Spring Break 2015: Taiwan!

Okay, okay, it's fair to say that I don't update my blog quite as often as many bloggers. I do take it seriously, though! I would like to do more frequent posts but many linger way too long in draft form as my perfectionist tendencies obstruct me from pushing that orange "publish" button (thanks, Dad!)... or the slow Myanmar internet makes uploading photos painful... or, real life: more traveling(!), work, friends or a combination of all of the above gets in the way. 

So here's an old story... but still a good one! Listen:

For spring break last year, which falls on Thingyan (Burmese New Year), I decided to venture to Taiwan. I had been curious about this country ever since I had a loooong layover there in 2012 on the way to Bali to get my yoga teacher certification. 

To start the red eye flight out of Yangon wasn't really long enough to get good sleep on and the layover in Hong Kong broke up the night. I was very grateful that my school's Chinese teacher was on the same flight and her friend had offered to pick us up at the airport. We zoomed in to Taipei on super modern roads and it occurred to me that I hadn't been in a developed country like this one since I'd left the US nine months earlier. My colleague's friend insisted on treating us to a multi-course seafood lunch and then they helped me get my pass to ride public transport. 

My dear Leslie had connected me with Rachael and her friends, who are teachers in Taiwan, so not only did I have a sweet place to stay in Taichung, but I also had the inside scoop on the country. With just over a week, I didn't want to run all over the island trying to see everything, so I know there are other great spots for another trip. However, I did see Taipei, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake and I found a lot of time to wander, discover art, make my way through tiny alleyways and just soak up the sun on walks (and do homework... remember this time last year I was working away on my teaching certification). A less planned and non-hectic travel pace is definitely what I was looking for on this trip.

I started my tour in Taipei, where I walked the city streets day and night, had some amazing coffees, visited lots of shops and markets and took in some of the sites. Rachael even joined me for the weekend, so I had a friend to go around with!

Street near my hostel in Taipei

Busy Taipei night scene

Taipei Temple

Dragon details on temple

Does the sky look gray to you? Taipei reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. It was rainy and gray while I was there. It's a modern city and I thought about my time in Seattle and Portland a lot while visiting.  

Me at the temple

Temple offerings

After a long weekend of shopping, walking, catching up with Rachael and only seeing a bit of Taipei (so much to see and do!), Rachael and I headed south to Taichung. We were both enrolled in Teach Now's certification program and we had Sunday evening virtual classes to log into! Rachael's roommates were waiting for us with homemade chili and her dogs greeted us with tail wags and kisses. 

After class and a sleep, I was ready to explore Taichung! The city is modern, but it has done an excellent job of integrating art and green space into its urban city spaces. 

Taichung has a lot of green space built in to the city. Love that color!

Coffee was in order and Rachael recommended the grooviest spot!

One of the coolest coffee shops I've visited - second floor made of glass.

I had homework for my course, but I also had lots of time to explore the city. I spent most of my time walking and wandering. In the evenings, I caught up with the teachers, enjoyed great vegetarian food (thank you all again for your hospitality!) and got tips for the next day. This was definitely the most challenging country that I have visited in terms of language barrier and being able to eat (I'm allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs and I don't eat meat).

Twisty tree branches in Taichung

I can't read what it says, but it is pretty!

Night market shopping

Night market food -not vegetarian friendly!

Nepalese food after exploring the Taichung night market.

One day I took a trip out to Sun Moon lake. This pretty spot has different ferry stops which allow you to take in the views, look at the temples, hike, take a gondola and just take in the ambience. 

First ferry ride of the day, coffee in hand!

the lake

View from one of my walks

Gondola ride selfie!

Path to the temple

Lots of steps to get to the top...

Entrance to the temple, elephants for dad!

A turtle picture for my sister

The view was worth the climb. :)

After a long day of exploring, I was ready to head back to my home away from home. Who wouldn't love returning to these two?

