Wings for my Love

Wings for my Love
Geo 202 Field Trip

Legend

Hiking
Motorbike
Driving
Cycling
Bus
Boat
Plane
Train
Hitchhiking

Sumas Mountain - Run For Water, Canada ‐ May 27, 2017

Had a great time running in the Sumas Mountain Run For Water trail run on Saturday! The weather was hot and the turnout was great. I even managed a 3rd place overall finish!
Sumas Mtn Upper Lot ‐ May 23, 2017

Now registered for the Run for Water race, a 2nd run through of the course was in order. Despite not having trail run in ages, I am feeling pretty good about race day this Saturday.

+4

Sumas Mountain Run for Water Trail Run
Sumas Mountain Lower Parking ‐ May 6, 2017

Two days after my return home, and I'm dragged out to a jog-through of an 11km mountain trail-run track on Sumas Mountain. Canada felt bloody cold that damp morning, but I was sweating within 500m of the start. To be running through my native rain forests again was a treat I cherished, despite the mild precipitation that made a crescendo on the last kilometer, and the leftover cold I left Singapore with.
Burgers And Fries ‐ May 21, 2017

Taking Nikki out for her first day of outdoor climbing, we had a full agenda. Lucky for me, she learns wicked quick. Though we got stuck in terrible May long weekend traffic with construction lane closures but no sign of workers, and didn't arrive at the Smoke Bluffs until 1pm, we still managed to get in 10 climbs each, leaving only when the sky had darkened like the grit blood and grime on our hands.
MEC North Vancouver

Stopping in to MEC on our way to Squamish, the proper harness and belay biner/device is chosen and a new helmet bought, making Nikki set to join me in her first outdoor climbing adventure.
Slesse Memorial Trailhead ‐ May 20, 2017

My thirst for the mountainous giants of the cascades found Nikki, Tyler and I exploring the Slesse Memorial FSR Road - which was in shockingly good condition. We ran into snow before even reaching the river, then saw that the main bridge had been washed out. The amount of snow still on the ground gave me a small insight to how great and snowy a Winter I missed this year. As we rose up on the trail, so did the peaks in the sky. Seeing grand massifs such as Slesse and Rexford again, coated in [...]
white, baring their jagged granite teeth at the blazing sun, excited such a thrill inside me, that I can't think of anything I would have rather seen in the world.

+3

Mount Slesse: Scoping out the Memorial Trail
Lindeman Lake Trail ‐ May 17, 2017

Tyler, bored and needing a break from school, picked me up, and we went for a nice evening hike. This is the perfect trail to play "The ground is lava/water." This trail is so gnarled and rocky that getting to the lake using nothing but roots and rocks is definitely possible, and its a great balance workout to boot!

+3
Elk Mountain

We hiked up Elk a week later, and found snow considerably lower than before. Since Chino the chocolate lab was with us, we never ran into 'Chicken' the grouse, but we did manage to find ourselves inside of a snowing cloud with a 'great view.'

+5

Elk Mountain, and One Week Later
Elk Mountain Trailhead ‐ May 12, 2017

Went for a hike up Elk to find some long missed Canadian snow with Nikki and Dylan. There wasn't much on the South, but within the sub-alpine forest, and on the North side of the mountain, enough to quench my thirst, for now. A grouse followed us up the trail for more than a kilometer. We called him 'Chicken'
Teapot Hill ‐ May 14, 2017

May 14 - Mother's Day hike up Teapot Hill with the girls. We counted 10 teapots and 2 tea cups on the way up. I wonder how many there will be later in the year..?
Thom Creek Trailhead ‐ May 10, 2017
Project Climbing Centre ‐ May 5, 2017

86.3 km
Vancouver International Airport ‐ May 3, 2017

7 520 km

+3

Homeward Bound
Narita International Airport, Japan ‐ May 4, 2017

5 385 km
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia

+8

From Trains to Planes
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 Sepang ‐ May 3, 2017

5 km
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA1) مطار كوالالمبور الدولي

60 km

After spending an hour on the bus, we arrived at Terminal 1. It then took another 20 to 30 minutes before the bus finally pulled into Terminal 2.
Bus To Airport

I arrived at the bus stop at 4:30pm, and boarded the airport bus at 5:00pm.
Restoran Ganesh ‐ May 2, 2017

0.4 km

This restaurant by my guesthouse became my favourite during my stay in KL. For less than 5 Ringet (~$1.50CAD), they serve me rice with assorted piles of vegetables and varieties of sauces spread out across a giant section of banana leaf. If at any time I want more rice or vegetables, they will supply it free of cost. The masala tea was good, albeit, more expensive than I was used to.
Flea Market Petaling Street

0.8 km

Walking back towards our guest house, we stopped in at the petaling street market, and bought many little gift items for the eventual trip home.
Kuala Lumpur Station

13 km

Leaving the temple in the cave, we made our way to the nearby Batu Cave Station, where we took a train back into town.
Batu Caves

5 km

Arriving at the Batu Caves, the first thing anyone will probably notice, is the tallest statue in the world of Lord Murugan - an important deity in Hinduism - standing nearly 150ft tall. Behind the statue, 272 steps lead up to the main cave and temple inside. This location is considered one of the most important sites of Hinduism in the world, ranking alongside the most renowned sites in India.

+5

Batu Caves Explored
Rock Climbing Gua Damai (Damai Wall)

19 km

Damien and I took a Grab (kind of like an Uber), and were dropped off at the Damai Wall on the North of the mountain which houses the famous Batu Caves. I met his friends who were waiting there, and managed to get 4 good climbs in before the torrential rains began. It was the wettest I've ever gotten while climbing, and after retrieving the rope and gear from the climb, we ducked out to cover, and watched as the water rose up past our ankles. It was clear there was no more climbing to be had [...]
for the day, so we called in a Grab, and made our way to the Batu Caves.
Dorms KL 2 Guesthouse ‐ May 1, 2017

2.4 km

Arriving back at my new, hip, and happening guesthouse, they were able to finish checking me in to my spacious 4 bed dorm with A/C, and lockers big enough for all my possessions (a first in my travels). Shortly after checking in, I hear a guy with an impressive mustache say: "... it's a place where you can climb over the water, and if you fall, you just land in the water." At this point I interrupted the man and asked: "Are you talking about Tonsai? I was there two weeks ago." He was, and we [...]
quickly learned that we both had plans to go climb at the Batu Caves the following day, so we added each other on Facebook, and made plans to meet later.
Menara Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Tower)

2.9 km

On my way back to the guesthouse, I walked to the top of the hill that is home to the Kuala Lumpur Tower, which I had seen spraying light to the midnight sky so obnoxiously on my first night. The top of the hill was not the most flattering spot to view the tower, and since I decided not to go up to the viewpoint, opted instead to walk by the upside down house and over to the tree bridges, the latter of which caught my attention in a much greater fashion, and yielded some great views of the surr [...]
ounding city from bridges high up in the trees.

+5

Searching for the Twin Towers
KLCC Park

The KLCC Park provides a nice break from the busyness of Kuala Lumpur. A diverse collection of trees and plants cover the rolling hills of grass set on either side of the multiple man-made lakes which lay roughly centered in the landscape. Some of the best views of Kuala Lumpur's most impressive towers can be seen from different vantage points within this park.
Petronas Twin Towers

4.4 km

After eating a lunch at Restoran Ganesh close by my new guesthouse (Dorms KL 2), I decided to walk to the famous Petronas Twin Towers. I had hardly started walking, when a car pulled up beside me, and a local man whom I had chatted with during lunch offered me a ride. I told him I was fine to walk, but he insisted, so I jumped into the left-hand passenger seat and he made short work of the distance to the tall landmark towers - which glimmered brilliantly in the afternoon sun.
Submarine guest House @ central market ‐ Apr 30, 2017

It took some time to find my gueshouse for that night, and I was shocked at the number of homeless people crowding the streets, trying to sleep on bits of cardboard laid out underneath the overhangs of large buildings. Finally I located the Submarine Guest House near on midnight, and realize that I accidentally booked in a female dorm. Luckily, the manager was super friendly, and was able to switch me to an appropriate room. Though I switched to a new guesthouse the next day, I was a little s [...]
ad to leave the friendly environment of the Submarine.
Masjid Jamek Metro

12.2 km

Exiting the Masjid Jamek station, I quickly noticed the Kuala Lumpur Tower lighting up the night sky with lights brighter than the stars spinning rapidly around the top observation deck looking like an obnoxious disco ball frantically hurling light out into the darkness. I'm sure everybody with windows facing the towers direction that night had something to complain about.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

354.7 km

We finally arrived at the bus station at 11pm (for half of the passengers, it was the wrong bus station), over 13 hours after when the bus was intended to leave from Singapore. I picked up a metro map, and found my way to the correct platform.
Tuas Checkpoint Singapore, Singapore

35 km

Not only did we have to stop at the checkpoint on the Singapore side, but we had to check-in on the Malaysian side as well. Between these two stops, two hours or more passed by before we were back on the road... in the wrong direction! For whatever reason, the driver brought us to a city in the East, despite not having anyone to pick up there. What was supposed to be a 6 hour bus ride, slowly dragged into a 13 hour one,
Golden Mile Complex Singapore ‐ Apr 29, 2017

4.7 km

My bus to Kuala Lumpur arrived nearly an hour late, then proceeded to drive us in a giant loop around town, arriving back at the very spot it picked us up from. Finally, we were off to the West end of the island, passing by the piers and the cargo docks of the South.
7 Tavern Singapore ‐ Apr 28, 2017

6.1 km

If you enjoy electronic darts, and $12-20 beers (this is cheaper than downtown), this little but happening bar might be for you. As it happens, it is one of my friend Michael's favourite hangouts from when he lived in this neighborhood. After hanging out with him for a couple of hours, and playing a few games of darts, it was time to head back to the hostel, and get some sleep before the trip back to Malaysia in the morning.
Helix Bridge Singapore

Finally leaving the Cloud Forest, I was able to make it to the Helix Bridge in time to catch sunset. This beautiful walking bridge supplied a fantastic view of the cityscape high-rise horizon in the fading light of day, as the sun set just East (left) of the tall buildings.

+12

Gardens by the Bay
Cloud Forest Singapore

The Cloud Forest Dome unlike anything I have ever seen at a botanical garden, and is a must see for anyone passing through the area, even if plants aren't your 'thing.' Entering the dome from the stifling 34 degrees Celsius outside, I was confronted with the largest indoor waterfall, pouring water off the top of a nearly 140ft tall artificial mountain covered top to bottom with a colourful array of plant life. The spray from the waterfall misted all who enter in the most refreshing kind of way [...]
. Walking around the large artificial mountain, it doesn't take long to look up, and notice the curvy sky-walks 6 stories overhead. Elevators take spectators to the top of the mountain, and from there, a path winds through the upper level, and out to the tall walkways that circle slowly down, around, and through the mountain. Somehow a few hours went by while I explored inside the Cloud Forest Dome, and I easily could have spent more time had I not been in a bit of a hurry!
Flower Dome Singapore

The Flower Dome display hosts a fascinatingly diverse spectrum of flowers, succulents and trees from many different ecosystems, all under the glass panes of the largest columnless greenhouse in the world. Throughout the display, animals, and dragons can be found, intricately woven out of pieces of wood, and colourful assortments of flowers are made to emulate famous works by Van Gogh. This bio-dome reminded me a little of one I had visited a few years back in GuangZhou, South China.
The Future of Us Exhibition

Making an exit out the other side of the Marina Bay Sands, we crossed the street towards Gardens by the Bay. A giant 3 entrance dome caught our eyes. Light shines through the patterned light metal construction, and many pictures were taken of the Marina Bay Sands, the skyscraper horizon of downtown Singapour, and the giant metallic flowers that loomed over the trees from the Gardens by the Bay.
Marina Bay Sands Singapore

4 km

If you're walking down close to the Singapore Bay, and you spot an enormous 340m long curved boat suspended far up in the sky, you're probably looking at the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino, one of the most extravagant in the world. Parked outside are Lamborghini and Ferrari cars. Feeling well out of my league, I took a nice leisurely stroll through the refreshing air conditioned bottom level of this bourgeoisie masterpiece of the gambling world - one in which I could never immerse myself in [...]
.

+8

A Walk to the Bay
Blue Jazz Hostel Singapore

2.4 km

I woke up the next day, and found out that my hostel was booked up when I went to pay for another night. I packed my bags, and headed off in search of another hostel for my last night in Singapore. Knowing I had to catch a bus the next morning, I selected a few to check out in the general direction of where I had to be the following day. I ended up at the Blue Jazz hostel, which seemed pretty hip, clean and with a good atmosphere. Altogether, the stay was fine, but I'm not sure I'll go back [...]
there, finding out that from late night until 8:30am there are no staff attending to the place. I met a man Jerome in the lobby while checking in, and he seemed interested in joining me on my last day's wandering through the city.
Greendot Vegetarian ‐ Apr 27, 2017

2.3 km

After a day spent exploring, I met up with my friend Michael, who I had met by chance on a trip to Nevada a few years before. He treated me out to dinner, and we caught up and got to know more about each other, not really having known that much from the first time we met. We said our good byes, and decided to meet up the next day for my last night in town.
Masjid Sultan Singapore ‐ May 27, 2017

0.6 km

Finally making it to the business center I had spied in the horizon earlier, I gawked at the tall skyscrapers like a little boy in awe, then noticed the Masjid Sultan Mosque, which lured me with yet greater force with its majestic exoticism. So overwhelmed with the countless temples I had visited earlier on my trip, the sudden presence of mosques seemed to be a fresh and exotic change to the landscape, and I was more than happy to cast my eyes on the architectural product of foreign lands and b [...]
elief. The area around the mosque proved to be very interesting, with fabric markets, small alleys adored with artwork and leading to cafes, bars and trendy merchandise stores featuring hand-crafted, or specialty products.
Muslim Cemetery Singapore ‐ Apr 27, 2017

0.9 km

Wandering wherever looked most interesting to my eye, I happened down a road between two plots of land strangely vacant of buildings. On the right hand side of the road from me looked like a jungle, contained by an old and interesting brick wall barely more than a meter tall. I saw the ruins of some kind of a small single room building with graffeti on the walls, and decided to walk closer and check it out. Peering over the wall, I noticed a few small tombstones surrounding the structure. Wal [...]
king a little further on, the trees opened up a little, and hundreds of these small uniquely shaped stones became visible. Something about the graveyard impressed me greatly. The lack of extravagance and the deep green jungle-like appearance gave the yard such a natural and authentic feel, that I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. I hope I wasn't disrespectful in doing so.

+5

Of Mosques and Towers
Abdul Gafoor Mosque

0.2 km

Content, and with a full stomach, I detoured down Mayo Street to check out a Mosque I saw on Maps.me. Though I only saw it from the outside, I was happy to take the detour because it was cute, colourful, and unique in design from all the others I had seen.
Lakshmi Govindamah Restaurant

The next day, not wanting to go back to the Tekka Centre, I found this little restaurant, and was served a much larger plate of food for a little less than the cost of the previous days. Great success!
Mount Emily Park Singapore ‐ Apr 26, 2017

1 km

Looking on Maps.me, I noticed Mount Emily Park. I liked the sound of that and headed over. It wasn't much of a mountain, and it sure didn't give me any kind of view for the sunset, so I continued on to the next park... only to find it was closed, and had a sign saying not to trespass, with a picture of a man pointing a gun at another man - okay, I get the point, I wont enter!

+2

A Quick Walk About
Farrer Park Fields Singapore

0.8 km

Out back of the Tekka Centre, I found the Tan Teng Niah house, a collection of old English-style houses painted up in beautiful bright colours. Close by was the the Farrer Park field, not much interesting for me there, except for a chain hanging between two posts that I used as a slackline.
Tekka Centre

Tekka Centre was a bit of a dismal place, and as I found out later, wasn't the cheapest food for the quality/quantity. I ate a mediocre vegetable rice, and went off exploring my side of Little India.
Clifden Hostel Singapore

I find the Clifden Hostel, and am greeted kindly, both in person, and with the cool refreshment of air conditioning. Hungry as heck, having turned down the chicken wrap offered on the plane (they had no vegetarian option), I asked where the nearest cheap food was located, and then I was off to Tekka Centre.
Rochor MRT station (DT13)

0.8 km

I make it to the Rochor station, but realize that I've misplaced my metro card! Luckily, a nice woman at the info desk scans me through and saves me the $3 for a replacement card.

+4

Singapore Bound
Bugis Stn Singapore

11.2 km

From Bugis, I transfer to the DT (Downtown) line. Its only one station up to Rochor, which puts me on the edge of Little India.
Tanah Merah Stn Singapore

7 km

The MRT from the airport only travels two stations before getting to the end of the line. From here I take the EW (East - West) Line to Bugis Station.
Changi Airport Boulevard

1 km

Making it to Terminal 2, I take the elevator down to the bottom floor, and purchase a metro ticket to Little India; I will need to make two transfers to get there.
Singapore Changi International Airport

600 km

I am happy to arrive at Singapore airport, since the Air Asia flight left me pissed off - I paid for a package deal that included checked baggage and an in-flight meal, but when it was time to eat, I learned that didn't have a vegetarian option. I found the Air Asia counter to make a complaint, but they directed me to their website, a policy they probably picked up after having to deal with too many complaints coming in. I grabbed some Singapore dollars, and made my way to Terminal 2 via monor [...]
ail.
Penang International Airport, Malaysia

17 km

Waking up at 6:30am, I shower, pack my bags, and bid farewell to my friend Stanislov and Michael before jumping in my Uber ride to the airport. With 5 months left before my passport expires, I am once again hassled and made to wait 15 or more minutes while they ensure I can board my flight. No I'm not renewing my passport in Singapore, my legal document says I am valid for another 5 months; yes I have a return flight booked, here is the info... One of the ladies even told me I could be fined f [...]
or traveling with a passport with less than 6 months of validity. I'd like to see them try and deal with this stubborn Canadian!
Jetty Lim Georgetown ‐ Apr 25, 2017

Walking to the end of Chulia, I explored another of the clan jetties with the last of the fading light. The view was incredible, but at low tide, the smell terrible.
Street Art Lebuh Chulia Georgetown

13 km

Back on foot, I decided to make the most of my last day in Penang, and wandered Chulia snapping pictures of all the art I could find. There is so much famous art here, it becomes a little like an Easter egg hunt. Since I missed out on celebrating Easter, this seemed fitting.

