China: Guangzhou

After another night in Bangkok we boarded yet another flight to Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou is a hub for international trade and business. It's main purpose is to serve as port for mainland China. There isn't much to do in Guangzhou but flying there then taking trains in China was our cheapest option. We arrived pretty late at night without any idea where we would spend the night. We were stopped by a guy offering hotel rooms and the cost was decent so we decided to take it. He put us in a van and we soon arrived at a hotel. (By now my sense of direction was so thrown off, I wasn't really sure where we were exactly) I was really looking forward to a bed to sleep in. One thing about Guangzhou that we noticed quickly was the temperature change. We went from 95 in Bangkok to much much colder in Guangzhou. This came as quite a shock to me but I didn't mind too much. Our hotel was the nicest place we stayed in during our whole vacation. (Besides the Bobzien's) The next morning we woke up early for a van ride back to the airport where we caught a bus into the main part of the city. It was now Sunday morning and we were looking for a place to go to church. I knew of a small foreigner's only branch in Guangzhou but I wasn't sure where it was. I had an address but nobody knew where that road was. Our bus dropped us off somewhere amidst tall buildings. I was completely at a loss of where we were. Trying to keep my cool, we went to a convenience store to ask for directions but that wasn't much help either. The next best thing was to get in a taxi and tell the driver where we were heading. Luckily, after stopping a couple taxis, we found one that seemed to know the area. We got it and started moving. I was completely turned around and it seemed like we were driving in circles. I knew we were looking for a bridge and the place we were headed was right next to it. I showed our driver the map that I had but he decided to cross the bridge when we didn't need to. After feeling a bit frustrated he finally dropped us off in the general vicinity of where we wanted to be. Not really knowing what to look for (the church wasn't an actual church but a rented floor of a high-rise) we just started walking. For whatever reason we found ourselves inside a building and we realized that we were in the right place. When the elevator doors opened up and I looked down the hall to see a bunch of white people in Sunday dress I couldn't help but be amazed that we had actually found it. We threw down our huge packs in the back and everyone was super curious about who we were. They were as surprised as we were that we had actually found it. After talking to a few people I asked a guy if he knew a place where we could stay and he offered his own place. It was perfect, great people and a free place to stay. China was really treating us well. That night the YSA of that branch had planned a dinner and invited Dayton and I to come along. They guy that was hosting it works for the U.S. State Department so we went to his house inside the old embassy. We had a great time hanging out with our new friends. David (the guy that offered us a place to stay) even took us to the train station to get our train tickets for our next destination. We were so stoked to have met such great people and have a free place to stay. It's incredible that having the same faith as someone else automatically creates friendship and trust. We woke up really early Monday morning and boarded a train bound for Changsha.

One Night In Bangkok... again.

After our most excellent adventures in Chiang Mai we boarded a train that would take us back to Bangkok for our flight out. The train quite small but it did well. We each had a seat facing one another with a table between us then when it started to get late a guy came around and folded up everyone's seat and it created a bed. Then the overhead compartment was let down and there was another bed. Dayton took the top which he later explained was like sleeping in a coffin. I slept so great that night except I woke up with bug bites all over my legs. They itched incredibly bad and would for days. It was a good thing that all the 7-11's in Thailand carry a great product called Tiger Balm. This stuff works miracles although it only lasts a short time until the itching comes back. We got back to Bangkok after nearly 20 hours on the train and I couldn't wait to leave again for the airport. Bangkok didn't really leave a good taste in my mouth the last time we were there. I don't really even remember much of what happened that second time back there, I seemed to have blocked it from my memory. One thing I must mention though is at the night market we were strolling around and we heard a guy playing Johnny Cash on the guitar. A Thai guy was all dressed up like a cowboy and was busting out some old school country. We were so stoked that we stopped to tap our toes and slap our knees. He eventually invited us to actually sit down at one of the tables that was set up and we were immediately asked to order our drinks. We each got a Coke and drank it slowly. After a few more songs we were told we had to order more drinks (specifically alcohol) or else move along. So we got up and left but not before hearing our Thai Cowboy friend singing "you got me on my knees rayra!" Not sure if he knew we were laughing at him or not. The night ended well but I was really excited to move along on our journey and start exploring China! Next Stop: Guang Zhou

Who Reads This?

