

Boy are we on Ecuadorian time, we were suppose to meet at 9:30 am sharp, and we didn’t take off for the river at least until 11:00 am. The river was gorgeous though. There are numerous bright red and orange flowers. The yellow and black birds sang gently while we paddled by. We heard Macaws squawk and toucans talk. We saw a large fish eat a smaller fish skipping along the top of the water. We saw three snakes, two were fairly small and one was a 6-8 foot anaconda.  The first night we spent camping. The choir of the frogs, cicadas, and other creatures grew louder as the sun went down. Long after dark the rain came. We camped in tents under a tarp and the rain echoed through out camp as it hit the tarps. The rainforest seems to stay a constant temperature no matter the time of day. It is always 80-85 degrees F with 100% humidity. I’ve been getting flashbacks of late summer afternoons in Kentucky. The smell in the jungle is extremely rich; it is full of vegetation and almost sweet. It seems rare to have a sunny day. The mornings typically start gray and by midday there are strong sun rays coming through the clouds. The clouds dissipate by mid afternoon and the blue sky shows itself. After the sunset, the clouds roll back in the cover the land for the night. Throughout our trip we saw spiders the size of your hand, tarantulas crawling back into their holes, giant trees, pink dolphins, tree and water snakes, monkeys jumping from tree to tree, and a collection of birds. The lodge was cute and simple.  There were hammocks hanging everywhere and all rooms were open to the exterior. Although the mosquitos were minimal due to the high pH of the water, each bed was furnished with a mosquito net. The lodge had a 10 ft platform you could jump off into the Cuyabeno river. We also swam in a near by lagoon which was very refreshing. We visited a nearby village and made a local dish out of …. We also visited the village shamen and was blessed by him. Well the adventures are over and now its back to Quito before heading to Banos.

Quito

Ahhh the wonderful world of Quito where the cars creep uphill and the artists paint the streets. I traveled VIP here as I stayed with Liza Darlington and her boyfriend Emerson. They showed me the Quito way and did all the talking. Not very many people on the streets speak English, and it would be very difficult to see all I saw without them. Additionally, Liza drove me to few spots and boy did we make a good team. She drove while I navigated.

Day 1: We had a wonderful brunch and then wondered around Old Town. After a little cat nap, Emerson lead a walking tour through Guapulo and La Floresta. Both neighborhoods are artist communities and have gorgeous little bars that were lit up at night. The streets are colorful as every house is a different color and murals dance along fences, parks, and homes.  We eat some wonderful street food for $2 a plate, and then ended the night at a hip bar drinking ginger blonde ales.

Day 2: Liza and I adventured out to Papallacta which are famous for their hot springs and trout. We hiked through a secrete garden-esk trail along a creek. There were air plants everywhere! I’ve never seen them grow I’m the wild.  On our way home, the misty skies clears and the snow capped volcano appear over the mountains the surround Quito.  As banked around s turn, you could see all the beautifully painted houses on the hills of Quito. It was so picturesque. It was great to get to know Liza as an adult. We really only speak much time together when we were little and no we were relearning who each other became. However there is a since of belong when you meet up with a childhood friend. You understand each other a little more than someone you’ve met at an older age.

Day 3: We woke up bright and early at the crack of 8 am and set out to see Quito from above. We took the gondola up and overlooked the long, dense city. After our mini hike at the top, we wentdowm and headed over to Guapulo for the artist open house workshops. It was very near to see everyone’s work on display and to wonder through the local homes. There were beautiful views of the valley.

Liza organized a cab for me and off I was to the bus station.  I’ve left my crutches and now its time to learn Spanish! I’m currently the only Ginga on the bus to Lago Agrio, where I start my trek into the Amazon. These are definitely when I wish I had a travel buddy but its good to practice time alone. I’m alert, anxious, and ready for everyone to try to take advantage of me. Its funny how I have so much more confidence in San Francisco. Well, they always say fake it until you make it! I’m faking as well as I can!

Cheers to Africa

There's always more you want to see and more you want to buy. Though, your time, money, and luggage size is never infinite. There's a time when you have to call it quits and go home. Enjoy what you did, create memories and call it a day. You have to leave something for next time. Be happy for coming and seeing what you saw. Never regret not doing something because if it was so critical, you would have either done it or you'll come back for it! Life is good. Enjoy it. As I've said many of times, do what you want to do. If you wake up more times unhappy than happy, then change your life. Don't wait and let it change you. Be adventuresome, try new things, and being crazy isn't always a bad thing. Until next time Africa, it's been amazing!!

