China's Warrior's

My toes are tingling as the blood is trying desperately to flow to the outermost extremities. Both feet have been frozen for two days. We are staying in very meager accomodations and there is no "air-condition" as they call it. I would prefer to call it a heater but right now if it blows out breath warm air I would take it. I didn't know if I would make it through last night. Mateo and I put four very heavy blankets on one twin sized bed and slept with a hot duck between us (I'll explain later). I was still cold all night. When the sun came up we found out that our cold room had gotten even colder during the night because it was snowing.

We spent the last nine days in Xi'an where we thought it was cold. Beyond the cold we met some really cool friends. We were connected with a brother named Zamzam before entering China and met up with him when we got there. We were able to go places we wouldn't have because we can't read or speak Chinese. Our one goal was to see Qin's terracotta warriors and beyond that we had no plan. This brother, his wife and friends went so far out of their way spending time with us. We ate far more Chinese foods than I've ever seen in my life. I'm excited to get back to the U.S. and go to Lee Lee's in Chandler to see if I recognize any Chinese snacks.

Besides eating and snacking we drank delicious teas, strolled the ancient streets, visited brother Zamzam's University and learned to play Chinese Chess. Of course there's a story for each of those past times. We left Xi'an 2 days ago with our friends waving us off at the train station. They rode the bus with us carried our bags and helped us buy our tickets. It was another sad to see you go type departure. Even the culinary manager of the cafe at the hostel we stayed at was there. He surprised us when he strapped on Mateo's 50 lbs. backpack and walked out the hostel to the bus stop with us. Mr. Kim is a 60 year old qigong healer with a smile that will make anyone smile back. We liked him a lot and spent many mornings talking to him in the cafe over eggs and porridge. He's originally from South Korea and introduced us to some of his favorite tasty Korean dishes. He performed a traditional healing on Mateo when he was suffering from a cold and recommended an apple a day for good brain health. We liked him a lot!

So now, in the even colder cold we are off in search of the first Shaolin Temple. My feet have taken a turn for the worse and the blood seems to be headed away from my toes. Like the warriors we hope to encounter at this juncture we will brave the elements across the hanging bridge, through the pagoda forest and hopefully sight Wuru Peak. I must prepare so I will place hot duck at the foot of my bed and rub my ankles to stimulate circulation therefore creating warm feet for tomorrow's trek. In addition I will be wearing three scarves now because amid all the excitement in Xi'an I learned to knit. Wish us luck!

Joronda

early birds...

salaam

here comes another story straight from my personal journal...enjoy!!!

Sa 17 Dec 05 20:15:48

so the wife and i are, and have been on the train from guilin, china to xi'an china for the past 24 hours. neither of us know exactly when the train is supposed to arrive in xi'an or how much farther xi'an is or even where the hell we are at any given moment. so we were seated on the small window seats eating our halal noodles (an experience in itself) off the even smaller table when the first english message in 24 hours came blaring through the loudspeakers with a vociferous "Welcome to Xi'an!!!". as the message continued into its advertisement for the "railway hotel of xi'an", the train attendant servicing our car began rolling up the aisle carpet and mopping the floor. naturally, joronda and i began readying our travel gear for arrival. backpacks were removed from their overhead storage compartments and quickly secured...jackets, gloves, scarves, face mask, and winter hats with the ear flaps were all on and ready to protect us from the impending xi'an cold. we smiled at each other, pleased at our diligence and preparedness.

emerging from our berth like toasty "a christmas story" bundles of warmth we noticed that no one else had moved. a group of ladies continued to snack on sunflower seeds and slurp down bowls of noodles from their window seat. four shoeless men reclining in an adjoining berth slapped down various cards in an uninterrupted game...and our berthmate, after watching us pack furiously, calmly threw away his consumed bowl of noodles, wriggled his toes in his stolen hotel slippers, took off his glasses and slipped back into bed for some less than frantic shut-eye.

"What the HELL is going on?!?" i thought as i looked at 12 pairs of chinese eyes staring at me. didn't you guys hear the same 'welcome to xi'an' announcement that i so clearly heard 5 minutes ago? do you see all the city lights around us? can't you tell that the train is slowing down and we're about to pull into the xi'an station in less than 2 minutes?

"No!!! No we're not...you stupid ass american tourists!" this isn't xi'an, and as a matter of fact we are no where near xi'an. we still have 2 more hours to go before lights out and then, maybe in their dreams, will people even begin thinking about xi'an. so pocket your gloves, hang up your winter jacket, and take off that DAMN ninja mask...DUMMY!!!



i don't speak mandarin, but i'm sure that's what they said.



peep the picture for your amusement...







a sheepish salaam,
mateo

p.s. we ended up arriving in xi'an at 2200 hours...who knew?

Independent Travellers

Well it's time to leave Yangshou and head for the even more uncertain and we have just a little time to share some words with you. It's still cold but no snow. Robert the hotel weather forecaster was wrong. Actually he was probably right on. He never expected snow or rain, he just wanted us to book a tour with him before we got into town. It turns out he tried to over charge us severly and we suspect it's because we are from the U.S.

Last night we caught up with our Polish friends for some local Chinese food and then on to a local heated pub/restaurant for hot tea. Although they have since left the Dong Feng Hotel we found out they paid less than us for all three of them and they didn't even speak to him about the tour. We did a tour of our own. For 8 RMB each we rented bicycles, bought a large water, two baguette butter and jam sandwiches and secured our goods in the cage on the back of my bike. So along with our travellers guide and two free local maps we were off to the countryside. It actually totalled 29RMB as opposed to the $80 USD Robert said we should pay him. He was full of crap! *Please note 8RMB = $1 USD

The countryside was a great journey too. Old men were walking water buffalo and cows on ropes with their heavy jackets and pants to break the cold air. We rode through thousands of chickens on open land free to dart from one side of the road to the other. The path was narrow and uneven but that didn't stop the trucks from rattling all over the lane with their loud chugging sounds coming from the vehicle's exposed engine. I kind of felt like we had been put in the middle of some Grapes of Wrath type exploration movie. These trucks were like ancient tractor plows that had been converted into modern day vehicles with a sort of rusted green body and bed that resembled the model T Ford style. I was in awe. The journey was relatively quiet. People worked in the fields as we rode by and school children pushed their bikes up hills and walked to their villages in groups. We met a pig along the way who went from curious to startled to curious again but we didn't stay to make friends with him. I too became very curious when a very small elderly lady was walking from the water pump with two large buckets of water hanging from each end of the bamboo pole drapped over her back. I stopped my bike to let her cross and then watched her short step it through a gate that must have led to her destination...perhaps her house.

After our 20 km ride we parked our bikes above the Li River back in the city and ate our little dinner snack. Just into our quiet evening we were approached by a group of school girls inviting us to their English corner. We thought it might be a scam so we didn't commit but got directions and later rode our bikes to the Wisdom Girls School. It turned out to be one of those cool experiences we know are sure to come. Mateo and I were in separate classrooms helping about 30 young girls practice their English. It was great!

So now it's off to Xian we go. The train ride will take a full day so talk to you when we get there.

Joronda

We're going to FREEZE!

My hands are so cold it hurts to touch the keyboard. My ears have started to ring at unannouced times and my nose is like popscicle tips. I'M COLD! But I'm not complaining because in two weeks it will be even worse. We just checked the weather in Mongolia and it should be -7 when we get there. No problem though because we are on the hunt for winter coats in Yangshou, China. Never mind the fact that the arms are too short and the clerks just laugh when we try them on.

Today I bought a hat and a second scarf and I'll probably be wearing everything I own in a few weeks. I'm nervous that I'll get frost bite. Anyone have some suggestions? Where is our Washingtonian travel companion when you need her. The pace of my typing has slowed tremendously so I'll ahve to make tis really quik. I can't even waste time deleting all the typos I jsut made.

We got dropped off in the middle of who knew where just as the light of day was approaching the morning sky. Well we knew we were in Yangshou but that was about it. I hadn't seen my breath in months and now I was standing in the middle of the street with my husband, 3 Polish travellers and a Chinese guy named Robert. People were chopping meat on a slab of wood behind us and steam was rising from metal pots under several different tarp covered eating caves. I was still half asleep and the bus was pulling off with all the other passengers on it. Robert was flashing his autograph book in our faces because he was the hotel representative and this morning he wanted to show us to a hotel. We followed him and although he tried to charge us $16 apiece we've gotten pretty good at the bargaining thing and ended up with a rate of $10 total. We're talking a tremendous drop from where he started right. We read you should start at a bargaining rate of half of the starting price. It's a crazy way to buy stuff trust me.

