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GRANITE FALLS: Goat Lake & Lake 22

2010-08-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Alright, let's do this again because with time you start forgetting all the wonderful trips you've taken. Especially hikes.

This past weekend armed and ready we headed outside of Seattle about 2 hours North to Granite Falls. From there we took the Mountain Loop Highway all the way to the end where we parked at the Goat Lake trailhead. I'd forgotten about this hike but soon remembered its unusually beautiful moss-carpeted path which played like a natural living-room for a family and extended family of mushroom varietals. I'd rename this the Funghi Walk because there are so many.

The 10 mile roundtrip hike was 90% easy-walking, if not a little monotonous in its beauty. That last 10% feels like every other steep switchback hike but it takes you to the source of the amazing waterfalls that you've been hearing for a good part of the hike on your right...Goat Lake. It's expansive and beautifully calm and just around the bend on the opposite end of the lake is the partially melted glacier keeping things cool. The air was especially cooler up there.

We had a lunch pretty much by ourselves as mostly everyone was walking out on a Sunday to get back to their work week. There was a lot of trail maintenance happening in spots but nothing too terrible. Still after the hike we were pretty wiped out...and we don't know why. Maybe it was because I had the full-on heavy boots, or perhaps we just got too early of a start and needed more rest.

Either way we stopped for a bite to eat at Sweet Meats BBQ set up at a vendor booth on Stanley street in Granite Falls. KILLER SMOKED MEAT! Man, that hit the spot...along with a not-so great Americano from the nearby coffeehut...thing...I didn't catch the name but it might be the best place in town, oof. After that we sped to the Cedar Creek Bed and Breakfast. Nice little tucked away house with beautiful gardens and a pleasing bedroom.

Not a lot of choices to stay anywhere up there but this is by far worth an overnighter, especially with another hike in our immediate future. Troy & Michelle were good hosts too.

Next morning after breakfast and some relaxing we headed to a shorter hike at Lake 22 along the Mountain Loop Highway. It's a 5.34 mile round trip with a similar elevation gain of 1300ft as Goat Lake but half the distance...so no real easy stroll but a very nice, and one of the highest maintained trails I've ever seen. Especially at the end when you get to the BOARDWALK circumnavigating almost 50% of the lake. I mean, wow...you'd think they were going to build a resort up there with all the work they've put into it. On top of that the older growth trees and flora was especially attractive in the way that it was growing. A few waterfalls along the way made it seem a little staged and I thought we'd end up walking right into a gift shop or mall because it was a little too perfect.

Anyway good painting opportunities for our next visit abound.

=s=

Road Trippin': Destination Badlands

2007-06-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Once again the Jessie and I are outward bound. This time we're roadtripping it across several states. Our final destination...somewhere in South Dakota.

For the past several months it has been known that we'd be attending a family reunion. Much of those months I was kept in the dark about the whole thing. I knew when we were going and I had an inkling of what we'd be lodging in. Otherwise I've been caught unawares. It's really the only kind of surprise I like...when I know what's coming in the abstract.

It's fairly clear which vehicle we'll take. The PT Cruiser is our weapon of choice. Mainly because it's roomier, and with the added cargo of Jess's brother, Spencer, we needed a little extra breathing room and comfort. The Pontiac Grand Ma would have to stay behind. Which is fine because while I love her to death, she can be an unpredictable mistress.

Packing for this trip is like no other. It's like extended car camping without the tent. We'll be lodging it at some dude ranch...or some such. So pots, pans, towels, clothes, art implements, and anything else is all fair game. Bedding and a roof over our head will be supplied. As travelers however I'm desperate to still travel light, and yet when the details are so fuzzy you really need to be prepared for everything.

Lastly my concern about road trippin' is always about safety on the road. With teenage incidents rising high almost in tandem with gas prices (which have dropped a little yaaah!) my vigilance and hyperawareness will probably exhaust me at the end of each turn at the wheel. Luckily we're about 16 hours from our destination. With maps in hand and adventure on our minds, we'll keep you posted (as best we can) what roadside curiosities are worthy of note.

=s=

NYC: Art Tour

2007-03-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

Two places I've been wanting to go to for some time were finally realized on this trip.

Murals on 54th is part of the Warwick hotel in NYC. It houses murals by Dean Cornwell from the 1930s and impressive ones at that. If you tour around the site you can get a sense of the scale of these things. He's one of my favorite illustrators from that period along with a handful of others. When I showed up the restaurant wasn't going to be open for 3 more hours, but they graciously let me in once I told them, "I came all the way from Seattle to see these..."

The other place I visited was The Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library . My motivation for checking this place out was to see Joaquin Sorolla's huge paintings. He's primarily considered a colorist I think, because his bravurra use of color is what first and foremost grabs you. The finishes of the pieces I saw at roughly 10' x 20' were still rough and not nearly as polished as someone such as John Singer Sargent. However the example below shows that he definitely has breadth to his work. For more examples of his work check it out here . Be patient the long downloads are worth the wait.

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NYC: Soooo...cold!

2007-02-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

Despite best laid plans to document such things, one can never under estimate the power of weather and the need to travel light.

The flight into Newark was cake, and the bus to Grand Central was smooth, and the train up to my sister's in Connecticut was a walk in the park. I was only briefly going to be there until the next day when I'd head back down into New York City for the Comicon show.

