Ni Hao!
It's about time we updated you all, don't you think?
Oh, you hadn't even noticed our absence eh? Charming.
Most of you know that Moo and I decided to set up camp in China for the next year. It was a decision that sprouted from a love of soy sauce combined with the desire to keep on adventuring.
Last year we hit a wall in China; I don't mean the Great one. I mean a metaphorical one. We had been on the road for 6 months, and had grown tired of living out of our backpacks, of not having our own bed, let alone our own room. We still longed for change, for excitement, for new challenges every day. But we couldn't deny that we now desired a home, or at the very least, a place to call our own. An address. A place to essentially dump our belongings, and not worry about how they would fit
back in our bags the next morning.
After visiting cousin Adam and Norah in the North of China, our minds were made up. Their life was so comfortable here; a great apartment, great jobs and a good social circle. Oh, and HOT POT on their doorstep! What more could we want? We mulled over the prospect of becoming English teachers, and though I believe I would be well received by children, Moo could not commit to a full time career. Once you fall off the 9-5 Monday to Friday wagon, its hard to climb back on it. The other option? Come and study. Great! Cheap tuition, future job prospects, student life... but no. Moo's committment issues threw a spanner in the works again here. The thought of staying in one place for 3 years was too much for Moo. Which is when the penny dropped. To study a language course we only needed to commit to one year. Perfect! We have always wanted to study another language, particularly after travelling and meeting so many bilingual friends. So without further hesitation, Moo applied for Harbin and Hangzhou Universities. We were accepted by both, which I think had something to do with the fact that we would be the first woman and farm animal to study together at a Chinese university. How's that for diversity?!
We gave much thought to moving to Harbin, we knew we would have a great time there with Adam and Norah. But Hangzhou had something special. An unforgettabe sunset over the West Lake. A city cuccooned in mountains. Temples in one direction, shopping malls in another. On our previous trip, we left a piece of our heart there. So we knew we had to go back and get it.
And so here we are! 2 months in. And what a crazy two months it has been. Of course we expected it to be a challenge. Moving in, shopping for essentials, finding our place in this busy city. And yet we had no idea just how far we would be pushed.
A week after landing, Moo received her smear test results in the UK.
Abnormal cells. Please come for further screening.
The following weeks were a real test of Moo's patience, strength and capability. We had to arrange biopsies with Chinese doctors, receive painful, invasive procedures with a total lack of professionalism, guidance or comfort. We paid large fees that we still aren't sure that we'll get back, for treatment that would be free on the NHS. After a few wobbly weeks, we received promising results. No cancer. Pre-existing conditions that can lead to it, which have to be monitored from now on. But the worry is over.
At this point Moo would like to thank her close friends and family that supported her during this time. Although so far away, you provided immense comfort when it was most needed, and we wouldn't have made it through without you guys (Moo was very close to cancelling all plans and flying home).
We just completed our mid-term exams with flying colours, and have just accepted a part time teaching gig, reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to tiny little Chinese cuties 2 nights a week.
The first two months have been a whirlwind, but they have also been transformative. Learning a language is so much fun; communicating with Chinese people in our daily lives is a real pleasure, breaking down barriers and allowing a deeper understanding of the culture. The friends we have made here are sure to be life-long, particularly Katy, Ailana and Jeremy, who held Moo's hand and made her laugh in equal measure during the tough times. At the risk of sounding corny and cliche,
it takes a scare like Moo had to remind you how lucky you are to be alive. If you're capable, you must chase your dreams. You must do things that make you happy. Don't live for someone else. You only get one shot, and who knows how long it will last. The biggest regrets are for the things you didn't do.
And surround yourself with good people. You don't have to like everybody; not everybody has to like you.
I don't have any pictures to share this time, because another road bump that we hit was breaking our phone... It has since been replaced, so there will be more to follow.
Anyway, love to you all, and thank you for reading. Sorry that things seem to have turned so serious on this blog lately, I promise there will be fun stuff around the corner! After all, there is a never a dull moment here in China!
Zai Jian!
Tuesday 8 May 2018
Monday 11 December 2017
me too
Warning: this post is about to get real serious. Moo's taken over as editor for this one, Mini Moo is currently enjoying the cold weather in England as I type this from my kitchen in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, where the events of the past week or so have encouraged me to write these words.
Recently I was asked, 'do you wish you were a man?', as a joke. I responded, 'yes, sometimes.'
It was laughed off, but the fact is that it couldn't be truer when travelling.
I wanted to write this post for several reasons. Firstly, for the cathartic effect of venting. Feel free to abandon this post now if you're not ready for a rant.
Second of all, because its important that EVERYONE understands the stark differences between travelling as a female alone, compared to male solo travel.
Obviously this is a biased 'argument', if we're going to call it one. But I feel as though the solo female travel experience mustn't be overlooked or underestimated. And men, if you're reading this, its not an attack on your population. Its an insight into the female mind, which I know is like cocaine to you.
