Long Way Through Laos

Before heading to Laos I made a quick detour to Bangkok, Thailand to take care of some business-- basically getting my hair done, mailing Christmas presents, replacing the phone and prescription sunglasses I lost in Nepal and getting a visa for Myanmar (preview of the upcoming post).

It's always nice to be back in semi civilization for a bit with all the comforts of a big city. In the case of Bangkok, that means malls and good food (and now a Krispy Kream which the Thai people were obviously very excited about-- will they still be when they are all chub chub??).

Sure I was staying next to the (free) art museum that I really wanted to visit, but I just ran out of time with all sorts of beautifying.

With my new robins egg blue toenails (a mistake, yes), proper color hair, Thai massaged muscles (or beating more like it) and eyesight I was ready for the overnight train to Nong Khai, only 22km from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, via the "International Train" over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

Sounds great except the train was sold out!!! Oops, who knew? AND it was sold out the following day as well. :-( The nice ticket agent told me to hang around in case there was a cancellation (picture me sitting on my backpack in the middle of the not so nice train station). Again luck was on my side and I was off on the 13 hour journey with some enjoyable Brits and Dutch (those Dutch are everywhere!!!!!!)

I loved this train- I was in 2nd class so didn't have a private compartment, but the curtained off cubby was excellent. I'm sure the locals (who seem to be able to fall asleep at 7pm) were less than thrilled by the westerns playing cards and drinking in the aisles. They got us back by getting up at the crack of dawn!

I arrived in Vientiene before lunch at the most adorable Hotel Khamvongsa, where two Americans were also checking in. Despite how adorable the hotel, I couldn't stay the planned two days since there is really nothing in Vientiene.

We were able to visit the major sites in a couple hours, including Pha That Luane, the most important national monument in Laos, a symbol of both Buddhism and Laos sovereignty (it appears on their national seal). They have been doing a lot of restoration work as you can see by the before and after shot below--- things get dirty in this tropical environment.

I was also quite amused to see the Patuxai, a pseudo, asiany Arc de Triomphe. It was super ugly, but the funny part is that it was built using American donated concrete intended for the building of a new airport. Airport or Arc de Triomphe?? They chose Arc- hahahaha!

While eating my traditional Laos dinner of pizza I met a lovely family traveling for a year. The two teen/pre teen girls were chock full of info on what I should and shouldn't do with the rest of my time in Laos. I totally listened and booked all the same guesthouses based on their breakfast reviews (they didn't over hype the breakfast at Guesthouse Manichan in Luang Prabang either- yum! Former French colonies are the best- they have good bread.)

Per the title, nothing in Laos is very easy to get to, even though it looks so close on a map. The Lonely Planet also warns that the buses are made of cardboard and break down all the time. Well, they were right-- we left the station and broke down after our first turn around the corner--- too funny!!!! Another 1 hour breakdown in the middle of nowhere and finally we arrived in Vang Vieng nearly 6 hours later.

I hadn't intended on visiting Vang Vieng, but the Dutch guys on the train insisted! The town is bazaaro!

Tourist basically go there to get really drunk and/or high and float down the Nam Song River on an innertube--- with an occasional stop at the riverside bars to jump off a giant swing or slide. Then they return to town and watch "Friends" and "Family Guy" playing on all the restaurant TVs.

Okay, when in Rome, but first I joined Laura and Marika (who I met on the bus) for some rock climbing. I have never actually climbed anything but an indoor rock wall, so this was going to be interesting. I actually ended up loving it, and apparently I have a knack for climbing. It was really fun and I didn't kill our instructor while belaying him, which was also a plus. ;-)

The country is beautiful, walking through rice paddies and over shaky bamboo bridges to make our way to the climbing site while our instructor sang us some Lionel Richie and cracked himself up.

After the climb it was finally time for an afternoon float down the river, but little did we know the sun would be behind the mountains--- needless to say we froze! That shot of free whisky and bondfire at the sling shot bar did a little to warm us, but mostly I just shivered on the raft while a bunch of Aussies pulled my tube into their tube cluster.

