general wolf rules for life

01. Eat
02. Rest
03. Rove in between
04. Render loyalty
05. Love the children
06. Cavil in the moonlight
07. Tune your ears
08. Attend to the bones
09. Make love
10. Howl often

*** courtesy of Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

i would say, as far as rules go, these are good ones to live by and nevertheless, they hit the mark.

rove often -
rove up, down -
rove right, left -

whether it is within the world or within the heart... it is all about forward motion.
and that, i have had the chance to capture and hope to continue to capture...

*** next up, vietnam memoirs.

shadow play

it was definitely hard to leave laos... but as i've seen in life... life gives you choices and the continual motion of it allows for only more doors to open, for more experiences to discover.

the last morning in don dhet, we woke up at sunrise to take the walk up to the bakery to get some goods for the passage into cambodia. the row boat took me through the waters to the mainland, then to catch the 12 hour bus ride. the first 8 hours were luxury equipped with ac, dvd and plush seats. the border crossing was quite immediate upon boarding the bus - it took us to Stung Treng and then to Kampong Thon for formal crossover. i think this was the least visually intriguing border crossing but it did have it's moments. we got handed h1n1 pamphlets by the health inspector as well as laser temperature readings to ensure we were not coming into cambodia's shadows. the last 4 hours of the ride was the best by far - we were they only foreigners on board amongst a full busload of cambodians; all with dazzling eyes and curious, sheepish smiles peering at us, handing us exotic fruits and drinks to try to keep us nourished. the people struck me straight away - all very sweet and open and warm. passing the countryside, i could see the houses were much larger in footprint than laos dwellings and better constructed with wood siding and tiled roofs. the palms ascended much further into the skies and that first night descending on us in cambodia offered a sunset vivid in color... shattering against the never ending rice fields.

the shadow play had begun.
cambodia's shadow dance showed it's beauty in layers that would show me that things are more or sometimes less than they seem.

siem reap was my start. initially, cambodia was not in the plans but i am so happy i came to it. facing those temples head on, it does something to the soul. siem reap is a notch up in tourism than luang prabang and parts seemed a bit too developed for me. nevertheless, we found a gem of a guesthouse called golden banana with three properties (and three pools) to have full access too. lovely little bungalow villas with sharp red doors. i will say, so far, cambodia has been the most expensive - not sure if it has anything to do with them dealing in both riel and us$ currencies, but it is steeper for food and lodging than the other countries. we came to find a friend over the next week with our tuktuk driver, phanne - sweet as could be. we did the 3day admission into the angkor temples. shadow play in all its glory. we hit the sunrise at angkor wat but it was not my favorite. My #1 was East Mebon - 10thC, mountainlike temple dedicated to Shiva. the time of day may of had something to do with it. storms were rolling in and the sky created a landscape crusading against the darkness. the #2 would be Bayon - 12thC, 37 tower temple all adorned with carved heads in honor of Shiva once again. the repetition made it killer. my #3 is Pre Rup - 10thC, funerary temple for Shiva. Here, it had aqueducts that had spill off on the front end of the temple that turned into a waterfalls for the many cambodian children to splash and frolic in. the night markets are ok - not up to par with luang prabang (for both food and gifts). for actual food joints, a couple stand out - Khmer Kitchen and Blue Pumpkin which had excellent baked goods and homemade ice cream. for the magic, beng melea is it. it is a temple situated some 60km out from town. imagine peter pan meets secret garden. the temple is surrounded by a moat flooded with lilies and within the walls are ruins along with four libraries. the discover this temple, one must climb, jump and maneuver in between the broken boulders all blanketed in moss. donald judd would be awakened all over again here. in the village, there is an orphanage/sustainable farm where we spent the afternoon and played with the beautiful children. Harmony Farm overs volunteer programs and teaches the children agricultural skills as for them, this is a way of life, a livelihood they can be proud of. bamboo cakes were a treat we picked up on the way back. basically, they take a section of bamboo and steam coconut sticky rice with red bean in it. you just peel back the bamboo and enjoy. a building in town that took my attention was the children's hospital -- a long, linear mass with a 2nd facade sitting infront made up of a vertically placed bamboo partition. simple and impactful, especially at night, when the light would glow. i took another go at visiting a floating village -- and this one was superb. we took the tuktuk some 20km out to Tonle Sap lake and visited Chong Khneas. Everything, i mean everything was done on the waters... some 5,000 people live here with generators and tv's (of course). and soon, they will all upload there houses and migrate to the mountains to wait out the rainy season. talk about nature taking its course - as these waters fostered some 4,000 species of fish 30 years ago and today, 200 species remain and numbers are dwindling.

