Yesterday, while spending the day touring around Strasbourg on bike, I decided to get my hair cut. It was just time. As you can see from the above photo, it’s a lot shorter now than it was before.
What’s it look like?
Well, that will have to wait.
Not long after this photo was taken, the camera decided to stop working. Whether that was because I yet again accidentally dropped it on hard pavement or because I had just taken this photo, I don’t know. I’d been noticing for the past several days that the zoom motor was making an odd noise that reminded me of a person moaning while climbing steps, gasping while lifting a box of books, or panting after a slow and beleaguered sprint. It was tired.
Joan of Arc
I do have photos to post from my visit to Geneva, Vincenza, Verona, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, and Strasbourg. They will arrive when the time is right.
Meanwhile, I’m off to Frankfurt today to meet a sorority sister from my college days. Tomorrow I’m going to Heidelberg (again with my friend’s bike in tow; so great how a person can bring their bike on some of the public transportation!) to re-enact the chicken dance that I learned there 30-years ago. : ) Care to join me? I think it’s going to be fun!
Saturday I’m bidding Germany auf Wienersehen and traveling to the land of fromage and croissants. I’m signed up to attend this cool dinner at Jim’s: http://www.jim-haynes.com/. I’ll let you know how it is!
“Have I continued with my language studies?” you ask?
You betcha! The big surprise was that I’d use my French speaking skills to converse with people in Italy who don’t know English (or prefer to speak in French : ). And my current hostess has been so good about teaching me new words and phrases (and busting my butt to pronounce the ö correctly! : ~ ) Today’s word? “stöbern.” Yes, that it had an “o” umlaut was handy indeed!
And a language thrill? Yesterday, when I asked for more cream for my large decaffeinated coffee (while in Strasbourg), the friendly waiter replied, “Prego.” (Italian for “you’re welcome”) I’ll take that!
And for now, I bid you all adieu. May your days continue to be bright, your nights peaceful, and your friends loving.
From your Zugvogel,
-s j
der Zugvogel = migratory bird.
My Berliner family gave me a new moniker. : )
Bedeutungen (meaning):
[1] Biologie: Vogel, der die kalte Jahreszeit in warmen, meist südlichen Regionen verbringt, in die er im Herbst zieht. The only catch is that this Zugvogel did this in reverse by traveling to cold weather rather than warm weather!
There was an hour layover between trains, so I ventured outside Basel’s Bahnhof to inspect the many wires.
Dear Friends,
Hope you’re all well and happy.
Yesterday evening I arrived in Geneva where I’m staying with the most darling 84-year man who I know through Tony’s family. He’s on sabbatical at CERN for a year and got a special pass for me to go there during my stay. It’s sunny and cold here, very beautiful in fact.
Best wishes for a lovely February. Happy Valentine’s day in advance. : )
With warm aloha,
-S j
p.s. I managed to upload some pictures from my recent 3-week stay in Berlin . . . then I lost them, and THEN, a few years later, I was able to repost them here. Enjoy.
That’s my main goal during this phase of solo travel.
A few of you had asked. Hence the concise answer.
When it first came to me that I wanted to come spend some time in Germany to improve my language skills, I thought that I would pursue an Arbeitserlaubnis, or work permit. I’d been told that it’s difficult for a foreigner to find a job here, so earning a certificate for teaching English as a second language seemed like a good idea, a good way to get my foot in the door. It also fit a side goal of mine—to improve my English language skills. But there remained this nagging thought that if I were to do that, I’d be speaking English all the time (while teaching, obviously) and that I wouldn’t get to do what I really wanted to do, which is improve my German.
Okay Susan*, I thought, maybe you’ll just have to do that for the short term until you find something else. Okay, I replied, I can do that.
But after I returned home to Kaua‘i (after 5-months in Asia), I realized that I also want to spend some time on island just being and not working a zillion hours a day (on projects for other peoplelike Tony and I did for many, many years). What would it be like to have time to enjoy the island? (Yes, I imagine many of you have the very same question in the back of your heads.) So I decided that I’d stay in Europe for the 90-days allowed (without requesting a special visa).
“But what about work, sj? What about earning a living? Won’t you eventually have to go back to work?” you ask.
Well, I have faith that it will reveal itself in time. I’m on what I’m calling a sabbatical.
According to my computer’s dictionary, a sabbatical** is “a period of paid leave granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year : she’s away on sabbatical.” I think it fits. At one point in my life I was actually on track to be a college professor. As far as the “paid” part goes, well, let’s just say that a surprise inheritance arrived at exactly the right time to fund this dream of mine. Yes, I am a very lucky girl; I’m also very, very appreciative.
“Okay, so you’re spending the 90-days allowed in Europe. You’re main focus now is to improve your German. How are you going about that? Are you taking classes?”