The room has no heating but there is hot water. That's a precious luxury these days. They do however provide an electric water pot. That's been great! We have ovaltine twice a day. We will be leaving that hotel tomorrow for our hostelling international hostel that we didn't know was here. Robert called us at 8 am to try and get us to go on a countryside tour with him. Whatever! it's 35 degrees and we were packed in our sleeping bag under 2 heavy hotel comforters trying not to move when the volume of the ring regenerated goose bumps that took all night to warm off.

Tonight I bought some gooey hot soup because A) I wanted to get warm and B) I wanted to see the lady pour the hot water from the dragons mouth. That was the coolest part, especially when the stem came out of his nose. When I mixed it though the water had turned to slime and the whole thing resembled mud pies. I ate it because I bought it but I won't be provoking anymore steam breathing dragons. Ok well we're expecting snow tomorrow so I better go get prepared. Talk to you soon.

Joronda

Guangzhou

So we're still in Guangzhou and things picked up today. Our overnight bus leaves in a couple of hours and we are just relaxing after a very exciting day. We decided to check out of the hotel and hit the park to waste the day away. Now this isn't your ordinary park. It's your real beautiful, swans in the lake, Tai Chi type of retreat. We payed our 5 Yuan to get in and on our way towards the animal farm we happened upon what looked like a children's playground nestled right in front of a ping pong haven. To Mateo's delight! He sat around for a while looking like the kid who didn't get picked while I filmed the ping pong masters and the myriad of other physical activities people were invested in. I started heading back to where I left Mateo and what did I see...the lonely child with a paddle in his hand. He had been chosen. From 12:30 to 4:00 he took full advantage of this opportunity. People were taking turns playing him and you know what, he's GOOOOD! While Forest Gump was in ping pong bliss I was making friends with a 7 and an 11 year old. They offered me peanuts, cookies and carrot waterchestnut juice and we were buddies. The children's playground turned out to double as a workout facility for all ages and these kids were really impressed by some of the things I could do. Of course being 2 feet taller than them gave me quite an advantage. We played on every piece of equipment and then we ran off to get more juice. For about 30 seconds we caught our breath before running over to the amusement park to go on the spinning buckets, bumper cars and giant swing all before racing remote control boats in the lake. We were really enjoying ourselves and don't forget about the stares because people were certainly looking at me, this over grown child running through the park with these two energetic kids that I had only met hours before.

We ended the day with a relaxing wading through the water in a paddle boat with the family we had just met. It was great even the very end when the boat ride turned into an all out game of boat ramming and we chased boats down in the serene lake of Liu Hua. Today was one of those good days filled with some of those good people.

Joronda

On the move

I've been kind of stressed because I started a post 2 days ago that got erased because we had to speed out of our hotel. It was around 6:45 a.m. and we were waiting in the lobby due to another south east asia false alarm. You know the kind that knocks on your door three times. Only this time there's a phone in the room so we got a call 30 minutes early saying the bus was waiting for us. It was a lie but we bumped down 4 flights of narrow stairs with our big ole' packs and were on the internet when the bus really did show up. We crammed ourselves in the back of the bus and rode 3 hours to the border to try and enter China. We hadn't had any border crossing problems until we reached China. We were detained at the border for a good 45 minutes. They never told us the problem. The guard just said he had to report the case to his supervisor. About the only thing we did find out was that my passport photo was "too black" his words not mine.

You know I have to tell you I'm completely against gawking. We have been stared at, pointed at, laughed at, ignored, pushed, shoved, cursed at and who knows what else behind our backs. We have our good and bad days. We smile and wave and other times just look straight ahead so not to see the responses. I try to put myself in a place where I have stared at someone because they look different or maybe I feel they're out of place. You know it can be really overwhelming and frustrating when you're the focus and that focus is not always for kindness. One guy said he felt like a superstar, like he was really famous or something. People had asked him to take his picture and to be in pictures with him. Well no one has asked for our picture but the night before last night two girls held each other really tight and backed away from me in what looked like sheer terror as I paused to let them pass in front of me. That made me really sad and angry. You would have thought I had just jumped out of a horror film. We notice when people are talking about our skin because they seem to do a wiping motion across their face or arms but I don't know if that means we have superstar status.

Just in case we have to make a fast exit I want you to know that we are in Guangzhou about a 2 hour train ride from Hong Kong. We don't know if we'll be heading to Hong Kong or not. We will probably be out of touch for a few days. Everything is spread out here and it will take us a whole day to get to the next city Yangshuo. Our goal is to reach Xian, that's where the terracotta warriors are located. We will spend a week there before moving on to Beijing.

Last night we were on an overnight train and we ate our dinner on two little window seats pressed against the wall under a tiny table top. We shared longan and oweat as we watched the scenary go by. Beautiful, old and sparse are some of the words I would use to describe the landscape. The stepped agricultural fields were impressive and although bird flu is a huge concern in this region we saw more free range chickens than either of us have ever seen. Does anyone have any suggestions on China? Is there anything that we should look for on our route? Please let us know because right now we don't even have a Lonely Planet guide so we're just kind of on our own.

Joronda

So hard to say goodbye

I'm very heart broken right now. We're getting ready to leave Hoi An, Vietnam and our entire class came to the hotel to see us off. Although the faces were very somber we all managed to smile and joke a bit as we visibly anticipated the bus pulling up. We were congregated in the street next to the curb in front of our hotel and that caused quite a scene. The hotel staff, motorbike rental people and the ladies with the snack stand in front of our hotel came out to gawk along with many passersby. Over our travels through Vietnam we've learned that gawking is rather common in most situations and specifically those sitiations involving Mateo and myself. For the most part people have been starring at us because we've got dark skin but today in addition to our dark skin we were surrounded by a group of handicapped Vietnemese adults in wheelchairs and on special motorbikes and all of us had sad looks on our faces.

The director of the school stopped by to say his goodbyes and after maybe 3 minutes he couldn't take it anymore. I could see his eyes welling up and the shape of his cheeks started to change when he breathed out "I can't stay here anymore...Bye". I was done, and for a few more seconds he couldn't start his bike to drive away. We said thank you to him and I turned my head away from the students as the tears ran down my face. I could hear people starting to cry behind me.

For the past two weeks we've been volunteering in an incredible environment. We don't speak the language but they have accepted us and treated us like family. Almost daily we walk into the office to ask for help translating something and everyday we received an invitation for lunch, coffee or snacks. One day we went 6 kilometers to the countryside to have lunch at Lieu's house (one of the students). She's been disabled since she was ten. Laura hopped on the back of her 3 wheeled motorbike while Mateo and I walked beside the other wheel chairs. We stopped by their houses and met their families and when we arrived at Lieu's house we all did our share of assisting with the meal prep. Of course for us Americans that consisted of picking the stems off the mint leaves while Mr Thong chopped banana blossom with a hatchet on the floor and Lieu sauteed up one of the best Vietnemese meals we've had. It was a great effort and I enjoyed every mint picking moment. On the way back to town we had a wheelchair race and although Miss Tam and I lost to Mateo and Miss Hanh we we're kilometers ahead of Laura the tortoise who eventually used that exact take it slow tactic to edge us all out. The three of us shared a bottle of water after we dropped off all our teammates. It was great! On a couple of other days Mateo and I got to exercise next to Mr. Tam as he rode his motorbike and we jogged along side. He was "Veri Hap-ee" to be spending time with us and so were we. For morning coffee it was like being invited into a part of the culture that only those who know someone on the inside get to experience.

Now we have to leave our days of rolling out in the entourage down the main street, eating at the local hot spots and having coffee in the morning even though we don't drink coffee. Except Laura and her cafe sua which turns her into a whole different person :) It's hard to capture the feelings behind the stories and of course there's a ton of it that I'm not telling but just know that now we have a family in Vietnam and after only spending a short time with them and witnessing and hearing some of their challenges, as well as enjoying good times with them it was painful to leave. With the few lessons we had before our final day they had learned to say "Please keep in touch" and they used that line over and over. It rings in my head right now. I also have to let you know that they wanted us to give our best to you all. They of course know we have family and friends outside of Vietnam and they send their best. Of all the horrible things we have experienced and the challenging things we try to overcome this has been a bright spot in our life that will last forever. If you want to know where we'll be heading back to on our return trip across the pacific Hoi An, Vietnam is at the top of the list.

Joronda

Happy Thanksgiving!

