Chennai, India

When couchsurfing we try to find hosts with our similar interests. In this case our host volunteered with a school and women's shelter so our time was mostly spent visiting the organizations and learning about how they started and are working towards sustainability. The school had just set up a thrift store and of course Jaims and I can never say no to a thrift store. Lucky for us we even found a few outfits and a scarf to protect us from the dust that never seemed to settle. 

The school was inspiring as the we talked with the man who started it all. Although I have many opinions on how humanitarian and development should work the one thing I believe in most is that in order for something to last and be strong enough to create the desired change it has to start from within. As a foreigner I can support, inspire and encourage but that can never replace the personal investment required in development. This school and the women and childrens' shelter had it. Started by locals who saw a problem, it is about changing their community and their own lives. 

As we sat and spoke with the women and children I could not hold back the tears. Confused by my response the women, mostly victims of abuse and prostitution, smiled at me in attempt to make me smile. Their strength inspired me and reminds me to never give up. Although they may not qualify to be the models of a magazine or in a Bollywood film, to me they are beautiful. 

*such basic needs*

To learn more about the school visit their website Little Drops

Welcome to India: First stop Chennai

Regardless of how many times you watch Slum Dog Millionaire or The Marigold Hotel, nothing and I mean NOTHING can prepare you for the overwhelming sites, sounds and smells that encompass you, in the most colorful and yet bleak country I have ever stepped foot in: India. 

We landed at midnight in the Chennai International Airport and were quickly escorted into what looked like an abandoned school cafeteria. We waited beneath the flickering neon lights for what seemed like days. As we approached the old beaten up desk that doubled as the customs office, my heart jumped. I had no idea what was going to happen once we left that building and all I could see were scenes from the movie Taken, that my boyfriend kindly showed me the week before I left on the trip- yeah, really good idea. 

As we left the building the humidity poured over our bodies and added to the nervous sweat we were fighting back. In the dark it was difficult to distinguish between each person. The sea of bodies before us looked tired and lost. Laying on top of another, hanging over the guard rail and against any stable pole or person, I couldn't figure out if they were waiting for someone to arrive or hoping they could leave. 

After building our courage we decided to approach the taxi area that was still partially blocked off. Maybe this way we could prevent getting lost in the crowd. Approaching I realized that although they spoke English I couldn't separate their words into coherent sentences. Although we were looking for someone to pick us up we realized fast that if you don't take control of the situation, someone else will for you and then you are in their hands. Before we knew it we were in a taxi that could have been taken right from a 1960's gangster film. Our driver spoke no english and as we looked into his eyes noticed that one was completely blurred over and did not move from the inner corner. His other eye has a slight cloud but seemed to work. My mind raced as we sat in the back of the car. The doors are unlocked. Is Jaims scared? How much would I go for on the black market? Good thing there are lights on the streets. oh no- the lights are gone and here is a tunnel!!! Can jaims read my mind? Yes, yes i think she can. Do we jump out now or after the tunnel? oh wow a cow is sleeping in the middle of the road. As my mind continued to race and form escape plans we noticed a tuk tuk behind us honking loudly which seemed odd in a silent and empty neighborhood. A small excited man jumped from the tuk tuk and proceeded to bang on our windows. If we weren't scared before this point I can say with complete honesty that at this moment I knew I was going to die or be sold. 

With the use of many hand gestures he conveyed that he was supposed to pick us up at the airport and was there but when we tried to call him the taxi men took the phone and pretty much hung up on him and then lied to us. The first of many lies. 

So we got in the tuk tuk and hurried off to the home of our couchsurfing host. She welcomed us with wide open arms and put us right to bed as it was early in the morning by this time. As we lay there we laughed through our fears and I silently prayed for no more scares. 

Drifting into sleep I felt a wet sponge on my face. Scared to death I scream which then scares the culprit, a huge creature that then decides to silence me by jumping on top of me with such power that I felt the air leave my chest. Searching for breath I jumped out of bed as a beast began to pee all over the bed in which I hoped to finally rest. Regaining conscience I realized the beast was a huge dog and my bed was now wet. To tired to care, we covered the bed with extra sheets and the puddle with a large pillow and then jaims and I curled into the part of the bed that was the least drenched and once again tried to sleep. 

