WHAT TO DO IN KATHMANDU.

Kathmandu had been etched onto my bucket list ever since the 1970's when Bob Sega had sung out to me that he was going to K-K-Kathmandu. It conjured up images of an exotic faraway land, exempt from the pressures of real life, somewhere near the top of the world. I had never met anyone who had been there and not left without a big smile on their dial and an encouraging "You just gotta go there." And l was certain that one day that l would.

The problem with going to a place that has been on your bucket list for a long time is deep down, there is a nagging doubt or fear that it may not live up to expectation. Expectation leaves itself open to disappointment. But with Kathmandu, I already knew l was going to love it. l just didn't realize how much.

My $4.50 pn hostel was located in the Thamel area which has been the centre of tourism ever since the hippie era. As l entered the labyrinth of back streets & alley ways, l was suddenly swept up in the exhilerating energy & immediately felt alive. Anticipation accelerated at every corner and as corny as it sounds, it was like stepping into another world, like stepping back in time. The ornate ancient architecture seemed to hold secrets that no Westerner would ever be privy to. And yet l felt strangely at home.

My soul & senses were singing and l didnt want to waste one moment stopping to eat. So l grabbed some momos, (traditional dumplings) and kept walking and wandering, swept along with wonder & awe. The hobbit-sized shops hunched near grand palaces and the bustle  from the markets was amplified in the serenity of the temples. The vibrancy & variety of wares fuelled my curiousity, l was totally lost in the atmosphere of the moment, as well as literally, and l just didn't care.

I stumbled into the courtyard of Nepal's only living goddess, Kumari. She appears on certain days at certain times but only very briefly. As the crowd waited for her divine appearance on the balcony above, people called out to her, requesting her to appear. At first fascinated, l became bored with the temperamental goddess and was allured back out into the colourful streets. The Kumari is a young girl, chosen after much deliberation by royal priests and astrologers. She reigns in her small palace until her first menstruation when she becomes mortal again and is then married off. It is considered bad luck to marry an exgoddess but there is an adequate dowry involved. Some outsiders say that the bad luck comes from dealing with a spoilt and demanding adolescent. She is occassionly brought out for a ceremonious spin around town in a chariot at special festivals, her feet can never touch the ground. On the way back past, l was prepared to give Kumari another chance & was rewarded with her sacred presence on the balcony. No blessings were bestowed upon us mere mortals from her lofty height and no photos allowed. But it is considered good luck to lay eyes upon her. I left feeling very pleased for my future good fortune & that l could now boast that l had seen a living goddess. But for some reason l also felt a little sympathy for the young girl.

Kathmandu continued to entice me. I wandered for hours and found my way to Swayambhunath, a holy 5th century temple commonly known as the Monkey Temple for obvious reasons. Climbing the 365 stairs I was overtaken by a man running up them with a bag of rocks on his back. I was informed that he was in training to join the elite Gerka Army. On reaching the top, l watched & listened to the the monks chanting ancient mantras & spinning prayer wheels as they circumnambulated around the immense stupa. Looking out over the evening lights of the city with the backdrop of mountains against a sunset sky, Kathmandu took on a magical & mysterious aura. I was in total bliss. I could have left Kathmandu that evening and been totally satisfied with my trip to Nepal.

Eventually exhausted, l hailed a tuk tuk back to my hostel. At ease with the world, l ordered an Everest beer and felt no need to join in on the conversations around me. I listened to the excited chatter about trekking to Base Camp & the Annapurna Circuit. How could it get any better than this? From the snow capped summit of the Himalayas to the steamy jungles of Chitwan, my cup runneth over. 
Nepal was not a once in a lifetime experience because l am compelled to return. And now l am the one who is encouraging, "You just gotta go there."