Of course by now your turkey is long digested and you are probably back into the routine of a five day work week. We are very sorry we haven't been able to post in a while but for some reason we couldn't get on the blog. We're in Hoi An, Vietnam and we are doing well. If you get a chance check out MAPS adoption www.mapsadopt.org. Click on the Vietnam aid link on the left hand side to access more specific information. Or go to www.mapsvn.org This is the NGO that we are volunteering with.

When we walked into the organization on the first day we were immediately put to work and after a short time there we have had some incredible experiences. Leaving Saigon, we were equipped with a bit more information on the war but walking into a computer lab to greet two young Vietnemese brothers severly deformed because of their fathers exposure to dioxins was a greater lesson than we could have known. Anh Trang means bright star and these two are just that. Mateo was Trang's teacher and I had Anh. They spoke very little English but every Tuesday and Thursday, for an hour and a half, we taught and they made us laugh. One of the sweetest things I've ever seen is my husband slumped down in his chair close enough for Trang to lean his head against Mateo's and pull down on his beard and say "M-aa-theyow" in a high pitched sort of sigh. It just makes me smile thinking about it.

We teach English to a handicapped class every morning. Our youngest student is 23 years old. The class has been taking very good care of us. Neither Mateo nor myself had ever spent an extended amount of time with handicapped people. I don't even think "handicapped" is politically correct but that's what they call themselves here so respectfully we follow suit. You wouldn't believe the innovation, independence and generosity they have. There are seven students and every morning we get "Good Mawning Tea cha..." as they make their way into the classroom. It's great!

We help out the Vietnemese teachers in the evening and on the eve of Thanksgiving we were asked to teach about the History and Traditions of this U.S. Holiday. Well, let's just say it was a challenge. Besides the fact that the students are learning English and we were using words that make no sense in Vietnemese we had to stuggle with how much of "why do we celebrate thanksgiving?" do we give them. We kept it pretty simple throughout the presentation but I just couldn't let them go away with only the word "Indian" in their Thanksgiving vocabulary. So I gave them the choice of "Native American" or "American Indian" same same but different. What happened next was all about unsatisfied Americans meet confused Vietnemese class, with limited English. Teacher Laura our travelling buddy so gracefully steps to the front of the class and shares the dark side. The Thanksgiving we don't talk about back home. shhhhh! The vocabulary words in this conversation began with 1. Protests then moved on to 2. Genocide and finally ended with phrases like 3. They were mad, mean Pilgrims and New World. The class really enjoyed the presentation. A lot of them work in the tourism industry and wanted to know about the holiday since the hotels are getting into presenting the U.S. holidays.

Please don't think we were standing before a group of 9 year olds. The students are working adults who mostly go to school at night to improve their communication for work. I think I learned more about Thanksgiving than they did. Do you know who Sarah Hale is? What year was the first Thanksgiving? Did the Pilgrims celebrate Thanksgiving?

Well on Thanksgiving day we celebrated it with our morning class. They didn't know it was our holiday but they invited us for a big lunch at one of the Pagodas. This is a popular place and we ate non touristy Vietnemese food called com chay - a rice and noodles dish with vegetables. I was very thankful to be sitting in the presence of such generous people. We left the school in an entourage of steering wheeled wheelchairs and three wheeled motorbikes. This became a familiar site on Phan Dinh Phung St. on several occassions after this day but for me it was the first time I had hopped on the back of a motor bike that was kick started by hand by a driver who gets around on his hands. We had so much fun that day!

Safety First

I truly don't want to spend all my time lamenting over my personal woes when street children are forced to sell chewing gum and ladies balance piles of books from cafe to cafe trying to get a few dollars from tourists off the photo copied knock offs they have so specially wrapped in plastic for the aestetics we "first" world citizens so blatantly expect. So after I added the period to that extremely long sentence I'm ready to sing.

Today began with a knock on our trap door.The cozy attic room we occupy has a stairway that leads to only one place,us.On the other side was our new travelling mate Laura. Laura is hardcore, she's doing the travel thing alone. I guess that's how they make them up in Washington St.I'm excited to travel with her for a while.The three of us sat around for a while this morning before making a move for food and transportation. Food we found easily in the mini hotel alley lined with clothes vendors, guesthouse entrances and the frequent entrepreneur peddling sunglasses, books or "marijuana for smoking", any of which you can purchase from the comforts of your dining table.It was when we sauntered our full bellies over to the local motor bike rentals that we were faced with issues.

First, the $1 bikes we encountered on day one were inflated to $5 and when the three of us went to climb on $3.50 deal we did find it all of a sudden became illegal.I suppose a Vietnemese toddler has more dexterity than three full grown Americans. I've seen tons of 15 month olds hanging on the handle bars, standing on the seats and posed in other rodeo riding positions amid the 3 other people perched on the bike with them. So if you wondered why three of us were getting on one bike, it's because that's what we've seen other people doing. If nothing else it would give us something to write about.

We already stick out like black folks at a Klan meeting and since that's what everyone seems to be staring at how much attention could we draw by hoisting our caucasian friend on the back of our moving circus act. We got off the bike though after sitting there next to the curb, all three of us on the bike, in the neutral position.It seems like foreiners get different treatment and they were pretty sure we would get a ticket if we rode off together.

In the rain we walked to the War Remnants Museum and got a good education on the Anti-American war, also known as the Vietnam war in the US. Let's just say they don't teach it like this back home.It was unbelieveable the amount of destruction the U.S. left behind that people are still dealing with. I don't really have the energy to get into it but if you know anything about the war enlighten me.I'm not trying to spark any arguments but dropping chemicals on peoples homes, lives and land is crazy and 21 million gallons is evil. With that I 'm done because I'm getting pissed as I type.

Don't be lazy research and form your own opinions of things. Laziness allows images and subliminal messages to slip into our psyche and determine and form our thoughts for us. Be careful what you watch and read.

Joronda

more pictures :)

salaam

3 new albums have been added to the photos section. please read the following post titled "New Features!!!" for more detailed information. all pictures are available for your printing or purchasing pleasure...please don't hesitate to pillage.

enjoy!!

salaam
mateo

New Features!!!

If you've been away from your computer for the weekend and you're just getting back on the blog you may notice some additions. We know everyone has been anticipating pictures so look to your right and in the side bar you'll see a link for pictures. We have finally worked it out! Once you click on the photo link, click on any album to view its contents. Once inside the album, click on the view slideshow link (above the fourth picture) for the best look at our experiences. You can periodically check back for new images and we will keep you posted when we add new albums. So far you can go back and see what Thailand was like for us.

Speaking of going back, it looks like we do most of our posting on the weekends. Last weekend we put up several post. If you're interested go back to the Visit Koh Phi Phi and read forward. Sorry to throw some people off but we had a lot to catch up on.

Also, if you're not familiar with world maps we've put them at your finger tips. The moving flag shows the country we're currently in. We are heading south to north in Vietnam and will be in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 more days. The currency is the dong and in 5 weeks we've already operated in 4 different currencies Thai baht, Cambodian riel, Vietnemese dong (VND) and the U.S. dollar. We have our calculator with us at all times. Check out our Exchange Rates link and see what the U.S. dollar amounts to in other countries. We've already spent 80,000 dong on internet today.

We will keep putting up relevant links and updates but if there's somthing we've forgotten please let us know. Talk to you all soon.

Joronda

phnom penh's international mosque...like none other

salaam

this is a special ode to the international masjid in phnom penh:

two minarets high in the sky with a gold dome between,
the grandeur of this cambodian masjid is a sight to be seen.
your gates stand majestic, and the view is immense,
i tremble with excitement as i pass through the fence.
proud to be muslim...my heart sings with joy,
but slightly confused i become, when approached by a boy.
nekid is he, and wet to the bone
dripping and flipping he is not alone.
there 's about 15 others, and all of them, birthday suit clad,
doing bare assed handstands and smiling...they couldn't be more glad.
so why, you may ask, were they wet to the bone?
because the front of the masjid looked like a flood zone.
murky brown water awaited our feet,
and if you know my wife...this was not a treat.
"jihad!" i cried, which means 'struggle' in arabic,
but the thought of malaria had my wife very scared of it.
i tried to convince her that there was nothing to fear,
and reminded her of the little boys who had just been soaking their rears.
if it was that dangerous they'd surely find a place that was better,
but with all my smooth talking she was still real unsettled.
i said, "look there's a bridge, it's gotta be safe"
she screamed, "not when its made from toothpicks and duct tape!"
so her hand i held as i waded knee deep,
and bambi-kneed she fumbled across the bridge incomplete.
"don't worry", i said, "we're almost there",
as she's got the front of the masjid locked in her stare.
she leaps to the steps and breathes a huge sigh of relief,
and from behind, an approving "BAAA", from the resident family of sheep.
oh cambodia, your country leaves me with mixed emotion,
to have a masjid like that...ya'll must have been smokin'.
so how can i convey all that we've seen
to the people back home who read only what we bring?
try this...next time you all go to your houses of prayer,
picture flood waters deep, sheep, and bottoms of bare

...stir it all together, and then you'll be there.

salaam
mateo

Gooooood Morning Vietnam

I couldn't resist and I wanted to let you all know where we are. Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is our temporary place of residence. We have decided to stay in Vietnam for 3 weeks but let me tell you, I wasn't feeling that way when we first crossed the border.

