Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk...

...but first there is Koh Samui on a motor bike. This small island has one main road with two stoplights, no police, and a large population of motor bikes. I thought that taking a motor bike out on the wrong side of the road would be an easy task considering my time on mini bikes and dirt bikes as a kid and my time driving a moped to and from work. Nope, none of this mattered. Motor bikes in Koh Samui go at all speeds, pass on all sides, and have multiple babies and kids on board with a mother talking or texting on her phone. No joke, it was crazy! But it was the most efficient ($6-10/day) means of getting from point A to B, so motor biking we went! Surprisingly, Chris and I only had a few kerfuffles on the motor bike and managed to leave the island in one piece.

We lived a hard life of doing yoga twice a day, kayaking, paddle boarding, eating delicious Thai food, and relaxing as much as Chris and I are capable of doing. It was truly the "vacation" part of my trip. I very much enjoyed having a travel mate for 10 days. Actually, I'm not sure if I would have survived Bangkok without Chris. Well, let me rephrase that, I wouldn't have been able to do some activities in Bangkok without Chris. I would have also bought clothes (not that we did any of that at a night market) for too much money and would would have had no means of bringing them back with me. I am one lucky girl.

One day in Bangkok was enough for our taste. We saw Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. We walked around markets by the river before taking a Tuk Tuk to a night market on Khao San Road. A Tuk Tuk is a three-wheeled motor taxi (see picture below). The night market is incomparable to anything in Minnesota. I wanted to describe it by contrasting it to a farmer's market or the state fair, but it's just too unique. It's a provocative, hodgepodge market selling knock-offs of every sort. It is rowdy with bars and street music. We indulged in street food and had a hard time deciding between a foot massage and a tattoo. I will let you conjecture which one Chris decided upon.

My surreal vacation in Thailand has now ended. I arrived yesterday to political uproar in Nepal. They are on "strike," which means that a large portion of Kathmandu is shut down. But not to worry, I am currently sitting at an organic cafe on a circle cushion cross-legged at a table that is about two feet high. I'm wearing Nepali clothing (shoulders and legs down to calves covered), eating vegetable korma (vegetables and rice served in coconut and cashew curry) and drinking green tea. Despite chaos on the streets, I have had nothing but kind and genuine interactions. I feel safe and calm in this humble country.

I'm not exactly sure what's in store for me these next two weeks. I do know that I will be disconnecting almost completely except to tell family my whereabouts and that I'm alive and well. That being said, this will be my last blog entry until I return to Minnesota. Goodbye my friends and thank you very much for caring enough to read my blog. I will see you back in Minnesota.

In and Out with Geraldine

Where would one be without the lovely, quaint town of Geraldine and the amazing hospitality of Bev and Walt? I'm sure I would have been left out to dry in New Zealand. Bev and Walt opened their doors to a complete stranger. I actually received their contact information from a patient at The Masonic Cancer Clinic. They didn't know a thing about me except that I was a nurse in Minnesota. It didn't matter though, they greeted and farewelled me at the airport with giant hugs. They drove me to and from the airport, they fed me, they took me to the doctor, Walt took me out in his truck for a lesson in driving a manual on the wrong side of the road, I had a private bed and clean towels (I'm so over hostel living and using my camp towel. It was a luxury to have my own bed in my own room and to use a full-size cotton towel), I had reliable free internet, and I had great laundry facilities. My heart swells with gratitude. Bev and Walt's kindness and genuine concern for my well-being were exuded through their words and actions. They were perfectly placed at the start and end of my New Zealand adventures. Below is a "must see" in Geraldine--it is recognized by the "Guinness Book of Records" as the largest jersey in the world! Also below is the "Yield" sign of New Zealand. "Give Way" sounds more open and inviting than yield. It's also an appropriate travel mantra..."Give way to what lies ahead." And what lies ahead is a dream vacation in Koh Samui involving yoga, kayaking, amazing food, and Chris (http://www.evolutionofyoga.com/)!!!

Life In A Campervan

It was so great to see my mom and Tim in New Zealand! Even though we were in New Zealand, I felt at home traveling with family. Driving a manual campervan is no easy feat. Tim navigated the windy, narrow roads of New Zealand with ease...as long as my mom was sitting in the back. We did it all in our four short days together--bungee jumping from the world's first bungy (sorry, pictures cannot be disclosed for proof at this time), zip-lining through dense forests, taking a cruise in Doubtful Sound, and tramping around Milford Sound. I enjoyed getting to know Tim more and was impressed by how well my mom and Tim embraced the uncertainties and handled the obstacles that come with traveling in an unfamiliar environment. The New Zealand saying "no worries" became commonplace in the campervan, and greatly helped my mom relax in the back seat, or so she said.

Life in a campervan ended when I was dropped off at the start of the Routeburn Track. My last tramp in New Zealand provided stunning alpine views. And, my pack was a bit lighter this time around, or maybe my back and shoulders are adjusting to the weight. I now feel like one with my pack. It feels like something is missing when it isn't strapped tightly to my body. Does this mean I'm becoming a true tramper?