+17

Penang's Famous Street Art - A Small Selection
Floating Mosque Penang

30 km

From the beach, I set my sights on the floating mosque, which lay halfway between myself, and the bike rental place I was already late going back to. I stopped for just long enough to snap a few pictures and discover the secret to it's 'floating' namesake, then booted it back towards Sam bookstore to return my bike.

+4

The Last Half of the Penang Loop
Lunch - Balik Pulau

10 km

We carried on, and the road brought us back up into the hills, but this time on pristine roads that wound their way through switchbacks taken at speed, occasionally stopping at viewpoints to take in the sights. As soon as we made it to the North end of the island, we found a quite little beach where only a few locals were found swimming or fishing. With my toe still on the mend, I didn't take any chances, and I bid my friends farewell and headed off solo.

+5

Kek Lok Si Downpour, and the Dirt Road Beyond
Air Itam Dam

0.9 km

We made our way around the dam, not as pictured on the map, but around the other side of the body of water (maps didn't show a road there, but it was the only one that got us around). From here until we got off the mountain, we followed a narrow cement road barely wider than a cars width. Dense foliage encroached in places, muddy patches weren't uncommon, and herds of monkeys watched us pass by from the side of the road. By the time we found our way over the mountain and back down into the sm [...]
all city of civilization we were dumped out in, it was time to stop for lunch, before completing the last half of the trip back to Georgetown.
Kek Lok Si Temple

9 km

The next day, a group of five of us decided to do a loop around the island. Our first stop, the famous Kek Lok Si Temple with the world largest statue of Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy. It was an impressive sight, and so were the black clouds moving rapidly towards us. Within minutes of us reaching the giant Buddha, the rain started pouring down. Stranded for nearly an hour, we waited out the rain, then continued on, but not on the main road the way maps recommended, but up the mountain. The ro [...]
ad narrowed, and water cascaded down the steep surface.from the recent downpour, then the road turned to mud and dirt. By the time we found our way up to the Air Itam Dam, all signs of clouds in the sky were gone, and the heat hit us with the added strength and humidity of the vaporizing moisture.
Penang Botanical Gardens ‐ Apr 24, 2017

9 km

With the day fading, I abandoned the idea of hiking the 10 kilometers up and down the hill in favour of visiting the botanical gardens at the base, surrounded by natural jungle. I was surprised to find out that entrance to the garden was free, and instantly made a b-line for the bamboo section. Always a sucker for bamboo, I started taking entirely too many (just barely enough) photos of multi-coloured canes, massive shrub-like clumpers, Buddha belly bamboo and hybrid black runners. Near the b [...]
ack of the garden, a few ladies were practicing yoga on a secluded platform. I took a few more pictures of a black bamboo I had never seen the likes of before, and turned around to find myself facing a man half-hidden by a bamboo grove with his dick in his hand. Shocked at the motions of the man's hand, I turned abruptly and walked the other way. He called out something to me, and uneasily I asked: "What?" and half turned back to him. "It's a beautiful place isn't it?" he asked as he stroked himself some more. It was pleasant until I ran into that guy, and quickly put as much distance between him and I as I could. I couldn't shake the image for the next few minutes (days?), and I decided I had to take drastic measures to cleanse my short-term memory. I found a small path marked out of bounds, and headed off into the jungle. It's incredible how quickly you can loose this national park, and end up walking up a densely foliated hillside stream, teaming with chirps and croaks and wails of the tropical inhabitants. This helped with the clearing of thoughts, and I retraced my steps back to the botanical garden. On my way through the loop, I ran into a large group of monkeys. Always a fan of these shit-disturbers, I stopped and talked to them for a bit. A baby monkey suckled his mother, which was adorably cute, but then another monkey mounted her while she fed her young! I hear that Singapore has an incredible botanical garden, but somehow I don't think it will be able to top the show the one in Penang gave me.

+9

The Botanical Gardens of Penang

A Shocking Day at the Botanical Gardens

With the day fading, I abandoned the idea of hiking the 10 kilometers up and down Penang Hill in favour of visiting the botanical gardens at the base surrounded by natural jungle. I was surprised to f...
H. S. Sam Book Store Georgetown

With less than a couple of days left in Penang, and having wasted some of my time here healing my toe, I decided it was time to pickup my travel game and found a place to rent me a semi-automatic Honda Wave. I had the intention of heading to Penang Hill to get a good view of the city, but the weather had other plans for me, and as I approached the hill, it began to pour sheets. I ducked out and took cover under the nearest awning available - an International society for Krishna consciousness. [...]
During the 45 odd minutes waiting out the rain, I was welcomed by those present, and informed that tonight at 7pm was a large celebration, and I was welcome to join them and partake. The offer was very tempting, but as it was only 5pm, and the rain was subsiding, I had things to do and see with the remaining light.
Masjid Kapitan Keling Penang Malaysia ‐ Apr 23, 2017
Hin Bus Depot Art Center Jalan Gurdwara Georgetown George Town Penang Malaysia

I arrived back at the guesthouse, only to find out that a pop-up market was going on for another hour - in pretty much the same area I had just walked back from! Flipping a bitch, I hobbled back the way I came with my two friends, and made it to a small market of handmade trinkets, art, drinks and treats, set in a small, somewhat hard to find courtyard completely adorned with artwork, both small and very large. The old bus stop opened my eyes, with its giant murals, and small skatepark tucked [...]
away from the main street in a private, cozy, quite kind of way. Though I never bought any of the somewhat expensive trinkets, an older artist from Taiwan approached me and asked me if he could do a 3 minute portrait of me for free. I like free a lot, and I was flattered by his offer, so 3 minutes later, I had a piece of memorabilia to walk away with.

+3

The Hin Bus Depot Art Center
Komtar Tower Georgetown Penang

Having walked about on my toe a bit the day before, I decided it was doing well enough to continue exercising it. I bandaged it up, and headed down to the Komtar Tower to get a good panoramic view of the city. Unfortunately, when I finally found my way up to the 6th floor where they sold tickets to the top, the lady informed me that the cheapest ticket was 119 Ringgit, nearly $40 Canadian. I can buy a plane ticket from Penang to Singapore for that!! So, disappointed, I left the building, to [...]
stubborn and too cheap to drop the bills.
Fort Cornwallis - Vaisakhi Festival ‐ Apr 22, 2017

Cultural festivals can be a hit or miss thing if you are an outsider; some are interesting and draw you in, and others are either beyond grasping, or a little on the dull side. Vaisakhi in Penang was definitely a hit. During the 3 or so hours that Stanislov and I attended, we explored Fort Cornwallis, watched numerous dance groups perform various high energy dances in a colourful assortment of traditional dress, even got the chance to witness a fascinating 30 minute Sikh martial arts demonstra [...]
tion, and ate delicious (and free!) Punjabi food - and let me tell you, they sure know how to make mean vegetarian dishes!

+6

Vaisakhi at Cornwallis
The Cenotaph War Memorial Jalan Padang Kota Lama George Town Penang Malaysia

Knowing that it was the evening of the Vaisakhi Festival - a significant religious holiday for both Sikh and Hindu - Stanislov and I made our way down towards Fort Cornwallis in a roundabout fashion.
1921 Art Gallery & Travel Lodge ‐ Apr 21, 2017

With a foot still bothering me and seeping fluids every time my bandages ripped off the skin underneath trying to heal, I decided it was best if I dedicated a day to recovery. Though being stuck inside a building in a new city full of unexplored secrets drove me a little crazy throughout the day, the owner of the guesthouse was incredibly accommodating, and even had one of the employees run down the street to grab me some cheap, delicious local rice curry. I think the day off helped a lot, bec [...]
ause the next day, I felt I had it in me to go out and explore... unfortunately, someone inside the hostel broke an interior window accidentally, and guess who walked barefoot right through the mosaic of glass shards in the morning? Lets just say that after digging a few pieces of glass out of my foot during the day, I'm certain there are no more than two left unfound.
Komtar Tower Georgetown ‐ Apr 20, 2017

Having spent much time in Georgetown, Stan showed me through the neighborhood avoiding most of the main streets in favor of discrete alleys lined with blackened walls and the blossoming foliage of tropical greenery. Over and over again, I am amazed at the quantity of artwork throughout the town. Painting, murals, sculptures, wire-framed pictures and script cover walls and fill spaces in parks, complimenting this historic city with timeless art. Though we made it to the base of the Komtar Towe [...]
r, which is also the main bus terminal for Georgetown, I will save the panoramic view for another day.

+3

The Island Penang
Clan Jetties of Penang

After snacking on some samosas in Little India, then eating noodle soup in China Town, My Russian friend Stan took me for a walk out to the Clan Jetties of Penang - a collection of shops and houses built over the water by Chinese immigrants in the late 1800's. Many of the customs from the original immigrants are still practiced by the clans still living on the jetties today, making this heritage site an interesting historical place to visit, and a cheap place to buy trinkets compared with in th [...]
e city.
1921 Art Gallery & Travel Lodge - Penang Malaysia ‐ Apr 19, 2017

495 km

9 hours of travel by mini bus with a stomach flu - nauseous, and only able to force a few chips, some soy milk, and part of a fruit into my stomach - is definitely a fun way to start a trip in a new country with an infected toe. The border crossing into Malaysia was relatively painless luckily, and my spirits began to rise as the bus reached the 13.5km long bridge spanning the gap from the mainland to Penang Island. What looked like a small island on the map, became a shoreline of tall skyscra [...]
pers as we neared the end of the bridge. The bus headed up North to Georgetown, and dropped me off at 8:30pm within 400m of my guesthouse. The short walk to the guesthouse showed me a classy atmosphere of old architecture dressed up tastefully into beautiful shops, restaurants and hotels. I entered the guesthouse, and was greeted by the owner and a collection of Malay, Russian, and French guests who invited me to the table for a drink of scotch. They sure know how to make a traveler unwind and feel at home after a long journey!
Baan Nisarine, Thailand ‐ Apr 18, 2017

From the Krabi pier, I hiked my bags over to Baan Nisarine. It felt strange to be back in a city again. I enjoyed street market food, picked up snacks at their original low prices, bought antibiotics and anti-septics. I asked the lady at the front desk if she knew where the post office was, since I needed to get envelopes and stamps to send some postcards. "Give to me, 45 Baht!" was her sharp response. That was the last I saw of those postcards that I had carried through 3 countries, and ha [...]
d been marked by the saltwater spray of the Andaman Sea. When I realized that they had no address (as I had yet to purchase envelopes), I was passing into Malaysia. By the time I was able to contact Baan Nisarine, they told me they couldn't help me, and that I should go buy new cards to send. What a disappointment.
Kong Ka Pier Pak Nam Krabi Thailand

11.8 km

+6

Making the Move - Tonsai to Krabi
Floating Pier - Railay East

Though it may have been easier to go back to Krabi the way I came, the easy way doesn't always look as good on a map. My good friend Chris helped my crippled self by carrying my heavy bag all the way over to Railay East. We said our goodbyes, both looking forward to meeting up sometime in America, and I was off by boat to Krabi town.
First Aid Clinic - Tonsai Bay Resort ‐ Apr 17, 2017

On the first day of Songkran (April 13), I ran over to Railay to grab money from the ATM. On my way back to Tonsai, walking back through the jungle path barefoot, I stepped on a large 3cm+ thorn with my large toe. I pulled the long wooden sliver out, and ran back to the Songkran festivities thinking nothing of it. The next day I woke up and stood, the feeling of glass being jarred about and twisted within my big toe made me sit quick and take a look at the damage. I was surprised to only see [...]
a tiny entrance wound from the large jungle thorn; no sign of glass. I cleaned the tiny wound and limped around for the day. The next day I woke to yet more pain than the day before. This time, however, swelling was obvious, and the area around the wound and under the skin was a sickly yellow. Applying pressure to my toe, puss oozed from the tiny pinprick of a wound that 2 days before wouldn't have been cause for any alarm. I had heard much about the famous case of Tonsai Toe, and now I was starring right at it. Foot injuries are common to those that live in Tonsai for more than a few days, probably because the rustic living (no power from 6am-6pm), hippie vibes, and lost island feel cause people to loose their shoes and shirts in favour of natural freedoms available in so few places in conservative Asia. Any cut received in Tonsai must be cleaned quickly and thoroughly, because every aspect of the environment is working against you. The salt water in some areas (especially during low tide) is unclean, the heat and humidity provide a luxury resort for bacteria and organisms, and the jungle and limestone provide countless points of unfavourable contact. I limped myself in slow motion down to the First Aid Clinic at the Tonsai Bay Resort. On my first visit, the nurse gave me a surgical needle, some band-aids and sold me some Ibuprofen pills to help with the swelling. Using the needle, I lifted the skin around the wound, and learned that I had an abscess of accumulating fluids. Two days later, I returned, taking pictures of the artwork on the infamous Tonsai wall as I hobbled my way down. The nurse opened up my toe just enough to get in and clean it thoroughly, bandaged it, and welcomed me back to get the dressing changed the next day on my way out of Tonsai. I did exactly that, and said see you later (in Tonsai, it's never good bye) to the many people I came to know, and prepared for the continuation of my trip.

+8

Some Art Highlights from the Tonsai Wall
Sunset Bar Ao Nang Krabi Thailand ‐ Apr 14, 2017

After the first day of Songkran, the water fighting mostly subsided in Tonsai, unlike cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai which continue for the full duration of the holiday. Excitement, however, never seems to be lacking in Tonsai. Though Chris had taken down his 60m longline over the bay, he fathered a new line 22 meters long which hung 10 meters off the ground above Sunset Pirate Bar. In order to get to this line, one must climb a ladder located beside the permanent Sunset slackline to r [...]
each a tiny highline 4 meter long, which bridges the gap between the ladder and the tree anchoring the longer highline. On top of now having 3 slacklines, a rope swing was also setup, allowing someone with no slackline skill to climb to the top of the ladder and take an 8 meter freefall with the safety of rope and harness.

+3

Some Pictures from Songkran
Songkran at Chillout ‐ Apr 13, 2017

5 minutes after waking, I left my dorm and said hello to my local friends 'A' and 'B' (I'm not shitting you, those are their nicknames!). 'A' asked me if I had smokes, I looked at him confused and said no. 'B' asked me if he could do something on my phone, so I passed it over, and he began doing something on it. While I was looking at 'B', 'A' dumped a bucket of water on my head, and so began Songkran (Thai New Year), the worlds largest water festival/fight. Sadly, not many pictures were tak [...]
en of this event, for fear of ruining a perfectly good phone which should have been kept in a waterproof sealed bag. At the street front of Chill Out, the boys had brought out two very large containers which they filled with water, and for the next few hours everyone flocked to the water with buckets, squirt guns, water bottles with holes poked in them, or any other means of transporting water from the container to the people, and especially to the people who looked dry. Tourists and locals, motorbikes and golf carts, big backpacks small backpacks or nothing at all, nobody was safe from the water. If someone held up a phone as 'safety', someone else would sneak up behind and douse their back. Though I didn't catch Songkran in Chiang Mai, or one of the larger cities, I really felt the togetherness of this holiday with the locals and travelers I am lucky enough to have befriended in the 2 weeks of my stay here. All the children were out participating with laughter and shrieks of surprise, some of them stayed put in the buckets of water so that they were never too far from the ammunition of this wet day. Of all my days in Tonsai, I think this is the only one where heat was not an issue, and for that I am very thankful. Evening came, and the water fight slowed (but never died completely so long as I was around), and the boys brought out a large barbecue, and began preparing a large meal for whomever wanted to join. The following days of the festival, I noticed a closer bond between everyone who participated. All the kids now stop me and say hello, or ask if I want to go on the slackline with them, and of course I oblige. Sadly, at some point on the first day of Songkran, I pulled out a 3cm long thorn out of my big toe, and am worried that a piece may be stuck somewhere deep inside.

+3

A Few More Pictures From Songkran
Phra Nang Cave Beach ‐ Apr 11, 2017

While checking Maps.me, I had noticed mention of a shrine in Phra Nang Cave... I wasn't expecting to see a cave full of phallic objects and a shrine dedicated to fertility! The south of Thailand is so vastly different than the north, and I never cease to be surprised by it! We setup camp, and hung the hammock between tufas and stalactites before playing around on the naturally featured climbing wall protected from the light sprinkle that had started. We prepared a small fire close to the hammo [...]
ck and hung out for a couple hours prior to finding our way back to Tonsai in the dark. With tide near its highest, we decided to try a new path back, one which took us much higher on the hillside, but avoided all contact with the encroaching water. We made it back to Tonsai late, and found a few others 'celebrating' the full moon. I'm actually a little glad that I missed out on the mayhem of Koh Phanang's full moon party, and feel I got more out of staying put than travelling to a distant, expensive, vastly touristic island party.

+6

Full Moon Festival
Phra Nang Beach Ao Nang Krabi Thailand

My original plan was to travel to Koh Phanang to properly experience the full moon festival, but the closer the date came to the festival, the less I wanted to go. Instead, I chose to stay in the Tonsai area and enjoy the full moon and coming Thai new year (Songkran), in a home-like environment surrounded by friends. The plan for the night was to head over to Phra Nang beach for sunset, then make a campfire in one of the caves. Shortly after the sun set beautifully behind the Andaman Sea and [...]
our eyes adapted to the increasing darkness, the flickering lights of hundreds of lightning bugs became visible as they wove their way in and around the trees at the back of the beach. We stared at this spectacle for a few minutes before packing our stuff and moving on.

