Back to my reality...

Y ya volví... Cuando pueda cuento cómo va la cosa por aquí.
And I´m back... When I have a moment I'll tell you how's it goin' here.

Laos

Una vez cruzada la frontera entre Tailandia y Laos me disponia a coger ese barco, que no era un barco. Cinco minutos antes de montarme me dice una pareja de guiris que en una famosa guia de viajes pone que el "Speedboat" que yo iba a coger es "extremadamente peligroso". Yo pienso, "Bah, que exageracion, pero si hacen este recorrido todos los dias! No sera para tanto!". Muy aventurera yo...

Once I crossed the frontier between Thailand and Laos I was about to take that ship, that was not a ship. Five minutes before I get into it a couple told me that a famous travelling guide said that the "Speedboat" that I was about to take was "extremely dangerous". I though "Bah, I'm sure it's not that bad, they do it every day!". I'm very adventurous, you know?

En el mismo speedboat que yo iba un viejo japones con un catarrazo, una pareja de gays y un padre y su hija de 8 anios. Pense "Ves, no es para tanto".

There was a Japanese old man who had a big cold, a gay couple and a father and his 8 years daughter in my speedboat. I thought "You see, it's not such a big deal".

Cuando llego hasta el barco, no era un barco, era una canoa con motor. Me extranio que fuesemos a ir ahi nosotros 6, mas las maletas, mas el conductor, pero bueno. Montamos todos y nos dan un chaleco salvavidas y un casco... uyuyuy... un casco?... esto da respeto, la verdad... Pero bueno... Inmediatamente despues, hacen un poco de sitio y pretenden meter a un tio mas en el bote, un septimo, que era de Laos. Entonces el padre de la ninya se mosquea y dice que de eso nada, que no mas de 6. Yo le secundo y digo que es verdad, que ya esta bien y que es peligroso. El japones igual... Una hora discutiendo con el menda que manejaba el cotarro y no hubo forma. Al final tuve a un laosino al lao to el camino. El y sus dos cajas de carton de equipaje.

When I arrived to the ship it wasn't a ship, it was a canoe with motor. I was suprised thgat we were going to be 6 and our lugagges and the driver but... well. We all got into the "boat" and we are given a life vest and a helmet... oh oh... a helmet?... that's scary, isn't it?... But well... Inmediatly they made room for another person, a seventh guy from Laos. then the father gets pissed off and saiys that that's not going to happen, that not more than 6 persons. I agree with him and I say that he's right, that it's enought and that it's dangerous. Same for the Japanise old man... We sept one hour arguiong with the "boss" and no way. Finally I had a Laotian guy sitting next to me during all the travel. He and his two cardbopard luggage boxes.

Bueno, esto no es nada, aquello se pone en marcha y en diez segunos se pone el cacharro a velocidad absurda, seriously. Y se pone a botar y el conductor se pone a esquivar rocas del tamanyo de un punyo que salen del agua. El agua del Mekon es marron, asi que no se ve lo que hay debajo, solo lo que sobresale. Imaginate el miedo que me entro por el cuerpo. Ibamos cagando leches rio abajo, esquivando rocas y saltando a saco en los rapidos, que no eran pocos. Entonces entendi lo que me habian dicho antes los guiris. De vez en cuando miraba hacia atras y veia al padre abrazando a la ninya por el frio y por el miedo de que saliera volando. Yo miraba para delante y me partia de risa. Me reia de puro nervio. Tenia tanto miedo y sentia una impotencia tal, que lo unico que podia hacer era reirme.

Well, that was nothing, that thing started to move and in ten seconds it get' s ludicrous speed, seriously. And it starts jumping and dodging rocks of a fist size that appeared as we moved. Mekong's water is brown, so you can't see what is under it, only what sticks out. Imagine how scared I was. We were bombing along down the river, dodging rocks and jumping in the rapids, wich were a lot. Then I understood what that couple said. Sometimes I looked back and I saw the father embracing his daughter because of the cold and the fear of she flying away. I looked ahead and started laughing my head off. I laughed nbecause I was too nervous. I was so scared and I felt so helpless that the only thing I could do was laughing.

