Life is the Journey; Not the Lesson

I was writing to my dear friend, Emily, in Victoria. A good friend of hers, who is a Buddhist Nun, has been staying with her. I wrote to Emily just now.

"Your meetings with your Buddhist friend stirs something in me, Em. It keeps reminding me not to get side-tracked on my journey. There is so much I want to explore. I am just like you. I feel very comfortable in the same place, creating my inner world. In many ways, I have no desire to travel. But I know there is something I need to do. I know the journey is always within, but a wise woman told me a few years ago: Why be in the physical world if you don't live in it. I used to think the reason for being here was to learn from our experiences. Now I think the reason we are here is just to experience. I leave it to Soul to understand. I am here as a Traveller on a voyage on this planet; like an alien who wants to drink of the experience of this world at it's deepest levels. Not to judge it or figure it out; just live it. That is the freedom I seek in this life. "

Rachael sent me this picture NASA took with the Hubble telescope, called "The Eye of God".

My Calgary Family

After a few days in Vancouver I felt so happy to be connected with my family here that I decided I should stay and work in the area for a few months to get to know everyone better. Then I went to Calgary.

My good friend, Ted, met me at the Calgary Airport and gave me a place to stay while I visited. At the airport he said, Steven, I have some work for you to do. We dropped my bags off at his place and I worked five hours on his client’s basement. Then we worked together the whole next day too. Finally, on Thursday, I told him I had to take a day off to connect with my family in town.

In Thailand it’s easy to describe these two women. I would simply call them my daughters. In Canada we’re supposed to say: ‘these are the daughters of my ex-girlfriend’. I don’t mean to imply that I am their father, although I would be honored to be. But I love them as if they were my daughters. They are both extremely bright and confident. U of C has just accepted Rachael where she is looking at a career in journalism. Rachael is the one I was talking about when I met an American student in Laos. She went to school in San Antonio Texas for her first year and got the highest mark in American History, even though she has spent her entire life in Canada. Rachael was surfing the Net a couple of weeks ago and on a whim, entered a contest on the U of C site and won a free year’s accommodation.

Sarah is working in the accounting office of a printing firm here in Calgary. She actually runs the company but some of the management just hasn’t realized it yet. She’s looking for higher challenges and is thinking of working in one of the Oil Companies downtown where there are more chances for growth.

Rachael and Sarah took me for dinner when I arrived in town and they brought Michelle, who they seem to have adopted as another sister.

On Thursday morning, Ted left for work and I was just starting to hunker down to get this Blog written and sort out who to see next, when Ted’s land lady and dear friend, Lillian, poked her head downstairs. “Oh, so you’re not working with Ted today? Well would you mind looking at a job for a friend of mine?” The next thing I knew, I was installing basement windows. Lillian took me for lunch and told me of her adventures as a schoolteacher in Zambia from 1970 to 73. She is a very sweet woman with Jai Dee, a smart heart.

By the time Ted got back from work that night I realized that we should be working here in Calgary together. Ted has been working for the last 14 years doing smaller construction jobs by himself. He has a truck and tools. Lillian agreed to rent me a room with telephone cable and Utilities for $300 per month, so I was all set. Except for two things.

Millie; my niece in Vancouver; was making arrangements for me to take my first bungee jump and my Mom was busy planning our meals for the next month in Waterloo. So I did what I always do when I have a dilemma. I phoned my sister.
“Melbah, I said, “I don’t have the heart to tell Mom that I will be in Alberta for the next four months. So this is what I want you to tell her…”

So I booked a ticket back to Waterloo to get my tools and finish some home repairs for my favorite sister and my Mom, and I will head back to Calgary for the first of August to start work with Ted. Then I plan to go to either Vancouver or Waterloo for Christmas. January, I head out to Asia again. I’m planning to meet up with Ted and visit his wife, Bee, in Malacca, Malaysia. Then it’s off for a tour of Vietnam. So the journey continues.

The one thing I never envisioned when I began this odyssey of discovery was how lonely it would make me feel. I thought that when I visited my family and friends it would just be fun and I would move on. But what actually happened was I renewed such strong ties with my Mom and my sister and my brothers and my dear friends and adopted families that now I miss them all, all the time. I feel such love for all you guys. I just don’t know what else to do about it except to keep traveling.

'Slow Boat' To Pakbeng

Laos; April 21, 2005

I signed up for a two day 'Slow Boat' trip down the famous 'Mekong' River (Nam Mekong) that runs through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Burma.

First thing in the morning of the 21st we took a short boat ride across the river from the Thailand side to Laos where we got our passports stamped.Then we headed to the dock again to get on a 'Slow Boat' to begin our two day journey downstream on the Mekong river.

Now about the mutiny... We started out in this boat which was not tall enough to stand up in and was so cramped we couldn't all fit in it. In fact, this hombre was the guy sitting next to me on my bench seat. He's not really as big as he seems in this picture. He's much much bigger...

After waiting in the sweltering sun for an hour, we were suddenly taken off this boat and put onto the one next to it which had a lot more room. The people in the front here are: Heinrich (Hina)(Australia), Marina (Italy), Heather (also from Australia. She and Hina have been travelling together for two years.) And the other man here is Michael from Chicago.

This is a Lao mother and baby who travelled with us.

The shoreline varies a lot as we travel along.

You see these sedimentary rock formations all along the river.

Lonely planet refers to these high speed boats that also do the river trips. In 1992 someone died when one boat hit a rock. Now the occupants have to wear helmets. We take twenty hours to make the voyage. These boats do it in 4 hours and man do they ever move!
We stopped at this sandy cliff for half an hour. I don't know why. The sand was filled with tiny golden flakes that really did look like they could be that mineral.

