A FAIRY TALE.....

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greetings all......the following entry began on june 14....this is what i was referring to in the last entry when i wrote i had recently began a text however felt it was more important to get photos published thus the effort and sunsequent note stating there was a glitch and couldnt publish pictures. well, now that i am in africa, it may even be more difficult. put aside this whole day to do blogging and havent gotten anywhere. a tortoise will win the race. so, i must report there is a possibility you will have to wait until i return to the states to view more photos. i am leaving all my discs here at my friends house in nairobi. if the connection changes as i travel perhaps i wil be able to publish the most recent photos and simply backtrack upon my return. we all know backtracking and complicating the processes is my forte......

in the morning after an all night bus journey from northern thailand, i walk to the back deck of the restaurant to enjoy my breakfast. as my eyes feast on the first glimpse of the mighty mekon river and laos on the other side tears swell in my eyes as i feel the river pulsing with life and the energy surrounding the grassy hills vibrating with peace and mystery.

a huge invitation full of love beckons me into this magical world!!

after immigration/customs procedures we proceed to the boat. it is a relatively small boat when considering the amount of passengers expected to board. many people sit on the floor and on top of piles of luggage/backpacks. there are locals returning to their villages amongst the hordes of travellers from all countries, races, religions, colors and styles. i managed a window seat and spent several hours dreaming down the mekon refraining from conversation and contact. just as my body needed to move, i caught eye of a lovely smile and spent many hours in conversation, laughter and guitar. 6 hours later we arrive at pak ben for an overnight break. a little village that has become a tourist mecca for this very known layover. in the morning we depart once again, however this time the boat is even smaller. i arrive the dock a bit late and want to jump in and swim. the boat is incredibly crowded and lacking an inch of space. i proceed towards the back and actually find a seat surrounded by the friends from the day before. five hours later we arrive luang prabang......a beautiful, magestic city filled with monasteries, world heritage sites, markets and great laos food. even found a family cooked veggie buffet for under approx $1.

spent several days on a bicycle exploring the colors, sounds, smells of this new culture while the love i first felt continues to permeate the air. many orange clad monks of all sizes, shapes and ages mingling with the modern generation of the citiy as the tribal cultures still sell their wares and foods on the streets. the city is clean and well cared for. some friends and i arrange a hike through the jungle, passing through many local tribal villages en-route. we come to a crystal-clear cold water spring which is the source of the coming waterfall and partake in our first refreshing dip. many hours later we arrive at the top of the multi-tiered light blue watered cascading fall. melissa begins to feel something itchy on her leg and looks down to see a leech followed by 4 others feasting on her body. we got them all off and the rest of us managed to be leech free.

i eventually took a small local bus to nong kiaw. a village 4 hours down the mekon which is in a vallley completely surrounded by limestone karst mountains; towering protrusions of earth somewhat covered by jungle that demand respect. the vibrations reached into my deepest being confirming the presence of pervading tranquility, joy and awareness. complete awe and reverence.
my room overlooked the mekon and stood facing this one particular peak which reached inside my soul and constantly whispered that god/the goddess are taking great care. we spent a few nights on the beach below listening to the river gazing at the blanket of stars and waning full moon. after several days, yan and i took a local boat further down the river to the village of muang noi. the only transport is the river leaving the village free from diesel pollution, noise and traffic. we walked barefoot for hours in total and complete awe through rice paddies (slipping and sliding through the mud)and other villages all the while surrounded by limestone peaks and meadows. dragonflies of varying flourescent colors tickled my nose, huge purple and green butterflies all around, insects ive never seen....river and village life continues in its utmost simplicity. children with old fashioned goggles spearfishing in the river, a mother and children gathering toads at the entrance of the cave where we swam in god given sparkling clean earth fed waters, entire families paddling down the river carrying goods, folks planting and harvesting rice. people giggling, singing, playing......full of abundance and appreciation for this life.

after returning upstream, i hopped into the back of a 4x4 rangerover driven by two germans coming from australia en-route back to the west. i was short of time however really wanted to see the landscape and villages of the northeast. they were heading that way and willing to take on a passenger. we spent a few days driving deep into the mountains on many roads that traversed the spines of the peaks. saw a myriad of villages and was able to witness the different facial structures and traditional clothing which defined the various ethnic groups making up this region. after a few days they dropped me in nom noen to catch a bus to phonsovan where i would spend one night. it turned out phonsovan is like an old cowboy town. even the men are wearing black cowboy hats. nothing much to do here however learn of the destruction done to laos during the vietnam war and visit many war memorial sites. laos is the most bombed country per capita and because of the many mine-fields still in existence, the country remains in poverty due to the fear of cultivating the land. there are many organisations working to safely clear the country. we did visit one cave where the laos hid during a us invasion. the next day i made my way to vientienne to travel cross back to thailand and catch my flight home to india.

laos is a fairy tale.....a magical mystery land that has deeply touched my core.





i am in africa now for a few days. spent four days on safari in the masai mara which is an expansive plain of rolling hills, meadows, rivers as far as the human eye can see. another full moon spent in another one of gods greatest gifts. we saw lionesses, cubs feeding and 2 massive, gorgeous lion kings. a plethora of antelope specise. zebras and giraffes, buffalo and hippos, crocodiles and a massive python. an abundant of colorful birds. elephants of all sizes including a baby under a month old. dik-diks, worthogs and hyanneas, mia-cats and yet at times we drove for hours and only spotted elephants.

i was able to settle in and re-pack at a friends house actually creating a light backpack. yeah!!
now, i head for my overnight bus to kampala, uganda and begin my volunteer work in a village in the southwest corner of the country. let's see what the internet connection will be like from here on.....

as always with much love and one heart!!!!

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Comments

[Nicole]

butterflies and....
mines...both evoke a feeling of stepping lightly.... I feel that's what you do...well, your words give a sense that you just float through the continents - like a butterfly. So beautiful and free, you are. I know it's hard work, what you do, travelling around. But thank you again for being so descript and bringing us there with you. Step smartly and be safe always, my friend. My boys are now three!!! So glad I am only getting younger! xo Nicole :) :)