next up is phnom penh.
bustling, hot hub of a city. quite the opposite to the laid back feel of siem reap. it was quite full on here, both in the city's inner beat as well as the history of this survivor of the khmer rouge regime. boddhitree umma acted as our oasis to compose and replenish. the Tuol Song, S21 was something. S21 operated as an inhumane torture center between 1975-1979, killing 20,000 cambodians by the khmer rouge regime with only 7 survivors to walk through those gates. my heart weighed heavy that day.. and seeing the faces of men, women, children that were treated so poorly, it really was hard to swallow. it is fascinating to see, the strength of the human spirit though as the cambodians have been the most sweet natured and kind people i have met thus far. we also took the visit to the killing fields, a short one at that as it was a bit too much for me to take on really all in one day... switching gears, we did the national museum which was a nice set up - open air space filled with temple relics. the palace and pagoda were also on our list. the place to watch the sunset with a bit of relaxation from the streets was the quay hotel - rooftop terrace. we hit the russian market as well to stock up on some well bartered items to take home. it was quite claustrophobic in here, vendor after vendor, tucked in so close to one another. as i do enjoy cities, i did feel phnom penh lacked a certain luster i was hoping for. well, you cannot have it all, right...

going south, to the coast - i came upon kep.
and kep, to me, was the luster i was looking for - pick of the litter. very cool, very in my rhythm of things. kep has all these fantastic 1960s villas, set amongst lush, overgrown vegetation scattered throughout town. the best way to discover them is by bicycle as is most of kep to be done by. it took a few hours, early one morning before that sun shone so brightly down on us. bicycle riding has been such a treat and the paths in kep, go up and down the seaside with lovely mangrove trees and mango trees peering out towards the water's edge. the crab markets in town serve up delicious fresh, plump seafood - crab and prawns, all tenderly cooked in ginger and kampot pepper. kimly's restaurant was by far the best in town. and for guesthouses, botanica and kimly fit quite nicely into my stay. kep being lovely, is quite small so i did not have enough cash on me and had to hitch a ride with a family on first day there to the neighboring town of kampot. in hindsight, this was a good excuse to check out the colonial, riverside town and take a afternoon to roam the streets. bicycle night riding was a regular pursuit too -- it really gave me a love for bicycles again. i know i must acquire one once back in nyc. another morning, we rented bikes and drove to find the secret lake. it is more like a reservoir and to get there we had about a 10km dirt, bumpy, pot hole path to dodge down - all in good fun and the ride back was much more fun than going. the secret lake has a few small communities sprouting up around it and we stopped for fresh sugar cane juice with lime. a quaint spot in town, perfect for sunsets is the sailing club. again, really well done, simple space with character. all in driftwood greys, lightest of blues, burnished whites - and offset with cognac wood furniture. my drink of choice here - gin & tonic. actually gin & tonic's have been the drink for cambodia and they are executed quite well at the sailing club. i tried to get up for sunrise viewing but was only able to do that on my last day, other than that the sailing club was a constant to watch the sun sneak in behind that horizon. Koh Tonsay is quick boat ride off the coast of kep. it is otherwise known as rabbit island. there are maybe 4 guesthouses to choose from, all in humble set up but very sufficient for a stay on the generator powered island. lights are out by 10pm and the darkness sets in. we did a walk about the island. it did not take too long either - just over an hour and a half and were back to the guesthouses and ready for some crab and grilled fish. the other walk about we did was in town, around the kep national park. it is a steep bicycle climb to get up to the starting point and from there it is about 2-3 hour walk around. beautiful views and vistas - out all along the coast. caves and waterfalls are also other excursions to ponder around in. on our last evening, we dropped in at the only italian owned place for a drink and we were in luck. the restaurant was closing next month so it seemed they were trying to clean out the bar so we had a few free cocktails as well as some lethal concoction that i could only take some sips of. kep is a lovely, lovely place - well appointed with lots to offer.. and those 60s villas, they took my breathe away.