Side note - I'm a paranoid sceptic from South Central LA, I'm as observant as a cat when my environment is unfamiliar and I rarely trust anyone who says hello then lingers for too long.

With that insight into my personality I found myself running for the border gate to find anyone with a working international cell phone. When I tried to speak to the guard in English he wanted no parts of me. Mateo was back at the main building steps about 150 meters away holding my passport and pack. I only wanted to walk past the gate arm to plead with our bus mates for a phone. I thought the guard wouldn't let me back in but I broke for it anyway. Not knowing a sole seated in the cramped little restaurant bus depot I spoke out in a loud confident way "Does anyone have a phone that calls internationally?" They all just stared at me "Welcome to Vietnam" the tour guide said with a smile. "Yeah, thanks" and I continued on with my business. One really nice lady from California offered up her cell phone and we immediately started running back to the border building. The guard didn't stop us and when we finished our sprint I walked right past Mateo letting him know the bus had just pulled up. I made it back to the American I so desperately wanted to help.

Mateo and I met her on the bus and it was she who must have recognized our slow American accents when she asked "where in the States are you from?" We later sat with her and her friend on the Cambodian side of the border. Trying to cross the border was where the problem started. She didn't realize her visa was not valid for multiple entries and the officials were doing nothing to try and help her out. In fact they were all laughing and the language barrier was both the biggest disadvantage for her and the greatest tool of torment for them. We did everything we could to help her and I felt horrible heading to the bus. I told the guide the situation and it turns out that she may have made it over the border later that evening. This brief description doesn't even give you an idea of the official scam we walked right into at the door of the border building when the men in blue with official badges tried to charge us 15,900 dong for filling out Mateo's arrival card. We had the guards up and simulataneously sang out "for what?" when he said $1 the Vietnamese equivalent for that amount of dong. Needless to say I was determined to help this lady because I was afraid of what other scams they might try to run if we were all gone and she and her friend were there alone at the border.

We don't have any volunteer jobs lined up just yet but giving has to do with a lot more than joining an organized group. Today we went searching for a school that gives free education to street kids. We didn't find it but we bought some apples for some street kids. Tomorrow we'll be back out again trying to give of ourselves. Some times the situations present themselves and sometimes we have to seek them out. We'll keep you posted on the status of our search.

Joronda

Mmmmm...goopey thorax

You all are wonderful for remembering my birthday. Thank you so much for the wishes. A few days ago I was sitting on a bus thinking about the many travels we've already made and it didn't occur to me that my birthday was so close. We were on the road after that 6:30 wake up knock and I was so out of it I just stared out the window of our blazing hot mini bus as we pulled in and out of country side vending shacks. Now please don't think I'm criticizing the local retail establishments. In order for you to get an understanding of what I'm referring to when I say restaurant or store I have chosen words that may be used in the U.S. to describe the common structures we frequent in this region of the world. These places have great food, service and views so shack is but a brief way to assist you in creating a visual for what I'm seeing.

About 2 hours into our 6 hour trip we stopped at a rest stop for people to get food, use the bathroom and possibly stretch their legs. Everyone eventually exited the bus, including Mateo but I didn't really feel like moving. I stayed in my seat and stared out the window. Beneath 4 large patio style umbrellas lined up on the dirt driveway were ladies selling sweet fruits to the patrons who exited the bus. Meanwhile, along comes an independent vendor with fried frog bodies and some other fried meat I didn't recognize. "Wow", I thought, she had a great presentation of her product. The frogs were stacked on top of each other so you could see the whole of each individual piece. I had a great view too because she walked by with the basket on her head close enough for me to see the heads were all cut out.

Although I didn't recognize the other meat, I was more curious about the basket that she put her goods down next to. People seemed to really be into what ever was in that basket. Not too many people were getting frog but they were filling up bags with this other stuff. The stuff was going so fast the lady had to keep pilling more on top. By this time people were filing back on to the bus. Mateo had been close to that area so I asked him what was in the basket, he didn't know. "What do you think it is?..." We both watched a man bend down to inspect and then pop one into his mouth. Well based on the way he grabbed and chewed it I thought "oh they're dates" so when I looked over to Mateo I figured my thoughts would be validated especially since the lady across the isle from him had a bag of them. She had a bag and the people in front of us had a bag, I think every row on the bus had some except us.

We had to be sure so when the lady in front of us opened her bag and Mateo said they're crickets I was glad I didn't get off the bus to go get some "dates". Ok but how about they weren't even crickets but big, juicy, barbequed grasshoppers. The lady next to us was really generous and offered Mateo some. It was only because she caught him staring into her bag and from the look on his face I'm sure she thought he was salivating over a grasshopper snack. What he was actually recovering from was the glimpse he caught of the style of indulgence he had just witnessed. I couldn't see over the seat but from his view the lady plucked the legs off then separated the thorax from the rest of the body. It was at this point that she sucked the goop that seeped from the appendages of the insect. Shortly after we heard the bag to the right of us crinkle and its contents displayed before us with the invitation to reach in and partake. No thanks, we're fasting.

Joronda

diamonds in the rough

salaam

let me first start this post with a big, THANK YOU, on behalf of joronda and myself, to everyone that has followed our blog. your support has been monumental, and your posted comments are certainly the highlights of our days. i can't tell you how eager we are to get to a computer and read your reactions to the variety of experiences that we have been privy to. it truly brings us all closer...so thank you again.

...and to the poster that decided to bring out the 1978 to 1991 tight pants and sweater wearing name...you're a damn fool :)

on to the title...
there certainly have been "diamonds in the rough" in this bittersweet love affair that, when coupled with all that cambodia has to offer, has made the overall country worthwhile. while we have been unable to partner up directly with an established volunteer organization, we have tried to help out indirectly. tonight we had dinner in a fabulous restaurant that was recommended by "the lonely planet" (a backpackers guidebook) called mith samlanh, which means close friends. mith samlanh is a cambodian non-partisan, non-religious, non-governmental organization that was founded in 1994 in response to the increasing needs of street children in phnom penh and the surrounding province. with numerous objectives to fulfill their vision, mith samlanh is dedicated to creating a safe, hands on, and proactive environment so that no child is forced to live or work on the streets. they service 1800 children per day and the restaurant is simply one component of their outreach. the entire restaurant functions at the hands of students who have been removed from the street environment. the food is amazing and the atmosphere is a true delight. we decided to frequent the establishment for joronda's second birthday, and volunteer indirectly by spending money for a worthy cause (all proceeds go directly to the students) . it certainly wasn't the hands dirtying volunteering that we had set out to accomplish on this trip...but i guess givers can't be choosers, so we are greatful nonetheless.

other diamonds in the rough would have to be the variety of children that we have met. there is definitely something special about the true innocence and purity that a child possess and unconditionally emits. now certainly we have encountered those with a hidden agenda, but even in that, when steered in a different direction, they have been generally honest, sweet, and loveable individuals. for example, today we rented a motorbike ($3) and joined the other salmon swimming upstream to tour phenom penh. side note...cambodian traffic is HORRIBLE to put it mildly. lane lines are as insignificant as racing stripes...it doesn't matter where you're at or which way you're going, you can rest assured that you are in the correct lane and that everyone else is wrong. anyway, when we stopped at several sights we were approached by numerous children trying to do and receive for a multitude of things. from watching our motorbike, to taking their picture, to trading ink pens...all for $1. this one little guy was so hell bent on watching our motorbike that he would barely let me put the lock on the bike without jumping in my lap to do it for me. i let him try...and then i kept pressing my face into his cheek while asking him why he was having trouble. we all smiled and laughed as he finally backed up and let me do it. he then told everybody, in khemer, that i'd had my nose in his cheek as he laughed and pointed while relaying the experience. we met another little boy who kept asking for a dollar...immediately i started tugging on his dirty camoflauge shirt and begged him to give me his shirt. he laughed and tried to walk away as i kept hounding him about his shirt. he gave me every excuse as to why he couldn't give me his shirt unless i traded him for my watch or my motorbike...we parted amicably. later on, joronda and i saw the same boy when we were leaving the sight and he came right up to us to continue the bartering. i asked him what his name was and he said something that sounded like "boogady". he kept saying, "that's me, that's me, like on t.v.", with a huge smile on his face. after about three minutes of misunderstanding, joronda asked him to say his name again...and clear as day, he let us know who his favorite wwe television wrestler was by giving us his adopted moniker of "booker t". he then pounced on one of the other boys standing around as we drove off, all of us laughing...after all, they're just kids.

