Category Archives: Mind Traveling

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Just Can’t Wait to Get on the Road Again

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Ah, sunshine at last, and a light at the end of the tunnel, have given me renewed optimism that we will be, within a couple of weeks, back on the road in the RV, the Suzuki Boulevard on the trailer behind.

It’s been a very long winter and spring, full of family crisis that have left us exhausted. Up until yesterday, the latest one threatened to put life as we know it on long-term hold. Thank goodness for our mini-vacation in Las Vegas in February that gave us time for a bit of regeneration before the next storm.

Today, a couple of hours puttering in the backyard and soaking up the sun recharged my battery. I’m hopeful that I’ll have some interesting travel stories to share very soon.

RV and Bike

They’re waiting for us.

In the meantime, I did manage to complete another memoir, this one for my uncle, and I started a new blog on that theme, Unfolding Our Past. Hope you’ll take a look.

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The Grand Canyon

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Our day started at 5:00 a.m. as we needed to be waiting outside at 6:20 to catch a shuttle van to a small airport at Henderson, where we began our Grand Canyon Adventure. After much perusing of brochures we’d decided that, although expensive, the full tour with Vegas 500 was the best value. At the airport we were offered coffee and comfortable couches to sit in, after we’d signed all necessary waivers, while we waited for the plane to be prepared. Pictures were taken, instructions were given and we climbed aboard the nine-passenger Cessna Caravan and were lifted up into the bright blue yonder. It was a cool, but clear day, unlike the two previous days when three of our fellow passengers, who hailed from Ireland, had attempted the tour. This was their last chance, and luck was with them.

Vegas 500 Plane

Flying over Vegas

After 20 years of drought, the only green to be seen is on the golf courses

We all had window seats, which made for much picture taking all around as we flew over historical Boulder City, Lake Mead and Grand Canyon West. Upon arrival to the Hualapai Indian Reservation airport our plane pilot got us our arm bands for the rest of the tour. We were thrilled to learn that we had been assigned front seats on the helicopter that awaited us! Lots more picture taking as we dropped over the cliff and down 4000 feet into the Canyon.

Helicopter

Our helicopter

Grand Canyon

Dropping over the edge

Approaching the Colorado River

Approaching the Colorado River

Into Grand Canyon

Into Grand Canyon. Note the tiny dock and pontoon boats below

From the helicopter we were hustled down an embankment to a large pontoon boat that would take us on a twenty-minute trip on the Colorado River. Wow!

Trekking down the rocks

Trekking down the rocks

View from the Colorado River

View from the Colorado River

Back to the top in another helicopter, we boarded a bus to Eagle Point, where we awed at the vistas and ventured out onto the glass Skywalk. No cameras were allowed here; no phones or purses or backpacks either. Lockers were provided for such items, and we were given cloth booties to put over our shoes before we stepped onto the glass. A professional photographer was available to take as many pictures as we wanted. Of course, they were all beautiful and we couldn’t choose, so ended up purchasing the whole package! When we were ready, the bus was waiting to take us to Guano Point, and then onto Hualapai Indian Village. The designated three and a half hours slipped by too quickly. At the Village we were given a delicious buffet lunch before we had to catch our bus back to the airport for our reluctant return to the city.

Eagle Point

Eagle Point

Skywalk

Skywalk, Grand Canyon

Skywalk

Looking 4000 feet down

Another long, exciting day ended in a very early retreat to our beds while the younger members of the family partied into the wee hours. A text message received long after we’d been asleep told us that one of them had won $1,000 at the slots! Did we want to join them? We had to pass.

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Trekking in the Shan Hills, Day 2

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The sound of a crowing rooster and a crying baby pulled me out of my deep sleep. For a minute I thought I was living in a previous life when the baby was mine and the rooster was part of our farm. Once I’d rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and emerged from the hut, the bleakness of the night before soon faded. The gorgeous vistas and the chatter of our host families helped me to appreciate their simple way of life.

Lisu Village3

Kendrick tries to answer the curious questions from the Lisu children as Sarah looks on

Beautiful Lisu children

Beautiful Lisu children. Credit goes to Kendrick, I think, for this shot

Lisu Dog and Child

Lisu Dog and Child. There are dogs everywhere in Thailand. Notice our clothes and shoes set out to dry.

The one electrical piece of machinery that I saw was a rice cleaner, which was powered by water. Each Lisu family had their own.

After a breakfast of fruit and rice, we started out on our downhill trek. For a while my heart was pumping too rapidly, a little panic attack. It was probably caused by the lack of enough sleep, and the memory of my potentially life-threatening fall the day before. But we did not take the same route back as we’d taken up, and the going was much easier. I soon relaxed and began to enjoy the scenery.  I wore my sandals this time, because they had better treads and my runners were still soaked. The path was wider and switch backed making the descent much more gradual. The warm sun on our shoulders brightened the day and lifted the spirits.

