Post-Trip Q & A

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." –- Henry Miller

So I've been back in the USA for 6 days and so far, so good. I'm slowly easing into "Western" life and culture again. I've spent some time with family and friends and am getting a lot of questions from them, so I thought I'd answer a few of them for all of you, too.

Favorite country?

Sorry folks, but that one is impossible to answer. Too many favorites, each country was completely different. I loved the mountains of Nepal, the food and sensory excitement of India, the people and learning in Guatemala, meeting family in Poland, seeing friends in Holland and Vietnam, the children of Laos and so much more. Perhaps an easier questions would be "what was your LEAST favorite country." Thailand gets that honor. Too shiny and Western for my liking.

How was my health?

I fared remarkably well! I was told before I left that 70% of our immune system lies in the health of the flora of our intestines. So, I took Acidophilous Pearls every day (Great for travelers. They are compact and don't need refrigeration.) I had a few bouts of travelers diarrhea but for the most part they lasted 12 hours or less. I had a bit of chest congestion in Thailand, but that was directly related to the crummy air quality as it was the season of slashing and burning. A constant smoky haze hung in the air there. I twisted my ankle on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek and it re-twisted a couple of times during the trip, most notably at Angkor Wat. And I had the worst asthma attack of my life in Guatemala, the result of an encounter with a moldy, mildewy bed. Nearly had to find a doctor at midnight in a small town, but cured myself by breathing eucalyptus steam for a couple of hours. Otherwise, not even a cold!

What did I miss?

Besides people, I missed mostly things that involved food. Great big fresh, wild greens salads. Good chocolate. Cheese, like the kind you find at the Whole Foods cheese counter...I'm drooling just thinking about it. And, cooking. I did get to do a bit while traveling, but really only a handful of times. The best was a full day with Lidia in her kitchen in Guatemala. We made mole (chilies, tomatoes, pure chocolate and lots of spices and secrets), a delicious Caribbean fish soup, a few traditional vegetarian Mayan dishes and traditional Mayan hot cocoa with REAL, freshly ground cocoa beans!! I missed having more than 3 changes of clothes, 4 pairs of underwear, soft sheets and comfy beds and pillows, hot showers (usually they were cold or lukewarm, and with weak pressure), and having more than 32 songs. My dear friend Scott had given me his old MP3 player loaded with 32 great songs. So while they were all songs that I loved, after a while I got a little tired of them, as you can imagine. I'm considering the proper funeral ceremony for an antiquated electronics device. Ideas?

Traveling alone?
To be honest, traveling alone is a fallacy. In my experience, I was virtually never alone. I can think of maybe 10 times in 10 months that I was really, truly alone. But virtually never lonely. When you travel, wherever you go, you meet people who are doing the same thing that you are doing. Interesting, fun, adventurous people - exactly the kind that I wanted to hang out with. I met hundreds of people that I hope to stay in touch with, and a few, cherished friends that I know will be in my life forever! The hardest part about "traveling alone" is getting on that first airplane, and then getting off at a new place without someone by your side. After that, you instantly start making friends, connecting, and creating plans. And it's fun because you are making plans for you and you alone, and not by committee decision.

How much did it cost?

Not including my international flights, I spent an average of about $40 per day, which included all domestic travel, food, lodging, sightseeing, adventures, gifts, shipping, missed flights and haircuts. Also, the places I traveled were fairly inexpensive to live, but it would certainly be possible to spend a lot more, or a lot less. I stayed mostly guest houses or with families for the most part, and ate at local places that tended to be cheaper. Also, I flew on several segments of the trip that would have been much less expensive to go overland, but because of time considerations I spent the money to fly. Cheapest countries were Nepal and Vietnam. Most expensive certainly was Europe, but after that probably Cambodia.

Did you feel safe?
By and by, I followed a few simple rules that served me well:

1) Always look like you know where you're going, even if you don't
2) Don't make eye contact with strangers (hard one to do, but an effective technique)
3) Don't get drunk, do drugs, or do anything to dull your mental acuity.

Other than that, I was just aware of my security and well-being at all times and exercised an awful lot of common sense. It worked well for me.

Country with the best food?
That's a tough question, really tough. Certainly Nepal, Laos and Cambodia had the worst, but the best... probably India. That is, after all, where I gained at least 5 pounds! Dosas, curries, steamed bananas, chapati's and coconut chutney on everything! Despite how tasty the food is, it can be a bit heavy and oily at times. So a very close runner up is Vietnam. Though I spent less than a week there, I was staying with the Food Queen of Saigon. Marjie made sure that I ate the best that her neighborhood had to offer for every meal. Even between meals we found excuses to try something new. And most surprising to me there was the abundance of fresh squid in the cooking. In the states, squid is generally called calamari and deep fried. But there, they made soups and stir frys and sautes and so much more with it, and it was DELICIOUS! I'm looking forward to finding the best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle to see how ours compares. Any suggestions?

Most Memorable Person(s)?
Gerdien, hands down. We spent over 4 months together and had immeasurable amounts of fun. But I also can't fail to mention Kuba and Kasia, my new Polish family.

Biggest Disappointment?
Hands down, not being able to be with Sadie in her final moments. That was terrible, and I'm grieving again now that I'm home.

Worst Accommodations? Best?
Probably in Madurai, India where I was for the Presidential Inauguration and I insisted (ask Gerdien) on finding a hotel with cable television. We settled on the first place we saw, because we were both weary from long bus rides and hot temperatures. The place had filth on the walls, dirty sheets, leftover garbage from a previous tenant...and CNN. We stayed, but it was only my skepticism at finding somewhere else in our price range with cable television! The best accommodations were everywhere that I stayed with my mom in Germany and Poland...I was beyond grateful for the respite from lukewarm, dirty showers and rock hard beds. Thanks Mom!

