The Nepal trip

It has again been another long period since I last blogged about anything. I think it would be fitting to document some of the main things that have transpired during this period of time.

I just came back from a trip to the Himalayas slightly less than a month ago. In the following posts, I will be blogging on the trip essentially.

I would say the influencing factor for me to go to the Himalayas this time around was that it seems to promise great adventure. I wasn't disappointed by the adventure part although I would be preparing myself for such treks in the future and making sure to pack light.

Realizing that which matters

Blogging on the go. I woke up this morning thinking about what I have been doing. Amist all that have happened there are certain things that cannot be replaced.

I think what the world will offer, in the various forms to convince many of its authenticity is just a mere shadow of the full revelation.

Having placed myself in positions of vulnerabilities, I'm starting to see things as they really are.

What seems to matter much, no longer matters thar much.

Beyond and above all that seems to be good, there is one irreplaceable provision that only Christ can offer.

I'm not a religious Person but the very essence of life is spiritual in origin to the point that I start to see a spiritual purpose in what I do.

The journey ahead

It's been ages since I last blogged. For those who actually keep track of this blog...let's continue on this journey.

Once back in Singapore, I was pretty disoriented for awhile. There is always this sense of nostalgia of a desire to relieve those wonderful memories that I have had in my travels. The people I have met, where every moment is to be treasured because I might never see them again. It is a discovery into the human psyche of how we can be so independent yet thrive on relationships. It is as though as we need both elements to be a complete human being. There are those I met along the road and I got their contacts and we kept in touch and then those whom we met and I lost their contacts but we had such a great time together that I can only hope that fate will bring us back together one day. Maybe I'm romanticizing this too much but I think travel is a microcosm of life. It makes you think, teaches you how to move on and equip you with skills.

Well back to the present. So what happened in the months after I got back? I spent time teaching in a JC, experiencing the life of a teacher waking up very early in the morning and eventually sourcing out for a career that expresses who I am as a person. I believe I found it in my current company. It was a time filled with uncertainties as I turned down job after job to believe for that ideal job. Whoever says that life cannot give you the best. Venturing out on entrepreneurial initiatives as well as given opportunities to develop projects I'm very excited for tomorrow.

This period of time have been filled with highs and lows and I want to use this blog as a platform to tell the world out there that LIFE is precious and wonderful. It is a journey where at times you go through pain and at times joys. There are days where you feel like giving up but like a moment during a sunset in Luang Prabang in Laos, outside my hostel I was staying in..where I felt pretty lonely that evening as I knew no one and I was looking at the beautiful sunset in the distance.. I realize that the same sun I was gazing at is seen by people all around the world, even my friends back home and that we might be dislocated from each other spatially yet we are all bonded by a common view of that beautiful sun from different corners of the world.

Travel Blog Chapter 21: The journey home

I checked into the same Sabaidee Guesthouse where I had stayed previously in Vientiane. I spent my last day exploring the city by doing some window shopping, eating at night vendors and chilling in the cafe beside my guesthouse. There are a few more unique things in Vientiane apart from all the temples and sights to see. There was this long bearded shaggy Caucasian man that moved around barefooted on the street that I have seen previously when I was in Vientiane. I kept wondering what was his story. At night, there were malnourished looking prostitutes trying to sell their service to all the tourists and they were quite aggressive at times. It was the last night there and I drank my last coffee and turned in early.

Eating my last breakfast in a Laotian cafe

I took a tuk tuk to the Vientiane International Airport for my flight to Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon. The check in process at Laos was quite messy as well and we had to fill up departure forms. Eventually the flight was delayed for more than an hour and the departure lounge was crowded with impatient travelers. I spent the time browsing through the duty free shop. I boarded my Airasia flight eventually and had mixed sentiments leaving Laos as the plane took off into the sky. It had been an interesting and insightful trip and it was coming to an end. I arrived at KLIA at around 8pm. It had been a 3 hour flight and I lost an hour coming back to Malaysia. Laos was 1 hour slower. It was strange touching down in a bustling city with all the high rise buildings and lightnings after the time in Laos. I had another flight booked to Singapore was from KL International Airport. I took a bus from the bus station beside the airport and it was a very fast ride of less than half an hour there.