ORANG-UTANS IN SUMATRA

I was in Penang, feeling very worldly & wonderful on my first solo trip in Asia.
Then l saw a sign pointing towards the ferry to Sumatra. It sounded so enticing & exotic. The 'fly by the seat of my pants'  itinerary was working well . I knew nothing about Sumatra except that the endangered orang-utans lived there & l wanted to see them before they no longer existed in the wild.
After a pleasant passage across the Malaccan Straits, l immediately headed for Bukit Lawang, a village perched just outside of Gunang Lesseur National Park, where the 'man of the forest', the orang-utans, lived  in their natural habitat.
l decided a one day trek was enough for me but was cunningly conned into a two day trek which the guides promised me was a 'walk in the park.' And l was guaranteed to see the orang-utans.
The 'walk in the park' ended at the base of the first mountain and l needed to drag myself up by tree-roots, crawl on all fours up steep inclines & slide down by the 'seat of my pants' on the other side. The jungles of Sumatra can be extremely mountainous & difficult to trek.   Our group was struggling with the stifling heat & humidity. If l'd had the energy, l would have kicked myself in my complacent butt for not doing some research.
Eventually after slogging breathlessly through dense & what felt like, unchartered terrain, we were well rewarded with the over-whelming joy of sightings of several orang-utans. Orang-utans are not family grouped animals and are generally lead solitary lives with a baby & sometimes a toddler.
Suddenly all the pain was forgotten & time stood still as we watched these close cousins of ours climbing through the trees of their natural home environment. So human like in their facial expressions, playing with their babies, grooming them tenderly and quietly & curiously watching us below. All was forgiven and we wanted to scream with delight, but instead our group just looked at each other with beaming smiles bordering on bursting.
After two days, l limped out of the jungle exhausted, my heart filled and my soul singing.
The next day l headed up river for a swim to alleviate the pain in my aching limbs. As l waded into the cool water, a young boy offered to bring me a beer. While l sat enjoying the weightlessness of the water, the boy returned with a cold Bintang & pointed across the river into the trees where l could see the hairy red arms of an orang-utan. Then there were two, mothers & babies. Before l had finished my beer, a group of funky monkeys had climbed down to the rocks opposite & were feasting on some pineapples left from a picnic. They're quite a large monkey with a sort of mohawk style hair growth. And then some spider monkeys, small very light, long limbed monkeys, were swinging through the branches hanging over the river.
Here we were at sunset, four species of primates, in the jungles of Sumatra, quietly enjoying the peace, no threat to each other, just quiet respect & acceptance.. I inwardly laughed to myself that l could have saved myself a sizeable sum of money and two days of tiresome trekking if l'd just come down to the river & waited for the orang-utans to come to me. I sat in silent solitude, the water washing away my pain, the sounds of the jungle echoing eternally around me. It may have been the alcohol, but  l was in a state of bliss.

VOLUNTOURING IN ASIA

After travelling to Cambodia many times over many years, l had become quite disillusioned with some of the charities that l had become involved with. I was beginning to question where the money was going from all the donations. And l was not getting clear answers. I was tired of seeing NGO (Non Government Organisation) personnel,  driving around in luxury 4WD cars while the local people walked. 

Cambodia has become a centre for 'voluntourism' and  there is a considerable amount of exploitation developing. Or maybe it was always there & l just didn't open my eyes enough to see it. I began researching more for legitimate & worthy organizations for myself and also for other genuine volunteers coming to Cambodia who wanted to be more involved than just having their photo taken at an orphanage. 

Anyway that's when l met Jimmy. While sitting at a bar one evening, pondering which way to turn next, l met a bright American girl, Bernie. She had just finished class and as l questioned her about her volunteering, my faith in humanity was resurrected. As she explained to me Jimmy's story & about his big dream, I knew I had to meet this remarkable young man Jimmy. And I had the good fortune of being  introduced the following afternoon.

Jimmy is a young Khmer man who is devoted to teaching the local children English.  He works as a tuk tuk driver while studying English at the university, thanks to the sponsorship of an Australian couple. His English is excellent and he opens up his family home every evening between 5 and 8, to dozens of studious children who appreciate what Jimmy is offering them for free. He tells them that English is the torch that will lead them out of poverty. And inspires them with his words as well as his own living example.

When he was much younger, he began by sitting outside his home, reading out loud from an English book, in the hope that some Western tourists would hear him and stop to talk  & correct his English. And of course that is exactly what happened. Now years later, Jimmy invites anyone who has the time & the ability to speak English, to visit  his little school and interact with the children. Jimmy generally takes the class or sometimes a visiting international teacher. Then I, and other volunteers help correct the children's written work and speak conversational English. This is an awesome opportunity to understand & appreciate the lives of these Khmer children and for them to hear & learn about life outside of Cambodia.

