Once again, a predawn flight to beat the traffic and I was on my way to the next country. It was a short flight, and I was sad the clouds blocked my view of a landscape I’ve wanted to see for so long. I was told to wait until I arrived to buy a guidebook, which I foolishly equated with not doing any research before I arrived. Imagine my surprise when I discovered:
-They drive on the right side of the road! After 2 weeks of forcing myself to get used to the left side, it was a difficult adjustment. Thankfully, their traffic can get chaotic enough that this isn’t really an issue and you can enter a tuk-tuk from both sides.
-They use the US dollar for any amount >$1, but give change in their currency, the riel. And with a current rate of 4300 riel = 1 USD, this is giving me some numbers that make my head reel (sorry, had to throw that in).
I was so tired from my Friday night adventure and early Saturday flight that I was perfectly happy to use my ignorance as a chance to take a long nap. I ventured out long enough to buy water and a few local snacks, and even the grocery store confused me with its odd blend of Asian and western goods. Really now, where am I? I returned back to the hotel and became engrossed by a documentary about Bruce Lee. If anyone’s up for watching “Return of the Dragon” in a few weeks, call me.
Sunday morning I awoke bright and early (easier when the sun rises at 6) to attend church. Again, the chapel wasn’t very far and friends had shown me a picture that made it easier to spot. It’s on a fairly main street and while it did stand out, I was shocked by the number of large villas we passed—it was like being in a Cambodian Corona del Mar. I was actually an hour early, which gave me a chance to sit and admire the beautiful building. The international branch is quite small, but I’ve heard there are now 8,000 LDS in Cambodia! The members were very welcoming and it was nice to actually contribute to the lesson without needing a translator. Besides, I’ll get my Khmer kick next week in Siem Reap.
After church, I was met by the head of our Cambodia office, David “Wiggy” Emmett. I’d met him in DC so it was nice to see a familiar face again, and he was kind enough to give me a tuk-tuk tour past the major sites before we grabbed lunch and dropped in on the Russian Market so I could finally buy my guidebook. It was also nice to chat with him and actually learn about what CI does in this country. In my position I get to learn about the overall work of many different departments in the organization, but usually only on a superficial level and usually only from headquarters. They’ve got such cool stories to tell!
12 November 2009
11 November 2009
Take me to the Bridge (on the River Kwai)
After the whirlwind that was Chiang Mai, I came to Kanchanaburi for just 2 things: the Death Railway/Bridge on the River Kwai, and to visit a waterfall. It took me just a day to accomplish both, which is good because that’s all I had. Despite a pre-dawn flight to Bangkok, it cost me almost as much time and money (less time, more money) to get across Bangkok as it did to take a regional bus to the town over 100 km away! By the time I arrived I was exhausted and had missed the day tours, so I booked a tour for the following day and settled down for a bit of a nap. Another friend suggested a guesthouse and I’m glad she did, for novelty’s sake alone. My room was actually on the River Kwai! 
Fun, though it did rock a little if a boat went by too fast. Kanchanaburi has these large floating restaurants, which look like an open shed on a raft, pulled by a small boat. These restaurants double as karaoke bars and are apparently very popular with Thais on the weekends, so in the interest of sleep I was grateful to miss them at their peak.
I awoke just in time to visit the Railway museum in preparation for the following day and I’m glad I did, as it gave me greater insight into the tragedy of the Railway. I’d watched the movie right before leaving on this trip (which was filmed in Sri Lanka, BTW), but hadn’t really learned the full story. I think as an American, I tend to overestimate our role in any situation and this was no different. It hit home when they had a display comparing the number of casualties by country during the railway’s construction. Relatively speaking, we only lost a few because there weren’t many Americans there to begin with. By contrast, the number of Burmese and Malaysians was staggering. I later learned that Japan had an agreement with Thailand that they wouldn’t force Thais to work on the railway, so while many chose to work as paid laborers, they weren’t subjected to the same hours and living conditions and hence had a negligible mortality rate. I was also surprised at the high number from the Netherlands, given their population compared to Britain. The museum is adjacent to an Allied cemetery with nearly 7,000 graves, and I imagine their families were grateful for the closure it provided—many families weren’t so lucky and have no idea where their loved ones are buried. From there, I walked to the famous bridge itself as the sun was setting, walking along its tracks as I tried to get my head around this. The bridge was indeed bombed by the Allies as the movie depicts, so a replacement for the middle was actually brought in from Java. So many men were forced to build the railway and died in the process for various reasons, only to have their comrades destroy it and accidentally kill many of them as well in the attempt, as their housing was difficult to distinguish from other strategic targets. A rather melancholy way to end the day, but it was good for me in a cathartic sense.
The next morning began on a far happier note. My very international group (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Russia) started with a hike in Erawan National Park to visit their most famous waterfall. The waterfall actually consists of 7 tiers, which you hike up along and swim in their pools as you please. The geologist in me was in heaven! The karst topography (weathered limestone) made for jagged peaks, and the water created white terraces that reminded me of Yellowstone (but the water wasn’t hot). The minerals in the water also turned it a pale blue. The biggest surprise was seeing fish in all these pools—how the heck did they get 2 km upstream and into pools that had sheer drops of several feet? There may have been more than one species, because it was only the little ones that nibbled at you. That’s right, it was Mother Nature’s fish spa! It tickled when they nibbled at your feet, but made me uncomfortable when there would be too many of them going at your arms and legs. As long as I kept moving, though, I was fine. I also noticed that several of the bigger trees had fabric tied around them. I’d seen this before, but these had additional offerings including whole sets of traditional clothing! The guide explained to me that they believed those older trees had angels inside which people would pray to when they asked for things. If their prayer was answered, they’d return with a gift to thank her. Kinda cute, though initially perplexing. In general, I’m finding my never-ending questions test the extremes of my guides’ language skills, so I’m never sure if I’m getting the complete answer since some things are just too hard to explain. I should probably also give props to the intern guide. It was her first time visiting this park, too, and it was her lot to accompany me as far as I wanted to go, despite the outfit and shoes she wore. I almost felt bad wanting to go all the way to the top, but she seemed happy once we made it up there and it was worth the extra climb for the beauty of that waterfall. Plus, the force of that water made for an excellent water massage to accompany the fish spa. On the way back I stopped at several pools for a quick dip, pausing longest at waterfall 4. This one had a vine swing and giant boulders you could slide down. I was so careful during the hike itself that I’m embarrassed to say it was only when I got careless that I slipped on a rock in the pool on my way to climb up the boulder. Let’s just say the bruise on my bum is a colorful, natural, Thai tattoo that will hopefully disappear soon.