Like everywhere, Asian hospitality is so nice! Adam, the owner of a rock climbing company who we met earlier in the day invited all of us to his place for dinner that night. We all sat on the floor Laos style and ate some yummy noodles and drank Lao Beer- the best of the SE Asian beers in my opinion (plus they appear to be the only ones that make a dark). Was a really good night!

The next morning's drive to Luang Prabang was not so good. Despite the motion sickness patch, we all felt really sick on the 7 hour journey. After wandering around looking for Guesthouse Manichan, Peter gave me all the tips on what to do in this UNESCO world heritage town. First stop was a walk through the charming Hmong Night Market on the way to Utopia, a lovely riverside restaurant with a hospitable Canadian manager.

The next morning, what else but more wats (aka temples). Among them was Wat Xieng Thong from 1560, plus the Royal Palace Museum built in 1904 (they had the king's old American cars on display).

It was then the temples atop Phu Si for sunset and dinner at Three Nagas, a gourmet restaurant with food and service (but not a tab) that reminded me of home. Ahhhh!

I had to get up early my last day for the 6am alms giving to the monks. Luckily a temple was just a block away, so I went Gidget style in my pajamas (they don't look like PJ's). I didn't exactly get it, basically lines of monks accepting donations all over (saw it a lot more in Myanmar). Since it only took 15 minutes to gawk, I walked through the morning market on my way back to bed.

The rest of the day was spent at Tat Kuang Si, a multi tiered waterfall about 32 km from town in a pristine park. On the tuk tuk drive there we encountered elephant in the road which you don't see everyday.

Off to Huay Xia on another paper mache bus for 14 hours. This time I could thank Ambien for getting me though since the bus was sub zero and pitch black thanks to the locals. I had a scarf wrapped around my head, used my microfiber towel as a blanket and had my legs in the arms of a spare fleece and was still cold- ugh! At least Ambien knocked me out so I don't even remember the 1 hr. flat tire stop complete with bond fire.

There really is nothing to say about Huay Xia other than that it is a border town with Thailand and starting point for The Gibbon Experience!

Yes, two nights spent living in a tree house like a Gibbon. No, you don't really see any Gibbons while living like one- that is the ironic part.

Inside the Bokeo Nature Reserve, Animo, a conservation-based group, has set up a series of ziplines crisscrossing the canopy, some of which lead to the tree houses perched about 200ft up.

The proceeds go to protect the forest and the animals from poachers-- five years ago poaching was threatening the extinction of the black crested gibbon.

After the 2-3 hour drive to the forest, the days consisted of hiking and ziplineing- it was a blast!

Tree house life was also very relaxing and cushier than you would expect. The first night I shared #3 with three others for the best view and sunset, but then we moved into #7 since it was 2 story and was reported to have an amazing shower.

It did!!! You were showing hundreds of feet in the air looking out on undisturbed forest with water fresh from the mountains (it was cold, but you were also pretty hot and gross from trekking and zipping).

I didn't think it could get much more exciting, but the transportation back was a fiasco.

After an hour on a dirt, bumpy road (sitting in the back of what is basically a pickup truck with a roof) we get to the road and happen to pick up a woman in labor (in orange). We drop her at the hospital about 2 hours later, after one of our guides jumps out of the moving vehicle (his landing was not a 10.00).

Fine. We cross the river by longtail boat to enter Thailand at Chiang Khong on our way to Chiang Rai. What happens, our maniac driver hits one of the stray dogs. Bring one life in this world and end another ;-(

The next two days in Chiang Rai were fairly uneventful since we didn't feel like any more temples, hilltribes or trekking, and the winery and tea plantation was too far.

We just kicked back, ate, drank, got a massage (one place we checked out had bored looking women in lingerie behind a glass wall- oops, wrong kind of massage parlour!), watched the best light show ever (so amazingly tacky!!!!), drank more and got a rickshaw ride (for which we paid extravagantly after all the previously mentioned drinks) before heading for our next destinations.

Lady, Need a......

Kathmandu to Phnom Penh- not the obvious route. It was a multi-day journey through Delhi (where they still use carbon paper!) and Bangkok, but finally I arrived in Cambodia.