Volunteering in Asia is rewarding & life changing and in the best possible way It's impossible to return home with the same view of the world that you left with. All the trivial things that use to annoy you become even more trivial and less annoying. And a new appreciation develops for hot & cold running water and flushing toilets. And a realization of how many litres of fresh drinking water we just flush down the toilet!

The reward in volunteering is many times more than the effort of giving. The gratitude is humbling. And for something as simple as speaking English which is the only language l can speak anyway. How wonderful it must be to have a skill or a degree in medicine that can really help their health & welfare. l remember how good it feels to take soap, panadol & antiseptic to an isolated village in Cambodia.

Firstly it is very important to find the right place to spend your time. It should be somewhere or something that you feel passionate about. l have met people who have unfortunately left Asia feeling disappointed with their volunteering experience. Mostly because the organization they have been involved with were merely milking them for money. Sadly this happens. So before anyone commits their hard earned money that they have already spent a big chunk of time accumulating, and before committing another big chunk of time in volunteering, lots of research & responsibility is required.

Personally l have the time to go where l am passionate about & research it first hand. l have no special skill just the ability to speak English (with an Aussie accent) & the desire to immerse myself in a different culture. Community schools are excellent for this and l have several favourite places that I attend & return regularly. But if time is limited, the internet offers lots of information, recommendations & feedback. I have never paid for the privilege of volunteering & I am in two minds about organizations that charge. Sometimes it is legitimate & it's a form of fundraising. But I am also a bit wary because l have seen so many Lexus cars being driven by NGO personnel. And l have seen orphanages that allow 'sleep overs' for a price!

The best organizations require a police clearance if it involves children. And usually require a commitment of a reasonable amount of time. If you only have a few days here & there on an extended holiday, or even an hour or so, the community schools are the best. And a great opportunity to learn about their culture as well. Also some Buddhist monasteries encourage Westerners to help with conversational English and that's an awesome opportunity to learn about Buddhism & their lives as monks. Of course there are a few rules if you are a woman, like not touching them or their things. I kept forgetting & kept picking up their pens & books. But it was ok.

I have formed heart warming friendships in many countries & thankfully through the internet & facebook, l have managed to stay in contact with them & their families. So if anyone is interested, please contact me. I cannot recommend it highly enough, there is no feeling comparable. I volunteer mostly in Laos & Cambodia. But l have volunteered in lndia, Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar. Philippines & Kenya. And l also have alot of contacts if that can help.

MY PRIZED GIFT TO MYSELF

One of the best gifts l have given myself, was experiencing the joy of giving in a remote village in northern Cambodia. Probably a short flight by crow, but by tuk tuk & ox-cart through the flooded outback, it is a challenging couple of hours or so. It's a pleasant beginning through the countryside and then the long journey by ox-cart becomes hazardous as the water rises above the dray & we scramble to stack the supplies out of reach of the muddy water. There is much mirth in our little team of volunteers as we anticipate the joy we will witness in the village. I have been blessed with the best fortune to have a friend like Jimmy who is so willing to give his time and escort us out there where no tourist dares to go. Most villagers there have never been to Siem Reap, the nearest large town. They have neither the means nor the desire. So without electricity or phone, they have no idea when my friend Jimmy is coming to visit. But word spreads quickly even without technology and a large gathering is waiting to greet us with beaming smiles. Jimmy must be like Santa to them except they have never heard of old St Nick. But they know he comes bearing gifts and the excitement & expectancy, loads the air with laughter.

Jimmy is the young Khmer man who runs an after school class in town where l help when in Cambodia.. His English is excellent, thanks to sponsorship by an Australian couple. In the evenings he opens up his family's home and teaches English to children of varying ages & ability. He tells them that learning English will be the torch that leads them out of poverty. He invites Westerners to join him and help teach the children in conversational English. It's an excellent win/win experience for everyone as the tourists interact with the Cambodian children, learning about thrir lives and the children become more confident with their speaking.