What's Next?

I'm still technically on my peregrination. I only traveled out of the country for 10 months but wanted to spend some time re-integrating in Seattle when I got home. So that is what I am doing right now...enjoying the Indianola beach, catching up with friends, doing a 10-day silent meditation retreat, camping, hiking and just chilling out. Starting September 1, I will get serious about planning my next career move as I have decided to follow my heart into a new profession. Not sure yet what that will be, but I'm definitely feeling drawn into the travel and tourism industry. Stay tuned for details on a tour that I will lead to India next Fall 2010, and let me know if you want to be on the list for details and pricing!

In hindsight, I can't believe my good fortune on this journey. I left a couple of weeks before the economy went down the toilet so I didn't have to hear all the depressing news, I missed all the political ads and campaigning (though still got to vote), met so many amazing friends, learned so much about so many things (not to mention myself), and came home richer despite my tanking 401(k). Life is definitely good. To me, the impermanence of money was a major lesson on this trip. Everything is fleeting, except for this very moment.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

I plan to continue my blog as my life unfolds, and also will do a few final wraps on the trip - including a post on essential items to pack on trip like mine.

With gratitude,
Pam

Time going. Fast.

I´ve just completed 30 of the most intense, spiritually fulfilling days of my life. When was the last time you had a whole month to focus on yourself, learning, meditation, yoga and personal growth? The Moon Course at Las Piramides offered just that for me. And, for me it was the perfect way to close out my ten-month adventure.

I spent a week studying medicinal plants and learning how to make tinctures and teas, got my Reiki I attunement, had my chakras aligned and balanced, was ¨reconnected¨ to the universal energy, had a crystal healing (very cool!), got a few acupuncture treatments, read at least 6 books, learned about astrology, numerology, alchemy and Atlantis, did yoga every single day, swam at least a dozen times in the sacred Lake Atitlan, and settled into a rewarding meditation routine! It know that it sounds a bit fluffy, but it was delightful to be able to spend so much time just LEARNING and BEING and LISTENING. Total bliss...

We spent the last five days of the course in silence. I withheld solid food for 9 days and completely fasted for 5 of those. In that time, we had a project to do that involved about 20 pages of my journal. The course ended with a very special, positively magical Full Moon Ceremony that I will never forget.


In my class, there was a really fantastic group of people from all over the world. There was Gil from Israel, who is working on an ambitious world peace project; Mat, the adorable musician from LA who travels with his guitar; Mo, the retired nurse now living in Nicaragua; Andrea, the awesome free spirit from Argentina; Ifat, the former accountant creating a new life for herself; and many others. When you have so much time, and share such intense experiences, you tend to grow rather attached to one another! I know I have made many lifetime friends here.

I had been feeling a bit apprehensive about coming home. Not dreading it, but just not really feeling ready. I realized in the last month it was largely because I have had so many experiences during the past year, and had not taken the time to process everything that I have learned. But in my journal, my head, my heart, and with time...everything has become clear and easy. My apprehension is gone, and I´m finally really looking forward to my return to Seattle next week, and I hope to see many of you this summer!

With love and gratitude,
Pam

The Sun, the Moon and the Rain

San Marcos, Guatemala could very well be the one place that I have traveled to this year that I feel like I could live indefinitely. It is a peaceful place, with a very magical energy about it. It attracts travelers, but not so many tourists. Mostly people who are moving at a very relaxed pace and they tend to stay for 2-4 or even 50 weeks!




I´m stationed here for my final weeks of my journey. Every day in the Moon Course, I spend about two hours each in meditation, yoga, and equally about that much in class, learning about things like the tarot, numerology, reiki and medicinal plants. It´s about as healthy as healthy living comes here. I´m eating a totally vegetarian diet (nearly vegan), learning a ton, sleeping about 9 hours a night, and surrounded by amazing people. You see how people get stuck here? Oh, and this is my own private pyramid that I call home!


I didn´t realize when I sent all of my warm weather clothes home that I would be living here in the middle of the very rainy season at around 5,000 feet! Needless to say, it´s been a bit damp and dreary for the last few weeks, which actually has been good for my studies and personal time. I am nearly constantly chilled and spending a lot of time in the sauna, preparing for a balmy Seattle summer to warm me up!

That said, I did have a mystical experience the other day. The weather, being quite moody, brings with it a lot of thunder and lightning storms. This one was special... there was not a cloud in the night sky, the air was warm, the stars were shining, and lightning was flashing. A magical silence hung.

Before I came to San Marcos, I took a tour of a fantastic organization in Guatemala City called Safe Pasages. A couple of my friends here were volunteering there for an extended period of time, and I wanted to see what it was all about. WOW. It was started by an American woman around 12 years ago because she (then 25 years old!) was visiting Guatemala and wanted to see the ¨real¨ Guatemala. She went to the local garbage dump and watched in amazement as thousands of very poor Guatemalans work there, salvaging through the rubbish to find anything of value. An average salary for them in this filthy life is around $2-3 US per day. So she started Safe Passage in order to support the children of these families so that they would have a safe place to go during the day. It started with 40 kids, and now has over 800. It is a professionally-run, wonderful organization and I would love to come back some day and volunteer myself! Next trip...

I can honestly say that before I came to Guatemala I was wondering why I had chosen this place, so far from everywhere else that I would be traveling, to close my trip. I was questioning my ïnstincts¨ that had led me here in the first place. Now that I am here, I know without a doubt that this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now! Guatemala´s magical pull that got me back here (I first visited for 3 weeks in 1993) was just the magic I needed.

With love,
Pam

Roosters, Turtles & Other Blessings

At 1:00 in the morning the roosters had started crowing already. Don´t they know what time it is or do time zones affect these things? I lie awake, and somehow find happiness listening to the song of the day yet to come.