En fin, cuando ya llevabamos mas de una hora empece a acostumbrarme. A las dos horas y media paramos para comer y seguimos. Asi durante 6 horas. Cuando llegamos a Luang Prabang casi no me quedaba culo. Pero bueno, sobrevivi.

After an hour I started to get used to it. After two hours and a half we stopped for lunch and we carried on. 6 hours altogether. When we arrived to Luang Prabang I almost hadn't ass anymore. But I survived.

Luang Prabang es preciosa. Fue declarada patrimonio de la humanidad por la UNESCO en 1998, creo. Tiene templos increibles, y eso que a estas alturas es dificil sorprenderme despues de tantisimos templos que he visto en este viaje. Hay muchisimos monjes y mucho movimiento de turismo ecologico y comercio justo.

Luang Prabang is very beautiful. It was declared Human Heritage by UNESCO in 1998, I think. It has incredible temples, even if it's hard to surprise me after all the temples I've already seen during this travel. There's a lot of monks, ecoturism and fair trade.

Nunca en mi vida he estado en un pais tan pobre como Laos. Al parecer, mas del 75% de la poblacion vive con menos de 2$ a dia. Ademas es el pais mas bombardeado de la historia. Supongo que todo eso fue durante la guerra de Indochina. Una vez mas los americanos "intentando ayudar(se)".

I've never seen in my life in a poorer country than Lao. Apparently, more than 75% of the population lives with less than 2$ per day. On the top, is the most bombed country of the world. I suppose during Indochine's war. Once again americans "trying to help (themselves)".

Despues de visitar todo, decidi coger un autobus a la capital, Vientiane. Luang Prabang es muy bonita pero muy turistica. Aqui las cosas son muy caras respecto al nivel de pobreza del pais. Supongo que la pasta de los turistas desgraciadamente no ayuda mucho al desarrollo del pais... Por lo menos no a alimentar a la gente de aqui. Por eso, todo lo que he comprado aqui lo he hecho en tiendas de comercio justo, pagando mas o menos el mismo precio que en los mercadillos.

After visiting everything I decided to take a bus to Vientian, the capital. Luang Prabang is very beautiful, but very turistic also. Somethings are very expensive respect to the poverty level of

the country. I supose that turist's money doesn't help very much to the country's developement... At least no to feed the people. That's why all I've bought here I did it in fair trade shops, paying more or less the same price that the one of the markets.

El autobus a Vientiane fue otra aventura. Visto que eran un monton de horas de viaje, decidi coger un autobus VIP (en serio, se llaman asi). Tardan dos horas menos, tienen servicio y llevan aire acondicionado. Bueno, pues menos mal... No quiero ni pensar como iran los de los otros autobuses. Bueno, si me lo imagino, llenos de laosinos que no pueden permitirse el VIP. Aquello pegaba mas botes que un cacharrito de la feria, era todo de hojalata y con mas anyos que el sol jajajaja. Dos tios fueron sentados en banquetas durante las 9 horas de viaje porque no habia mas asientos. Uno de ellos me di cuenta a mitad del camino que llevaba... una metralleta!

The bus to Vientiane was another adventure. Due to the long travel that I was about to make I decided to take an VIP bus (seriously, they call it like that). They take two hours less to arrive, have toilet and aircon. Well... afortunately... I can't imagine the other ones. Well, I can, full of Lao people who can't pay the VIP ones. That jumped a lot, it was all made of tin and very very old hahahahah. Two of the passangers were sitting on stools because there was any more seats. Halfway I realised that one of them had a submachine-gun!

Lo mas fuerte de todo fue toda la pobreza que vi por el camino. No hay casas, solo cabanyas, las carreteras (si hay y no es un camino de tierra) son del anyo catapun... y todos los ninyos jugando al borde de la carretera con la ropa destrozada y llenos de mierda. Es un pais super polvoriento. Todo es marron. Las mujeres curran como mulas. Las gente es increiblemente amable, solo les miras y ya te saludan "Sabaidee!".