And occasionally when some volunteers contribute longer periods of time and have the funds & inclination, Jimmy enjoys taking them to a village that is without any of the very basic luxuries like soap or medicine. So what a thrill it is for me to go! And through the generous donations of The Theosophical Society and some of its members, I am the one that sees their smiles, feels their gratitude and experiences the over-whelming joy of giving.

And the joy lasts longer than one would imagine. It lifts me up to a high that can be tapped into at a moment's thought. And their smiling faces are never far from my thoughts.

 There are 30-50 families in the village, it's difficult to tell. And they are very isolated & extremely poor, like 80% of rural Cambodia. This trip, with the aid of one Irish & two English girls, we provided soap, paracetamol, antiseptic, dahorea medication, noodles & pork, bagettes, books & pencils, 2 soccor balls & a couple of hula hoops.  On a subsistence rice-based diet, noodles are a rare luxury and pork, even more so, maybe once or twice a year. Everyone goes home with a useful gift and memories of a surprise party day full of treats, games, gifts, food, medicine & soap. We are farewelled & followed as far as the flood waters allow.

We arrive back in Siem Reap unable to speak from emotional & physical exhaustion. That satisfying weainess you feel from a day well spent. All of us in our own little worlds, reflecting on their stories of horrendous hardship during & after the Pol Pot regime. And their struggles with lack of clean water & medical assistance. But at no time did they complain, they merely stated the facts. They are quick to laugh & share a joke and there is no greed as we hand out whatever supplies we have. Just polite gratitude and a community happiness. I wish I could do more. But l am grateful to be given the opportunity to experience the gift of giving. It's one of the greatest gifts l ever have given myself.

KHAO SAN ROAD - FRIED BUGS, TRAVEL BUGS & BED BUGS

V

Khao San Road may not really be Thailand at its best. But it's a great start & a great end to many backpacking journeys. It offers budget backpacking, bizarre bazaars & all the bugs you want.

I remember one night many years ago, it was my last night in Asia, and l was sleeping in a 200 bht ($7) room which was more like a cupboard with a fan. But on my last night l was reminiscing of how far l had come,  both physically & figuratively. When l saw written on the wall, a farewell from a British girl, dated the year before, on her last night in Bangkok. Her words echoed what was bouncing around in my head & l felt strangely connected to the stranger on the wall. She was silently thanking SE Asia for all the love & laughs she had shared, all the challenging experiences she had encountered, all the life-long friendships she had forged and how Asia had changed her forever. She was leaving Bangkok a better & stronger person. And she was overwhelmed by mixed emotions. She was expressing her deep sadness to leave the comfort that she had created & become accustomed to in her 'life on the road,' She was fearful of returning to the real world, finding a job and settling into suburban mediocrity. She wondered if her family & friends would recognise the capable woman she'd become. She wondered if she would fit back into Britain at all. She promised to return to Asia one day & volunteer. 

I wonder if she did. She signed it with just her first name, 'Becky' and a date. I have no idea how old she was but she had been travelling alone like me and l felt every word she expressed. She was probably half my age & from a continent on the opposite of the world. But that night, without her knowing it, she spoke to me. And presumably to many others though there was no comments left nor any 'likes'. If technology & social media had been available then, l doubt that she would have written on the wall. But I'm glad that she did write that night and l will never forget it.

My first night on Khao San Road in 2005, l arrived in the wee hours and was scared witless to walk outside of my hotel and find something to eat. The street was shutting down and there was such a grotty, seedy feeling about the place. What was l doing here? 

Now, 9 years later, l love it. I love seeing the locals cleaning up after yet again, another messy but profitable night on Khao San Road. Westerners are staggering blindly back to their beds, some are helped by friends, some are being lead by ladies of the night or lady-boys. More tourists are arriving and some are departing. There always seems to be some kind of constant movement on Khao San Toad, it's definitely a street that never sleeps.

I have a favourite cocktail bar that sets up in the evenings in Rambuttri, sellin $2 mojitos & $1 beers. The bartender remembers me, "Not too much sugar" she says. lm not sure if that is a good thing or a poor reflection of me and how many mojitos l have consumed there.