Yes and no. I’m not attending formal classes at a school, but I am doing lessons on a cool web site I found called babbel.com. My goal is to spend at least three hours a day (like I did in Lyon 3-years ago) doing some type of “focused” study. I’ve been fairly loose with this and am allowing it to reveal itself. For those of you know me well, you know that I’m the type of person who generally starts a project, sets her nose to the grindstone and doesn’t raise her head until the task is done. I’m doing that in an albeit freer way. For example, an hour of conversation with a German native can count as an hour, and no, I’m not literally timing it. I’m just noticing that it’s somehow getting done each day. Watching movies in German also “counts.” Yes, I’m enjoying myself!!! And why wouldn’t I? Every single day I awake with a smile on my face. I’m so happy to be here; I’m so happy to be alive and on this journey of life!
“Okay, so you’re having fun. Where all are you going?”
That too has slowly been revealing itself. I originally thought that I’d be staying in one place for most of the time. I initially booked a room for a month in Berlin. I envisioned that I would become part of a community; perhaps do some volunteer work with a theatre company. But I’ve slowly been realizing that part of this journey’s theme is variety. While in Asia this past summer, it dawned on me that I was learning to be completely “at home” wherever I was. We all know the expression, “home is where the heart is.” Well, it’s true, and as I live more and more firmly rooted in my heart space, I find that I’m always at home.***
As far as the specific places I’ll visit (or have visited), here’s an outline for the moment:
– Düsseldorf – Tony and I exchanged our home with two different German families. After Tony returned to Hawaii, I was able to stay a few nights longer in both beautiful apartments. : ) Yes, nice!
– Hamburg – So many people had told me that this is a beautiful city, and as you saw from my photos (http://tvjuice.com/hamburg2/), it is. I really enjoyed my visit and would go back in a heartbeat. A very nice lady I met when I went swimming even invited me to stay at her place should I return! Yes, the magic keeps happening.
– Berlin – When Tony and I were here in December, we stayed up late one night playing charades in a bar. We laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt. That night I met a wonderful group of smart and funny people; they’ve welcomed me into their lives. I’m currently staying at one of the gal’s apartment! She’s so much fun, smart (yes, I know that I used those very same adjectives already, get the point?), industrious, and she has sooo many books! And even a bike that she’s letting me use. Yes, I am one very, very lucky girl. : ) I’ll be here for 2-weeks for sure, maybe a little longer. Some more new friends may come to Berlin from Prague for a weekend visit; I’ll keep you posted.
– Geneva – During World War II, Tony’s grandparents took in a young man from what was then Czechoslovakia; they considered him family and helped ensure that he got an education. He’s been a professor at NYU in the Physics Department for years and is now on a year’s sabbatial at CERN. He’s invited me to visit him. Yes, I look forward to seeing him again (he came to our wedding in Tennessee years ago and gave us an awesome flaming orange le creuset pot that we still use almost every day!).
– Karlruhe – One of our home exchange partners lives and works in this town. She’s invited me to visit her and has said that I can join her as she drives to various places for her work. How cool is that !?!
– Strasbourg – I don’t know anyone there but have just heard from so many people that it’s a wonderful city. I’d like to experience it firsthand. I imagine that I’ll find a wonderful place to stay through air b n b or another type of connection.
– Paris – I depart for the continental United States from Paris; I plan on spending 3-nights or so there.
Years ago when I studied at the Uni Bonn****, I encountered very few people who spoke English. Granted, occasionally I met a fellow student who wanted to practice their English but that was exactly what they did, practice. Now, so many people speak English. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve recently realized that the skill of bouncing back and forth between languages is almost as important as being able to speak different languages. Once while Tony and I were at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Düsseldorf, we met a French family. I had so much fun speaking to them in French; we even ended up having dinner with them. So, as you can see, the above itinerary allows me ample opportunity to practice all of this: German, French, and the back-and-forth-language-bounce®, henceforth called baflb.
Returning to the topic of what I will do once I return to Kauai, I have BIG dreams. I want to do a variety of things. I want to continue to learn languages. I want to continue to improve the languages I do know (and/or am learning). I’d like to have a few Skype customers who I assist with their English learning. I’d like to write a one-woman play and perform it. I’d like to do more acting. I’d like to get paid for acting. : ) I’d like to do some translating from German to English (and get paid for it : ). I’d like to go sailing. I’d like to hangout with Tony and Rocket Girl. I’d like to biking, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, etc. I’d like to do an occasional sound job on interesting projects. Yes, I’d like to do lots of things.
But for the moment, my focus is on improving my German.