last stop is sihanoukville.
3 hours from kep, i shared a bus seat with the loveliest elderly cambodian woman. we could not converse by spoken word but instead by eyes and her eyes were all knowing. to sit there and just be with her was a joy. it was moments like this, that i have had time and time again on the travels that will be the moments i hold dear to my heart. sihanoukville is a bit rowdy, a bit too lively for my liking but the seaside is stunning with blue waters and soft, sandy beaches. otres beach is the most chill part of town with a relaxed vibe all of its own. really great if that is what you are after. i found another spot right at the end where occheutal beach meets sokha beach and this is where i was held up for a few days of r&r. at night, the longer stretch of the beach comes alive with bars and such, with everything being offered up to you.. there are many, many islands off the coast and may trips to venture on.. we were only able to fit in a few but worthwhile all the same... they are quite pristine and well kept and serving up fresh grilled fish on coals for lunch. i would say, it's a good way to go out of cambodia..

the shadow play was mystical.
from the temple shadows to sky shadows to villa shadows and all else that lies in between...

fade into green

from Pai, we took an overnight bus to the border town of Chiang Kong. the ride included a few switch arounds with other buses, people, parcels and by 2am we arrived. we had a 6am wake up call to get driven to the border. first order of business was taking a longtail boat across the river and to get visas done in a sea of foreigners huddled around waiting for their name to be called up for approval. i, of course, had overstayed my welcome in thailand and had to pay out a fine of 500THB per day. from there, we shuffled onto a boat for a two day boat ride down the mekong river. the mekong was all hues of khaki offset by the blazing green hills rolling off from it to the skies above. as i have to come to see as customary, all travels have pick-ups of all kinds, so we had many stops along the villages to pick up a traveller from one place or the other. all around us we were immersed with nomads with the same itinerary in mind - and to pass the time - books, music, refreshments and the mekong guiding us on our path. the first night we docked at Pak Beng - a little hillside town that has come alive due to the mekong trek. the rains came that evening and came strong. we did not mind. walking up and down the hills, letting the rain to cool us.

on the next day, Luang Prabang welcomed us.
we decided to venture into the old quarter to find our resting place for the week. we found a quaint little guesthouse off an alley, surrounded by vegetation. Luang Prabang has a beautiful French influence with excellent fresh baguettes and Lao coffee to start the day off. some fabulous art exhibits to browse as well, both at the French Institute and the Souiffon Gallery. We decided to have our first morning dedicated to rising at sunrise, and observing the 500+ monks make their way through town to collect alms. the monks were in age range from say 7+. the streets all draped in saffron. a visit to the Kuangsai waterfalls was very welcome, especially the stairwell at the top, those stairs felt like they could lead to nirvana... L'etranger is a must - bookstore, teahouse and daily movie showings upstairs. the walls are all decked out in rows and rows of National Geographics - this brought back memories of my father's study when i was young... he had a collection of these magazines that i would pass time and flip, flip through... maybe that aroused my curiosity and hunger for the world at large. night markets are an exemplary fare. i feel in love with the tribal textiles and patterns. the food night market is not so shabby either. it is set down a narrow alley with vendor after vendor of fresh feasting. they even had a coconut drink similar to my ancestral Indonesian cendol. the dinners here cost 10,000 kip. grilled meats, fish and vegs to fill any vegetarian's heart. a hidden treasure is Dyen Sabii. you follow a tiny string of lights down at the river and they have longtail boats to take you across the other side. follow the similar string of lights that lead to a bamboo encircled compound. utopia was good to pass the heat of the day, look out onto the mekong, read and quench your thirst with ingenuous juice concoctions. the town quiets down pretty early in the nights, bars close by 11pm but if you have some energy in you left, you can jump in tuktuk's to the local Lao disco. the parking lot outside was chockablock full of bikes as far as your eyes can see. they played a mix of Lao and Western, anything really to get your groove on... Lovely temples are also scattered throughout Luang Prabang. a wander uphill brings you to Wat That Pousi - it is a bit of steep climb but up there, views of green lush hills is great and golden Buddha statues are set against charcoal rocks. on the way down, Klat Pa is a gem with beautiful, natural paintings lining the interior. it was built in 1860.