Do you know how it feels to walk into a bar and feel everyone's eyes on you until you leave? Calculating if you can walk to the toilet and back safely. Scoping out the nearest exits. Keeping your hand over your drink. Taking care not to smile too much. Taking care to smile enough. Don't look like a bitch, don't make him angry. Don't give him reason to get mad. But don't encourage him. Don't let him think you're leading him on.
Something as simple as accepting a drink from someone becomes the most complex of tasks.
"What? Lighten up, just take the drink and enjoy it. It doesn't mean you owe him anything."
Of course I know that, and I'd never ever feel guilty for refusing to return the 'favour'. But its a spiral; the lit fuse attached to a bomb that you're forever trying to blow out, without anyone in the room noticing.
You want to scream, BOMB! THERE'S A BOMB IN THE ROOM, GET THE FUCK OUT! But instead, you have to work undercover, defuse the bomb yourself, before he strikes the match.
"Where are you staying?"
"I can't remember"
"You must know where you are staying, how will you get home?"
"I have their number. They'll send a taxi."
"I can take you home. Here it is not safe. But you can trust me. Tell me your hotel name."
"No really, its a Portuguese name, I can't remember it."
What looks like a normal exchange between two strangers is actually a very calculated affair. Each answer has to be carefully constructed. Not so vague that you seem obvious. Not too explicit so that you can be found.
In these scenarios, your thought processes go into battle. The angel in you wants to believe there's good in everyone. Don't assume the worst of people. Give them a chance.
The devil in you wants you to run away, and fast. Think of all the things that could happen here. Get yourself out. Trust nobody.
"What is your name?"
"Jessica"
Angel: Why not give him your real name? What can he do with a first name?
Devil: He knows the hotels of the area - there aren't many. He knows the agents. One question, that's all it takes. In a town that is 10% tourist, 90% residential, he will find it.
Angel: And then what will he do? He just wants to walk you home, maybe he's trying to kiss you goodnight. He's attractive. You might enjoy it.
Devil: He wants to know where I sleep. He wants to come in. He will break in. Are these windows secure? Where would I run if he got in? Would the neighbours help me? If I refuse to kiss him, what will he do?
"How long do you stay here for?"
"A few days, I'm not sure yet."
"You don't know when you leave?"
"It's not been decided."
Angel: What? But you do know when you're leaving! You've got aaages here! Why not tell him that?
Devil: If he knows I have a long time here, he'll follow me around. I'll never escape him.
Last night, Laura (my current travel buddy) and I were at a bar in Mindelo playing cards. A bar that we'd found on tripadvisor. When we walked in, we noticed that the only female present was the barmaid. Stop me if I'm wrong, but I don't know any men that count the number of their counterparts when they walk into a place. Before we'd nodded hello, two beers were handed to us at the bar, courtesy of a brawl of drunk men behind us.
Trigger #1. If we accept these drinks, we're entering into something. If we don't accept them, we might look like snobs and cause offence.
So we decide to nod 'thank you' and sit down, quickly pulling out our monopoly cards to indicate that we're occupied.
Our beers barely met their mats before we'd been joined, completely uninvited, by a broad, bleary eyed local man. A sideways glance is exchanged between myself and Laura. Breathe in.
He attempts to join in with our game. Its obvious he has no intention of learning the rules, or even anything about us. In fact, for the entire exchange the only things he wanted to find out were our names, and where we were staying. Did he get to know if we were funny, intelligent, adventurous, ambitious, strong, outspoken, kind? No. Did he tell us we were sexy? Yes.
On another occasion a few days previous to this, we had taken a half day tour of Sal island with a group of other travellers. Half way through the trip, we decided to sit in the back of the 4x4 rather than outside in the trunk - mostly to nurse our raging hangovers and escape the wind. We'd been sat there for no longer than a few minutes with our tour guide driving, when he asked us abruptly,
"Are you girlfriends?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have sex?"
"No. We're just friends."
"Do you like Cape Verdean men?"
*pretending not to understand* "We really like the island. Great weather."
"But the men, do you like the men here? Do you like me?"
"We're just enjoying ourselves."
Conversation carried on for a while as we tried to deter his attempts at flirting with our humour, turning our noses up at the thought of marriage and exaggerating our love for single life and freedom. Then suddenly;
"Can I ask you one question?"
"You can ask it, but we might not answer"
"Do you not like sex?"
I mean, really? Who wrote the rules here? Who said it was okay, as a paid tour guide driving a car full of travellers around the island, to engage in a conversation about sex with two girls you've just met?
I'm not suggesting that its improper to discuss sex. Not at all. What I'm suggesting, no, what I'm ENFORCING, is that its not polite to open your conversation with it. Establish a friendship before discussing the intimate details of your life with me, or expecting me to divulge mine.