And with that, I bid you all auf wienersehen,*****
–s j
* There’s been this gradual progression of my name shift. I’ve been called Susan since I was born. I always liked my name. Remember how at different times in life you’ve probably heard someone say, “I hate my name!”? I was never that person; I always liked the name Susan. Then, for various reasons, I wanted to start using my middle name too. I have a very good friend whose name is Mary Hunter. No, Hunter isn’t her last name, it’s her “middle” name. Friends call her “Mary Hunter” in one breath. Okay, I thought, people can say “Susan Jane” in one breath too. However, when signing emails, I found that I preferred to simply write “sj.” As I’ve gradually made new friends over the past year, they’ve come to know me solely as “sj.” I like the sound of it. What should you call me? Whatever feels the most comfortable to you. And as the saying goes, call me anything, but just don’t call me late for dinner! : )
** (noun) |səˈbatikəl|
*** When I returned “home” this past Fall, I had a most unusual experience (for me). As good as it felt to be on Kaua‘i, I also realized that I’d been “home” for a long while. When I think back on different places where I stayed while in Asia, I remember how comfortable I felt there, in my room, the space that had become my “home.” Whether it was for several weeks or just a couple of nights, something had changed within me; I had truly found peace wherever I was.
**** Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität
***** a nod to my husband : )
I went to school here back in the early 1980s. Took an exercise class in the room over the road with my friend Michèle. : )
Well, I mean that after having a wonderful month at home on Kaua‘i and then two wonderful* months of travel with my husband, I’m now on my own again.
Where’d I go during that time, you ask?
Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving with my sister and her family; Europe: Berlin, Prague, Nürnberg, und Düsseldorf, part of which we shared with my Mom.
Checkout the following links for photos of the Mother Chronicles: Mom, Mom 2, Mom 3.
Tony btw wrote some kick ass copy damit (that means “with it” in this instance; there’s something a little bit goofy and fun when a person mixes several languages around in one’s head; some things just sound better in one language over another).
He also made a fun travelogue of his take on Düsseldorf. Bear in mind that my husband is one incredibly (and that’s an understatement : ), incredibly unique individual. That means that this is Düsseldorf as seen only through the eyes of Tonester.
If you normally don’t like silly, it’s probably not your cup of tea, but if you’re the type of person who loves to see things in a different light, it’s for you. : )
And while you’re there, why not also check out some of his JazzBug stuff? It’s loads of fun. He’s in the adding kind of mood; so you may want to include his link in your list of favs, so you can easily visit it from time to time.**
Alright, so now down to the nitty gritty of this phase of SJ’s Journey.
Back in Spring 2010 when I had a most memorable dream where a clock in my oldest sister’s bedroom (in my parents’ house) began to say in a goofy-ass, over-dramatic voice, “It i s time; it is time; it is time . . .” I knew that (alright, I won’t state the obvious : ).
But I knew that I’d been “coasting” for way too long, and it was, a-hem, time to get “back on track” to matters of the heart.
And for me, that includes travel.
Where to?
My first thought was Germany.
Years ago I began to learn German while in Junior High School. A month-long trip to Southern Germany at the impressionable age of 14 sealed the deal; I was hooked. What had seemed like a classroom game became very real when I found myself in a country where people really did speak this jawohl language. I soon found a way to return to Germany and work as a chambermaid for the summer; next followed a year at the Uni Bonn.*** After that, I managed to somehow jump from Phys Ed major with a B.S. to German Lit. major with a M.A.
That same sense of adventure also led me Hawaii where for 25-years I worked with my husband in our own video production company. Yes, I managed to keep the German language in my life somehow, occasionally reading a book or watching einen Deutschen Film, but I felt like I’d never reached the skill level I’d wanted to reach.
Which is why I went to Asia for 5-months.
Das ist doch Blödsinn! Was meinst du denn damit?
Yep, it was a little crazy to first go to Asia to improve my German, but the short answer to a long story is CELTA. That’s where I earned my ESL teaching certificate, which may enable me to live and work in Europe one day. (For those of you new to this glob, try reading earlier entries to discover how all that went down . . . )
So, here I sit on the train from Düsseldorf to Hamburg. After 6-weeks of practicing switching from English to German and back again (thanks Tony and Mom for the great practice!), I’m now in the “let’s stay in German” oder “nur Deutsch sprechen und denken” mode of the trip.
Not quite sure how much I’ll add to my glob during this phase of the journey, but I do think I’ll choose the following moto (spoken by a wise old man), “Don’t be afraid to be stupid!”
Tschüß for now mes amis!
-sj
*That makes 3 wonderfuls. My grandmother used to always say, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.” We Hyltons all do our best to say, “W3.”
**The above ad was brought to you by makers of fine coffee.
***The official name is Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität.
Thanks for hitching a ride on this leg of my journey. I’ve enjoyed having your company.
