New Year's and Mekong Slow Boat

NEW YEAR'S

Once again, I am shocked that New Year's was but 10 days ago. Moving towns and countries opens you to lots of new memories and experiences. Ran into Aaron today, last saw him in Pai, 21 days ago. Another lifetime! Took a bit to cipher who he was, since he, Slim, Dani and Phil had headed to southern Thailand, while I headed north...mostly to stay cooler...20C in the mornings and evenings is just such a pleasure even if the days climb into the 30's.

My stay in Chiang Mai was the longest in any hostel ever. It included Xmas and New Year's with some breaks for the trip to Pai and the 3 day jungle trek. I was trying to do some Wwoofing in Thailand, but had no luck with the few local farms, mostly setup as guest houses, not farms. Instead, I opted to do a few days volunteer work for the hostel's owner (Noom). The picture may not look like much but involved a fair bit of labour to redo the surface of the driveway and include some bamboo edging

Noom organizes a lot of social stuff for the hostel, and we hit a BBQ buffet (like big group meals in Korea) that could feed at least 500-600 people. Amazing. For New Year's, there was a gift exchange, then dinner at a restaurant and then downtown for the midnight fireworks along the canal. With all the people linings the canals and the fire kites in the hundreds and about 40 minutes of ongoing planned and locally set off fireworks..it really was a magnificent sight and a cool memory

LAOS and MEKONG SLOW BOAT

In order to keep the cool mornings, decided to stay north and head to Laos. This involved a bus to the border, night over, then a morning spent getting across the Mekong River and dealing with the hassles of a land border. It was mild chaos all around. The best part was the list of rules of things not to do, including no sleeping with Laos women...unless you are married to them...the usual possible death sentence for drug use...blah blah blah. Too funny...altho friends did get nailed with some consumables in a Laos town and paid a heft $600 US to get their passports back. Not funny.

The long boat was a lot of fun, the scenery gorgeous. Lots of little villages along the way. At times, low mountains on both sides, speedboats zipping by at a furious rate...the drivers with serious helmets, the passengers...maybe helmets, maybe not.

The first nite, we do a stopover in a little built up village (Pak Bang) and find some great food and the one and only late night bar. The boat finishes in Luang Prabang...which is a crossover of Pai and Chiang Mai (lots of ex-pats and a very busy riverside restaurant and bar scene.

LUANG PRABANG - LAOS

I enjoyed Luang Prabang a lot. It is on a nice part of the Mekong and I like towns that the river plays a major part in (not true for Vientiane, the capital, where I am right now). There was a great night market that had a funky food street with big buffet tables...$1 to fill a plate..same same for a big BeerLao. There were some cool bars including the very chill Utopia.

Notice the kids playing in the boat below. Parents are up the hill about 50 meters, no helmets, no life jackets..just playing in their 'yard'.

The sunset pic is from the temple that dominates the center of town (Chomsi) and is a big hit every night.

You meet a lot of people travelling (hostels, boat tours, jungle treks, long-run buses, bars, etc). While this makes for a very social trip...in SE Asia, with the cheap prices, warm weather and tons of backpackers...this means a lot more partying. I will have to go a a diet and exercise regime as soon as I get back (likely before Super Bowl).

Izu Peninsula

I got swimming here, but no luck renting or bumming a board

Cxxx  / Mxxxxxxx / OCEAN / Fxxx

I am just finishing up Part 3 of my intro Japan Tour - CITY / MOUNTAIN / OCEAN. I am on the Izu Peninsula, staying at a re-furbished Ryokan in Ito. The coast is all old volcanoes, lave flows, rocky inlets and hilly towns. The train/bus system gets you anywhere in a hurry and I am here for 4 days. I usually stay 3 or 4 nights everywhere I go. You see less (or do you?) but the pace is more relaxed. The Ryokan is a fluke. did not know how nice it was till I walked in

Check out the pics of this place...mine do not do it justice K's House Ryokan - Ito

If you think I am burning money, I am in a dorm room with 6 people and the cost is in line with Hostel prices here (in Tokyo I was paying $27, 12 to a room, here it's $35...the next country it drops to $12-14 and cheaper yet after that. My breakfasts are groceries (yogurt, fruit, bread, egg), lunches are street or stall food in the $4-6 range. Suppers are usually sitdown and bottom of menu or combo plate at $13-15. All in all acceptable for a first-world country. Trains and buses are expensive, but I take all local, non-reserved, which makes it OK. I am not in a hurry.

My average day is spent outdoors, walking, hiking, climbing, swimming, a shrine or two, a cemetery, a walk thru the older sections of a town, interested in architecture and use of space. Before supper is errands, computer work, laundry and shower/hot-tub(onsen). Supper and after are very social times when you meet people and compare trips and the days activity. since i do so little planning, a lot of my days walkabouts are based on what I heard in the hostel the night before.

No wasted space in this cemetery, places I find quite peaceful and always peculiar to the local culture

Up behind the orange groves

Rocky, lava flow coastline

Mt Omuro, bus up, walk back to Ito (15 kms)

Breakfasts tend to be quiet, as most of the kids sleep late. There are always a few of us and conversations start up easily. I am by myself most of the day unless there is a something particular going on (fish market trip, bike rentals). Supper on is very social, sometimes supper with a new friend and always some drinks/ reading/ online stuff in the common room. It is a lot of fun to meet other travellers and share stories of current and past experiences. I find backpackers a very open crowd.

I am finding locals very friendly, both in helping on trains and when I invariably get lost. They love to try out their English on you . Everyone has smiles all around and there are always handshakes and bows and sometimes pictures.

Above are Sibos (Indian) and Yamanase, both my age, both quite interesting

People travel for a variety of reasons. I love the speed that I travel at, I love spending time outdoors getting some form of exercise, I love sharing travel stories with other backpackers and meeting locals, I love the food in most countries I visit.

I don't count what I miss in any one area, just what I see, because you really only see a small slice of a country anyway.

Backpacking alone and staying in hostels and dorms with a very social way to travel. If I was with someone 24/7, a large part of my social interactions would be with that person. Being alone forces you to open up and let things happen. It is a large part of what makes me travel. B