Welcome to the Jungle

When planning my two weeks in Thailand, people advised me that I had two options: either head south to the relaxing beaches, or north to trek among the jungle's hill tribe villages. Similarly to my other travel-planning decisions, the only deterring factor I really considered was the possibility of encountering snakes in wild jungles... so I have to sheepishly admit that from the get-go, I was hesitant about the north. However, thank goodness that I was emboldened by my fellow travelers to go for it and jungle-trek, since I'm a bit "beached out" after Fiji and Australia (if that's even a possibility). So, I'm now in Northern Thailand in the second largest city of Chiang Mai, and I couldn't be happier about my decision! Plus, I figure I can always come back to Thailand to explore the southern beaches some day. :)

I was promised a more relaxed atmosphere, cheaper prices and a wealth of diverse activities in Chiang Mai, and it certainly didn't disappoint! After arriving at my Little Bird Hostel on Thursday and meeting up with my English friend Rosie, I wandered down random streets to find a spicy soup and rice lunch from people who didn't speak a word of English. $0.90 later, I found myself in my spicy-food-induced "Cassie happy place," which has seemed to be the major theme of my Thailand adventure so far. :) There was this crazy "Asian Idol" TV show on in the outdoor patio area where I was eating with the locals, and I played for about 20 minutes with a little Thai boy, imitating the singers to make each other laugh, to his parents' amusement-- it was really sweet. Then, I visited a beauty shop for a quick $1.25 eyebrow wax, and was a bit startled when the mother of the 14 year-old girl who was treating me began to take photos of us. I didn't think anything of it, until at the end I realized that the girl had 6 fingers on each hand! I was seriously impressed at her dexterity since she'd handled the hot wax with no problem, but even more so at Thai culture which deams it totally acceptable for a 12-fingered person to touch faces for a living. Go Thailand! :) (Did I mention I love Thailand?)

Back at my hostel, Rosie and I met up with 3 Australian girls and a German guy named Daniel to take a sawngthaew-- basically an enclosed, open-reared truck with benches in the back that serves as a public taxi-- toward the night market for dinner. After a delightful meal of dumplings, pizza, beer, laughter and a few geckos crawling on my friend's leg (AHH), we split ways to check out the market. 3 hours, a backpack full of clothes and jewelry, and $120 later, I finally detached myself from the hundreds of souveniers and food stalls to tuk-tuk home, where I finally met up with my long-lost dinner gang. I was relieved to find that I wasn't the only one who had gone a little crazy and spent too much, and we had a show-and-tell session of our wares, taking turns lamenting what we'd bought and validating how great each item was, before hitting the hay.

The next day-- Friday-- was pretty lax, as Rosie and I made our travel plans for our trekking adventure into the northern jungles and took a day trip to the temples of Doi Suthep. It's a short sangthaew ride to the western mountains of the city, and the temples comprise the holiest shrine in northern Thailand. The whole place was beautiful, holy, and similar to the Grand Palace, except that you had to climb 5 flights of serpent-lined stairs to see it. We met (another) really nice German guy named Daniel who accompanied us back to our hostel, and later met up with us for dinner at the Night Market. We feasted on Tom Yum soup, pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple, fish and shrimp cakes, chicken satay and veggie spring rolls... again, I couldn't have been happier. We then perused the night market a second time, where the Europeans constantly teased me for my second bout of American consumerism. All I can say is-- oh well! I've been skrimping for 6 weeks and looking forward to this, and I'm happy with what I've bought, so no regrets, right? ;)

The next morning was Saturday, and I finally got on a bus to go on my jungle trek! As I mentioned, these are a big deal in Chiang Mai, and I had chosen a 3-day, 2-night trek which included 4 hours of hiking per day, locally-prepared meals, staying with villagers in bamboo huts, an elephant ride and white-water-river-rafting, all for a meager $60. Right away I hit it off with a few folks in my van-- 20-somethings James from London, and Lucie and her new husband Menu from southern France. James cracked me up when he said he'd looked into buying an Indiana Jones hat for the trek, and how he had the soundtrack stuck in his head (it never really got out of our heads after that). Much to my dismay, my new friends were doing a 2-day trek, and the 3-day trek group was made up of a family of 13 French-only speakers who barely acknowledged my presence. Lucie convinced me that I should go ahead and switch groups, and it worked out much better!