Where am I writing this? I’m in Tokyo’s modern and amazing Narita airport at a lovely and free internet access “cafe.” (That’s in quotes because the only way I see to get coffee, or any other beverage, is via one of those automat machines–like you see at rest stops along France’s highways where I drank many of them with Dad back in our month-long trip, with Mom and sister Hannah, in the Fall of 1999. And I don’t have the local currency for making a purchase . . . but of course they’ve thought of a solution for that, I’m sure, but coffee’s not on my list of beverages right now. The next plan of action is to sleep and try and get in sync with Hawaii’s time and day zone . . . )
After about a 5 hour layover, I’ll hop on the next flight to Honolulu. When do I arrive there? 10:20 a.m. on Sunday. What time and day is it here now? 7 p.m. something on Sunday. Cool how that works. Due to my frugal and practical nature, I don’t arrive on Kaua‘i until Sunday evening (using HAL miles). So, I reckon I’ll take a bus to the beach in Honolulu for a dip and a shower. At least that’s the plan, I’m open to however it unfolds. This “live-in-the-moment-and-keep-my-eyes-and-ears-open-to-all-possibilities” (or litmakmeaeotap®) form of travel has served me really well the past many months.
In moments of daydreaming, I’d imagined that I’d write a “*SJ’s streaming consciousness thoughts and rambles about SE Asia” kind of something. But, at the moment, I’m not feeling it, so I’m not going to. (Okay, some of you are groaning that I already have with my long going on about coffee machines in France and the trip with my family ages ago . . . ) Granted, I may change my mind (or not : ). That’s part of the beauty of following my heart; when it comes, it just flows. If it doesn’t, then I do something else. There’s always something else.
Kay den, ’nuff of that.
Love and blessings to you all. May the light always shine on you; may you always be surrounded by friends (even when you’re “alone”); may you feel peace and happiness from the top of your head to the tip of your toes; may you enjoy each and every day on your journey of life, the best darn gift each and every one of us has been given.
***Sat Nam.
-sj
With my gal pal, Chela, who gave me a ride to the Kaua‘i airport early one morning at the end of May.
I had a long layover in Taipei. Prospective English lesson clients? Maybe.
Class #100 at the CELTA English language teaching school in Bangkok.
During the horrible third week (while passing through and/or over the CELTA wall), we couldn’t calculate how much to pay at lunch! And it was easy math!!!
A smart and friendly student from Japan on my right; Isky, the talented actor from Kuala Lumpur, on my left.
The winners of fellow CELTA student Suelin’s very original and unofficial awards (SJ, Alvin, and Isky, short for Iskander).
Moi with my Bangkok Kundalini yoga instructor, Sunderta.
The 12 trekkers from Denmark, France, Taiwan, Spain, and the United States, who first met in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
My first pals at FLO: Rick, the cameraman; Emily, the troll; and Kate, the giant.
With one of my students while at the beach with FLO (Future Light Orphanage). Recognize him from the dinner out in Phnom Penh?
And with another wonderful FLO student (who recently graduated from high school and started her advanced education course this month).
The fun summer gang of FLO-fans one evening in Phnom Penh.
One of my favorite students . . . okay, who am I kidding, they were ALL my favs!
Dani and Andrew, fellow FLO volunteers, returning “home” after a fun “getaway” to Phnom Penh.
Some of my younger friends at FLO. (Enjoying an apple, thanks to many of YOU !!!)
She’s the most natural teacher . . . and she’s a talented artist; she gave me a cool going away card that she made.
My friend Dani stopped over in Phnom Penh for one night (after visiting Siem Reap and before heading to Ho Chi Minh). FLO’s wonderful chef, and my dear friend, Chancy, and I dropped everything to join Dani for dinner. That was how I found the perfect restaurant for when I would later accompany eight FLO students to dinner in the city. Look up the Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh for more info.
Remember when I wrote about that amazing last day at FLO when many of us went to the Pagoda? The little guy on the right is the boy who took my hand during our walk to and from the temple. : ) Aren’t ALL three boys vibrant!
Oh, what a special day that was!
And I love this shot too much to not include it in my “wrap-up.” It embodies so much of what FLO is about.
Did I tell you about the storybooks that my older students made? They were as varied and as fascinating as the Ss. “Were there recurring themes?” you ask. Yes.
Making friends (or the wanting of friends). Giants (fighting giants, killing giants, running away from giants). Poor people (who need help, who I want to help but can’t, who I hope to help someday, who I want to come to school with me, who have no food). And magical animals or people (who do all k i n d s of things!).
Yes, I think the storybook project was a success.
We ended up doing the second of two scavenger hunts early on the Saturday morning when I bid FLO adieu. Why? There was a powerful monsoonal rain the previous afternoon. It worked out well; I was able to pass out all their learning materials (their notebooks, storybooks, tests, etc.) AND give them lots of prizes which I’d gathered. There were even enough lollipops for all the little kids who were hanging out with us. (Thanks Dani, Sean, and Kai!)
How very special it was to look these dear human beings in the eye and know that our bond is eternal. Just the right number gathered for a very personal, unhurried, and precious farewell.
And then I began my “travels” . . .
My new friends from Australia (by way of Ireland) and Canada (Laura, Nick, and Leta respectively). We biked together and shared a tuk tuk in Siem Reap (when visiting the many ancient temples).
