Beachbum to skibum

I have spent two weeks on the beach of Koh Chang reflecting my three month travel journey and watching the sunset over the sand for the last time. The people I have met, the glorious food I have eaten and the cultures I have briefly experienced will leave a strong impact on me. As I finally allow my body to relax and my ginger skin to burn, this trip has only wet my appetite and further fueled my desire to travel. But after eating a pancake at breakfast and realizing there will once again be no maple syrup, I am ready to go back to Canada and hang up my backpack for now. I will be living in Panorama working on the ski hill for the meantime- beachbum to skibum.
Its not goodbye but as they say in Cambodia, 'Goodluck to you'.

Floating Forest

After 3 days of Anchor Watt, walking up at sunrise and walking in the excruciating heat until sunset it was time for something different. A friend of mine, whom had also visited Cambodia, said that no trip was complete without visiting the Floating Forest. We had a lovely tuk tuk driver that became a close friend and offered to take us there. I had heard that the roads were rough and had planned on taking a truck up to the village, but another day with our friend seemed like a much better deal anyways. The sand road was incredibly bumpy and we often had to get out and push the tuk tuk. But sure enough we made it to the edge of a large river. The Floating Forrest can only be reached by boat, so on we went into unknown waters. After about a 30 minute boat ride we arrived to a clearing and stepped into a large canoe. We paddled as overgrown trees emerged from the water. There was nothing but us and nature, until we hit a clearing and arrived at the village known as the 'Floating Forest'. Homes are built on stilts and families live off of the water for their main source of income, transportation and everyday essentials. Children run out to the porches to wave to us and stare awkwardly at the 'Farang' (foreigners) as we paddle past. We stop at a floating house and are welcomed in by a warm and smiling family. Then we are given the feast of a lifetime. A large barbecued whole fish, straight from the water, fried vegetables, fried/battered fish, noodles and the smallest and most delicious shrimp I have ever eaten in my life. As we eat the sun is setting and it is time to say goodbye. We leave by boat back the way we came- into the dense, floating trees and the sun reddens to lead us home.

Chaotic Cambodia

It has taken sometime and reflection in order to gather my thoughts on my experience in Cambodia. The mixed emotions I felt while traveling in this country: anger, frustration, awe and beauty all at the same time add to the contradiction that is Cambodia. One of Asia's poorest country, Cambodia is full of poverty and begging. It is hard not to get desensitized by the begging children and feel that you are merely a dollar sign walking from temple to temple. Silence is golden and never available as the constant pleading and yelling, "lady, lady, lady! You buy?". And yet these people have struggled under immense oppression by the Khmer empire, slattering hundreds upon thousands of individuals for their own gain. As a tourist you can't help but understand that these people have absolutely nothing, suffered greatly and try to put everything in front of you into perspective. Perhaps it was my heart breaking that also broke my bank account as I bought bracelets I didn't want, postcards I didn't need and gave out candies like it was Halloween to the children at each temple and Watt. It is hard to not look around at the wonder that is Anchor Watt, temples that reach the Gods and are handcarved by true artists. Overgrown trees that once held up the structures, now are crushing them as they grow into the clouds. Carvings of wars, mystical creatures decending into bewitching women, demons, Gods and alike fill every crack and I often have to close my jaw as it drops to the floor. I can now understand what it is like to be Indiana Jones as I walk through the temples of a set turned into reality. This is artistry, this is true beauty, "Lady, Lady, you buy?"... This is Cambodia.

Ms. Money Bags

Cambodia Day One
Wide eyed Cambodian child: "Lady, lady, lady! Postcard one dollar. I give you good price."
Me: "No, thank you"
Where are you from?"
"Canada"
"Capital of Canada is Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, major cities Vancouver and Toronto, you buy braclets $1."
"No, thank you"
"Lady, lady, look many different color,"
"No, thank you"
I give you good price 5 for $1"
"No, thank you"
"You buy for your friend"
"No, thank you"
"You buy for your sister"
"This is my sister"
"You buy for your friend"
"No, thank you"
"Postcard one dollar."
This conversation continues for the whole duration of each of the over one hundred watts in Camboria or until my heart breaks and I give her a dollar, or I give the child candy that we bought them in hopes to get them to stop (which consistantly fails to work) or when I give them thai baht after I have no more american money left because of the begging they respond... "Lady this not a lot of money".

Cambodia Day Two:
Cambodian man: "Lady, lady lady. Tuk, tuk!"
Me: "No, thank you"
"How about tomorrow?"
"No, thank you"
"Where are you from, let me guess Canada?"
I laugh, "How did you know that?"
"Because you are little. I wait right here for you, tuk tuk."
(Everything is walking distance from our guesthouse).
"Lady, lady lady. Tuk, tuk!"

