The slow boat into Luang Prabang, Laos part 2

There are four ways to travel from Huayxai to Luang Prabang: fly (expensive), bus (windy and bumpy), fast boat (dangerous [the boat operators wear helmets!]), and slow boat (2 days/1 night boat ride down the Mekong River). To let our weary, sore legs rest, we opted for the slow boat. Plus, I had read in my research that it's just sitting around, watching scenery, sipping on Lao beer, and meeting other backpackers. It was a good time.

Sima & I waiting for the slow boat to depart. It eventually did 2 hours after its expected departure. Classic slow boat. Our boat even had engine problems and we were stuck for an hour.

We stopped overnight in Pak Beng, a town that seems to thrive and survive off the fact it's a stopping point for slow boaters. Seeing rural huts and poverty along the river, then arriving in a town with hotels and fancy restaurants was quite a culture clash.

We arrived in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is the loveliest city I've ever visited. 

Night market! I love 'em!

 More foraging for fruit with Sima's guidance & Sasha's height + bamboo.

Last night in Luang Prabang. Free shots, delicious food, and great company. And if you find yourself there looking for a drink, go to Utopia. It's the coolest bar/lounge ever. Claudia and I woke up early Saturday morning and did yoga on their deck (with a view of the river!), then returned in the evening for a drink. Sigh, I left Luang Prabang much sooner than I would have liked. 

After Luang Prabang, I hopped on a bus to Vientiane. It was the wildest ride of my life. I felt like I was on a roller coaster 4 of the 6 hours. A couple people actually got sick and one person puked on himself. EW! If you're planning on taking the bus from Luang Prabang to Vientiane stop in Vang Vieng, and take the mini bus. You'll want the comfort.

On to Cambodia!

Soaring into the jungle, Laos part 1

From Chiang Mai, Sima and I took a bus to Chiang Khong, hopped on a tuktuk to the border, and checked out of Thailand. We then sailed on a small boat across the river into Huayxai, Laos (above photo). It was a lot easier than I thought it would be!

After finding a guesthouse, we wandered around the small town, spied baguettes which Sima had been craving for the past 14 months in Thailand, appreciated drivers on the right side of the road, and ate some street noodles for dinner. Huayxai is a lovely town, but really, the reason why I was there was for The Gibbon Experience.

The Gibbon Experience is a forest conservation project mixed with a little tourism. Though a bit pricey, the funds are used to protect the forest and support projects in the Bokeo Nature Reserve. Guides lead you through the jungle by trails-uphill mostly-so you can zip line over tree canopies in search of the elusive Gibbon. The 2 days/1 night spent with The Gibbon Experience was highlight of my trip so far.

This was my first time zip lining and it definitely set the bar high. Apparently this is one of the best places in the world to do it. We did 22 zip lines, the longest one being 700 m, for a total of roughly 10 km in the two days. No Gibbon sightings but that's okay :)

I painted this tree, but you'll have to wait to see the illustration :)

At the end of the first day of uphill trekking and zip lining, we arrived in our accommodations, a TREE HOUSE.

The view from the treehouse.

 The treehouse is only accessible by zip line so needless to say, it was a great way to wake up in the morning!

 It was a small, intimate group and we all bonded, trading travel stories, tips, personal histories, and invitations to come visit. Three of the seven coincidentally were also headed to Luang Prabang so the five of us became inseparable. More on Luang Prabang & the slow boat tomorrow.

Exploring Phrao, Thailand by bicycle

This is the part of the trip where I start traveling with my friend’s mom whom I had never met before. Let me explain:

I met Daniel, a children's book editor, because I sent him my Harold and the Cupcakes book dummy. He sent me the nicest rejection letter, his words still sticking with me til this day. Kind of explains why I'm so picky & haven't illustrated any children's books yet. Anyway, we met up one day in NYC and the rest is history. When I mentioned I was visiting Chiang Mai, he flipped out  and told me about his mother, Sima, an amazing 56-year-old woman who was living near Chiang Mai as a Peace Corp volunteer. So Sima and I started corresponding and coordinating our paths to cross. I told her about my plans to Laos and she said she would join. I didn’t realize how strange this was—your friend’s mom joining you for a week on your backpacking trip--until I started to tell people. But oh it was friendship at first sight! She's the warmest, sweetest woman you'll ever meet. 

Sima took me to her Peace Corp site in Phrao and I followed her through a “typical day.” This involved bicycling, which I was absolutely thrilled about. Her counterpart & his daughter joined us for the adventure.