The two days felt like a week, as we trekked through the jungle with our tour guide Jo. We'd walk through the green jungle for hours on end, stopping occasionally to learn about the medicinal uses of endemic plants, explore bat caves, or tenuously cross a stream on a bridge built of vines and branches. That night we slept in a bamboo hut and hung out by the campfire telling stories and singing the drinking songs of our respective countries (I sang "El Rey", to show my honorary Mexican pride). :)

The next day was more action-packed, with tons of different activities lined up. It began with an hour-long walk to a waterfall, which was my favorite part of the trek, since we were able to jump from a rock into a natural pool thirty feet below! It was really exhilirating, and every bit as good as bungee jumping. Then after another short walk, I got to ride an elephant! Two other people were perched on a little platform on his back, but I actually straddled its neck and grasped onto some ropes in a struggle not to fall off. I'd actually ridden an elephant before at the Orange County Fair when I was little, but this was a completely different experience. The elephant trainers carried long hooked sticks which they prodded into the elephants' backs and chests in order to get them to move, and though you could tell that the elephants were used to this and were decently taken care of, I felt really bad for them. I grasped the most tender part of the elephant that I could-- the gentle folds behind their ears-- and I know this sounds really corny, but I tried to send it love. It felt really peaceful, and brought me right back to making eye-contact with dolphins in New Zealand, and again I startled myself at how much I love communing with animals and nature during my trip.

Later on in the afternoon, though our group was tired and ready for a shower, we got to go river-rafting and bamboo rafting. Like our other activities, it felt pretty inauthentic and touristy, but was fun nevertheless. My boat was comprised of James from London and two Canadian girls, so we knick-named ourselves "Canengus" (despite the fact that it sounds like an STI), and cheered ourselves on as we competitively paddled down the rapids, splashing and passing nearby boats along the way. We had a great time! A few hours later, back in Chiang Mai, I met up with James, Lucie and Manu for dinner. We'd hoped to find a karoake place, since we'd been singing Indiana Jones- and jungle-related music during our whole adventure, but settled for Bob Marley and had a fun last night out together.

Today's my last day in Chiang Mai, and it's been so relaxing that I'm again glad that I chose the two-day trek instead of three days of trying to learn French. I got a pedicure and massage in the morning, checked out local shops, and ate delicious fried chicken from the street. In a few hours I'll catch a 6pm bus back to Bangkok, and then a 7am bus to Siam Reap, Cambodia, site of the ancient Ankgor Wat temples! All in all it will be a 24-hour ride, but at least I have my new book about the Cambodian genocide, First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung, to keep me company. I'm sad to leave Northern Thailand, but I'm committed to coming back... and next time I want to rent a motorcycle to get away from all the tourists! And hey... it'll totally go well with my killer tattoo. ;) Wish me luck in Cambodia!

I. Love. Thailand. Did I mention I LOVE Thailand?

It finally happened. I've fallen in love. No, it wasn't a sexy foreign accent, an adventurous adrenalin-ridden situation, or even awesome travel clothes that parallel my own... mostly it was the delicious, spicy street food that did the trick. I guess that means that the way to my heart is through my stomach? Well at any rate, Thailand has won me over... and I'm ready to move here the next chance I get!