Nong Khiew was next.
it is 3 hours north of Luang Prabang set on the Nam Ou river. the town is set between two cascading rock formations with a bridge adjoining the two parts of town. Here, like all of Laos, is inhabited by fleets and fleets of butterflies and dragonflies. this village is a very scenic spot and was perfect to take a breather for a couple of days. Vang Vieng was on our route - a town i was not so hyped up to visit but with it said, my time there was enjoyable. the surrounding countryside is idyllic and green, green. the champalao villa guesthouse made it comfortable too. the blue lagoon is picturesque and the color of that water was something else. getting there, is along a dirt road stretch for about 7km from vv. but the lagoon is definitely worth it. rains came during our outpost there but that rain made the blue and the green pungent in my eyes. the organic mulberry farm is a fantastic fresh, natural eatery with mulberry shakes and pancakes to restore some energy. vv was short and sweet but ready to move onto Plain of Jars.

migrating north on this 7 hour bus ride, the landscape changed, the hill formations changed. the bus rides have become a favorite part of my nomadic wanderings. i can soak in the country, people.. every time, i get butterflies in my stomach, anxious and excited. observing Laos in all its splendor of greens - mountains shifting from jagged peaks to rolling hills, village homes shifting from low, thatched dwellings hugging the peak to wooden structures set on stilts in the lowlands. the bus rides open up the coming and going of locals, friends, families. these rides are so enlivened with the daily life as well as giving me the time to just be a passive traveller, be with the countryside and dream away. the roads are windy with pencil turns, up/down, up/down and the vistas are views ranging from crisp skies to drenching fog swirling at the hilltops.

Phonsavanh, known for the Plain of Jars is up in the plateaus - cooler, brisker - a wild wild west town with a constant movement of sand passing through the main drag. one excursion, we went renegade style to get to the old capital of Muang Khoun. lots of gesturing and drawing to communicate; local tuktuk; local trucks etc... Surprisingly, the old capital even smaller in scale than Phonsavanh. We visited Wat Piawat (1564) and Foun Stupa (1576). Afternoons were spent at Nirvana, local hot spot filled to the brim with Lao hipster from 12+, all drinking large Beerlao's for 8,000 kip. The Plain of Jars is a sheer magic in the making for me. The sites are extraordinary. The actual history of how and what these jars are and came to be is still a mystery but one valid conclusion was that they were used as funerary vessels some 2000 years ago. paths are marked where the safe limits start and stop due to many unexcavated bombs that lie just below the grassy hills. Site 1's composition and Site 3's context set in the rice paddy fields were the top runners. these sites have a mystical feel about them... i also had a taste of Lao Lao. full proof, fermented sticky rice alcohol. it tasted similar to sake.

