I'm going to post the emails we sent home from our 2007 trip. I don't know why. It just seemed like the best place to put them. Three of us traveled that year, Muzzy, Me and our good friend Kyp Bisagna. We tried to do a lot in one month...Thailand to Nepal, back to Bangkok and up to Chiang Rai, over to Chiang Kong and into Laos at Huay Xai, up the Namtha River to Luang Namtha, by private car to Luang Prabang, back to Bangkok and by plane to Koh Samui and then over to Koh Phangan, back to Samui and Bangkok and up to Chiang Mai for 2 days, then to Bangkok and home. We wanted to make the trip up the Namtha again (we did it in 2003) and we wanted to share it with Kyp. It was every bit as wonderful and while there had been changes, some of the experiences were very similar. I was happy to have an English translator, happy to see some prosperity in Namtha, and happy to see the eco-tourism sector growing and thriving. I was not happy about the proposed dams across the Namtha and Mekong, and I missed the huge, magnificent stands of timber bamboo that arched over the upper part of the Namtha. All of the southside of the river had been cleared for rubber trees. I was not happy to see the big new airport at Namtha, but I was happy to see the wonderful morning market in town was still the same...sort of...I want this country (Laos) to prosper. I only hope it can do so and still hold on to its soul. But isn't that what we all hope?
Thailand, Nepal, Laos 2007
Kathmandu
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2007 8:22 AM
We've made it as far as Kathmandu. Left Seattle late on a flight originating in New York, so of course we got into Taipei late, missed our connection and traveled the rest of the way to Bangkok on China Air. Landed at the new airport in Bangkok (we won't even try to spell the name!) billeted at the New Siam II for the night (no bombs allowed) and headed out the next morning for Kathmandu. We had plenty of time to see the new airport...what a wonder! It is truly a marvel of architectural engineering and soaring
space, gorgeous art, lovely gardens...
Departed Thailand on Thai Air...skirted the Bay of Bengal and came in over the Himalayas with a great view of Everest. We've been in Kathmandu since Tuesday afternoon and its been a non-stop shopping marathon. The city is much like we remembered and also very different. VERY organic, very few tourists and very cold. No snow, but a fire in our room would be nice, with or without a fireplace. The Hotel Mustang (reputedly owned by the King of Mustang) looks much nicer online. No, actually, it looks very charming from the outside and has a rooftop garden which is nice in the afternoon...sunny and warm...but the rooms and service leave a little to be
desired. But for $4 per night, what can you ask. We changed rooms and got one with a hot shower that WORKED and a small balcony. Took a trip to Bodhnath and made the circuit, however we had a small detour on the way for a traffic accident. The motorcycle that ran into us became the transport for the policeman (he rode on the back) as we all had to go to the police station to sort it out. We drove through the locked gates into a bunkered site with lots of people milling around, some with rifles. They spent a half hour going from our car to the motorcycle, looking over the headlamp we lost (it had been lost before and was held in with duct tape). It was declared the motorcycle's fault, he paid 200 rupees (less than $5) to our driver and we were on our way.
We are headed up the valley to Bhaktapur tomorrow, hopefully escaping the air pollution of Kathmandu. The people are wonderful and we are doing fine...well enough without our down jackets and more socks. For those who may be wondering, we made it to the Tibetan Refugee Center and bought rugs today. We'll check in in a day or two. Our love to all...sorry about the snow!
Love,
Muz and Shell
Subject: Bhaktapur and back
Date: Saturday, January 13, 2007 5:14 AM
Where on earth do I begin to describe what its like here? It’s so cold at night, and of course, there are NO heaters in Nepal. We play dodge car every evening and run to Pilgrims Bookstore, hoping to secure a place by the big fire pit in the restaurant. And you would have to see this to believe it. There is a big oil can cut in half, with welded legs, burning merrily and sending showers of sparks up to the tarp covering the patio. No one seems to mind. Tamel is a merchandisers dream, or nightmare, I'm not sure which. The tourism season has not begun so we are sparse here and the hustle is relentless, but it doesn't seem to bring the prices down. Kathmandu is so polluted, but our little hotel with its laid back staff is an oasis of calm in the storm.