More to Africa

To be posted soon...

Africa

The rich are rich and the poor just keep getting poorer. That's life here in Africa. I definitely see the difference since we're living at the American International School which is gated and has housekeepers, gardeners, people to take out the trash, and people to wipe your ass.  Then, 45 minute walk later, we're standing in the middle of Bauleni, a compound where the city dump is burning across from the town market. 20,000 people live here in shacks and barracks. Most kids don't continue school past 7th grade. And even at the 7th grade level, few still can't read and most aren't proficient in math. AIDS and HIV is very common along with starvation. Though, no one will talk about disease. All the locals say is "so-and-so is sick", "so-and-so died". They never said what someone is sick with and why they died.

Realization

Yep, the right hand is used to eat and the left hand is used for... : /

Note to self: bring toilet paper EVERYWHERE and do not use the bar soap (liquid is ok)

Sisters

To my surprise, Suzie was one of the best travel companions. It defiantly takes a special person to spend every waking moment of 10 weeks together and not have someone dead by the end. Yes, there were times when we wanted to kill each other and even debated splitting up, but through it all, we stood side by side. We could be grown up travelers one moment and have side aching laughter like giddy children the next. Sisters have a remarkable bond that will never break. She gets me better than anyone else. For goodness sakes, we have the same mother and father so we understand each other. We were on the same time schedule, financially equivalent, and showed interest in similar things.

Traveling with her was like re-meeting an old friend. We haven’t spent more than Christmas break together in the last 8 years. I had to replace the shy Suzie who use to make me ask the store attendant for the location of the bathroom with an older, mature, wardrobe-designing, young professional. I saw a lot of her in me and vice versa. I relearned my sister’s character, including strengths and weaknesses which often times mirror my strengths and weaknesses. All of this caused me to learn so much about myself. More surprising than anything, we biologically reacted very similarly to things. We responded to drugs, sicknesses, and exhaustion in the same manner. If I had a headache due to travel exhaustion, most likely Suzie had the same headache.

 

At points in our travels, I never thought I would travel with Suzie again in the future, but now looking back at it, I can only smile with the good memories. I’m going to miss her this next month and am excited for our next adventures!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

It never fails to get to the airport early and check, double check, and check again your flight details.

 

Suzie and I arrived at the Kathmandu airport with plenty of time to spare. I checked in no problem. Suzie, on the other hand, rushed back to me with a worried look. Since she has two layovers in India she needed a transfer visa which was news to us! In a panic, she booked a flight with a different airline company to bypass one of the stops and pick up her flight at her second destination. We pooled our cash together and had just enough to cover the cost. Wow, did her flight just get expensive! After all the commotion, I was worried we would miss our flights! Thankfully being in an Indian and Hindu influenced airport, there was a line for men and a line for women. As we were the minority, we breezed through customs and security in less than five minutes. Suzie hopped in the boarding line, and I sat waiting for my flight to New Delhi. One step closer to Zambia!

Instinct

Number one rule of traveling: always trust your instinct. No matter where you are or what is going on, if you get a bad feeling, trust it. Especially being a women. Don’t be scared to say no. There is no such thing as a grey area, and if you feel like you’re heading that way, say no. Be straight forward and stern. Though, saying no doesn’t mean you’re being impolite or rude. You can be nice while still keeping to your opinion and standing strong.

There are different limits in all cultures, but you have your own limits and they shouldn’t be crossed, no matter what culture you are in. Yes language barriers and being open-minded can make it difficult to decipher your limits, but always remember, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Are people really that nice or does niceness come with a toll? Of course there are genuinely nice people out there who care about others, but there are defiantly people who take advantage of the system. Signs to look for:

1.       Does the person continue to talk about how good they are? Even after you’ve acknowledge that they are a good person, do they still persist to tell you so?

2.       Do they try to convince you to do something and use numerous tactics as to why to do it, or why to trust them?

3.       They talk down upon other people.

4.       They slyly mention repayment numerous times.

Never feel pressured or rushed to do anything. Take your time, think about the options, and make the decision for yourself. Often times persistent people have a different plan in mind, so don’t become the victim.

Be prepared. Sometime things don’t go the way you planned. Always have a plan B which may change as the circumstances change. Constantly think about what is going on and if anything seems weird or suspicious. The more you can see ahead, the easier the present decisions will be.

Confrontation is key. When in a difficult situation, be as blunt as possible. I have heard numerous stories from friends that when being followed, turning around and confronting the person is often times the safest thing to do.