At the end of our tour, we asked if we could be dropped home first. We were due to be the last passengers, but insisted that we were 'so tired' and needed to sleep. After telling us where he'd be tomorrow night, asking for our numbers and insisting we see him again, he let us out of the car.
Once safely inside our apartments we deleted his WhatsApp request and made note to avoid the bar he'd be at all week. That's the fact of the matter. We AVOIDED places in fear of seeing him again. Its worth mentioning too that we'd had to move apartments on our second day on Sal, for fear of being watched every time we entered and left our place by a group of drunk men that never seemed to go home.
Anyway, back to last night at the bar.
After a few improvised rounds of monopoly with our unwelcome friend, he beckoned to the waitress for another round of drinks. We didn't want to assume they were for us, but when presented with them we said no. Thank you, but no.
This is important. No is a very simple word, and it shouldn't have to be said more than once.
How many times did we say it to this man? At least 20.
Resisting the urge to fight him when he talks over me, bellowing "LISTEN," I get out of my chair smiling, shake his hand, thanking him for the 12th time for the beer, and edge away, in sync with Laura. In this situation, I am not allowed to be angry. I'm not allowed to accuse him of harassing me. Because it would not be safe. I would rather passively overlook his aggression than confront it like I am entitled to, like I am bursting at the seams to.
Our brisk walk to the door is chased by hollering and shouting, "PLEASE COME BACK."
We hit the fresh air and step up the pace, trying not to run. A minute down the road and we notice a car to our left, slowly following us down the road. The window rolls down. Neither of us look. We know how to handle this situation, we know it too well. Its the guy from the bar. And he's got a friend. Blowing kisses out the window and shouting 'please!', we desperately try to ignore them while searching the distance for a taxi. We walk into a well lit park with people, where the car can no longer follow us. We notice him drive up the road and round the corner, stopping where we would have to walk if we continued. Thankfully, in this scenario, a taxi came along, and delivered us home safely.
But the product of these events?
When we got home, we did not sleep for 2 hours. We were sweating in our rooms, but bolted the windows shut. We covered all cracks in the curtains. We considered sleeping in the spare room, further away from the balcony. We put a knife in the bedside drawer.
This morning, we phoned our airline and paid to change our flights to leave tomorrow, returning to the first island (Sal). We went to breakfast and asked to talk to our hotel owners. We had to tell them we'd been harassed, and that we were now only staying 3 nights instead of 10.
We booked an apartment in a gated complex on Sal for much more money than we would have liked, just so we could sleep at night.
This is by no means the first time I've dealt with this in my life. There was the time in Thailand that I said I was a lesbian to avoid the advances of a fellow traveller. The time in China I pretended to be on the phone when a taxi driver agreed to take me to my destination, because I suddenly noticed he had another man in the car. The time in Cambodia where I had to team up with a group of American guys to cross the border without trouble. The time in Vietnam that I pretended to be tired to avoid spending an evening with my increasingly flirtatious tour guide. The time in Indonesia that I said I was married to deter a man on the bus from his advances. The time in Thailand where, at a busy street market buying breakfast, I was physically assaulted by a man putting his hand up my skirt.
I am an avid traveller. I am a strong, independent woman. I absolutely love my traveling life. But I am also vulnerable.
Respect that. Alleviate that.
Recently I was asked, 'do you wish you were a man?', as a joke. I responded, 'yes, sometimes.'
It was laughed off, but the fact is that it couldn't be truer when travelling.
I wanted to write this post for several reasons. Firstly, for the cathartic effect of venting. Feel free to abandon this post now if you're not ready for a rant.
Second of all, because its important that EVERYONE understands the stark differences between travelling as a female alone, compared to male solo travel.
Obviously this is a biased 'argument', if we're going to call it one. But I feel as though the solo female travel experience mustn't be overlooked or underestimated. And men, if you're reading this, its not an attack on your population. Its an insight into the female mind, which I know is like cocaine to you.
Do you know how it feels to walk into a bar and feel everyone's eyes on you until you leave? Calculating if you can walk to the toilet and back safely. Scoping out the nearest exits. Keeping your hand over your drink. Taking care not to smile too much. Taking care to smile enough. Don't look like a bitch, don't make him angry. Don't give him reason to get mad. But don't encourage him. Don't let him think you're leading him on.
Something as simple as accepting a drink from someone becomes the most complex of tasks.
"What? Lighten up, just take the drink and enjoy it. It doesn't mean you owe him anything."
Of course I know that, and I'd never ever feel guilty for refusing to return the 'favour'. But its a spiral; the lit fuse attached to a bomb that you're forever trying to blow out, without anyone in the room noticing.
You want to scream, BOMB! THERE'S A BOMB IN THE ROOM, GET THE FUCK OUT! But instead, you have to work undercover, defuse the bomb yourself, before he strikes the match.
"Where are you staying?"
"I can't remember"
"You must know where you are staying, how will you get home?"
"I have their number. They'll send a taxi."