The Days Leading Up to Songkran

Full Moon My original plan was to travel to Koh Phanang to properly experience the full moon festival, but the closer the date came to the festival, the less I wanted to go. Instead, I chose to stay i...
Highline ‐ Apr 10, 2017

For the 5 days that Chris's highline was up, many climbers, adventurers, and tourists walking along Tonsai Bay caught the incredible sight of him or others walking this tremendous line. This line is not for the feint of heart, and even caused a few climbers to question the approach (or sanity) of such serious business. After hiking to the location, the approach starts with a 10m vertical ascent of a fixed rope using ascenders or prusiks which brings you to a sloping ledge. From here, a fixed r [...]
ope traverses up and to the right around the wall; at times I was leaning out from a vertical wall with nothing but a rope in hand to hold on to, 30m(100ft) from the rock below. Once around the corner, another few meters of traversing brings the cave where one end of the line is anchored, and the adventurous few wait for their turn on the line. Its a squat, warm cave with an incredible view of the bay, but a relatively shitty one of the highline, unless you dare to hang out from the top of the overhanging cliff where the cave resides. Leaning out from the cave, while someone is on the line, is the quickest way to realize how incredibly loose this line is. Depending on where the person in on the line, they may be anywhere from 3 - 6 meters below the anchors! With a little convincing from Chris I traversed the wall out of the cave and positioned myself to secure into the leash attached to the line. Even before touching the line, I knew that it was a beast out of my skill set, but as a sucker for punishment, I clipped into the wheeled hangover, and slid myself out into that once empty space residing between the two towers of limestone. The view in every direction, up, down, and 360 degrees around is incredible from this perspective, but it comes at the price of having to take a fall on the line, which is something almost too much for the mind to handle. As the hangover is removed and clipped to my harness, and I have swung my center of balance up and over the line to a sitting position looking out at the vast length stretched out in front (and behind) of me, my mind begins to race questions: "why the heck am I sitting out here? This has got to be the stupidest thing I have gotten myself into. Is that anchor/pillar of rock strong enough to take repeated falls?" In the end, depspite worries of safety and well-being, and with rapidly fading light, I mustered up all the courage I could, and with a countdown while looking out over the expanse of the beautiful bay, did a front flip out into space.

+5

A Tonsai Highline

A Tonsai Highline

For the 5 days that Chris's highline was up, many climbers, adventurers, and tourists walking along Tonsai Bay caught the incredible sight of him or others walking this tremendous line. This line is n...
Tyrolean Wall ‐ Apr 9, 2017

We made the mistake of trying to warm up on a 6b+, and quickly learned from experience as well as word from climbers that passed by that the "difficult clip" mentioned in the guidebook is a tad tough for listed rating. All that passed wished us luck, and we threw our sweat wet bodies against the crux for the greater part of two hours before nailing it.
Princess Lagoon Ao Nang Krabi Thailand ‐ Apr 8, 2017

The hike to get to the Princess Lagoon was one of the more interesting hikes in. It was like a sustained class 2 scramble over muddy-wet and slippery limestone. We first checked out the view point at the top of the hike, then we descended into the lagoon. We arrived to the giant mud pit set into the mountain after lowering down 3 large bamboo ladders, and numerous steep rock sections with fixed ropes to aid in safely lowering down the well-traveled and somewhat treacherous obstacles. We arri [...]
ved during low tide to an enormous mud pit, which apparently during high tide is a swimable lake. Despite only getting up to our knees in water, we still enjoyed out stay at the muddy waters surrounded on all 4 sides by limestone walls. We left the lagoon with mud up to our butts and mud painted on our faces. The tourists of Railay didn't know what to think of us.

+4

The Princess Lagoon
Diamond Cave Ao Nang Krabi Thailand

As the trail brought us to the bottom of the pass, and through a field of tall grass into the outskirts of Railay East, we saw this cool looking cave which turned out to be Diamond Cave... Then we saw the entrance fee and decided it most certainly was not be as cool as we had originally thought.
Chill Out Bar & Bungalow

Chris made plans to check out a lagoon, and invited me along for the adventure. After noon, we headed out from our rendezvous point at Chill Out towards the far side of Railay via the back mountain pass way. I don't think we saved any time by going this route, but it was nice to learn of a way other than the beach route to get to Railay. At one point during the descent, we agitated a swarm of mosquitoes which were all too keen to feast for a late lunch.
Eagle Wall ‐ Apr 7, 2017

Chris and I wake up at 6am for an early climb to start the day. Unfortunately, Eagle Wall isn't the best location for an early morning, and we became aware of this fact as soon as the sun crested the cliffs and began focusing its rays on us directly as well as through reflection off the water. The climb was incredible and dynamic, and by the time we were packed up and back at Chill Out, the shower couldn't get us any more dripping than we already were.
Ton Sai Beach Ao Nang Krabi Thailand ‐ Apr 6, 2017

After eating and blogging for most of the day, I find Stephanie and Lambo to spend time with them on their last night in Tonsai. We took a walk down to the beach because it was the first clear sky in a few nightrs, and got caught up in the entertainment of moving lights and long exposures. Two and a half hours later, we decided we had made enough art.

+6

Night Lights of Tonsai
Tonsai - Groove Tube ‐ Apr 5, 2017

We walked in the light rain of late morning to the famed climb Groove Tube, yet another climb that sent us up through open tunnels of rock. The theme of the day must have been Mario with all the tubes we went up and descended down. When I took of my wet shoes at the base of the climb, I found my feet to be Smurf blue from the shoe dye. I also found sand ground into my recent cuts from the day before, and decided that this was to be my last climb for a couple of days. Perhaps it was life tryi [...]
ng to tell me to catch up with my blog.

+3

Climbing Like Lizards
Tonsai - Crow's Nest

The rain came a couple hours after deep water soloing, and continued for some time after. The next morning too was wet. We packed our gear - climbing shoes still wet - and headed for the Crow's Nest Wall to scope out the condition of a tunnel of rock that looked irresistibly intriguing. We were happy to see the wall and area underneath dry, despite the onslaught of the downpour. What a strange anomaly, to be stuck in a place of perpetual precipitation, yet be dry in a hot and humid world unde [...]
r the overhang of nearly inverted mountains.
Legacy Restaurant ‐ Apr 4, 2017

1 km

A storm that never hit us had been blowing considerable wind and rain to our immediate West, and the water was choppier on the way back. We stopped at an intermediate beach to bail out water from Macky, and explored the Jurassic-sized plants and trees on this hidden climbing spot. Our last stop before shoring the boat for lunch, was the weather-tattered slackline suspended 10ft/3m above the water between two large boulders. As I have mentioned before, limestone has the potential to be razor s [...]
harp, and though I eased my way carefully up the cheese-grater sides, still managed to slice my foot decently in two spots. This didn't stop me from getting on the line 4 times, but it will be a hindrance these next few days. Once the boat was beached up on the West end of Tonsai beach, Lambo, Stephanie and I treated our sailing friends to a meal at our favourite restaurant nearby - Legacy. Toby was rewarded a nice lunch/dinner break, before having to make the return trip to La Bulle.

+4

Just Monkey Business
Tambon Ao Nang

0.6 km

At the very end of the peninsula separating Ao Nang and Tonsai, there is a massive overhanging roof that we decided to stop at. The first 3 meters of rock exposed from the water was pockmarked with razor-sharp edges and keeping the boat still in the choppy water while the climber tries to boulder out of the boat caused a few new cuts to the hands. The rock was slimy and wet - probably from the past days thundershowers seeping in from above - and the climbing technical and pumpy, but the water [...]
landing from 15ft/4m up was very reassuring as well as refreshing. We moved the boat out from under the roof to a wall called Spiderman Wall, and tried our battered bodies on a last round of deep water bouldering.

+8

A Deep Water Solo Adventure
Ao Nang Tower ‐ Apr 5, 2017

1.6 km

Our first stop was Ao Nang Tower, which had an incredibly tasty roof climb over water, sadly, the tide was low, and rocks lay in some areas only a meter below the surface. We found a place to climb out of the boat, and mantled up onto a rock shelf that was the start of a bolted climb up the tower. We climbed a chossy, dirty pitch, lowered our climbing gear into the boat, then jumped off the belay ledge into the sea - Denis rappelling (abseiling) into the boat.
Freedom Bar Ao Nang Krabi Thailand ‐ Apr 4, 2017

After watching 3 men basejump a couple times off one of the most prominent cliffs by the beach (above Freedom Bar), our friends arrived on their little 3 man dinghy called Macky powered by a 2.5 horse motor. The 5 of us piled in, and rowed out past the reef to start the engine, a hard worker named Toby.
Railay - 123 Wall ‐ Apr 3, 2017

Meeting a cool couple the night before, I took off back to Railay with my new climbing partners Lambo and Stephanie from California. We headed for Railay East, and found the 123 Wall. It was fun getting back on the end of a rope, and yet more fun since it was the couples first experience climbing limestone. Every few moves up the featured wall, Lamberto would yell out: "Can you believe this?! This rock is bananas!" in an oddly Australian accent, only to make it a few more moves to a more impre [...]
ssive formation and yell: "Barnacles! Am I dreaming right now?" After two climbs each, the tide had risen so much that our sandy first belay spot was completely underwater. We made to leave, until the couple beside us asked us if we had any interest in deep water soloing. Having talked about it all day we affirmed our interest, and met Denis and Anja, who have been sailing in their boat 'La Bulle' for the past 8 months, traveling, exploring, and climbing. We confirmed a time to meet the following day, and said our good-byes.

+3

Railay Beach

Steph & Lambo And A Deep Water Solo Adventure

Meeting a cool couple the night before, I take off back to Railay with my new climbing partners Lambo and Stephanie from California. We head for Railay East, and find the 123 Wall. I was stoked to get...
Railay Beach Ao Nang Krabi Thailand ‐ Apr 1, 2017

Not having a rope, I brought my harness and shoes along with me in hopes of finding a partner to climb with. Though I didn't find a partner, someone pointed out a few climbs traversing low along the beach that didn't require rope. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but the freedom to barefoot boulder, then jump 5 paces to the water was incredible! Further along the beach, a trail winds up through a bamboo forest trail that spits you out into the turf of Railay Beach. Despite also bein [...]
g a secluded beach, Railay is a huge transformation from Tonsai with all of its tourist / resort destinations.
Chill Out Bar & Bungalow ‐ Mar 31, 2017

From the beach, I find my way up to the famous wall that lines the one main road in Tonsai, and follow it to Chill Out Bar, the rumored hangout of many climbers. I get to a sandy terraced bar with a slackline setup out front, and a sign saying Welcome to Chill Out.

+6

A Bus and a Boat to Tonsai
Ton Sai Beach Ao Nang Krabi Thailand

3 km

Arriving at Ao Nang beach, I grabbed a ticket for $4/100B, and boarded the longtail boat. With the roar of a straight-piped muscle car we were off. We pass a giant skyscraper of rock (Ao Nang Tower) protruding from the water, and rounded the peninsula separating Ao Nang from Tonsai. Approaching Tonsai feels a little like entering a small secluded pirate cove - the green of dense vegetation lining the beach stretches up a slope, and is surrounded on all sides by the sharp over-hanging features [...]
of giant cliffs with cavernous caves and titillating house sized stalactite formations hanging suspended hundreds of feet in the air.
Ao Nang Beach

18.6 km

Once my bags were packed, and I had eaten a gigantic egg sandwich from the pizza/sandwich restaurant down the street, I headed to the bus stop, and grabbed a song thaew for 50Baht to Ao Nang. During the ride, the excitement grew inside me as I saw the tall limestone cliffs jutting out of the ground into grand monuments appear with each passing mile.
Black Crab Market ‐ Mar 30, 2017

At 10pm I went out for a walk to find food, and found a food market just preparing to pack up. I managed to find a good dinner just in the nick of time.
Pak Nam and Mangrove Viewpoint

Took a walk along the river and into town. While walking along the river, my attention was contently diverted by the large overhanging cliff on the other side of the Pak Nam. On my way back to the guesthouse, I was caught again in a torrential downpour. I hid out under the awning of a fishing store, and was pelted by sand and rain, and flying merchandise. An hour later, I continued home in the light condensation.

+6

24hr Glimpse at Krabi
Krabi Town

The location of the Krabi plaque, and statues of black (and gold) crabs. The crabs were nice, but the limestone cliffs off in the horizon were tantalizing.
Baan Nisarine Pak Nam Krabi Thailand ‐ Mar 29, 2017

14 km

When I drop my bags in my dorm on the fourth floor I notice the abundance of fans and power outlets; later, I learn that the WiFi works well on all floors. I think I will book another night here... I don't even mind the walk up four flights of stairs!
Krabi Airport Nuea Khlong Krabi Thailand

82 km

Our first stop in Krabi is the airport, which seems to be a popular spot, as all but one other left the bus.
Hua Hin Pier Ko Klang Krabi Thailand

For 300 Baht, I grab a bus to the top of Lanta Noi, where it boards the ferry for a 10-15 minute trip across the Andaman to the mainland. From here, only road separates me from Krabi.
Sonya Restaurant & Guesthouse Sala Dan Krabi Thailand ‐ Mar 28, 2017

18 km

Like a drowned rat on a motorbike, I pulled into Sonya guesthouse, and quickly found some warm clothes to put on. I attempted some blogging, but couldn't manage to stare at the computer screen for more than 5 minutes before my head would bob, and I would catch myself from falling asleep. I decided after half an hour of this, that it was pointless, and headed down to the bar down by the beach to grab dinner and a beer for my last relaxing night in Koh Lanta.

+7

Koh Lanta - Caught in the Rain
Koh Lanta Ferry

7.9 km

Arriving at the North end of the island, and not seeing anything spectacular on the map for places to visit (and not having the greatest visibility) , I decided to head back to the guesthouse before it started to pour again.
Coastal Search and Rescue

I found my way to the search and rescue coast guard, but when I realized there was no way through to the bridge, I flipped a bitch on the heli-pad, and headed back the way I came.
Dead End

1.1 km

Thinking I was taking the long way around to the bridge, I arrived at the end of the paved road. With my phone packed away, safe from the rain, my exploration turned into a "let's see where this road leads to" kind.
Tambon Ko Lanta Noi

5.7 km

Within a minute of crossing the bridge to Lanta Noi, the rain hit me like a storm of hail that pelted me in the face and chest. Luckily I was wearing my sunglasses and I had a $1 7/11 rainjacket in my backpack that fit over top of both me and my bag, so I was able to continue driving for a little, before I ducked off the road to this location to wait out the angry booming of the thunderstorm hurtling through the sky.
สะพานสิริลันตา ตำบล ศาลาด่าน กระบี่ ประเทศไทย

2.5 km

Finding my way to the bridge, and a great view of the main pier on Lanta, I couldn't help but notice the clouds racing by at a shocking speed. Though I could hear the thunder, and the rain was already starting to come down, I decided a little rain wasn't going to stop me from exploring... or would it?
Sala Dan

17.1 km

On my way up to Lanta Noi, I took the wrong turn, missing the bridge, but finding a walking bridge that brought me through a forest of Mangrove trees growing out of the water on either side of the bridge. As soon as the trees turned to sand, I noticed hundreds of small crabs scurrying across the ground in awkward balance, with their one large, and one small claw.
Koh Lanta Old Town Pier Thailand

7 km

On the way back up North, I pulled into Old Town and took a walk to the end of the pier to watch some of the boats getting loaded, and check out the view of the little islands across the water.
Sangka U Boat Resort&Spa

2.3 km

I drove as far as I could South, until I reached the last beach/resort. I didn't stick around long here, but I explored the fishing village a little to the north which supplied much more natural beauty than the attempted artificial perfection.
Panorama Beach

13.7 km

Though I didn't stop at the panorama restaurant, I found a great section of beach just north of this point to get some panoramas of submerged trees and the Island just off the coast.
Khao Mai Khew Cave

12.7 km

I rented a motorbike to explore what I could of Koh Lanta, but when I arrived at the Khao Mai Khew Cave and read that a guide is mandatory to see the cave, I pulled a u-turn in favour of guiding my own exploration of the island.
Long Beach Krabi Thailand ‐ Mar 27, 2017

5 km

At nighttime, the beach is lit up with the colourful lights of restaurants and bars that line the shore of Khlong Khong. I walked barefoot to get a closer look at the excitement, and stopped for a bit to watch a man performing a fire show with poi. Another man started talking to me, asking if I liked the show, and when I said yes, and that I enjoyed spinning fire myself, he told me he would get me a chance to play with fire as soon as his friend was done. Sure enough, he talked with the perfo [...]
rmer, who got really excited, and quickly announced to the whole bar before I could stop him, that they had a new performer, from Canada, who was me... I was definitely a bit nervous, now that all the eyes of all the people where on me, but dang was I ever grateful to have the past experience of performing, because I performed a complete burn without burning myself once, and received a few compliments from the spectators at the end to top it off. Content, and feeling like I had accomplished one of my wishlist items for the trip, I walked barefoot back towards home.

+5

Khlong Khong - From Beach to Bar
Sonya Restaurant & Guesthouse ‐ Mar 26, 2017

10 km
Koh Lanta (Saladan Pier)

31.5 km

Though I put sunscreen on my face I suspect that I sweat it off, and still managed to get a pretty good burn on my face. Getting accosted by taxi, tuk tuk and song thaew drivers when I disembarked the ferry, I was able to talk my way down from 100 to 50 baht for a song thaew to the guesthouse Josh recommended and currently stays at.