Suzie and I got the opportunity to talk to a women who has done an extensive amount of traveling, alone and with others. These are words of wisdoms and knowledge from a collection of traveling souls. With this knowledge Suzie and I have stayed safe and responsible throughout our travels. Please take the advice however you wish.

Street Children

Pokhara is the most distinctive spot where tourists meet the native Nepali people. The two groups of people are shaken and blended together, but mix as well as water and oil. The tourist walk past slyly gawking while the natives continue with their normal life. The most interaction is in shops and through trekking guides. The kids though, do not follow their parents’ lead. They wave and yell hello to you. Often time they approach you and want to hold your hand. This is all fun and games until you hear "give me candy", "give me money", and "give me chocolate". It sometimes seems like your running from zombies (YouTube). The street children are even worse. They pop out of nowhere and demand everything. It has become a game for them: How many things can I get from the tourist. They ask for your bracelets. They ask for your water even when there's a spigot 10 feet away. They try to annoy you enough so you want to give them stuff just to go away. The worst thing a tourist can ever do is give street kids sweets or money. This keeps the street kids and village children on the streets. If they can make three times the average person by begging, why would they go to school, get a normal job, or stay in programs to get them off the street? Parents in villages also hate when tourist give the kids things. So, from one traveler to another, don’t do it!

The Telluride of Nepal

Pokhar was more touristy than Thamel! I yi yi, everywhere you looked you saw westerners and Nepali tourist loading up their shopping bag for their big trek. This land is the trekking mecca of Nepal. If you come to Nepal, most likely you either hike Everest Base Camp or trek in Pokhara. The feeling of this little town nestled between a lake and a mountain range is that of a ski town in the summer. Everyone is very outdoorsy and did I mention there’s a whole hell of a lot of tourist.

Pokhara is also the most distinctive spot where tourists meet the native Nepali people. The mixing between the two cultures is purely water and oil. The tourist walk past and slyly gawk while the natives continue on their their normal life. The most interaction is in shops and trekking guides. The kids do not follow their parents way. They wave and yell hello to you. Often time they approach you and want to hold your hand. This is all fun and games until you hear "give me candy", "give me money",  "give me chocolate". It sometimes seems like your running from zombies. The street children are even worse. They pop out of nowhere and demand everything. It has become a game for them: How many things can I get from the tourist. They ask for your bracelets. They ask for your water even when a spigot is 10 feet away. They try to annoy you so much that you give them stuff just to go away. The worst thing you can ever do is give these kids sweets or money. This keeps the street children and village kids on the streets. If they can make three times the average person by begging, why would they go to school, get a normal job, or stay in programs to get them off the street. Parents in villages also hate when tourist give the kids things.

Completely shaken and blended together, but mix as well as water and oil

While we were Pokhara, we wondered through the town, spent a day biking, and, of course, trekked. The trek was three days and two nights. After talking to other travelers, we discovered it’s not uncommon for one or two of the three days to be very short without a lunch on the last day, no matter what time you arrive in Pokhara. Through the grapevine, we found our guide which turned out to be about half of normal cost. Ya, I’ll take that ; ) First night we stayed in Sarangot to wake up to an amazing sunrise. The sky was clear and the Anapurana mountain range laid right in front of us. A sight I couldn’t forget even if I tried. The next day we hiked along the ridge, down to the creek, and back up the other side to spend the right in Dampus. Here we met our new American friends. They are a fun, middle aged couple working in Antarctica. Six months of work and six months of play, not too shabby! Suzie, Sheila (our new friend), and myself had “girl talk” until lights out. The next day was an easy 2 hour hike down the ridge to a crowded bus which took us back to Pokhara. Overall, it was a good hike, and now it was time to bike!