*our beautiful host- a woman with a heart of gold, and a very large dog*

*teaching us the many ways to wear a sari*

Chiang Mai, Thailand, dare I say my favorite city so far?! I do!

To this day I still dream about Chiang Mai. The fruit smoothies (yes I know I am addicted to them and no they are never as good anywhere else), the thai massages, the jungle hikes, the night market, and the many beautiful temples and holy sites. Even though it rained every day I still couldn't have been happier.

*this is the only pic of the street food- I guess I was too busy eating to take any pictures- sorry*

*so our first night was wild- big spiders, damp mattress and water dripping on our heads like a form of Chinese torture- oh good times*

Jaim

6/28/11

You  guys i just had the coolest day EVER!! get this - this is wht 25 dollars wil gt           you  (sorry, really really sticky key board  50 cents and hour though, not complaining) 

  1. trip to butterfly pavilion where they breed a unique species of butterfly that is invisible  or senses tourists from miles away and   flies away  until the coast is clear.  the hundreds of orchid plants howver were visible and stuck around for us to see and man were they beautiful! I never knew there were so many differet types!

2. a  treck  through the jungle on an elephant!!!

3. a great lunch of pad thai w/ loads of great fruit

4. a  hike up to  a waterfall that we coul dswim in and under and get pummeled by the water crashing down

5. a really really great water rafting trip down the river on a rubber raft and then halfway through where the waters are more calm we transferred to a bamboo raft that sunk  quite a bit under the water so it looked like we were just  standing on  nothing  with a guide that fancied tilting the raft from one side to the other making us scramble to balance  while cracking up     .  I was laughing probably obnoxiously loud the whole time bc i was just having so much fun and got a kick out of just about everything.  it was brilliant  - in our group were these two guys from ireland - one wit hthese shortish neon shorts that were quite thin from the looks of em and becme more or less transparent when  wet.  luckily i was directly behind him which gave me a top notch view while he scratched his arse .  ha! gross.

we were staying with this one guy that houses volunteers and also runs different tours here that we met through the couch surfing website .      first night was really really miserable - neither of us could sleep at all and it was one of those nights where you ar ejust praying for it to be morning so that the dreadful night can me over that you can get up. it may have had something to di with the dirty dirty sheets, or the ridiculously uncomfortable matreses on hte floor , or perhaps it was the ginormous wolf spider we saw on the wall next to the bed before we turned off the lights and couldnt manage to catch bc it was lightning fast , OR it may have been the chinese water torture in the form of water leaking from the roof onto camis head...so we stayed two nights there and then we caved and found a different place for 3 dollars a night each, with a big bed, dry  mind you , and our own bathroom AND shower. awesome.  we took it and peaced outta there, after leaving a thank you note of course!  free is great and expectations are low but man being able to actually sleep is   great too , worth 3 bucks id say :)

love you guys so much and really love getting your emails that keep me connected to what's going on in your lives!

p.s. went to church here! so so neat!  saw  an BYU prof i had, and the sister of another prof I had! crazy!  it's a small world after all! there was also this couple trveling there from utah that took us under their wings and took  us ou t to  this amazing place for dinner!         cam and i got seafood in red curry and it was served in a coconut! only 3 dollars! we've already decided to come back here to asia every year with thailand as our hom base. 

oh, also, thai people are absolutely lovely, really really

love and loads more love,

jaimie

Chiang Rai, Thailand

In the guide books Chiang Rai didn't have much to show for its self and yet we had a weird desire to go there. As we walked around the small town I felt a stillness. There were not a lot of tourists and we were forced to figure out local transportation if intended to get around. It was fun solving our own problems and empowering to know we could do even if we don't speak the language. One night we wandered into an outdoor pavilion where people were sitting eating meats and veggies cooked on a domed table top cooker. Feeling adventurous we sat down. The kind workers showed us how to select our meats and veggies and then how to cook them all together on the table. It was our first "hot pot" experience and it was a successful one at that. In the evenings we would walk the streets and talk, which is something Jaims and I are really good at doing. Maybe because we were mission companions for 8 months and spent every moment together. We need little to spark new ideas and interesting discussion. Even after months apart we can still talk as though we saw each other the day before. I am really blessed to have such a beautiful kind and patient friend.