so in this country of abrasion, these are some of the gems...thank you all again for your continued support...you are our gems

salaam
mateo

cambodia...a bittersweet love affair

salaam

bang, bang, bang...what the hell?!!?? joronda and i look at each other perplexed as our guesthouse door is being rustled at 0630. bang, bang...i snatch open the door to find "lucky", one of the guesthouse workers, standing in front of me with a big smile and saying, "you go phnom penh?". i say, "yes, at seven thirty", he nods, smiles, and walks away. i close the door thinking to myself how nice it was of them to wake us up.

"hold on!!", i hear joronda yell outside of the shower i was currently drying off from. bang, bang, jiggle, bang, bang..."hold on!!!" she yells again with anxiety in her voice because someone is just trying to walk into the room. i quickly pull on my "these damn things will never get clean" pair of underwear and spring to the door. joronda slides into the bathroom behind me to protect her modesty as i open the door..."bus, bus" another guesthouse worker rapidly utters and gesticulates as if to imply that we were late. with my head poking behind the door i inform him that it is 6:45 am, and that it was he who told us the night before that the bus didn't leave until 7:30. "no, bus, bus!!" he exclaims once more, pointing to the window that overlooks the driveway. i step into the hallway frustrated and let him know again that he told us 7:30 and that we would be down as early as 7 o'clock to checkout and so forth. with that, he leaves and joronda and i shake our heads in disgust and quickly finalize our belongings.

bang, bang "bus, bus!!"...we hear clamoring from our door for yet a third time this morning. "what the f---!!!", i yell and visibly agitated jerk open the door and step directly to the third guesthouse worker to bother us this morning. he barely comes up past my waist, and considering that i was still in my draws in was just an unfortunate situation for everyone. he eeks out a third, "bus" and with patience lost, i let him know that this treatment is not appreciated. the time is 6:52 am...welcome to cambodia.

cambodia has been a land of mixed emotions for both joronda and myself. amidst the joy of exploring the ruins of the ancient angkor temples (good call uncle dave)...we've spent an equal amount of time brooding, thinking, and vocalizing our frustrations with the country as a whole. the conditions are heartbreaking...poverty is rampant, everything is filthy as hell, there seems to be no love, and people just accept it. we've only been here for 5 days and so far 95% of the people we've met have been shady tricksters, con artists, and thieves. they feen for money like a junkie for a fix, and when you don't just give in, they berate you with more and more scams to get a dollar.

when you don't give the dirty woman holding the dirtier baby a buck to fill her already full bottle with more milk, she curses you. when you reach out to the young desheveled boy, who has been tugging at your shirt and arm for the past 5 minutes begging for a dollar to get some food...and when you offer him a fresh meal from your own plate, he looks at it with disgust, turns up his nose and says "i don't like that", and then continues to beg you for a dollar for some food. when you ask a merchant if they know where you can buy some cambodian tea and they ask you to wait here...then they come back from a convenience store and try to sell you a $0.50 bag of tea for $15...and when you politely refuse they too curse you and tell you they wouldn't have gotten it if you didn't want to buy. i mean the shit is just ridiculous, frustrating as hell, and infuriating...what are you supposed to do? we came on this trip with the sole intention of volunteering...to help those in need. and these folks are definitely in need...but hell, we don't have a dollar to give everyone in cambodia, and even if we did...what good would it do? it sure wouldn't be enough to counteract the mental subjugation that has one believing that a dollar is their saving grace. in my opinion, money is a created reality, a figment, a farce, nothing but little colorful rectangular cloth-filled smoke and mirrors. money only has the value that we allow it to have. now trust me, i understand the need to pay bills...and i know that it takes more than a pretty smile and winning personality to keep a roof over ones head and to feed a family. but damn...there has to be some balance. i mean, i'll buy your baby some milk, give you some food, and frequent your shops...but instead, all you bastards want is a dollar and every opportunity to con me out of mine.

to you the reader...
thank you for sifting through my lamentations, and frustrations, and please note that the 'you', of course, is not directed at you who maybe reading this but instead is written frustration at the proverbially societal 'you' that indoctrinates counter-spiritual teachings and thought. these are just my opinions.

the intro stories significance is this...
we arrived in cambodia with high hopes and excitement about experiencing the breadth of a new countries humanity. instead we've experienced bi-polar bitterness and emotional unrest that has left us standing in a hallway in our draws screaming...with no one understanding a word we're saying.

salaam
mateo

recap...bangkok to krabi to phi phi

salaam

because it has been a while since i've lent my comments to this blog i thought i'd share with you an excerpt from my personal journal. please allow me to forewarn the reader that the content of this entry is uncensored. this is all me, raw and uncut, and in no way reflects the opinions of my wife, family, or religion. viewer discretion is advised.....but it's really not that bad.

th 06 oct 05 05:59:50

...just finding a bus departing the same day that wasn't full was a chore. we walked with our 50 pounds of bullshit on our backs for several miles in the rain trying to find the best deal...so after all that, we came up with nothing but poor demeanors and marital frustration. booooo! while in our quandry we were eventually approached by this man whom we had encountered earlier who was happy to offer us an answer in exchange for a 20 baht ride from his tuk tuk driving friend. after some continued talking (me trying to explain that the t.a.t was too expensive and we were ok walking) the tuk tuk driver offered us a free ride to the t.a.t so that she could get a free gas coupon. much to joronda's anger and disappointment, i agreed. so the scowl-faced skeptic and i boarded the tuk tuk bound for yet another t.a.t (tourism authority thailand...or something like that...but it should stand for theiving another tourist). when we arrived at the t.a.t i figured i should do all the talking and so i left joronda outside with the tuk tuk and i went in to work. after some negotiating i was able to get us on a bus to krabi leaving that evening at 1900 for 550 baht each. that still doesn't include the boat ride from krabi to phi phi but at least it was a start.....

so currently i sit in a small "truck stop"/travel agency in surat thani awaiting our transfer bus to take us to krabi at 0700. anyway, getting back to the first leg of the bus trip...

once we finally boarded the bus to krabi i was very happy. happy to finally be enroute and that much closer to phi phi, and for not having to stay a third night in bangkok. it's not that bangkok was bad, bangkok was great! i was just trying to get to phi phi asap...i mean hell, that's why we came out here. so bottom line...i'm glad to be on the bus. the bus is packed with an eclectic mix of travellers...israel, hungary, ireland, new zealand, and indonesia are just some of the countries aboard.

so while on this bus i learned two quick lessons...hungarians are assholes, and americans piss and moan about everything! of course i am NOT talking about all hungarians and americans, just the 6 occupying the 3 seats around us. lets start with the americans...just before the bus was about to depart, and 15 minutes late i might add, buffy and biff saunter onto the bus being extra careful not to touch anything (damn near including their seats) lest the third world cooties latch onto their pampered asses.....speaking of pampered asses, i must interrupt this harangue to tell you about the best 3 baht ever spent. just used the toilet here and what glorious item did i find awaiting me?...none other than the rough, sandpapery goodness of 1 ply elementary school toilet paper!!! ahhh, the soothing scratch of 1 ply after a long contained bowel movement is just what i needed to get the pep in my step again in this land of water and bare hand wiping. but i digress...

so buffy (with biff nodding in approval like a cheap bobblehead doll) proceeds to complain that they must be on the wrong bus because it looks nothing like the picture...since when does anything in marketing ever look like the picture? when was the last time mcdonalds served the juicy burger with fresh tomato and crisp lettuce like they advertise? we all know it's only the best in wilted, microwaved cuisine from them. so unfortunately buffy had to settle for bangkok's v.i.p bus service, which i thought was great. i mean we were on a double decker, air-conditioned bus with reclinable seating, blankets, a t.v., and the best part...big windows for an unabashed view of thailands thoroughfare. so for 10 hours she pissed and moaned, moaned about pissing, slept, then pissed and moaned again. ahhh, i love americans, but hungarians...shhiiiittt...well at least the couple seated in front of us...but they were so rude that i hope they didn't f--k it up for the entire country. let me explain...

from the time we boarded the bus it started off bad. at 1845, joronda and i are shown our seats behind the aforementioned couple. now mind you, it's only 6:45 in the evening and at this point they had their seats in 3/4 recline, which is exactly the distance between my right hand and left hand...that is if my fingers were interlocked and my hands were duct taped together and then put in a vice to squeeze out all remaining air!! well you get the idea...so naturally this presents a question of etiquette (to reference 'Fight Club') when passing, do i brush the top of your head with my ass or crotch? hmmmmmmmmm...so an ass and a crotch later we take our seats...no big deal.