+4

Ferry to Lanta
Koh Phi Phi - Ao Tonsai Pier Krabi Thailand

6.4 km

Making a transfer at Koh Phi Phi was the only experience I had in the resort laden beach party town.
Ko Phi Phi Lee Ao Nang Krabi Thailand

44.5 km

On it's way to the main island of Phi Phi, the ferry took a detour to circle the island where they filmed the movie The Beach at. The boat activity around the Southern Phi Phi island was immense, and the crowds packed and colourful. I was happy to not go ashore, it was enough to see it from the top deck.
Piers Rassada Ratsada Phuket Thailand

3.2 km

The taxi drops me off an hour before the scheduled departure, and I kill the time on the top deck of the ferry taking me to Kho Phi Phi, casually sweating rivers.
Phuket Transport Company (Terminal 1)

1.1 km

6:30 in the morning rolls around pretty quick when up blogging 'till 1:00. I made it to the bus station by foot, only to find out there is no longer a bus running to the Rassada Pier! Luckily there was a taxi driver there that offered my a ride for 100Baht, considerably less than the 300 offer at the Inn.
Phuket Central Mosque ‐ Mar 25, 2017

1 km

Another larger park seemed to be located very close to our hotel, so we made our way over. Getting there, we quickly learned that it was not a park at all, but a large area of dense grass and plant life (and life I'm sure to many insects, animal, or even squatters), surrounded by shops and buildings that almost completely boxed it in. We did find the Mosque that can be seen from the window of our room, however.
Hai Leng Ong Statue (Golden Dragon Monument)

0.6 km

As we ate dinner, the lightning began, lighting up the darkness of the street outside. Though lightening was in abundance, the rain never came, and the thunder was far less frequent than the flashes. We decided to walk about, and since there was a park showing on the map only 2 blocks away, that became an obvious first place to walk to. Along the way I took many pictures (200-300?) trying to capture the lightning, and was fortunate enough to get some of illuminated clouds, but not fortunate e [...]
nough to catch the actual branching of the lightning that was occasionally visible when the clouds did not lamp shade them.

+4

Lightning Skies In Phuket Town
Phuket Crystal Inn Hotel

1.1 km

All day I noticed the thick humidity in the air, and wondered to myself if that was an early sign of the forecasted thunderstorm. The humidity was made all the more noticeable by the heavy backpacks I had both on my back and my front.
Local Bus Stop To Beaches

14.7 km

As well as being packed, the bus ride was made all the more hot and sweaty by the high humidity of the day. Luckily the bus has open sides and fans (which sometimes are turned on), so a bit of breeze is generated.
Patong Bus Station

1 km

Ryan and I check out, eat breakfast, then get an amazing hour long foot massage. With this done, we are ready to hit the road, and walk down to the bus stop to take us back to Old Town (Phuket Town).
Illuzion Patong ‐ Mar 24, 2017

1.2 km

We saved the largest, most reputable club in all of Phuket for our last night in Patong. It did not disappoint. On top of it being the best, it also didn't have any cover charge, which is surprising for an establishment of it's caliber. Drink prices were through the roof - 200Baht($8Cad) for the cheapest beer, and 3,000B($120C) for the cheapest bottle - but noone was forcing anyone to buy, so cheap (or frugal) guys like Ryan and I got away with spending significantly less than the mere cover [...]
charge of places half as nice. The music was incredible, and the dancing was the best all trip. It was great to get some much needed dancing out of my system, but with that, I'm more than ready to leave the crowd of resort goers and inflated prices in party-central Patong.
Patong Beach Walk

2 km

Though it started to rain as soon as we left the Starbucks, by the time I dropped off my computer and bag at the hostel and got changed into my swimming shorts, it was over. I walked the beach, and went swimming a few times in the remaining daylight. It was a nice luxury, but the Patong beach/cove is busy with tourists and boats of all sorts, and didn't impress me nearly as much as my first bush-whacking private beach experience. I look forward to moving away from the expensive resorts that s [...]
eem to be quite plentiful on this side of the island.
Patong Beach

1.1 km

As Ryan and I finish our work/blogging in the Starbucks across the street from the beach (yeah, we're those guys), we are sad to see the forecast for thunderstorms for the next two weeks. All we can do now is enjoy the last forecasted day of sun, but I can't help freaking out a little at the possibility of not being able to climb at Tonsai!
TAI PAN DISCO/NIGHTCLUB Patong Phuket Thailand ‐ Mar 23, 2017

13 km

Walking down the famous Bangla Walking Street road is a colourful, noisy, and shocking experience, somewhat akin perhaps to what a beachfront Vegas would feel like. Ryan and I decide to check out a disco on the other end of Bangla that he had heard of from a friend. It was one of the stranger clubs I have been to, and the music all night switched frequently and often unexpectedly between classic rock, hip hop, electronic and alternative. Even the professional dancers on stage seemed to have a [...]
hard time predicting how to dance to it. It was, nonetheless, a fun and bustling night, and great to groove to such a diverse assortment of mashed up hits both old and new.
Kata Beach Community Park Karon Phuket Thailand

12 km

On such a hot and humid day, the drive down along the coast was incredibly refreshing. Whenever I parked the bike and walked anywhere, however; I immediately began to sweat profusely, which made me question whether a coffee earlier was such a good idea. Sightseeing during the drive was great, and the beaches all looked nice, but as I saw each sandy shore with lines of radially striped umbrellas and large tourist crowds lounging in and around them, I get the overwhelming feeling that I found on [...]
e of the better beachs the night before - one that at times I had all to myself.
Esso (Patong Petroleum Company Limited) Patong Phuket Thailand

3.4 km

Arriving at the gas station with the intention of only putting 30Baht worth of gas in the tank, I learn that 60Baht is the minimum amount purchasable. I give the man 60 Baht grudgingly. The lady at the bike rental shop will be happy to siphon that out and add it to her collection of glass Hong Tong whiskey bottles, selling the gas for triple the price.
Elite Guesthouse

In the morning, we find our way down to our new guesthouse within walking distance of the beach. Once our bags are dropped off, we drive down to a small food cart market and grab breakfast. My bike is almost on empty, so I decide to find a gas station and go for a quick ride down the coast before having to return my Yamaha Mio.
Hat Karon Noi Karon Phuket Thailand ‐ Mar 22, 2017

I make my way down a narrow trail overgrown with dense foliage and alive with the sounds of geckos, insects, and whatever else may have been lurking in that deep camouflage of green. The trail dumps me out onto a shore comprised of rock and large boulders. To my right, I spy a beautiful private beach, and start making my way along the shore as choppy water crashes into the rocks. I make it to the beach, and instantly throw my valuables to the ground and submerge myself in the warm clear water [...]
with white sand floor. The feeling of floating effortlessly in the buoyant waters of the Andaman Sea is phenomenal, especially after 12 weeks of traveling without ever seeing a beach yet hearing stories from everyone about them. On top of having a great swim, I also see one of the best sunsets I've seen all month. By the time I left the beautiful private beach, I'm sure that more than a few of those on the beach questioned whether I stayed at their resort. I bet none of them have explored the awesome little rock-hopping, Jurassic-foliage trail, which, when I got back to it in the fading light, was 3 times louder with the sounds of jungle nightlife.

+7

Phuket: My First 24 Hours
Sunset Viewpoint

5 km

Finally settled in our new room, I decide its time to explore a viewpoint I spied on Maps.me (one of the greatest offline travelmaps!). With a little more than an hour before sun down, I take off in the direction of Karon. I find the viewpoint close to the road, but standing on a platform looking down at the beach just doesn't satisfy me, so I decide to find a way down to the shore.
Eriksson Guesthouse ตำบล กะทู้ ภูเก็ต ประเทศไทย

4 km

We wandered Patong for 20 minutes, and finally found some decent motorbikes for a somewhat affordable price (everything seems more expensive here). We ripped off to our guesthouse excited to throw down our bags, but when we arrived, it was a room with a single queen sized bed. We told the owner that the ad on Agoda advertised 2 single beds, and he said he didn't have such a room. Thankfully, it was a nice family that ran the hostel, and they refunded us 400 of the 490 Baht spent (Agoda takes [...]
a cut). We happened upon Eriksson Guesthouse tucked away in a residential section of town, and were pleasantly surprised by how nice the little villa adorned with plants and greenery was for the 500Baht price per night; it even had a cute little upstairs pool.
Patong Bus Station

15 km

As the bus pulled away from Phuket Town, it began to rain. Luckily, it was dry when we arrived in Patong 40 minutes later; the weather so far is working in our favour.
Local Bus Stop To Beaches

0.5 km

My stay in Phuket town (old town), was barely more than 12 hours, so there wasn't a heck of a lot of time to explore more than the few streets surrounding the guesthouse, and a few restaurants within ten minute walk from there. As soon as we had checked out, we found the bus station with buses to Patong Beach on the West side of the island.
Fulfill Phuket Ratsada Road Phuket Thailand ‐ Mar 21, 2017

35 km

Waiting on the bus at the airport for over half an hour, it finally departs on the nearly hour long ride to Phuket Town, where Ryan waits for me patiently at our hostel, wondering what the heck is taking so long.
Phuket International Airport Thailand

693.3 km

My transfer to Phuket gets delayed half an hour on the ground after we have boarded. As we take off and fly south, the sun sets brilliantly in the West; thankfully I have a window seat... unfortunately it is looking out to the East!

+2

Flying South
Don Mueang International Airport Terminal 2 Bangkok

583.1 km

I arrive at Don Mueang with a 4 hour layover, but after claiming my baggage, registering for my next flight, and eating, I get through security and to my boarding gate with only 2.5 hours remaining - a comfortable amount of time to listen to music and make notes in.
Yangon International Airport Terminal 2, Myanmar (Burma)

11 km
Yangon hub hostel ‐ Mar 19, 2017

23.4 km

Not having much money left in Burmese currency, I decide to get stuff done around the hostel that I have been putting off. First up after breakfast is my pile of dirty clothes, which I spend two hours hand-washing the greater half of. With the temperatures rising to 37 Celsius, it took barely more than an hour of hanging before they were dry. After organizing my backpacks, I go out for a walk around the neighborhood for sometime, and finally decide its time to spend the last of my 2000Kyats o [...]
n dinner before going back to Yangon Hub to update my blog. I wasn't successful in spending my last Kyats; however, because first I was invited to sit with a couple of older engineers, who sneakily paid for my food as they left, and then I was invited to a table of professors from the nearby Yangon University, who insisted they buy me beer. What I assumed was going to be a mellow and uneventful evening, turned into a heck of a hear-warming last night in Myanmar. This set the mood for blogging, which stressed me out to the mas, with terrible internet that consistently aborted picture uploads, while I simultaneously am eaten alive by mosquitoes who are attracted to the sweat that I rain down upon myself. at 2:30am, after nearly 5 hours going strong, I feel content enough with the progress I've made despite it all, and attempt to sleep for the remaining 4 hours before I must wake.
Kyaik Khauk Pagoda

13.9 km

On our way back into Yangon, we stop in at the Kyaik Khauk Pagoda, a place of worship since 303BC! Though some of the founding bricks may date back ages and ages, it's a little difficult to realize the age of something, when everything has been painted over with gold. For this reason, I miss Bagan, where new bricks and old bricks can be told apart, and history seeps from the very grout that holds them together.

+2

A Pagoda in the River, and one in the Sky
Midstream Kyauktan Pagoda

18.6 km

After showing me his place of work, Zayar brings me out to an outdoor restaurant just outside the city of Kyauktan. Instead of tables, there are small bamboo huts dotting a sand 'floor' each with wicker thatched roofs. We sit on the elevated wooden platform under one such roof, which is the same platform we eat our food from. It is always in Asia that I notice how much of a wimp I am at sitting cross-legged on hard floors! Lunch consisted of noodles with vegetables, fish which looked like pir [...]
anha, chicken that I didn't eat, and a big bowl of what I can only guess was a coconut wine of sort. After lunch we drive through Kyauktan, stopping by the river to view the Pagoda in the middle, an island of it's own.
Thanlyin - Engineering

4.4 km

We arrive at Zayars place of work, an empty lot undergoing renovations, and him and a dozen other engineers go about getting measurements for leveling a portion of the ground. I didn't realize that his 'vacation' was going to involve 3 hours of work. In this time, not having brought my book, I take out my notepad and begin jotting down notes from my recent experiences exploring the beautiful and mysterious country of Myanmar.
Thanlyin Bridge No 1

15.8 km

On our way over to Thanlyin, we cross over the Thanlyin Bridge, which is 3rd longest in Myanmar at 2,200m in length.
Yangon hub hostel ‐ Mar 18, 2017

16.3 km

I arrive at my villa-style guesthouse, and no sooner am I checked in, have friends meeting me to take me out for a late dinner. We eat, and they convince me to come with them at 6:30am for a 'vacation.' It seems early, but I'm always down for a new adventure.
Bus Station

611.1 km

On an 11 hour bus ride, it's amazing what kind of damage you can do to a book ... and to your butt! I checked in to my new hostel at 8:30pm, 12.5 hours after checking out of my previous one.
Chan Mya Shwe Pyi Highway Station ‐ Mar 17, 2017

6.5 km

Taking the extra long way back to the hostel, I decide to swing by the highway bus station to grab my ticket for the long ride back to Yangon. 11,000Kyats ($11cad) later, I have my ticket leaving Mandalay for the next morning 9am.

The Face of Jade & Faceless Buddhas
Jade Market

6.5 km
The Vibe Hostel ‐ Mar 15, 2017

Having made the mistake of booking the wrong dates for my hostel, I ended up with 3 nights at The Vibe, rather than 2. It's not the end of the world though, considering they have great breakfast that changes every morning... and a pool! On top of all that for $15CAD/night, I got a free shirt, which came in handy being in dire need of doing laundry.
Chan Mya Shwe Pyi Highway Station

320 km
Taunggyi - Bus Transfer ‐ Mar 14, 2017

A song thaew brings us down to a bus transfer station, and we wait for an hour for our bus which is coming from the main bus station in Taunggyi. I am fortunate to get the front seat on an incredibly bumpy, turny mountain ride. As soon as we get to Kalaw, I ask to change my seat, and thankfully, there is a seat in the middle for me!
Inle Palace Restaurant Cocktail Bar & Cafe

Inle Palace Restaurant Cocktail Bar & Cafe 14 March 2017 Knowing that I have a thing for bamboo, Alvaro suggested we go to the Inle Palace restaurant which is made almost entirely of bamboo. We stayed here until shortly before our pickup time, and then were off to the bus station.

+3

A Day in Nyaung Shwe
Sunflower

12 km

We stopped first at the Sunflower restaurant, where we had an amazing dinner the night before, and relaxed in the shade with smoothies. Avocado was my flavour of choice, and has been for the majority of my travels through Myanmar, when the opportunity for a smoothie arose.
Sweet Inn

On our way back into town, Alvaro and I stop in at his and Helen’s hostel to book my night bus to Mandalay that night. We then head off to find a place to grab refreshments, feeling quite sapped of energy at the peak heat of the day.
Produce Market

12 km

Not wanting to relax just yet, the remaining four of us meet up with rented bicycles, and make the 24 kilometer round trip to that day’s market. It wasn’t all that great, but it was nice to see a bit of the landscape surrounding Nyaung Shwe and the north end of the lake.
Sin Taung Ywa Inn ‐ Mar 13, 2017

Pulling up to an Inn and checking in seems like such a foreign thing after spending nights in small villages with no power or running water. Evan and I rushed excitedly to the showers and enjoyed our first one in three days. An hour later, we hug good-bye and remind each other that this is not “good-bye,” so much as “see you later.”
Boat Launch - Nyaungshwe

40 km

Finally, after a long day of trekking, boating, and informative workshops, it was time to take the hour long boat ride across the lake from the south end to the north, where all of our hostels and large bags of belongings waited. We headed out onto wide water, and our guide opened up the throttle until we were bouncing speedily across the lake. Evan and I, sitting in the back, were completely drenched in no time, but the heat was so great that, when we slowed down near the end, we were mostly [...]
dry when we arrived at the Nyaung Shwe boat launch, a (luxury?), the others knew nothing about. Like most train, bus, or boat stops, there were taxi drivers waiting for us to take us where we needed to go. Everyone said their good-byes to Evan, as he had booked a flight out of Yangon for the next morning, then he and I were off to the bus station to grab a ticket for him to the big city.