When I arrived on Friday it was rather cold especially with the wind gusts. I thought I'd try walking from Grand Central Station to the Javitts Center. It started off okay, as I was walking south, but as soon as I started walking west the winds did everything to hold me back. I got about six blocks away from my destination before I hailed a cab and admitted defeat...de feet were tired too! My new shoes that I had purchased and worn for a week or so before the trip did not favorable support my arches on concrete. The shoes all around rubbed me the wrong way and made for difficult going. It's easier to jungle trek when the ground is softer it seems.

The New York City Comicon show was good because it was warm inside, and despite not having enough room for my big old camera in my day bag, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Well I did see overweight stormtroopers, and infantile Princess Leia's being carried by their Obi Wan Kenobi fathers but that's par for the course. There was a lot of great art and I met a few people I had conversed with online. So for the most part it was a recon mission at best.

I checked into The New Yorker Hotel later that day. It's a very simple typical hotel, nothing special really. A remodelled lobby, less than attractive rooms, with incredibly warm hallways, oh, and the same piece of art on various walls throughout the place. I hit a few cafes over the next day or so and didn't really make the effort to seek out fine dining. I think after so much travel in the last few days I was winding down.

More later...
=s=

NYC Solo

2007-02-21T21:45:00.000-08:00

Well I'm heading out tomorrow to NYC. Like the title says, The Jessie is not accompanying me. The reality is I've really only got a couple of days downtown, the other part will be wandering around Connecticut where my sister and brother-in-law live. I'm always curious what kind of pictures I'll capture each time I go. I debated again, whether or not to bring paint as it's been quite cold outside.

There are cafe's and other indoor areas I can explore...I'm sure of it.

Also I'll be attending the New York City Comicon, my first time. I like to dip in and get a headful of inspiration from time to time, and put faces with names. Not quite as exotic as Thailand but you'd be hard pressed to find an odder group of people crammed into one building.

Let's see what kind of blogging I'll be able to accomplish in the states, shall we?

=s=

Last Post From Abroad

2007-02-01T02:26:00.000-08:00

This is out last chance to post before a leisurely journey back to the Bangkok airport for a Friday morning flight back to Seattle. We'll be splurging on a short flight out of Chiang Mai tomorrow. Tonight we'll be checking out the commercial overload of the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, and getting a real pair of designer running shoes, or maybe an authentic tribal carving, or maybe finally try those UFBs (unidentified fried bits). Talk to you all soon and thanks for the comments - made us feel less homesick!

SHARKTIP #3: Putting the Gain in Bargain

2007-02-01T02:09:00.000-08:00

As Americans we have only a few opportunities to bargain with people in everyday life. But we've noticed it's a practiced art in some of our travels. Even at a general store that sells a variety of merchandise learn the phrase, "Is that the best price you can give me?" In most cases they can do better.

Sometimes, like in Guatemala, we often offered half the price they were asking and most would concede to that or somewhere close. You may also want to have in your hand what you're willing to pay for an item. Seeing the money is a sensory thing, that the merchant has to consider losing if they don't accept a reasonable price.

But be forewarned, never bargain if you don't intend to buy. The game can turn sour quickly.

Waterlogue

2007-02-01T01:54:00.000-08:00

True love is carrying your spouse across a river 64 times.

So we got rid of the moped only to punish ourselves (me) on a ten mile hike. Jess's footwear of choice: sneakers, mine: sport sandals. Knowing full well the journey would require crossing the river a bunch of times I thought, why not be a sport and let Jessie keep the dry feet. Besides, sneakers take a long time to dry.

We followed the Mae Yen river along the valley floor, through banana groves and rice fields. The local farmers were happy to see us as not many a foreigner trekked out their way. Once we got into the canopy it was peaceful and quiet...and challenging. The river wasn't very high or moving very fast but the water was wet and the sand quite coarse.

We met a hiker 2 hours and some change into the hike who mentioned a short cut over a ridge that would save us a bunch of time. So we took it, which was great as we the scenery changed and we were walking amongst giant groves of bamboo. By the time we got to the waterfall we'd hiked for 2 hours and 45 minutes. We were ahead of the guidebooks estimates by a longshot.

My feet however were cut and rubbed raw.
So on the way back I decided to have Jess carry me instead.

Of course that didn't happen.
Luckily I had some dry socks that buffered the sting a little and made the sand a little less abrasive. And true to chivalry I again helped to keep her sneakers dry. Looking back now I can say it was worth a little bit of pain. We'd gotten soft with all that relaxing.

It was just a reminder to us that the good stuff is just around the next bend, if you're willing to take that extra step.

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Ticklish

2007-02-01T01:50:00.000-08:00

Massages are cheap and available everywhere in street-side parlors. If you don't mind the noise of the scooter and tuk-tuk, you can lean back and relax for a mere $4/hour. The signs out front show a diagram depicting all the "regions" of the foot (and presumably what body function or part they relate to).
After the hike to the waterfall, I had tender tootsies and stiff legs. Time for a foot massage! No frills here - one large room has several thin pads and pillows, so you'll be right next to your fellow massag-ee. The lady assigned to me started out with a foot wash, then I laid down on the pad. She did a lot of unusual things: drawing knuckles across the top foot bone, raking a stick down the sides of my foot, drawing a figure-eight on the sole with her fingernail. Although a few felt weird at first, it was very relaxing overall.
She finished up by walking her hands up my leg bones, putting her full weight on them, and having me sit up and do something similar to my neck and shoulders. I think this was a taste of Thai-style massage - less kneading, and more pushing and pulling the limbs around (described as "passive Yoga"). I may have to give that a try before I leave as well.
I vote for this kind of low-budget walk-in approach in the States! I don't always need the luxurious spa atmosphere to get the kinks out...
Kapoot
We've had a few items give up the ghost - my camera refused to turn on yesterday and no new battery combinations made a dent, so looks like we are done with pictures for this trip.
Shane's sunglasses hinge fell apart as well, so he is now sporting a nifty new pair of silver shades, with raised skull and crossbones on each earpiece (pickings were slim in the market).
I'm posting a few interesting pics we got before the camera blow-out here...