(that's me sliding down a boulder)
My only frustration was learning there were cool caves in the Park that I couldn’t visit due to time constraints. Next time…
After lunch, we drove to a spot where we could catch the train and along the way we saw monkeys by the road that some tourists had stopped to feed. I’m sad to say these were the only ones I saw. The park had warned us about aggressive monkeys, but not one turned up. Elephants, gibbons…the forests were pretty empty compared to their potential. Besides the fish I did manage to see some gorgeous butterflies, though. When we arrived at the spot, we did visit a cave but it was for cultural rather the geologic significance. This cave was used as a POW camp, and after the war the locals had placed a statue of the Buddha inside of it. I should be ashamed of myself, but all I could think was how disappointed I was they’d broken all the stalactites. Again, I walked on the rickety wooden boards along the track while waiting for the train. At this spot they had to carve into the cliff and build bridges as it followed the river, and it was easy to take it for granted if you forgot they had no special equipment to work with. BTW, the Death Railway is only a remnant of its former self and they’re using a different gauge than the original one. Part of the track was flooded when a dam was built, and the portion closest to Burma was torn up to prevent separatist rebels from using is. At last, the train came. Again, if you forgot its tragic history is was actually a rather pleasant ride, sitting in an old car—or in my case, by the open door so I could get a better view. More karst topography in the distance, and up close were fields of various crops. BTW, the tapioca leaf bears an uncanny resemblance to marijuana, which must disappoint some backpackers. We didn’t even ride the train all the way to the bridge (I’m not sure who does), so we had to drive there in our minivan and walk across it once again.
By this point I’d had my fill of Kanchanaburi, so it was easy to bid farewell and take the next bus to Bangkok. By now the bus system was starting to feel familiar (I’m not sure if it will ever make sense) and I enjoyed watching the scenery as we drove back. I even started to play a game of timing how long we went between seeing larger-than-life pictures of the king or queen. In case you were wondering, it was about 4 seconds for the shortest and 5 minutes for the longest, but I should point out that area was fairly rural so I didn’t see much of anything in the dark.
Once in Bangkok, I was again surprised at how long it took to get across town to the hostel. Why I’m so accepting of that reality in other places, but demand that Bangkok be smaller, I can’t say. All I know is that when I got there it was late but I was still sore from my fall and hungry so I set out in search of relief. I erred on the side of massage and was happy I did, even happier that a friend suggested a place that was close by and not sketchy. Learning from the past, I was a bit more vocal this time to prevent her from going too hard on me and very vocal to make sure she didn’t stand on my bruises—though she tended to forget both occasionally. It was longer than I’d expected, so dinner that night consisted of bananas and chocolate Pokki from 7-11 before calling it a night. I'll pass through Bangkok 2 more times on this trip, and promise to actually stop and see a tourist site before I leave.
(BTW, the river is pronounced like "Kway", not "Kwhy", which apparently means water buffalo.)
Fun, though it did rock a little if a boat went by too fast. Kanchanaburi has these large floating restaurants, which look like an open shed on a raft, pulled by a small boat. These restaurants double as karaoke bars and are apparently very popular with Thais on the weekends, so in the interest of sleep I was grateful to miss them at their peak.I awoke just in time to visit the Railway museum in preparation for the following day and I’m glad I did, as it gave me greater insight into the tragedy of the Railway. I’d watched the movie right before leaving on this trip (which was filmed in Sri Lanka, BTW), but hadn’t really learned the full story. I think as an American, I tend to overestimate our role in any situation and this was no different. It hit home when they had a display comparing the number of casualties by country during the railway’s construction. Relatively speaking, we only lost a few because there weren’t many Americans there to begin with. By contrast, the number of Burmese and Malaysians was staggering. I later learned that Japan had an agreement with Thailand that they wouldn’t force Thais to work on the railway, so while many chose to work as paid laborers, they weren’t subjected to the same hours and living conditions and hence had a negligible mortality rate. I was also surprised at the high number from the Netherlands, given their population compared to Britain. The museum is adjacent to an Allied cemetery with nearly 7,000 graves, and I imagine their families were grateful for the closure it provided—many families weren’t so lucky and have no idea where their loved ones are buried. From there, I walked to the famous bridge itself as the sun was setting, walking along its tracks as I tried to get my head around this. The bridge was indeed bombed by the Allies as the movie depicts, so a replacement for the middle was actually brought in from Java. So many men were forced to build the railway and died in the process for various reasons, only to have their comrades destroy it and accidentally kill many of them as well in the attempt, as their housing was difficult to distinguish from other strategic targets. A rather melancholy way to end the day, but it was good for me in a cathartic sense.
The next morning began on a far happier note. My very international group (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Russia) started with a hike in Erawan National Park to visit their most famous waterfall. The waterfall actually consists of 7 tiers, which you hike up along and swim in their pools as you please. The geologist in me was in heaven! The karst topography (weathered limestone) made for jagged peaks, and the water created white terraces that reminded me of Yellowstone (but the water wasn’t hot). The minerals in the water also turned it a pale blue. The biggest surprise was seeing fish in all these pools—how the heck did they get 2 km upstream and into pools that had sheer drops of several feet? There may have been more than one species, because it was only the little ones that nibbled at you. That’s right, it was Mother Nature’s fish spa! It tickled when they nibbled at your feet, but made me uncomfortable when there would be too many of them going at your arms and legs. As long as I kept moving, though, I was fine. I also noticed that several of the bigger trees had fabric tied around them. I’d seen this before, but these had additional offerings including whole sets of traditional clothing! The guide explained to me that they believed those older trees had angels inside which people would pray to when they asked for things. If their prayer was answered, they’d return with a gift to thank her. Kinda cute, though initially perplexing. In general, I’m finding my never-ending questions test the extremes of my guides’ language skills, so I’m never sure if I’m getting the complete answer since some things are just too hard to explain. I should probably also give props to the intern guide. It was her first time visiting this park, too, and it was her lot to accompany me as far as I wanted to go, despite the outfit and shoes she wore. I almost felt bad wanting to go all the way to the top, but she seemed happy once we made it up there and it was worth the extra climb for the beauty of that waterfall. Plus, the force of that water made for an excellent water massage to accompany the fish spa. On the way back I stopped at several pools for a quick dip, pausing longest at waterfall 4. This one had a vine swing and giant boulders you could slide down. I was so careful during the hike itself that I’m embarrassed to say it was only when I got careless that I slipped on a rock in the pool on my way to climb up the boulder. Let’s just say the bruise on my bum is a colorful, natural, Thai tattoo that will hopefully disappear soon.