"I can take you home. Here it is not safe. But you can trust me. Tell me your hotel name."
"No really, its a Portuguese name, I can't remember it."
What looks like a normal exchange between two strangers is actually a very calculated affair. Each answer has to be carefully constructed. Not so vague that you seem obvious. Not too explicit so that you can be found.
In these scenarios, your thought processes go into battle. The angel in you wants to believe there's good in everyone. Don't assume the worst of people. Give them a chance.
The devil in you wants you to run away, and fast. Think of all the things that could happen here. Get yourself out. Trust nobody.
"What is your name?"
"Jessica"
Angel: Why not give him your real name? What can he do with a first name?
Devil: He knows the hotels of the area - there aren't many. He knows the agents. One question, that's all it takes. In a town that is 10% tourist, 90% residential, he will find it.
Angel: And then what will he do? He just wants to walk you home, maybe he's trying to kiss you goodnight. He's attractive. You might enjoy it.
Devil: He wants to know where I sleep. He wants to come in. He will break in. Are these windows secure? Where would I run if he got in? Would the neighbours help me? If I refuse to kiss him, what will he do?
"How long do you stay here for?"
"A few days, I'm not sure yet."
"You don't know when you leave?"
"It's not been decided."
Angel: What? But you do know when you're leaving! You've got aaages here! Why not tell him that?
Devil: If he knows I have a long time here, he'll follow me around. I'll never escape him.
Last night, Laura (my current travel buddy) and I were at a bar in Mindelo playing cards. A bar that we'd found on tripadvisor. When we walked in, we noticed that the only female present was the barmaid. Stop me if I'm wrong, but I don't know any men that count the number of their counterparts when they walk into a place. Before we'd nodded hello, two beers were handed to us at the bar, courtesy of a brawl of drunk men behind us.
Trigger #1. If we accept these drinks, we're entering into something. If we don't accept them, we might look like snobs and cause offence.
So we decide to nod 'thank you' and sit down, quickly pulling out our monopoly cards to indicate that we're occupied.
Our beers barely met their mats before we'd been joined, completely uninvited, by a broad, bleary eyed local man. A sideways glance is exchanged between myself and Laura. Breathe in.
He attempts to join in with our game. Its obvious he has no intention of learning the rules, or even anything about us. In fact, for the entire exchange the only things he wanted to find out were our names, and where we were staying. Did he get to know if we were funny, intelligent, adventurous, ambitious, strong, outspoken, kind? No. Did he tell us we were sexy? Yes.
On another occasion a few days previous to this, we had taken a half day tour of Sal island with a group of other travellers. Half way through the trip, we decided to sit in the back of the 4x4 rather than outside in the trunk - mostly to nurse our raging hangovers and escape the wind. We'd been sat there for no longer than a few minutes with our tour guide driving, when he asked us abruptly,
"Are you girlfriends?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have sex?"
"No. We're just friends."
"Do you like Cape Verdean men?"
*pretending not to understand* "We really like the island. Great weather."
"But the men, do you like the men here? Do you like me?"
"We're just enjoying ourselves."
Conversation carried on for a while as we tried to deter his attempts at flirting with our humour, turning our noses up at the thought of marriage and exaggerating our love for single life and freedom. Then suddenly;
"Can I ask you one question?"
"You can ask it, but we might not answer"
"Do you not like sex?"
I mean, really? Who wrote the rules here? Who said it was okay, as a paid tour guide driving a car full of travellers around the island, to engage in a conversation about sex with two girls you've just met?
I'm not suggesting that its improper to discuss sex. Not at all. What I'm suggesting, no, what I'm ENFORCING, is that its not polite to open your conversation with it. Establish a friendship before discussing the intimate details of your life with me, or expecting me to divulge mine.
At the end of our tour, we asked if we could be dropped home first. We were due to be the last passengers, but insisted that we were 'so tired' and needed to sleep. After telling us where he'd be tomorrow night, asking for our numbers and insisting we see him again, he let us out of the car.
Once safely inside our apartments we deleted his WhatsApp request and made note to avoid the bar he'd be at all week. That's the fact of the matter. We AVOIDED places in fear of seeing him again. Its worth mentioning too that we'd had to move apartments on our second day on Sal, for fear of being watched every time we entered and left our place by a group of drunk men that never seemed to go home.
Anyway, back to last night at the bar.
After a few improvised rounds of monopoly with our unwelcome friend, he beckoned to the waitress for another round of drinks. We didn't want to assume they were for us, but when presented with them we said no. Thank you, but no.
This is important. No is a very simple word, and it shouldn't have to be said more than once.
How many times did we say it to this man? At least 20.
Resisting the urge to fight him when he talks over me, bellowing "LISTEN," I get out of my chair smiling, shake his hand, thanking him for the 12th time for the beer, and edge away, in sync with Laura. In this situation, I am not allowed to be angry. I'm not allowed to accuse him of harassing me. Because it would not be safe. I would rather passively overlook his aggression than confront it like I am entitled to, like I am bursting at the seams to.
