South-East Asia is My Osyter

After a long break from updating my blog, here are the best pictures from Burma.

This trip (sub-trip, whatever you want to call it) was memorable for many reasons. They have gorgeous landscapes, a military dictatorship, very friendly locals, incredible trekking and some of the worst bus rides I've been on. Real bad-ass travel memories are made in this country!

Yet pictures speak a 1000 words so I'll let them tell the story.

Hi everyone,

I haven't been posting much lately mainly because the internet here is 6 times as expensive as everywhere else. But here are a couple pictures from the last 3 weeks... as a prelude for the following post.

Ko Pagnang
Railey. Climbers paradise.

Ko Tao. divers paradise.


Ko Pagnang. Don't worry mom, I did put my helmet on.

Tomorrow, I'm going on a day trip to a tiger sanctuary and then back to Bangkok the following day. This has been a good place to crash and party after fairly rustic Lao. Because keep in mid that there is a general curfew in Lao at midnight.

Southern Thailand here I come !!!

I left Ubon a few days ago and decided to make it all the way to NongKai, a couple kilometers from the border. Two buses and 11 hours later I arrived at Mut Mee Guesthouse, a little paradise.

I decided to extend my stay here by a few days to see the Fireball Festival, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon where fire erupts from the Mekong river... in other words it's methane gas ingniting and it happens on the full moon night every October.


Lastly, the storm did not affect thailand that much. Ubon was the worst hit and when I was leaving, the roads were floaded and I saw one school pretty badly hit. Anyways, I'm completely out of harms way for now :D



A few pictures from the salakeawkoo sculpture park which was dedicated to a famous Lao Shaman. This place was pretty unreal:

This is it, my time in Ubon is almost over. Regretably. It was hard saying bye to the children, the family and my friends here. The 'On the Road' chapter opens up... I'm really excited.



A Tribute to the Children


It's been great to teach the children but also to see the differences in the way things are done and run in this primary school. Children basically run the place and as a result become responsible very early on. Here are some of the things I noted:

• Teachers are not in the classrooms half the time yet the children study. The government TV channel is a big tool and explains why there is a TV in each classroom.


• They clean their own school, everyday.


• Areobics classes are taught by the students (see previous post's video)
  
• Morning anthem and buddhist prayer ran by the students


• The school bell is rang by the students


• Dishes are cleaned by the students
  
• Students love to learn


• The teachers teach

A 5-minute video I made about the students. I love them!

A Trip to Sao Lao Village -- Meeting the Artisans

As my stay in Ubon was coming to an end, and given that the entire village knew there was a farang in their village, my teacher/host wanted me to meet some key artisans.

The Khao-Mao Factory

Here they make a dish that locals love. It's sweet crushed rice, and you usually dip a banana in it... it's soooo good.

The fish-catching Bamboo-basket Maker

The basket is used to catches small fishes that live in the rice paddies. It's excellent food, the equivalent of friture in France.

This man was sooooooo nice. He taught me some tricks of the trade. Told me he makes two of those baskets in one day and sells them for only 40baht a piece (ie: CAN$1.3). He offered me one at the end, but I kindly refused it.

Thanks to my family and their incredible generosity. They have given me everything I could have hoped for. Not for one second did I not feel at home. Thank you!

And they know how to say thank you because the school's teachers, the students and my family gave me so many good-bye presents: bracelets (made by monks to protect me), scarves and food. Thank you!

Tomorrow I'll be heading to Udon Thani and then Vientiane, Laos... I'm leaving Ubon under heavy rain. Apparently 7 years ago Ubon got such bad rain that it was fully floaded to the point where taking the boat was the only way to get the city. I'm off to a bar. Cheers

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random pics from Week 2

Egg seller