(that's me sliding down a boulder)
My only frustration was learning there were cool caves in the Park that I couldn’t visit due to time constraints. Next time…
After lunch, we drove to a spot where we could catch the train and along the way we saw monkeys by the road that some tourists had stopped to feed. I’m sad to say these were the only ones I saw. The park had warned us about aggressive monkeys, but not one turned up. Elephants, gibbons…the forests were pretty empty compared to their potential. Besides the fish I did manage to see some gorgeous butterflies, though. When we arrived at the spot, we did visit a cave but it was for cultural rather the geologic significance. This cave was used as a POW camp, and after the war the locals had placed a statue of the Buddha inside of it. I should be ashamed of myself, but all I could think was how disappointed I was they’d broken all the stalactites. Again, I walked on the rickety wooden boards along the track while waiting for the train. At this spot they had to carve into the cliff and build bridges as it followed the river, and it was easy to take it for granted if you forgot they had no special equipment to work with. BTW, the Death Railway is only a remnant of its former self and they’re using a different gauge than the original one. Part of the track was flooded when a dam was built, and the portion closest to Burma was torn up to prevent separatist rebels from using is. At last, the train came. Again, if you forgot its tragic history is was actually a rather pleasant ride, sitting in an old car—or in my case, by the open door so I could get a better view. More karst topography in the distance, and up close were fields of various crops. BTW, the tapioca leaf bears an uncanny resemblance to marijuana, which must disappoint some backpackers. We didn’t even ride the train all the way to the bridge (I’m not sure who does), so we had to drive there in our minivan and walk across it once again.
By this point I’d had my fill of Kanchanaburi, so it was easy to bid farewell and take the next bus to Bangkok. By now the bus system was starting to feel familiar (I’m not sure if it will ever make sense) and I enjoyed watching the scenery as we drove back. I even started to play a game of timing how long we went between seeing larger-than-life pictures of the king or queen. In case you were wondering, it was about 4 seconds for the shortest and 5 minutes for the longest, but I should point out that area was fairly rural so I didn’t see much of anything in the dark.
Once in Bangkok, I was again surprised at how long it took to get across town to the hostel. Why I’m so accepting of that reality in other places, but demand that Bangkok be smaller, I can’t say. All I know is that when I got there it was late but I was still sore from my fall and hungry so I set out in search of relief. I erred on the side of massage and was happy I did, even happier that a friend suggested a place that was close by and not sketchy. Learning from the past, I was a bit more vocal this time to prevent her from going too hard on me and very vocal to make sure she didn’t stand on my bruises—though she tended to forget both occasionally. It was longer than I’d expected, so dinner that night consisted of bananas and chocolate Pokki from 7-11 before calling it a night. I'll pass through Bangkok 2 more times on this trip, and promise to actually stop and see a tourist site before I leave.
(BTW, the river is pronounced like "Kway", not "Kwhy", which apparently means water buffalo.)
08 November 2009
Charmed by Chiang Mai (part 2)
Friends spoke highly of Chiang Mai, and I took their suggestions…all of them. There appears to be something here for everyone, and I think the only touristy things I resisted in this town were the firing range and the golf course. Here are my highlights:
Thai cooking class:
I cooked and ate my way through a private 5-course feast of my choice my first night in town. We started with a visit to a local market where she explained the staple ingredients and showed what they looked like, as well as the different types of rice. Back at the school, I learned how to make spring rolls, coconut chicken soup, green curry, Pad Thai, and a tropical fruit pancake for dessert. The crazy thing was how easy they were to prepare, once she demonstrated. I didn’t get a proper lunch that day so it was a fantastic end to the day, and armed with a cookbook from the school I look forward to attempting them back home.
Attempting to sing hymns in Thai:
I was lucky that the chapel was in walking distance of my hotel, but even luckier that I’d printed off a map of its location before I left.
The branch met in Thai, but I had translators throughout and in RS they gave me a book with the hymns “romanized” (Thai words but with characters I could read). I’m sure my pronunciation was way off, but it was still fun to try. On a “small world” note, both the branch president and the sister who translated for me served in the DC-North mission! The sister, Charee, kindly invited me over for Sunday dinner with her and her mom before helping me navigate Chiang Mai’s popular Sunday market.
Bike riding
I love bicycle rides and it was the perfect way to get around Chiang Mai to see the festival. Starting off in the Old City, I pedaled where traffic was light and kept telling myself to stay on the left. Left-hand turns? No problem! Right-hand turns…got my heart rate up a little as motorbikes and tuk-tuks whizzed around me while changing lanes. As long as I steadily moved I was OK, but it was still counter-intuitive and a little scary when you go so slowly. I decided to bike up to their university, but somehow missed it. Next thing I knew, I was on “Superhighway 11”, a major road with no place to turn around. Finally, I saw a place to turn left, and ended up at a forest Wat where I was able to collect myself amidst the ancient spires and serenity of the grounds before hitting the road again. I also had the delight of flying a kite with one of the monks who invited me to help him. Biking that night was a little more stressful as we seemed to add an extra lane to the road in some areas, but it was still a fun adventure. I’ve also decided that they wear facemasks here more for diesel fumes than swine flu.
My time in prison
OK, so it was across the street, but they have a minimum-security area with rehabilitation training for female inmates about to be released and one of the skills they teach is Thai massage. You change into loose pants that wrap around and tie like an apron and a blouse before lying down on a cushion. This was my first experience with this type of massage, which felt a little like a one-sided wrestling match at times. I’m pretty sure Devan used some of those techniques on me growing up, but it was hard to tell. It’s a little too intense for me, but the bruises on my legs are mostly gone.
Trying the street food
The food all looks good and smells even better, so after a couple of nights I started to test the waters. Raw produce was off limits, but somehow fried and steamed dishes felt safe—and they were, not to mention fantastic!
One of my favorites looked like a sausage, but was filled with fried rice and pork. Another delight was Roti, a super-thin crepe they’d fill with toppings like bananas and sweetened condensed milk or sweet corn. I opted not to try the fried insects, though.
Playing a Thai Huck Finn
After the festival, I went on a one-day “trek” that was a little bit of everything. We started with an elephant ride where towards the end they let me sit on the neck (their hairs are stiff and poky!). After that, we hiked through a rice paddy to a waterfall. They saved the best for last, though, when we floated down a small river on bamboo rafts. We were allowed to stand, and it was fun balancing on the bamboo poles and watching the scenery go by. The river was quite calm, so our group made it a bit more interesting by keeping our 2 rafts close. Our guides were mischievous, and started the water fights that quickly escalated to tipping the rafts over. The water was only waist-deep so it was easy to climb back on and resume playing. Towards the end, the water was deeper and surrounded by rocks so we stopped for a bit to jump off them into the water before we had to disembark.