Once again a delicious lunch of noodles packaged in banana leaves, followed by some passion fruit and banana bread, was provided by Chakaphan. The two young fellows employed by him to carry supplies, used their pocket knives to whittle  out some bamboo chop sticks for us, and we savoured the food, the scents and sounds while resting upon some downed logs near a stream.

Whittling chop sticks

Our supply carriers whittled us some chop sticks

We spent the afternoon crisscrossing the shallow river, the cool water soothing our hot feet.

Ready to Cross the river

Come on guys, we’re on the other side!

As we crossed through a farmer’s field, where women were out raking and burning old straw, the sky opened and the rain muddied up the trail again, but this time it felt warm and it lasted only about half an hour. Before we knew it, we were back at the road and the van was waiting to pick us up. “The Elder” had made it, and was very glad to have had the experience!

During the trek I did see some interesting things, despite having to spend so much time watching my feet! We saw many tree vines, which are amazing! They are vines the thickness of young trees but grow and climb around the larger trees, and stretch between them for great distances. Chakaphan told us that they grow up to 350 metres long.

jungle vines

Chakaphan tells us about the jungle vines

There were also different types of ginger growing everywhere, displaying beautiful flowers of varying shades of red.  And orchids grow in abundance too, but the most common type seems to be the ones that grow on the branches and trunks of trees. I wish I’d capture a picture or two of them. The various types of trees we saw included teak, bamboo, banana, and young rattan that were being planted by the government. There were also two varieties of pine trees.

Very large, beautiful spiders scurried from our path, and we saw many termite colonies working away, building high mounds that looked like rocks.  In fact, there were a couple of them in the common area at Sang Tong Huts. Obviously they were eating away at the wooden structure, but no one worried about it.  Everything appeared to be pretty solid. All creatures seemed to be respected and left alone.

I was in bed and asleep by 8:30 that night, after treating the three blisters that I found on my feet.

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Adventures in Mae Hong Son

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What a wonderful place! The noise and crowds and heavy smells of Bangkok were far behind us.

Mae Hong Son (The City of Three Mists) is the Capital City of one of the northern provinces of Thailand, and at the same time the westernmost, nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by the high mountain ranges of the Shan Hills. It is in the most mountainous province in Thailand.

We checked into the Sang Tong Huts on the outskirts of the city (it hardly seemed like a Capitol City to me). I had my own “hut” which was made of bamboo and had a thatched roof. The bed was a mattress on the raised floor and included bedding and pillows. A little table with a cloth, an electric lamp, and fresh flowers sat in one corner. What luxury! There was a porch on the front that looked into the jungle-like setting of trees and colourful, flowering plants, and mountains off in the distance. I strained to catch a view of the melodic birds that sang from high up in the tree-tops, but they were well hidden. I thought I was in Paradise.

Hut in Mae Hong Son

My “room” at Sang Tong Huts in Mae Hong Son

cabinfront porch

my front porch

View from my porch

View from my porch

Because we chose the less expensive huts (250 baht per night, or $9.45 CAD) we had a short walk along a wooden path to the toilets and showers. In the mornings I had to keep a close eye on where I was stepping to avoid the very large snails that were about, but the squat toilets and shower rooms were separate and very clean. The showers were individual stalls that were partly open on one side, away from the path and view of others, and a large water barrel that was filled from a tap. A large dipper was provided for dumping the invigoratingly cold water over one’s self. Although this was more difficult early in the morning, because the weather was hot and humid I found myself taking more than one shower a day, and the afternoon and evening ones were refreshing. This time I had my own towels, which could be hung on the porch railing to dry.

A large open common room welcomed guests with light refreshments and seating for reading books or the magazines that were there, or for just relaxing by the centre campfire. I enjoyed a bowl of granola with lots of fruit and yogourt for breakfast each morning.

The first day we walked into town to poke around the shops and tried out different restaurants for lunch and dinner. Because I have an intolerance for spicy (i.e. chili) foods, it was difficult for me to find things that I could eat, which was disappointing; Thai dishes all look and smell so delicious. It isn’t heartburn or ulcers that are the problem. It’s in my throat; I choke. Rice and stir-fried veggies became my staples.

Motorbikes in Mae Hong Son

Motorbikes line the street in Mae Hong Son

antique shop

Antique Shop

Lunch at Outdoor Cafe

Lunch at Outdoor Cafe

dinner restaurant

A more upscale restaurant for dinner

The rainy season was just coming to an end, but it was best to not leave the hut for the day without a trusty rain poncho in your backpack. We’d often emerge from a shop into a torrential downpour that might last five minutes or half an hour. During those times, we caught up on emails at a Cyber Café.