Vientiane International Airport

Plane was delayed

Duty Free shop in departure lounge

I was going to have to spend my night in the airport as my flight was at 8am and I had more than 6 hours to spare. I treated myself to Burger King, my first fast food meal in weeks and bought a few books and magazines to while the night away. They were airing the World Cup in the airport and there were comfortable sofas that were empty after the matches. I slept on these sofas with other travelers till morning. Feeling very tired when I woke up, I checked in to Jetstar and proceeded to the departure gate for my flight back.

I arrived in Singapore, Terminal 1 at around 9am. The Custom Officer looked multiple times at my passport photo and back at me again. I must looked very different and maybe even like a terrorist with my bearded face. Eventually he let me pass, convinced that I must be harmless. It was a weird sense of displacement after 5 weeks away in developing countries and finally back in a very organized city. Everything looked new and you kind of feel a little detached and out of place. It had been a very insightful and interesting trip where I have met all kinds of people and gained different perspectives about life. I think life is too short and Singapore is just too small to stay here forever without going out there to explore. 5 weeks felt too short looking back. Taking a year or two off to travel seems like a very good idea.

Travel Blog Chapter 20: Back to Luang Prabang and off to 4000 Islands

Getting back to Luang Prabang felt like a tiresome affair as there didn't seem much to do after leaving from there previously. I showed my Dutch friend around a little. She had previously gone through the Gibbon experience which was a personalized expedition in the far north of Laos. It seemed a little horrendous from what she shared with people falling sick, getting food poisoning to the verge of needing to be hospitalized and the guides making unreasonable demands on them to push on. I was making plans to go to 4000 islands that day, Don Khon and Don Det which was a group of islands and islets in the deep south. I was not in the most strategic position to get there from Luang Prabang as I was in the northern part of Laos at that point in time. Eventually I managed to find a bargained deal which will required me to take a bus to Vang Vieng, then Vientiane and from there to Parkse and thereafter a boat ride to the islands. There were a lot of transits and was going to be very long journey. That night we met up with the Swiss doctor after our dinner and we went to hang out at a quaint little bar, supposedly one of the main attractions in Luang Prabang. We were introduced to someone he had met along the way, an American who had actually lived in Singapore for many years before going back to the states. We ended the night early as we were all quite tired after the traveling.

Docking at Don Det

I left for my destination the next day and it was the longest ride ever. By the time we reached Vientiane, it was evening. I had been on the bus since morning. We switched to a sleeper bus which was more comfortable. They even had snacks for us on board. I shared my sleeping area with a Laotian. He was on a business trip and I found out that he was working for a charity initiative to encourage educational progress in Laos. We finally arrived at Parkse in the morning at round 7am. I transited to another minibus where I was grouped together with a couple of Dutch, a British and a Polish. The Dutch travelers had been on an exchange programme in Malaysia and was taking time to travel during the end of the semester. Eventually when we were taking our boat ride to Don Det, they realized they have left their camera back at the mainland and they had to go back for it. I finally reached Don Det in the late morning. I checked into a pretty nice looking guesthouse and met up with an Italian for a short afternoon drink.

4000 islands are made up of very small islets and islands clustered together in the southern part of Laos. It is near Cambodia and there were people who arrived in 4000 islands as their first stop from Cambodia. The way I have traveled up till now, I have basically covered the major sites of visit and for people who want to travel in Laos, you should definitely visit Parkse if you have the time. In between Vientiane and 4000 islands you can also travel to Savannakhet for more sight seeing. From Pakse, you need to travel for around 3 more hours to a jetty point. The boat ride will bring you to Don Det which was a small island connected to Don Khon via a bridge. Don Det is basically a tourist hub with guesthouses and cafes for backpackers to hang out. Don Det/Don Khon is a backpacker hangout and if you want to experience the "real" Laos, this may not be the best place to go to. I spent the first day reading my book, just enjoying the very slow pace of island life. The boat would come in from the mainland at 9am and 11am every morning carrying more travelers and transporting backpackers who were leaving the island. On the first night I met up with other travelers to drink and hang out at a small cafe. There were Germans, Israelis and Spanish with a very friendly guy from Sikkim and we had a hilarious night just talking about anything and everything under the sun.