A ball of Lola

Vivi, ever hopeful, in the kitchen

Dog park near my "home" for the week

My last weekend was spent in Taipei. I visited the hills just outside the city, taking another gondola up to sample tea, walk and take in more views.

I decided to experiment with a new type of hostel: the cube. Basically you rent a sleeping cube in a room full of lots of cubes. You get a locker for your stuff, clean sheets, a shared bathroom and a place to lay your head. It was okay, but I don't know if I'd do it again...

My cube for a night

Last rainy night shot of Taipei

I hope to return to Taiwan someday and see more!

This Thingyan break is longer, just the way the holiday falls, so I have a full two weeks off of school. I'm headed to Vietnam to continue my explorations of Southeast Asia and to get some more practice trekking (Camino de Santiago, I am coming your way this June!).

In other travel news, I just purchased flights to Spain and will be there for most of June and July. Details of my trip are still coming into focus, but I am beyond excited to be returning - I don't think I have been back to visit since 2009.

These are two upcoming trips and teasers for future posts! :)

What I'm reading:

• Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
• Human Dark with Sugar - Brenda Shaughnessy (poetry fix, thanks Y!)

Just finished:

• We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (re-reading and re-watching this one. If you haven't seen it, go here as soon as you can)
• Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk (not my favorite of his and not for the faint of heart or stomach...)

Trekking to Kyaiktiyo!

My loyal readers will remember my trip to Golden Rock, aka Kyaiktiyo, in November 2014 (for a refresher, check out the post here).

As I am now well into my second year in Myanmar, I definitely miss nature and being able to get outside and hike. So, when I saw that a three day weekend was approaching, I asked my friend HPA for recommendations to get my outside fix. She suggested Golden Rock and the idea of a road trip to the base and a hike to the top took form. The rock, by the way, is said to be floating on the edge of the mountain due to one of Buddha's hairs underneath it.

Sunglasses, seatbelts, let's go!

We left Saturday morning and it took us about six hours to get to the town at the base of Golden Rock (yes, we stopped for snacks and lunch). We filled the car with girl talk and good tunes as we made our way out of Yangon, through small towns, twisting and turning until we reached Kinpun.

The Road.

We arrived late afternoon, checked into the adorable Golden Sunrise Hotel (the same place I stayed before) and wandered into town. The town was buzzing with activity and we made our way to the main street, admiring locally made snacks, sandals and souvenirs. We both bought Kyaiktiyo t-shirts and I tried on a lot of locally-made sandals, but none of the Asian sizes were big enough to fit my US size 8 feet.

Kinpun at dusk

I discovered a new vegan gluten free food that I love, ka dett. This snack is made from a finely shredded tree root, which is then fried with chilis or garlic. There are many stalls with mounds of ka dett, which you can buy for less than fifty cents per package. It tastes a little like a potato chip and it's crispy with a chewier texture.

Ka dett - my new favorite snack!

After our walk, we returned to the hotel, relaxing in the room and later sharing vegetables, fish and rice at the hotel restaurant for dinner. Although we giggled and talked like young girls at a slumber party, we knew well enough to tuck ourselves into our twin beds and turn off the lights early enough to get a solid 8 hours of sleep before our trekking adventure. I think we both felt excited, but nervous, about our upcoming uphill climb. 

Our hike begins!

On Sunday, we woke up around 7, got dressed, packed and enjoyed a breakfast with fresh coffee at the hotel before stepping out onto the road at 8:11 to begin our hike. We smiled and chatted as we followed the street to town and then pushed past where we had shopped the evening before to step onto the dirt path that slowly rose way up the mountain. 

The steps were the most challenging physical aspect of the hike for me. 

We passed many small shops, traditional homes, children playing, stray dogs and we crossed paths with hikers descending, who must have started the climb down shortly after sunrise.

We are headed the right way!