Sarah and Kendrick had planned a trek into the mountains for us, so that evening we met with our guide, Chakaphan, with whom they’d trekked before. While we sat with him in the common area, we were soon joined by other guests who had also arrived that day – one couple from Singapore; another also from Singapore, but who had been teaching in the Czech Republic for the past twelve years and had just retired; and a young fellow from Germany.  All of them spoke English and it was great chatting with them.

Our three-day trek that was supposed to begin the next day was postponed because of the heavy rains. The sun came out and we spent the day doing more exploring of the city and its many temples.

funeral parade

We came upon this funeral parade as we walked into town

guest house courtesy car

We hoped the Guest House was in better shape than this vehicle parked out front

city views

City view from up a hill

Posing in the park

Sarah and Kendrick strike a pose

Beautiful Magnolia Trees

Beautiful Magnolia Trees

Mae Hong Son temple

Mae Hong Son temple

Another temple

Another temple

Lake in centre of town

Looking across the lake in the centre of town

A huge school of fish vied for bread crumbs thrown off the shore

A huge school of fish vied for bread crumbs thrown off the shore

In the evening, though, the rain poured down again, sending us into our huts for a rest. It was still raining hard at 10:00 pm, but our guide was optimistic about the weather for the next day so it was agreed that we would strike out at 8:30 in the morning. He warned us that we’d be wading through thigh-high rivers and streams and I felt a little apprehensive, unsure that the thick soled sandals and runners that I’d packed were the proper foot wear.

Tune in tomorrow to see how that went.

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Resuming the Journey

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It’s beginning to look a lot like winter here today. After a few very emotional and tiring weeks, what better time to resume my trip down memory lane and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, in Thailand?

The next couple of days in Bangkok were quiet. I experienced the first torrential rain since my arrival, which kept us inside one afternoon. We waded through some flooded streets that evening on our way to dinner at the home of the parents of another of Sarah’s students.

On our final day before heading out to experience more of the country, we roamed around the city. We visited the Isaan Village that had been set up around Government House by people protesting the building of a dam that had destroyed their fishing and their rice paddies. We had a ride in one of the Khlong* boats which carry passengers and floating markets up and down the polluted canals that wander throughout the city. Then we boarded an evening train for Chiang Mai.

boats on Khlongs

boats on Khlong

Passengers disembark

Passengers disembark

 

At 5:15 am I wrote in my journal:

“We have been travelling all night on the train to Chiang Mai.  It has been reasonably comfortable with the seats folded out into beds.  I think I went to sleep at about 9:00 pm, exhausted after our day of roaming the city.

The train isn’t air-conditioned, but there are ceiling fans and open windows. At night screens and shutters cover the windows.  I haven’t tried the toilets yet, after Kendrick’s negative description.  I’m hoping I can hold off until we arrive in Chiang Mai. Even then I’ll have to use the squat type, which I find hard to get used to.  I thought Sarah had said we’d arrive at 5:00 am, but everyone is still sleeping. A shower and some breakfast would be nice. Some people are starting to stir now.”

I soon discovered that in Thailand, scheduled time has little meaning. We were still on the train at 7:30.

“We’re still on the train but everyone is awake. The seats are back and the windows are open to a beautiful, sunny day.  The country is gorgeous – tree covered mountains, lotus growing in the ponds, and a little cooler temperatures. Our new arrival time was supposed to be 7:30 so we should be in Chiang Mai soon.”

We arrived in Chiang Mai at around 8:00 am and had just enough time to grab some breakfast at an outdoor café, where a roll of “toilet” paper set in the centre of the table served as napkins, before catching a tuktuk to the airport. Chiang Mai was not our destination that day.  We boarded a plane for Maehongson, which cost only ten baht more than my room at the Atlantis!

*The Thai capital Bangkok was crisscrossed by khlong and so gained the name Venice of the East.[1] The khlongs were used for transportation and for floating markets, but also for sewage. Today, most of the khlongs of Bangkok have been filled in and converted into streets, although the Thonburi side of Bangkok (covering areas west of Chao Phraya River) still retains several of its larger khlongs.

Central Bangkok has the Khlong Saen Saeb, which is a route for a boat service that remains a vital public transportation function in the traffic-congested capital. (Wikipedia)

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Well That Wasn’t the Day I’d Planned!

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I woke up this morning with a couple of ideas for blogs and that was to be my priority today, right after we made a quick trip to Walmart or Staples to pick up the iPad 2 that was on sale during Canada’s version of Black Friday.