I enjoy the nightly neon circus of Khao San Road in which everyone is a performer, hawkers & punters alike. People from all over the world, dressed in the same backpacking uniform of elephant pants & singlets, are sucking down buckets of vodka & red bull or eating fried scorpions on sticks while haggling for a faux Rolex and cheering on a busker poorly impersonating Lady Ga Ga.

And the more conventional someone is on arrival, the more extroverted they seem to become on Khao San Road. Fake tattoos, fake dreadlocks, fake identities are all available to temporarily conceal conservatism. 

Some holiday-makers sometimes never leave the confinement of the bars of Khao San Road. Consuming only 'safe' burgers & fries, never embracing the culture and then go home bragging about their trip to Thailand. Their memories blurred by buckets of booze. 

Then there are those that stay 5 star, prefer to eat in-house so 'you know what you're getting' and visit the Royal Palace for their only cultural encounter. These tourists adore the Thai people & their service and get severely screwed over at the markets without ever knowing it.

We are all the same same but different.

Khao San Road may not be Thailand at all, there is no evidence of its beautiful culture. But it definitely is an eye-opening place to be culture shocked and the perfect place to kiss Asia goodbye. 

        KHAO DAN ROAD BY DAY & NIGHT

BEST 3 day TREK IN THAILAND for $50

The best value trek in Thailand or maybe even in all of SE Asia is a 3 day trek out of Chaing Mai. It's an easy to moderate trek up into the hills outside of the city. Two nights are spent with the hill tribes in home-stays which is an insightful & interesting experience into the lives of the hill tribes. Usually the trek involves staying with 2 different hill tribes that have totally different languages, different traditions and different & distinct clothing. Some hill tribe people are very shy and stand off-ish while some are all over you, selling their traditional wares.

The price is about 1500 bht or $50. That is with pick-ups, 7 meals, 2 nights accomodation, guide, elephant ride & bamboo rafting. It really is exceptional! 

We were well catered for & well looked after. And l learnt so much about Thai people, hill tribe people, the jungle and also about myself.

The Thai guides are excellent at their jobs & are well trained with a wealth of informative stories. Their duty of care is exceptional. I had attracted a couple of leeches on to my leg while trekking after the rain when leeches are more likely to prey on red blooded tourists. Our guide kept checking us along the way. But l was the only one in our group of eight that was targeted. Must be my good blood. Lae, our Thai guide was so attentive, he was more concerned than l was. Sweet man.

The trek begins with a pick- up at the hotel or hostel and a long drive out into the Thai countryside.

 A three hour walk begins through the jungle, stopping off for lunch and a well deserved swim at the waterfalls. And then on up into the hills which is probably the most difficult part of the trip as it can be quite steep & slippery. But the guide is excellent at knowing how to pace the trek. It's not a competition & he never pushed anyone. In fact because l was lagging behind, he came & walked with me, talking about his family & home town and asking questions about mine. So though it can be challenging, it is a great hike & so much is learnt about the local plants & flowers. Lae showed me a plant that smelt like Tiger Balm.

The first night was spent with the Akha tribe. The beds are comfortable & clean with mosquito nets in a large community bamboo hut. Clean concrete showers are provided & heated with a small solar panel supplied by the tour-operator for the convenience of tourists. Our guide looked after us totally, answered our questions, translated questions to the tribe and cooked our breakfast.

The trek moves at its own individual speed, at no time were we ever rushed and it feels like life is moving at a perfect pace.

We continued our trek through the jungle after a leisurely start to the day and headed to an elephant camp to board our elephants. What a treat! I love riding elephants! I know it has become a moral  issue now but l cant help it, l love it! Their gentle power & slow moving strength is almost graceful. And riding on her back through the jungle gave me a feeling of belonging to nature and to some archaic simple world that was slow & timeless. We waded for several hours through the river, whilst monkeys & fat-arsed pythons manoeuvred through the trees above us. It was bliss. The rest of the world did not exist.

Sadly we came to an another camp where we dismounted & l watched the young Thai mahout slowly meander back up the river. I was so envious of him & the obvious easy relationship that he had with the elephant.

At this camp there were other hill tribes selling traditional handcrafts & souvenirs. Massages were on offer as well. And we had such laughter & lovely banter with these people after our relaxed elephant ride. Then we continued on to another home-stay with the Hmong people, perched high up above the river. 