Flight of the Gibbon
The moment I saw this in my guidebook, I knew I had to do it because it was the perfect combination of adventure and treehugging nature experience. What was it? A zip line canopy tour! The guide explained that the valley’s residents weren’t tribal, but immigrants who’d come to farm coffee and tea. The company bought the land to protect the forest and improve the livelihood of the residents, and had a few billboards throughout to educate visitors on the importance of protecting the forest. Wish that meant I could count it as work! Our group was surprisingly American with a few Aussies and Brits added to the mix, and we quickly bonded as a group. I was a little scared at first, but quickly got into it and felt totally safe. We flew above, and in some cases in between the trees, resting on platforms high up in ancient trees. Example: our final platform was 45 meters off the ground in an 800-year old banyan tree. We abseiled down from that one, which is when it started to sink in just how high up we’d been. You started to loose that perspective because the canopy obscured the ground, and it was only when you stood still long enough and the wind blew that the trees started to sway. It was such a rush and in such a beautiful place that I think it’s reason enough for forest conservation. Now if we could only figure out how to make that a regular mode of transportation…
TCC
Or at least that’s what I call it, since it reminded me of a Thai version of the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). I knew it was unfeasible to have an authentic experience with the hill tribes while staying in the city, but I wanted to see some folk dancing while here and this didn’t disappoint. We began seated on the floor and were treated to a Thai fest and musical performance. After dinner, we reclined on pillows to digest and watched Lanna dancing that looked like something straight out of “The King and I”.
When it came time for audience participation, I was probably the only one who volunteered themself and had fun trying to pick up some new moves. For the second half, they transferred us to a rustic amphitheater where they showcased as many tribes as they could squeeze into a brief time period—many dances lasted about a minute, but they also looked very similar so it was more about displaying their fashions. And like the PCC, the climatic dances involved knives. The Lanna portion had a guy dance with 12 knives that he crossed over each other to pick them all up. The tribal knife dance involved flaming swords, culminating in him standing on one leg with flaming knives in each hand, behind his elevated knee, and being held in his mouth. This was an excellent way to cap off my stay in Chiang Mai.
Relaxing in my hotel room
With all that running around and so many fun things to do, I still genuinely loved chilling in my hotel room. A friend suggested a mid-range boutique hotel that overlooked the northern moat and a Wat and I’m so glad she did. It was more expensive than the youth hostels I usually frequent and I’d planned to downgrade after the first few nights, but it turns out I’m a sucker for a waffle-weave robe and slippers. Plus, they were indispensable when it came to booking all my activities and were so eager to help in numerous small ways.
So there you have it. I’m a little heavier from all the food and my wallet is considerably lighter, but it was worth every Baht!
Thai cooking class:
I cooked and ate my way through a private 5-course feast of my choice my first night in town. We started with a visit to a local market where she explained the staple ingredients and showed what they looked like, as well as the different types of rice. Back at the school, I learned how to make spring rolls, coconut chicken soup, green curry, Pad Thai, and a tropical fruit pancake for dessert. The crazy thing was how easy they were to prepare, once she demonstrated. I didn’t get a proper lunch that day so it was a fantastic end to the day, and armed with a cookbook from the school I look forward to attempting them back home.
Attempting to sing hymns in Thai:
I was lucky that the chapel was in walking distance of my hotel, but even luckier that I’d printed off a map of its location before I left.
The branch met in Thai, but I had translators throughout and in RS they gave me a book with the hymns “romanized” (Thai words but with characters I could read). I’m sure my pronunciation was way off, but it was still fun to try. On a “small world” note, both the branch president and the sister who translated for me served in the DC-North mission! The sister, Charee, kindly invited me over for Sunday dinner with her and her mom before helping me navigate Chiang Mai’s popular Sunday market.
Bike riding
I love bicycle rides and it was the perfect way to get around Chiang Mai to see the festival. Starting off in the Old City, I pedaled where traffic was light and kept telling myself to stay on the left. Left-hand turns? No problem! Right-hand turns…got my heart rate up a little as motorbikes and tuk-tuks whizzed around me while changing lanes. As long as I steadily moved I was OK, but it was still counter-intuitive and a little scary when you go so slowly. I decided to bike up to their university, but somehow missed it. Next thing I knew, I was on “Superhighway 11”, a major road with no place to turn around. Finally, I saw a place to turn left, and ended up at a forest Wat where I was able to collect myself amidst the ancient spires and serenity of the grounds before hitting the road again. I also had the delight of flying a kite with one of the monks who invited me to help him. Biking that night was a little more stressful as we seemed to add an extra lane to the road in some areas, but it was still a fun adventure. I’ve also decided that they wear facemasks here more for diesel fumes than swine flu.
My time in prison
OK, so it was across the street, but they have a minimum-security area with rehabilitation training for female inmates about to be released and one of the skills they teach is Thai massage. You change into loose pants that wrap around and tie like an apron and a blouse before lying down on a cushion. This was my first experience with this type of massage, which felt a little like a one-sided wrestling match at times. I’m pretty sure Devan used some of those techniques on me growing up, but it was hard to tell. It’s a little too intense for me, but the bruises on my legs are mostly gone.
Trying the street food
The food all looks good and smells even better, so after a couple of nights I started to test the waters. Raw produce was off limits, but somehow fried and steamed dishes felt safe—and they were, not to mention fantastic!
One of my favorites looked like a sausage, but was filled with fried rice and pork. Another delight was Roti, a super-thin crepe they’d fill with toppings like bananas and sweetened condensed milk or sweet corn. I opted not to try the fried insects, though.
Playing a Thai Huck Finn
After the festival, I went on a one-day “trek” that was a little bit of everything. We started with an elephant ride where towards the end they let me sit on the neck (their hairs are stiff and poky!). After that, we hiked through a rice paddy to a waterfall. They saved the best for last, though, when we floated down a small river on bamboo rafts. We were allowed to stand, and it was fun balancing on the bamboo poles and watching the scenery go by. The river was quite calm, so our group made it a bit more interesting by keeping our 2 rafts close. Our guides were mischievous, and started the water fights that quickly escalated to tipping the rafts over. The water was only waist-deep so it was easy to climb back on and resume playing. Towards the end, the water was deeper and surrounded by rocks so we stopped for a bit to jump off them into the water before we had to disembark.