Why was Michael so excited? This was the first chance all day he had to have a wiz. I knew just how he felt.

Our captain is an unassuming man who sits in front of our pile of backpacks and quietly navigates around the rocks of this long long river.

Every so often the boat simply stops by a shore. We never know when. This Laos girl sold us Ice Cream bars for 5000 Kip. She made three sales and made $1.50 Canadian for her time in that incredible heat.

This is typical terrain on the Mekong River; muddy water and rocks on the banks.

As the day went on, the boat would turn in to places along the river that seemed uninhabited, and drop off passengers. Our boat is the Ferry service for the Mekong.

Other boats glide past us as we go; fishermen and sightseers.

The sun is about to go down when we finally dock at Pakbeng for the night. The light in my room is a candle and my shower is cold water only. Finally, the generator is turned on so that my fan works but they tell me it is only on until 11pm. I feel out of place here in Laos, not like Thailand. It feels like a place that has been left behind by history. So many of the buildings look the same as they did in 1975 when the Vietnam war ended.

Having said that, I should add, I had dinner at a very nice restaurant just down from my Guesthouse. This place is very new and very well built.

Ruth, from Wyoming USA and her friend

Misuk from Korea ask to sit down with me. We have a good conversation over mutton curry and rice. I have my first Lao Beer. This beer is sold everywhere and the signs seem like the national flag because you see them more than anything else. A large Lao Beer costs eighty cents Canadian (7000 kip).
By the way Ruth, sorry to get carried away talking American Politics. I don't know what came over me. I do think that George Bush is a war criminal and I am very concerned about the state of the Educational system in the States, but I think it tends to make for very poor dinner conversation.

I told Ruth about a girl I think of as a daughter; Rachael. Rachael has lived in Canada her whole life. Then last year she went to San Antonio Texas for a year of University. Rachael took American History and got the highest grade in her class. I told Ruth that it concerns me that a Canadian seemed to be better informed about America than Americans.
I am always very happy to meet Americans travelling because I think it's so important for the most powerful county in the world to have intelligent ambassadors.

The Golden Triangle

April 14, 2005

My Visa expires tomorrow so I thought that instead of facing a possible prison sentence for overstaying my time here, I thought it would be a good idea to cross the border today. So I booked myself into an interesting tour that included visiting Laos and Myanmar (Burma). There is actually a very famous place where the three countries intersect. This place is the Mekong River and is called 'The Golden Triangle'. Those of you who remember the Vietnam War, will know that this was an incredible place in the History of that era. A lot of fighting took place here. It is also the place where a lot of opium was smuggled from one country to another.

Our first stop was a Hot springs near Chiang Mai. The water is so hot you can boil an egg in it in a matter of seconds. The temperature is 181 degrees Celsius.

I'm pointing my finger at the point in the river that divides hot from cold. Just one inch apart it goes from scalding hot to cool.

And that's the last cute puppy picture you get Sarah and Rachael. I don't care how much you beg!

This is Nancy and her parents, who are visiting from Singapore. They were really fun to have along on the Minibus. Nancy's dad is a real Joker; always laughing and having fun. They also invited me to come visit Singapore. It sounds like a great place to see.

Then it was off to an ancient City near the border of Burma. This is s Bodhi tree; like the one Buddha sat under when I experienced enlightenment. The sash means that the tree holds a Spirit and is sacred.

I can't help it. I just love the Temples.

Okay, before you say anything, let me just say that I only included this doggie picture to show you how different they seem in Northern Thailand. See how upset he looks; nothing like the dogs on the Islands...

Next, we took a Long tail boat ride around 'The Golden Triangle' which is one of the most amazing places in the world; not so much for how it looks but for the history it represents. This is the place where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. This giant Golden Buddha is on the Thai side.

Burma has a Casino on it's banks here and many people from Thailand and Laos like to take quick trips over to gamble. Gambling is illegal in Thailand.

My new buddy Shamus, from Ireland B.H. (Before loss of hat)

Shamus A.H. Someone behind me caught the hat as it flew by though.

We stopped for half an hour on the Laos side to walk around and do some shopping. I can't believe we haven't picked this whiskey up as an item in our Canadian liquor stores. Who wouldn't want to drink a bottle of whiskey with a dead snake inside?

Honestly this place was really just a tourist trap, set up so that we could say we were in Laos, but the people were very friendly. And they speak Thai.

I finally found someone who spoke my language.

These are a very nice couple who were on our Tour. He is a software developer from Holland and she is from Bangkok. He comes back every six months to visit her.

Finally, the big event. This is Shamus (W.H.) just ahead of me in the line to enter Burma for a Visa.

I broke my Cambodia record for stays in a different country than Thailand. I was here in Burma for almost three minutes before heading back to the Thailand border. I know you won't believe this but I actually got lost trying to find the line for Thailand and my guide had to come and get me.

I asked if I could take a picture of the Thai Immigration officer as he stamped my passport. He was delighted. Then he said: "50 baht!" and laughed. I ran through in case he changed his mind.

So now that I was a free man again, we headed to a Mountain tribal village to look around.

Okay, I couldn't help it. He was begging for this photo!

Honest! He just jumped up in my arms!!!

I didn't take pictures of the people here. They charged for the photos and it was just too much of a tourist trap for me. Some of our group went down the hill to see the famous long neck tribe. These are women who put rings on their necks to stretch them. This tribe was very much like the Karen tribe I talked about in my Elephant trek posts. They girls get married at 14 years of age and if they aren't married by 19 they are considered spinsters. There is some work being done by the government to try to change this custom because of the harm it does to the women.