Our brisk walk to the door is chased by hollering and shouting, "PLEASE COME BACK."
We hit the fresh air and step up the pace, trying not to run. A minute down the road and we notice a car to our left, slowly following us down the road. The window rolls down. Neither of us look. We know how to handle this situation, we know it too well. Its the guy from the bar. And he's got a friend. Blowing kisses out the window and shouting 'please!', we desperately try to ignore them while searching the distance for a taxi. We walk into a well lit park with people, where the car can no longer follow us. We notice him drive up the road and round the corner, stopping where we would have to walk if we continued. Thankfully, in this scenario, a taxi came along, and delivered us home safely.
But the product of these events?
When we got home, we did not sleep for 2 hours. We were sweating in our rooms, but bolted the windows shut. We covered all cracks in the curtains. We considered sleeping in the spare room, further away from the balcony. We put a knife in the bedside drawer.
This morning, we phoned our airline and paid to change our flights to leave tomorrow, returning to the first island (Sal). We went to breakfast and asked to talk to our hotel owners. We had to tell them we'd been harassed, and that we were now only staying 3 nights instead of 10.
We booked an apartment in a gated complex on Sal for much more money than we would have liked, just so we could sleep at night.
This is by no means the first time I've dealt with this in my life. There was the time in Thailand that I said I was a lesbian to avoid the advances of a fellow traveller. The time in China I pretended to be on the phone when a taxi driver agreed to take me to my destination, because I suddenly noticed he had another man in the car. The time in Cambodia where I had to team up with a group of American guys to cross the border without trouble. The time in Vietnam that I pretended to be tired to avoid spending an evening with my increasingly flirtatious tour guide. The time in Indonesia that I said I was married to deter a man on the bus from his advances. The time in Thailand where, at a busy street market buying breakfast, I was physically assaulted by a man putting his hand up my skirt.
I am an avid traveller. I am a strong, independent woman. I absolutely love my traveling life. But I am also vulnerable.
Respect that. Alleviate that.
Wednesday 14 June 2017
Corn, Concrete and Chang
Namaste! Sawadeekha!
Welcome to Thailand. Rather, welcome back!
Another month has passed and we have no idea where it went. After completing the circuit, Moo and her two trekking buddies headed to Pokhara to relax for a week or so before moving on to a place called Chitwan. It is a part of Nepal very close to the border with India, and, consequentially is very very very very very very very hot. We embarked upon another workaway where we were to stay at an 'Eco Park' - a communal campsite with responsibilities that included (and were pretty much limited to) 'erecting corn'. This meant spending two hours just after sunrise standing up corn crops that the buffalo had trampled on. Fields and fields of corn awaited us and although it was early the sun was inevitably scorching and the work was hard. The task of erecting corn itself wasn't so difficult, it was more the scale of things that proved a challenge. Nevertheless, we managed to still make it enjoyable with a good bunch of fellow volunteers and a cracking 'corn erecting' playlist.
We were given a day off at the weekend and our host suggested that we take the local bus to the middle of nowhere and look for the river so we could have a swim.
The river that we found was the border between us and the national park, and we were lucky enough to spot elephants in the distance when we arrived. Beaming with excitement for the promise of a cool dip in the water, we quickly stripped off and jumped in with our beers in hand. We'd been relaxing for all of 5 minutes when a local guy came running over and told us, 'no swim. crocodiles!'
Now for some reason which escapes me now, we didn't take this guy seriously. Perhaps he didn't deliver it with the sense of urgency that you'd expect in that situation. Whatever it was, the message didn't relay. So we carried on swimming.
A further 5 minutes had passed when another guy approached and pretty much shouted us out of the water. His manner was much more concerned. It did the trick. No sooner had we left the water that we noticed in the distance a scaly friend stalking its way up stream.
H-o-l-y S-h-i-t
Woops!
Despite our near death experience, the day turned out to be pretty chilled and ended with a huge camp fire (I know, a fire... in the desert... didn't seem entirely necessary. But it made a great aaaaawmbience.)
Saying goodbye to Eco Park was once again difficult as we'd formed a great bond with our fellow corn erecters. Alas, I am sure we will all meet again somewhere in the world!
It was time now to embark upon the adventure that we had heard so much about in our time in Nepal.
We boarded yet another rickety bus and made our way from Kathmandu to a town called Thulo Pakar where we would spend the next 3 weeks building schools that had been ruined by the 2015 earthquake.
This was where the real hard work began. Mixing masala and concrete 7 hours a day, 6 days a week in 40 degree heat, carrying bricks up and down site and gathering bamboo from near by valleys. Absolute killer. But booooyyyy did it feel good to see that school going up! And the wind down at base and temple bar was always just what you needed after a hard day's work. This was where we met our friend Verity who was to join us in Thailand for our first 2 weeks.