Now, we switch directions and head southbound to Si Phon Don (4000 Islands)
It was a marathon traverse - 12 hour bus to Vientiane, 14 hour bus to Pakse, 3 hour ride to Ban Nakasang, and then a quick 20 minute longtail boat ride across the waters to land us in Don Dhet/Don Khon. These islands are at the southern most tip of Lao with the mekong ending. Chill, laid back... days filled with bicycle rides all across the islands, rides leading to waterfalls and countryside and the simple pleasures of life. the dirt paths are filled with peacocks, geese, roosters, pigs, cows and a very cheeky monkey just by our guesthouse. he was trouble the minute i spotted him. always up to no good and one day, he had adopted a kitten that he tended to for hours and would not let go. coming from Phonsavanh, the climate changed and now back in the heat and humidity took some getting used to again. the bakery up the road was a regular for the afternoons - iced fresh ginger teas and baked goods of the day. Don Dhet has a sunrise and sunset side, both with views of khaki and green to seduce you with. the food has changed too since Luang Prabang i would say.. many more fresh spring rolls and pho to ease my appetite. these being such rustic, small island.. they did not have luxuries of ATMs and such... so boat rides were needed to get stocked up on these necessary supplies. Pool Bar is a good venue - food, library and of course, pool to hone my skills some. These islands are magical and untouched still. It is superb getaway where you can get lost but not too lost amongst the countryside and enjoying the simple pleasure of life.

Dreamy Laos...
Dreams of khakis and greens; dreams that smoldered me into coming back some day.

book log

i wanted to make a log of the books i have read on my travels...
page after page, they have fueled me.

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle
- Haruki Murakami

A Natural History of the Senses
- Diane Ackerman

Nine Stories
- J.D. Salinger

Shantaram
- Gregory David Roberts

What Makes You Not a Buddhist
- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Stieg Larsson

A Fine Balance
- Rohinton Mistry

Women Who Run with Wolves (2nd time)
- Clarissa Pinkda Estes

Steppenwolf
- Hermann Hesse

PS: Laos segment coming soon...

the main (land) attraction

coming off the island high...

deep smack into BKK was a shock to the system - arriving at 1am in the center of it all, i had to get my wits about me as i landed in some sort of a video game. luckily, we found a great guesthouse to retreat to - it was off Rambrutti and called Lamphu. Next time however, if I found myself in transit here, i would stay at the Israeli Connection / Secret Garden. At the street, it has a nondescript juice stand with restaurant but if you peek around and go upstairs, they offer rooms in the building out back with clean, modern amenities and even free wifi and luggage storage (which i always like to know where i can drop that extra baggage if need be). BKK is the big city with the hyped up area for backpackers. i knew it would be a short transit here and i wanted to meet up with a couple friends for one reason or another are based here in BKK for a bit of time. BKK is much more enjoyable and better traveled during the setting sun hours. One night, we were venturing out to the suburbs of Sukhumvit 49 so we were up for a bit of adventure to get there. we first boarded the local boat taxi that took us down the back canals into Siam for a mere 9THB and then meandered our way through the labyrinth of Siam to find the sky train out to Thong Lo. We met up with my friend and a group of locals and tried out Tease, RCA club row and Obsession. Obsession was a new novelty for me - a lady boy bar - that is on the list of things to do and see in BKK. So intriguing, from afar these lady boys are very beautiful but up close are all man. On another night, we went to Metro Lounge which had an open air terrace and filled with Thai hipsters - too cool for school - and with a style I very much enjoyed. My expiration time in BKK was just about out (only 3 days) - i think that was just the right amount of time to get some shopping in at the markets and have time to play in this surreal video game arena.