Here I was with a beautiful young lady from Laos who was taking her visiting parents on an excursion.
The beautiful young couple from Israel (who found me in Hanoi somewhere and somehow early, early one morning) with our trek guide.
The lovely lady on the left made my delicious (and expensive by Vietnamese standards :) coffee; she was the only “game” in the market (and she’ll do well)!
I had planned to meet Nat (and her friend, Gerry) the previous evening for dinner, but I went to the wrong restaurant (I initially met them on the boat trip to Ha Long Bay). “If I’m supposed to see them, I will, ” I thought to myself. And sure enough, I did! Yeah, I love those synchronistic moments too. : )
On the boat with the “cook” who made my dinner one evening in Hue (with her son).
Remember the “locals only” café in Hue I told you about? Here we are again.
I met these friendly childhood friends from London while touring Ha Long Bay; we ran into one another in both Hue and Hoi An. While in Hoi An, we decided to share both delightful conversation and a delicious dinner.
A few evenings ago in Bangkok, I met up with some of my fellow CELTA graduates; we ate at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. Yes, condoms. Look it up on-line; it’s a cool place with a good cause (and a tasty restaurant). Yes, it was great to see them again. They’ve all gotten good jobs (yes, teaching) in Bangkok!
Michele, my longtime friend who with her husband, graciously shared their Bangkok home.
I spent all day yesterday at a Kundalini yoga retreat doing white tantric yoga; it was amazing. The exercises are done with a partner. Meet my new friend, Japnan; she’s a beautiful young lady (my nephew Jo Ryan’s age) from Taiwan. Being a self-motivated person, she has her own business and is able to work from her home. Good for her! And she has the most beautiful dark brown eyes. It worked out perfectly that the retreat took place on my last day in Thailand (and SE Asia).
That’s me looking up at the ceiling of Bangkok’s Sunvarabhumi airport early this a.m.; or am I really looking down? What do you think? : )
Aloha Thailand!
*One entry was going to be: Vietnames Airlines, the Big Save of SE Asia, i.e. short line, long wait(thanks Tones for that tag line : ) ; it’s one of his classics.
Another? Cheapest place in SE Asia per my informal survey? Vietnam
(Also, didn’t see nary a McDonalds or Starbucks in **Vietnam, did see one KFC there though, in Hanoi, right in a major tourist area and intersection. There are a zillion KFC’s in Thailand and Cambodia btw; they L O V E KFC in those two countries!)
And another, it’s very L O U D in SE Asia, even in the countryside. Sometimes at FLO (in the middle of nowhere really), it would be SO loud as the neighboring communities blasted out their this’es and thats with the wind. (That was one reason I loved Luang Prabang so much; it was quiet there; it felt so much more restful than in other cities.) “Okay, what about LA?” I can hear you ask. “And NYC? And Detroit?” (Detroit? I’ve never been to Detroit. lol Always thought it’d be nice to visit Augie and Rose though.) Alright, got it; we Americans have very loud places too.
Things like that is was I had been imagining that I’d write . . . but not now, maybe another time (or not . . . I’m not making any promises one way or another).
**Didn’t see one KFC or chain restaurant in Laos, but I was only in Luang Prabang. Don’t know about Vientiane and other areas.
***Sat Nam is similar to namaste, which most of you know.
The following was copied from a website I found: http://www.kundaliniyogablog.com/-2006-11-12-sat-nam-definition/
“The Mantra Sat Nam
Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.
I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:
Truth is my identity
My identiy is Truth
My True Self
Truth is our identity
It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.
Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.
I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)
but onward to Nam.
To bow
To submit or subject oneself
And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.
And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.
Sat Nam
H~”
And for those of you who read this far, this just came in today’s “calendar” email from Julie Redstone:
46.
To experience God one must live in the present,
for it is in the present that new experience arises.
I hadn’t. Not until the first two volunteers I met at FLO told me about it.
“So what’s been one of your favorite places to travel to in Vietnam?”
“Sapa,” they replied in union, “Yes, definitely Sapa.”
And then the physically smaller of the two–who btw Rick, the cameraman, loved to call the troll . . . : ); the other young lady was nicknamed the giant . . .; yeah, they made a great pair–she, the troll, started talking a mile a minute about the nice Hmong lady who guided them on their hike had told them all about the area. “It’s so beautiful!” she continued.
“Hmm, Sapa,” I thought to myself. “Maybe I should make that happen . . .”
And I did. The following shots have been chosen from a long list of shots; the task of editing these down was the hardest thus far. I took so m a n y amazing shots! It’s easy to do in Sapa; it really is breathtaking there.
“Where is Sapa?” you ask.
In Northern Vietnam, close to the border with China. I took a night train from Hanoi. The train left that busy city around 9 p.m., and by 6 a.m. I was in a minivan with lots of other tourists heading along the narrow road to Sapa. About 45-minutes later I arrived in that cute mountain town. (My first thought upon entering Sapa? “It’s the Gatlinburg of SE Asia!”)