After a crazy final few days in Kathmandu, coupled with some chill out time in mountainous Nagarkot, we boarded a plane and journeyed on to Bangkok.
Verity and Moo had vowed not to take the well trodden tourist path, and instead made their own somewhat improvised route a few hours west of the city. We started in Kanchanburi, staying on a rafthouse overlooking the Bridge on the River Kwai, where we embraced the history of the place, educating ourselves by watching The Railway Man (with a scene that featured our actual rafthouse in the distance!!) and taking a trip to the Hellfire Pass museum.
We then moved on to the surrounding rainforest, edging closer and closer to the border with Myanmar until we were basically just walking distance away. We crossed the Mon bridge, the second longest wooden bridge in the world, with some snap happy monks from the Three Pagodas Pass who asked US for selfies with their top of the range iPhones (always a confusing image to me).
We spent the night in a treehouse, met lots of lovely local people, stayed on the river in Amphawa by the floating market and finally relaxed on the beach in Cha Am - our first bit of sea and sand in 3 months of travel! From here we went our separate ways, but will surely see each other again in the UK.
Now we are in Bangkok, patiently awaiting the arrival of our DAD!! We have a flight to Phuket in a few hours where we will spend one night in a hostel before checking into a hotel and preparing everything for his lordship!
Words cannot describe how excited we are. You'll just have to hold on and see what we get up to!
From One Nutty Moo to Another
x
Welcome to Thailand. Rather, welcome back!
Another month has passed and we have no idea where it went. After completing the circuit, Moo and her two trekking buddies headed to Pokhara to relax for a week or so before moving on to a place called Chitwan. It is a part of Nepal very close to the border with India, and, consequentially is very very very very very very very hot. We embarked upon another workaway where we were to stay at an 'Eco Park' - a communal campsite with responsibilities that included (and were pretty much limited to) 'erecting corn'. This meant spending two hours just after sunrise standing up corn crops that the buffalo had trampled on. Fields and fields of corn awaited us and although it was early the sun was inevitably scorching and the work was hard. The task of erecting corn itself wasn't so difficult, it was more the scale of things that proved a challenge. Nevertheless, we managed to still make it enjoyable with a good bunch of fellow volunteers and a cracking 'corn erecting' playlist.
We were given a day off at the weekend and our host suggested that we take the local bus to the middle of nowhere and look for the river so we could have a swim.
The river that we found was the border between us and the national park, and we were lucky enough to spot elephants in the distance when we arrived. Beaming with excitement for the promise of a cool dip in the water, we quickly stripped off and jumped in with our beers in hand. We'd been relaxing for all of 5 minutes when a local guy came running over and told us, 'no swim. crocodiles!'
Now for some reason which escapes me now, we didn't take this guy seriously. Perhaps he didn't deliver it with the sense of urgency that you'd expect in that situation. Whatever it was, the message didn't relay. So we carried on swimming.
A further 5 minutes had passed when another guy approached and pretty much shouted us out of the water. His manner was much more concerned. It did the trick. No sooner had we left the water that we noticed in the distance a scaly friend stalking its way up stream.
H-o-l-y S-h-i-t
Woops!
Despite our near death experience, the day turned out to be pretty chilled and ended with a huge camp fire (I know, a fire... in the desert... didn't seem entirely necessary. But it made a great aaaaawmbience.)
The cheeky children of Chitwan
Croc river
Walking back with an entourage
Corn is the future
Eco Park
Flunky Ball
Me and my new bestie
Saying goodbye to Eco Park was once again difficult as we'd formed a great bond with our fellow corn erecters. Alas, I am sure we will all meet again somewhere in the world!
It was time now to embark upon the adventure that we had heard so much about in our time in Nepal.
We boarded yet another rickety bus and made our way from Kathmandu to a town called Thulo Pakar where we would spend the next 3 weeks building schools that had been ruined by the 2015 earthquake.
This was where the real hard work began. Mixing masala and concrete 7 hours a day, 6 days a week in 40 degree heat, carrying bricks up and down site and gathering bamboo from near by valleys. Absolute killer. But booooyyyy did it feel good to see that school going up! And the wind down at base and temple bar was always just what you needed after a hard day's work. This was where we met our friend Verity who was to join us in Thailand for our first 2 weeks.
Following in dad's footsteps
Chamuna
Brick cutting
The 'nice' toilets at camp
Base
Walking to catch the bus home from work
Chamuna
Preparing for a lock in (due to local elections and political tensions)
Yita!
Lunch
Moo's message to the volunteers
After a crazy final few days in Kathmandu, coupled with some chill out time in mountainous Nagarkot, we boarded a plane and journeyed on to Bangkok.
Verity and Moo had vowed not to take the well trodden tourist path, and instead made their own somewhat improvised route a few hours west of the city. We started in Kanchanburi, staying on a rafthouse overlooking the Bridge on the River Kwai, where we embraced the history of the place, educating ourselves by watching The Railway Man (with a scene that featured our actual rafthouse in the distance!!) and taking a trip to the Hellfire Pass museum.
