Yes, I am alive

Much apologies for my extended absence-- blame it on a) laziness and b) a bout of Mono. Yes that's right, I was essentially out of commission for almost the entire month of March, so you haven't missed too much. Thankfully, I am feeling much better and have gotten my energy back which means I've been out and about again.

Actually, since my last entry on my trip to Khao Sok in Southern Thailand, I have already been back twice (once right before I got sick and once just this past week). It may sound crazy, going back to the same place every month when there are so many things to do and see in this country/ area of the world. But honestly, after being gone for 7 months, I am getting a bit tired of always being in unfamiliar situations, of not knowing what to do or when I'm getting ripped off, of being lost or clueless, etc. So instead, I really enjoy being able to tell the taxi drivers who are trying to rip me off that I don't want a ride because I know how to take the local bus for a heck of a lot cheaper, and knowing to walk over to Art's if we want to watch the monkey's, and knowing to go to Thai Herb for a delicious meal, etc. And most importantly, I know some really awesome people down there. And I've really enjoyed spending my travel time developing relationships with these Thai people as opposed to taking photographs of yet another waterfall or yet another temple, ya know? So I'll fill you in on some highlights of those two trips.

One evening was spent with our friend Ja and members of his extended family at the bungalows that his sister and her husband own. Ja brought us there to prepare a bar-b-que dinner for us. So what did we have? Pig's head. Luckily, the pig harvest from last semester prepared me for the plate of cartilage and fat and facial features that we were presented with. All things considered, it was pretty good. The meal also included a delicious yet spicy green curry and a soup with fish that Ja had speared earlier that day.

The majority of our nights down there are spent outside around a table at the bar where Ja works. We waste away the night Ja, Baw, Beer, Lek, Lek's Canadian husband, and whoever else chooses to stop by--playing cards, playing guitar, telling stories, and what not. It's always a ridiculous, chill, fun, relaxing time.

We spent two nights at one of the National Park's floating bungalows on the giant lake. This site was a little deeper into the jungle than the last we were at so we got to see a lot more wildlife. We saw: wild pig, a whole pack of bull/buffalo things, a couple of truly impressive hornbills, longtail macaque monkeys, langas, an owl, a deer, and a mouse deer, all from the safety of a longtail boat. While walking though, we came across a set of wild elephants tracks. There were just deep circles embedded in the dirt close to 2 feet in diameter--that is a giant animal! We were actually lucky not to see it though, as they can be quite dangerous.

We had quite the memorable Easter breakfast during our stay on the lake. We walked a little ways up a river into the jungle to a nice spot with downed logs to sit on. While us girls took in the scenery, Ja and Do cooked us a meal using only bamboo. They made a fire which burnt dried bamboo. They boiled water inside a tube of bamboo which they then poured into bamboo cups using a bamboo laddle, in order to serve us our choice of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee. Then, they cooked scrambled eggs inside a section of bamboo while they toasted bread by spearing the pieces with thin strips of bamboo and propping them up next to the fire. Keep in mind, all of these utensils and instruments were fashioned on the spot. Pretty impressive and pretty delicious.

One night while we were out on the lake, looking for wildlife, we stopped the boat for a while to wait for the sun to set. So the guys Ja and Do started fishing-- as they do anytime the boat is stopped. Ja caught a small fish which he immediately chopped up in order to use for bait in the hopes of catching something bigger. Well, he did. After some struggling, he pulled a 2 foot long snake head fish into the boat. It got a bit hectic on board that small boat with a massive flopping fish plus 5 people-- 3 of which being girls unprepared to deal with a massive flopping fish. But no worries, they eventually managed to stow it between the thin bamboo slats of flooring and the hull of the boat. It was late by the time we got back that night, so we ate the fish the next night instead. They bar-b-qued it over a fire and it was honestly delicious.