The most impressive thing was all the poverty that I saw in my way. There was no houses, just cabins, the road (if itexist and isn't a dirt track) is veeeery ols too... and all the children are playing next to the road with their clothes in shreds and filthy. Is a very dusty country. Everything is brown. Women slave away. People is unbelievable kind, you look at them and they say "Sabaidee!".

Ahora estoy en la capital, Vientiane. Ayer hice un mini curso de tenyido y tejido tipico de Laos. Tejer es genial. Yo quiero una tejedora!

Now I'm at the capital, Vientiane. Yesterday I took a short course about typical Lao diying and weaving. Weaving is great. I want a weaver!
Manyiana vuelvo a Bangkok. Supongo que se acaba lo bueno, pero en fin, empieza otra cosa... Siempre es igual, cada vez que me muevo de sitio mas de un par de semanas siempre me da la sensacion de empezar de nuevo, de haber cambiado yo tambien... Por eso me encanta ;)Tomwrrow I'll come back to Bkk. I supose it's the end, but the beginning of something else... It's allways the same, everytime that I move more than two weeks I always think that I'm starting again, that I,ve changed too... That's why I love it ;)

Agur, yogur!

Finde aคo en Bali,

Despues de Ubud volvi al sur para celebrar el fin de aคo y ver si habia vuelto la calma, no llovia tanto y podia surfear un poco.

After Ubud I came back to the south to celebrate New Years Eve and see if it was a little more quiet, not that rainy and if i could surf a bit.

Me reencontre con mi amiga Ane, que vive con Alain. Ambos trabajan y viven alli para Moonrocks, la marca de ropa que el creo hace siete aคos. Puede que trabaje como comercial o como diseคadora eventual de la marca. Suena bien no? No, en serio, aparte de esta historia, en este viaje estoy pensando dedicarme en un futuro a la costura. Ya lo habia pensado antes, pero ahora estoy pensando cada vez mas que hay que hacer lo qure a una le da la gana y segur tus sueคos. En fin, que nadie se lleve las manos a la cabeza, es solo un proyecto...

I met up with my friend Ane, who lives with Alain. They both work and live there for Moonrocks, the trade mark that he created seven years ago. I might work as a commertial or even disigner for the brand. Sounds good, isn't it?

Seriousli, apart of this, during this travel i'm thinking to work sewing in a future. Ihad already think about it, but now I'm really thinking that you have to do what you want in your life and follow your dreams. Well, don't panic, it's just a project...

El fin de aคo fue genial. Estuvimos cenando en un sitio super bonito con un monton mas de guiris amigos de Alain y luego en una fiesta de guiris que viven en Bali. Ane estaba un poco pachucha asi que se tuvo que ir a casa con toda la pena... Alain, yo y mas gente de la fiesta nos fuimos a la Double Six, un club enorme en Seminyak. La cosa termino tarde, claro, mas o menos cuando empezaban en Espaคa ;)

New Years Eve was great. We had dinner in a very beautiful place with a lot of Alain's foreigns friends and then we went to a party of foreingner inhabitants in Bali (I'm not sure if that's good english but i don't have the time to search it!). Ane didn't feel very good so she had to go home too sad... Alain and me and many other people went to Double Six, an enormous club in Seminyak. We ended late, about same tame they were starting in Spain ;)

Pude surfear un poco, pero hacia viento, el agua estaba asquerosa de tanto que habia llovido, no estoy acostumbrada a los beachbreacks... En fin, un desastre... Tendre que volver, que remedio! ;)

I could surf a little, but it was windy, water was disgusting because of that much rain, I'm not used to beach breaks... So, a disaster... What can I do? I'll have to come back! ;)

El dia 2 por la tarde empezo a llover de nuevo y decidi adelantar mi billete para Bangkok y dejar a estos hijos de la gran Kuta. Ane y yo nos pegamos una cenita en un mejicano y el dia 4 ya estaba alli, en Bangkok, y el dia 5, camino de Chiang Mai en el tren nocturno, con lo cual el dia 6 llegue a Chiang Mai por la maคana.