Since it took a day and a half to get here, I was pretty spent and dirty so took in all the comforts of Hotel 252--- wow, what a step up from the tea houses of Nepal. I loved it here- modern architecture, a good shower, pool, restaurant, helpful French owners, and best of all, a flushing toilet!!! ;-)

Go figure, the hotel was on 252nd St. Cambodia is clever in that very few streets have names--- everything is just a number (ah, reminded me of home!)

After a good night sleep I felt ready for the sidewalks of Phnom Penh, they just weren't ready for me. NO one walks here! I had one tuk tuk driver ask "lady, why you walking? tuk tuk cheap!" Haha!

The capital city is pretty small, so it seemed silly to take a tuk tuk until some random guy on a bike tried to grab me on the main street right outside the palace. He was obviously crazy and maybe just wanted a hug (Dad- was not threatening or scary), but opted to cross the street and ask a teenager selling counterfeit DVD's for help. He nicely put me on the back of his moped and whisked me to the National Museum unscathed (and he didn't even want a tip, but thought maybe it was best I didn't walk- so nice!)

The National Museum had a lovely courtyard and all sorts of Khmer sculptures, including a room full of Buddhas, some of which were rescued from Angkor Wat when the civil war broke out.

I had lunch at Friends, a restaurant run by former street children (and probably the best service I have had in a long time). Unlike the other countries I have been, Cambodia has all sorts of shops and restaurants to benefit their most needy citizens- women, children and land mine victims (of which there are unfortunately a ton, an estimated 40,000!). I now have all sorts of random crafts since I felt bad not buying anything at these shops.

Due to limited opening hours, I had to wait until after lunch to go to the Royal Palace, the official residence of King Sihamoni, and the Silver Pagoda. Throne Hall was nice and the Silver Pagoda, named for the 5,000 silver floor tiles, had a good Emerald Buddha made from Baccarat crystal and another Buddha bejeweled with 9,584 diamonds. It was no Grand Palace in Bangkok, but still nice.

One think I did learn there is that the Queen and the upper class women used to dress in a different color for each day of the week--- that is taking day of the week panties to a whole new level! ;-)

So much for opulence, the next day was devoted to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge, a topic I've been interested in for years. I first took a tuk tuk out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where prisoners were sent for execution. At this site about 17,000 men, women AND children were bludgeoned to death (to avoid wasting bullets) and buried in 129 mass graves. Unbelievably, the Killing Tree still stands marking where children were murdered by smashing their skulls against the tree. By law, the sites of mass graves must have a memorial to honor Buddhist beliefs. The memorial stupa at Choenung Ek displays over 8,000 skulls arranged by sex and age.

Many of the victims of the Killing Fields had been transported from Tuol Sleng prison, known as Security 21 (S-21). This former high school became the largest detention and torture center in the country. Currently the museum houses room after room of pictures of the murdered, as well as vivid pictures of how they were tortured. Still amazes what people are capable of doing!

After the depressing morning I needed a nice long 2 hour/$10 Thai massage to make myself feel better (and the lemon tart from the patisserie down the street- the French have left one good thing behind!). I love the cheap spa treatments, which is why I get one almost every day. :-)

As I mentioned, the French owners of Hotel 252 were very helpful- they arranged my next hotel reservation and made sure I got on a bus to Battambang (in fact, they kinda picked Battambang as my next destination since there was no point going to the beach due to the typhoon in the Philippines). A tuk tuk driver was sent to buy me a bus ticket and then take me to the bus station- what service!

However, service plummeted at the bus station where they never announced my bus had arrived and it left without me. ANNOYED! But what can you do, but wait til the 3:30 bus and head to the nearby British pub for some comforting fish and chips?

Would you believe that upon my return at 3:04 the 3:30 bus had already come and gone? Yes, it's true! We all couldn't help but laugh since this was my second missed bus of the day! Oh, but those Cambodians are helpful- they put me on the back of the owner's motorcycle (with my backpack between his legs) and chased after the bus for 25 minutes. It was the best part of Phnom Penh--- still makes me laugh (the next 6 hours on the bus were less amusing).

In Battambang I was the only guest at a new eco-resort, which is a very strange feeling. I didn't spend much time in Battambang which is probably good since there isn't really anything to see there, just some old colonial architecture and what they think is the best rice in Cambodia (tasted like rice to me?).