It's crazy that before I even came, I knew I would love it here. Originally I had hoped to travel throughout Southeast Asia for five weeks and see a good chunk of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, however my plans changed when I was offered a generous six-week internship in Ethiopia that I couldn't refuse. Even when touring through New Zealand on busses, I was day-dreaming about the sights, sounds and smells of Asia, lamenting the fact that I'm only here for an embarrassingly short two weeks. But while I've tried to make the most out of my time here by spending quality time in the two major cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I've also resolved to come back as soon as possible. I didn't think it was possible, but I feel strangely connected to the land and culture here, almost to the same extent that I do toward all things Latino. It feels like coming home.

In some ways, it makes sense, since I've worked for the past three years on sustainable development and global health issues that primarily concern the developing world. So although I haven't spent too much time in developing countries, my mind and heart have been here for some time-- in the genuine wide smiles of the women, the bustling cities expanding with people who are coming to look for better opportunities, and the verdant jungles full of creepy crawly but important diverse species. And what's really beautiful is that while I was blissful in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, my happiness here is on a completely different, profound level that is connected to my purpose in the world and in life. Which makes me REALLY curious about how I will feel during my two months in Africa!

My arrival in Bangkok last Monday at midnight reflects how important perspective and attitude are for shaping people's experiences while traveling. Many fellow travelers told me that they hate how busy, polluted and humid the capital city is, but the second I arrived, I LOVED it! The sticky humidity was a welcome change from Australia's dry heat, and the $2.50 half-hour taxi ride from the airport to my hostel with some fellow backpackers wasn't bad either. But the real treat was getting to famous Khaosan Road at 2am and instantly feeling comfortable and at one with the lively night scene-- street stalls overflowing with pad thai, mango sticky rice and noodle soups; foreigners in baggy multi-colored pants bartering and laughing with locals; and every type of music and flavor in the air that you can imagine. I checked into my first hostel for an expensive $20 a night, and the room was so nice that it reminded me of my first private hotel experience in Spain which cost $200. With its own bathroom, TV, mini-fridge, couch and love-seat, and blasting A/C, it was complete luxury! The next day I moved over to the more moderate At Home Guest House for $7 a night, which still afforded me my own clean room, along with super friendly and helpful staff.

That Tuesday was when my love affair with Thailand truly began. I befriended a sweet 18 year-old girl named Rosie from the south of England, and we decided to be "Bangkok Buddies." We challenged ourselves to use every means of transport possible to explore the city, and pretty much accomplished our goal! We took a tuk-tuk (motorcycle with a cart behind it) to Chinatown, still bustling from their New Year festivities, and sat with the locals for a divine lunch of spicy noodle soup for less than $1. I nearly cried, it was that good. We then walked west to the canal, and took a boat to the southern-most port for about $0.30, reveling in the golden-tiered temples lining the water along the way. I didn't know this, but apparently Bangkok is called the "Venice of the East" for its canal water-ways. I guess they're similar in that they both smell slightly of garbage and involve quick water transportation, but yeah, Venice is somehow slightly more romantic in my opinion, no offense to Bangkok. ;)

We then caught the sky-train from where we were at the Central Pier all the way East to the Asok station, a 30-minute ride across the city for about $1.10, so that we could walk to my Southeast Asian holy grail-- a classy Thai restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms. I was amazed that Rosie had previously heard about it as a popular tourist destination, since I had long heard about it through my job with Sierra Club. It's run by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), and proceeds go to helping the organization do similar work to what I advocated for with the Sierra Club-- promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning. The project is frequently touted as a success story within our field, and I was astounded to see how clearly famous it is within Bangkok among locals and tourists alike. I loved how the entire restaurant was adorned with condom decorations, and couldn't believe that instead of a wet-wipe or mint at the end of our meal, they brought us condoms. Yay Thailand!