Pai III

Moped Diaries

2007-02-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

The traffic laws around here are pretty simple: If you see a stop light you stop, other wise it's go-go-go and try not to hit anybody.

Knowing this didn't make renting a moped any easier. In fact I didn't sleep a wink as I kept reminding myself the whole night, "Drive on the left...drive on the left!" In Thailand everything you know about driving is flipped and I was constantly challenged to drive against instinct. I fumbled a little as the sole driver of this thing, and with Jessie the Navigatrix on the back we got around quite well. Pai is the perfect little town to try this in, because the surrounding countryside was relatively traffic-free and stopping frequently was a must.

First and foremost, I realized how much of the area we really weren't seeing. The rolling countryside seemed to roll away into misty blue mountains as far as the eye could see. Very ghostlike in a lot of ways. The small villages where the roads narrow and are frequented by children, chickens and underfed dogs were often not as far away as the map indicated. The people there too seemed genuinely curious as not too many foreigners ever venture outside of Pai.

It was just what we needed to break away from all the pre-packaged "tourist adventures". We got to move at our own pace and hang out in out of the way open-aire restaurants overlooking the serene valleys.

The scary part however came when the bridge was out.

We had wanted to get to the elephant camps so I could paint me some elephants. The bridge to the backroad to the camps was being worked on and the secondary bridge collapsed under the weight of a cement truck which was about to capsize. That meant we had to hit the dusty highway and go the longer route. Route 1095 is gravel, dust and cement shared with every other vehicle...and did I mention how steep the hills were? Breaking was scary, steering was scary...the whole thing had me on pins and needles. Luckily we chose to ride out to Pai Canyon early to avoid heavy traffic. Stupid me forgot to where a bandana to keep from breathing the red dust.

After that leg of the journey it was rather easy, and we were back on the backroads through the elephant camps.

Jess seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, and even though we were racing the clock to return the thing, I think it would have been fun to keep it another day.

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Settling In

2007-01-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

The days are long and relatively lazy in Pai. We work diligently to make the most of them, seeing the local sights and exercising when possible with a little morning yoga, evening run around the perimeter of the school's soccer field, or laps at the community pool.
Pai Canyon
Today we visited a mini-Grand Canyon. Northern Thailand is relatively lush, but still, it is two months into the dry season and a certain dusty haze hangs in the air. But this natural formation, a few kilometers out of town, felt like the American Southwest.
Narrow ledges threaded back and forth, plunging down into deep canyons. In one or two places, we had to climb on all fours down a narrow passage - the tan/pink earth was crumbly and faintly soapy on our hands. It is mysterious then what is in the ledges that made them resist erosion all these years.
Petting Zoo for Giants
Elephants have a long history in Thailand as the working man's companion. They moved logs, hauled stuff, and did any general heavy lifting. But now that way of life is dying out, and there are many animals out of work. We saw a sad, incongruous sight in the cities - a baby elephant being led down a busy street. Yes, for just 30 baht you could feed him or take a picture of him.
In Pai, there are 5 - 6 'Elephant Camps' outside town, where people can ride and play with retired animals. We decided against the riding, as it seemed it would get old and chaf-ey reeeal quick. But we did want to hang out with them.
The elephants were chained to posts, but were fed and talked to often. Shane did a couple of sketches included in this post's album.
P.S. The White Elephant concept is a part of Thai history. When a white elephant was born, it was always given to the King as tribute. When the king had a particularly annoying, hanger-on kind of courtier or distant relative who was always asking for favors and preferences, he might very well grant him the title 'First Honorable Minister in Charge of 3rd Elephant Herd' and make them responsible for several elephants' care, effectively bankrupting the person!
Walking Dollar Bills in "The Land of Smiles'
So there's a little controversy going on in Pai. One of the area attractions is a natural hot springs and mud bath, with simple facilities the locals have been frequenting for a long time. So apparently in July 2006, the admission cost went from $1.50 (for everyone), to $7 for foreigners. Then in Dec 2006 it jumped again to $13 for foreigners.
Now, we have seen this dual priced system many times in our travels, but it was usually only about twice the price, not 10 - 20x as much. The ex-pats here have started a letter-writing campaign to protest. But with the Thai bureaucracy, good luck. There's definitely some backlash in the air - visa regulations just changed so foreigners can only stay 3 months. It's tough - reconciling that famous Thai friendliness with the suspicion there is underlying resentment of foreigners.

Pai II

Chasing the Light

2007-01-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

The light here in Thailand is really unique. And moreso is it evident in Pai. The climate has a lot to do with it I think with cool mornings and evenings and warmer temperatures throughout the day. Because it lies in a valley among many hills there's a lot of atmospheric fog creating great deals of depth. But as anyone knows, painting "plein aire" is all about chasing that elusive light.