The highlight was the 30 minute ride on the bamboo train, a 3m long wood frame covered lengthwise with bamboo and dis- assembled when a train is approaching on the single track from the opposite direction. The train took me through the rice paddies to a small village with friendly locals (and unfortunately a brick factory where kids seemed to work--- a fact that Human Rights Watch isn't pleased about per my driver).

There were a bunch of boys swimming in the nearby swimming/ mud hole who were super cute! Plus I got to try grass jelly drink, which is really very odd- tasted like honey, with gelatinous cubes- I recommend skipping it next time you ride the bamboo train (hurry, they are going to shut it down next year when they plan to upgrade the country's rail line).

I spent my evening at Phare Ponleu Selpak, an arts center for disadvantaged children. There I met Sampath who nicely gave me a tour and showed me his art (which I am now a proud owner, he was very shy about showing me). Once a week the center puts on a circus show which actually made me really nervous that someone was going to get hurt, but all ended well.

Battambang isn't the most touristy stop, in fact I didn't even know there were any others until the boat ride to Siem Reap the next morning. When I went to the dock (if you can call a steep flight of steps to the river a dock) I ended up having a long chat with a local teacher who was explaining to be about morality class--- hum, interesting subject.

"Cambodia's most spectacular boat journey" the next morning was needless to say a bit of a disappoint- ment. It took 7 hours on a tiny, questionably seaworthy boat, through narrow waterways where you occasionally had to dodge the shrubs scrapping the boat. Since this was the tail end of rainy season, it was interesting to see trees almost fully submerged and villages atop water. Our rest stop was an experience when the WC became submerged since too many people were weighing down the house.

The best part about the ride was meeting a charming British couple, Jonathan and Jenny, and an accident prone Dutch couple, Ton and Jessica--- my dinner partners for my entire time in Siem Reap, including our first night at the very post Abacus where we nearly toppled over (as we were doubled over laughing) in the tuk tuk on the super bumpy dirt road.

I joined Jenny and Jonathan (my social director) on the first day of temple touring to the far away temple of Banteay Srei, a 10th C. Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, cut from stone of a pinkish hue with deep, ornate carvings. The name means 'Citadel of the Women', believed to have been built by a woman since the carvings are too fine for the hand of a man. Gotta like that!

Banteay Samre was not too far away, so we paid a visit and met an elder who wished us all good luck, read a prayer for each of us (where again we had good luck) and gave us a red string bracelet for, you guessed it, good luck (I worry I lost my bracelet during another massage the next day).

We also met these very bright girls who listened to our tour guide and then addressed us by name, reciting our nations' capitals and presidents. Lynn wanted a guarantee that if I were to buy, I would only buy from her-- how could I resist her 50 cent dragonfly thingy? People accost you at every temple (Lady, lady, lady...) and don't take no for an answer very easily, which does get annoying, but these girls really won me over.

The other temples we visited the first day included the pyramid shaped Pre Rup and Ta Prohm, the temple made famous by "Tomb Raider." Ta Prohm was amongst my favorites since the jungle has totally taking over with trees growing all around the stone- amazing!

After leaving Jonathon and Jenny to a day without me, I headed to Angkor Thom where I ended up crashing the tour of a couple from Denver. The best part about the Angkor Thom area is Bayon, complete with 54 towers decorated with 216 enormous faces. Other temples were Baphuon, with a hard to find Buddha along the rear wall), the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of Elephants, all covered with beautiful carvings.

I wanted to hit one more temple quickly, but ended up staying at Preah Khan much longer after meeting T, a teenager looking to make a few bucks by showing tourists the hard to find spots shown in the tour book. He was chock full of information and had me climbing all over the temple, including the roof to get a good photo- I am fairly certain this should not be allowed!

After two temple days it was time for a break, so I took Artisans d'Angkor up on their offer to tour their silk farm. This is again another organization helping train the disadvantaged. They are reported to produce some of the best silk in the country and it was very cool to see how it is done, from silk worm to scarf in the shop. Who knew?!