We biked through rice paddies 

Stopped to forage for fruitVisited a sugar cane sugar cube manufacturer & had some passion fruit (delish!!)We also visited a pastor's home to buy some handmade bamboo jewelry and I spied this gentleman outside their home.

Traveling with her was a great experience and in a way gave me a preview as to what traveling would be like when you’re older. I personally never want to stop traveling, so seeing her strap on a harness and go zip lining (will explain in the next post) with a big grin and such positivity was really wonderful. 

She’s also excited to return to the US and start her own dream business, a café, which I really admire and appreciate. So often people discourage themselves from pursuing a dream because it’s “too late” or they’re “too old” and she’s living proof of someone who continues to reject the stereotypes and expectations of age. Could be the fact that she’s lived in 14 different countries and has worked tirelessly for herself and her kids, but it’s just a testament to her strength and perseverance. I’m very much in awe and inspired by her, and grateful was able to travel with her.

Next stop, Laos, my new favorite country.

Drawing Elephants in Thailand, part two

Whoops! I totally forgot to add more photos. These photos belong in the first post.

Show & tell sketchbook time at lunch.

Jodi using elephant food as a chair as we draw.

This one will become a print :)

Drawing elephants in Thailand

 I kicked off the trip with a visit to the Elephant Nature Park. The week I spent 2 years ago volunteering was the best week of my life so the expectations were high.

I couldn't commit to the full week so instead did 4 days/3 nights. Rather than treating me like a volunteer, I participated in the visitor activities like feedings, bathings, and taking walks. By the second day, I was itching to get my hands dirty, but they already had more than enough volunteers so there was no work for me to do. I found myself a little disappointed about how the visit was going. Then I bumped into Jodi! She's an American tattoo artist who visited the park 8-9 years ago and never left. She now lives and works in the park. I connected with her during my first visit to donate a painting to the park. I reintroduced myself and hot diggity, she remembered me! She asked if I'd been drawing much, and I said not as much as I'd like, and she invited me to a drawing date with her and the elephants tomorrow morning. So, for the next couple days, I spent my time out on the field with Jodi's guidance, just us, our painting supplies and the elephants. Here are the results:

It was a great experience! One elephant even started posing for us once she realized we were drawing them. So cute. On more than a few occasions, the elephants would wander over to us in search of food. I can't describe how tremendous it felt to put my pencil down to touch the trunk of a wandering, curious elephant or move my extended legs because it was in the way of an elephant's path. After 8 hours of sketching, my sketchbook was half-full.

On to the next stop, Chiang Mai & Phrao, Thailand.

Traveling & Work

Phew! I just returned from a 3 week backpacking trip through Southeast Asia that involved everything under the sun from spending time with elephants, zip lining through the jungle, cruising along the Mekong River, biking 40+ km through temples, and attending a wedding. It was exhausting, adventure-filled, and exhilarating but honestly, I'm glad to be back and doing work again! Ha!

On the plane from Singapore to Manila, I finally had some down time and what was the first thing I did? I brainstormed ideas and a work schedule for the next two weeks. Work work work! Wandering SE Asia for 3 weeks made me realize I love traveling as much as I love working. In the same way I itched to adventure and escape when I worked, on the road, I found myself hungry for the hustle of my business. It was an unexpected realization but a valuable one. It confirmed that I still love what I do.

I've read articles warning that turning one's hobby into a business or a money-earning endeavor can spoil the joy. Don't believe them and don't let it scare you. Yes it's possible the stress of money can make it less satisfying, and probably will initially, but if you truly love it, there's a way to make it a source of happiness and your livelihood. Making it work is the hard part, but once you do, it's magic!

You can expect posts & pictures about the trip next week. I'm taking a brief internet break and visiting my grandma in the province for a few days so until then, happy adventuring!

Postcards from Abroad - March Update

I've finished the first batch of "Postcards from Abroad" (with the few exceptions I've intentionally waited to do). They were so much fun to make, drawing while battling the rocking motion of the train, using green tea as water for the watercolor, writing details about my trip, and awkwardly buying stamps at the post office. Thank you to the kind recipients for their sweet responses, photos, and blog posts about the postcards. Really made me smile.

Now, on to the next leg of my journey! Same rules apply--when ordering the postcards, please specify your preference (if any) for location.

March 1-3: Tacloban, Philippines
March 5-10: Thailand - Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park (illustrations from my previous visit)
March 11-18: Laos - Gibbon Experience (hopefully), boat ride along the Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Vientaine
March 18-20: Siem Reap
March 21-24: Singapore - for a wedding! :)