+5

A tour of Inle Lake
Lotus, Silk, and Cotton Weaving Shop

We arrive at a Weaving shop, which we are told is our last stop that we must get out of the boat for. Inside, a lady cuts sections of lotus flow stems, and pulls from it long strands of fiber that she rolls together to make lotus yarn. It is the most interesting thing we have see yet, and we hardly want to move on to view the looms and other machines used to weave the yarn into a fabric. We are eager to get back to the boat, knowing that the next stop is Nyaung Shwe, and our hostels waiting w [...]
ith warm showers!
Wood Working & Cigar Workshop

We next arrive at a woodworking shop, and we are shown boats like the ones we are travelling in, the frame of which can be purchased for $2,400(US). Tucked away in the back is a small shop where a few ladies make cigars of different shapes, sizes and flavours. We are eager to move on, and leave, after Evan buys a box of cigars to bring back to his friends.
Cotton Weaving Workshop

We enter the cotton weaving shop, and are shown a bunch more merchandise. Further in the shop, we meet two ladies who are weaving cotton by hand. It is hard not to notice the stack of gold-coloured rings rising up from their shoulders to their chins. These are Kayan ladies (also known as Padaung). It was interesting to see this cultural practice, yet it was also an awkward moment for me, as I couldn’t shake the thought that these ladies were on display for the purpose of selling merchandis [...]
e. In the past, it is said that these ladies wore rings around their necks to protect them from the attack of tigers, who often attack the neck. Now, we are told, they do it to preserve cultural identity, but the process starts when the woman are very young, so some moral debate has risen on the subject, since the process does damage to the clavicle, rather than actually extending their necks.
Silver Smith Workshop

Soon after entering this town lifted up on stilts, we make a left turn, and pull in beside a dock to one such building. It’s a silversmith shop; or at least, it’s a tourist attraction with men working bellows, furnace, hammers and tongs to simulate the production of raw ore into pure silver, and then jewelry. We walk through the tutorial, are shown the merchandise room, then head back to the boat. No more than a few minutes pass in the boat before it slows down for another stop. The reali [...]
zation hits that we must hoist our bags onto our backs and get out of the comfort of the boat, almost made us not want to leave! After the last few days of walking through the tremendous heat, time in the boat was a welcome luxury!
Boat Launch - End of Trek

15 km

Finishing lunch, we said farewell to our guide Khuso, and are introduced to our boat guide, who leads us a kilometer or so down a dusty dirt road to the river/canal where a collection of long and thin teak motorboats float moored to either side of the narrow body of water. Our new guide pulls out 5 wooden folding chairs, just wide enough to fit in his narrow boat, and places them in a row, one after the other. Then he pulls out lifejackets, which he wrapped around the backs of the chairs to be [...]
used as cushions (or perhaps safety, should something go wrong?). Using a long bamboo pole, he skillfully works his boat between the many others, and secures it to the small boarding dock on our side of the ‘river.’ Once we are all seated, the boat is off down the narrow watery channel. Occasionally another boat travels towards us from the opposite direction, and the two boats slow to pass, within touching distance of each other. Sometimes the channel gets so narrow that grass and floating reeds touch either side of the boat as we pass through. 15 minutes later the waterway opens up a little, and our boat slows down. We make a right turn down a wider passage, and suddenly find ourselves in the midst of wooden houses and buildings on stilts on either side of us, with the occasional metal or wooden bridge spanning the gap over top.
2nd Homestay - Part Tu Village ‐ Mar 12, 2017

25 km

As we exit the limestone canyon, the Part Tu village becomes visible beyond the many groves of bamboo. This village, home to the Ba-O tribe, though small, is perhaps three times the size of the one we called home the night before. Once settled in our new room with a bouncy bamboo slat floor – the second floor of a mostly bamboo built house – we are off exploring, with the exception of Evan who was all too happy to be in close proximity to the facilities. Having arrived in the town an hour [...]
or so earlier than arrival the day before, I brought my slackline along in hopes we would find a suitable place to set it up. We exit the opposing side of town from where we entered, and find ourselves standing at the edge of a forest consisting of large clumps of bamboo and the occasional tree. I decided it is time to fulfill a dream, and anchored my line to a tree on one end, and three canes of bamboo on the other. An older lady passing by stops and gazed at my strange actions from behind a few canes. When the line is up, a local man on his way back into the village takes interest in the unusual activity, and sits to watch. Soon, 4 young boys and a girl join the ranks of curious spectators. Though fascinated, they all shake their heads and shy away from our offers for them to try. We return to our place after a short on the slackline, and get ready for dinner. Despite the sweaty work of the day, and the basin of water for showering being more private than the night before, I don’t think any of us did much more than splash water on our hands and face, in favour of waiting for running water the next night when we arrive in Nyaung Shwe. There are no musical parties erupting from the silence of the town this night, but we have quite the eventful game of cards that gain us a few spectators, and even included our guide Khuso for a few rounds.

+7

Day 2: Satkay Kong to Part Tu

Day 3 Trek: Part Tu Village to Inle Lake

Everyone went to sleep with feet facing away from the Buddha shrine, so morning dawned much more peaceful than the last! After a breakfast of fruits and chocolate pancakes (I supplied the chocolate th...
Day 3 Lunch Spot ‐ Mar 13, 2017

Everyone went to sleep with feet facing away from the Buddha shrine, so morning dawned much more peaceful than the last! After a breakfast of fruits and chocolate pancakes (I supplied the chocolate the night before), we start out on our finally stretch towards Inle lake. We arrive at the toll booth an hour later, and paid the 13,500 Kyat fee to enter the area. We continue up a gravel road until we reached the top of the last hill we have to crest, and are finally able to see the pale blue of [...]
Inle lake in the far distant horizon, nearly looking like the blue sky above it. Knowing this is the last, and shortest day of hiking, our soar and sunburnt bodies were filled with extra gusto. We marched on for the last 14 kilometers, and stopped only once at a small shop to drink tea, and fill up on water. A few hours of walking, and descending later, we arrive to another large forest of bamboo. We come to a restaurant where we have our last lunch with our guide, and choose to spend the 1000Kyats(~$1CAD) extra per person to extend our boat trip from a 1 hour ride to a 3 hour tour.

+4

Day 3: From Land to Water
Day 2 Lunch Spot - Nantaing ‐ Mar 12, 2017

As the road begins to wind down to the flat expanse below, we separate from the road and take a more direct shortcut down the hillside. Walking across the large flat plain, we arrive at the largest town since leaving Kalaw, and with it, the first paved road since the morning before. Luckily, we barely use it. As soon as our lunch of noodles and fruit is done, we were cross the road and begin following a dirt one for a few kilometers. It brings us to a river, with bamboo bridges crossing it a [...]
t numerous points. We cross one of these and make our way towards limestone cliffs that loom in the distance. Evan is looking rough, and Alvaro tells him we should arrive in the next village in 20 minutes. 20 minutes later, Khuso tells us we are 25 minutes from the village; Evan runs off into the bushes. After a short break waiting for Evan, we make our way over more fields and terraces, and find ourselves walking up into a pass between the limestone cliffs.
Day 2 - The Large Tree Rest Point

In the morning, we wake at 6:30am to quite the commotion. The owner of the house is scolding Alvaro and Helen, who are trying to figure out what is going on, in the same way the rest of us are. The night before, they moved their pillows to the foot of their bed, and now a group of locals stands around us, pointing and shaking their heads. The owner angrily says “No feet,” and “Buddha,” motioning to the shrine that is now in the direction of the couples’ feet. Barely out of their dreams [...]
, the two confused backpackers apologize, we all got out of bed in a somewhat somber mood. We are back on the road after a large breakfast, and are glad to distance ourselves from the grumpy old man. We start the day hiking up the large hill behind the village, and follow a ridgeline trail along the top for some kilometers before reaching another village. Here the trail turns into a gravely-dirt road that we walk for another few kilometers until we arrive at two enormous trees that we stop under to rest for a few minutes. By this point we are making fun of the morning folly, and our guide tells Alvaro and Helen not to worry, that it was an innocent mistake (that they will never make again!). For the sake of a photo, I climb the trunk of one of the trees up onto one of the massive limbs jutting out parallel to the ground, and suddenly feel a fiery burning sensation growing rapidly on my right hand. 30 or so small, nasty black ants are swarming between my fingers biting with all they’ve got, I shake my hands frantically, but they all remain latched to my skin. I try brushing them off, and succeed only in removing some, and smear bits of the remaining stubborn ants all over me. It is an unpleasant experience, and I decide to come down. Looking down I see a solid team of these nasty biting ants streaming across the branch I had grabbed to get up the tree moments earlier. Carefully, I jump down, making sure like heck that I don’t put my hand anywhere near the swarm of small but vicious bodies. We continue on, and the road starts dropping elevation, as we look out to the vast flatness of the plains stretching out in front of us.

Trek Day 2: Satkay Kong to Part Tu Village

In the morning, we wake at 6:30am to quite the commotion. The owner of the house is scolding Alvaro and Helen, who are trying to figure out what is going on, in the same way the rest of us are. The ni...
1st Homestay - Satkay Kong ‐ Mar 11, 2017

22 km

Dropping down into the valley we come to a long wooden bridge with hand rails, suspended just above the bright green of evening sun-touched grass-like crop fields. Crossing this we find ourselves in Satkay Kong village, a residence to perhaps a hundred inhabitants of the Danu tribe. We arrive at our home for the night in no time. In the back yard, Khuso shows us the four-foot-tall cement trough filled with water used for showering, with the assistance of a small silver bowl to scoop the water [...]
with. I don’t think a single one of us used this ‘clean’ water bath basin that had some questionable floaties visible on the surface. Our room, which is on the second floor of the dark-stained wood house already has 5 mats laid out side by side on the far wall from the door, underneath a Buddha shrine – almost like a Christmas nativity scene – raised up on the wall one and a half meters up. A low circular table sits in the middle of the room, and the dim light glowing above it is powered by a car battery in the corner of the room; thank goodness I brought my portable power supply to charge my phone/camera with! We wander the village for a nearly an hour before dinner, watching buffalo bath-time down at the water hole, kids playing with wooden sleds on a hillside, and families of fowl birds clucking confusedly across the road at our approach. We arrive back at the house and tell Evan of the things we saw, and he tells us how terrible the bathroom is. Food arrives shortly, and is a buffet assortment of varied dishes, that we eat while sitting on the floor around the low table in our room. We finish eating, and the darkness and sudden still peacefulness outside tempt us with thoughts of bed, despite it only being seven at night. We choose instead to pass time playing cards – assholes vrs. presidents – until the organic sound of music wakes our senses, suddenly audible and filling the silent night air. Donning our shoes, we rush towards the sound, which comes from one of the houses diagonally opposing ours on the other side of the street. We are beckoned in by a lady leaving the house, and on entering, see a group of 8 men sitting on the floor with an assortment of instruments in front of them: wooden drums, cymbals, bamboo clackers and a high-pitch squeaky flute played by an older gentleman. We find a place to sit on the floor and watch them play for 20 minutes before another man comes to the door, stands still for a moment, then bursts into dance, spinning round, and moving his arms in jointed movements to the rhythm of the music. It’s not long before the drum-beat coursing through my nervous system takes its toll, and I get up to join the man and his dancing.

+7

Day 1: Tracks and Trails to the Village Bridge
Train Station - Myindin Village

Shortly we come upon train tracks. We hang a right, and follow these for the next few kilometers, matching our steps to the spacing of the ties, or trying our balance on the tracks themselves – which are sometimes flat, but sometimes rounded on the top. The narrow path cut through the trees and brush by the tracks finally opens up and we enter a small village called Myindin, belonging to the people of the Paung tribe. Bright green fields full of garlic lay to our left, with small bridges an [...]
d walkways leading through them to small single story huts beyond. Before long, after passing a few more cattle and buffalo grazing, we come to the railway station, where we stop for tea and a snack. Evan, who had been struggling with travelers diarrhea for a few days now, found a perfect opportunity to use the hole-in-the-ground toilet that dumped out human fertilizer from a 3 meter long pipe exiting the back of the toilet and into the crop field behind. After tea, we leave the station and follow a dirt and gravel road for a few hundred meters taking a right to cross one of the raised dirt paths that separate sections of field from each other. Another hour or so of travelling across hilly fields of various crops, we crest a hill and see a small village consisting of 30 or so small earthly coloured huts with tin roofs; a single white stupa rises up proud above all. “This is where we stay tonight,” our guide Khuso informs us.
View Point - Nepali Tribe

Reaching the top of the mountain via gravel road, we veer off and follow a path along the ridge through fields of Mandarin orange trees until we get to a viewpoint, and the guide, after settling us at a thatch-roofed table, went off to make sure lunch was being prepared. A lady busy tending to the drying tea leaves spread out across a mat on the ground shoos her son from walking on it; a mother hen and her baby chick each tear at an end of discarded chapatti bread; a pale brown short-haired dog [...]
runs for cover over to us as the same boy chases it with a stick. The viewpoint looks out over vast valleys and hillside country – both irrigated and not – as far as the eye can see. The village consists mainly of Nepali people, and the lunch received represents such. Plates of papaya, orange and watermelon slices are served first, along with small bowls of soup. Delicious pumpkin curry and chapatti bread follows the fruit. When it is time to leave, we travel out of town through stands of papaya trees with ginger root growing at their base. A very large mat with countless kilograms of freshly picked ginger lays out in the baking sun. We follow a gravel road for another hour or so, then thankfully, cut into the forest. In no time, we are surrounded by the wailing, screeching, cawing and croaking sounds of jungle wildlife. The change of scenery is soothing, and each passing hour brings further relief to my fear of walking on gravel for days on end. From the lush forest at the top of the mountain, we descend gradually for the next hour to a lake where we break for a few minutes, then continue around it, traversing the slippery wet ground on the other end. We ascend up to a ridge to land slightly more dry and open. The ground changes from dark dirt to a tan-brown sandy look, which may have been dustier had it not rained the previous day. A train sounding in the distance, and the sight of staggered rice terraces appearing to the left, signals a further change in our surroundings. A few hundred meters away, trotting across the terrace is a lady barking out dog-like yelps, herding a group of buffalo, who skittishly run just in front of her. Our trail runs parallel to hers for a while, until we veer to the left onto a dirt road. The buffalo intersected our path, crossing the road, and leap gingerly – surprising for creatures of such magnitude – a meter or more down into the fields on the other side.

+5

Day 1: The Trekking Begins
Uncle Sam Travel & Tours

Despite waking before 6am, eating breakfast, booking a hostel in Nyaung Shwe for my arrival in 3 days, showering, and facetiming Nikki I found myself running with my heavy bags to Uncle Sam’s a few minutes late. We were relieved to find that only one of the members of the trek had arrived before us, two others showed up after, and three never came. Tagging our large bags to be transferred that day to our respective hostels in Nyaung Shwe, we started off - Nadine from England, Alvaro and Hele [...]
n from Spain, Evan from the US and Canadian me - walking towards the southern hills of Kalaw. After a short stint on a trail snaking through rice fields, we arrived at a gravel road which wound us up a mountain in the blistering hot heat for two hours. I started to worry that this was foreshadowing of the next few days trekking.

Trek Day 1: Kalaw to Satkay Kong

Uncle Sam Travel & Tours: Despite waking before 6am, eating breakfast, booking a hostel in Nyaung Shwe for my arrival in 3 days, showering, and face-timing Nikki I found myself running with my heavy b...
Honey Pine Hotel ‐ Mar 10, 2017

Getting back to the hotel, we were getting excited about the idea of the trek. Though I am usually one to scoff at the whole 'guided tour' thing, the opportunity to spend time in tiny villages learning some of the customs of remote tribes of an already largely secretive country seemed like a pretty cool idea... and the cost of the tour would actually be cheaper than if we found our own hotels and hostels and transportation to Inle Lake! All signs seemed to point to the affirmative, and then it [...]
started to pour rain. Back at the hotel, I settled down at a table in the dinning area with my coffee, some chocolate, and my computer, and proceeded to blog for over 6 hours, pausing only to go out to eat at 8:30 at night. I finally made it to bed at about 1am, and was up again at 5:50 to get ready for our meeting time at Sam's.

+2

Kalaw
Everest Nepali Food Center

Coming down from the the view point at Thein Taung Monastery, we stopped in at the Everest Nepali-style restaurant because of rave reviews we heard from both Lonely Planet and a traveler we met at the top of the hill who also was in search of the best view over Kalaw. The food was indeed very tasty, and as it happened, the trekking tour Evan was looking for was across the street. After our filling curry lunch, we stopped in at Uncle Sam Travel & Tours to inquire about the 3 day, 60+ kilometer [...]
trek and homestay which would take us to some remote villages belonging to the varied tribes which reside in the mountains between Kalaw and Inle Lake.
Kalaw Thein Taung Monastery

Kalaw is 1200m above sea level, and is refreshingly cool, only getting up to 25 degrees Celsius today. We decided to hike up to the top of the hill to the Thein Taung Monastery to get a better view. It is a cute, small mountain town, and at first the kids coming from the monastary seemed so too, until one of the little boys yelled: "Fuck you!" and ran off. Another boy threw rocks (they were below us down the hillside so none came close), and then a young girl came up to me and asked me if I h [...]
ad money. All of these kids were no more than 9 years old, and their behavior was shocking considering: a) they had all just walked out of a monastery; and b) were the first rude kids of the whole trip! Aside from that, the view was incredible, though; I wish I had some food to give to some of the dogs at the top.
Honey Pine Hotel

Luckily for me, the hotel Evan found for us was a 2 minute walk from where the bus dropped me off at 2am. The door was locked to the hotel when I arrived, and for a few minutes, the sleeping attendant refused to let me in. Finally he opened the door, and I told him my room number, but he told me it was a two person room, and I needed to find another room. I was getting annoyed pretty quick with him, and said "I am the second person, where is the room?" He snapped out of it and walked me to t [...]
he door.
Bus Stop

259 km

Compared with my horrible bus experience to Bagan, this 7hr luxury bus wasn't so bad, save for the crackling terrible music that played for the first couple of hours until the movies began. I started my new book by George Orwell: "Burmese Days," and even managed to pass and get 3 passable hours of mediocre sleep.
Bagan Shwe Pyi Highway Bus Terminal ‐ Mar 9, 2017

11 km

Finally, we leave New Bagan and fly speedily (80-100km/hr?), seat-beltless over bumpy terrain and roads half constructed honking and swerving around motorbikes and carriages. Occasionally we jolting to a slowed pace when the vehicle or car in front was impassable, and were engulfed in a storm of dust and grit. Finally we made it to the bus station, 25-30 kilometers later, though I was only 3 away to begin with. A part of me enjoyed the adventure, but I didn't share this with the other frighten [...]
ed passengers.
New Bagan

6 km

Speeding rapidly over the bumpiest, most pot-hole strewn dirt and gravel and semi-paved roads, the shuttle had everyone sitting on the metal benches in the back gripping the metal cage that surrounded us. We continued further and further from the bus station, down to New Bagan, where we dropped off some packages, picked some up, and grabbed more soon to be frightened by the driving passengers.
Old Bagan

8 km

Though the bus station lay a few kilometers to the south-east, my shuttle hurtled off West in the direction of Old Bagan, picking up people and packages along the way.
Golden Myanmar Guest House

5.3 km

Back at the guesthouse in time for my free breakfast, I ate, then cleaned up for check-out time. For the rest of the day while I waited for my pickup to bring me to the bus station, I blogged, ate, and planned out the next steps of my trip.
Sulamani Temple

1.1 km

Yet another huge pagoda, but less touristy than the last. Despite the lesser number of visitors here, I stayed clear of the front entrance, and opted for one completely void of people. Not only did I get some fantastic photos of this grand temple, I managed to escape without anyone noticing me, and thankfully so, because free breakfast ends in less than 30 minutes!