The afternoon of the 2th started to rain again and I decided to change my ticket to Bangkok and leave these sons of a beach. Ane and I had a last dinner in a Mexican restaurant and the 4th i was already in Bangkok, and the 5th I was in my way to Chiang Mai in a night train, so the 6th in the morning I arrived to Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai es una ciudad con mas contaminacion que... que yo que se que. Es INCREIBLE, llegas y todo apesta a humo de vehiculo. Visite el mercado de Warorot, donde vi muuuchas cosas (ver fotos) y compre un cargamento de telas. Por la noche habia un mercadillo de los domingos.

Chiang Mai is veru\y polluted city. I's unbelievable. You arrive and everything stinks the smoke of vehicles. I visited Warorot's market, where I saw looooots of things (see photos) and I bought a tone of fabric. Same night there was a sunday's market.

Al dia siguente intente buscar un curso de masaje, pero todo caro (minimo 100e) y de al menos 5 dias, asi que he pasado... Cursillo de cocina... paso de cocinar.

Next day I tryed to find a massage course, but everything was too expensive ( minimum 100e) and al least for 5 days, so skip that... Cooking course... I skip that.

Tampoco he hecho niguna de las excursiones que proponen, paso de molestar a las tribus de las montaคas. Los turistas, y ya no digamos en grupo, somos un elemento totalmente ajeno a ellos que solo les causa problemas en su modo de vida no materialista, no desarrollado, etc. en muchos casos. Las mujeres jirafas, mismo tema pero peor,paso de seguir fomentando que les estiren el cuello desde que son pequeคas sin poder elegir para que un puคado de turistas vayan y les hagan unas fotos a cambio de dinero. Ya se que ahora es su modo de vida, pero siempre hay nuevas formas de vivir sin explotar a las mujeres.

I haven't done any of the proposed tours neither. I don't want to bother the mountain tribe. Turist are a strange element in their lifes, imagine groups of tourists... We can just cause them problems in their way of lifenot materialist, not developped, etc. in many cases. Girafe women, same thing but worst. I'm not going to promote that they stretch their necks since they are kids, no choose, just for the money of the turist's photos. I know it's their way of life, but there's always another way of life not exploiting women.

Total, tras este inciso feminista antiglobalizacion continuo. Hoy he cogino un bus a Chiang Rai y de ahi a Chiang Khong, donde me encuentro. Estoy en la frontera con Laos y maคana cruzare el Mekong hasta Huax Hay y de ahi tomare otro barco hasta Luang Prabang.

So, after this feminist antiglobalization digression, I go on. Today I took a bus to Chiang Rai and from there to Chang Khong, where I am. I'm in the border with Laos and tomorrow I'll cross the Mekong to Huax hay and from there I'll took another boat by the Mekong river to Luang Prabang.

Un beso!

Nyoman y las terrazas de arroz

Y visite con Nyoman las terrazas de arroz en Ubud. Increibles. Acercarme al Bali rural me enseño tanto...

And I visited with Nyoman the rice terraces in Ubud. Going to the rural Bali has teached me so much...

Aqui en Bali a cada paso que das te ofrecen transporte. Por un mismo recorrido pueden pedirte desde 8 euros hasta menos de 3. Hay que currarse las tarifas...

Here in Bali you're offered for a transport at every step. For the same distance they could ask you from 8 euros to less than 3. You have to gain your fair...

El otro dia en Ubud "contrate" a Nyoman. Aqui la gente pone los nombres a sus hijos de una forma un poco rara. Va por castas, y la gente de la casta mas baja llama a su tercer hijo Nyoman (todos). Creo que tienen cuatro cuatro o cinco nombres y te toca el nombre segun tu puestro entre tus hermanos. A partir del cuarto o el quinto... vuelven a empezar :) Facil, no? La familia de Nyoman eran 8 hermanos. Asi que supongo que habria alguno repe.

The other day in Ubud I "hired" Nyoman. People here names their children in a weird way. It's all about castas and the people from the lowest casta call their third son Nyoman (everybody). I think they have four or five names and you'll have a name depending on your position among your brothers and sisters. From the fourth or fifth... they start again :) Easy, isn't it? They were 8 in Nyoman's family. I supose there was some name repeated.