Enjoy!
I shared the cabin with a lovely couple from Israel and a young Aussie girl; the rest of her family was next door.
Water buffalo are e ve r y w h e r e in Vietnam! (even on busy highways!)
She was working in a practically black chamber with only the light coming in from the open door to work by.
Locals hanging out in one of the villages we trekked (i.e. hiked) through.
“It looks like Tuscany,” the beauiful Israeli woman said; “Yes, it does,” I replied.
(Have I ever been to Tuscany? No, but I’ve seen movies. : )
We have a few of these flowers growing by Rocket Girl’s house.
This guy had the biggest darn teeth! He seemed to love showing them to us.
A cute, shy girl with a Tigger umbrella who didn’t know any English. “Okay,” she said to the request to take her picture. (At least that’s what the guide told me she said.)
Lunch break. We ate upstairs in a house used for “home stays.” Our guide had brought food which was cooked there by the family. It was good: Pho (noodle soup) made with water buffalo meat. No, I hadn’t eaten any red meat in ages, but figured I’d give it a try; it was okay, a bit tough. Two bites was enough. But the noodles and broth was yummy!
Their “job” is to follow tourists as they walk on their trek. These ladies had left their village early in the morning; they were returning home (as they walked beside/behind us). And why do they do this? To sell something to us, that’s why! There seems to be a “rule” that they have to wait till the end for their sales pitch. “Where are you from?” they love to ask as we walk along. “The moon!” was my standard reply. “I’ve come down to earth to see how you live; it’s nice!” The gal on the right “tagged” me; I bought two bags that are earmarked for my sister Hannah. I figure she can use the design in a quilt maybe, or not, up to her.
We walked up hills and down to dales . . . and yes, over bridges.
This guy looked up. I waved. “You’ll have to marry him now!” the guide said. “Oh really?” I asked. No worries Tones, I kept walking. : )
I bought the purse I’m wearing from the young gal on my left; her mom made it. AND, I gave her my purple purse which I’d been carrying for 4.5 months. I was thinking that I’d leave it in the hotel room (like I’ve been slowly doing with lots of my clothing), and then thought, “Why not just give it to her?” She seemed jazzed. (It was cold in Sapa; that’s a new jacket I’m wearing . . . )
Vietnamese scarecrows.
Yes, they were literally right with us the entire trek.
How long of a walk? you ask. About 5-hours. We left at 9:30 a.m. and were back around 4:00 (after having about an hour lunch break). A van picked us up for the 12 – 16 km or so return. I hiked two days in a row.
These guys were assembling a building.
My last day in Sapa I went to a village which only happens on Sunday. Thought of you Marcie!
The mountain villagers come from all over to buy and sell at this market.
That puppy was so cute; I hope he wasn’t “marked” to be sold for food . . . it’s all part of the market. : (
Locals dining.
Locals shopping . . . and getting their hair cut.
This person was returning from a day working in China.
We stopped at the border for a look.
OMG, I hope that’s not what I ate in Luang Prabang! This was at the market outside the train station; we had a few hours to “kill” in this arm pit of a town (like all areas around train stations and bus depots the world over).
Oh . . . being in Vietnam is making it easier and easier to not eat meat; these guys wanted out of their cage so very badly!
Okay den, Aloha everyone. Until we meet again.
-sj
AND
though this was posted on Monday, October 10th in Vietnam (Hoi An), I realize that it shows October 9th (the date in Hawaii).
Right now, as I type, my husband of 25-years is throwing himself a bash of a party in Kokee, Kaua‘i.
Happy Birthday Tones!
May you have many, many more healthy and happy birthdays!
From the first time I heard that you could sign up for training as a “mahout,” I wanted to do it.
Okay, it’s a touristy kind of thing; it’s not “real” as in you’re not really becoming an elephant trainer. But still, the chance to get in the water with an elephant and give it a bath was too intriguing to not do.
I had practically given up on it though since I didn’t know when it would fit into my itinerary.
Once I arrived in Luang Prabang and realized that this was the place to do it, I was so jazzed and thankful that I had the opportunity.
The following are my “selects” from the experience.
And the main thing I want to tell you? They’re much softer than I expected. *Squooshy, even. I talked to my elephants (both of them). Could they understand me? I have no idea, but their ears were flapping! : )
May you too have a wonderful elephant experience some day (if you so desire).
Aloha mon amis,
-sj
The Elephant Village was on very pretty grounds; some people stayed several nights.
Our guide demonstrated how to get onto the elephant (and the oral command).
And then we each got a turn to practice!
This is when our elephant ride began.
It was very muddy due to monsoon rains.
Yep, I jumped at the chance to ride on the elephant’s neck!
C’est moi. Je suis très contente. (i.e. happy!)