One of my favorite nights of the trip was when we happened upon a buddhist temple during a service. We quietly slipped off our shoes and went to kneel in the back. We sat for almost an hour (or until our knees ached) being filled with the peaceful spirit and chants of the monks. Thailand for me is a place of peace and pondering. Surrounded by beautiful nature it is easy to contemplate life and the paths we desire and choose to take. Although I am not buddhist I learned how to take time to be still. If anyone knows me they know that stillness is hard for me, but as we sat in those temples it was easy to stop thinking for a few minutes. I believe that when we stop thinking, we are actually opening ourselves up to true inspiration and guidance from God.  

In Chiang Rai we did go to one very touristy temple- although most of the tourists were domestic there were a few clearly foreign ones as well. The temple itself was creepy and not worth the trip out there but it was fun to learn how to jump on the local bus and meet more people from the area. I think more than going to sites, I really like simply meeting people and experiencing culture firsthand. 

*I love tourists because for many it means being pushed outside of their comfort zone to learn and grow- way to go tourist with the bright floral umbrella, no shame!*

*as a public health and international development student I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Cabbages and Condoms- check them out as they are doing awesome things in preventing HIV!*

Jaim

6/23/11

hey everyone!  doingreally great here! reallyreally love thailand and the thai people!  I love love meeting new people and hearing their stories.  on the bus on our way to the ferry to the island koh phang nan we sat in front of a few scottish guys that were playing hte guitar abit an i turned around and expresed my disappointment that they had stopped playing hte weezer song I loved so much, then one of em started playing falling slowly fro mthe once movie and i started singing along they he handed me the guitar and I tried to teach him blackbird...no dice :)  I got a wax job yesterday and it was the best waxing experience I've ever had b/c this woman was so so so sweet, huge hard, huge smile, and we're now good friends and I'm gonna give her a pass along card.  she runs an italian restaraunt here and a massage and wax and nails place - everyone here is kind of a jack of all trades,Her biggest dream is to go to italia, venice - and just sit on the gondola boats and see the city - I told her Id send her a post card.  her name is Dia.  There is a whole world of people to discover nad get to know out there - all it takes is for us to open our mouths and be willing to treat them like people and like our brothers and sisters.  i love seeing more of God's creations that I've never seen before - different plants, animals, food, sunsets in different countries, remnants from past civilizations, different religions and how many similarities there are between each religion.

We went fishing one night and I caught a fish!  the man fried up all the fish right there on the boat and we ate them and some raw squid dipped in this great chili sauce, yum!!! then we practiced scuba diving in the pool and went snorkeling and got massages on the beach by these adorable women and this older woman saw me admring her little plastic windmill creations and she pointed to one of the girls and said saomething to here and the girl comes over and hand it to me! can you believe that! I gave her a hug and she kissed me on the cheak. I've discovered that hugs and smiles are universal happy inducers and it just disarms people so quickly, I love that! we ended the day with a bonfire on the beach that night.  

 

We're now in chiang rai, up north, a little town, and while exploring last night we ewalked past a temple with a big golden buddha in it and women and maonks praying, we didn't even say anything, we just looked ate ach other, took off our shoes walked in and sat down with them, it was sucha neat thing, and so relaxing to just think while listeningto them sing.

 

I've discovered that my favorite fruit is here - so many fun different great kinds!  I love food and trying new stuff - fired bananas are a favourite as well hee hee!

 

love you all so much and thin of you often!

 

jaim 

Koh Phangan, Thailand Beaches and the Full Moon!

When most people think of Thailand they think of beaches. Up to this point I had come to believe that Thailand was made of mountains and valleys that cradled small water ways. I had no idea that the beaches would be just as glorious as the golden temples and pagodas.