Flight of the Gibbon
The moment I saw this in my guidebook, I knew I had to do it because it was the perfect combination of adventure and treehugging nature experience. What was it? A zip line canopy tour! The guide explained that the valley’s residents weren’t tribal, but immigrants who’d come to farm coffee and tea. The company bought the land to protect the forest and improve the livelihood of the residents, and had a few billboards throughout to educate visitors on the importance of protecting the forest. Wish that meant I could count it as work! Our group was surprisingly American with a few Aussies and Brits added to the mix, and we quickly bonded as a group. I was a little scared at first, but quickly got into it and felt totally safe. We flew above, and in some cases in between the trees, resting on platforms high up in ancient trees. Example: our final platform was 45 meters off the ground in an 800-year old banyan tree. We abseiled down from that one, which is when it started to sink in just how high up we’d been. You started to loose that perspective because the canopy obscured the ground, and it was only when you stood still long enough and the wind blew that the trees started to sway. It was such a rush and in such a beautiful place that I think it’s reason enough for forest conservation. Now if we could only figure out how to make that a regular mode of transportation…
TCC
Or at least that’s what I call it, since it reminded me of a Thai version of the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). I knew it was unfeasible to have an authentic experience with the hill tribes while staying in the city, but I wanted to see some folk dancing while here and this didn’t disappoint. We began seated on the floor and were treated to a Thai fest and musical performance. After dinner, we reclined on pillows to digest and watched Lanna dancing that looked like something straight out of “The King and I”.
When it came time for audience participation, I was probably the only one who volunteered themself and had fun trying to pick up some new moves. For the second half, they transferred us to a rustic amphitheater where they showcased as many tribes as they could squeeze into a brief time period—many dances lasted about a minute, but they also looked very similar so it was more about displaying their fashions. And like the PCC, the climatic dances involved knives. The Lanna portion had a guy dance with 12 knives that he crossed over each other to pick them all up. The tribal knife dance involved flaming swords, culminating in him standing on one leg with flaming knives in each hand, behind his elevated knee, and being held in his mouth. This was an excellent way to cap off my stay in Chiang Mai.
Relaxing in my hotel room
With all that running around and so many fun things to do, I still genuinely loved chilling in my hotel room. A friend suggested a mid-range boutique hotel that overlooked the northern moat and a Wat and I’m so glad she did. It was more expensive than the youth hostels I usually frequent and I’d planned to downgrade after the first few nights, but it turns out I’m a sucker for a waffle-weave robe and slippers. Plus, they were indispensable when it came to booking all my activities and were so eager to help in numerous small ways.
So there you have it. I’m a little heavier from all the food and my wallet is considerably lighter, but it was worth every Baht!
Charmed by Chiang Mai (part 1)
I’m watching the moon closely on this trip. It was an annual festival on the full moon that brought me to Chiang Mai, and around the next full moon I will fly back to the US. Loi Krathong is celebrated throughout Thailand on the first full moon at the end of the rainy season, but in Chiang Mai they call it Yi Peng. Loi Krathong involves floating (“Loi”) offerings (“Krathong”) to the water goddess in rivers, oceans, etc. that are supposed to remove your impurities. The Krathongs are composed of exquisitely folded leaves, flowers, candles, and incense and usually contain a small offering. Some people make their own, and I encountered a school competition where children were making intricate and beautiful ones, 
but for the rest of us the city was crammed full of stalls selling them. What makes Chiang Mai special is that they also release hot-air paper lanterns into the sky. And of course, what’s a nighttime festival without fireworks? In between those Krathong stands were tables selling fireworks—let’s just say “safe and sane” haven’t been translated into Thai. It’s a gorgeous festival of lights as the Krathongs silently float along the river, lighting its banks; while the lanterns create rivers in the sky as they drift with the breeze (just make sure you're upwind of the action). To boot, every Wat (temple) in town lights candles on their grounds. All this serenity is quickly dispersed by firecrackers exploding all around you as bottle rockets fly overhead, all just a little too close for comfort if you’re down by the river.
I borrowed a bike from my hotel for the day to make it easier to get around (more on that later). Riding down to the Ping River, I watched bamboo raft races and a paper lantern competition that was probably through the local university. It was like watching floats from the Macy’s parade inflated and set aloft with firecrackers, only to have some burst into flames or get caught on the power lines. 
At night, there were a few main centers of activity (in increasing order of craziness): the 3 Kings statue in the center of the Old City, the east gate of the old city, and the banks of the Ping River. The statue had performances of traditional music; the east gate hosted a beauty pageant and an area to launch the lanterns; and the river had a parade, a show on the river itself, and the launching place for fireworks.
The first night, I launched my own Krathong in the river at dusk and caught a bit of the parade on my way back to the hotel. The streets of the Old City were empty, and I slowly peddled along, gazing up in wonder at the beautiful sky and stopping at Wats to take pictures of the candles and the lanterns drifting by the temple roofs. I should say attempt to take pictures, as nighttime photography isn’t my forte and it was frustrating to not capture it fully. At one of the Wats, I encountered a group of young monks and watched them set a lantern aloft. Part of the magic was the unexpected moments like that. Leaving the bike at the hotel, I walked back to the east gate and watched a bit of the pageant before setting a lantern aloft myself.
It was an excellent day and I tried to make the most of it, only to discover they did the same thing again the next night! This time, I started with street food at the 3 Kings statue and headed towards the river. The view from one of the bridges was great if you didn’t mind close proximity to fireworks, but trying to navigate the crowds to see the parade proved a bit much and it took much longer to get home than planned. All in all, it was gorgeous and I’d come again in a heartbeat.
A few thoughts on Thailand:
Chiang Mai is where I truly started to get my bearings in Thailand. At first, I kept thinking of that scene in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” where she’s standing outside the fireworks factory in Chinatown and says, “Act natural, they mustn’t suspect.” I’d love to blend in here, but I don’t speak the language, can’t recognize the characters, and feel twice the size of the average Thai woman—to say nothing of my skin, hair, and eye color. It was frustrating and unsettling at first to see so many signs I couldn’t read, and I struggled to learn just how to say “Hi” and “Thank you”. Thai has several tones, so while English grammar is probably harder our pronunciation is much easier—a fact several European travelers have confirmed.