Bueno, pues eso. Nyoman me conto muchas cosas. Me conto que llevaba en pie desde las 6 de la mañana buscando clientes para transportar. Que se habia acostado muy tarde porque trabajo buscando clientes para transportar hasta tarde por la noche cuando los turistas salen de los bares. Y ese dia... era su cumpleaños! Estaba contento porque tenia una clienta, yo. Me dijo "Thank you very much, Paula. You give me job". Su madre trabaja haciendo las ofrendas esas que os enseñe en el post anterior. Como las mujeres curran muchisimo fuera de casa aqui en Bali (en todo, hasta el las obras), no tienen tiempo de hacer ellas mismas las ofrendas asi que las compran a alguien ya hechas. La madre de Nyoman gana al dia unas 30.000 rupias, es decir, menos de 3 euros. Su padre se murio hace mucho por culpa de la magia negra. El dice que en Bali hay mucha.

Well, so... Nyoman said a lot of things. He said that he was in the street from 6am looking for costumers to transport. That he went to bed very late because he was working looking for costumers to transport until late night, when the turists go out of the bars. And that day... was his birthday! He was very happy because he has a costumer, me. He said "Thank you very much, Paula. You give me job". His mother works making that gifts that I showed you in the last post. Women work so much out of home (in everything, even in construction) that they don't have the time to make them themselves, so they buy them already maid. Nyoman's mother earn about 30.000 rupees per day, which is less than 3 euros. His father died because of black magic. He said that here in Bali there is a lot.

Me pregunto si yo tenia novio. Le dije que no y no se lo creia. En general ,la gente cree que estoy loca cuando se enteran de que viajo sola y de que no tengo novio porque no quiero. Por no hablar de cuando les digo que vivo en Africa y que no me importa estar con negros ("You like blacks???!!!"). Nyoman me dijo que el tampoco tenia novia porque aqui en Bali "No money, no honey", es decir, "Sin pasta no hay churri". Y claro, el no podia ganar mucha pasta porque solo habia ido a la escuela primaria. Sabia leer Bahasa Indonesia, que es el idioma nacional, pero no sabia hablar bien ingles, ni mucho menos escribirlo. Un turista le habia dicho que tenia que aprender mucho mas ingles para ganar mas dinero, asi que el lo estaba intentando. El turista era un tipo de San Francisco que le habia regalado unas Converse All Stars. El estaba superorgulloso de ellas...

He asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said no and he didn't believed me. In general, people thinks I'm crazy when they know that I travel alone and don't have a boyfriend because I don't want to. Not to say when i say them that I live in Africa and I don't mind being with blacks (You like blacks???!!!). Nyoman said that he didn't have a girlfriend neither because here in Bali "No money, no honey". And, of course, he couldn't make a fortune because he only went to primary school. He could read Bahasa Indonesia, the national language, but he couldn't speak very well English, and he couldn't reading at all. A turist told him that he had to learn much more English to earn more money, so he was trying. The turist was a guy from San Francisco that gave him a pair of Converse All Stars. He was very proud of them...

En fin... historias... Ayer mismo aqui en Kuta otro taxi motorista me dijo que habia que vivir la vidacomo yo hacia, viajando y eso. Que a el tambien le gustaria hacerlo, pero que la pasta... Me dijo que le daba miedo no vivir la vida porque en Bali la esperanza de vida en Bali esta entre los 60 y 70 y puede que el estuviera muerto a los 63, no?

Well... things... Just yesterday another taxi-moto here in Kuta told me that we sould live the life the way a was doing, travelling and all that. He said that he would like to do it aswell, but that the money... He told me that he was scared of death because here in Bali the life expectancy is among 60s and 70s and that at 63 he could be dead isn't it?

Bueno, un besito y no me enrollo mas, en el proximo... fin de año y un poquito de surf.

Well, a kiss and I stop going on, in the next one... new yaers eve and a little of surf.