Capitalist Enlightenment

I met my sister in Chiang Mai and we are currently making our way down south towards Cambodia. Along the way, we stopped in Sukhothai to explore the temples and various historic watts. After a few hours of giant buddhas we stumbled upon a the site of the oldest gold buddha image in thailand. A monk greeted us and proceeded to take us into the temple. He spoke no english and told us in thai the story of the walking, sleeping and sitting buddhas. We were in awe of this great opportunity to speak with a monk and trying our best to not disrespect him or the temple. However, after about 15 minutes things started to get strange. He started to shower us in braclets and necklaces. Then when I put a donation into the donation box he took out his wallet to what we thought was show us foreign money to display where we were from. But when we were about to leave it seemed he was upset at my donation. Through body language it was clear he wanted us to give him the money and in our currency, not in the donation box. He proceeded to show us how much the braclets cost and what we should be giving him so that he could eat, etc. I am still at a loss of what to make of this situation. I hope that this was a cultural error and that the bad feeling in my stomache is a misinterpretation of what was happening in that temple. In buddhist culture materialism is seen as meaningless and the path the ultimate enlightenment is not paved in gold, but in the act of good towards all of earths creatures. Perhaps it is the presence of westerners that has created a pocket of greed into thai culture. I often feel like I am just a walking money sign to some people and then there are the others that have nothing and are willing to share their meal and the clothes off of their backs. When my sister and I left the temple after giving the 'monk' the money he wanted we got onto our bikes quickly and got out onto the main road without saying a word. When we looked back we saw the monk smoking a cigarette... did he mean nothing when he explained to us in thai the lessons of the walking budda? I don't think I will be able to fully grasp just what happened in that temple. Either way its just plain bad karma.

Loi Krathong, Chiang Mai

I have had the pleasure of arriving back in Chiang Mai just in time for the Loi Krathong, water festival. Once a year, during the full moon the people of Thailand give back to the goddess of water thanking her for drinking, bathing and the almighty source of life. They release homeade flower floats into the canals in offering to a new bountiful year of rain and light fire under large lanterns that are released into the sky. For three days the sky glowed with thousands of lanterns, fireworks and candlelit boats floating in the main river. The guest house I was staying at completely took me under their wing and allowed me to be apart of their family for three days. I was lavished with food, drinks and even fireworks. They helped me make my own 'Krathong' (flower boat) offering and when I showed them my horrible attempt at arts and crafts they simply giggled, undid my creation and made other one for me. I appears my offering would not have been accepted by the gods and all was restored in the world when the guest house staff re-made my little boat with perfectly bound banana leaves and flowers. They drove our newly founded family (mixed with people from England, Spain, USA, Australia, the Canadian girl who cannot make a boat and of course Thailand) down to the riverside and we released our boats into the river. As we lit lanterns into the sky, I was shocked that no one burns down the city with all that fire, not to mention the fact that fireworks are being thrown everywhere. The celebration did not end there as our new hostess' filled us all into their truck and took us to a thai club. The ambience could only be described as thai britney spears meets male go go dancers. The songs weave in and out from english to thai and each respective person is singing in their own respective language. By day three of the festival I had a distinct realization that in thailand safety does not come first. Perhaps it is our western ideals and obsession with safety that ensures we do not have any fun .... or... perhaps it is the fact that I am shocked I still have all my limbs after fireworks have been thrown at my feet by 5 year olds. I will admit by day three of the festival I was able to let my guard down and light a firework. Although, when the respectable owner of the establishment shot a gun off of the roof I will gladly admit I was sure that someone would die that night. A fellow backpacker was offerred to fire the gun and he casually said yes, fired the cannon and returned to sitting beside me with a frightened expression on his face. "I can't believe I just did that," was his reply. Safety first in thailand. I ended the festival with all limbs entact at early morning watching the sunrise with other backpackers. I could not believe the generousity I was given during those 3 days, the homecooked meals and more importantly the friendship. I always thought travelling on my own would be lonely but the people I have met along the way have shown me true friendship with their willingness to spill their souls and discuss their darkest secrets. And yet, it is time to move on, meet my sister and new travelers. I will leave my little thai family for a new one and another adventure.

Elephant Nature Park

I have often thought that one person cannot make an impact on the world, it takes an army, a mob or riot to inspire change. This week I learned this is not the case and in fact one person has the ability to truely make a difference. Lek, the founder of Elephant Nature Park has taken it upon herself to save the asian elephant and change the customs ingrained in thai society. One women has taken in orphaned elephants, beaten, buised and left for dead; paying up to 15, 000 US dollars for these abandoned animals and have given them a new lease on life. They are taken to the park and allowed to roam free and begin to trust humans again. An elephant never forgets and yet these brillant animals seem to forgive the same creatures who tourtured them. Each elephant has their own personality, some naughty, other sweet, caring and kind. The park started with one elephant and now is home to 34, two babies, numerous stray dogs, cats, ox and a donkey. Watching these animals interact with one another and humans who respect them is an experience I will never forget. One elephant, Jokeia was a working elephant in the logging industry. Her masters put her to work long hours and shot rocks at her by sling shot when she disobeyed or stopped to rest from her work. When Jokeia was pregnant, they still forced her to work. At the top of a hill, carrying her master and bamboo trees she gave birth. Her tiny child fell down the hill to its death while Jokeia watched in horror. In grief she refused to work and her master shot rocks at her until she became blind in both eyes. Unable to use her, they left Jokeia for dead. Lek resqued her and this elephant stole my heart. At feeding time, she comes to the platform and when she cannot feel the food or the presence of the person from whom she is fed, she simply lifts her truck and opens her large mouth... and waits and waits. Jokeia has made a strong bond with another elephant in the park and when she is frightened or cannot make her way around the park she lets out a small call and her elephant partner comes running and leads her around the park. It is a true offering of love and friendship. Despite everything these animals have been through, today 34 are able to be free. I spent a week, cutting corn (with a machette!!!), scooping elephant dung, cutting banana trees, feeding elephants, bathing elephants and falling head over heels for stray dogs that slept outside my hut at night. I have been inspired to create change in my own life, not just for animals but for change in societies injustices. It can be done, one person at a time.