That being said, Chiang Mai caters to tourists without feeling too spoiled, if you ignore the fact that most of the shops I saw were tailors or massage parlors. I was grateful to find enough signs in English, a street network in the old city that was fairly easy to navigate, and help booking my mini-whirlwind of activities. Walking around the first day, I realized the biggest difference from the last touristy place I visited was that people generally left you alone. How refreshing compared to being harassed every 5 feet by a tout! The street system in Thai cities appears very straightforward with main streets having names and numbered side streets, though the odds and evens don’t keep up with each other. However, the house numbers are apparently based on an old property system so they’re no help at all.
The old city is full of nearly 100 Wats, some just across the street from each other. Even more than 7-11s! In addition to showing the dominant religion, this is also a tribute to riches from harvesting teak wood as they believe the individual was greatly blessed that funded the building of a Wat. They were all gorgeous, though after a while they started to look alike.
Even more popular than Wats, more popular than 7-11s, is the King. Every business, from the posh store to the humble tuk-tuk driver, has one of his portraits—and as the longest-reigning monarch on earth there are plenty of portraits to choose from. His favorite color is yellow, while the queen prefers blue. If they ever change their mind, I’m not sure if Thailand could afford it.
Scouting appears to be very popular, as I saw hundreds of kids running around in uniforms after school one day. I tried talking to some of them, but with their limited English and my non-existent Thai, they just left wondering what the crazy white girl seemed so excited about. Sorry dad, no patches.
Aside from the fireworks, the loudest sound I heard came from advertising trucks. They’d drive around with billboards on their sides, and speakers to blare their ads. I’m guessing it’s effective if you can actually understand what they’re saying.
Chiang Mai has its own Chinatown near the river. I loved walking past the flower and fruit stands, which then led me to the meat stands. I knew their cuisine encompassed many animals, but was still surprised to see live fish, eels, turtles, and frogs for sale. One man’s pet store is another man’s grocery market?
Time for bed, but next time I’ll give a few of the highlights. Heck, everything there was a highlight!
02 November 2009
(not even) one night in Bangkok
Twelve hours of flying and I was in Thailand. My first smell as I stepped off the plane was fried food, an interesting omen. I arrived quite late and had an early morning flight, so here were my impressions for the few hours I was there:
- The king’s portrait is everywhere, but at least they have a variety of shots—some young, some in traditional dress, some with the queen, etc. The political factions are passionately divided between the "red" and "yellow" parties, but everyone seems to genuinely revere the king.
- Second to the king's portraits, there are 7-11 stores everywhere (I couldn’t help but think of Devan and David). I want to try a Slurpee, but ice is generally off-limits for health reasons (you don’t know the purity of the water it was made with).
- Traffic “guidelines” more than “rules”—I’m just grateful I wasn’t traveling at peak times to see it in full swing! As in India and Tanzania, I feel safer with a local driving because it’s like a dance and they actually know the steps. Still, I was surprised by all the traffic considering it was after midnight and wonder what it’s like during commuting hours. Oh, and the taxi meters are often conveniently "broken"--but negotiating a price beforehand makes everyone happy.
- They use orchids in their landscaping like we use daisies—so jealous!
- All the immigration workers at the airport were wearing masks. Not sure if it’s policy or a personal choice against swine flu, but I was tempted to fake a coughing fit just to see their reaction.
I come from a land...up over?
(written from Australia, sent from Thailand)
G’day from Australia! It’s been quite a week here and it’s hard to believe it’s already over, especially since I worked for most of it. My work has an office in Atherton, Australia up in the northeast, so I was able to fly into Cairns a few days early to play before getting down to business. As always, it was never enough time but here were some highlights and other memorable moments, mostly in chronological order:
-“Tasty cheese” (that’s really the name—I’m pretty sure it’s just cheddar)
-Cadbury’s (the local stuff)
-Tim Tams (double coated), plain biscuits (cookies), and Milo for teatime
-“Late night Kebab”-flavored crisps (potato chips)
**note: the Commonwealth is known for unique flavors of potato chips compared to the US, and one brand is currently having a contest to pick a new flavor. One of the other flavors in the contest is Caesar salad. I didn’t get to try it, but I did try honey-baked ham before catching my flight.
G’day from Australia! It’s been quite a week here and it’s hard to believe it’s already over, especially since I worked for most of it. My work has an office in Atherton, Australia up in the northeast, so I was able to fly into Cairns a few days early to play before getting down to business. As always, it was never enough time but here were some highlights and other memorable moments, mostly in chronological order:
- While walking around downtown Cairns my first morning, I looked up to discover fruit bats flying overhead. They love the huge mango trees by the library, and they became my archenemies by eating the mangoes before I could get to them.
- Going to the market to discover they have 3 local varieties of mangoes, and the season was just starting. Atherton is up in the Tablelands, where they appear to grow everything—avocados, potatoes, strawberries, peanuts, mangoes, and bananas to name a few.
- Tim Tams! I became addicted to these chocolate “biscuits” (cookies) when I visited NZ and Sydney in 2005, so buying a pack was the 2nd thing I did in Australia. After 24 hours of flying, a shower was #1 out of necessity…but I was thinking of them the whole time. They have several new flavors including hazelnut mousse—tasty, but the new filling affected its “Tim Tam slam” drinkability (look it up in Wikipedia). I averaged nearly a pack a day in an attempt to make the most of my short time here, and the only flavor I didn’t get to try was white chocolate. I’ve heard they’re now available in the US, so while my tastebuds are celebrating my waistline doesn’t want to investigate.
- Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef. I only had one free day to play, and chose to spend it snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. It didn’t disappoint! Our boat looked like the luxury yachts I kayaked past in Newport Beach growing up, and it raced us to 2 of the outer reefs: first Saxon, then Hastings. The ship’s racing, combined with choppy seas, made most of the passengers a little seasick and even I felt queasy by the afternoon, but by staying out in front or in the water I was fine. I loved seeing the variety of fish, but it was all the different types of coral that really captivated me. We found Nemo, by the way, and a few of the other varieties of clownfish. I can tell my 5 years of working with “professional treehuggers” has rubbed off, though, when I was disappointed by the lack of education the tour provided—it was only fun. I enjoyed it, but it was sad to see damaged coral from being loved too much.
- “…and ye shall know us by our basketball courts…”(our chapels are pretty recognizable and outside the US, the court is often in the parking lot) I love going to church abroad. You always meet great people and it makes any place feel a little less foreign. To boot, the Sacrament Meeting talks were exactly what I needed to hear.