I´m living in San Antonio Aguas Calientes about 15 minutes outside of Antigua, Guatemala with a wonderful woman and her extended family in their guest house. (Above is the view of my deck, with the volcanoes hiding behind the clouds.) As I´ve discovered and experienced, in most of the world families support each other, live together, work together, cook together, eat together, and often sleep in the same room as each other. This family, though poor by American standards, has one of the richest collective lives that I´ve ever witnessed. Four generations of the family live in one house, with four bedrooms. They care for each other in a way that I envy, with genuine love and concern for each others well being. Great grandma is cooing and cuddling her 9 month old grandson while the in-between generations prepare the meal, feed the animals, do the morning´s dishes, sweep the floors and wash the laundry. I´ve been invited to stay with this family indefinitely, though my schedule will only permit one week at this time, unfortunately.

It´s such a striking contrast to life in the States. Which way would I prefer? What is better? It´s just too difficult, and frankly impossible, to compare cultures in that way, but it does make me think that they have figured out a way of living that the Western world needs to embrace

Yesterday I spent the day participating in the family life, and then receiving a tour through the lovely old town by my family´s two nieces, Eugenia and Mariela. We had a lovely afternoon enjoying ice cream, and teaching each other our native languages. In the evening I helped prepare a delicious dinner of fish, beans, tortillas, rice and salad. We all ate together at one table, as we do for each meal. The conversation is lively (all in Spanish) and the laughter is hearty. Above is Lidia, my Guatemalan mama, and below are my tour guides.

I spent a week in Costa Rica, with Joanie and a few other friends from the states. We had a great time, and it was so good to catch up with mi mejor amiga! Of all the fun things, we did the best will be no surprise to anyne who knows me...we got to go on a Leatherback turtle patrol at Estacion Las Tortugas (the project that Parsons PR has been involved with for more than 6 years) and help to midwife the births of more than 200 baby turtle eggs. We were also lucky enough to be there to see the hatchlings (tortuguitas) before they began their courageous journey to the sea. Our timing was perfect! The weather held out, and the turtles came out to play...magical!

We also had a few other pretty fantastic wildlife sightings including a mamma sloth with her baby eating about 20 feet or less directly above our heads, and a wild boar (think of Pumba!) with a slight disability who was disowned from his clan and had taken up friendship with tourists. Oh, and I got to hold a toucan and the largest (thankfully dead) beetle known to mankind. Eeeewwwww..........

This is my Spanish teacher Aura, who's been teaching me the beautiful language for four weeks in a row now, eight hours per day. Me gusta mucho este idioma!

Every single day, as I have been doing for several years, when I crawl into bed at night I allow my final thoughts before passing into sleep to count the day´s blessings in addition to those of my life. I am grateful that my life is so rich, and that this nightly tradition seems to take me longer each day. Life in Guatemala is keeping me up for more than one reason!

With love,

Pam

Rediscovering the Joy of Reading

A short diversion from the life of a Spanish student in Guatemala...

While I've been away, one of the hidden pleasures has been the opportunity to read books. That's not to say that I don't read at home, I just don't really give myself the opportunity to read very much or very quickly. That's because my books all sit in wait (usually 8 at a time) on my bedside table. The only time I would usually get around to reading was after I'd crawled into bed for the night. Not a very good plan, if you want to read, or remember, or enjoy.

So, I have learned to love to read again. To pick up a book when it doesn't

involve 10:30 pm and a cozy bed. To read in the middle of the day, because I have the time and gobs of books yet to disover. To devour books. Fiction. Non-fiction. Poetry. Biographies. Read them. Devour them! Dream about them. Go to bed late and then wake up early in the throes of someone's life or imagination.

Here are a few of my favorites from this journey...

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman

This is one of my favorite books I've ever picked up, and hardly was able to set it down before it was complete. It's a poignant tale of cultural misunderstanding, all revolving around a sick, young Hmong girl living in California. I can not recommend this one highly enough. Should be required reading for all medical professionals everywhere, and for those traveling to non-Western countries.

May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons, by Elizabeth Bumiller

The author is a former New York Times columnist who moved to India with her husband, and ended up becoming entranced by the lives of women in India. Bumiller is an amazing storyteller, and her portrayal of Indian women is spot-on, and gripping.

Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder
Am I the last person in the world to read this book? It's the history of philosophy as told to a 14-year-old Norwegian girl. Her "teacher" starts by teasing her with questions about who she is and what is the meaning of life. Then he begins with the Sophists and moves through the history of philosophy to modern times with ease and clarity. Reading this felt like I had taken a 10-week Philosophy 101 course as given to a high-school student. I was exhausted, enlightened and delighted that someone had put all this wonderful information in such an easy to swallow package!

The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy

A tale of childhood lost by one of India's most popular authors, this story took a while to reel me in, but once it did I was lost in her imagination and story. Though it is a bit dark and depressing, it's certainly compelling nonetheless. (It is, afterall, still making my

favorites list!)

Daughter of the Killing Fields, by Theary Seng
This is the first hand account of a Cambodian woman who had lost both of her parents to the Khmer Rouge by the time she was seven years old. She survives, but not without a novel to write about the atrocities of the Pol Pot era. A really truly inspiring tale about survival, and a good dose of recent Cambodian history to boot.

The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
What was the last non-fiction book you read that gripped you like a Dan Brown novel? The Glass Castle was it for me. It's the story of a slightly dysfuctional, poor, nomadic family as told by one of the children. It's the story of a girl who wants to believe that her alcoholic father can perform miracles, and that her mother can do no wrong. She dumpster dives, flees from angry landlords and ultimately winds up living on Park Avenue in NYC. It would even be a great novel, but indeed it's a true story.