We then moved on to the surrounding rainforest, edging closer and closer to the border with Myanmar until we were basically just walking distance away. We crossed the Mon bridge, the second longest wooden bridge in the world, with some snap happy monks from the Three Pagodas Pass who asked US for selfies with their top of the range iPhones (always a confusing image to me).
We spent the night in a treehouse, met lots of lovely local people, stayed on the river in Amphawa by the floating market and finally relaxed on the beach in Cha Am - our first bit of sea and sand in 3 months of travel! From here we went our separate ways, but will surely see each other again in the UK.
Final All Hands farewell in Kathmandu
Our gorgeous cottage in Nagarkot
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Rafthouse views
Rafthouse
Erawan falls
Hellfire Pass
Hornbill
Lonely waterfall in Thong Pha Phum national park
Our treehouse
Myanmar Monks on the Mon Bridge
Amphawa floating market
Last beer on the beach!
Me and Mini Georgie riding the Death Railway
Hitching in the rain!
Now we are in Bangkok, patiently awaiting the arrival of our DAD!! We have a flight to Phuket in a few hours where we will spend one night in a hostel before checking into a hotel and preparing everything for his lordship!
Words cannot describe how excited we are. You'll just have to hold on and see what we get up to!
From One Nutty Moo to Another
x
Tuesday 2 May 2017
Moo in the Mountains
Long time no speak, we have so much to catch up on!
Let me begin by saying Namaste, and I hope you are all well.
Moo and I have spent the last two months pottering about in the stunning Himalayas and we're here to tell you all about it, so if you've got plans.. like watching paint dry, cleaning the toilet, counting how many kitchen tiles you have.. then by all means stop reading now. I mean really, those tiles wont count themselves.
Anyway, it all began when we ventured to our first workaway placement in a small town called Gaunshahar in central Nepal. As it is not on the tourist map we were allowed a real insight into Nepali mountain life. From morning cuddles with our neighbours baby to Dal Bhat and Roxi (local wine served from an old oil canister), it was a truly special experience. Our responsibilities here ranged from teaching (playing with) the children at the school to actually helping with the construction of a new library. This proved to be quite a challenge, carrying heavy boulders up steep hills in the scorching sunlight - but it was a rewarding one, watching the progress rapidly improve each day until we finally had a building!
Following our two weeks in the mountains we made our way to Pokhara, the hippie hub of Nepal. We'd made plans to start the Annapurna Circuit after just a couple of days there, but found that time has a habit of slipping away while you're relaxing in a café watching the fireflies by the lake... So one week later we got moving and embarked upon the first big trek of our lives!
What a way to start, too. From lush green valleys, to stupendous waterfalls, apple pie, deep fried mars bars (oops - veganism was suspended for the duration of the trek - not only do you need strong legs for the trek but you also need strong will!)... and then of course to the snow. Beautiful, untouched winter wonderland.
I have to tell you about what was possibly the best night of the circuit for Moo. We had been trekking for a few days and had started to reach high altitude, where breathing was becoming harder and the temperature had dropped considerably. It had been a tough climb to the town of Upper Pisang, and the group were ready to retire for the evening. Having found a lodge and unpacked, Moo and her roomie, Gemma, noticed that their beds were damp. Given that we were at high altitude and our breathing was shorter already, we knew that sleeping in damp conditions wouldn't have been sensible. So, in true British style, we gently explained the situation to the owner and asked if we could have an extra blanket, or to switch to the neighbouring room. Apparently this was all too much, and it essentially ended in a heated discussion where we were invited to deal with it or leave. Of course, Moo doesn't handle rudeness so well, so packed up her belongings and stormed out into the cold wearing her flip flops.
The others decided to stay; they hadn't quite been at the brunt of the debate as Moo had, and it was more personal for her by this point. Fuck rudeness. So off she went, a little lost MooCow wandering about in the mountains searching for a bed. She didn't have to wander far before she heard a distant voice cry, "SISTER!! DI DI!!". Turning the corner revealed a smiling old Nepali lady tending to her vegetable plot while waving Moo over. Intrigued, we approached, and discovered that she had a 'guesthouse' of her own. Although extreeeemely basic and completely unoccupied despite being on a busy strip of the trek, this was by far the best decision we made. She welcomed us with open arms as if we were her own flesh and blood. We spent the evening sat around the fire with her and her friend, being chain-fed Tibetan tea (made with Yak butter) and tschampa porridge. We enjoyed a hearty Dal Bhat for dinner and returned to our bed with a warm feeling in our hearts. Although this was one of the colder nights of the circuit, Moo and I slept with ease. Leaving her the next morning was tough, and she gave us both a big squeeze (and a homemade apple pie) before sending us on our way.