- Roger’s hospitality. My colleague, Roger, was kind enough to play chauffer, tour guide, and host during my stay, a courtesy he’s extended to other visiting staff. The Tablelands are fairly rural, and Roger’s house was just outside the shire of Yungabarra on a hilltop with fantastic views over fields with rainforest on the surrounding hilltops. It was so pleasant to sit on the deck and eat breakfast, watching the cattle graze and the clouds roll by. Roger lived for several years in the Solomon Islands and has a deep love for PNG and all the islands of Micronesia. As a result, the décor reminded me of the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. I should probably mention at this point that he’s from NZ originally, and when I told him which church I was going to attend on Sunday I learned that most of his extended family is LDS. He was kind enough to leave a Book of Mormon they’d given him at my bedside, which made me feel like I was staying at a Marriott. It was because of him that I didn’t have to attempt driving on the other side of the road, ate regional cuisine, saw the wildlife, met the locals, and watched Aussie and Kiwi films. More on that to come.
- Local food. I was treated to a Sunday dinner that included kangaroo steaks. They tasted slightly gamey, but mostly charbroiled from being cooked over a fire in his backyard. I also saw kangaroo sausage, or “Kanga Bangas”, at the store.
- The wildlife I did see, and the ones I avoided. The rainy season will be starting soon, but right now it’s bone dry, making it all the harder to believe I’m on the edge of a rainforest. The fields are brown and the ground isn’t muddy. Apparently this is good, as it means I didn’t have to worry about leeches when we hiked through a bit of rainforest, and I’m relieved to say the only python I saw was road kill (Roger said that during the snakes’ mating season, he found 3 of them in the house!). I love Australia, but why does it seem like everything’s out to get you? Did I mention that the beaches of Cairns have saltwater crocodiles? Again, was happy to not have that nature sighting. So what did I see? Butterflies, birds, a kangraoo rat, and my highlight: a platypus. It was dusk at the time so I didn’t get a close look, but it was fun to see it glide through the water and under the weeds before disappearing again.
- Teatime with the CSIRO staff. CI’s “office” is actually just a few rooms at a field office of CSIRO, Australia’s equivalent of the US’s NSF. This office focuses on rainforest ecology, so while Conservation International doesn’t actually do any work in Australia, we have a technical partnership with them. It was interesting to chat with them, and a lovely tradition I wouldn’t mind bringing back with me to DC.
- My attempt at “Aussie rules” football. Roger invited me to join him on Monday after work for a local pickup game with various guys in the community—I’d say the ages ranged from 10 to 60. Like most sports of the Commonwealth, I don’t fully understand Australian football but I was willing to give it a shot. Basically, a team would kick the ball to their opponents who would then run towards them. You could only pass backwards and had to stop once you were tagged, putting the ball down and stepping over it for your teammate to pick up and resume play. Thankfully they didn’t take it too seriously, as I was the only girl playing and clearly the only one who didn’t know what they were doing. I was flattered when they tossed me the ball and so relieved when I actually caught it that I was easily tagged. My strategy was simple: stay behind my teammates and tag any opponent with the ball (years of chasing Devan made me pretty good at this). And since it was on a Monday, I’m counting it as FHE.
- Grocery shopping. I love visiting grocery stores when I travel to see what everyone else is eating, and my cart is as much about survival and nutrition as it is flavor and curiosity. For example, on my most recent trip I bought:
-“Tasty cheese” (that’s really the name—I’m pretty sure it’s just cheddar)
-Cadbury’s (the local stuff)
-Tim Tams (double coated), plain biscuits (cookies), and Milo for teatime
-“Late night Kebab”-flavored crisps (potato chips)
**note: the Commonwealth is known for unique flavors of potato chips compared to the US, and one brand is currently having a contest to pick a new flavor. One of the other flavors in the contest is Caesar salad. I didn’t get to try it, but I did try honey-baked ham before catching my flight.
- Visiting the pub in Yungabarra. It was interesting to meet some of the locals, who all seemed so happy living in a small town and were all looking out for each other. Speaking with a beekeeper made me think of dad.
08 March 2009
Hujambo! (TZ summary)
Hujambo!
What a trip this has been so far, and hard to believe I’ve been here nearly 2 weeks already. There’s so much to say, but I’ll just give you a few tidbits of my trip so far.
Background:
My work is part of a funding body called the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is concluding a 5-year grant cycle in Kenya and Tanzania with a 2-day workshop in Dar es Salaam. I’m in Tanzania to lecture and provide training for a week at one of their grantees, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro. SUA and the science division at CI (my work) received a grant to perform a forest cover and change detection analysis using satellite imagery for 1990-2000. I made a map of that analysis, and the grant was amended for SUA to do a 2007 update and for me to provide training in cartography. This also required significant software training because the version they were using was not adequate, from a graphics standpoint, to produce a high quality cartographic product. Going from version 3.2 to version 9.2 kept the same concepts, but with a totally new interface and considerably different functionality.
Training at Sokoine
I’ve never provided formal training before, but in the end I think it went rather well. I wasn’t able to prepare my materials beforehand like I’d hoped, so it meant I’d teach for a full day, go to dinner with colleagues, and start preparing several hours of lecture slides. Thankfully they had computers with the software as well, allowing for them to explore and truly learn the software rather than just watch demonstrations. Each day I had just enough material for the day, a gift I attribute completely to Heavenly Father. It was so gratifying to see how much information I had to teach and how much they valued it. I even gave them a class project that will hopefully be useful for both them and me. I loved being in Morogoro—the weather wasn’t as hot, everyone was friendly, and it was a smaller university town with the potential for a tight-knit group of expats. Morogoro is at the base of the Uluguru Mountains, so in terms of its location I guess that makes it almost the BYU of Tanzania. We also had a chance to meet expats where we were staying and while going out to dinner. Everyone in Morogoro has such random backgrounds and they all seem to be here for a least a month. Oh, and Michael Bolton’s music is alive and well here.
Post-training
Once the training was completed, we returned to Dar to join colleagues from CEPF to do a site visit in Zanzibar. Zanzibar is actually 2 islands, but Unguja is the island to which most people refer. We visited a national park, the only patch of original forest left and a “blob” I’ve put on maps for over 4 years. Turns out there are trees and monkeys there! The site visit also included meeting representatives from isolated villages on the southern coast of the island, and some of our partners. One of them, Miza, also does GIS so we hit it right off. Then it was a few days relaxing on the beach in the north before returning to Dar for a 2-day workshop.
Overall impressions/moments
Going to church in Dar es Salaam on my first Sunday. Quite the struggle to get there because it turned out to be District Conference, but so worth it! I met the District President who’s mentioned in an article on the last page of this month’s Ensign.