If you have backpacked through thailand I am sure you heard tail of the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan held each month and now on the half moon as well. Since we do not drink alcohol or enjoy 'shroom shakes we decided to head to the island in between the full and half moon. And oh man, was that a good idea! An island practically to yourself is never a bad thing- in most cases I would even support it as long as there are enough fruit smoothies to keep me going and I am not stranded.  We stayed in a bungalow on the beach that provided us with front row seats to the dramatic ebb and flow of the tide. To be honest I didn't take a lot of pictures or do anything too wild. I swam, slept, walked and thought a lot. It was a place of peace and contemplation. A few times we went off on the scooter to find new beaches and see wildlife. But overall this was a simple stop on the trip where we could simply just be.

*this woman does nails, waxing, and cooks oh yeah she also looks to be 20 years old tops- she is in her late 30s!*

*massage on the beach with fresh aloe vera*

*always a kind smile nearby*

*night fishing with our guide*

*dinner*

*all the party people ready for the full moon*

Siem Reap, Cambodia: home to the temples of Angkor

I don't know when it started, perhaps it was the national geographic book with its huge pictures of the temples, or even Disney's Jungle Book. I mean who didn't want to find an abandoned temple full of monkeys?! Whatever it was- I was eager to see the Temples of Angkor in person. I wanted to see the huge faces of Bayon, the trees reclaiming their land over the stones, and the temple of Angkor Wat as the sun rises. Even though Siem Reap, the city next to the temple complex is a days drive from where we were in Thailand, we decided to trek across the country leave our car at the boarder and spend a glorious 24 hours in Cambodia. At the boarder we decided to get express visas online which cost a little extra but was worth it as the hustlers will charge crazy fees and lie to get as much out of you as possible. Since it was our first time we figured we would avoid it by printing our own at an internet cafe. As we approached the boarder on foot we realized how confusing this place can be. Not only did everyone want to help you but they all seemed to tell you different things.

*a gas station!*

Because we had limited time and didn't want to waste any of it we hired a driver for the 24 hours we were there and it worked great for us. When I went back with my husband later the boarder was very cleaned up and organized. Maybe we just went at the right time but we walked up the visa office with our application and we got our visa within 5 minutes and that was it! The government now even provides a free bus for tourists to the local bus and taxi station which is really helpful. From there you only have two or so hours until you reach Siem Reap. If you plan it right you can even get there in time for the sunset!

It is funny how hard I will work to see the sunrise and sunset on a trip. At home getting me out of bed before the sun is nearly impossible but put me in another country and a 4am alarm is nothing!

Once Jaims, J and I all arrived in Siem Reap we found a nice little hotel and then went straight to the temple to get our passes for the following day which also allowed us in to see the sunset that night! We followed the crowds up to a temple on the hill and watched as the sun fell over the Khmer Empire. Despite the large number of people it was remarkably peaceful. We finished the night with a fish foot massage, in other words we paid to put our feet in a pool of water as fish ate off our dead skin. It was nasty! I only lasted 10 seconds. Jaims and J fought through the giggles and made it to a minute. They are so brave and now free of dead foot skin! Oh well I will just have to live with my dead skin. After a few fruit smoothies we went to bed in preparation for the next morning- Sunrise of the Angkor Wat!!!!

*yes Jaims is stunning at 5am- I wish I could say the same for myself*

I cannot express how worth it it is to wake up early for those special hours as the sun fills the sky. We decided to climb to the highest point we could reach on the temple- which at the time was pretty high as there was no tape or security on the main temple. I sat there on that massive structure built hundreds of years ago, in silence and pondered the majestic potential of man. More than history I love beauty and how through out time man has sought to beautify his surroundings. Sometimes it makes me feel small and useless but then I remember that my life is not over and I still have much to contribute to this world. Although I doubt my contribution will be in the form of a compound or new empire, I hope my influence and love will carry, on passed to others for generations to come. I love the strength and determination of Angkor and am grateful for all of the many organizations and countries who have contributed to its restoration and preservation.

*Beware these little cuties are sometimes little stinkers*