Our trips down there also included a visit to an impressive cave full of stalactites and stalagmites that resembled a coral reef, trips to local temples where we fed the fish and monkeys that live there, plenty of swimming in the lake and in the river, and plenty of reading, napping, and ice cream eating. So even though I go back to the same place, there is always something new and exciting to do and always plenty of relaxing to be done.

Since my last post I also took an overnight trip to a National Park outside of Bangkok. We spent the night in a tent and walked on concrete pathways to a couple of waterfalls. But the highlight of the trip was actually outside of the park. Someone had read about a bat cave where every night you can watch the bats fly out to feed. Well, it turned out to be quite the adventure to get ourselves there, involving some hitchhiking, some awkward encounters with the locals, some negotiating for a guide, and a lot of confusion. But, we made it, after a walk up a crazy steep rocky slope. We arrived at the entrance to the cave about an hour before sunset. We poked our heads inside but there wasn't much to see except darkness and the stench of bat shit was literally unbearable. So we simply camped out outside the cave and waited. Eventually, the humming and chirping of the bats grew louder and louder. One brave bat circled around the entrance to the cave several times before flying sporadically out and down over the tops of the trees. Then another decided to show its face. Then a few more started making the rounds near the entrance before disappearing into the darkening sky. AND THEN, they came. Bat after bat after bat came erupting out of the mouth of the cave. Not that you could even identify a single bat's body. Instead, it was just a mass of dark bodies and flapping wings. They formed a river, starting at the cave and flowing out, around the corner, down the cliff, through the tree tops. Each bat followed the same path, packed together like a school of fish. Honestly, it was just like that scene from The Green Mile when John Cawfey tilts his head up, opens his mouth, and releases a continuing stream of flies. It was absolutely unreal, especially considering that it went ON and ON and ON. Actually, we left before they had stopped because it was getting too dark which meant our walk back would be dangerous. We literally sat and watched for over ten minutes and they were STILL coming. I cannot even fathom how many bats fly in and out of that cave every day.

Those are some of the more exciting things I've done recently. Tonight I am leaving to go to Chiang Mai for about 5 days. Next week is Songkran, the Thai New Year, so we have no school at all. Since this holiday comes at the hottest time of the year (I don't even want to talk about how hot it is here) Thais celebrate by taking to the streets and pouring or shooting water at anyone and everyone. And supposedly nobody celebrates better than the people of Chiang Mai. So I'm headed up there and will stay with my host family from last semester. I am so excited to see them again and to be able to celebrate like the Thais do. I'll let you know how it goes.

So I don't have much more time to write because I need to pack and get ready to go. But I should write something about the current situation in Bangkok. It's gotten bad. Last night, there were the first causalities due to the political unrest. 19 people died last night and some 700 were injured. Feel free to check out the Bangkok Post, The Nation, or the BBC if you want to know more about what's going on. But the jist of it is that the 'red shirts' have been camped out in the city protesting for about a month now, demanding that the government dissolve parliament and call for new elections. They are in support of Thaksin, an ex-prime minister who was ousted in a 2006 coup and who is one of the most corrupt people in politics. Things got violent last night as the government attempted-- and failed-- to clear out their rally sites. A lot of the injuries were due to the use of tear gas and rubber bullets but there were also live rounds fired and bombs, grenades, and molotov cocktails. Things are pretty quiet this morning but obviously tensions are still ridiculously high. And people are especially nervous for next week during the holiday. The governor of Bangkok has cancelled all official Songkran celebrations, unfortunately. The sky train also closed down completely yesterday and the giant shopping malls at the heart of Bangkok's shopping district are still completely closed, along with many roads. It is ridiculous how much money the city, and country, is losing due to the lack of tourism and shopping income. It's all pretty sad-- that it has come to this. Hopefully they can resolve it soon although I'm not holding my breath. Don't worry about me, though, I live in a pretty remote part of the city where it's easy to stay out of the way. Plus, I'm leaving town--granted I can actually get out. I'll update you more on the situation in a week when I get back.

I miss everyone, but am starting to realize that the end is near. I will see you all soon! Hope everything is well. Go cubbies!