We went through what I believe is a teak forest.
There were some water buffalo to spy along the way.
We went down a very steep hill.
That nice couple is from Belgium; they’re traveling for 13-months via bicycle! They plan to ride back to Belgium! First, they flew to China to begin their trip.
Then we were back where we started.
Almost, but not quite, an hour.
We could feed the elephants if we wanted.
They eat a lot!
After we had lunch, it was time to bathe the elephants; the young lady on the left is from Germany. I had so much fun talking with her, her husband, and another couple who just happened to also be from Karlsruhe (where the first couple lives).
This nice gal is from England.
And then it was my turn . . .
My guy loved to go underwater!
He/she did this several times!
And then I accepted the challenge to try and stand on the elephant’s head.
One.
Two.
Three.
I made it!!!!
Yikes! What’s that guy doing?!?
And then it was time to dip under again.
Waz up?
Takin’ a bath! That’s what!
The mahout helped us all get out of the water safely.
Next, we took a boat ride down (up?) the Mekong River. Monks like the river too.
Whatchyoulookingat?
A little fun gal pal time.
Then back down the river.
Someone shared. : )
It was pretty flat and calm.
There was a **gaggle of these critters!
We got over half an hour to hang in this pool; by golly if it wasn’t one of the nicest pools I’ve been in–ever!
Aloha Elephant Village!
Bye for now everyone!
-sj
*This is how my dictionary spells it. Me, I say, “Squooshy.”
squashy |ˈskwä sh ē; ˈskwô sh ē|
adjective ( squashier , squashiest )
easily crushed or squeezed into a different shape; having a soft consistency : a big, squashy leather chair.
DERIVATIVES
squashily |ˈskwä sh əlē; ˈskwô sh əlē| adverb
squashiness noun
**Same dictionary:
gaggle |ˈgagəl|
noun
a flock of geese.
• informal a disorderly or noisy group of people : the gaggle of reporters and photographers that dogged his every step. (i.e. a disorderly bunch of crickets)
ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb): imitative of the noise that a goose makes; compare with Dutch gaggelen and German gackern.
Yes, so far Luang Prabang has been my favorite town/city in SE Asia. It’s quiet; it’s cleaner; it’s interesting . . .
But I’m writing this from Hue, Vietnam and on my way next to Hoi An (that people also say they like), so I’ll keep you posted.
Here are the “selects” from my many, many photographs of the area.
Enjoy!
My end room #5, the two windows facing the street made it shine! (literally ; )
This is from Wat Xieng Thong.
This too.
The mosaic of the tree-of-life is one of its main features.
While walking up the hill to Phu Si temple.
These guys were playing on the gun turret.
Sunset over the Mekong River from the summit of the highest hill (and where That Chomsi temple is located).
Can you get a hit of the fun vibe of this town?
Rented a bike and went out for a spin.
Yes, I received a full dose of happiness while on this boat tour up the Mekong River.
Met this nice young 22-year old Laotian gal; she was showing her parents around who were visiting from the south.
You can get rice based alcohol with all kinds of critters inside!
I bought a few of her cloths.
There were many, many people doing the same type of work in this little village north of Luang Prabang.
Moi and my new friend. : )
The boat trip was to this Pak Ou Caves.
One of my favorite meals while in Luang Prabang–fried noodles with veggies; that’s a mango smoothie in back.
I too gave them sticky rice and little cakes.
My “neighborhood” wat where I heard the monks hitting the drums one day.
Did you celebrate this holiday too?
Rented a bike again and headed out of town.
This is the wat with the golden dome that one sees from the top of the hill in the town center (on the peninsula in the classic “old” part of town).
And this is what it looks like inside; I climbed up to the top level!
There were many levels.
Real life in Luang Prabang.
I like how they have the place for someone to sit on the bike; this was one of my new friend’s favorite wat, Sene, I believe is the name.
This caught my eye while riding down the road.
The one-way road along the Mekong River side of the peninsula.
Setting up for the nightly market . . . there’s lots of stuff in them there bags!
This is next to the Royal Palace Museum, known to the locals as Haw Kham (Golden Hall).
Dragons are one of the four sacred animals. The others? The phoenix, the unicorn, and the turtle. Some of the very important things I learned during my travels.
Lots of restaurants along the river for dining, drinking, and thinking–not necessarily in that order!
There are bizarre insects hidden underneath that goat cheese, salmon, and cavier! Met the wife of the chef of Blue Lagoon restaurant (a very, very nice restaurant in Luang Prabang); he offered to prepare insects for me in a way that “Europeans” can eat. I did; it was good; there was a undefinable “musty” flavor. No, I did NOT ask what the critters were! Knew I most probably wouldn’t be able to eat it then. Why did I eat them? How often is a great chef going to make such an offer to me?
There’s a library on the right; I had a nice evening there reading. Before, I’d gone to the wat across the street to sit and meditate as the monks chanted. I later learned that that was exactly when dear Julie Anne Mercer Lee left this planet.