Annapurna Circuit, by Andrew Stephenson
This one scores brownie points for me, since I read it during my own personal trek through the same paths and through the same small villages that he recounts here. Stephenson has the luxury of taking his time doing the trek, and meandering into some life-changing situations. If you have ever dreamed of trekking in Nepal, this book will inspire you to make it happen!

Currently on my nightstand is A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris, alongside my Second Year Spanish Study Guide and 600 flash cards. Whee! I'm going back to read some more now....

Loving Life

Welcome to Guatemala! I just need to start by saying how happy I am to be in a country where I speak the language! I didn´t realize until now how liberating it is to be able to communicate with local people in their native tongue. I´ve been studying Spanish for about 40 hours per week for the past two weeks (4 hours in class, 4 hours studying) and I´m starting to get the hang of it. All that college knowledge is apparently stored somewhere in my cob-webby brain. I still have a long way to go, but two more months of practice should help!






Since I finally have access to my photos (thank you CD burner man!) I wanted to share images of the last month of my life... Above, those are Lidia´s hands. Lidia is an amazing Mayan woman that I met in the local market here. I visited her house, met her family, and have spent many hours sitting in the market just talking to her. When I´m done officially studying Spanish I will live with her for a week or so and she´s promised to teach me vegetarian Mayan cooking and weaving, like she´s demonstrating for me there. She is amazing, and I´m looking forward to the experience very much!

This is San Jose El Viejo, my Spanish school. You can´t see my classroom, but it´s a sweet little two-person open air room with a table, two chairs and a white board. Oh, and a big, adorable golden lab named Tonka. My teacher is fantastic, and her name is Aura but you say it something like oudda.

These are the adorable faces of enthuastic Guatemala kids. They live in the hills above Antigua, and I have a dozen other equally cute photos like this of them smiling, laughing and clamoring towards my camera. I fell in love a thousand times that day...

This was my house for four days while I stayed at Earth Lodge. It was SO fantastic to sleep in a tent overlooking THAT. I mean, check that out. Oh, and it didn´t hurt that they put a futon matress inside and about 6 nice warm blankets. And when I woke up one of the volcanoes was spewing ash into the air. It was delightful and I´m sure I will go back to stay in ¨my room¨ again soon!

This is what a typical Guatemalan family looks like. The mother was probably around 20 years old and she had three kids with her. This is how they dress every day. It is so beautiful, and I´m constantly in awe at all of the color and the tight family bonds in this country.

One of the really fantastic things about traveling is that you get to meet amazing people from all over the world. People who have also chosen to spend their time, energy and money exploring another country. At left are two of my favorites, Christine and Renee from the good ol´ USA.


I mentioned in my last blog post that I made a quick stop in the States before heading to Central America. Pictured above is my ¨New England¨ family: (l to r) Fran, Heather, Chris, me, Steve, Beth, and Lorrie. I didn´t want them to feel left out by not making my blog!

Then I stopped in Los Angeles for a very full 36 hours. I stayed with Meredith & Lou, two of the nicest people that you could ever know. I met Meredith, an LA-based garden writer, during a media tour about five years ago. We´ve stayed in contact, and it´s fair to say that we´ve changed each other´s lives for the better.

About six months ago when I was thinking of going to Cambodia, Meredith introduced me electronically to her friend Jennifer who was volunteering with a non-profit there. As fate would have it, I got involved and spent time in Cambodia helping to execute all of her efforts remotely. In LA, she prepared a proper ¨high tea¨for us, and here it is, well spent. I should´ve taken the photo before we devoured it all! Jennifer also invited a friend of hers to visit, Julie, who is a survivor of the Cambodia genocide. At the age of 19 she ws thrown into a pile of dead bodies because she was too weak to walk. She survived, and thrived. And now lives in LA and is getting her PhD, while working as a motivational speaker. It was an amazing afternoon, to say the least.

And finally, here´s Debra. Debra is a good friend from Seattle who´s now living in the LA area. We met for a lovely sushi dinner (the one food that I was really missing!) and talked about life and love and work and everything else. Thank you Debra!

And now, I am getting ready to go to Costa Rica to do some scouting for a turtle trip next year, and when I return to Guatemala who knows! It´s hard to believe that Guatemala will be my last country before I return to the states. But I´m not ready to say goodbye quite yet. My heart is still dancing...and the avocadoes are still ripe!

With love,

Pam

Volcanos, Eathquakes & Avocados - Welcome to Guatemala!

The other morning, I woke up to a loud boom. It wasn't quite a crashing boom, but more of a deep rumbling boom. Perhaps like a bomb might sound. As I was staying in the remote hills of Guatemala, I was pretty sure it wasn't that, so I peeked out of my tent and before my eyes was the source - a huge cloud of black ash from Volcan Fuego spiraling into the bright blue sky. I have to admit, it was beautiful and a smile transformed my face. Me in my lonely tent, on this beautiful slice of heaven in the hills above Antigua, watching nature show Her power. About an hour later during breakfast, I noticed that I had grit all over my body. Then, I saw it...the white and black dust falling from the clear sky. Volcanic ash in my fruit salad. Again, a smile!

About an hour after that, while talking to some new friends around a picnic table we all stopped and looked at each other. "Are you shaking your foot?" "No, are you?" "What is that?" It was an earthquake! A 6.1 magnitude quake (or so my mom tells me) centered not too far from where I was. Amazingly from our mountain perch it was not so dramatic, but again a sign from Mother Nature that she is The Boss. And again, a smile. It's not surprising the the ancient Maya worshipped nature as their God.