I've spent quite a bit of time writing about some of my adventures for this blog and I know a few people out there have been loyal readers. First off, thanks to those of you who have talked to me about the blog and have said positive things about it. These compliments motivate me to keep posting. I'd like all those who do read it, or have read it, to post a comment here so I can get an idea of how many people are reading it. I'm sure I'll keep posting regardless, but I'm just curious. Thanks everyone! Posts about the final month of my trip will be coming soon. Train rides, illness, mountain climbing, the great wall and much much more!

Thailand: The Jungle

Many hostels in Chiang Mai offer guided jungle trekking. Naturally, this was right up our alley so Dayton and I signed up. We met with our guide at our hostel to discuss logistics so he could be sure we had all the right gear. Much of the gear was provided and all we really needed was the essentials. Having planned our trip so that we would be back for Sunday church meetings, we were informed that not enough people had singed up yet so our trip would be postponed. This came as somewhat of a disappointment to us so I called our guide. I told him that we preferred to be back Saturday night so that we could go to church on Sunday and he said he would try his best. When it came down to it, going with the original plan just wasn't possible. So we decided to go ahead with the postponed trip and it turned out to be a fantastic experience. We met up with a bunch of Europeans from another hostel and after a long drive we all started to make our way into the jungle with out guide who we lovingly called "Rambo". Our guide was a short, middle-aged, Thai man who was as nice as they come. We trusted him with our lives as we ventured into what, for us, was a new world. February is the dry season in Thailand so the jungle wasn't as green as I imagined it would be but it was still so refreshing to get away from the city and all the people. The Europeans we were with were also super friendly. When we made our first stop for lunch, Dayton busted out the Frisbee and it served as a great icebreaker for the group. Pretty soon we were all laughing and having a great time together. Our lunch break was taken in a small "village" with no people around, just animals. It was like we had stumbled upon George Orwell's Animal Farm. The large pig seemed to be in charge while all the other animals tried to beg for food. After a long break we started off again to find the next village where we could stop for the night. During our hike Rambo kept pointing out interesting plants. There was one type of fern that when touched, it would close up on itself. We trekked and enjoyed the company when finally we reached a waterfall. It was gorgeous and refreshing but the night was getting on and we were almost to our destination so we didn't stay long. Exhausted, we finally arrived to a village of bamboo huts and we were greeted by the people that live there. This was also our guide's home. His nephew quickly took to us foreigners and he was soon named "jungle boy". An amazing dinner was served, made by the locals. There were even special dishes made just for Dayton and I because we are vegetarian. After dinner we got the Frisbee out again and one of the local women wanted to play with us. It was so much fun to hang out in this village in the middle of the jungle with amazing people. We made a fire and jungle boy had a guitar so we all sat around and listened to him and Dayton play music while we sang the words that we all knew. It was a fantastic way to wind down after a long day of hiking. The other Euros asked Dayton and I if we were interested in getting high with them and jungle boy. We respectfully declined but they insisted and said "but we are gonna smoke opium!" Dayton and I went to bed while 4 of the Euros stayed up with jungle boy in his hut to smoke opium. We found out later that they were soon joined by jungle boy's mom and uncle. What a different culture. In the morning I found out that the entire village was Christian. Our guide was a little curious about our religious beliefs since I had told him we wanted to be back in time for church on Sunday. We talked about it a little bit but the conversation stayed pretty vague. I also made a new puppy friend. We named him jungle dog and he followed me all over the place. 4 of the 8 Euros left after breakfast to go back to Chiang Mai while Dayton and myself stayed with 4 guys to continue trekking another day. We walked and walked through the jungle, learning about local plants from our guide and avoiding poop along the trail. We had worked out a pretty good system so that the person in the lead would announce poop on the trail by shouting "poop!". It was best when our friend from Holland, Gido, would say it. His accent was hilarious! At one point I was in the lead and walking up a slope covered by leaves when I took a step on a leaf and slid a little bit. There was fresh poop right under that leaf. For the rest of the trip, I never heard the end of it. I was now known as the guy that "likes to step in poop!" Despite being made fun of, I had a really enjoyable time. Our next stop was at an abandoned rice field. Being the dry season, the workers had all gone home and we stayed in their bamboo huts that were right next to a small waterfall. It was so peaceful and serene. After the long hike the cold clean water from the waterfall felt so good to swim in. Dinner was made for us again and it was delicious! We had another fire this night with our European friends and we all just chatted and had a great time. Sleeping in the bamboo huts was great, I was lulled to sleep by the sound of the waterfall. I woke up early and took photos of the fall and enjoyed the quiet morning while watching the sun rise. Rambo pulled me aside and started asking me questions about my religion. I had the chance to talk to him about his beliefs as well and he mentioned having seen missionaries in Chiang Mai before. He asked if there was any way that I could have them come teach his village. I didn't know exactly how that would work but I took his number anyways and was able to contact the mission office and get the cell number of the missionaries in Chiang Mai and I told them about what happened. They seemed pretty stoked. After breakfast we packed up again to make our way out of the jungle. A little ways down the trail we ran into another waterfall by a small village where people tried to sell us things. There were also a bunch of cute little puppies everywhere. They would crawl in our shoes and chew on the laces. I was so entertained by them. We also got our swim suits on and played around in the waterfall for a while. There was a way that we could actually walk behind the waterfall then walk straight out through it. It was so powerful that I could barely stay on my feet while walking through it. We had so much fun there but the time came to move on. We trekked out the rest of the way and made it to a truck where we all piled in the back and were taken to have some lunch in a town that was close by. I was so hungry that I definitely ate my fair share of the meal. After a big lunch we met up with some girls that we had seen in the jungle and we were all taken to an elephant camp to go on an elephant ride. The elephants in this camp seemed extremely depressed. They were trained to know that along the trail there are stand where the riders can buy bananas to feed them. The elephants won't move unless they are fed bananas. It's definitely a tourist trap and wasn't that great of an experience. The elephants were cool to photograph though. We were then taken back to Chiang Mai and that night, after a shower, we met up with our European friends and the girls that they had met in the jungle. We all enjoyed some food and drinks (coke for Dayton and I). One of the best parts about traveling is meeting new people and being able to learn about different thoughts and ideas. Next Stop: Bangkok Again?!