+6

Dhammayan Gyi & Sulamani
Dhammayan Gyi Pagoda

1.4 km

After over an hour and 60 photos later, it was time for Evan to head off to catch his bus to Kalaw, and me to head over to the Phaya I spied from our viewpoint. Unfortunately my faulty e-bike ran out of juice just before the Dhammayan Gyi Pagoda. I called the rental lady and told her where to meet me - with the help of a local to translate the places - and visited the Phaya. This Phaya, built by the wicked King Narathu, contains a rare sight: two Buddhas sitting side by side - dedicated to the [...]
kings older brother and father whom he killed to gain the power of the throne. The brickwork in this (largest) temple of Bagan is intricate, and it is rumored that if the king was able to fit a pin between the bricks, he would cut off the hands of the worker responsible. Leaving the temple was difficult, not because of all the history contained inside, but because nearly forty people lined up and wished to get pictures with me. Though I've had many people in Myanmar ask for photos with me, this was definitely a record breaker. I met with the e-bike rental lady, and I was off to the next phaya on a new bike.
Ywa Haung Gyi Pagoda

5.5 km

Heading back down the dirt roads to our new favourite haunt, we parked our bikes on the backside of the temple, so as to make it look like noone was there, then squeezed past the tight, slightly bent metal gate that freed us to the upper levels. Back into the the Buddha chamber, and again up the secret stairway to the very top. We made it before sunrise, and were rewarded with the most incredible dawn of a new day experienced all trip. Huge flocks of hundred of birds began to stir, and took f [...]
light above the green expanse of the forest canopy, and in the distance, unnaturally round shapes began to mushroom in the horizon. As hot air inflated them fully, the balloons lifted slowly from Earth, and began their flight across the brightening sky. We looked over to the nearest temple a couple of kilometers away, and noticed a tiny swarm of tourists all watching from their maybe two-story viewpoint. Evan and I sat alone, in pristine silence nearly 4 stories up, and experienced the morning like no other soul in the whole of Bagan. Though I missed out on viewing the sunrise balloons over Bagan from the famous Shwe San Daw Phaya, not a single bit of me regrets it.

+5

Balloons over Bagan & Ywa Haung Gyi in the Daylight
Golden Myanmar Guest House

1.1 km

Waking up at 5am, Evan and I walked over to the lady with the e-bike rentals, and were on our way to go watch the sunrise, and hopefully catch the balloons over Bagan.
Weather Spoon's Restaurant and Bar ‐ Mar 8, 2017

3.5 km

On our way back to return our bikes, my e-bike almost died, and at times I was crawling at just under 10km/hr. Luckily, I managed to limp it back, and we headed to dinner at Weather Spoon's, as one of Evan's friends recommended it, and gave him the name of the owner.
Bulethi

1 km

After our adventure in our new favourite and private access pagoda, we went to check out one of the prominent phayas we had spied from our lofty vantage point. There were four giant golden standing Buddhas facing out each of the four main entrances, and two main corridors that ran in squares around the complex. Each entrance has massive wooden doors 6 or so meters tall, and all the walls were adorned with inset shrines with small Buddha figures from floor to the ceiling way up. On our way out [...]
, we both bought a knock of printing of George Orwell's Burmese Days, as we had both finished our books on our respective trips up to Mandalay.

+7

Our New Secret, and Bulethi By Night
Ywa Haung Gyi Pagoda

1.4 km

Taking to the dirt roads ago in the fading light, we ran across another fantastic sight, and yet again, we were the only one's present. We walked around the Ywa Haung Gyi Pagoda, but saw that this one only had first floor access... until we ran across one of the barred off gates that had been pried open slightly. The the opening looked impossibly small, yet we decided that we - as two adventurous, skinny (and stupid?) males - may as well try the squeeze. We made it! And beyond, an unusually [...]
large and tall staircase leading upward. This was not like the other locked pagoda, which was clean and well kept. This staircase had a layer of dust and grit over a millimeter thick, and insects - mainly mosquitoes - that rose in hordes of hundreds as we made out way. Gaining access to the upper level, we looked out at the landscape victorious, and made our way into the Buddha chamber, where a Buddha sat so peacefully, he didn't even bother to wipe the bat droppings which covered him from his long period of isolation. To our surprise, we found tucked away, a raised, smaller entrance to yet more stairs! Exiting these stairs, were five more stairs leading up to an upper veranda more than three stories off the ground we had come from. From here we got an incredible view of the uppermost stuppa, so we decided to walk around it in the almost complete dark. It was a very narrow walkway strewn with rubble, with a wall on one side, and an unprotected drop of ~12 meters. As yet more of a surprise, Even found a small entrance on one of the narrow edges, and getting down onto his stomach crawled on through; naturally I followed. It was a bit of an eerie feeling being deep inside of a closed off ruined pagoda, and every step we hoped not to hear the sound of crumbling bricks. Halfway around the four-sided, one entrance tunnel that we had to duck to walk through, we suddenly heard a thundering echoing sound of // our hearts skip a beat // the flapping of huge wings. It was a huge bat, but we were relieved that the reverberating WUMPH it made was not the brickwork underneath. We decided it was time to find the crawl-through hole and get out of that claustrophobic inner promenade. Now fully dark, we enjoyed the terrific view from our newfound vantage point, and decided this must be a great place to view sunrise.

Bagan: The Indiana Jones Experience

Taking to the dirt roads in the fading light, we ran across another fantastic sight, and yet again, we were the only one's present. We walked around the Ywa Haung Gyi Pagoda, but saw that this one onl...
ဦးရင်ကြီးဘုရား

1 km

After driving our e-bikes up and down the dirt roads from the main road to the river, we found an incredible collection of ancient structures to explore, sadly, the large phaya (pagoda) that caught our eye was gated off. After wandering around for 15 minutes, we spied a local walking up to the gate, holding... is that a key?!? Sure enough, it was, and we had the pleasure of meeting the keeper of the temple, who welcomed us in to view the (not so much) sunset.

+9

Under Construction & Unlocked
Thakyapone Temple

2.5 km

Since the main road didn't interest us much, we took to the dirt roads. After visiting a few smaller structures, we came upon the Thakyapone/Tha Gyar Pone Phaya, which was under re-structuring, as many temples were damaged in the 6.8 magnitude earthquake of August 2016.
Shwezigon Pagoda

2 km

After a couple of hours spent blogging, and a nice curry lunch, the first stop was the Shwezigon Pagoda, one of the first things to catch our eye off the main road.
Golden Myanmar Guest House ‐ Mar 7, 2017

4 km
Htilominlo

0.6 km

On the short bike over, I thought I felt a single drop of water fall on my face. Parking, I thought I felt another. Within another minute, it was raining, and after yet another, people were shouting out in excitement, covering there heads and running for cover from the heavy downpour that started so suddenly. We waited out the rain, and after 15 or 20 minutes it stopped, and we were able to head off again.

+2

First Evening in Bagan
Eim-ya-kyaung nga-myet-hna

1.5 km

Unable to find the ruins Evan had in mind, we pulled over at this one, and began exploring around. After a few minutes of searching, we found a tiny 5ft tall narrow archway entrance that brought us up a steep flight of dark, low ceiling stairs, and out onto the outside upper level. From here we climbed up the rest of the way to the top, clambering over old and sometimes loose bricks, through archways clearly not designed for people over 5 feet tall, let alone 6 feet! We stayed on top of the r [...]
uins in the fading light, and watched as the much larger temple of Htilominlo became increasingly illuminated. Finally, after some peace and a few good pictures, we made our way down the narrow flight of stairs and headed over to the illuminated temple.
Tharabar Gate

5.4 km

It was 5pm when I arrived at the room, and just in time to see Evan returning on his e-bike. I threw my stuff in the room, and we scooted off to catch the last remaining hour of light. We arrived at the Tharabar gate, and stopped to check the GPS, when a local girl riding a motorbike on the wrong side of the road almost ran into us, then crashed her bike. Luckily she wasn't going fast, and nobody was hurt, except for maybe a few scratches on the bike.
Golden Myanmar Guest House

123 km

Finally the bumpy, jolting ride came to an end, and the bus dropped me off within a hundred meters of my guesthouse. My friend Evan from Portland had messaged me in the morning saying that it was cheaper to rent rooms and split them than to stay in dormitories, which are obnoxiously expensive in Bagan. Of course I agreed to split a room with him; 1 roommate that I know is better than 9 that I don't!
Pyinsi

78 km

Mandalay was nice for a few days, but it is time to move along. I made the mistake of booking a bus through the hostel, and boarded the most horrid bus experience at 11:00am that day. The first thing I noticed were the mosquitoes on the bus, and the wheel wheels that took up leg room. Next, was the 2 hours of driving around town picking up passengers! Finally we were on our way, and the lack of good suspension had me noticing the every bump and bounce in the incredibly bumpy and bouncy road. [...]
It got very cramped and crowed and I was happy when we pulled over for a lunch break. The lunch stop was terribly mediocre.
Four Rivers B&B Mandalay ‐ Mar 6, 2017

20 km

Though I got back at dusk, 2 hours after my rental was over, I was never charged for the extra time; they did however, give me back the wrong passport belonging to another Canadian guy. I didn't notice at first until they came up to me a couple of hours later and alerted me to their mistake. I guess I will be checking next time I receive my passport back!
U Bein Bridge

16 km

On the long bike ride back, I noticed a considerable lack of my mornings gusto and energy. Despite my fatigue and the heat (I saw an LED sign that read 42C... but that can't be right?), I decided to make a stop at the U Pain bridge, famous for being the (supposed) longest teak wood bridge in the world, over 150 years old and 1200m long. I got there, and was inundated by tourists; this apparently is the mecca for them. Rather than walk along the bridge, and mingle and mash my way through the t [...]
housands of people there, I took a walk along beside it to the edge of the lake. I'm glad I avoided the crowds above, because I honestly think I got the best pictures available down on the ground, with the setting sun in the background.

+3

From Innwa to the U Bein Bridge
Daw Gyan Pagoda Complex

5 km

On my way over to visit a small monastery, I heard loud and heavy rock music coming from the other side of the large walls surrounding Innwa. I went over to find out what the commotion was, and saw a line of perhaps 50 ladies dressed in the most colourful and elegant of traditional dresses. Following them, a giant of an elephant with red and yellow robes, large grey floppy ears with white tips almost covering it's eyes and a 3 man carriage resting high on its back. As it passed it reached its [...]
trunk up into it's mouth, and then sprayed water back between its legs, soaking the man walking behind; everyone watching (I was the only foreigner) from either side of the street laughed. Trailing behind him, were 20 or so decorated horses with elegantly dressed boys and girls, looking like princes and princesses, and each with a man walking beside the horse holding up a very tall umbrella above them. Behind them were perhaps 30-40 large water buffalo paired up, decorated, and pulling colourful wagon/carts. Finally came a large 2 story tall band bus, with an open top and a live band playing the heavy rock I had heard from so far away. Though I am not sure what all the excitement was about, I figure it must be something of great importance, such as a marriage between rich families. It was an incredible parade showcasing many interesting aspects of wealth and culture, but I couldn't help but feel bad for some of the animals, that I noticed were foaming a bit at the mouth.

+12

Exploring Ancient Innwa

Mystery Parade

On my way over to visit a small monastery, I heard loud and heavy rock music coming from the other side of the large walls surrounding Innwa. I went over to find out what the commotion was, and saw a...
Shwezigon Pagoda

Though large, I wasn't overly impressed with this pagoda. I did however, find a small path that led to a small and almost forgotten little pagoda that was almost completely overgrown with vines and plants. This small and seemingly insignificant location was one of my favourite spots, because it seemed a true find, rather than just a point on a map. There was definitely more intrigue and mystery behind the runis of something half forgotten than those heavily populated.
Nanmyin Tower

Next stop was the Nanmyin watchtower. Sadly I couldn't climb up the steps to get a view across the green expanse of fields and palms, but I did get a few good pictures of this leaning yellow structure.
Maha Aungmye Bonzan

Getting to my first stop on my list, I put on a shirt with sleeves, and covered my shorts with my longyi. Walking up to the steps of the ruins, a lady at a ticket counter called me over, and told me there is fee of 10,000Kyat(~10cad) for visiting all the locations at Innwa. I paid the pricey fee (and later found out some tourists never had to pay it), and continued up the steps. Though there wasn't much left of the ruins due to multiple wars and finally a devastating earthquake, what was left [...]
certainly was impressive.
Inn Wa

30 km
Ferry boat launch

I still had my bicycle rental for the majority of the day, so I figured I would brave the long ride to the archaeological site of the old capital of Myanmar, Innwa (Inwa). This old city was the capital for over 350 years, which is the longest of any Burmese cities. I arrived at the Myitnge River ferry, and paid the 2000Kyats to cross. A local girl selling jewelry also managed to persuade me in buying a Jade necklace.

+3

Bicycling to Innwa
Mandalay Hill ‐ Mar 5, 2017

8.9 km

We rode our bikes through the streets, past the palace, and made it to the base of the hill with about half an hour to spare before the sunset, according to Google. Rushing up the stairs (barefoot, because shoes are seldom allowed anywhere), I smashed my big toe into one of the rock stairs on the way up , and had to stop to bandage it up, else leave an easy to follow trail of red behind me. We continued up, with 20 minutes left before sunset. What we didn't realize, was that since there is so [...]
much smoke in the air, the sun sets almost half an hour early because once it falls behind the hazy clouds, it is smothered out of sight for the night. As far as sunsets go, it was very disappointing. Waiting until the sun was down completely yielded a slightly better view due to the lights of the city and those decorating the temples, but it was still nothing extraordinary - then again, perhaps I've been spoiled by too many good sights.
Four Rivers B&B Mandalay

1.7 km

Arriving back at the Four Rivers, I took a quick lukewarm shower, then attempted to hack off some of my quickly growing beard with a shitty 2 blade razor that jammed up with cuttings every half inch of shaving. It was a tedious process, but somehow I managed to be running down the stairs into the lobby at 4 o'clock on the dot... plus or minus a dot. After meeting up with my new friend, I rented a bicycle from the front counter clerk, and we were off.
Ar Nandar Pagoda

After checking out one more Pagoda, I decided to take the long way home, so that I could be back for 3:30, shower, and rent a bike for my plans to catch the sunset on Mandalay Hill.

+8

First Day in Mandalay
Mahar Myat Muu` Ne` Pagoda

1.5 km

After a complimentary breakfast buffet on the rooftop of the Four Rivers Hostel, I walked down to the nearest large Pagoda in the area. Though Mandalay is much dirtier than Naypyitaw, and occasionally you get wafts of decaying garbage and human waste drifting through the air, it is more colourful and culturally intact than the eeriness of the new capital. Having worn short to beat the heat, I bought myself a longyi, which is traditional dress (literally) worn by men in Myanmar, and would allow [...]
me to enter (without shoes) the pagodas in the country.
Four Rivers B&B Mandalay

270 km

A motorbike taxi offered his services at the bus station, and I arrived at my new hostel at midnight, 14 hours after leaving my last one. Time for sleep, but the door to my room makes a hideously loud BEEP, and a thunderously noticeable CLACK each time it opens. I had to do this 2 times, so 2 BEEP's and 4 CLACK's later, my teeth were brushed, but I was convinced that the other 9 I shared the room with would hate me in the morning.
Chan Mya Shwe Pyi Highway Station ‐ Mar 4, 2017

12 hours of bus travel later, I arrived in Mandalay. This was more than ample time to finish my book: "Red Dust," which is probably my new favourite book I have read recently. I also just learned it is banned in China, but somehow this information doesn't surprise me!
Naypyitaw

367 km

The decision to go to Naypyitaw was a bit of a spontaneous one, but I figured it was safe enough since I wanted to see the new capital city of Myanmar. When I mentioned my plan to go there to Yan and Zayar the night before, I couldn't remember how to pronounce the name of the city, so I told them I am going to the capital of their country. They looked at me blankly and responded by telling me Yangon IS the capital. Confused I said I wanted to go to the new capital, and finally they knew what [...]
I was talking about, but told me there was nothing there, it's a new city, and the people still consider Yangon to be the official capital. Sure enough, when I arrived in the city, the roads all looked pristine, but didn't seem to lead anywhere but palace-like hotels. I got a very strange feeling about the place, and when I was dropped off by the bus, began to get a hopeless feeling when the taxi drivers asked me where I was going. I had no booking, no idea of where to go, and no internet on my phone. Finally after 20 minutes of walking around with all of my bags, I found a place that could put a SIM card in my phone and provide me with data. That's when I realized there were nothing but fancy resorts in the town. I checked the bus schedule with panic rising, and saw with relief there was a 6:15pm bus leaving to Mandalay. I rushed back to the bus station and bought a ticket the hell out of there!