Downward dog

On the trail

I was wearing my new hiking boots and backpack that R helped me pick out in Bangkok. They both worked great! Backpack felt like it floated above my shoulders and I didn't get any blisters. You may notice my skirt... I've preferred hiking in a skirt since I have been hiking, which in my family means since I have been walking (my dad and some family photos can vouch for this - pink frills on top of Angel's Landing in Zion).

The path varied between cement steps, stones and dirt.

We slowly twisted higher and higher. The way up was gradual enough most of the time. There were shady spots to rest and enjoy a cool drink and it felt amazing to be outside of the city breathing fresh mountain air.

Shops are common

In some ways this trek is an easy one - it's a well-trodden route and there are many shops along the way, so it's easy to buy snacks, water tissues and even hot food. We tried deep fried gourd battered in lentil flour at one rest break. 

Up I go...

The views keep getting better.

We took our time, resting frequently, eating snacks and drinking water. My favorite part of the hike was the ridge, offering stunning panoramic views. After climbing upwards all morning, it was nice to be on a flat-ish trail for awhile.

I <3 Myanmar

Selfie from the ridge, getting tired, but still happy!

The last part of the hike was the most grueling, the sun was at its hottest, our bodies were growing tired and the trail worked its way to a steep incline. But, we never got cranky and we both agreed that the challenge was more in the mind, than the body. We just had to keep going!

Rest stop!

And then... we pushed up one more hill and looked to the left and we had arrived!!! We walked past the trucks that bring most people up and made our way in.

I had to stop at the office and pay the foreigner's fee, but we used the opportunity to get a victory photo.

We officially made it!

Next stop was a restaurant for a late lunch of vegetarian fried rice, lephet thoke (Burmese tea leaf salad) and tea. From there, we wandered around, taking in the whole scene (and taking lots of photos - let me know if you want to see more the next time I visit you or you visit me). As women, we are not allowed out onto the platform to touch, or add additional gold leaf, to the rock.

Sitting at the top

In front of the monastery

Good hiking partners below the rock!

And one more.

As the sun dropped lower in the sky we knew it was time to head back down. This time, we would be riding, though! We piled into a truck, squeezing next to other visitors (mostly locals, though you do see foreign visitors as well), happy to sit for this leg of the journey.

Transport to and from the top

Here's a little video to give you an idea of what the ride is like. Don't worry, Mom!

Sunset views on the way down. 

After descending, we did the short walk back to our hotel. My shower felt amazing and we did a little bit of gentle yoga before tucking into another great dinner at the Golden Sunrise and then stretching out into our beds. 

The next day was mostly our trip back to Yangon, but I can't wait for our next road trip and trek, HPA!!!

So, what are we listening to on our road trip? From my iPhone:

• CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
• Bomba estéreo - Amanecer
• Purity Ring - Another Eternity
• and a mix of pop, rock and electronic from HPA's library. 

Copy my trip to Koh Lanta!

I had been curious about Thailand long before moving to Myanmar. Actually, curious is probably an understatement - I had been dreaming of going for a long, long time. Images of amazing food, beautiful nature and postcard perfect beaches entered my mind on many a gray Seattle day.

Bangkok is just over an hour flight from Yangon and I visited it four times during my first year in Myanmar. However, getting out of the city and exploring more of the country was definitely on the to-do list. For my fall break this year, I wanted something relaxing and easy to plan since I was in the deep woods of my Master's research. A writing retreat, yoga and beach time on a Thai island seemed like the ideal break.

I'll share some stories and photos in this blog, but I'm also including information about how I got around and where I stayed... in case you want to copy my trip to Koh Lanta. By the way, "koh" means island in Thai.

I flew out of Yangon on a Saturday morning. After a short layover in Bangkok, I boarded a plan south to Krabi airport. With carry-on only luggage, I was ready to go as soon as the plane touched down.

I booked a shuttle with this company - I set it up about a week before. The representative found me quickly at the airport and gave me a few minutes to reload my Thai SIM card, buy a bottle of water and bag of nuts and then I was off in the shuttle. The day was a bit overcast, but that didn't affect my excitement - I was island-bound!