Guatemala is beautiful. It's simple and slow like Nepal and Laos, but with a strong Mayan culture backdrop. It's exactly like I remember it, which is exactly why I am back. After a visit over 15 years ago, I swore that I would return in my life and study Spanish. I knew that my time then was too short, and this country deserved a deeper exploration. And, what better excuse is there to do something you've always wanted to do (learn Spanish) in one of your favorite countries?

Back to the volcano: One of my first outings here was to hike the local active volcano. I'm pretty sure this kind of activity would not be encouraged in the states, but I took the bait. I hiked with a group of ten other tourists to the top of Volcán Pacaya (there are about 10 active volcanoes in Guatemala). It was a slow haul up a steep slope, through a dense tropical forest. Close to the top, and now embarking up an even steeper slope through loose volcanic ash (imagine running uphill in loose sand) we arrived at rough, sharp volcanic rocks. In the distance I could see red hot lava slowly making it's way down the mountain. And surrounding the lava? What else but marshmallow roasting tourists! While I thought it was an interesting lunch, I wasn't tempted enough to try it for myself. After a quick visit to within five feet of the flowing cauldron, I decided that my luck had served me and it was time to remove myself from the precarious situation. Climbing back over the same really sharp (and loose!) rocks, I broke out my camera just in time to hear the marshmallow-roasting tourists screaming and trying to run over the very dangerous terrain. I managed to snap one photo before beginning the quick exit myself. The earth had "burped", and sent a huge volume of lava over the top of the cauldron. While I did find humor in it, it was a reminder that sometimes laws are a good thing, since the laws of nature don´t read laws. By the way, the only injuries to the masses were simple flesh wounds.

Back in Antigua, my Spanish school, a recommendation of Marjie is fantastic. I have of class each day with a teacher who speaks exclusively Spanish, and study about four more hours. Since I haven't had any formal instruction in 17 years, my learning curve is about as steep as that volcano. It's one-on-one instruction and we've covered as much in three days as I learned in a year of high school instruction. My teacher Aura is good! And I am working hard to keep up with the lessons, but enjoying every second of it. I will continue to study here for at least another week, but up to four weeks total if I'm still having fun.

Fun for me includes exploring the food, which right now in Guatemala means eating lots of delicous, fresh, juicy mangoes (my favorite!) and perfectly ripe avocados just falling from the trees. I usually am able to incorporate at least one during every meal. Today for lunch it was a spinach salad with mangoes, strawberries, avocado and thin strips of toasted tortillas. Yum!

I am excited to learn more about the Mayan customs, culture and calendar while here in the heart of Mayan country. This is from the Lonely Planet:

"The ancient Maya's astronomical observations and calculations were uncannily accurate. They could pinpoint eclipses, and their Venus cycle erred by only two hours for periods covering 500 years. Time was in fact the basis of the Mayan religion. They believed the current world to be just one of a succession of worlds, each destined to end in cataclysm and be succeeded by another."

Interestingly, their current calendar ends in 2012. I hope to find out more in June when I spend the solstice at a month-long course in Mayan shamanistic studies on the beautiful shores of Lake Atitlan. The sun, the moon and the stars were all critical to their beliefs, so I will look to them for divine guidance!

Is it coincidence that my brand new memory card is not being read by my memory card reader?Yes, I know who´s the boss. Unfortunately, no photos for this post so your imagination will have to do.

Next week I will go to Costa Rica to spend a quick week with Joanie researching and planning for Parsons GoodWorks upcoming fundraising for the turtles. (Send me an email if you would like to be kept on the list to receive more information.)

Besos,

Pam

Visiting the Motherland...with My Mom

Some of you may not know that I am Polish. OK, my maternal grandmother is one-half Polish, which makes me merely one-eighth. But I have been raised feeling that Poland was my European home. While on my "world adventure" I decided that it was important to see where I am "from", where my ancestors lived and died, and meet the relatives with whom my mom has held the torch for more than 30 years. So I did it. With my mom. To the motherland. Amazing!



We flew into Berlin a few days apart from each other (for which I was forgiven - thank you Mom!) and left the next day for Torun, which would be our home base in Poland. Greeted at the train station by Kuba, my cousin, I was immediately comfortable and relishing in the feeling of "home." Kuba and his wife Kasia, are wonderful. In their early 30's, they both work as English teachers and embarrassingly have better grammar than me. (Does anyone remember "future perfect" tense?) But their language skills certainly enhanced our experience. As did their two adorable children who I have promised to be able to communicate with the next time I visit.




Upon arrival, Kuba said to me, "Pam are you REALLY a vegetarian or was your mom just playing a cruel joke on us?" I confirmed that indeed I was and I got the most hilarious, confounded head shake because Polish people really don't know how to cook without meat. I sent his mother, who was planning a feast, into a fit of craziness until she learned that I ate fish. Phew! Crisis averted... Oh, and all those desserts? I ate plenty of those vegetarian delights in addition to all the other delicious foods that they learned how to cook on my behalf. Thank you Kasia & Maria!







Here are two of my favorite things in Poland - above is Franek, who's a year and a half, and Bella the beautiful golden lab. At left, that's Anastasia, Kasia and a very cold and ill-prepared me!


Coincidentally, while we were in Torun, Kasia's Saturday English class was on "cross cultural communication," so she invited me to speak to her class about the cultural differences and communication styles in the different countries that I have visited. It was a great experience to speak in my best "simple English" to these students, which included doctors and teenagers alike. It was a joy!




Above are my Polish cousins...Lucy, Kuba, Mariusz and Gabi.


We spent the weekend, a gloriously sunny one, meeting our "live" relatives and visiting the graves of some deceased ones too. Not to be krass, but I've never spent so much time at cemeteries in my life. And it turned out to be a really powerful part of my Poland experience. We visited great-great-grandfathers and grandmothers, aunts and uncles and cousins. Standing next to Kuba at the gravesite of our common ancestors, I felt connected to a world much larger than me. This was the world of my ancestors, and I left feeling the love for their homeland.