Starting the bike journey

Old French Locomotive (Laos used to be a colony)

Another angle

The hidden beach

No one seemed to be around

Tat Somphamit Waterfall

I spent my time exploring the islands during my stay there. I rented a bike and rode across the bridge to Don Khon and headed for Tat Somphamit Waterfall. I had to pay an island entry fee to cross the bridge. The waterfall was spectacular but you could not get too close as there are fences for safety reasons. While I was there, I met a korean lady who I had seen along the way. I found out that she would be traveling for 3 months on her own. She had quitted her job and wanted to start her writing career using this trip as her inspiration. It had been a very eventful trip for her as she had lost her camera and her credit card in Thailand and at one point she almost wanted to just wrapped up her trip and go back to Korea. We had lunch at a small eatery near the waterfall and after that we went our separate ways. I have heard that there was a secret beach somewhere on Don Khon that was hidden away from sight. There were signs along the way pointing to a beach but it seemed unbelievable that it actually exist. The roar of waters grew louder the deeper I was in the forest and I came eventually to a clearing and saw the beach. It was not a beach in the strictest sense of the word as it was fresh water because Laos is landlocked. There were huge boulders and I climbed onto them to get my bearings. The Korean lady arrived a few moments later and we helped each other take photos. The weather was very hot that day and soaking your feet in the water was very refreshing.

The wild look

Sunburnt island life

Beautiful sunset

Photo taken from a hammock in the afternoon

Another sunset

Backpackers arriving on the island

I continued my ride to a particular place where you were able to see fresh water dolphins. I arrived there eventually and met 2 European girls who were intending to go out into the region on a boat to catch those magnificent creatures. I had to return my bike soon and it would be impossible for me to go out on the boat ride and be back in time so I gave it a pass evaluating the probability also from what I was told that you would need to be rather lucky to catch sight of the dolphins. I spent the rest of my time in Don Det hanging out with the Koreans; another Korean we met later, and a Spanish guy. We had a "special" arrival in Laos from a French couple who had rode their bicycles all the way from France, across Europe to Southeast Asia. That was amazing and inspirational. We drank, watched sunsets and basically just talk about life. After a few days on the island it was time to go. The Koreans had left previously with the Spanish and we had arranged to see if we could see each other in Vientiane again as that was where we would be heading to. I left on the same boat with the Dutch and the Italian who had arrived on the island with me. The Italian was a retired school teacher and it was interesting hearing from his life experiences. He was be heading back to Italy, likely to Venice to enjoy the beaches. Overall Don Det and Don Khon were not really exceptional. I think sometimes we overly romanticize island life. It was the people I have met that made that made this trip special.

More sunsets....

Very serene and peaceful

It was going to be another long ride back to Vientiane, Laos Capital. There were many instances on the trip where I had considered detouring for instance; when I was in Luang Prabang I considered going up to Kunming, China, and instead of 4000 islands I had wanted to go to Bangkok but I had booked a plane ticket from Vientiane to Kuala Lumpur beforehand so it would be a waste of money to do otherwise. So one of the lessons I learnt was that with a long trip like that, it would be better to book your return ticket later on in the trip. I met some Australians during my ride back to Vientiane and on the way from Parkse we had to wait to transit to another bus where we had a few hours to spare at the bus station. I took the time to explore the market life in Parkse and I felt that was the most authentic local life I have seen without any foreigners around and basically Laotians selling their everyday commodities. Eventually night came and we boarded the bus that would take us back to Vientiane.

Travel Blog Chapter 19: Nong Khiaw

It was early morning when I unloaded my backpack into the boot of a minibus. Inside the bus there were a few other travelers going to Nong Kiaw as well. From what I gathered talking to the tour operator, Nong Khiaw was one of the more beautiful places to go to. The people inside the minibus would be part of our trekking team eventually. I was the only Asian and I think initially they thought I was Japanese with my beard and all. The journey was very pleasant with scenic sights along the way. We stopped a few times for the driver to smoke and for us to relieve ourselves before stopping at an eatery for lunch. The journey would take around 3 hours which was pretty short considering all the other bus rides I have taken. At the eatery I got to know the Americans better and also a Austrian gutsy lady who was traveling around the world on her own for a year. After talking to her I found out the estimated cost to do such a trip which was a sum of around 20000 euros.