My perfect day was topped off with one of my favorite moments in Thailand so far, of talking with a Thai woman named Jo during our bus-ride on the way home. With short spikey hair, a studded upper earing, a wide smile and perfect English, she was the quintessential modern young Thai woman. She works for the UN as a graphic designer, and when I said that I was super impressed, she nodded humbly. "Yes, I love my job because I can make a difference for Thai people, but it isn't ideal for moving ahead within my career. But at least I have lots of international connections!" We laughed about how we have similar travel preferences, since she wants to move to India for a short while for the food, just like I want to move to Thailand for the food. :) But ultimately we both want to return home, because we love our countries. I told her that in my limited experience it seems like women have many rights in Thailand, and she agreed. "We do have rights-- and not only that, but we believe in our minds that we're equal to men. But, culture and religion are still very important." She told me a story about how it's important in Thai culture for the monk's head to be higher than others, and how sometimes, a man's head is equal to the monk's but higher than women's. She thinks this is very important, however she had a Canadian female friend who did not agree, and wanted her head to be the same height as everyone's. Jo chose not to speak to her friend for some time, because she found it so deeply disrespectful, and I could see as her face contorted in telling me the story how this had been a painful decision for her. However, Jo ultimately forgave her friend because she didn't know better, and her friend conceded that in the future she would respect Thai peoples' cultural and religious differences. Although it was a short conversation, I was really grateful for the brief window into Jo's world... I really hope she achieves her dream of living in another country for a short while to work for another UN branch, before returning to her country that she loves.

The next day was Wednesday, and after a delicious veggie curry breakfast, I cut out to explore the city on my own. I began by walking a short 15 minutes from Khaosan Road to the Grand Palace, the most ornate building I've ever seen. I had to rent a shirt to cover my scandalously-clad shoulders (shame on me!), but once inside I forgot about the sticky humidity as I reflected on the gold designs in every direction, bas reliefs of the Ramayana, and the multiple Buddha images. There were so many Buddhas that I actually didn't know which was the "official" one, until I stumbled upon him-- a jade seated Buddha which was stunning but small, similarly to how small the Sistine Chapel or the Mona Lisa seem after all the hype. I said a quick prayer of thanks, dabbed my head with a wet Lotus flower along with the crowd of smiling and laughing Asian tourists, and left to catch a taxi toward the other side of town.

Once in the fancy hotel district, I met with Annie Wallace, the USAID Global Health Fellow who has been providing technical assistance to CIPHE- Ethopia over the past year, whose house I would be staying in, in Addis Ababa. She was currently living in Bangkok to have her second baby, a boy named Finn, since the hospital conditions were better and safer than in Ethiopia. Apparently, her hospital was like a 5-star hotel, and amounted to about the same cost she would have had in the U.S., which I found really interesting. Over our hour-long meeting, her resounding message of advice to me for my internship was to "learn how to SAY NO when Negash, your internship supervisor, asks you to do everything under the sun." Although she kept apologizing for overwhelming me with information, I have to admit I became pretty nervous about the task ahead of me! But given the fact that I will only be working with CIPHE for 6 weeks, I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to roll up my shirt-sleaves and work hard for the issues I'm passionate about.

That night I laxidasically walked a good 45 minutes back to my guest house, taking in the urban sites and smells with no tourists in site. It felt good to be the lone white girl on the streets of Bangkok, adorned with my water bottle and action sandals, smiling at curious on-lookers and avoiding sketchy-looking puddles. I took another water taxi to Wat Arun, named Bangkok's most distinctive landmark in my Rough Guide, which was certainly as grand and pyramid-shaped as the description implied. Since I missed the sunset and the mosquitos were more annoying near the water, I taxied back to Khaosan Road for another spicy soup and pad thai dinner. After packing up my stuff and conversing with the restaurant staff who now regarded me as a local, I took a taxi at 9:30pm to the train station for a 10pm night train to Chiang Mai. I have to say that it was the most fun and comfortable train ride I've ever been on! I was fortunate to have a bed on the bottom-bunk at the end of a cart, and chatted with some friendly Israeli girls until the train's rhythm lulled me to sleep. This morning I arrived at the Little Bird Guest House in Chiang Mai, where I'm currently writing this from. So far I've just seen a little bit of the city, but I have to say: I. Still. Love. Thailand.

Will write more soon! :)