As I mentioned, the kids here are pretty savvy salespeople, selling books, bracelets, scarves and whatnot. We ran across one 14-year-old one night who proposed a game of tic-tac-toe, with rock-paper-scissors for the tie breaker. He didn't just want our money, he wanted to earn it by having us buy one of his books. Sadly he lost, and was very upset since it had been a bad selling day (they all appeared to be bad selling days).

Saving the best (reportedly) for last, I spent my last day at the famed Angkor Wat, likely built as a funerary temple of Suryavarman II in honor of Vishnu. Honestly, it was not my favorite, not sure why it is the most famous-- perhaps because it is largest? or because it was never abandoned to the elements?-- but it is certainly very impressive with its three tiers, intricate bas reliefs and beautiful grounds.

Overall my time in Cambodia was fabulous! The people are amazing, the food is delicious, beer is 50 cents and the massages are SO cheap- what a great combo. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip so far! Although I won't miss all the "Lady....."

What Goes Down Must Come Up

(Let's fast forward a bit to Nepal and we'll backtrack to China later...)

It's hard to put into words the physical and emotional roller coaster that is trekking to Mt. Everest Base Camp.

The scenery is obviously stunning!

For the first few days it could have been Canada or the Pacific Northwest, with a mighty river rolling through a pine forest--- however, you can tell it is Nepal by the Buddhist prayer flags and wheels. For those of you that don't know (which was me until this trip), Tibetan Buddhists believe that a blessing will spread throughout the world with each spin of the prayer wheel and flutter of the flags in the wind- nice, huh?

Lets not forget the incredible porters and yaks that go up and down the trail carrying supplies (and our bags- thanks yak!). These guys are incredible. They are TINY (way smaller than me) and carry a tremendous amount up these steep, rocky trails, with a lot of the weight supported on their foreheads--- we thought they are allowed to carry 70-80lbs.! It was hard to figure how long it would take us to get to our destinations since these guys could easily do it in half the time. Still impressed!

The dirty kids we met along the way in the sporadic villages were also pretty adorable.

I thought of Greg often since there were numerous suspension bridges we had to cross over the rushing river (that is too dangerous to raft to give you some indication of how mighty); these and the narrow paths and super steep steps alongside certain death cliffs made this one not for those fearful of heights. Oh, and make sure to stay mountain side or you might get bumped off the mountain by a yak ;-)

As we increased in elevation the trees started to disappear and the snow capped mountains surfaced--- pretty spectacular (and so quiet)! You had to remember to look up from the path and take in all the beauty.

It was pretty spectacular on the days we could see. We actually had pretty good weather, except when we hiked a particularly tough stretch for the sole purpose of the view. The journey to the Everest View Hotel was not rewarded with any view at all--- I'm sure it was lovely and the lemon tea was tasty!

The best part-- reaching base camp with a group of amazing people!

To name just a few... there was Linda, a 62-year-old midwife from Minnesota that inspired us all. The girls from New Zealand, Cathy and Claire, who liked to shop and totally made me laugh. David and Kristen from Saratoga Springs, NY who joined me in avoiding "dead people" while suggesting new career options ;-) Martin, our UN representative who just wouldn't take no for an answer while humming his latest music composition. Paula and Tracy, the Canadians who trekked up that long hill to Namche Bazaar with me and through the dense fog for that non existent view from the Everest View Hotel. Marcel who made sure no one was out of earshot--- Namasteeeeee! And my sweet Swiss friend and trekking (+ bakery) buddy for most of the days-- he was always nearby with an encouraging smile, checking that I was okay and offering his beloved masala chai. :-)

I thank them all for making this an experience of a lifetime.

Up, Down, More Up :-(
No one could really tell us how far we walked, but guesstimates were maybe 70-75km each way? We would usually walk anywhere from 8-16km a day (6-7 hours), but remember we need to get higher so a LOT of that was uphill. But no, not all uphill! There were plenty of downhills too, which just meant that all the uphill we just finished was really for nothing- talk about discouraging! It also always seemed that the hours of uphill came at the end of the day for some odd reason- giving us something to look forward to all day ;-)

It was exhausting (oh, my tired, achy legs), but at the end of the dayS we finally made it to the promised land- Base Camp and 4 rocks ;-)) Yay!!!!!!!!!