On the way to Nong Khiaw

Passing through villages

Driver stopping to "take 5"

Hitting the road

Eventually we arrived at Nong Khiaw which was supposedly a town but look more like a village. The entire town according to the Americans looked like an old western ghost town. Phil and Wes, the Americans as well as Heidi the Austrian backpacker together with a British, an Australian and eventually a Swiss gathered together for an afternoon drink and spent our afternoon playing this card game that was pretty fun and interesting called "Shithead". We have heard of the main attraction in Nong Khiaw known as the Hundred Waterfalls and we were all eager to hike up to this place.The problem was that it was pretty expensive if we were to do it in a small group with it being more cost effective if we could find more people to join us. As luck would have it, our small group was joined by a couple of more backpackers. This was one of the most interesting demographics with 2 doctors, a medical student, a linguist, engineer and an educator to name a few. Eventually we were set to do the hike the next day. That night we were all gathered together, this big group of us in a small cafe for dinner and had a good time getting know one another.

Preparing to set off

Our Xpedition team

Home and his father

Lazy river ride

Trekking through the forest

Wet terrain

Uneven terrain

Wes climbing up the waterfall

Home's dad amusing us with his handicraft skills

We were all staying around the vicinity and for me with the Austrian and the Americans we managed to get a good deal at one of the bungalow huts. It was pretty quaint but the toilet was a little small and I decided to switch to another lodging the next day. We were assembled at the trekking company the next morning and all of us loaded up on a small pick up which would bring us to a certain village where we would start our trek. Our local guide, Home was fluent in English and gave us a very memorable experience during the trek. His father followed us around as well and entertained us with his spontaneous handicrafts. We trekked through the villages and got to know the local culture. We had to pass through some forested areas to get to the waterfalls and at times we would be wading in the water. The group was pretty tight with each of us helping one another when any of us had problems especially when the terrain got a little tricky. I got to know the Australian who had gone up Fansipan as well on his own in one day. That was pretty gutsy and as he narrated his tale he told me that he had gotten lost and panicked as there was no reception up there. He said he saw horses and buffaloes along the way while I saw none of those things. It was a different route from the one my local guide had brought me along. After what seemed like a few hours, we arrived at the hundred waterfalls. It was a pretty amazing sight and rather spectacular. There were steps of waterfalls; hence the name. According to our guide, this trek has only been opened to the public in 2008 and was thus relatively new. I was informed as well that I may be the first Singaporean that have actually gone up this waterfall. I should have brought the Singapore flag with me.

Hundred Waterfalls

Home making sure everyone got up safely

Posing with Home and his father at the waterfall

We had our lunch at the top of the waterfall which Home and his colleagues had prepared for us. It was very tasty and we had sticky rice, a Laoatian staple. We proceeded to bathe in a mini waterfall which was very refreshing. After some rest, we headed back to the town. Along the way, Home's father continued to entertain us with his handicraft work and even brewed some tea for us. It was amazing to have him with us. For the rest of the day we relaxed and chilled out together with some of us going for a massage. We found out eventually that Home owned a massage and aroma therapy bath business as well and he specialized in foot reflexology. A very talented man. The rest of our time in Nong Khiaw was spent exploring the vicinity. Together with the Swiss and Dutch travelers we trekked to a certain deserted area where there was a river that flowed back to town. They swam while I walked back as I was not that strong a swimmer. It was an interesting confrontation with Laoatian wild life as they got bitten by leeches while I encountered a lot of giant millipedes on my way back to town. The Swiss guy was a doctor and had bought a motorcycle to cover the ground in Laos. He had even camped out in a hammock for a few nights at Kuoung Si Waterfall in Luang Prabang.