Getting to know my other trek-mates is part of the fun & experience of the trek. People from all over the world participate in these treks & it's educational & interesting to learn about their cultures as well. In the evenings we would talk over dinner & drinks and our guide would teach us new tricks & games.

The last day we took off again and headed to another hill tribe that specialises in building bamboo rafts. It was fascinating to watch their ease & skill and in no time there was a raft ready to ride down the rapids. And though it probably wasn't quite white-water rafting, it was very exciting & shiploads of laughs. Our guide was well skilled in guiding us down through the rocks & waves and once down the river, we cheered his accomplishment & our safe return to the real world. 

It felt like an endless trip back to Chaing Mai, feeling tired, happy, exhilarated, satisfied & sweet sorrow.

It is one of the best treks l have ever done & value wise, it has to be the best. A lot of one day trips cost 1500 bht ($50) so this is exceptional. Almost every agency in Chaing Mai is selling the same product with different companies. I highly recommend it.

IM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!!

In the effort to save money, l have foolishly taken as many over-night transports as possible. I justify it by saying that it saves me a night's accomodation & saves day time hours for sight-seeing.  But some trips are just not worth the discomfort. The bus trip from Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia, to the capital Phnom Penh, is one of those trips. I have travelled it several times at night & each time l have promised myself that 'lm not doing that again.' But time erases away the pain and l again think that a little discomfort will be worth the saving. 

The road is in a terrible condition, correlgated & pot-holed by heavy traffic & monsoon rains. That combined with extremely crammed conditions on a bus that possesses absolutely no suspension, is a nightmare of a night. Even after taking 'over the counter' Valium, l was kept awake all night but the bone rattling bangs and the constant honking by the driver to let all traffic know that he was ploughing through. It's a 6 or 7 hr trip, leaving about 11pm & arriving anywhere from 5-7am. Maybe l should have taken more Valium but you never know. Maybe l should have travelled during the day.

I arrived in Phnom Penh feeling tired, aching, dirty, and cranky as!!  I was not in the mood for negotiating with tuk tuk drivers at the bus station. My thumping headache morphed me into one of those demanding Westerners that l often see & want to smack. 

And even after a shower and l have scraped off the filth from the road & the bus, my mood cannot be lifted without a 10hr nap. And the day is wasted. The saving of a few dollars is lost. And again l state, 'I'm not doing that again.'

I have travelled in other third world countries, in fact, the over-night buses in neighbouring Laos, can be extremely comfortable. Apparently Giant Ibis bus company offer luxury buses in Cambodia but are not as well promoted at backpacker hostels because of the price. But now through blurred vision hindsight, it would have been worth it.

Train travel is my preference but there are none in this country.

I kick myself in the arse sometimes & also laugh at my effort to stretch my travel dollar as far & wide as l can strain it. And then when lm departing a country, l unload my left-over currency to  someone who looks like they need it. Sometimes, it's just not worth exchanging it. But that's when l think that l could have treated myself to a foot massage. But l try to account for all those last minute expenses, like taxis, coffee at the airport due to delays, and the worst is departure tax. It's almost impossible to calculate, whilst standing at an atm, how much you will need before you leave. I always take out a bit extra, but more often than not, it's not enough. And I've been delayed in an non air-conditioned area without water & refusing to withdraw any more currency in that country. An already over-priced bottle of water in an airport works out very expensive with atm fees. This happened to me recently in Manila, terminal 4 has no shops to even buy water with a credit card. I was out of pesos, needed water & gasping to board my Air Asia flight. I knew l had Malaysian Ringett which is accepted onboard. As soon as l dragged myself up those stairs, l quickly fibbed to them that l needed water to take medication and l was served immediately. They don't like people passing out on their flights.

So now in Phnom Penh, l will recover & recuperate. Ready to face the chaos & congestion of Phnom Penh. Looking forward to shopping at Central Market and visiting my favourite bar, the Foreign Correspondents Club, overlooking the mighty Mekong. Gaining my strength back at the very friendly Mad Monkey hostel. Cost per night, dorm room, abt $8.