How Bad?
Yes, the nature squat was way preferable to the non flushing toilets at the tea houses along the trail. Tea house sounds charming, right? Yeah, not so much. They are basically flimsily constructed shelters made of plywood with no heating and plumbing. No complaints, they are better than a tent, but it was mighty chilly and loud in these joints.

Some were actually better than others and even had the option to pay for a hot shower which was really welcome after days of trekking (this was NO beauty contest or fashion show!).

After this experience I learned that my #1 priority isn't a shower, but a flushing toilet.

You really don't get used to that smell, hence why we usually opted for the pee rock along the way (not always so discrete).

We Have Two Options
Raj and Hari, our Nepalese guides, were great about keeping us safe and generally on track. They took good care of us, maybe with the exception of the menu. "Excuse me, I will now take the breakfast order. We have two options- porridge with apple and egg with toast." Same, same! It became a joke since the menu variety was so limited and oddly enough heavy on the Chinese, which would have been okay had I not just come from China where I actually ate good Chinese food.

Is That A Headache?
I was in constant fear of altitude sickness as the days went by, not something to be toyed with. There was the constant reminder of how serious things could get with the frequent sound of rescue helicopters going up and down the mountain--- a sound I really didn't like on the way up.

Unfortunately altitude sickness did strike our group. First my trekking buddies, Kristen and David, had to go back down the mountain in the middle of the night in what sounded like a harrowing trip to the medical clinic, getting lost when they lost the yak trail.

Then, in the scariest moment of the trip, Catherine (NZ) collapsed on the trail and had to be airlifted out. It was terribly upsetting watching as she struggled with oxygen running out or not working. Thankfully Jake (Canada), Brooke (Delaware) and a couple of foreign doctors that happened to be nearby were able to get her stabilized for the flight back to Kathmandu.

It seriously made me reconsider going any higher since your mind starts to play games with you, convincing you one of the symptoms is starting. Luckily I was fine! I stayed hydrated, drinking 6 liters of water a day, but that garlic soup wasn't my thing.

The good thing is that everyone was okay once they got to lower elevation.

Crazy Landing
All I have to say is you should all go to YouTube and watch the Lukla landing video. Insane! I have never experienced a steep, uphill runway on the side of a mountain. It took serious skill to land those tiny planes. The day we flew out one pilot did crash a plane into the wall upon landing, but all were fine.

However, there have been some accidents at this airport, so they don't seem to chance it which is why fog closed the airport for days at the end of our trek. Luckily we got the last plane out a day after we arrived in Lukla, but some Brits we met early along had been stuck for 4 days and spent the $1600 to helicopter out, along with most people going stir crazy in a town with not a whole lot going on (the fake Starbucks was packed!)

Get Me Outta Here!
Arriving in Kathmandu at the start of the trip was definitely a love/hate experience. The city is total chaos with no traffic lights and CONSTANT honking from the cars and motorcycles that are trying to cram their way through the tiny, windy streets (that should really be 1-way, but aren't). It is also amazing filthy- the state of their streets and rivers is really horrendous and sad.

It is also really lively with colorfully dressed locals giving it a really distinct energy. In fact, on our first night we ran into a festival parade with people all over the streets celebrating. We also got stuck in a roadblock of riot police and army personnel when the president passed--- they do have those Maoist issues still.

Eventually, the honking won out and I couldn't wait to get to the peace of the mountains.

Then after weeks of peace (and bad food and plumbing), chaos was just what I was craving.

Since the original trip itinerary changed, we arrived at Base Camp two days early, meaning we were really just killing time to get back to Kathmandu. At this point I was totally exhausted and just had enough, so joined my two German-speaking friends and left our guides for a 2-day trek down the mountain alone (don't worry, it was near impossible to get lost).

We had a lovely time stopping first in Phakding (and their Reggae bar that inexplicably played no reggae- sorry Donovan) and then Lukla waiting for a flight out.
Unfortunately, right after we dropped our bags at the lodge I ended up twisting my ankle pretty badly (and ignoring the loud snapping sound it made). Yes, we walk over 100km and I hurt myself basically outside the airport- how stupid!