I've been wrestling with the gouache that I brought for the trip. Being waterbased has helped considerably as it washing out of everything and can spread like honey. Still though, it has a lot of range from watery watercolor to dry brush. It can be literal or vague depending on how you throw it down.

Here's a few that I threw down...but they got back up and kicked back. Hopefully I'll get a decent painting out of this trip yet.

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Paintings

Escape to Pai

2007-01-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

It was time for Adventure Shark to cool her jets, and take a "vacation within a vacation".
A little town called Pai on the northern edge of Thailand seemed just the ticket. It has only about 5000 people, but has evolved into a hangout town for foreigners, complete with a live music scene and all manner of food and backpacker amenities. Plus, it is nestled in a lush green valley surrounded by mountains, rice paddies and hill tribe villages.
Right before we left Chiang Mai, we enjoyed a few hours in a national park that was breezy, cool and smelled of pine needles (Seattle, anyone?). However, we had to endure a two-hour round-trip, five-leg, bargaining and waiting-filled sangthew journey just to go 16 km away and back for a little natural respite. Escape was in order.
Chicken Bus?
We knew it was to be a four-hour ride through hair-pin mountain roads to get to Pai. The condition of the bus was a mystery - would it be a chicken bus like Guatelmala? Would we stop for a bathroom break? We completely lucked out in getting the back row, where Shane had some leg room (after clearing the extra bags, spare bus tire, and sprawled out beer-swilling, mohawk-sporting Dutch passenger. The windows did open, we got some air, and no motion sickness ensued as we ascended through the hills.
Bungalow-ville
The favored mode of lodging in Pai is the bungalow. A small river hugs the outskirts of town, and one room bamboo structures on stilts crowd along the banks. We managed to find a small cluster on a dead-end street (shadier, quieter and with nice greenery and common garden). It is very basic but we have gotten great sleep and the occasional 10-minute stretch of hot water. And...
Conditions
No mosquitoes! (Well, only a handful). Our REI-purchased Deet is going completely unused, as is the billowy pink mosquito-net hanging above our bed. And the weather is lovely - chilly in the mornings and evenings; hot and dry from 12 - 4.
Laissez-Fair Yoga
On my first morning here, I decided to try out a yoga class and see what a Thai-trained guru had to offer. Hmmmm. So for those of you familiar with my "Yoga Nazi" stories, I have taken mostly Iyengar Yoga classes in the past. This branch is very strict, with a lot of emphasis on discipline (show up to class on time, respond quickly to the teacher, perfect alignment).
But here in Pai, "Mam" runs a different game. It was a two-hour class that started 15 minutes late when the last of the four students showed up. We did one pose, then rested in savasana. Now normally you don't lie in corpse pose until the end of a session, but we alternated the whole time like this - a few minutes of a pose, then rest for a few minutes. And during these rests, Mam conducted other business - taking a cell phone call, feeding her cats, receiving payment from one of the students! Not so restful, but a great challenge to your concentration skills. Mam provided fresh papaya and 'chatting' at the end, but I don't think I'll be going back...
Liberation on Wheels
The time was finally right to rent the ubiquitous moped. In Chiang Mai, the traffic was just too overwhelming, but here it is rural and seems more do-able. I turned over my passport as a deposit (no driver's license requested), and we were off on our navy 125cc Honda Wave.
It was great! We were loosed from the tethers of seeing whatever was in walking distance, or whatever tour someone wanted to provide. Buzzing through the country roads, we saw rice fields being watered, cows grazing, and small roadside stands. Our destination was a waterfall called Mo Ben Paeng. We poked around through the rocky pools, then Shane settled down to paint while I posed for him (book in hand). After, we stopped at a little open-air restaurant perched on top of a hill and whiled away an hour looking at the vista and relaxing. Relaxing - on a vacation - what a concept.
I Love the Nightlife
There is an overwhelming amount of restaurants in this town, most offering the standard Thai menu, but also everything from Tex-Mex to Indian to Weinerschnitzel. At night it all comes alive - hill-tribe women spread out their blankets of embroidery and jewelry, vendors sell vats of lemongrass tea and fried foods, and mini-bars on wheels spring up. Tonight we split a pitcher of margaritas with a couple from the Meditation Retreat we ran into again. As we make our way home, we will try to avoid the multiple bad acoustic renderings of Dylan and The Stones echoing out of the alleys...

Pai

How Y'All Doing?

2007-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Remember, we'd love to hear any news from home. If you've got a little tid-bit to share from your own daily adventures, please post it (click"Comments" link below)!