We moved out to Bhaktapur yesterday, just for one night. Our cab driver was so charming and while he deftly dodged the traffic, his car dying at every stop, he talked about politics, his government, religion and his new baby, showing us photos on his cell phone and reaching over to the glove box (to our horror) to haul out a photo of his wife. Bhaktapur was such a refreshing change after Kathmandu. Quiet, clean and so utterly charming you feel you have stepped back in time. We stayed at the Sunny Guest House,
right next door to the Sunny restaurant where we ate every morning on our last visit. While it is new, its decor is not. It sits right on the square next to the Nyatapola (the tallest Hindu temple in the valley) and at the hub of this medieval city's heart. Our room had a long carved wooden window with a window seat. We sat looking out and down over everything. It was magical. That is until we realized that Bhaktapur has a market in the morning and one at night and there are horrendously evil dogs that howl all night long. Perhaps this would not have bothered me so much had I not come down with some sort of crud that left me shivering and sweating by turns. Still, when it was quiet, it was wonderful...cold, but wonderful. Bhaktapur is magical in every way, full of brick streets, Jaypu women in their red and black saris walking to the well with brass pots on their hips, babies tucked into shawls, old men with impossibly huge loads of everything imaginable on their backs, potters square with drying pots spread as far as the eye can
see, wooden windows tucked into impossibly old brick buildings and amazing statuary at every turn. I am especially fond of the hidden shrines that seem like simple decorative slabs in the streets. You look down to see some god's special place adorned with crushed marigolds, oil and red tikka powder. When the sun comes out in the afternoon, it is so nice. Everyone sits in the sun or turns their backsides to the sun's rays, warming up from
the bitter cold. The morning market is shrouded in fog and the sounds of the vendors calling their wares wafts across the square, plastic tarps full of bright red underwear and gloves, untidy heaps of neon colored plastic shoes, traditional topis (men’s hats) and vests laid out with great dignity. And everyone is bustling and buying. Ladies stop on their way back from puja at the temple, holding their tray of offerings in one hand and peering over the goods for sale. There is the laughter of children running and the
Complaining of small herds of goats wandering across the square and much visiting and gossiping...all the parts of daily life that need no explanation nor require a common language. Sick as I was and as much as I wanted to shoot those evil dogs, Bhaktapur is still my favorite. Muzzy took some wonderful photos.
We leave for Thailand tomorrow and then for Chiang Rai the day after that. I have to say it will be a relief to have a break from shopping. I never realized how tiring it can be. It’s a lot of decisions that make me very nervous. And we are hand carrying it all...what on earth am I thinking?
I hope you are all well, that the cold weather has not been too much of a burden. Thank you all for taking care of my life while I am out here adventuring...Mr. Muzzy is thrilled with his new camera and is doing it justice. He reads about it every night as we shiver in our beds, and then tries out new tricks the next day. It feels like we have been gone much
longer than 1 week...I miss you all!
Love
Shelley and Muzzy
Subject: Nepal Dispatch and Departure
Date: Saturday, January 13, 2007 10:30 PM
Survivor Nepal..
We're well. After a morning Tibetan breakfast...Getting ready to depart Nepal on the next leg of our own "Amazing Race". Thai Air will lift us away at 14:00. It's a clear day... might get to see Everest again. 3 + hours to Bangkok over Mandalay and Rangoon. We spent the last two days/night in upper Kathmandu Valley (Bhaktapur)... very medieval
and wonderful. We're looking forward to shaking off the Nepalese chill and warming up in Thailand at least overnight. We're aware many of you have experienced greater cold than we have and we hope all of you are well. We're reminded central heating is a luxury. Beyond Bangkok, the plan has us heading north to Chiang Rai for a couple of nights before further north to Chiang Kong and crossing the Mekong River.
Love to you.. and we'll look forward to our next turn at cyber travel chat and the discovery of your messages from home.
muz n shell
Subject: Chiang Rai
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:33 PM
We hear it’s really cold...so sorry...5 degrees and more snow! Yikes! We're at 86 degrees, no humidity in Chiang Rai. We are heading up and over to Chiang Khong tomorrow to cross the Mekong into Laos and begin our river journey up the Namtha to Luang Namtha, We will be out of touch a few days, but then...what the hell. You are all probably tired of hearing from us anyway. We have been walking and eating and sleeping and NOT SHOPPING!.... well not as much anyway. I think Kathmandu cured us of that for a while. Its just nice to be able to sleep and read and do nothing. Kyp and I (Shelley) stopped for foot massages yesterday and after about 45 minutes working on our feet and legs, they put us face down on beds and massaged our backs, shoulders and heads...all for $7! Such a deal !
We love you all and want you to take care.
Shelley and Muzzy
Subject: Luang Prabang
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 2:41 AM
Well, we finally made it to Luang Prabang, Paris on the Mekong. It’s been an incredible few days of adventure and discovery. Crossed the Mekong at Chiang Khong to HuayXai, Laos. Met our guide, Xai (Sigh) and our boat crew (driver, navigator, wife and young son plus the teenaged daughter of the navigator...he sits in the bow with a sturdy oar and long bamboo pole to push off of rocks) and secured ourselves in our 3 foot by 45 foot canoe. Within the first half hour we were stranded on a submerged sandbar. Trousers rolled, we got out in the middle of the Mekong and helped push the boat free, hopped back in and promptly got stopped at the mouth of the Namtha with no power to the engine (a small 4 cylinder Toyota motor). The boatman disappeared up the bank and
came back with a new battery from we know not where...that wasn't the problem. He rebuilt the solenoid and starter with ancient tools...not the problem. Then he fixed the battery cable and we were on our way, about an hour late...and that is an issue on the Namtha.