I was happy to be back hobbling around Kathmandu, eating yummy food, celebrating with a cocktail, massage and a tour around the city, including the Monkey Temple which has hundreds of monkeys scampering about.

We even got back in time for the biggest Hindu celebration of the year, the Dashain Festival, when thousands of animals are sacrificed. I skipped the public sacrifice in the main square after seeing the animals all over town for sale--- those poor goats didn't know what was coming.

Doing It For The Orphans

At the end of the day this trek was to benefit the orphans, so it was nice to visit their homes.

We first went to Brighter Futures where most of the kids were away for the holiday (like our Christmas). We toured the facility and a neighboring village- it was nice to get out into the countryside to see a different type of Nepal.

Then we eventually found Shining Stars where 30 incredibly personable kids reside. They appeared to be the happiest orphans and put on a bit of a singing and dancing performance, after greeting us with flowers and tika (red dot on my forehead).

They also had one of the crazy big, bamboo swings that I SO wanted to try, but after my ankle injury in Lukla I thought better of it.

After seeing street kids in Kathmandu huffing, I was really glad that I was able to do something to help give these 44 kids a better life and a real chance at a future.

Thanks again to everyone that donated- you are really making a difference!

I'll Get There Eventually

What's another 12-hour overnight bus ride with Ambien? Off to Istanbul for my last 5 nights in Europe.

I arrived early and shockingly successfully navigated the tram and maze of streets in Sultanahmet to find my hostel, so I had time to kill before check-in.

Since I haven't met a palace I didn't like, I decided stop #1 should be the Topkapi Palace. I'd get to the Blue Mosque later.

The money pit of a palace (the entry fee was expensive and then you had to pay more to get in the Harem and for the audio guide, and then for the Harem audio guide!) was actually pretty spectacular. Construction on the Palace started in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror and subsequent sultans lived here into the 19th century.

The Palace is organized into 4 courtyards, each further restricting access until the final interior courtyard where only the sultan's family was permitted (and now me and all the Asian tourists).

My favorite parts were the Treasury (like Moscow, I enjoy seeing all the bling) and the Harem. This may not be news to anyone else, but I was interested to learn that the ladies of the Harem had to be foreigners since Islam forbade enslaving Muslims. The sultan was allowed four wives and as many concubines as he could support.

Throughout all the buildings the tile work was stunning- if I were a decorator I would not have mixed so many patterns, but it totally worked!!

That evening I had the pleasure of meeting Gokturk (my new sailing friend for those of you that don't recall Turkey Pt. 1) for a lovely seafood meal overlooking the Bosphorus in a local neighborhood. He drove me around and showed me all the hot spots where locals hang, plus a mall that felt just like home.

I had big plans for the next day in Beyoglu (formerly known as the European quarter)--- get my hair done and by tickets to see U2 (their first concert in Turkey, and maybe their last?). Since I couldn't spend all day on nonsense I first visited the newish Istanbul Modern which I loved. I seriously think it is my favorite contemporary art museum of the trip.

Would you believe that Turkey's Ticketmaster equivalent still has you wait in line for hours for tickets? Sad, but true! Since the World Basketball Championships were going on at the same time the line was over 3 hours wait. I opted to get my hair and eyebrows done (all for the bargain price of $65!!!!!!!!!!) and join when the wait was only half that long- ugh!

After that exhausting day I wasn't up for a big night out so I just grabbed two kebabs from the meticulous street vendor (I didn't realize I was being so piggy ordering 2 until after I saw them made) and watched some fireworks from the roof deck while talking to Laura. The rest of Istanbul was breaking their Ramadan fast on the lawn outside the Blue Mosque.

Two days down and still no Blue Mosque- today was the day since I had to walk by it 18 times a day- damn, it is closed for some special visit from some special person. Oh well, there are still days ahead of me!

Along with everyone else due to the rain, I opted for the Haghia Sophia, the one thing in Istanbul I remember learning about in grammar school (but don't really remember why- think maybe religion class?). Originally built by Emperor Justinian as a church in 537, it was converted to a mosque in 1453 after the Ottoman conquest. Now that it is a museum it is an odd mix of Christianity and Islam, with mosaics of Jesus and 19th century medallions inscribed with Arabic letters. The most impressive part though is the sheer size of the dome built with special bricks that make it appear as if it hovers unsupported.