So, let me first remind you of Suzie and my previous bike rides. We tried biking the bumpy road from hell in Vang Vieng, and then we had our pitiful attempt to go fishing in Pai. Not learning from the past, we took off bright and early at 11am with bikes, helmets, a map, and a few snacks. We biked around the lake, stopped for tea, as per usual, and ventured across a bridge into somewhat no man’s land. We figured if we kept biking towards Pokhara around the lake at some point we’ll either hit the highway or town! Perfect plan right?? It was a lovely bike ride up and down small hills and weaving closer and further around the lake to avoid croplands. After ignoring a warning from a local, we continued our joyful biking. The trail narrowed and soon we were pushing our bikes instead of riding them due to the steep hill and loose dirt. At first, it wasn’t so bad since there was a mix of places to bike and places to walk. We ate lunch with a spectacular view and continued up the mountain with a general idea of where we were on the map. Half an hour of walking turned into two hours of walking. Yep, I was defiantly over it by now! Suzie, on the other hand, wanted to continue up. “Grrrrrr. Bikes are for riding, not walking,” I barked! Finally when we asked someone how long until Pokhara, he said it wasn’t too far but he could help us hoping to gain a few bucks. Finally we found out what “not too far” meant. My ass where we doing this for another 3 hours!!! It was now time to turn around. Let the fun times begin! Wahooooo! It took us half an hour to get down what took us two hpurs to get up. We took a shortcut back and got to cross the river with a homemade pontoon. On our way back to town we stumbled across a lakeside restaurant with the best dal baut we’ve had! Ok, I’m happy now : )

River Rafting

The first day was fun, nothing too intense. Though, there was a cliff jump about 17 feet high which got your blood pumping. That night we danced to Nepali music (similar to Indian) and enjoyed the evening. Day two was going to be a big one! Other rafters joined so now there were two rafts: one with Suzie, me, and guides and one filled with middle aged men. We started higher than normal so I got a little nervous! At least Suzie and I were as safe as possible. I don’t know how much could go wrong with 2 novice rafters placed with 4 guide rafters and the leader. When the man in charged yelled for us to go right, hot damn did we turn right! We completed a few class V rapids that were extremely technical. My favorite rapids were called Frog in the Blinder and the Gerbil. We have now rafted the 7^th best river in the world and didn’t even get stuck once (thanks to the guides)!

Common Life in Nepali Villages

You travel to see things, to broaden your horizon, and to experience different cultures. Even when you explore and engulf yourself in a new country, you still cannot see everything. There is so much tragedy that is overlooked or put behind closed doors. In Nepal, women are still struggling for their rights. The government does not see them as citizens. Therefore, they cannot pass land to their children, they cannot give their children citizenship, and sometimes they cannot even eat dinner at the same table as their husband and elders. People live in villages with no running water, no hospitals, and since the young men have left to find work, no farmers. Still today, people die from common diarrhea or infections that simple antibiotics could cure. The saddest part of all, Suzie and I have been in the country for 5 days now, and we wouldn't know about any of this if it weren't for a local women we met on the rafting trip. The government tries to hide it because it’s not the most optimal advertising for tourists. Very few tourist actually know what is happening in this country.


All of this knowledge makes me want to do something to help, but all this knowledge also makes me wonder if I can even help. I'm only one person and the problems are so big. Programs can be implemented and money can be donated, but nothing will change unless you make the people sustainable. You have to teach villagers skills that they can continue to use. Teach them how to sow instead of giving clothes. Teach them how to farm instead of giving food. For long term change, the government must also change. For that to occur, I don't know if I have any influence. Though, the key is to start small and with enough small things, you create something big. Change the people in order to change the governing. Most of all, a little luck is often needed to get the ball rolling.

River Rafting

The first day was fun, nothing too intense. Though, there was a cliff jump about 17 feet high which got your blood pumping. That night we danced to Nepali music (similar to India) and enjoyed the evening. Day two was going to be a big one! Other rafters joined so now there were two rafts: one with Suzie, me, and guides and one filled with middle aged men. We started higher than normal so I got a little nervous! At least Suzie and I were as safe as possible. I don’t know how much could go wrong with 2 novice rafters placed with 4 guide rafters and the leader. When the man in charged yelled for us to go right, hot damn did we turn right! We completed a few class V rapids that were extremely technical. My favorite rapids were called Frog in the Blinder and the Gerbil. We have now rafted the 7^th best river in the world and didn’t even get stuck once (thanks to the guides)!

Everest!

We have done the flight. We have seen the highest point in the world. It's quite an achievement, and still I want to see more. The flight was beautiful and the Himalayas are breathtaking. The mountains are so rigid and harsh. The flight showed the difficulty of even hiking to the base camp. Everest is not just the tallest mountain, but it is also surrounded by sky high mountains. Talk about a ruff trek! Most of the Himalayas are over 27,000 feet tall!
On our flight, Everest was a faraway mountain blanketed by a light cloud. Though, it didn't completely give me the realization I wanted. It didn't strike me with its power and strength. Everest is not very jagged, and since it’s so deep in the mountain range, it doesn’t look like the tallest peak. It’s difficult to imagine that people have died trying to climb it. Maybe I’ll be taken back by its presents if I see it closer. I guess I'll have to wait until next time I'm in Nepal! At least I got to see it once, even if it was far away! : )

Helllooooooo Kathmandu!