View from one of our two ferry crossings

The entire journey took about 5 hours. We had to wait in line for awhile at the second ferry and the roads on these islands aren't exactly freeways. It was a relief to get to my bungalow right around sunset. 

I was greeted warmly at Cha Ba Bungalow and Art Gallery and I quickly settled into a cozy, but spacious bungalow, complete with mini-fridge, a double bed and my own private patio. I had dinner at their Picasso restaurant, cocktail in hand and toes in the sand. 

Night shot of Picasso

The next five days were filled with sand, sun, writing, the occasional rain shower (a good reminder to get out of the sun and back to my pages!), wandering the town and, of course, delicious Thai food. My bungalow was right next to Oasis Yoga and I highly recommend the classes at this studio. The space is beautiful and the teachers are knowledgeable and friendly. They also have a little cafe where you can get smoothies, homemade crackers and other snacks.

Beachside Breakfast

Sunset stroll

I wish I had more photos to share with you, but I had an unfortunate incident with my camera on my first snorkeling trip. I was so excited to get underwater shots and I checked the instructions for taking it swimming with me, but it promptly died as soon as I jumped into the water. To their credit, Amazon has been kind enough to replace it, so look forward to some fishy photos next time!

Interested in snorkeling or diving? Check out Go Dive for trips to nearby islands. 

Spirals in the sand made by little crabs

Last dinner at Klong Dao beach

I loved my location, but since I had a week, I wanted to check out more of the island. I headed south to Kantiang Bay. Again, I had reserved a room right at the beach, this time at Kantiang Bay Resort. They sent a truck to pick me up and I enjoyed my view from the back as we made the half hour journey south. 

When I got there, I decided to spend a few extra dollars a night and upgrade to a beach view bungalow and the change was very much worth the extra Thai baht.

My room by the bay

This accommodation is in a beautiful setting; you can walk into town (I loved working with a coffee or grabbing a bit at the Drunken Sailors), walk along the beach and swim in the warm waters of the bay. I didn't see it, but I heard that at some times of year there is bioluminescence glowing in the water at night. 

Another sunset :)

The location is ideal in many ways as you can probably already imagine. The plus/minus depending on your point of view is the Why Not Bar right next door. My first night there I enjoyed dinner, live music and fire dancers. However, the party goes on late into the night, so if you are looking for a tranquil spot after dark, this might not be the bungalow for you.

Live music and kitty company at Why Not Bar

Fire dancers

I hope the above video works; these guys were amazing!

Walkway to the beach

There are lots of mini-sand dollars here.

I decided to do one last snorkeling trip to the nearby Koh Rok National Park. If you go to Koh Lanta, this trip is a true not-to-miss! Sparkling clear turqouise waters, fishes in all colors of the rainbow, the softest sand I have ever touched...a real paradise! My recommendation would be to arrange an overnight stay at the park. You must go through a travel agent since it is a national park and they limit the number of visitors. I imagine the stars would be amazing out there at night and it would be so much fun to have this beach to yourself after the day trippers leave.

Kantiang Bay Resort helped me arrange travel back to the airport on my last day. I was sorry to leave this place, but I have a feeling I'll be back!

Email me for more info on Koh Lanta, or check out their site! Thailand is a really easy place to be a tourist and it offers so much variety. 

I'm glad that I went for the Master's in Education capstone this fall, but it was a lot of work! I'm happy to be done and back to my own reading. Here's what's been on my kindle since then:

• El bebedor de lágrimas by Ray Loriga
• Spoiled Brats by Simon Rich (One of the most creative and fun books I've read in a while; thanks for the rec, S!)
• Human Dark with Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy (Thanks for the rec, Y!)
• Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (I can't believe I didn't find this one sooner!)
• My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem (loved it, loved it, loved it)