20 minutes later i'm standing in the isle rearranging my belongings when suddenly i'm stiff-armed in the back by 'olga' rushing down the line like she's walter payton!! where, where could she possibly be going? well i'll tell you...no where. do you hear me? NO DAMN WHERE!!! and how do i know this? because when she got 4 steps away from me, she turned back around and pushed and shoved her way back to her seat...strike two. still no big deal, i mean we're in thailand for goodness sakes, and we're blessed to be here.

6 hours later...joronda and i return to the bus from the 1 hour break we were given, only to find these bastards in FULL RECLINE. what the hell is this?!?!!? strike three!! now after "crotch on facing it" back to our seats joronda flips on the overhead reading light to write in her journal. this subsequenly awakens the photo-sensitive 'olga' who snarls at the 1 watt bulb which can barely light itself, let alone the entire bus. so why was 'olga' disturbed by this insignificant reading light...because it was shining directly in her eyes. and why was it shining in her eyes...because her head was so far back that her face was cesarianed in joronda's lap so any journal writing would have had to be done on her forehead. so 'olga' jumps up cursing to 'mr. olga', who yells to their friends, who holler back to 'olga', who looks at us with disgust, throws a temper tantrum, and eventually...shuts her damn mouth, puts on an eye mask, and goes back to sleep. and that little light continued to stay on...you know why...because we're blessed to be in thailand for goodness sakes, and it's not that serious.

hope you enjoyed the story. please note: all "serious" curse words were censored...i mean come on guys, my mom's going to read this...and i love my mom :)

salaam
mateo

pictures are coming...

salaam

i am sure that many of you are eager and waiting see pictures of our journey thus far. we do apologize sincerely for not having posted any as of yet. we have tried on numerous occasions and have been unsuccessful. i never bought a cf card reader before departing (which i've heard is lightning fast) and so i am still trying to upload pictures directly from the camera, which has proven to be a painstakingly slow process. i'm sorry...please be patient. since i have yet to find a card reader we may have figured out another way, which would involve burning them to a cd and then proceeding from there. if any of you picture uploading, computer geniuses out there have any suggestions please don't hesitate to share them in the comments section. we certainly could use them. thank you again for you continued patience, and my apologies once more.

salaam
mateo

Transportation

Well let's just say we've become quite savy in the transportation area. In case you don't know we're no longer in Thailand. After boats, buses, tuk tuks, trains, motor bikes and the wonderful pedal bike I think we have this thing down.

We spent 19 hours in 3rd class on a train to Chiang Mai (Don't do this if your butt cheeks are not well padded or you bring your own...padding that is) Additionally our feet resembled plump potatoes ready to be slathered with butter. My toes were so powdered they looked like I walked to Chiang Mai...through flour patches.

We decided to do it on our own and rented a motorbike when we got there. This was great after I stopped knocking my helmet against the back of Mateo's head. He got the hang of it after the first day and we were weaving in and out of traffic like the locals. I have to be honest though, I let the helmet go after day one. In big blue letters it said BEER on the back and I figured it must be some tourist joke. I already looked like something weird with a headwrap stuck under this small helmet leaving cushion lines on my forehead. My head was ringing and the rain was whistling off the top of my head as we wizzed down the road getting passed up by the more experienced Thai motorbike drivers like 11 year old girls and 70 year old women.

We left Chiang Mai with the anticipation of what Cambodia was to bring but delighted by the experience we had there. 12 hours on a bus and we found ourselves back on Khao San Rd. When we came through there 4 days prior Mateo was wearing one flip flop and one tennis shoe and the predatory sales reps were so amused that one of them remembered and spotted Mateo's matching shoes this time and wondered why he was matching. At 6 am it's just not fun to try and communicate in a language you really can't speak but we laughed it off and headed into the Israli Connection for some rest and tooth brushing.

We enjoyed 3rd class so much that we decided to hit the same style to Cambodia. No problem because this was only a 6 hour trip. Although we were the only non Thai faces on the train we felt right at home. We had been there before. It would have been even better if we were able to purchase something from one of the local vendors but I'm sure we'll get the opportunity some other time.

Of course we were greeted by a willing tuk tuk driver in Aranya Prathet. He held up 7 and we thought we were getting a deal of a ride to the border but when Mateo asked for change for his 20 baht the driver said no 60 baht. It's interesting that he could say sixtey and not seventy until he was about to get 7 baht. Mateo wouldn't budge and some man off the street gave the driver 40 more baht. The point was, this guy tried to get over on us after we asked 3 times how much the ride would cost and repeated 7 baht each time he put up his fingers.

We actually had to walk across the border to Poi Pet, Cambodia. I can tell you this is one of the most disturbing experiences we've had thus far. There's tons of kids begging on the streets and they are very aggressive. Just as we were standing there a kid stole something and ran into the river behind some bushes. A couple of kids surrounded us and I had to say "get going". This was a really hard experience for me. I really don't like to ignore or be mean to kids and at the same time I had to protect our stuff. One young boy was trying to get close to Mateo's backpack while a little girl was walking beside me trying to grab my hand. Most of these kids don't have families and they are truly by themselves. They travel in packs and they are demanding and intimidating if you allow them to be. We walked across the border with a "travel agent" who played right in to our uncertainty. I was really done when two naked babies who couldn't even talk came running up to us trying to beg. They couldn't have been more than 15 or 16 months but very tiny.

A day later we found ourselves bumping down a road from Poi Pet to Siem Reap. This trip is almost indescribable. The bus sounded like a wooden roller coaster and the road was so bumpy that most of us were laughing when we first started out. The novelty wore off after about an hour and then people just got pissed. I thought the best part was when we stopped for a toilet break and the bus driver just pulled over on the side of the road. 8 hours later we reached Siem Reap with some very upset people. Mateo and I made the best of it and stayed at the guesthouse that none of us initially knew they were bringing us to. I actually thought the trip was kind of cool minus my headache and sore neck.

For the last two days we've been exploring temples. If you have a chance look up Angkor Wat. It's amazing and that's where we are. We're on bicycles daily travelling a couple of miles to visit some amazing ruins. We went to Ta Prohm today and that's where Tomb Raider was filmed. It's like some stuff out of an Indiana Jones movie. Ok this post is really long so we'll update you later. In 2 days we head south to Phnom Penh the capitol of Cambodia.

Joronda

Visit Koh Phi Phi

So after our last escapade I figured I should post a plug for Thailand. If you've never been out of the country or you have and would like to find more places to visit I must suggest to you Koh Phi Phi Thailand. It's an island atmosphere so things are really laid back. I don't know why more U.S. residents don't travel abroad and especially why not to Thailand. It really isn't that far and if you just want to be a tourist it's easy to navigate and it's cheap to live. Koh Phi Phi was hit pretty hard by the Tsunami and the people are working really hard to build it back up. A lot of work has alfeady been done and P.P. is definitely up and operating. You should visit if you are planning a cool vacation.

Here are the things I liked about the island; Ordering fruit shakes in tropcial flavors from small stands with Thai pancakes cut in squares that you eat with a skewer stick, Stepping out on the veranda every morning and seeing the Andaman sea calm and nestled between two mountains that create a bay, Hiking up to the viewpoint and watching the sunset behind the other islands, Laying in a hammock at the top viewpoint overlooking the bay and far off islands while dangling over lush jungle landscape, Sweating hard while throwing sandbags in the rain to new friends who came to the island to do the same.

