10 days in silence, meditating...

I apologize (yet again) for not keeping this blog updated. I'm not even sure that anyone is still checking for updates or reading it. However, if you're interested in the final leg of my South East Asian Adventure then read onward!

Right now I'm sitting in an internet cafe (with a sticky keyboard) across the street from the Suan Mokkh Monastry just outside of Chaiya in Southern Thailand. I registered this morning for the 10 day silent retreat that begins on the 1st of every month. This retreat is set up specifically to cater to foreigners, but that doesn't mean that any luxuries are provided.
Part of the experience is to learn how to live simply and calmly. Participants follow the lifestyle of Thai Buddhist monks - to the extent that we will eat only two meals per day (no eating after noon), we'll wake up is at 4am, sleep on concrete slabs with a wooden block for a pillow, and - the hardest thing of all - be silent for 10 days).

You may wonder why I would want to take part in such an extreme retreat. Well, I want to learn how to meditate properly, and I've only heard positive things about this place (from the 50% that make it through the 10 days). It has been a rough year and I know that my problems will be waiting for me when I return to Canada. I'm hoping that I will learn here how to accept what life gives me. I'm praying that I'll gain some sort of insight here, as well as a tool to enable me to cope better with what life throws at me. Finally, it seems like the perfect opportunity to learn more about myself and what I want from this life.

So, here's to zen living.

NB: I won't be able to access email or update the blog while I am taking part in the retreat. I will post an entry reviewing my meditation experience after I leave Suan Mokkh. Hopefully I last the full 10 days!

Magnificent Malaysia

I love Malaysia. Really. I'm going to miss this place (I leave tomorrow).

It's sad to admit, but I chose to travel to Malaysia because a) it was included in my 'Lonely Planet - South East Asia on a Shoestring' guide book, which I was already lugging around; and b) it was close to Singapore (which I had to visit anyway in June to meet a friend). I was debating traveling to China instead, but seeing as I am a horrible navigator and rely on communicating with English-speaking locals quite a bit, I decided it would be a bad idea. Plus, I'm not crazy about 'real' Chinese food (chicken feet or pig intestine anyone?).

Malaysia is a stunning country. Really. From the turquoise water of the Perhentian Islands to the lush rolling hills of the BOH tea plantations, I have enjoyed every single place I have visited. Melaka offers visitors insight into its rich history as a key trade route post (where silks were exchanged for spices), while Penang is a foodie's dream as delicious Indian, Malay and Chinese dishes are available at every turn.

I'm quite tired, so I will update this blog tomorrow (with a description of the places and people I've encountered). I have to say that it's been an unforgettable experience and I will look back fondly on my time here.

Confession - I am a horrible blogger (+ Tomb Raider Temple)

I publish posts irregularly. At the end of a long tiring day the last thing I want to do is track down a computer to blog. I'm sorry!

It's been almost one month since I blogged. Since then I have visited Cambodia, Thailand (again), Singapore, Hong Kong and now - Malaysia.

Harald and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur early this morning. What an adventure! We booked a 'luxury coach bus' for the 7 hour journey. The seats were spacious, yes, but the vehicle was also infested with cockroaches. Needless to say, the trip wasn't exactly pleasant. Since I barely got a wink of sleep last night, I ended sleeping for most of the day (it's now 3pm). Oh well, I supposed it's all just part of the 'Asian Experience'.

Right now we are staying at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. I should have access to a computer over the next 3 days, so I will try to update this blog at least twice. That's a reasonable goal, no?

I have so many pictures to share with you. Here are a selection from two temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The locals call 'Ta Prohm', the first temple, the 'Tomb Raider' temple because it served as the set for the first Tomb Raider movie featuring Angelina Jolie. The building is largely in ruins, but that just adds to its appeal (I felt a bit like Indiana Jones at times walking amongst the rubble and the intertwining tree roots).

Although some of the girls on the trips claimed to be 'Templed Out', how could you get tired of exploring structures so old and tied to such a rich history! For your reading pleasure, here is a link to the history of Ta Prohm, otherwise known as the 'Tomb Raider' temple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Prohm

Good Morning Vietnam!

First off, I have to apologize for not keeping this blog consistently updated. The excuse is the same as usual - no time, lack of access to a computer with a strong internet connection and (worst of all), sticky keyboards.

It's hard to believe, but I'm already over two weeks into my GAP 'Indochina Encompassed' tour. The time has flown by, but that doesn't mean that every site hasn't been memorable in its own special way. I have a million pictures to share with you. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to upload a selection of them today.

Overview:
Even though Laos and Vietnam share a border, they are incredibly different. Laos is the lush, relaxed and even sleepy one of the pair, while Vietnam is zipping (on incredibly strong coffee), hurried, and way more industrialized.