Thailand: Chiang Mai

Having really enjoyed Sukhothai we boarded yet another bus to Chiang Mai. We got dropped off at a backpacker's hostel just outside the main part of the city. This city was my favorite CITY in Thailand. The main part of the city is surrounded by a giant wall with a moat. There are many different hostels to stay in and great food. We even found am great vegetarian place that had amazing curry with brown rice. We quickly became regulars there. The tables were short and we sat on the floor on pillows while enjoying the warm breeze from the open balcony. Chiang Mai also features a decent night market where tourists can go to get amazing deals on all sorts of products. The city has been very westernized but it keeps the strong Thai culture intact. There are many active Thai-Buddhism temples around the city which are very open to visitors. All the people are super friendly and everywhere you go there's people offering to take you to the tiger temple. We ran into the girls we met on the floating hostel again. This time we actually got to chat with them and found out they were from Canada. We decided to hang out with a couple of them one night and they wanted to go to a bar on top of a building in the main part of town. They probably thought it was kind of odd that Dayton and I didn't drink beer with them and that we weren't interested in getting them drunk and taking them back to the hostel. We had a good laugh about it later. I never thought I'd see so many white people in Thailand as I did in Chiang Mai but at the same time I think it was pretty advantageous. Lots of people around the city spoke passable English and it was easy to find good food and good places to stay. One afternoon we spent wandering around the city finding different temples to explore. On the grounds of one temple there were many trees with sign posts attached to them with different philosophical thoughts in Thai and English. One sign that impacted me a lot stated "The most valuable service is one rendered to our fellow humans." All the great religions teach this simple yet profound principle. I feel like we are all just travelers in this life and we ought to render service to others along the way and tell them about the amazing experiences we've had so they can enjoy them too. The best part about Chiang Mai is it's a starting point for some great jungle trekking. Next Stop: The JUNGLE!