Mom and I also went up to the north part of the country on the Baltic Sea, to the cities of Gdansk and Sopot. Talk about beautiful places! The weather was fantastic, the rich seafaring history of the area was evident, and the town - which was 80% destroyed by bombs during World War II - is alive and thriving. We shopped, ate, drank and laughed. I also got to visit my first ever castle in Malbork near Gdansk, that was built beginning in the twelfth century. It is the largest brick castle in the world. Spectacular!



Unfortunately, I only got to spend about two days in Berlin but I really loved it! The cosmopolitan vibe, beautiful architecture, rich history, beautiful museums, lovely walking path along the Spree River and the great food contributed to our nice time in the city. That said, we were there during the Easter weekend, which here means Saturday, Sunday AND Monday which meant that most of the shops were closed. Oh well, I will just have to go back!

After I made my plane to Amsterdam (whee!), I got to spend eight days with Gerdien in her home country, and Jaya who also was a part of the Annapurna Circuit trek. We biked everywhere, ate constantly and abundantly (lots of cheese!) and laughed constantly. It was a fantastic week, and cemented a lifetime of friendship with these two amazing women.

I'm in New England now hanging out with my paternal relatives. Coincidentally, there is a family party while I'm here so I will get to see all the cousins! Last night was karaoke at the American Legion Hall in Medford (say "Meffa" and sound like a local), and Beth and I did the worst rendition of "I Will Survive" ever. But of course, because it's Beth we had a great time entertaining the "blue heads and nearly deads" (her words!) and never stopped laughing the entire evening.



I leave tomorrow for a quick day in LA before heading to Guatemala. Chapter Two of my World Adventure is coming to a close, and Chapter Three will begin on Tuesday.


I got a fantastic email today from "The Universe" and I love it. It says,

"Pam, isn't it nice to know that you haven't yet laughed, all that you'll
laugh? That you haven't yet met some of your very best friends? And that you
haven't yet dreamed all that you'll manifest?

That all bridges will be mended? That all sadness will be healed? And that life never ends? That all your challenges will be won? That all of your triumphs will be shared? And that the difference you'll make has already begun?"

I am grateful for all that I have learned, and looking forward to growing into it all.

With love,
Pam

Ho Chi Minh - Universe - Berlin

So, perhaps you've read to the very end of my last blog post to hear about my idiotic military time mistake. That little two-hour mistake cost me $800. But when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! After I finally got over my absolute frustration with myself for missing that flight, and leaving my mom alone for two days while I languished in transit, I decided that there was a reason that I was not supposed to be on that flight. The Universe had something else in store for me, I was sure.

First at the Ho Chi Minh airport, I said to myself, I hope I sit next to someone interesting on this flight! Thereby, giving the Universe permission to put someone next to me (a Liz Gilbert-esque teacher) with a lesson to share. Alas, I was given Delbert, a late-20's guy's guy from Louisiana who called me Ma'am. Delbert works for an oil company in "offshore," lingo for something I really didn't want to know anything about. I revoiced my intention, aiming a little lower this time. "Universe, please let me meet someone and have a meaningful conversation."

Enter Javier and Andrew. Arriving in Hong Kong, I almost immediately bump into these two civil engineers who work in Madrid. One of them, Javier, was from Barcelona and Andrew was from Torun, Poland - the very place where I will spend the weekend with my mom! We all shared a beer and a very serendipitous moment. Andrew will be in Torun next week and there's a chance that we will get to meet again there. Javier promised to be my Spanish penpal when I return from Guatemala, and help me hone my Spanish language skills. Thank you Universe!

Andrew and Javier had just missed a flight for no good reason at all, so we had plenty of laughs to share over our common fate. So, when I told them I had to leave to go catch my plane because "Missing one plane is a bad mistake, missing two is just plain stupid," they agreed. So I went to (what I thought) was my gate, looked at the enormous line and decided to send them both an email so we could stay connected. After a brief stint online near the gate, I got to the end of the enormous line before the stewardess checked my boarding pass. You are not at this gate! This is Cathay Pacific! You are on British Airways!" (Note: my flight to Hong Kong actually was a combined British Airways/Cathay Pacific flight, so I wasn't being completely stupid.) She said it with such urgency, and I knew that my flight - wherever it was - was certainly in it's final stages of boarding. And if you've ever been to the Hong Kong airport, you will appreciate my panic because of the sheer size. I ran in my flipflops, with my carry on bouncing away, as fast as my feet would carry me towards Gate 17. I was really out of breath when I saw a representative of British Airways holding a sign, I showed her my boarding pass and she said, as panicked as she could, "RUN!" So I ran behind this 89-pound woman wearing proper shoes for running through an airport like OJ Simpson, and ran and ran. When I got to the gate, they were just shutting the doors. I was the Last Person on That Plane to Heathrow. It was a really close call!

So then I sit down, huffing and puffing, next to this amazing woman from Brazil, Denise. Denise is a university professor in Macau, and we connected almost immediately. Which was a good thing, because it was a 13-hour flight and we had LOTS of time to talk! We talked about life, love, and learning and we each felt like we'd received the angel that we needed. Score 2 for Universe!

Right behind us during the flight was a family traveling with two children, 4 and 1. And during the entire flight (I am not kidding) at least one of them was crying, sometimes both, and often with the kind of shrill that makes you wince in pain. And, while they wailed they kicked the seats in front of them wildly, which were our seats. The whole time I was thinking about what lessons I needed to take away from that.The parents were relatively unconcerned about their kids breakdowns (which is understandable on a long flight, but come on folks! Get a grip on those young screamers!) Needless to say, neither one of us got very much sleep at all, and But that was OK too, because we both had long layovers at Heathrow and we continued our amazing conversations. She's invited me to Brazil, and I'm holding out hope that she winds up calling the USA her home. Oddly enough, Denise almost missed HER flight because we were having so much fun!