Each place has its own special charm; however, Laos has touched me in a way that Thailand or Vietnam has yet to do. The landscape is like something right out of a movie; lots of lush, green vegetation, rolling hills as far as the eye can see, and lazy rivers brimming with fish. The whole country seems to move at a leisurely pace - even in the capital city speeding cars are few and far between.

I must admit that the transition from the carefree nature of Laos to the hyper-caffinated Hanoi was a little jaring. Hanoi is like Delhi in the sense that crossing the street is a very scary endeavor. Once again, there was lots of praying while attempting to make my way around. Of course, once I finally got comfortable walking into streets congested with motorbikes I learned that one of my travel mates had actually gotten hit by a bike. She's okay now though. Just a little peeved.

Today we travel to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon). Apparently HCMC is like Hanoi, but on steroids. The traffic is worse, bag snatching is prevalent, and the pace is even more frenzied. Someone noted a few days ago that you could probably fit the population of Canada into this southern city. That may be an exaggeration, but I'm not looking forward to swimming through 'a sea of humanity'.

Since 'a picture is worth a 1000 words', once I upload my recent batch of pictures I will write a few photo blogs about specific experiences in each place. In a nutshell, on this leg of the trip I have: traveled by slow boat, airplane, overnight train (infested with cockroaches), motorbike, kayak, and inner tube.

Even though I try to eat as 'veggie' as possible at home, here I've sampled: frog legs, water buffalo, fresh prawns (which I swear were looking at me), crabs, dragon fruit, banana rice wine, and lao lao.

Finally, I've experienced a rainbow of emotions - from sheer joy to intense sadness. I've learned a lot about myself so far and I hope to continue 'soul searching' as I continue my Asia adventure. I try to tell myself, "Savor every moment! There is beauty in everything".

Sending lots of love your way,
H

In Laos!

I've finally embarked on my 'Indochina Encompassed' tour with GAP Adventures. I'm having a grand time, but unfortunately, haven't had access to the internet. So, I haven't been updating the blog regularly. Right now I'm in Luang Prabang. It's a sleepy city in beautiful Laos. We arrived late this afternoon after a two day boat ride down the Mekong River. Flanking the river are lush forests and mountains that rise through the clouds. Apparently dolphins also live in the river, but I wasn't fortunate enough to see any yet!

Laos is considered by many travelers to be an unspoiled paradise. I actually decided to go on this particular GAP Adventure tour after hearing many people rave about the natural beauty of this country and its people.

Unfortunately, I have to cut this short. We're about to begin a walking tour of Luang Prabang.

Jim Thompson House (part 2)

Here are a few more pictures (since blogger only allows me to post five at a time).

The first photo is from a special exhibition documenting the English translation of a series of important Thai folktales. The costumes depict the traditional Thai dress described within the stories. The second, third and fifth pictures are of the gardens of the home.

The forth picture is particularly interesting. It is of our Thai tour guide and an interesting garden seat. The seat made of antique Chinese porcelain and has holes in the top and side. The holes serve a purpose beyond decoration though; in the winter one would put hot charcoal in the bottom and heat would rise up through the holes. Thus, heated seating! While we have heated seats in Canada, they tend to only be within vehicles or cheap electric massage cushions.

Jim Thompson House

After a late night, I had trouble dragging myself out of bed this morning. Since I was alone in the dorm room, I didn't have anyone else's rustling around to wake me up. When I finally dragged myself into the shower it was around 10am.

Because of the late start and my general sense of fatigue, I decided to tackle only one main touristy site - the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson is famous for starting up the Jim Thompson Silk Company (and for making a long-time Thai cottage industry very profitable).

Jim Thompson was a very privileged American architect who joined the US Army during the World War II. He was sent to Asia during part of his tour of duty and ended up settling in Thailand. The story goes that he sent some silk to the American editor of Vogue and soon orders for custom silks poured in. He set up a silk factory, became a wealthier entrepreneur and the rest is history.

Although Thompson mysteriously disappeared in 1967, he apparently gave Thailand permission to use his house as a museum prior to this point. The house is fascinating. The styling is still fashionable today - over 40 years after his disappearance. He amassed a large and stunning collection of antiques during his time in Thailand - including a 7th Century headless Buddha (picture below), tons of ceramics, intricate carved wood tables, and massive chandeliers. The mansion is not really one house, but six traditional Thai homes pieced together. Flanking the house on all sides are lush tropical gardens with rectangular ponds. Amidst the water lilies swim Thai alligators and koi fish. N.B. The alligators and koi fish are in two separate ponds. ;)

Walking through the house was like getting a rare glimpse into the home life of a wealthy expat. I can't even imagine how much the house and his prized antique collection cost. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the actual house, so I only have a few photos of the jungle themed gardens and one photo pulled off the web of his living room. If you're interested in learning more about the life or home of Jim Thompson you can check out the link below.

http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/index.asp

To see images of the home just look under 'images' after typing 'Jim Thompson house' into Google search.