Retreat into Buddhism

2007-01-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

Tranquility and mindfullness. Shhhhh - silence. Concentrate on your breathing. Concentrate on your food. Concentrate on each step you take across the compound.
I stumbled on a 24-hour Meditation Retreat / Thai Buddhism program (conducted in English) sponsored by a local Wat. It was a little unnerving to go through with signing up. Will we have to sleep on the floor? Get up at 4 in the morning? Go hungry (monks eat one meal a day before noon)?
Why We Wanted To Go
Jess: I needed a respite. There is a certain stress that comes with a self-guided trip. Where is my camera? My passport? What time does the bus come, when do we need to checkout? Also, our interactions with Thai people so far have largely been trans-actions. I wanted to talk with people about something less superficial. 95% of Thais are Buddhists - it's a huge component of the culture.
Shane: Actually I wasn't sure I wanted to go. My adversity to religious participation of any sort is strong. Even as cool as a lightsaber can be I would not want to be a Jedi Knight. Regardless of my trepidation, I knew Jess wanted to go, and I didn't want to be left out of what could be a cool experience. Her track record is quite good on choosing such things.
What It Was Like
Jess: After arriving at the Wat at 2pm, a master monk gave us a Dhamma talk (teaching). He explained why he started the program seven years ago, to help the monks improve their English, and help give teaching to foreigners. Then we were whisked away in samtheuws to a retreat centre 25 minutes outside the city. The grounds and temple were peaceful, spacious and clean, and all donated by a local landowner hoping to make merit (improve his own spiritual standing).
Everything we needed was provided, including a shared room, meals, and clothes. We put on the roomy white outfit provided and silently headed down to dinner (simple fried rice with mixed vegetables). I did not talk to anyone for the next 18 hours.
In the evening we learned different methods of meditating (walking, sitting, standing, concentration) and practiced chanting. The monks offered suggestions for dealing with a wandering mind, feelings of pain, or distratcting sounds. They explained that just as we take care to clean our bodies, we must also clean our minds by clearing out the chaotic parade of thoughts, and just focus on one thing for awhile.
5am - GONG... gong... gong... call to temple and more practice meditating. I did not find focusing on my breathing for extended periods (10-15 minutes) that difficult - I really enjoyed the peace and quiet.
For breakfast and lunch (simple vegetarian dishes), we participated in the Thai custom of first offering food to the monks. During "Monk Chat" we broke into small groups and asked the monks any questions we wanted.
And then at 12:30, we gathered for a group picture and were taken back to the city.
Shane: The white outfits screamed cult to me...I remembered not too long ago Guyana and some poison koolaid. We were out in the middle of nowhere, a perfect dumping ground for our bodies. Even better for our minds.
Whether it's just me or the fact that my artist mind is always at work on top of my human mind, the upstairs in my head gets awfully noisy.
These monks guided us on the "middle path" of focusing on the most basic needs to live and purify ourselves. When we take care of ourselves we can then provide the "loving kindness" that comes from the practice to all living things.
Even the chanting which I thought I'd abhor was quite nice. It felt like the reverberation shook the dust off of every molecule of my person, from the inside out. Besides...what can beat monks chanting?
What We Learned
Jess:
* Take off your shoes before coming into your house.
* Eat to Live, not Live to Eat. If you stop multi-tasking at meals and focus on each bite, you will enjoy more and eat less.
* We worry overy many things we have no control over.
* Buddhism is not really a religion in the western sense, more a practice or method of living. Buddha is considered a great teacher to be respected, but not a god to be worshipped.
* After dedicated time spent focusing, I felt remarkably contented and satisfied. It was a great experience to feel the generosity and exchange of ideas.
Shane:
* I enjoy the physical aspect of taking care of myself, and often wondered what mental approach I could take. Buddhism practice could work for me I think. It doesn't involve group participation necessarily and can be done mostly anywhere.
* This 24 hour retreat was a speck of dust compared to what could be accomplished if continued. The monks themselves started at very young ages, and had been doing this for a decade or more, every day. Their path to enlightenment is probably the happiest one I've heard of yet. Who want wouldn't want to incorporate a little more happiness in their day?
* Will it help me play well with others? It just might. Getting back to a state of mindfulness in what I do everyday I think will smooth out the chaos that comes from working alone day in day out.
* We already live a fairly simple life, and I think a lot of the initial principles of these teachings are in place. Buddhism seems like a natural extension of living lean, avoiding materialism, and investigating the world around us.
* One of the funnier moments for me was when the monk was explaining Buddhism in this way:
"Buddhists have not shed blood in the name of any god in all the 2500 years it's been around. You never hear of a Fundamentalist Buddhist, or a terrorist Buddhist, or Buddhist blowing up an airplane." In the constant state of fear that permeates the West these days, its nice to hear someone believing in something that is unquestionably good.

Meditation Retreat

My Chiang Mai

2007-01-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

Now that we've been in this town awhile, here are some impressions:
Transportation
We use tuk-tuk (three-wheeled chopper with a surry on top) or samtheuw (gussied-up pick-up truck, covered bed with benches) to get around.
For the locals, scooters are very popular and vastly outnumber cars. You can fit on two people at least, and only dorks wear helmuts. Techni-color double-decker buses with labels like "VIP Dream Trip" are favored for longer trips or domestic sight-seeing tours.
Tourist-town
On the edges and under the covers, this is a hard-working city. Our best experiences have been places where locals outnumber farangs (foreigners). At one street fair, families strolled with their kids, and we saw a booth manned by the Thai version of Karen Yamagiwa-Madan (designed her own funky t-shirts and sold hand-crafted soft-sculpture dolls).
But on the other hand... the city-center completely caters to tourists. Everyone speaks English here, and you will be charged twice the price for the privelege. Everyone wants to take you on the exact same tours and sell you the exact same souvenirs:
* 4x4 jungle adventure!
* Ride the elephant and bamboo rafting!
* You get 100% silk two suit, two shirt custom-made for only $100!
* Tour the temples day-trip!
* Visit the hill-tribes, authentic remote!
* Genuine Nike, Adidas, Christian Dior! (why is that logo upside down?)
Food
Cheap. Good. There are inumerable traditional restaurants where two people can eat for about $4. Street vendors are everywhere, and while we've torn into the "friendly fare" like fresh pineapple, spring rolls, and rotee (egg-flour desert), we are chicken about a lot of it, like:
* Steamed snails
* Oil-fried duck eggs
* Meat parts on stick
* Sun-dried whole fish
* UFB (unidentified fried bits)
* Orange liquid in banana-leaf boat