Thailand: Sukhothai

In Ayutthaya we lugged our stuff over to another hostel where we were told to meet some other people for a ride to the bus station. We still didn't really know what was going on, but we were handed our bus tickets without paying for them. Part of me thinks that is what the stickers were for but by this time we didn't have those anymore. Somehow, someone there knew we had already paid for our transportation at the TAT office. So we loaded onto the bus and found that the girls that had showed up on the floating house were there too. As we made our way on the charter bus the sun began to set and it seemed to me that were going the wrong direction. I sat there trying to get my bearings for a while when I said something to Dayton. He didn't really seem to care but I started to flip out. I was so afraid that we'd be going back to Bangkok, my least favorite city. I finally asked one of the girls on the bus where they were going and sure enough, we were all going to Sukhothai. We got to Sukhothai and all loaded up in the back of a truck to get a ride into the city. There was one girl in our truck that got dropped off in the country side, she was traveling alone. We never saw her again. The rest of us went to the center of Sukhothai. We found our hostel and settled in for our stay. We spent a couple days in Sukhothai, we rented bikes and rode around more ruined temples. It is very similar to Ayutthaya but in my opinion, Sukhothai is better. The entrance fees are cheaper, it's much quieter and there are fewer people. We had a relaxing time there. In one of the sections of Wats, we parked our bikes and played frisbee on the grass. Some of the tourists driving by seemed to be more interested in us than in their surroundings. We also ran into the girls again. We found out they are Canadian and we took a group photo for them on their bikes. It was inspiring to wander the ruins of Sukhothai and breathtaking to behold stone Buddha's that stand taller than my house. I wondered how they would have made such massive figures so many hundreds of years ago. Some of these statues still had incense burning in front of them. People still flocked their to perform religious rites. I also met a photographer from China there. We walked around together for a while and had a good conversation about our travels. One of the greatest things about traveling is not the things you see but the people you meet. This complete stranger and I became instant friends simply because I knew his language. Another great thing about Sukhothai is the variety to the architecture and designs of the Wats. We found one that had an elephant theme and others with many figures of the Buddha. The only way to really experience this awe inspiring place is to go there yourself. Spend a couple days wandering the clear open spaces and admire the beautiful architecture. It's worth every penny.

Thailand: Ayutthaya

After a long van ride we arrived at our hostel in Ayutthaya late at night. We got our room, found some food and went straight to bed. The next day we rented some bikes and rode around the city checking out different ruined temples. I had a really hard time remembering to ride on the left side of the road. The Burmese had come in and destroyed these temples and defaced the stone idols. Only some remain fully intact and many of the buildings have been reconstructed. These temples were all over the city. Each had an entrance fee so we only visited a couple since they are all pretty similar. It was pretty amazing to walk around these ancient temples that had been there for hundreds of years. The photos give the best description.
For lunch we found a little cafe called At Coffee that offered vegetarian food. The girl that was running the cafe was really nice and friendly. She also spoke English really well. She made some delicious food. Follow the At Coffee link to Dayton's website, WasatchVeg for some more info on the restaurant and food. To take a break from the afternoon heat we decided to head back to our room and have a nap. Our room was as cheap as they come, fan only. We were both just lying there sweating. I was working on a plan for China and experiencing a lot of anxiety about where we should go and what we should do. I took a break and read The Alchemist. Then I read this line "If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path." These words hit me like a freight train. It was at this moment that I decided to abandon my plans and let the flow of adventure guide our path. We spent Saturday night at the night market, walking around checking out the Ayutthaya nightlife. We found an outdoor cafe with live cowboy music which was awesome. We enjoyed a nice meal and listened to some country rock as we passed the evening before calling it a night. On Sunday we rented some bikes and rode to the outer part of the city to find the church. On our way there we were passed by a small pickup truck with a bunch of kids in white shirts in the back. We knew we were on the right path and we were led straight there. If it weren't for seeing those kids I'm sure we would have ridden right past the church which was in a rented building. The sign was so small and in Thai, we never would have seen it. It was amazing how welcoming everyone was. It was easy to feel at home in a place that was so far away from our real home. One of the missionaries translated the meetings for us and they gave us some good suggestions for places to eat and which Wats we should see. After church we had another sweltering nap. Dayton woke up in a sour mood which got even worse when he went to fill up his water bottle outside our hostel. There are water bottle filling stations all over Thailand. This one happened to be baking in the sun all day and when Dayton filled his bottle it was with hot water. Doesn't he just look so angry? The center of Ayutthaya is surrounded by a huge moat. We peddled our bikes to the outer part of the moat and came across the Wat that was described to us by the missionaries. This Wat was active and still in use. We spent our Sunday afternoon walking around the temple and admiring the craftsmanship and demeanor of the worshipers. Everyone was so open to us being in their holy places and welcomed us with smiles everywhere we went. Just outside the temple we sat under a tree in the shade for a snack and had a great discussion about religion and the significance of the experiences we were having. Dayton was then bombarded by a bunch of middle-aged Thai women who wanted to have a picture with him. Once one was brave enough to ask for one everybody in the group wanted one as well. He sat there as each took their turn. I told them we should be charging for these photos. We all had a good laugh and then we headed out. After returning our bikes we went to a park on the edge of the inner city and did some reading and relaxing in the shade. We swung by At Coffee again for some dinner then we walked around the city checking out more Wats. It was even better at night, the weather was perfect and all the Wats were lit up against the night sky. This was a great way to spend our last night in Ayutthaya. Next stop: Sukhothai