Scene out of an old west movie

View from the bridge

Soaring mountains and little islets

Another scene out of a old western movie

Classic dirt road

Posing with Wes and the brother of the groom

Loatian children

Another pic of the children

Trying to get the children to cooperate

This is hard work trying to get them together

We even had some contact time with the locals when one of them had a wedding and the brother came to introduce himself to us. We were introduced to the groom and congratulated him while some of us took photos together. At the same time, we got to interact with the Laoatian children. On an impulse, I started drawing portraits of the them and that seemed to amuse them. Nong Khiaw was all in all a satisfying trip but after a few days I decided that I needed to move on again and I left together with the Dutch girl back to Luang Prabang while the rest of the people were continuing their journeys either further up north or planning to stay a little longer. The Americans had left earlier while the Swiss would be biking to Luang Prabang. Nong Khiaw was worth the trip.

Travel Blog Chapter 18: Luang Prabang, Cultural Capital

The bus came to pick me up from my guesthouse in the morning and upon boarding the bus I met the Singaporeans again. It was a mini bus but we would be transiting onto a bigger bus at the bus interchange. The ride to Luang Prabang would take almost 6 hours and would be up a winding mountain road. I have never got motion sickness before until that day. It was a continuous hour after hour winding road up the mountains and the curve was sharp which meant that you can basically feel yourself going round and round. I was giddy from looking up the window and hoped that we would soon have a pit stop. The first pit stop came when the driver stopped the bus and with a nonchalant look pointed outside the bus at the bushes and said "Toilet". This has become part and parcel of travel and the girls and guys strolled out of the bus into the bushes to relieve themselves. The second stop was for lunch and I could feel the mountain air which was crisp and cooling to the skin. Eventually we arrived at Luang Prabang and unloaded our backpacks. I checked into a hostel at the other end of the road from the Singaporeans. It was more cost effective at around 7 USD a night without your personal toilet and my iternary for that day was spent finding another place to stay, exploring the city as well as planning my next destination.

Home owner in Luang Prabang..the income disparity is rather wide

Sunset in Luang Prabang

Where I stayed

One of the temples

I spent the afternoon looking at the temples, browsing in bookshops and chilling in cafes. As a cultural capital, Luang Prabang was filled with magnificent looking temples with monks collecting alms in the morning by the side of the street. I was told that there would be ongoing processions of monks in the morning but as a Singaporean, such things were more ordinary compared to the perspective of westerners. At night, there was  a night market at one of the main streets in Luang Prabang where you would have hill tribes selling homemade handicraft. These were the hmongs as well as there are hmongs in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. It was shopping heaven as there were all kinds of things at bargain prices. I met the Singaporeans again and we had dinner together at streetside hawkers. For anyone who ever go to Luang Prabang, such a dining experience is a must as the food are cheap and really tasty.

Bear conservation

Kuoung Si Waterfall with launching rope

Clear waters

Swimming paradise

More pics..

lagoon

Waterfall

The Singaporeans

Shop selling souveneirs

The next day in Luang Prabang, I hooked up with the Singaporeans and visited the Kouang Si Waterfalls which was one of the must visit places. We took a tuk tuk to Kouang Si Waterfalls which was located at the outskirts of Luang Prabang and was a few hours away. Around the vicinity there was a conservation reserve for bears. The main attraction was the waterfall or waterfalls with a lagoon area for swimming and jumping in from a hanging rope. The guys with me started doing somersaults into the water while some of us swam in teh lagoon. The water was extremely cold but the body adjusted rather quickly after awhile. On teh way back from Kuong Si Waterfall, at the entrance we met even more Singaporeans who were there for a community service. That night, I met up with the Singaporeans and we played some drinking games in their guesthouse. It was a fun time of bonding and laughter as we hung out until midnight. The only inconvenience was that I had to walk back to my guesthouse at the other end of the road with little to no street lights. When i arrived at my guesthouse, the gate was closed and I had to press the doorbell and knocked on the door for the owners to let me in. In Laos they have a curfew where shop closes before midnight and no one would be supposedly be on the street after 11pm.

Night Hmong market

Street in Luang Prabang

Last evening in Luang Prabang

I was itching to move on again to another place after the few days in Luang Prabang and after talking to some tour operators I decided that Nong Kiaw was the place to go.