Around Chiang Mai

Singin' in the Rain

2007-01-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

We thought we might need an umbrella.
Not a normal one, mind you (it is the dry season and it has not threatened a single drop since we got here). A small nearby town (Bo Sang) whose major industry is manufacturing paper umbrellas was having their annual festival this weekend.
We were hoping to see an "umbrella on bicycles" parade, or beauty pageant (very big in Thailand), but ultimately we just enjoyed the extensive street fair.

Umbrella Fest

Eat to Live, Cook to Eat

2007-01-22T05:23:00.000-08:00

You'd think with all the "street food" around one wouldn't want to step into a restaurant let alone sign up for a cooking class, but when you approach food like we do, variety is the name of the game.

While I was out painting Jess signed us up for a Thai cooking class at an out of the way school run by a family. We first found out about it from a "ladyboy" information agent. Jess didn't know this until I explained why she had such big hands... and it wasn't just to take our money. The fact is they work on commission and her recommendation of the place was exactly what we wanted. Maybe that'll get her a manicure and then some.

The teacher and her husband picked us up at our guesthouse at 4:45 (with one other couple, from Holland, in tow). Next we headed to the "local" market. Meaning, this is where most of the restaurants and street vendors get their fresh ingredients. We each picked 6 different dishes we'd cook that night. What we didn't know was that we'd be eating them in two sittings... yummy, to a point!

My favorites were the Massaman Curry made with fresh cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, anise seed pods, cardomom seed pods, tamarind sauce, palm sugar, and a few other tasty ingredients. I also dug the one dish I had eaten a couple times that week, the Khao Soi Chicken with egg noodle. Gotta taste it to believe it.

Jess's favorites were the Cucumber soup made with a hollowed out cucumber stuffed with chicken and spices... very tasty. The other was a really great Papaya Mixed fruit salad.

Everything including desserts was made using a wok, and we learned several new techniques. Great "mortar and pestle" action in making the curry paste, too.

I'm here to say that I had not eaten much for lunch, so please don't judge as I was able to eat all six of my dishes and sample Jess's cooking as well. It was probably too much food but when something so wrong tastes so good... how can you throw it away?

Cooking Class

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SHARKTIP #2: Bag It

2007-01-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but the last time we travelled we stuffed everything into one bag for the two of us and put our toiletries in another bag. While it worked okay, things reeeally got shuffled around.
This time we took an easier approach to keep the mess organized.
We started using smaller bags inside our larger bags. Even though our goal was to do one big bag and two carry-ons, we managed to do two medium-sized bags as carry-ons.
In those bags we have smaller bags, for liquids like our favorite sunscreens and paints, or bags for our medications both prescription and first aid related. We have smaller shoulder bags with items that we'll cart around with us on a regular basis like travelbooks, longsleeve shirt, camera and sketchbooks. Don't forget too the easily packable plastic grocery bag for covering muddy sandals if you have to pack quickly after a hike, or for your laundry that you may want to send out.
See the problem most people have is they bring clothes for everyday of the week. Not needed. Hotels and small towns have quick, cheap laundry services that do it all, so you can spend more time having fun.

We Got Into A Fight

2007-01-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

To be very brief about it (believe me I'll go into it more later) Chiang Mai is a farang (foreigner) playground. I think there's more foreigners than actual Thai people...but anyway, that's not what I go into a fight about.

Actually the way Chiang Mai is setup there are many Muay Thai boxing stadiums all over the city. This passive aggressive boxing style is a mix of martial arts and boxing. It's beautiful and brutal with more respect for the sport than you'd find in the states.
How it starts is a small truck drives through the city blaring this music, think of that middle eastern cobra-in-a-basket music with a guy yelling inaudibly over it about a fight at the Kawilla (Gawilla sp?) stadium. We bought tickets for the Friday night fights from a resteraunt we started to frequent. I wasn't sure what to expect as Chiang Mai slowly revealed itself to be a pastiche of Thai culture for the foreigners coming to visit. It was evident in the shops that started looking like each other, from bars to restaurants to massage parlors. It was a stripmall for everyone but the locals.
I had my suspicions that this would be a show fight...and well...it was and it wasn't.
We showed up at a polebarn on the outskirts of town with chicken wire guarding the stadium seating and folding chairs by a dirty ring. The same music was already blasting throughout when we showed up at the scheduled 8:30 event. All of the 24 people in the "stadium" looked about as enthused as a group of patients in the recovery room. My doubt set in, and embarassment followed, and I wanted to escape back to my room, but I couldn't find Jess, she was off taking pictures again.
A half hour later, the crowd picked up, and the betting and gambling began.
15 minutes later and the first of nine fights began. Apparently they start out by age range. The first two kids were between 10-13. They did a bunch of ceremonial bowing at each corner while another did some kind of ceremonial dance that looked quite...uh...shall we say un-boxing like..very strange, but whatever.
They kicked the crap out of each other. With each successive fight the challengers were older, bigger, more powerful than the last and just as respectful of the each other and their sport. It was very impressive, until the main event.
The promoter apparently pulls in a lot of these foreigners by having affiliates from other countries fight their local guys in the Muay Thai tradition. Well the guy was Mic, the American (Korean-American in this case). He was everything you'd expect him to be. He was covered in tattoos...a little more muscular bulk, and hey, even brought his own cheering section. As soon as he stepped in the ring I wanted to leave. I already knew how it was going to end. Jess wanted to stay...so we made a deal, I'll stay pass the first "feeling out" round and maybe the next "full-on assault" round.
The first kick thrown took the smirk off Mic, the American's face. He proceeded to throw his brawn at the lithe Thai opponent only to be rebuffed every time. I don't think the guy knew how to kick, but he certainly didn't mind being kicked. His corner threw the fight in the third round and we got out there quick.
My reasoning was, we're on the outskirts of town with a bunch of other foriegners and they're all going to be clamoring for the same tuk-tuk driver.
By this point I didn't want to have to fight my back home.