So I am now sitting in Heathrow airport, the biggest shrine of Western Culture that I could possibly meet upon my re-entry to Western Culture. Needless to say, it's shocking. But I'm sure there is a lesson here for me too, I'm just trying to figure out what it is.

Berlin, I will be there shortly. I'm looking forward to meeting you!

Closing the Book on Asia; Loving Marjie's 'Hood

I spent the past four days experiencing the magic of Vietnam that Marjie has been writing about in her blog for the past eight months. I've been living vicariously, reading about the castle, her neighborhood, her school, the amazing food, her new friends, the Bum Bum and Nam. Marjie is a friend from Seattle who decided to come live and teach in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) starting last August. Our journeys embarked at about the same time, and we've been voyeurs into each other's worlds through our blogs. So it is appropriate that you have to be a voyeur into her amazing world (http://marjiebowker.blogspot.com/2009/03/pams-top-ten-list.html) read about my thoughts on and experiences in Saigon in the previous three blog posts, the last one authored by me!


For now, I am going to use this space to reflect on Asia, and my parting impressions of six and a half months traveling in Nepal, India, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. (You can click on the country's name to go back to read my more thorough blog posts on each country. Unfortunately, I'm not able to access my photo library right now so see the individual blog posts for images.)


Before this trip, my only impressions of Asia were formed in high school during a two week trip to Japan and Hong Kong. But I know now that you can not stereotype Asia, or any other continent I am sure. Each country is so unique - culture, clothes, food, music, landscape - and the people so different!


Nepal is absolutely beautiful, and somewhere that you have to go if you have any interest in hiking and the outdoors. It allows you to peek into the lives of the rural villagers as you trek through the mountains, experiencing the majesty of the Himalayas. Perhaps because Nepal was my first destination I hold a special place in my heart for it, like a first born. But what I think actually happened is that Nepal woke my Spirit. I can almost cry thinking about the loving, warm, generous people of Nepal. Though they are poor, unlike India they really don't have any concept of wealth so you don't feel like they are desperate when they see you for the Western lifestyle of abundance. And, it is a great country for women traveling alone.


India calls me back in a way that none of the other countries I've visited do. As much as I loved Nepal, I feel like I got to see it and know it, from the peaks of the Annapurna to the flatlands of the terai. But in India, I feel like I need at least another three months to see what I want to see and learn what I want to learn. India gets under your skin, and infects you with an appreciation of beautiful chaos. There my open Spirit was like a sponge drinking it all in. I could not get enough! And honestly, would have stayed the rest of my time there if my visa hadn't been expiring. Just the other night I finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire and it gave me goosebumps. Though it was filmed in Mumbai, I could feel the energy, the joy, the poverty, the paradox of all of India. I am glad that I wasn't traveling alone here. Not that it would be impossible for sure, but certainly I didn't feel as safe as I did in Nepal, though luckily I escaped any scary situations. But mostly, I am so glad that I had Gerdien to share so many of my experiences because otherwise no one would ever understand or frankly believe the things I saw!


Then it was off to shiny, clean, organized Thailand. Perhaps being in Nepal and India for five and a half months tainted my perceptions, but I really didn't love Thailand like everyone told me I would. It was too Western for it's own good, and the true essence hard to find. At one time, maybe 20 or 30 years ago I think Thailand was a beautiful country with the culture and beauty that I was expecting to walk into. But now it exists too much for the tourists, and that gives it a positively sanitary, safe feeling. Needless to say, I wasn't sad to leave nor would I choose to return to Thailand again.


Laos was raw, unplugged and unfiltered. While there is a tourist culture for sure, there is also a beauty and magic that is so pure and joyful. You needn't go far past the tourists to see what Laos really is. It's a relatively small country (6 million versus India's 1.2 billion) so most of the people live in very small towns and villages. The beauty of the mountainous northern region was staggering, and I will never forget to happiness of the people! Laos is definitely a country that I would recommend to anyone with an adventurous spirit, and I can't wait to get back myself.


Because I only spent seven days in Siem Reap, I hardly feel like I can comment authoritatively on Cambodia. What I do know is that Cambodia has a sadness that permeates the culture. Perhaps it is the poverty, but most likely it is the legacy of the Khmer Rouge era in which an entire generation, nearly 1/5 of the population, was killed in the mid-1970's. The people are soft and gentle, the culture is survivalistic (new word?) and the landscape is rather flat. This is a country in need of some serious NGO work, and luckily there are groups like Cambodia We Care who are really taking an interest in rebuilding this war-ravaged country.


I can't say that I have impressions of Vietnam. Rather, I got a peek into a microcosm of Saigon, and more specifically into Marjie's world. I loved my experience here, and indulged my way through her neighborhood - especially at the Bum Bum! It was wonderful to connect with home, cry with someone who knew Sadie, and experience small town life in a great big city. While Saigon is probably not a place I would necessarily want to come back to, Marjie's little neighborhood is a place that I could call home. It is a divine slice of heaven!

Next on the agenda: after a military time mistake (20:30 is 8:30 pm Pam, not 10:30! Doh!) and missing my flight to Berlin to meet my mom (Sorry Mom! It was a completely idiotic but honest screw up) I am off to try to book a new flight to meet up with Mom. We will have nearly two weeks to reconnect, laugh and experience the Western world together.