After a 28 hour flight, all Suzie and I wanted to do was sleep. We booked a guesthouse and crashed! Later we met up with our soon-to-be couchsurfing host to take a walk around the town. We explored the night market and drank tea overlooking Durbar Square. The hustle and bustle under us was like a stream of cars and motorbikes with people swimming upstream. The streets are chaotic, and I'm surprised there's not more accidents. It isn’t because they drive fast, but there are no sidewalks, the alleys wind and turn, and you must swerve around the random cows moseying down the street.

Talking to Harri, our host, we learned some insider info on the culture. It doesn't surprise me, but I didn't expect the Indian influence. There are multiple Hindu festivals and celebrations each month. The city closes down around 10 pm, but unlike Myanmar, it doesn't wake up especially early. The food is a mix between Indian and Chinese. Since there was a revolution only 8 years ago, things are changing dramatically. The infrastructure is improving and more roads are being paved than ever before. Though, this does not mean Google maps is accurate. When following Google’s most direct route from Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) to home, the road disappeared into dirt and rock piles. After cutting through an abandon parking lot and a hole in the fence, we were back on route only to find out the road turned into stairs. Now it makes complete sense as to why the taxi took a roundabout way to get to the temple!

The next day, Suzie and I explored Boudhha. This is the biggest stupa for…. The prayer flags strung from the peak in every direction was gorgeous! Shops and restaurants surrounded the square. As we were told, this was the most expensive area in all of Kathmandu! A short 30 minute walk away was Pashupatinath Temple. This is where the holy river flows into the city and has become the location for cremations. How far upstream the body is cremated depends on the class of the family. It once was segregated by occupation, but now is based on price. Bodies are being burned all the time. We witness two during the two hours we were there.

The best part of Kathmandu, other than shopping for scarves, was our sleeping arrangement. Suzie and I laid our heads down under a sleeping bag and numerous blankets on the roof of an apartment building! Yes, we slept outside every night and woke up by the sun every morning if the dogs and roosters didn't wake us up first. It's crazy how you can be in the middle of the tourist center and still feel like your camping. This is a once and a lifetime opportunity and we have to thank Harri for making it possible!

Wow, does time fly! We have already traveled through Myanmar and are about to go to Nepal. My friends I'm meeting in Zambia are leaving in a few day so I can join them in two weeks. As I reflect, I am defiantly reminded to live in the moment. Take in each breath, live each sunset, and be present no matter what you're doing. Often times we get distracted by technology. Nowadays you look around and all you see is people texting, talking on the phone, or checking Facebook. It's kind of nice having a useless phone aside from when I have WiFi. Another distraction I find so often is a camera. If you're obsessed with finding the perfect shot, you won't even remember the moment. Yes, it is good to have photos to show others and to remind yourself of the moments, but you have to find the balance between being behind the lens and seeing it with your own eye. If you don't stop and look around, you're going to wake up one day and wonder where you're life went. Do what you enjoy and surround yourself with people you love. Sometimes it's as easy as that to make your life better.

I'm excited for our next adventures and I've thoroughly enjoyed our trip so far. Nepal, here we come!!

Inle Lake

We have made two more people addicted to Zilch: Anaïs and Benjamin, the French couple. They joined us for drinks the night we got back from our trek. We ended up drinking the first draft beer we’ve had since we started traveling and played Zilch until about 10:30. Well, I guess that’s late for Myanmar. We were the only people in the streets and when we got to our hotel, the doors were locked and the gate was shut! Thankfully, we saw a little bell which summoned a boy to rescue us. That night was the best night of sleep I’ve had!

 

Sadly a bit of Cindy became installed in me and by 6 am I was up! Rise and shine, it’s bacon time! We spent the whole day with Anaïs and Benjamin. It started with biking an hour to the hot springs which turned out to be a hot tub with a $10 entrance fee. Scratch that! Then we took a boat (with our bikes and all) to see the jumping cat monastery which no longer has jumping cats! By this time we only had a few hours before our bus left, so no time for the winery. We had our last drinks with our new friends before heading for the bus. As per usual, the pickup van was late. We picked up numerous more people and headed out of town. Are we going to drive the whole way there in this minivan?!? After half an hour of worrying, we rolled into the bus station and boarded the bus. We laid our plastic bags down on the seat (to prevent bug bites), and here comes another long night!