Learning that one of the professors I was teaching did some of his PhD work in Berlin, so while we couldn’t converse in Swahili, we could in German.
Food: I ate “local style” most of the time I was teaching. A typical meal consisted of Ughali (like bland, stiff mashed potatoes made from wheat) that you form in a ball with your hand and pick up meats or dip in sauce. My beverage of choice is Tangawizi, a ginger ale with a stronger raw ginger flavor than we get in the US. The curries on Zanzibar were also good, but I think that’s more Indian Ocean than the island specifically.
In some ways, this reminds me of parts of India—tiles floors everywhere, the auto rickshaws (“tuk tuks” here), the overcrowded minibuses (“Dala dala”), the smell of charcoal and burning trash, roadside stands selling anything imaginable, etc. Things I haven’t seen as much before—goats and chickens wandering around (no cows spotted until we were outside Dar), open sewers (how did I miss those in India?), and the occasional Masai walking along in their traditional dress. I’ve learned that in this part of Tanzania (central and southern) they wear purple fabric, and that their dress has nothing to do with income. Many wear it to remind them of their heritage and are actually well educated. Others wear it because of the tourists. Case in point: there are no native Masai on the island of Zanzibar, but I’ve been harassed by several on the beach up here in the north. The women’s clothes are gorgeous everywhere, and everyone dressed up so much for whatever church they attended on Sunday in Dar. They may not have running water in their homes, but they still manage to look immaculate and spotless. The biggest difference from India is that we don’t have a local family to look after us. At least I’m not alone. Julie and I flew in together, and the next night Conrad arrived. He lived in TZ and taught at Sokoine for a few years, so it’s nice to have him show us around. The kids we’ve seen are cute and come up to ask, “How are you?” in English before running away. I tried to learn some Swahili phrases on the last leg of our flight, but being tired didn’t help it sink in. I can give a polite greeting, say thank you (“Asante”), tell them I’ve come from America, and I think I can ask where’s the bathroom (hopefully something like “Wapi Msalisi”).
What a trip this has been so far, and hard to believe I’ve been here nearly 2 weeks already. There’s so much to say, but I’ll just give you a few tidbits of my trip so far.
Background:
My work is part of a funding body called the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is concluding a 5-year grant cycle in Kenya and Tanzania with a 2-day workshop in Dar es Salaam. I’m in Tanzania to lecture and provide training for a week at one of their grantees, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro. SUA and the science division at CI (my work) received a grant to perform a forest cover and change detection analysis using satellite imagery for 1990-2000. I made a map of that analysis, and the grant was amended for SUA to do a 2007 update and for me to provide training in cartography. This also required significant software training because the version they were using was not adequate, from a graphics standpoint, to produce a high quality cartographic product. Going from version 3.2 to version 9.2 kept the same concepts, but with a totally new interface and considerably different functionality.
Training at Sokoine
I’ve never provided formal training before, but in the end I think it went rather well. I wasn’t able to prepare my materials beforehand like I’d hoped, so it meant I’d teach for a full day, go to dinner with colleagues, and start preparing several hours of lecture slides. Thankfully they had computers with the software as well, allowing for them to explore and truly learn the software rather than just watch demonstrations. Each day I had just enough material for the day, a gift I attribute completely to Heavenly Father. It was so gratifying to see how much information I had to teach and how much they valued it. I even gave them a class project that will hopefully be useful for both them and me. I loved being in Morogoro—the weather wasn’t as hot, everyone was friendly, and it was a smaller university town with the potential for a tight-knit group of expats. Morogoro is at the base of the Uluguru Mountains, so in terms of its location I guess that makes it almost the BYU of Tanzania. We also had a chance to meet expats where we were staying and while going out to dinner. Everyone in Morogoro has such random backgrounds and they all seem to be here for a least a month. Oh, and Michael Bolton’s music is alive and well here.
Post-training
Once the training was completed, we returned to Dar to join colleagues from CEPF to do a site visit in Zanzibar. Zanzibar is actually 2 islands, but Unguja is the island to which most people refer. We visited a national park, the only patch of original forest left and a “blob” I’ve put on maps for over 4 years. Turns out there are trees and monkeys there! The site visit also included meeting representatives from isolated villages on the southern coast of the island, and some of our partners. One of them, Miza, also does GIS so we hit it right off. Then it was a few days relaxing on the beach in the north before returning to Dar for a 2-day workshop.
Overall impressions/moments
Going to church in Dar es Salaam on my first Sunday. Quite the struggle to get there because it turned out to be District Conference, but so worth it! I met the District President who’s mentioned in an article on the last page of this month’s Ensign.
Learning that one of the professors I was teaching did some of his PhD work in Berlin, so while we couldn’t converse in Swahili, we could in German.
Food: I ate “local style” most of the time I was teaching. A typical meal consisted of Ughali (like bland, stiff mashed potatoes made from wheat) that you form in a ball with your hand and pick up meats or dip in sauce. My beverage of choice is Tangawizi, a ginger ale with a stronger raw ginger flavor than we get in the US. The curries on Zanzibar were also good, but I think that’s more Indian Ocean than the island specifically.
In some ways, this reminds me of parts of India—tiles floors everywhere, the auto rickshaws (“tuk tuks” here), the overcrowded minibuses (“Dala dala”), the smell of charcoal and burning trash, roadside stands selling anything imaginable, etc. Things I haven’t seen as much before—goats and chickens wandering around (no cows spotted until we were outside Dar), open sewers (how did I miss those in India?), and the occasional Masai walking along in their traditional dress. I’ve learned that in this part of Tanzania (central and southern) they wear purple fabric, and that their dress has nothing to do with income. Many wear it to remind them of their heritage and are actually well educated. Others wear it because of the tourists. Case in point: there are no native Masai on the island of Zanzibar, but I’ve been harassed by several on the beach up here in the north. The women’s clothes are gorgeous everywhere, and everyone dressed up so much for whatever church they attended on Sunday in Dar. They may not have running water in their homes, but they still manage to look immaculate and spotless. The biggest difference from India is that we don’t have a local family to look after us. At least I’m not alone. Julie and I flew in together, and the next night Conrad arrived. He lived in TZ and taught at Sokoine for a few years, so it’s nice to have him show us around. The kids we’ve seen are cute and come up to ask, “How are you?” in English before running away. I tried to learn some Swahili phrases on the last leg of our flight, but being tired didn’t help it sink in. I can give a polite greeting, say thank you (“Asante”), tell them I’ve come from America, and I think I can ask where’s the bathroom (hopefully something like “Wapi Msalisi”).
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