In terms of the work it's mostly done by hand. This is why I had a blood blister the first day we tried to work. When it came to our last couple of days on the island I was right on the dock with the rest of the Thai workers picking up our goods for the garden. The feeling was weird since the dock meant something totally different to me when we arrived 2 and a half weeks prior. After hauling 200 bags of of soil on a trolley (a wide, steel hand truck) with my English partner Sean Pual, I felt like I was really in the thick of it. Meanwhile, Mateo was the resident cement man and didn't have an opportunity to partake in this project. It's funny how we're on the same trip but will have lots of different stories to tell. I'm sure his account of the tablighi jammat (the Muslim brothers) will be much different from mine, as well as some of his stories from the garden, ask him about the dragon when we get back. While he was working cement I seemed to typically be on the trolley. We used broken coral to build a retention wall and when the tide was really low and far out we would take the trolley out and load it down with the coral. We had to lift these really heavy pieces from the wet sand and dump them onto the trolley and then push it back up to the retention wall. This was about a 200 meter round trip with 4 people pushing and pulling. When we could this is how we spent our afternoon. Until the full moon stopped all that. You get really familiar with the tide when your job depends on it.

Joronda

What a close call

So we left Phi Phi 4 days ago with sad faces but many new friends. It's amazing how helpful and giving people are when you just stop to talk for even a brief moment. Equipped with our Lonely Planet guide to Souteast Asia (compliments of our new English friend Margie) we decided to head north to Chiang Mai, Thailand. This was not in our original plan but everyone spoke so highly of it we figured we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Our transportation route went something like this. From Phi Phi we boarded a ferry that dropped us off an hour and a half later in Krabi. Here we were to take an overnight bus twelve hours to Bangkok.

In Krabi we were waiting on the curb for the FREE bus to take us back to the bus depot when we spotted three Muslim brothers on a motor bike. We made eye contact as they puttered by and about 60 seconds later they had circled back and pulled up right in front of us. From our brief conversation we gathered only one of them spoke English and he was doing very well with the language. They were only in Krabi for 10 days and they live in a small town close to the Malaysian border. After about 5 minutes of aquaintence they were prepared to offer us food and a ride to the bus depot. We had to decline the food, no time, but the ride sounded good. I didn't think all 5 of us on the moped would be a good idea but no problem because they had a car. After 20 minutes two of the brothers returned and we all piled into a black pickup with a bubble campershell on the back. Please keep in mind our bus leaves at 4pm and it is 3:32, this isn't an issue though because we are really close to the bus depot. So now we're off in the truck headed the oppopsite direction of the bus depot. Why? Well, we don't know. I gave it a good 45 seconds before I said "This is a different way from what we know" and the brother's reply "Yes, this is the short cut, I think..." So I sat there observing the scenary and checking my watch. I spoke again "Does he know where he's going?" and the brother's reply "Yes (followed by something in Thai to the driver). You see, I'm sitting in the back and Mateo is sitting in the front at the driver's request. By this time I'm getting nervous and the brother next to me says "do you already have a ticket" well of course we do, and it's confirmed and our backpacks are at the depot. "May I see your ticket" says the brother. I didn't really like that idea since now I recognize that we are really far away from what could possibly even have been a short cut. Moments later the brother is on his cell phone with the bus company. Now from this point the conversation is a bit hazy. I can see that Mateo is starting to look a bit worried, by the tone of the brothers voice he's trying to handle some business on the phone and now I'm really freaking out. But I had to keep my cool because I was devising a plan and I didn't want to give it away by acting too nervous. I said to the brother "This really feels like the wrong way" so he asks the driver in Thai if he was going the right way and in very clear English he says "YES". Right around this time I spot the highway and I just knew he was going for it. I was on the edge of my seat as we rounded a corner to what appeared to me could be a back way to the bus depot and it was. However, it wasn't our bus depot. "That's not our's" "That's not our's". I have never felt my mouth and cheeks drop so low. We pleaded with the driver to drive fast back to the ferry dock where they picked us up. He wasn't listening to us and the brother next to me was back on the phone. He was speaking in Thai and I was translating him to say "They will not be leaving today." I just wanted to jump out but again I'm in the back, in the middle and Mateo is sitting calmly in the passenger seat in the front. I was wishing I had paper to pass him a note. It's 3:45, we're about 15 minutes from our true bus station, the driver is stopping on the side of the road. The brother on my right is quiet and the brother on my left is still having this conversation with the bus company, in Thai. This torture went on for another 2 minutes before the little truck started heading back towards the ferry dock. We did make our bus but I was exhausted when I leaped from the back of the truck and ran up the bus stairs with the English speaking brother repeating "I'll be waiting for your e-mail" as he waved from the streets seeing us off safely. I kind of felt bad that I let my horror film ridden mind get the best of me. Sori was his name and he apologized profusely. We should have been tipped off from the beginning when they said they weren't from there. These brothers were visiting Krabi just like us. We are certain to ask more questions when people offer to help us out.

Joronda

A day in the life

It's great to see people are following us. We both are excited to get to the computer and see how many comments are on the page. Thank you so much for all your wonderful messages, beautiful thoughts, and consistent prayers. Keep them coming as we will soon be venturing in to new unfamiliar territory after our 3 week stint in Koh Phi Phi. I'm not sure that we've really shared with you the depth of what we're seeing, hearing and doing so let me paint the picture. Every morning we wake up at 3:45 a.m. to take a half mile walk to the masjid to enjoy breakfast before starting our days fast. The path is poorly lit, with low grade rolling hills and ample amounts of frogs, giant snails, roosters, chickens and drunk international tourists stumbling back to their bungalows. In pursuit of a hearty meal we b-line for the resort patio giving out the traditional "sawat di ka (Good Morning)" as we pass unsuspecting morning goers who curiously mistake us for thais. When we return to our bungalow (5:30 a.m.), which sits about 3o meters up a mountain we get back in the bed for a few more hours of sleep. Stepping out onto the balcony around 9:45 a.m. we are met with the beauty of the ocean, green mountains in the distance, the sound of hammers smashing nails into wooden structures and a sing songy, "Good moning Amer i ka" from Mun one of the Thai hosts at our guesthouse. What a glorious day every day, until the bladder calls. We share a common bathroom with about 15 other backpackers and people take roughing it literally. The bathroom is a short descent off the veranda and once the flip flops come off at the door an abundance of bacteria goes on. I usually try to hold it as long as possible so I only have to repeat the ritual a couple of times a day. The toilets are flushed using a bucket of water to your right and you clean yourself with a hose on your left. At some point people must forget the steps. Between the insects, stale urine, black footprints on the floor, and mothball air fresheners to mask it all the state of these solitary cells is abysmal. Pretty much, they suck! It's taken a bit to get used to since it's a coed facility and the entrance/exit is in direct eyeshot from the restaurant. It wouldn't be a bad thing except it feels weird to exit the shower in front of dining guests. I struggle to keep my sarong around me with my towel underneath, head wrap draped from head to shoulders, t-shirt over it all and my shower bag on my arm while I drag myself to the room trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Meanwhile, girls prance down the steps in bikini panties passing out "good mornings" and "cheers". So we leave The Rock (the name of our guesthouse) close to 10:00 a.m. and spend the rest of the day at the Memorial Garden. On the way there we walk past lost businesses wiped out by the tsunami and putrid smells of sewage and excrement upon which people are rebuilding bungalows daily. Arriving at the garden is a breath of fresh air. The people, the view and the purpose all make it worthwhile. Believe me there are no complaints. It's an adventure worth having. When we finish our jobs between 5 and 5:30 we make it back to The Rock to wash off the days dirt in cold salt water, put on our night clothes and head out for dinner and cards for the evening. We're in bed somewhere between 10pm and 12am to get ready to do it all over again the next day. So good morning to you but good night to us since it's 11:40 p.m. and we must get ready for our last day on the island.