So off we went at about 9:45 am, only to find that both places were sold out! It was interesting that the one at Staples was actually $5.00 cheaper than Walmart, if they had it. They could have ordered it in, but then Jim was thinking he might like to also buy an iMac computer to do his videos. He’d been using his daughter’s yesterday and was impressed. For the first time all week we had nothing on our calendar so decided to make a trip to the nearest Apple Store, at Yorkdale Mall in Greater Toronto. Sounded easy, right?

The earlier rain stopped and the sun came out. Traffic wasn’t bad. We were at the mall parking lot by 11:45. Forty-five minutes later we finally found a parking spot – in the new underground parking lot. It was offering four hours free! Great! There were no numbers on the posts, but when we found a door nearby we made note of the number on it, and climbed three sets of stairs that took us … back outside!  A walk around a corner led us to a mall entrance, not too far from the store we were seeking.  However, there was a line up at the Apple Store, as there was at many stores. We waited. By the time we got in we’d decided that it would be worth the extra $90 to upgrade to the new iPad rather than the second generation one. We priced the iMacs. The latest version hasn’t come out yet. Jim wasn’t sure, so we got the iPad (they had plenty in stock), and then found our way to the food court. Finding a table in there was as bad as finding a parking space, and there was a wait for our food, but we finally got finished and did a little more looking around the stores.  Jim decided he’d buy the iMac that was in stock.

“Did you want someone to carry it to the car for you?” the salesman asked.  It didn’t seem so heavy so we declined and headed off to find our way back to our parking spot. We missed seeing the escalator so went outside the way we’d gone in and found the door to the stairs we’d taken. It was locked! By this time Jim was finding the computer getting heavier. Back into the mall we did find an elevator that took us right down to the parking level we needed. But, we got off in a completely different area than where we’d left the garage. We looked around.  Jim thought he knew where the car was.  I was carrying the computer by then.  “You stay here and I’ll go get the car,” he said.

I waited, and waited. Many other cars were heading towards the exit, apparently the drivers having had no problem locating them.  Jim appeared on foot, waved, and kept walking in the other direction. Twice more I saw him on foot before my familiar car pulled around the corner and stopped in front of me.

It was five o’clock when we got home.  That was the longest trip to Walmart that I’ve ever taken! Thank goodness we didn’t come away empty handed. 🙂 Jim couldn’t wait to get his new toy out of the box.

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Lest We Forget

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Poppy

 

 

 

 

This morning found us enjoying a late breakfast at a very popular family-run restaurant in the small community of Tincap, just north of Brockville, Ontario.  The place was packed.  Rather than wait for a table, we sat at the counter. It was a few minutes before 11:00 when we dove into our bacon and eggs.  Some old time country music played on the radio, competing with the sounds of clanging dishes and friendly chatter, including the high pitched voices of some very young patrons.  At 10:58 the music changed to a solemn voice  speaking about the desire for world peace; then the bugle sounded and the chatter began to diminish.  When the radio went silent, so did the restaurant.  Even the young children seemed to understand.  A pin could have been dropped during the next two minutes and been heard.  I swallowed the lump in my throat.

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Climbing Back Out of the Fog

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Sometimes life just gets too busy and too complicated, and I find myself pushing through a fog. The back of my mind percolates with all the things I want to do, while the front is working with my body to get me through the distractions that require immediate attention.

Two weeks ago we finally got the call that we’d been waiting a year for; a room was available for my mother in Long Term Care. No time to wait to decide, though.  We had to accept it within 24hrs and she had to be moved in five days! Twice in those five days we made the three hour trip to Brockville to start the procedure, and the packing, and finally do the moving.  Doing this for a 98 year old whose memory and comprehension have understandably diminished during the past few years (the reason she could no longer stay in the Retirement Home) was very stressful on all of us. When it was finally done and we returned home with a car and trailer full of the excess belongings that she couldn’t take with her, I had no strength to tackle the chores that were still percolating, let alone do any blogging.

I’ve been trying to climb out of the fog ever since,  but I found myself flitting from one thing to another, unable to get back to my usually organized self. I first drafted this blog a few days ago, but I didn’t like it. It sounded too depressing.  The absence of sunshine only added to my problem. I preferred to spend my time lost in the world of a fictitious novel and that’s where I spent most of the last two weeks.

But then I read a couple of inspiring blogs, one by Felice Cohen about getting organized with a To-do List, and one by Christine Peets about November challenges. I returned to my office and cleared out my space before tackling the number one project on my To-do List — the biography of my uncle. I had reams of hand written pages he’d sent me, and a box of picture albums and other photos to scan. I jumped in and got to work. What a good feeling to see the pieces finally begin to fall into place. And when I took little breaks from the keyboard, I used the time to quickly complete other small tasks, and cross them off my list. The fog began to lift.

Today the sun is trying hard to shine. There are a few blue patches in the sky. I’m once more optimistic.