I bought those paintings (the small ones : ). Recognize the one on the left, Jan? Have you received the box yet? The other two were drawn by that man’s niece (she’s about 5 or 6 years old).
For when you visit Luang Prabang . . .
And then it was time to leave for the airport . . .
Just in case you were tempted.
With my few remaining Laotian Kip and 2 US dollars, I bought my little guardian bat angel; it’s been keeping an eye on my computer for me.
Or so I was told by a nice couple who’d been staying at the same hotel as me (they left today for southern Laos). And as far as I can tell, they were right! Looks like I’m going to be able to post some photos from a few afternoon bike trips while at FLO (Future Light
I just had a dish of fried noodles with vegetables (and curry added per my request) and a mango smoothie with yogurt. It was one of my favorite meals I’ve had in Luang Prabang thus far.
Also, the place seems really *hip. Here are some things written in their menu:
“Wherever You Go, There You Are!” (I’m using their spelling and capitalization btw.)
“Everything Changes, Nothing Is Real. We Are All Capable Of Change. Not Only Are We Capable Of Change – Change is Inevitable.”
“Neither Be Happy When Things Go Our Way, Nor Unhappy When They Do Not.”
“The Rich Never Go To Jail. The Poor Never Go To Hospital.” Lao Proverb
“Whatever Lessens Suffering In Yourself And Others, This Is Right. We Cannot Give Up On Any Person. Never Abandon Anyone.”
“Forgiveness Is Superior To Justice. Revenge And Justice Are Not The Same.”
“We Tend To Seek Happiness, When Happiness Is Actually A Choice.”
“The Simpler The Life, The Happier The Life.”
And lastly,
Q. WHERE ARE THE MONKS GOING?
A. The same places that anyone would go: school, the temple, to visit family and friends. They want to know why you take so many pictures of them and what you are looking for if you already have everything you need?
Enjoy the pictures that I took while biking (around the area where FLO is located).
Laundry almost always looks pretty; if you wear bright clothes, that is!
Twice I just happened to get a red bicycle.
This wat is the furthest away from FLO; it only took about 15-minutes to bike to it.
Just liked the way that looked.
Lots going on along this dirt thoroughfare.
Just part of a typical routine in Cambodia (in the countryside, in the city too perhaps?).
About the same, but the cow moved. See?
There were several cows around.
This guy was saying hey . . . or something like that.
I think he’s protecting the wat (or pagoda is what they really say).
This little guy wanted his picture taken; I said, “Kay.”
I’ve been told that a famous movie star with many, many children “got” her first one here; it’s just down the road from FLO.
Like I said, lots of activity happening on this dirt road.
I asked permission before I took their photo; now I realize that they were getting ready for the festival which began around the 13th of September.
Now this guy is a major stud in the area. How do I know? Well, his size for one, his BODY size. He’s a good head or two taller than other cattle. And for second, by ALL the many people who gathered one day around him examining him . . . I didn’t ask any questions.
One afternoon I rode up to this wat and sat down on a bench under the tree. Before you could say, “Jack Squat,” I was surrounded by lots and lots of little kids. These two just cried out to be photographed (well not vocally, but with their eyes they cried out : ~ ).
And now . . . back to thumbing through the Lao Lao Garden menu.
When you visit Luang Prabang, you’ll most likely want to get up early one morning to give the monks sticky rice. I’d read and heard about it, and then decided that I too wanted to participate.
This morning ended up being an auspicious day, it was the closing of the festival which began while I was still in Cambodia and at FLO; it was why I got to go to the *pagoda (temple) with many of the FLO students on my last day. Yes, I haven’t told you about that yet (nor properly thanked all of you who gave $s for taking some of the FLO kids out to dinner! That will come; I promise. In the meantime, here’s a simple, “Thank you; the kids were soooo appreciative!”) I have many photos of that most wonderful experience (both).
But for now, it’s Tuesday morning, September 27th, and I just sat outside with many other people and one-by-one handed the monks sticky rice and a cake (there were 3 separate groups of monks, about 60-70 people all together, of all ages). There was one other guest from the hotel who also participated (a cute, young Japanese lady, a nurse who lives in Tokyo, she said).
Here’s a shot to give you an idea of what it was like . . .
Best wishes for a beautiful Tuesday, September 27th . . . wherever, whenever, and however you may be.
With warm aloha,
-sj
*the word of choice in Cambodia, but in Laos it’s vat (wat), the nice 22-year old lady I met yesterday while riding the slow boat up the Mekong told me this. (She’s lived in Luang Prabang for one year and was taking her parents on a tour; they’re visiting for 3-days. She later told me that her brother, who had come north to live with her and “watch over her,” had died in April during the water festival. “They do not smile for many months,” she said as she explained that she wanted to bring them a little happiness . . . )