After getting our fill, we ventured northbound to Chiangmai.
The city itself has not much draw or ambiance - feels industrial - although there were two extremely amazing experiences i would not trade for the world. Our guesthouse here was a find too. Gap House is situated off a side street in the old part and it was a little oasis. It was set amongst tropical gardens and the bungalows had an eclectic mix of wood furniture and artwork. All the travelers here French. We had arrived on a public holiday so on that evening, as strolling down and popping into temple after temple - we came to one with a full celebration in progress. The offerings for the temple are made up of incense, flower and candle which you would carry between your palms as you walked around the temple 3x in a clockwise direction. After, the devotees proceeded to a back garden that set my heart ablaze. The garden was like it fell from the heavens. A gold statue of Buddha was set in front of a leafy tree and on the grassy lawn below, it was consumed with candlelight set in clay pots. Monks floated in between all the light - elegant, saffron guides tending to the candlelight with so much devotion and attention, nothing stirred them away from that. It was one of the rare, magical moments i felt so alive and thankful. Thankful to be there and be in the presence of such an elegant ceremony - it was unexpected and that i think made it even that more transformative. We visited the Doi Suthep temple up on the hill as well as the Tiger Kingdom. I am still torn about the tigers - not certain it was such an aware decision to go but my curiosity got the best of me, and I guess in going, it educated me about socially responsible tourism. The tigers are majestic creatures and those eyes, those eyes felt like they pierced right through me. The 2nd experience that made Chiangmai well worth the visit was the Patara Elephant Farm. Their logo is extinction is forever. It is a family run establishment and the people were some of the most loving people I have met and they care for these creatures which such gentleness it was very humbling. The program is basically "to own an elephant for a day". With that, we get educated about the history of elephants and the impact they have in Thai culture, health issues, health inspection of the elephant, feeding, bathing, grooming and then a trek to the waterfalls. My elephant was Plouy and her trainer was Kao. The first step is making a connection with the elephant. We learned how to acknowledge, approach and connect with the elephant. The elephant has to accept you and sometimes like all of us, do not feel so up to interaction and can become quite moody, especially if it is a pregnant one. The head trainer did an initial observation of all of us and paired us up with the elephant that is most fitting to our persona. The safest place to be is right close to the elephant's eyes - the trainers always want you close to the animal rather than arm length's away so that i guess both creatures feel safe with one another. Plouy's eyes felt like they had seen the world over and understand some sort of secret. The bathing and grooming was actually quite exhausting and I did not expect to be sore from the ride either, for days after... funny looking back, when they picked us up in the morning - all they kept asking was to make sure we had eaten our breakfast for the day... To get on was a feat as well. I tried the front approach where you tap the elephant's head twice, hold on behind the ears, and climb up the front of the trunk. First time I fell. Second time I made it up there (without any bit of grace). Best spot to ride is right behind her head, knees bent backward and feet tucked in behind the ears to navigate Plouy. The climb was steep and narrow. And of course, Plouy leaded the pack. She moved with such agility and grace and a steadiness that i felt so safe it was unnerving. The paths up the hillside were only about a foot wide, big enough for one elephant foot to land and then there was a drop off down the hill. Phew...
We had a set of commands to help us along as well:
By = Go
How = Stop
Jana = Don't
Didi = Good Girl
Plouy was breathtaking and warmed my heart.

Ready to move on, we traveled North again - up into the hills, along a winding road where the clouds settled so low, they were resting in and between the green hills. We came to the hill village of Pai. Pai has a vibe that works with my palette ever so nicely. Small but filled with artists, musicians, hippies, spiritual seekers alike. Live blues and jazz playing the night away, every night and cafes offering up all sort of whimisical tea concotions. Wall art is scattered throughout the town - the graphics are visually pop and sweet in content and execution. In the surrounding area, we biked to many a waterfall and hot springs. Mor Paeng Waterfall was a favorite. And riding in the countryside, that countryside, with layers and layers of green, lush green - idyllic. As we traversed down the many roads, it felt as if all of them magically looped around and kept bringing us back to the energy of Pai. I could stay here for an extended time. I could feel the inspiration it could give me and the creative energies it would harness. Breakfasts at Almost Famous are an excellent way to start the day and settling in at the Witching Well - with its veg juices and food are outright delicious. I would like to take the time, next time and try out the Tam Wua Forest Monastery and maybe even have a go at Reiki... why not! The groove of those who have come here and have chosen to stay seems like they have created quite a wonderful life for themselves. It is a good mix of all and nothing here. A piece of Pai is almost perfect.