With love,
Pam

Cambodia, Clint Eastwood-style

While I didn't get into any gun-slinging battles while visiting Cambodia, I did have to use my mean voice. And, I did discover the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly about this country. Thankfully, I also got to experience the beautiful in the children of a very small, very poor village.


Good: The Temples of Angkor




When I was in India, I (intentionally) missed the Taj Mahal. Not that I didn't want to see it, but the rumors of tour buses outnumbering the beautiful moments made me think twice. To tell you the truth, I kind of regret that decision. After all, I know it's something that I should see in my lifetime! So, when I got to Cambodia I knew that I wouldn't forgive myself for missing Angkor Wat, what some people call the "Eighth Wonder of the World." And it was really amazing. The photo above is of sunrise over Angkor Wat, which is magical. There is such a rich history in Siem Reap and Cambodia, that those of us in the US can just never comprehend. Many of the temples were constructed more than 1,100 years ago, and they still retain the character and grandeur of their original intention, with a few natural additions (see the tree!). There is an interesting combination of Buddhist and Hindu temples, all reflecting the religious beliefs of the king who built them. And, what's more, there are probably hundreds more yet to be discovered. I spent two solid days from sun-up to sun-down enjoying the highlights of the huge Angkor kingdom which at one time stretched from Myanmar to Vietnam.

While it was beautiful and amazing and I'm glad I did it, when you travel in this part of the world it's kind of easy to get "templed-out" because of the vast number that you visit. I fear that I didn't absorb all that I should've because of my overloaded brain. Sadly, more than once I wished for a memory stick to hold all of this new information!

Bad: The Vendors

Part of the reason that I didn't LOVE the Temples of Angkor as much as I should've is that the vendors around the temples were the most aggressive that I've encountered to date - anywhere! Apparently they do not hear you when you say no, or at least they refuse to acknowledge that they hear you. So, they ask you (I am not kidding) maybe 20 or 30 times if you want to buy their goods. After answering one girl's questions 20 times and showing her the postcards I had purchased from another vendor, I started to lose my patience. After all, they were following me asking repeatedly the same question again and again and again and ARGH! I finally lost it and (regretfully) got a little rude. At one point a child followed me for 1/4 mile asking if I would buy her postcards. "Lady. Cheap price. Only 10 for one dollar. Lady. Lady. Good price. You want to buy. Lady, please. Lady, good price only for you. Lady...". I finally turned around and looked the girl in the eyes, after politely declining at least 20 times, and shouted, "NO! I DO NOT WANT TO BUY YOUR POSTCARDS!" So she did what every good Angkor child vendor does in response to this situation - she cried. God, I felt terrible but also I was glad she finally stopped asking me. Similar situations happened at least once an hour and it really burned me out. I was exhausted, not from the walking or the scorching heat, but from the vendor battles! And, in case you're wondering, I still didn't buy her postcards. Gulp.


Ugly: Khmer Rouge genocide

Though the country has done a good job of "polishing up" the horrors of the past (that is, they are not so evident to passing tourists) reading a bit about the country's history you learn why there is a heaviness in the air here. The legacy of the Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia is still fresh. The genocide of the 1970's in which 2 MILLION people perished under Pol Pot is an unforgettable part of their world. Every Cambodian person that I met lost at least one family member in this atrocity, and they talked about it with such resignation. I found myself wondering why I had never learned about the Khmer Rouge in school - neither high school nor college. I had to watch the movie The Killing Fields to get a sense of the horrors, though while here I read a book about one girl's account of her life growing up. Both of her parents were dead (murdered) by the time she was 7 years old. She was one of the lucky ones and survived the executions, tortures, starvation and labor camps imposed on many of Cambodia's people.

This sweet woman's grandfather lived in a labor camp during the war, and while he did live he lost a leg due to a land mine during that period. And that is the legacy that the U.S. has left in Cambodia - there are still somewhere between 3 million and 6 million UXOs (live land mines) in the country, and nearly every day someone (often playful children) is killed or maimed by one. There are several NGOs working to remove the mines, but it is a very time consuming process just to get one. I spent a few hours at the Landmine Museum and found myself in tears the whole way through. Very upsetting to say the least. The good news about all this ugliness is that the perpetrators are finally being brought to trial to take responsibility for their action here. Interestingly though, while I expected the Cambodian people to be elated to finally see some justice, most of them just didn't care. Their wounds have healed and though the trial seeks justice for the people of Cambodia, I got the feeling that they would rather just leave the past in the past, and continue on in their now-regular lives. Here's a story from yesterday's New York Times if you want to learn more...






The Beautiful: The Children

I had the fantastic opportunity to spend some time in Cambodia working with an organization called Cambodia We Care. They work in partnership with a wonderful Siem Reap hotel called the Shinta Mani, and together they are funding projects to improve life for the neediest local residents. We spent a day traveling to the Pouk School in a very small, desparately poor village called Sambour to deliver lunch, school uniforms, school supplies and clothes. My goal was to assist in this mission and to gather information to help the organization get some publicity. But back to the school...imagine trying to get an education here:




In this tiny one room school house (if you can even call it that), there were over 100 students. Because there weren't proper walls, seats or desks, kids of all ages from all over the village came to peek in to see what was happening at school, since it was the only thing going on in town. There was one small chalkboard, and that was it. Most of the kids didn't even have a pencil or paper until we delivered them. To raise the $30,000 needed to build a new school (think about that number), sometime later this summer or in early fall there will be a fundraiser in Seattle. Please let me know if you'd like to donate or attend! Date and details TBD...

I write this post from Vietnam where I am having an amazing culinary tour, complements of my friend Marjie who is teaching here. Check out her blog (http://marjiebowker.blogspot.com/) to see what I've been up to this weekend! I will do my own post soon, but hers summarizes my permanently smiling face and endlessly full belly!


With love,
Pam