The most amusing part? They have a wall of foreign dignitaries that have visited the museum. Apparently there have been new, better visitors (like Obama and the Pope) so they put stickers over people that had been on the plaque. I really want to know who was downgraded! Can you imagine the meeting where they discussed who was expendable? ;-)

I had planned to see a few other sites, but the friendliness of the Turkish men was getting really old. Sure, it was charming for the first couple of days in the small towns, but in Istanbul it was close to downright harassment. I had enough!!!!

I only surfaced again from the hostel to see the Whirling Dervishes. It is pretty mesmerizing to watch the men spin so gracefully for 45 minutes and envisioning me tripping over my own feet if I attempted even one twirl.

The next day I felt better about venturing out in the company of two men from the hostel heading to the famous Spice Market, or Egyptian Market (no one bothers the men, so unfair). The market has been around since 1660 selling spices, nuts, olive oil soaps, figs and our favorites- Turkish delight and dried fruits of every variety imaginable (yum, strawberries). We had a good time sampling the merchandise.

After a little ceramic shopping I then had to scamper back to meet a group headed out to the U2 concert. Why do we have to leave SO early? Cause the Olympic Stadium takes 2 hours to get to through Istanbul's horrendous, gridlocked traffic (Turkey has never had the Olympics so unclear why they have a stadium that they clearly didn't finish after their failed bid.)

But wait, we were only in the bus for a short distance, the bulk of our journey was on the old train where men stood by the open doors for a little air--- insanity!

Anyway, we finally arrived at the concert to discover that U2 isn't so popular here- the stadium was maybe 1/3 full so the 360 degree thing didn't really pan out as they expected. Most of the people there appeared to be tourists- I hung out with Australians, South Africans and Dutch. I guess I should have known when the hostel workers didn't know who U2 is.

There must have been a few locals there though since Bono made some political statement and was booed- can't imagine he is used to that!!!

The concert was really good, if lacking atmosphere, but the 3 HOUR trek home was less so. Unbelievable!!!!!!

Part of the U2 group included Cindy and Jeff, my companions for the last full day in Istanbul- we packed in a lot!

We started off at the Grand Bazaar and believe it or not, I couldn't find anything worth buying in over 4,000 shops. I did want to get into a game of Rummy tile with one shopkeeper, but no time.

All that lack of buying got us hungry so we ate at some tiny hole in the wall spot. Language was a barrier that became frustrating, plus my indecisiveness, so they just made me a pide (Turkish pizza) segmented with each of the options. It was delish!!!!!

Belly full it is obviously time for a traditional Turkish scrub at the Cemberlitas Hamami, dating from 1584. The scrub was far inferior to the Korean versions I have had, but when in Turkey do as the Turks USED to do ;-)

That finally leaves time for the Blue Mosque, at last!!!! In this case it really was saving the best for almost last. It is stunning inside! In 1606 the goal was to make it grander and more beautiful than the Haghia Sophia. I would say Sultan Ahmet I succeeded. There are tens of thousands of blue tiles that give the building its unofficial name.

That evening we walked across the Galata Bridge (a little tardy for the planned sunset) to the hip part of town full of cool restaurants, bars and boutiques- glad I found it eventually.

What better way to top it off than some pudding at Saray Muhallebicisi, a pudding shop in operation since 1935 owned by Istanbul's mayor. 35 varieties- which to choose??? We opted against the burnt chicken breast pudding, but the rice pudding was scrumptious.

Since the metro closes early we needed a taxi to bring us home- what a crazy adventure. 1) They never really seem to know where they are going (I guess cause the city is HUGE- you need places for all 20 million people) and 2) like Italy they like to chat even though you don't understand. It all ended with me on the driver's phone talking to someone about a great place to visit for a good photo--- too bad I was leaving tomorrow (not that I understood anyway). It was sweet though- the Turkish people were always looking to be helpful, even if that did border on harassment.

Before catching my afternoon flight to Doha I had time for one more stop- the Basilica Cistern, another goodie built by Justinian in 532. It is the best looking reservoir I've seen.

Goodbye Europe! I hope Asia is as kind.