Thai Boxing

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R&R in Amari Rincome

2007-01-20T03:34:00.000-08:00

The swank hotel we stayed in our first two nights was called the Amari Rincome. The lush grounds included elephant-shaped topiaries, a giant birdcage, towering palm trees, and dark secluded fountains and pools.
When coming down off 24 hours of only juice, there's nothing quite like an exotic buffet feast to really kick off that "all better" feeling. At an "Asian Extravaganza" in the upper restaraunt, the flavors of China, Thailand, Japan, and Laos were featured, including lemongrass salad, crispy roasted duck, and everyone's favorite dessert, "Semolina Barfi".
We escaped from the $6 glasses of juice at the hotel and breakfasted two days in a row at a lovely little outdoor cafe. Unfortunately, a lonely ex-pat screenwriter from L.A. (yes, you know the type) held us captive for two hours with his excrutiating tales... "Visa runs" to Burma, his escape from a flooded bungalow in Pai, and multiple parasite-related surgeries via the Thai medical system. The phrase "Dig it" still echoes in my head...
We figured we should indulge in some serious relaxation, and headed to one of the many day spas nearby. In Chiang Mai, spa experiences range from 100 baht (about $3) for an hour-long foot massage in an open-air parlour, to infinity and beyond for the high-end hotels. The rustic, well-run little operation we chose provided 3 1/2 hours of good stuff (less than $100 for us both). Herbal steamroom, mineral bath jacuzzi, facial, aromatherapy massage, and body scrub (with soy milk - truly amazing softening properties!). The masseuses were two women smaller than me, who got up on the tables to press down on our backs. Sometimes, they would touch a part of my body (like my feet) and comment to each other. Let's hope they were saying "Lovely shade of nailpolish".

Chiang Mai: R&R

Chiang Mai God I Can't Wait To Leave

2007-01-19T03:41:00.000-08:00

Shane here with another update on the frontlines of tourism.
So...the story continues...

While Jess continued to gain strength from her well-rounded diet of Azithromyacin, water, and mundane literature I was over-come with a minor bout of depression and low self-confidence. The impending lack of lodging past Thursday was striking in my head like an anvil of doom. Was I man or mouse...was I an artist or a wallflower or all of the above? The only thing I really knew was that I was damn hungry.
So to ease the pain and contemplate on what to do next I invited myself to a lunch buffet at the hotel's resteraunt. Luckily the food was so excellent, I found myself forgetting all about Jess's predicament, until I had the soup course. Then the black clouds closed in once again. I knew at the moment she couldn't even hold down soup and here I was enjoying six kinds of asian dishes, a variety of dipping sauces and a bevy of desserts from fresh fruit cobblers to homemade pies.
The guilt got to me and I did what I could to convince her to order room service. She'd only agree to the pineapple juice. Since I couldn't get any room accomodations done without her input I decided to head down to the pool area with my gouache set. Hidden away under a grove of palms I knocked out a little still life, a lucky first shot, but enough to change my mood.

When Jess was feeling better the next day we made 20 more calls to downtown Chaing Mai. There were no rooms available. I was really leaning on bagging this whole trip. I thought you know, my time would be much better spent doing something like organizing my comic collection or arranging my National Geographics by year. I kept asking myself, maybe we'd changed as travelers... or maybe we're too soft. Regardless we propped each other up to go do what had to be done.

We hoofed it.

We grabbed a tuk-tuk downtown and went to a convenient starting point, the Galare Guesthose. And as I suspected, many of the places we had called actually had rooms but were so freaked out about talking english or dealing with our broken Thai that they just said, "sorry we full".
Our luck took a positive turn as we found a beautiful place down a narrow side street at Mandalay guest house. It's been open only two months so most guide books don't even know about it. Unfortunately they didn't have anything until Sunday...so...50 yards down another side street fortune shined down on us again. We found Thana Hotel, a little cheaper place with a very stylish and upbeat vibe for Friday and Saturday. With that demon off our backs it was time to celebrate back at the lush Amari Rincome, poolside. Woohoo!

Of course my luck only lasts so long, and even after three tries I still couldn't come up with a decent painting of The Jessie. But at least I knew we were staying put for awhile to see what all this Chiang Mai business was about.