Getting Out Just as Quick as I Came
Bus Station

14.9 km

In the morning, I packed up and grabbed a taxi to the bus station. It's crazy how a 30min taxi ride can cost the same as a 6hr bus ride!
T VENUS B&B

12 km
Maha Bandula Bridge ‐ Mar 3, 2017

11 km

After downing a Mickey in two shots between the 3 of us, Yan was throwing up, so it was just me and the other man Zayar. This was a small blessing in disguise, as now we could drop the plans to go to the bar, and go check out some sights of the city. He called a friend of his - a taxi driver who also brought a friend, and they drove us around, first to different convenience stores buying snacks, beer and whiskey, then to different places with good views at night. Finally, he stopped the taxi on [...]
the top of a bridge crossing the mouth of the large Pazundaung Creek, which was far more river-like than creek-like. We got out and the taxi driver set out mats on the bridge walkway - his car still parked in one of the right lanes - and we began chatting and drinking. The original guy could speak decent enough English, but he was also pretty dizzy (drunk), and the others spoke very little. It was entertaining nonetheless. The emotions took a turn when Zayar talked about his people, and the state of poverty many live in. He wants change and doesn't know how to create it. He says he is under a huge amount of stress because his people look up to him as a leader because of his education, but sometimes he doesn't feel the strength to be one. He started crying while talking; sobbing between words until his slightly chubby cheeks shown with silver streaks of his emotion. Not knowing what else to do, I gave the man a hug, and told him it is okay to feel sad and overwhelmed, but that in fact he is strong and smart, and will make a good example to his people. We were at the bridge for a little more than an hour or so, and eventually, they drove me back home. Getting off the bus 4 hours before, I never would have guessed my night would end like this, or that I would have the energy for all the emotions good and bad, yet I am grateful for the friendship and insight I was gifted that night.

+2

A Trip to Bandula Bridge
Yan's Place

5.1 km

The sailor was better with his English of the two of them - probably because he had more opportunity to use it in his travels - and was definitely the more fashionable and hip. It was his house we went to first, to meet his year and a half, and 7 year old daughters who were being taken care of by his mother. It was a small little apartment condo - dirty with the occasional cockroach on the walk up the stairs to the door, but homey and warm on the inside, with pictures of his family decorating th [...]
e walls, and a large map of the world with the locations he has been to pinned off. He explained to me how he only got to see his children for 3-4 month out of the year, and that the rest of the time he spent on the sea. This too was why he was no longer with their mother. I could see the conflict in his eyes. I could also smell the whiskey on his breath. We left there and went to a small restaurant down the street to have 'pre drinks' because he wanted to take me to the club, even though his friend did not. The more he talked about the bar, and how I had to watch out for violence, the more I didn't want to go either.
Inya Lake Park

1.4 km

At the time, all I wanted to do was go home, as I was tired from a long and hot day exploring. When they convinced me to go have a few drinks with them, I told them I only had an hour to spare as I had a bus to catch in the morning. They insisted this wasn't enough, and got a taxi to my place. At my hotel they told me I should leave everything of value there, as Myanmar was not always safe at nighttime, and plus they would cover the costs for the night. A few warning signs went off in my head, [...]
but they seemed like nice enough people, and their concerns seemed sincere.

New Friends at Inya Lake Park

Yan and Zanyar

Yan & Zanyar: It's hard to sum up the nights emotions from this point forward. Most of it was very nice, and I consider myself lucky to have met those two local characters, but some of it definitely l...
Kyaung Kwae Bus Stop

10.4 km

I decided to get off the bus 2 stops past my stop in order to walk along Inye lake on my last night in Yangon. Because the bus was so crowded, and the bus director / money collector had us all sitting 3 to a 2-man bench, I ended up 3 stops past due to a failure to communicate my stop had arrived to the two girls sitting next to me. Off the bus, I realize with disgruntlement that the man sitting behind me had undone my rear-tied Thai-style baggy pants, just as I had suspected. I wish I had shot h [...]
im with more than just a dirty look (an elastic band perhaps?). I took out my single, and grabbed a light from some construction crew who were waiting for their bus. I arrived at the park bordering the west side of the lake and began walking down the brightly lit and busy boardwalk. "Hey, friend, can I use yo light?" A man indicates to my smoke, so I hand it to him to light his. And this is how I met the two local guys Yan and Zayar - one a sailor, who travels the world with his work, the other an engineer with a doctorate... (continued on next post)
Sule Bus Stop

0.8 km

Yan & Zanyar: It's hard to sum up the nights emotions from this point forward. Most of it was very nice, and I consider myself lucky to have met those two local characters, but some of it definitely left me confused. I guess it all started with me trying to find the right bus from the city center to Yangon university, which is just down the street from the hostel I was staying at. A toothless street vendor called me over and asked where I was going after seeing me pace up and down the bus termin [...]
al in front of him, trying to read the Burmese numbers which all looked like variations of a '0' to me. "61 or 65 number bus you look for. Sit here, please wait," was his response when I told him where I was going. We chatted for a bit, and he would look up from time to time and tell me the number of the bus that had just pulled in. After 15 minutes of waiting on a small stool by the man - more than 45 minutes after I began searching for my bus - the man grabbed a single smoke from an open pack on the vendor ladies table beside me. I asked him how much a single was, he said: "50 jaks (kyats), very cheap!" Indeed, ¢5 is dangerously cheap for a single, so I grabbed one. Just as I pulled out a 200 from my pocket and handed it to him, he excitedly pointed to a bus and said: "61! Is your bus, hurry!" He insisted I take the 200 kyat bill back, and later on the bus I regretted not having insisted he keep it; after all, it's the least I could have done to repay his favors... (continued on next post)

+3

Nighttime falls on Central Yangon.
PPQ Bakery & Ice - Cream

0.6 km

Having not eaten a proper meal since breakfast, I was happy to find a nice restaurant and bakery with tasty vegetarian options, and great bakery items for a good price. Knowing I had a 6 hour bus ride the next day, I stocked up.
Nan Thida Ferry Terminal

0.6 km

Once Gekko started getting their dinnertime rush, I figured it was time to bounce. I headed for the park/ferry terminals in hopes of catching a view of the river. When I arrived, two locals complimented me on my hair, and told me about the muslim fire-walking rituals which were happening for the next two days, and offered to show me. It sounded very interesting, but the freedom of being with no one but myself was intoxicating, so I declined them politely at first, then a little more firmly.
Gekko

0.8 km

Finding WiFi, and a good spot to blog proved harder than I had originally thought, but after aimlessly wandering around in circles for the greater part of an hour, I was directed to Gekko, an expensive Japanese restaurant, where I proceeded to order the most expensive Mango sticky rice (Mango Nigiri) I have ever had... mind you, this was the first time I've had mango sticky rice wrapped up pretty with seaweed.

+6

A Day in Central Yangon
Maha Bandula Park

2.2 km

Though only 10 kilometers away, this part of the city seems quite different than where my hostel resides. I walk to the park, past the large city hall and the Sule Pagoda, and find myself standing under the 165ft tall Independence Monument, which replaced the monument of Queen Elizabeth when Burma won it's independence from England. I had a hard time taking a panorama of the impressive spread of buildings surrounding the square, because locals kept coming up to me wanting to talk to me and be [...]
my friend. Finally, after posing for a picture with a monk, and in turn taking a selfie with him, I managed to win the freedom to get my panoramic shot.
Yangon Central Railway Station

3.2 km

Though there were no announcements to state which station the train was arriving at, I was thankful to have the Maps.me app which supplies an offline map integrated with GPS functionality. If you do not have the comfort of GPS on the train, you can know you reached the Yangon Central Railway Station when the tracks multiply into a plethora of seemingly unused other tracks.

+3

A 10 Cent Train to the City
Shan Road Railway Station

4.3 km

It wasn't much of a surprise to see that all the seats were taken on the train, so I stood for the entire duration of the trip. The train sure didn't go fast, and I'm sure I'm glad of it with the rocking side to side as it went. I was never able to see out the windows enough to get a view - aside from a downward glance at the gravel and bushes and strewn litter that could be seen from my vantage.
Hledan Railway Station

1.6 km

I took the suggestion of a Bulgarian man I had the pleasure of meeting the day before in my hostel, and walked down to the Hledan Railway Station on my way down to Yangon Central Station. Though not the quickest mode of transportation by any means, he assured me it was the most colourful, not to mention the most affordable. I arrived at the station half an hour before the next train, which bought me time to take a stroll through the surrounding neighborhood. I got carried away in my own world [...]
appreciating this new world, and managed to arrive back at the train station with only minutes to spare!
T VENUS B&B ‐ Mar 2, 2017

3.4 km

The nearly 40C temperature of the day (and the 30min time change?) took it out of me. We got back to the hostel and i lay in my bed for an hour a sweaty mess, unable to gather the motivation to get up. When I did finally stir, it was time to head out in search of food. The food was good, but I'm finding more and more that meat doesn't settle with me that well - both mentally, and physically. After dinner I walked through some of the side streets exploring small markets, and bought an avocado [...]
shake from some boys in the shake business. On my way back through, some of the same boys were playing a hacky sack sort of a game with a medium sized (~9" diameter) hollow wicker ball. I joined them, and played for nearly 2 hours. I left them a dripping sweaty mess; no change there.
People's Park

1.3 km

We grabbed some street food, and found our way to the large People's Park where we ate under a monstrous tree with a surrounding bench. While eating, a young girl and her brother came over and asked what my name was, where I was from, and if they could take a picture with me. They got their pictures, then I took a selfie with with the two of them on my phone. When they ran back to their dad, he looked over and waved at me. A few minutes later, the girl came running back and gifted me two ora [...]
nges. I'm loving this country already.

+2

Lunch in People's Park
Shwedagon Pagoda

2.4 km

We walk over to the large Shwedagon Pagoda, and check our shoes and socks at the bottom. halfway up the long tunnel of roofed steps and bordering market stalls, we reach a security check, so we throw our bags on the conveyor belt scanner. They ask me to open my bag, and lift out my power adapter for my laptop, eyeing me suspiciously. I tell them its for my computer, and after some discussion between a few of the guards, they decide that I am not a threat and let me go. The fee to visit the p [...]
agoda was a whooping 8000 Ryaks ($8CAD). We ended up spending 2 hours wandering around the center-piece giant golden chedi, gazing at the hundreds of smaller chedis and temples and Buddhas and gongs that were to be found. It was nice to look at, but the day was hot, and everything started to look the same by the end, so it was nice to get out, grab our shoes, and be on our way to the next stop.

+4
Embassy of Vietnam

5.3 km

For my first day in Myanmar, I decide to go to the Shwedagon Pagoda. My Chinese roommate Lu also wants to go there, so we decide to go together. 6 buses pass us by, all full to the brim, with people standing in the walkways; finally we decide to just cram in, as they aren't getting any less crowded. Before heading to the pagoda, we make a quick detour to the Vietnamese Embassy - which happened to be closed due to a national holiday in Myanmar - Peasant's Day.
T VENUS B&B ‐ Mar 1, 2017

9.6 km

Getting a taxi at the airport, I noticed that the driving wheel was on the right-hand side, like Thailand. That must mean they drive on the left-hand side of the road... Nope! Just another thing that sets Myanmar apart from other countries. Oh yeah, and the men wear dresses.
Yangon International Airport

610 km

I touched down in Yangon at 9:30pm, and left the plane with a smile. There's nothing like stepping out on completely foreign soil of a new country for the first time, and this is my first time this trip. I walked up to customs officer and felt like a complete ignoramus when I didn't even know how to say 'hello' or 'thank you' in his own language! Yet, this shame was somewhat welcome, and it made me realize just how different a world I had just entered. I have now learned that Hello is: 'Ming [...]
-geu-la-ba;' and Thank you is: 'kyei-zu-tin-ba-de.' My pronunciation needs much improvement, but at least it's a start! I grabbed my bag and exited departures, and was relieved to find out that I was able to unlock my new Debit/Visa at one of the local ATM's. I pulled out the maximum of 300,000Kyats (~$300CAD), and was on my way after a brief snack and WiFi session. I will note that I was shocked that about the tax in this country, that I am not used to in other parts of Asia.
Don Mueang International Airport Bangkok Thailand, Thailand

520 km

Back in Thailand, but this time only for 5 hours. I ate the most disgusting cold hot dog from Dairy Queen, then washed it down with a not so disgusting Blizzard, and read a whole lot of my book. I swapped my Lao SIM card for my Thai SIM, and surprisingly, it worked! This bit of good fortune allowed me to download the maps for Myanmar, just the boarding call announced my flight was ready to board.
Wattay International Airport, Laos

6.3 km

I used the last 23,000 Kip to grab a motorbike song thaew to the airport. The man wanted 30,000, but when you only have 23,000, you only have 23,000, and so it was settled. Next stop, 5 hour layover in Bangkok.
Mixok Inn

0.6 km

It seemed fitting on my last day in Vientiene to head back to the Mixok Inn, the place where I blogged on my first day in Laos. It is open early, is comfortable, has good enough food and coffee, but most importantly, has dependable (enough) WiFi! Next stop, grab my bags, and find my way to the airport!
Orange Backpackers Hostel ‐ Feb 28, 2017

2.4 km

Getting back to the hostel, I desperately wanted to upload photos and work on my blog, however; the WiFi was terribly intermittent, and I soon gave up, and decided rather to wake at 6:30am to find more reliant WiFi.
Patuxay Monument

1.4 km

Unlike the Presidential Palace, the Patuxay Monument inflicted much more awe, and I circled it a few times to capture the perfect pictures. The monument has a very French feel to it (in fact, it looks very much like the Arc de Triomphe), until you get close enough to see the very Asian style figures, sculptures and paintings adorning it!

+3

The Patuxay Monument
Presidential Palace

1.6 km

I rode a bike out to the presidential palace, it was nice, but I wasn't filled with any grand inspiration to take pictures.
Orange Backpackers Hostel

6 km

Back at the hostel, I paid up, and brought my bags up to the dorm room. Finally, at 5:30pm, I could think about going to grab my first meal of the day. Up until this point, all I had consumed was a few peanut brittle, and a soy milk drink!
Australian/Canadian Embassy

1.3 km

I arrived at the Canadian Embassy just before 4, and picked up my new Debit/Visa card that had been shipped to me. It is a relief to have this small piece of plastic again!
Myanmar Embassy

5.6 km

I arrived at the Myanmar Embassy at 3:30, and realized I had forgotten my pickup receipt at Jonas's house. Luckily I must have a recognizable face (and head of hair?), because the lady recognized me, despite the 2 weeks since dropping off my passport, and she grabbed my passport, with a fresh new Visa to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar! Now off to The Australian (Canadian) Embassy.
Orange Backpackers Hostel

13.6 km

Catching a local bus to the hostel, I arrive with only an hour and a half to spare before both the Myanmar and Canadian Embassies close for the day. I hurriedly drop my bags, and convince the proprietor to rent me a motorbike despite not having a passport on me. Leaving my bags (which I told here was my life), I zoomed off towards the Myanmar Embassy.
Southern Bus Station

340 km

Though Google Maps will tell you that the drive will take less than 5 hours, don't be fooled! 8 hours later, we pulled into the Southern Bus Station. Thank goodness I was able to get a couple hours of sleep, then pass the rest of the time reading a great book - 'Red Dust' by Ma Jian - about his travels through China in the early 1980's during the era of the Four Modernizations and the troubling events of the socialist reform.
BCEL ATM Bus station ‐ Feb 27, 2017

12.8 km

The time finally came for me to say good-bye to my friends at the Green Climbers Home. Though I could have easily stayed here much longer, and it was hard to part from so many people that in such short a time became very close to me, the journey must continue (and my blog must be worked on after such a long stint in the country without WiFi!). I packed my bags, and headed to the main road. After 15-20 minutes of waiting by the side of the road, a passing song thaew picked me up and took me to [...]
the city of Thakhek for a cheap price of 10,000LAK (~1.60CAD). Rather than take an evening bus to Vientiane and arrive at 1 or 2am, I stayed the night at Samy Guesthouse by the bus station, and woke up at 4:45 to take the first bus to the capital.
Green Climbers Home ‐ Feb 19, 2017

12.8 km

How do you sum up 8 days of epic people, incredible climbing, unreal events, and unforgettable memories in a single post and mark on a map? I'm sitting in Yangon Myanmar, two counties away and a week after the fact, and its hard to know what to write without feeling like I shamed the time with inadequate words. Indeed, I could have stayed here for much longer, but then I would be missing out on other grand adventures elsewhere, so I must put faith in the hope that I will be back again, and I s [...]
ay with certainty that I will in fact see some friends I have made here again. I climbed harder than I've ever climbed before, and caved more in a day than I have in a decade. When it came time to leave, my body silently thanked me, because rest days here turn more active than active rest days should be. I will try to sum up some of the highlights of my last 8 days in the pictures I post.

+21

My Last 8 Days Summed Up - Green Climbers Home
BCEL ATM Bus station ‐ Feb 18, 2017

2.5 km

Knowing that there is a fruit market in the same area as the bus station, I headed over and grabbed 3kg of fresh mangoes for 15,000/kg (~$2.50Cad), yum!
Thakhek

2.4 km

Since the plan is to head back to Green Climbers Home tomorrow, I stopped in at this grocery store to buy bulk packages of chocolate waffers, coffee, soy milk and a few Red Bull that were on sale. Outside, I picked up a bunch of bananas, and carried onward.