One simple evening of kindness really enhanced our whole experience of the circuit, and we will be eternally grateful to our Nepali mother for this. She encouraged us to bring back our own Mother (who we showed her pictures of and she exclaimed NAMRO! - Beautiful!) and I'd be delighted to do so.
Well, Mum. What do you say?
That's all we'll bore you with for now, expect another blog in the coming weeks documenting our final month in Nepal. It's gonna be a good one!
From One Nutty Moo to Another
x
Let me begin by saying Namaste, and I hope you are all well.
Moo and I have spent the last two months pottering about in the stunning Himalayas and we're here to tell you all about it, so if you've got plans.. like watching paint dry, cleaning the toilet, counting how many kitchen tiles you have.. then by all means stop reading now. I mean really, those tiles wont count themselves.
Anyway, it all began when we ventured to our first workaway placement in a small town called Gaunshahar in central Nepal. As it is not on the tourist map we were allowed a real insight into Nepali mountain life. From morning cuddles with our neighbours baby to Dal Bhat and Roxi (local wine served from an old oil canister), it was a truly special experience. Our responsibilities here ranged from teaching (playing with) the children at the school to actually helping with the construction of a new library. This proved to be quite a challenge, carrying heavy boulders up steep hills in the scorching sunlight - but it was a rewarding one, watching the progress rapidly improve each day until we finally had a building!
Construction in progress
Team work
Lovely neighbours
Breakfast views
Cool dude
<3
The Dillu Lama
Home, sweet home
Miss these lovely little people!
Teaching baby monopoly
The original residency of the Nepalese royal family
Following our two weeks in the mountains we made our way to Pokhara, the hippie hub of Nepal. We'd made plans to start the Annapurna Circuit after just a couple of days there, but found that time has a habit of slipping away while you're relaxing in a café watching the fireflies by the lake... So one week later we got moving and embarked upon the first big trek of our lives!
What a way to start, too. From lush green valleys, to stupendous waterfalls, apple pie, deep fried mars bars (oops - veganism was suspended for the duration of the trek - not only do you need strong legs for the trek but you also need strong will!)... and then of course to the snow. Beautiful, untouched winter wonderland.
Making friends with the policemen
Lunch views
I have to tell you about what was possibly the best night of the circuit for Moo. We had been trekking for a few days and had started to reach high altitude, where breathing was becoming harder and the temperature had dropped considerably. It had been a tough climb to the town of Upper Pisang, and the group were ready to retire for the evening. Having found a lodge and unpacked, Moo and her roomie, Gemma, noticed that their beds were damp. Given that we were at high altitude and our breathing was shorter already, we knew that sleeping in damp conditions wouldn't have been sensible. So, in true British style, we gently explained the situation to the owner and asked if we could have an extra blanket, or to switch to the neighbouring room. Apparently this was all too much, and it essentially ended in a heated discussion where we were invited to deal with it or leave. Of course, Moo doesn't handle rudeness so well, so packed up her belongings and stormed out into the cold wearing her flip flops.
The others decided to stay; they hadn't quite been at the brunt of the debate as Moo had, and it was more personal for her by this point. Fuck rudeness. So off she went, a little lost MooCow wandering about in the mountains searching for a bed. She didn't have to wander far before she heard a distant voice cry, "SISTER!! DI DI!!". Turning the corner revealed a smiling old Nepali lady tending to her vegetable plot while waving Moo over. Intrigued, we approached, and discovered that she had a 'guesthouse' of her own. Although extreeeemely basic and completely unoccupied despite being on a busy strip of the trek, this was by far the best decision we made. She welcomed us with open arms as if we were her own flesh and blood. We spent the evening sat around the fire with her and her friend, being chain-fed Tibetan tea (made with Yak butter) and tschampa porridge. We enjoyed a hearty Dal Bhat for dinner and returned to our bed with a warm feeling in our hearts. Although this was one of the colder nights of the circuit, Moo and I slept with ease. Leaving her the next morning was tough, and she gave us both a big squeeze (and a homemade apple pie) before sending us on our way.
One simple evening of kindness really enhanced our whole experience of the circuit, and we will be eternally grateful to our Nepali mother for this. She encouraged us to bring back our own Mother (who we showed her pictures of and she exclaimed NAMRO! - Beautiful!) and I'd be delighted to do so.
Well, Mum. What do you say?
If you look closely you can see the word AVALANCHE written on the mountain...
Arrival in Manang - eat EVERYTHING
My first yak sighting
Loading the fire with yak shit
Crossing the pass
Chocolate apple crumble <3
Quick swim mid-trek
Round 2 - reaching Annapurna Base Camp (can you spot me and mini Georgie?)
Again - can you spot us? Possibly the first cow and kiwi to cross the Thorong La Pass!
That's all we'll bore you with for now, expect another blog in the coming weeks documenting our final month in Nepal. It's gonna be a good one!
From One Nutty Moo to Another
x
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