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Hopelessness Sets In

2007-01-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

We've had a very difficult turn of events these last two days. Only this afternoon did we finally get back in high gear.
It all started when we wanted to travel north to Chiang Mai (the "jewel" of Thailand). The overnight sleeper trains were highly recommended as being pleasant and scenic, but the first available booking was five days out. So we settled on a VIP government bus (since the private bus services were widely rumored to be unreliable and often unsafe).
But we were thwarted at every turn. No travel agency would sell us a government bus ticket. The cab driver we hired to take us directly to the bus station dropped us off at a travel agency instead (presumably to get a commission), then ditched us when we realized what was going on...
... So much later, we are on our way in a non-government 10-hour overnight bus.
The journey began well. There were reclining seats, onboard bathroom, free orange juice, and a video ("The Scorpion King" starring The Rock, dubbed in Thai - trippy!) There were even lacy neck pillows tucked in behind garishly colored window curtains, causing Shane to label it the "Whorehouse Tourbus on Wheels".
But then about 1 a.m. I awoke with a queasy feeling, as the double-decker bus jostled through the northern hills. Was it motion sickness? No, it was the dreaded "Bangkok Belly". (Could have been the mango shake, the pad thai, who knows?) The rest of the night was a gastrointestinal disaster I will not detail further:

Chiang Mai 6 a.m.
I am huddled limply amongst our bags on the floor of the bus station, while Shane makes call after call using his rudimentary Thai. Every guidebook hotel he called was full. (Guess I was overconfident in not booking ahead.) In desperation, we turned to the sole Internet terminal, where a hotel finder revealed only two options in the entire city (one at $435 a night). Shane booked the cheaper option, rounded me up, grabbed a taxi, and took care of me the next 24 hours. Much bedrest and 4 azithromycin later, I am 100% better.
After a little uncertainty, we have managed to secure other very cozy lodging for the next week, and are excited by what we've seen of the city so far.
Stay tuned, as the comeback kids ride again..

Wat's Wat

2007-01-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

Today's plan was to go to a very popular wat (temple) complex about a mile from our hotel. We woke up early and had a pleasant, cool walk along a smoggy main drag (my fog-horn bronchitis cough did not respond well to this).
The complex houses the Grand Palace (a royal residence). The grounds were extensive, littered with lofty temples, galleries and terraces all opulently decorated in gold leaf, mosaic, and painted murals. We lingered for over three hours and still didn't see everything. At a wat called "The Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha" we took off our shoes. As directed, we carefully kept our feet pointed away from the green Buddha statue as we kneeled for a brief respite from the hordes outside. Pilgrams lined up to make devotional offerings of incense, fruit and flowers, while I took pictures and Shane sketched.
Just before we bonked from low blood sugar, we escaped the grounds and ate a great chicken curry from an alley vendor.

Grand Palace

Both Feets On The Ground

2007-01-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

After over 24 hours of travel we finally made it. I believe it's the longest series of flights I've ever been on and I think I lost 12 pounds in the process. No matter how much water one drinks, it's dehydrated from your body quite rapidly.
But everything is cool.
We're staying at a really nice place called, New Siam II, and we've been chowing down on some really great street food. We even took in the sites at the Grand Palace of which my favorite highlight was the Museum of Firearms. It featured some really cool ornate muskets, revolver rifles, and 4 barreled shotguns from a by-gone era (I can't remember the name, let alone spell it). Unfortunately we couldn't take any pictures in the museum...but what you could take on the royal grounds is quite amazing. Though I'll have to defer you to Jess, as prying the camera from her would have put me in a Thai prison doing hard labor.
Anyway, we're trying to make our way out of Bangkok up North, but the trains are booked until the 20th. So...we're trying to piecemeal our way by using a government bus. Apparently it's the more trusting of transportation next to the trains. Many a luggage has not made the journey unlooted.
Well I'll I'm getting tired as it's...9:18 pm on a Monday night, and 6:15 a.m. Seattle time on Monday. Talk about time travel, can't beat it.
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Countdown...3...2...1

2007-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

We're still getting together last minute items. I've got a small art kit consisting of gouache of which there are 12 colors, a 6" x 9" sketchbook, a pocket sketchbook, various pencils, brushes, erasers and I'm debating on taking a nicer little sketchbook of this variety.

Not sure yet as I want to pack light. Part of the problem with going on vacation is the travel time. I'll have a bunch of time on my hands and I'm thinking I could do some recreational sketching in the aforementioned book, and then journal sketching/thumbnails for a upcoming book in my pocket sketchbook. But there are far more pressing matters to attend to as the time ticks away.

Oh yeah, and if you didn't know...we're going to THAILAND.

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SHARKTIP #1: Packing

2007-01-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

About a month before a big trip, lay out two towels on your basement floor (one for you, one for your spouse). As you find items needed for the trip, put them on the towel so you can clearly see how the packing's shaping up. Have a contest to see which of you ends up with less stuff on your towel.
Pack ever so lightly. Take only things you can't get where you're going. Do you really need a flashlight and a gum massager? Didn't think so.

Gearing Up

2007-01-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

13 days to go.

We have our International Driver's Permits (for moped trips into the countryside), vaccinations, phrasebook, airplane tickets, and first day's hotel (a splurge at $30/night).

We don't have a set itinerary, any electronic devices including iPods or cell phones, and our workplaces will not be able to contact us (Shane's boss is a little upset over this, mine could care less.)

We have two contradictory objectives: 1) see and experience as much as possible, and 2) porn klai (relaxation) and mindfulness in the traditional Buddhist sense.