+5
DD Bistro & Cafe

7.2 km

Having to choose between DD Bistro, Sabaidee Thakhek, and Inthira Thakhek, I went with the one with my initials in the name, the comfiest chairs, and the best looking coffee... Sadly, I also went with the one without WiFi!!! Oh well, not all writing requires WiFi; the blogging would have to wait until my return to Samy Guesthouse.
Samy Guesthouse - Thakhek ‐ Feb 17, 2017

12.8 km

With no vacancies left at Green Climbers, I decide it's time to do some blogging, and explore Thakhek a little. I decide to try hitchhiking again, this time in the day and with one small 8kg bag. I walk a little more than one kilometer, and am picked up by a friendly local couple driving a van full of mosquitoes. Little is spoken on the drive, but the sound of clapping as we try to squash the bloodsuckers is heard throughout the drive!
Green Climbers Home ‐ Feb 15, 2017

In three days, I covered some ground at the limestone cliffs of Green Climbers Home. On the first two days, I sent/onsighted every route I climbed, ranging from 5b to 6b. Surprisingly, the headiest route was a run-out 38m 5c+ that started 30m above deck. At one point, I reached a giant jug of relief after a relatively bare patch, only to see a creature slither out of the pocket and jump at me, and off my shoulder. I cursed and yelled frantically for a few moments, somehow managing to stay gl [...]
ued to the rock face, while my belay below thought that I had lost a shoe somehow. Moments later he yelled up that it was a flying squirrel that took flight, and flew back into a cave below. Later on the same route, I was left stranded over 30m off the deck with no way to get back to the wall. There were some lessons learned, and some creative techniques applied in my rescue. Though we all had headlamps, none of us expected to be coming down in the dark, so we rappelled by the light of our phones. It was an epic first day multi-pitch, and one that I will remember for ages to come! The critters here are incredible. There are spooky looking long-legged centipedes, preying mantis, tiny grasshoppers with antennae 10 times their length, giant beetles, fireflies that light up the sky, scorpions, and much more that I have heard of, and am just waiting to see! On my last day climbing before returning to Thakhek, I lead/climbed my first 6c+ with 2 takes which was a proud moment for me, since my last hardest lead was a 6c with 3 takes. Then I absolutely butchered a lead up a 7a, but, cursing and swearing (and with 7 or so takes!), I made it to the top. That ended day three, and after lunch with Steve and Maddie, I decided to try hitching a ride back into town with fingers tingling and aching and in dire need of new layers of skin. I earned myself a blog break!

+20
Green Climbers - Camp 1 Office / Eating Lounge

I met with Steve and Maddie in their camp, and the adventures began, since there is no WiFi at either of the camps, blogging is a difficult task, and must be done in the town of Thakhek, where WiFi is still are hard to come by commodity. I will sum up the climbing as best I can in pictures I hope to upload tonight (Feb.18).
Green Climbers - Camp 2 Office / Eating Lounge ‐ Feb 14, 2017

With a large cloud of dust, my new friends fancy truck skids to a stop in front of the main office / eating area, and I unload my bags, relieved, and say thank you and good-bye. As soon as I find my tent (the 1-person tents are small children tents that don't fit 6ft tall people!) and drop my bags, I search out Steve and Maddie, who are in a luxuriously huge tent. We make plans to meet for breakfast the next morning, and hit up the Elephant wall.
Xiangliab

10.6 km

I walk a total of 12 kilometers with my two heavy bags in the pitch dark (thank goodness for my headlamp), and finally when I give up hitchhiking, someone stops his truck and offers to drive me the last kilometer to Green Climbers Home... Except he drove past it, hurtling down the road at reckless speeds honking his horn and flashing his lights at every sign of life he saw. I tried to tell him in Thai that I thought he had gone too far, and he brushed me off saying he knew where the falangs (fo [...]
reigners) were. 6 or 7 kilometers past the Climbers Home, I was getting a little concerned, and finally, he pulls over where a group of 8 locals are partying and dancing to asian techno. They all cheer and beckon us over, and before the driver can find out where he is going, they are feeding him and then I shots of an unknown alcoholic spirit, and cheering and shouting in excitement. Ten minutes later we manage to escape the party, and are hurtling back in the direction of Green Climbers.
Thakhek

4.6 km

Nighttime, with 30kg of bags weighing you down, might not be the best time to try hitchhiking... It's more like plain hiking! I stopped at this little restaurant called Yaya and ordered some kao pat (fried rice), and used their WiFi to catch up quickly with my blog. The food was good, but when the bill came, I couldn't help but feel they upped the price a bit. I'm noticing that even with data on my phone, there seems to be terrible service out here... I may have to make the occasional trip [...]
into town just to blog!
Thakhek

330 km

7hrs on the bus later, and I arrive in Thakhek, roughly 12km from the Green Climbers Home.
Southern Bus Station

13.3 km

I caught a tuk tuk to the southern bus station for international buses, and those travelling to the South.
Myanmar Embassy

1.4 km

I sat in the office for no more than half an hour filling out forms, then left, leaving my passport and paying them 360,000Kip for the visa, which is to be ready Thursday evening.
Vientiane - Jonas's House

4.2 km

It's time to leave Vientiane, on my way to Thakhek, and more climbing! But first, I must apply for a Myanmar visa...

+4
Lao Telecom ‐ Feb 13, 2017

It is finally time to get my own SIM card. For $10 I buy a sim card and buy 1.25GB of data. What a steal!
Vientiane - pharmacy

Running low on my Malaria medication, I hit up a pharmacy to stock up before heading to the mountains of the south east.
Scandinavian Bakery

4.1 km

Recommended by Jonas, I went to check out the Scandinavian bakery for some food, refillable coffee, and of course WiFi, which is much harder to come by in Laos than it is in Thailand!
Australian Embassy / Canadian Embassy

0.9 km

Having lost my debit/visa mysteriously at the machine, I must find a fixed address to send my replacement card to. Jonas works during UPS shipping hours, so I stop by the Canadian Embassy. They say they would be glad to help and receive my card.
Vientiane ‐ Feb 12, 2017

4 km

It is time to get the flat fixed on Jonas's Kolao. A short trip later, and a repair shop is found.
Pakhouei Vangsy ‐ Feb 11, 2017

4.2 km

After a day of relaxing at Jonas's - including setting up a slackline between one of the tall wooden pillars of his house and a Palm tree - we took a couple of the pedal bikes and visited the Pakhouei Vangsy Temple located along the Mekong River. Sitting on benches by the river at night, you can look across the large expanse of water at the lights of Thailand's Nong Khai. The sounds of frogs and lizards fill the air, and the loud sporadic crashing of leaves from the giant trees sounds like tup [...]
perware being dropped from 2 story windows.
Vientiane - Jonas's House

6.2 km

It's a relief to get back to Jonas's house that he shares with three others - it is an old French style, two story cement and wood building with large wooden pillars supporting the upper floor, and intricate engravings of flowers, and dragons and other such designs on the doors and the furniture. Though it is dark when we get back, I learn in the morning that the gated yard is full of trees, plants, cactus, and has many little statues of elephants, birds, and the like. There is even a small sh [...]
rine in the one corner of the yard. It is a paradise retreat just outside of the busyness of the city. The sounds of birds, frogs, crickets roosters, dogs and cats can be heard all around at any given time, creating a feeling of being right in the midst of a country farmland.
Orange Backpackers Hostel ‐ Feb 10, 2017

Walking back to the Orange Backpackers Hostel, we find that Jonas has a flat tire on his Kolao motorbike. We barter with a tuk tuk driver, and load his bike into the back, and climb in ourselves. It is too late at night to get it fixed.
Night market

Taking an evening walk down the street, we stopped in at the night market. I was surprised to see how much development has happened in my seven year absence from the city - the whole river walk has been developed and there were only a few signs of the plethora of heavy equipment that I remember seeing long ago. Clearly this city is on the rise, and doing well.
Jamil Zahid Indian and Pakistani Food

Re-uniting with my friends, we quickly learn that we are all famished! Luckily, there is an Indian/Pakistani food restaurant close by that is vegetarian friendly. It was a cute little place with good pricing (especially if you are vegetarian), and the owner was a funny man, who posted some ridiculous videos of us on his facebook restaurant page. First day in Laos, and we are already being made famous! Once finished our food, we played a couple of games of Rummy, and Jonas arrived to meet up [...]
with us.
Orange Backpackers Hostel

After hours of blogging, and enjoying the comfort of a well kept bathroom, I hear from Steve and Maddie, and make the trip down to their guesthouse to drop my bags until I am able to meet up with Jonas.
Mixok Inn

21 km

No, I am not staying here, but yes, it was the first bathroom I could find in 14 hours (I tried to use the bus bathroom, but the scene I saw inside made me suffer the discomfort of waiting longer). I was so relieved to put my 'business' and bags down that I ordered coffee, food, and setup shop here at the downstairs restaurant with wifi.

+4

The Trip to Vientiane, Laos
Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

Crossing the bridge from Thailand to Laos brought back memories of crossing the same bridge 7 years prior on my way back to Thailand. It is so cool to look across a river (the Mekong), knowing you're looking into another country.
Nong Khai Thailand, Thailand

54 km

Arriving at the Nong Khai bus station, a French couple and myself found a tuk tuk taxi to take us to the Thai border check. I was able to barter the price down from 150 to 120 - a small victory! At the border, I was stopped because the officer in BKK stamped the wrong time in my passport, and it showed that I was supposed to be out of the country 15 days prior; what a nightmare. Luckily it was sorted out without any huge issues, just time spent waiting in multiple lines.
Udon Thani Bus Station 2 Udon Thani Thailand

512 km

Making it to Udon Thani, I almost got off at the wrong station. Luckily I learned of my errors and continued on to Nong Khai!
Lampang Thailand ‐ Feb 9, 2017

100 km

The buses first main stop on our trip to Udon Thani / Nong Khai and beyond - Laos! I don't recall many of the other stops, because after reading "A Youth Wasted Climbing" for a few chapters, and chatting with my love for a bit, I drifted off to a restless sleep until Udon Thani.
Arcade Bus Station (Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2)

14.1 km

Good-bye Chiang Mai! Will I ever see you again? I sure hope so!
Nong Buak Haad Public Park

36 km

Went to the Nong Buak Park for the third, and last time. This time, however; we had different, and far grander plans than just rigging an ordinary slackline. Combining my 30m line, with Yannicks 15m tensioning line, we were able to bridge a 35m+ gap right across one of the lakes in the park: Waterline time!

+7

Waterline at Nong Buak Park
Crazy Horse Buttress ‐ Feb 8, 2017

As my last foreseeable day climbing at Crazy Horse, I was filled with a certain trepidation that it would not rate as well as prior days - namely because I woke up in the morning feeling worse than the day before, and I hit up the bathroom 4 times before hiking in to the crags. Boy was I ever in for day! After warming up in the Windy cave and Anxiety State Crisis, we jumped right into the hard stuff (for me). Since my struggle on top rope on the Anthill's 'Flushed,' I had dreamed of being able [...]
to lead this 6b+, but figured it would never happen this trip due to the offsetting crux, and the runnout upper section leading to an 10m tall chimney that swallows you whole. Though scared shitless of it (almost literally with my stomach flu!), I lead it and kept my cool mostly. It was the best feeling in the world! I had just barely finished belaying my partner up the wall, and someone offered a top rope at a 6c just down the wall a way, but something in me felt like the progression I had made on Flushed couldn't end there, so I pulled the rope down and lead that one too. It wasn't the prettiest climb I've done: there were three takes, some grunting and swearing, but I made it to the top of something I never dreamed I'd be tackling just a week before! I feel like I can leave Crazy Horse on the next stage of my trip, content. Next week, I arrive at my next climbing destination in Laos: Thakhek!

+2

Last Day at Crazy Horse
Jira Restaurant & Homestay ‐ Feb 7, 2017

5.3 km

Home sweet home, to a comfortable place, a great cook... and a bathroom! Dang I hope I kick this flu/food-poisoning quick!
SanKampaeng Hot Springs

41.8 km

I didn't visit the hot springs, but perhaps on a future trip I will get the chance. Just one more thing to add to the check-list.
Florist Market

2.4 km

Of all the white song thaews I asked, no driver was heading in the direction I wanted. The lady at the bus terminal said they came every 10 minutes, so I walked up and down for 15 wondering why I couldn't find any. Eventually I asked a florist if she knew any information. She in turn asked 3 other people, the last of which told me to catch the yellow song thaew going to San Kampaeng, I followed his directions and was quoted 60Baht, a hell of a lot better than my first quote of 800!
Chang Phueak Transport Station

2.4 km

Arriving at the bus station, I found out I had just missed the last bus back to Mae On - Jira Homestay - and the next one was 4 hours from now. I learned however that if I could go to the Flower market and take one of the white song thaews, which meant I was walking right back to where I just came. Song thaew (song tao) literally means 'two benches' in Thai: two opposing benches running length-ways down an enclosed back of a pick-up truck!
Florist Market

1 km

I walked to the florist market to catch a song taow, but when I was quoted 800Baht, then 400B, I told the guys they were too expensive and headed for the Chang Phuak bus station.
KPD Carrent and Travel

4 km

It was strange dropping off my bike. The past month I rented 3 bikes (Honda Click has more power than the Honda Zoomer), and it felt strange to be walking away with nothing to ride. From here on out it will be public transport ferrying me about.
Arcade Bus Station (Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2)

32.5 km

Finding the Arcade Bus Station brought back memories of leaving Chiang Mai for the last time 7 years before. And now I am buying a ticket to Udon Thani - the capital city of a province by it's name - possibly to never return here again. Of combined time with my two trips to Thailand, I have spent just over three months in this city (and province), and yet I feel there is easily so many more I could spend here learning, and exploring the diversity of history, culture, and geography that abounds [...]
in this captivating place. Somehow I feel like I will return, but it's hard to be certain about life's mysterious path.
Jira Restaurant & Homestay ‐ Feb 6, 2017

173.8 km

Though I had plans to go visit Chiang Rai's largest waterfall, my stomach ailment/food poisoning made it that all I could think of was getting home to Jira. My biggest concern was that my indigestion would act up suddenly while driving; luckily, the four bathroom trips I made that morning tiding me over until the drive was through. Just under 3.5 hours of straight driving, and I made it. I sure hope I'm feeling better tomorrow, because this sucks!
Boonbundan Guest House ‐ Feb 5, 2017

1.6 km

Back to the guesthouse, and it's blog time!
Wat Mung Muang

0.5 km

Not part of my original itinerary, I stopped by this last wat of my trip about, and couldn't help noticing the extra happy-looking seated Buddha.
Wat Phra Sing

1 km

Having visited Wat Phra Singh in Chiang many times, I was curious about this wat with the same name. It wasn't until later that I realized this wat is called Sing, and the one in Chiang Mai is called Singh!
Kok River - Chiang Rai

3.4 km

I found the river, but didn't spend too much time there since it was becoming dusk, and there was still a temple I wanted to go visit.
Wat Phra Kaew

0.5 km

I had heard about Wat Phra Kaew online, and decided to check it out. It was beautiful and lush with fauna and bamboo can be seen reaching for the sky 50+ feet tall. The main temple has a replica emerald buddha centered in a room with large pillars and walls inlaid with illuminated stained glass. This is the prettiest wat I have visited in Chiang Rai.
Wat Doi Ngam

1.3 km

When I finally was feeling well enough to go out and explore some more, I decided to go check out the river. Wat Ngam Muang Wiang got in my way before I could get there. It is a small wat on the top of a hill, perched at the top of a flight of stairs with flowing Naga as it's banisters. Arriving at the top of the stairs, are two heavy set doors, one of which was open, and both adorned with intricate carvings of flowers and designs around a Buddha in the center; each door was unique to the oth [...]
er. Just inside of the doors, are 10 pillars of intricately carved wood, 5 on either side of the doors. Though the carvings and wood work drew my attention the most, other things, such as an ancient and decaying chedi, and a seated statue which possessed an almost lifelike presence, peaked my attention. Oh, and the dogs. Three dogs slept in front of the seated statue, one of them lay passed out on the pew meant for praying!

Wat Doi Ngam Muang Wiang
BBB Boy Bike & Breakfast Wiang Chiang Rai Thailand

Not feeling so swell, presumably from too much sun in the last few days, or perhaps an unlucky pick at the market the night before, I set out for a late breakfast at a place recommended to me by an older man from Wales whom I talked to the night before in the common area at Boonbundan Guest House. For 79Baht ($3), I received 2 eggs, a piece of toast, orange juice and a tasty latte. It seemed to be just what I needed, and I was feeling slightly better by the time I walked out of there.
Boonbundan Guest House ‐ Feb 4, 2017

Heading back to the guesthouse, I sat in the outdoor common area and worked on my blog before bed. The nightlife could be heard in the near distance on Jetyod Road, with the sound of bass mixed with the high pitched squeals and shrieks of drunken foreigners enjoying their Saturday night.
75 Anniversary Flag and Lamp Park

I found this busy park on my journey through the market, and it was a spectacular sight. All of the trees and plants were lit up, and irrigation wrapped around the trees sprayed mist in multi-directional streams.

Chiang Rai's Flag and Lamp Park
Saturday Night Market

I walked the market for the better part of a couple hours, snacking on pastries, skewers of mixed meats and veggies and Thai fried noodles. As with most large night markets in Thailand, there were performers, live music, and a huge assortment of trinkets, clothes, gadgets and the like. I stuck with the food, and wandering around the bustle of night activities.

Saturday Night Marketing
Darul Aman Mosque
Chiang Rai Clock Tower

Looking for a place to eat after a long bike ride, I headed to the clock tower on my way to the Saturday walking street market.. This clock has more bling than any other I've seen!

Chiang Rai: Clock Tower
Boonbundan Guest House

13.4 km

It seemed that many places I checked no longer had dorms available. I happened by Boonbundan Guest House quite by chance, and was surprised that a personal bedroom with bathroom included was cheaper than the dormitory prices I had seen! I snagged a room, excited to enjoy my first complete privacy in quite some time.
Wat Rong Khun White Temple Chiang Rai Thailand

103.9 km

My first stop when arriving in Chiang Rai, was at the famous White Temple. Last time I was on a bus, and only had 15 minutes to enjoy the beauty of sparkling silver on bright white. This time I gave the Wat the attention in properly deserved.

+8

The White Temple - Chiang Rai
Wat Pong Nam Ron Mae Chedi Mai Chiang Rai Thailand

61.4 km

Stepping outside of 7Eleven after getting my fix of air-con and sunscreen, I spied an odd, out of place temple that looked oddly familiar from many years back. Why did this one look out of place compared to the thousands of other temples that all share similar properties? This one in particular is a Khemer style pagoda, like the one's found in Cambodia. It was the first one of it's like that I had seen 7 years prior, before having visited the Khemer land. The stark contrast to Thai Wats in t [...]
his almost gothic looking dark structure is sure to cause more than a few people to pull over and take a closer examination.