We pulled into the boatman's village by flashlight after dark...the Namtha is rife with rapids and rocks and very low this time of year and an hour delay made a difference. Xai stood at he bow of the boat and held his flashlight over the water ahead. We made it. We scampered up the bank into the hillside village where we were given tiny little chairs (which Muzzy and Kyp promptly broke), warm Beer Lao, Lao Lao whiskey, and dinner, plus we were visited by all the young weavers. This time Shelley was ready for them!
Dinner consisted of the ubiquitous sticky rice, plus a bowl of greens and the piece de resistance, pork, buffalo and some chicken…we think. The headman came to the hut and smoked a cigar with Muzzy and we requested our beds. Not too bad, on the floor with neon colored Chinese quilts, actually quite toasty, mosquito nets for all (to keep out the centipedes!). In the morning we were invited to walk around the village. We bought more amazing textiles, Muzzy's camera was smokin', and about 8:30 we got in an even
smaller boat for the final leg of the journey.
It’s impossible to describe the wonder of the Lao jungle. Giant bamboo, karst mountain rising starkly to either side of the boat, small villages full of daily river life, water buffalo lounging and birds darting back and forth. It was magnificent...and then we came across some particularly rough rapids and lost the propeller...twice. The boatman stripped to his undies, dove in the river and by god he found the damn thing! He banged it back on with a rock and we were off. The river was VERY VERY low and we were the last boat to
make it in to Luang Namtha...whew!
Two days in Namtha, trekking through villages, visiting the morning market full of northern delicacies…deep fried bat, river kelp dried with sesame seeds as a snack food. We found some lovely textiles at a woman's co-op, all natural dyes, and great earrings and handwoven indigo dyed cotton from the Lienten village just outside the town. We recovered and enjoyed the Boat Landing Guest House....very nice folks...lovely setting, great traditional food and hot solar powered showers.
Left for Luang Prabang yesterday...seems like a lifetime ago...amazing ride over the ridges through Hmong villages perched impossibly on the narrow ridgetops...and into Luang Prabang which is like another world...its so beautiful here...those of us who were here last year will be happy to know the silk lady remembered us all and sends her regards. She invited us to lunch tomorrow to help celebrate her store’s years in business...I'm not sure how many years it was, but you can see that I probably spent way too much money with her already. Sarah...you will be happy to know I am using my Lao, and everyone is much impressed with me. Gang Lai to Mama!
So...Internet was down this morning. We leave for Thailand on Friday...Shelley is ill from spending so much money and making so many decisions.
We really do miss you all but would love to have you sitting on the banks of the Mekong with the warm breezes blowing around with us...Luang Prabang is getting quite ritzy, but it is soooooooooooooooo lovely, you only wish it well. The night market is much better this year...but maybe its me (Shelley).
Love to you all!
Shelley and Muzzy
Subject: Luang Prabang goodbye
Date: Thursday, January 25, 2007 4:56 AM
EEK! ACKK! ZOUNDS! We depart Laos tomorrow on Lao Air who will lift us out on a wing and a prayer, off to Bangkok. As soon as we arrive we'll book a train south to Surat Thani and then out to the island of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Siam. Shelley left most of our money at the silk shop Sarah found for us last year....they have added an antique textile shop now...oh my god! The night market took whatever else we had, and we found the BEST mojitos in Laos...it was beer Lao and peanuts tonight. Visited many temples, found hidden mermaids and flying angels. This morning Muz and Kyp summitted Phosi
mountain at sunrise and paid respects at the temple there. There is a big temple "to do" tomorrow morning and for warm up there are drums and cymbals at 4 am...since we are staying across the street from the Wat, it’s pretty dramatic!
We’ll write again from the island...
Our love to all
Shell & Muz
Subject: Winding down
Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 7:13 PM
It's that alienating point of the trip where we hope everything isgoing ok back there ... not much we could do about it if it wasn't. We're actually ready to come home. Overall... we're doing fine in the throes of thisadventure. We do get emails that have kept us abreast of the winter weather many of you have been challenged with. Here...on this island....Been pretty stormy.. big big surf etc...monsoon-like rain off and on... Quite a boat ride over here from the next island. It's calmed down now and the sea has turned placid and turquoise. We're in a squid etc fishing village. Muz found a motorbike of sorts and has been exploring. It's jungley...coconut trees..banana trees...birds, monkeys. The weather goes from warm to hot. I know I know... poor us. We leave on Friday for Samui Island then Bangkok Air lifts us out back to Bangkok. Then we go up to Chiang Mai in the north for a couple of days. an overnight train ride through the jungle back to Bangkok, then back home through China. Its been an amazing journey, really full and fun and wonderful. Muz has been burning up the new camera and has some spectacular shots. Shelley has been shopping to exhaustion and Kyp has been a good sport about all of our peculiarities. We miss home and miss you all and look forward to pasta, salads and a cushy bed....NO SAND FLEAS! We look like refugees from a smallpox epidemic!
See you soon!
Love, Muz n Shell