Joronda

boodu dim mak, subyon

salaam

confused by the title? let me explain...but first i must set the stage... eh em...so as the wife mentioned in the previous post the thais consume their daily bread "family style". wait...i'm getting ahead of myself. so the first day that we arrived on the island we went to one of the two masjids around iftar, with a measly package of dates that we'd bought in bangkok and a hell of an appetite. immediately we were summoned to a straw mat laden with food and hungry thais eager to break fast. spicy chicken, curried delights, vegetables and rice all sat steaming in the middle of this circle of family, friendship, and goodwill. family style? not quite. excited, we too sat down cross-legged to partake in the feast before us. i sat next to this half dressed, middle aged brother whos longi (southeast asian man skirt) was tucked under his ample belly, weighed down by his man breasts, and warmed by his hospitable demeanor and smile. ah, this must be family style because it can't get anymore family than this...well almost. so as the adhan sounds, plates of rice are disseminated to the hungry lot (silverware free of course) and the feeding begins. hands dig into the center serving bowls grabbing roasted fish, chicken curries, and seasoned vegetables. rice dotted fingers pass fisted balls of food across smoke stained teeth, and then return to drip curry and saliva into previously non-curried or salivaed dishes. now THIS is family style!!! when my plate started to look a little sparse, my happy buddah emulating companion retracted four, well-licked fingers from his mouth, shoved them into a bag of bean sprouts and refilled my almost empty plate with a smile and little belly jiggle that did nothing to dislodge the rice granules wedged between his stomach and left man-breast. now that's a hell of a welcome!! day 1...repulsed, day 16...lickin' and drippin' with the best of them. oh, i forgot to mention...when this brother finished eating, he washed himself off, put his clothes back on, then went into the masjid to lead prayer. they sure don't make imams like that back home :)

plane ticket to thailand...$400
bus and boat ticket to phi phi...$20
saliva flavored fermented fish sauce...priceless

so after 22 days of thailand, i'm loving it and i wouldn't change it for the world. and when we come back to the states it'll be family style eating and i'll be hollering "boodu dim mak, subyon!" (fermented fish sauce is good, number one) to the death of me.

hope you enjoyed...

salaam
mateo

Working finally!

Well we've finally got what we came for. After a frustrating start in Phi Phi we're now in to some consistent work. Considering we have no real skills to offer and have quickly learned to lay brick we should now be on our way to improving our resumes. It's been 5 days on the island and the weather is humid and rainy (off and on) and the work is hard and exciting. We began in the tool shed where we think some Thai locals gave us pity work but after bending too many of their nails trying to hammer in post they occupied us with a craft project putting up siding for what seemed to be the wall of a room. We were proud of ourselves but slipped off quitely after the break so not to be more of a hinderance to their well working project. We now find ourselves daily at the memorial garden shoveling sand, toting coconuts and bricks, mixing cement, constructing walls, designing mosaics and doing whatever is necessary to get the park up and running. It will be a long project that we won't be here to see finished but the work were putting in is well worth it. The organizers of the project lost their 3 year old daugther in the tsunami. They are cool to be around and Toi the husband works hard alongside everyone while splitting time trying to rebuild his house. Eveyday we drag ourselves back to the bungalow for a shower with just enough time to sit before breaking our fast for the day.

Ramadan began right before we arrived in Phi Phi and the island is mostly Muslim. We'll have to go back and share with you our journey to the island but since we've been here the Thai have been nothing but hospitable. We've broken fast family style daily with traditional thai food. If you know anything about the cuisine then you know we've encountered some spice. Overall a great experience. Recently we discovered a second masjid and more friends. Not knowing the language is a challenge but they know how to say "eat" and we know how to say "yes" so things have been working out just fine.
Joronda

10 baht, 20 baht...800 baht

Day two and what an adventure so far. We tried to sleep around what would be 12pm Arizona time and amid the banging, loud voices and thunder I can't say it was peaceful. I think some how we ended up in a Thai prostitution guest house, or at least that's what my mind lead me to believe. We headed to the room quite early so the party had yet to begin. About 3am it was on. Mateo didn't hear much but scary me I sat up several times guarding our room. Even though I installed the alarm system (a dream catcher wind chime looped around the security latch at the top of the door) I still didn't want some one with a key inviting themselves in. Eventually I did get some sleep and thank goodness because we needed to be alert for this mornings tests. So as we emerged from the Euro Inn ready to eat, take pictures and tour a bit we were lucky enough to be approached by one of the many tuk tuk drivers parked on the street. He offered to give us a grand tour of the city for 10 baht ($.25). Why not, and off we went. After seeing big buddah and lucky buddah the driver was ready for us to tour his favorite friends shops. Not what we were looking for, but this guy was trying to get free gas for our purchases. We're not complaining about his hustle but unfortunately he picked up the wrong two backpackers. We don't have 8000 baht to spend on a suit and since Mateo's trying to get rid of underwear we certainly don't have the space to carry that much weight. Well to briefly fill you in on the close of this story we returned to Khao San Road where we started, paid the driver, acosted him for our change and ate Pad Thai Noodles for breakfast...15 baht. What a morning for a total of $.75

Joronda

underwear...just added weight i'm ready to do without

salaam

well we've made it to bangkok safe, sound, and in one piece...alhamdulillah. so after camping out in the airport for a good 40 minutes to an hour trying to get our combined 90 pounds of "life's necessities" repacked...we finally ventured out into the humid, open air of bangkok. first impression...it's a lot more modern than i had anticipated. second impression...traffic lights and turn signals to be damned out here, it's GFS (go for self) all the way baby. third impression...after trekking a short distance from the bus drop off point to this internet cafe on Khao San Road, with 50 pounds of "comfort" slung across my back like a pack mule, i find myself wondering "are underwear and socks really that necessary?" i mean how many pairs do we really need to survive anyway? 7? 3? none? could we get by with some duct tape and a washcloth? i'll let you decide...well it's started to rain and at the moment we don't have any secure lodging...so rather than pitching our tent in a back alley somewhere, i'd better get off this computer and find some shelter. until the next time...

salaam
mateo

LAX to Taipei to Bangkok

salaam

we've just completed a thirteen hour flight to taipei, taiwan where we have a two hour layover before we reach bangkok, thailand. we left LAX at 0120 (1:20 am) on sunday, october 2nd, and we arrived in taipei at 0600 (6:00 am) on monday, october 3rd. our flight on EVA AIR was a pleasure. we were greeted with warm towels, pillows, quilted blankets, and slippers...so far so good. stepping into the taipei airport is almost like being on the set of irobot...i mean they have projection screens talking to you as you walk from one gate to the next, digital flower gardens with blooming orchids and curious butterflys, free internet service and cell phone recharging stations. i 've never seen anything like this and am excited to see more and share more...until then--mateo

We'll be sure to fly with EVA again. So now we're just about ready to be on our own. When we land in Bangkok we will make our way to an HI hostel and stayover before heading to Koh Phi Phi. That's the plan at least. Things have been smooth so far and the scenary is exciting. Talk to you later, from BKK--joronda

salaam

Homeless

We've been away for a while not updating the blog but now things are about to get serious. As of Friday September 23rd we are officially homeless. It's an interesting feeling. Mateo picked me up from my job and we had no choice but to drive around finishing up errands with all of our stuff in the truck. We headed to Tucson because that was the plan but we certainly couldn't go home. Home was gone. As of 12:15 p.m. the walk through was over and the journey was on.
So we've been in Tucson since Friday night enjoying family and now we're LA bound. Stay tuned for more updates as we make our way to Koh Phi Phi Thailand for our first stop in this adventure. See you back here soon.

Independence Day

In the background I can hear the sound of explosions not far from my front door. Hearing it takes me to a place I've never been. I can't imagine living in a neighborhood where the sound of bombs are as traditional as fireworks on a U.S. 4th of July (where I grew up is a whole different story). Knowing that somewhere else in the world people are not enjoying those sounds on this very same day seems a bit conflicting to me. Somehow the holiday that used to be my favorite day of the year has become a point of ponderance for me. It's hard to make a novelty out of what other people fear daily but over the years the 4th of July has always meant family time to me. I can't completely give up those feelings I trained myself to enjoy just thinking about the 4th but what I plan to do is build on my perspective with the new experiences Mateo and I are soon to have.

People seem to be amazed when we say we're going on an around the world trip. I guess before it became a reality I was amazed myself. After working so hard to get through school and handle overwhelming challenges I never imagined just giving it all up for exploration. I mean for real exploration not just the day dreams and journeys you take in your mind. After going through all the research and questions I've gotten very comfortable with the idea and I'm looking forward to finging out how I really feel about stepping out into the free and unfamiliar. The world is so much smaller to me now and the day I found out I'm allowed to get to know it was such and independence day!

Prep Time !

This is just one of many nights that I've been up late researching for our trip. Excited is only one of the words that describes our feelings about this adventure we're getting ready for. Welcome aboard and we hope you stick around to cyber trek with us. It should be interesting. The adrenaline is rushing even though we're five months away from departure, but not simply because we're anticipating living with backpacks hoisted on our frames for days and months unknown. We are most elated over the ample healthcare we are taking with us in the form of vaccines and pills. I am especially gloating over the series of vaccines that without doubt must be delivered through needles. I would rather rub some salve or drink some discolored tonic but despite my frantic research for less blood pressure rising options I'll spend the next five months watching Mateo take it like a pro while I try really hard to channel my chi. 2 shots down and a lot more to go.