30 December 2012

going where the climate suits my clothes


4000 ISLANDS IN THE MEKONG RIVER, SOUTHERN LAO
    
     As the temperature plummets here in the northwest corner of America, I begin dreaming about the warmer climate in Lao. The Lao climate is tropical monsoonal. The monsoon rains fall from June to October, and this is the time of major crop cultivation. The Annamite mountain range separates Vietnam from Lao, and blocks the direct effect of typhoons that annually hit Vietnam and the Philippine islands. Usually, the monsoon rains fall in the afternoon, then the skies clear until the next day, when the cycle repeats. There are often extended days of sunshine before the rain cycle continues.
     Rivers are the traditional highways and byways of Lao and at the end of the rainy season, rivers are at their highest and are most navigable. November starts the cool and dry season, and this lasts until February. Temperatures during this season are about 30C (90F) during the day and 20C (70F) during the night. Then comes the hot and dry season, March to May. During this time of year, the temperature can be 40C (110F) during the day and 30C (90F) during the night. Being 15 degrees north of the equator, southern Lao will be a welcome change from my native Seattle, at 48 degrees north of the equator.

MEKONG RIVER, LUANG PRABANG, LAO

11 December 2012

out of the door and into the street all alone


BERGEN, NORWAY
     This blog is about life as a solo traveler. I consider myself a traveler, not a tourist. When I travel, I want to experience the local people’s way of life. I can do this by staying in hostels, guesthouses, or in homestays. I do not stay in hotels or resorts. Rather than taking package tours or tourist buses, I use local transportation. A much slower way to travel, but this method of transportation gives me the opportunity to interact with the local people. Instead of eating in fancy restaurants, I choose to eat at the food stalls on the street. I find that the authentic local food can be enjoyed where the local people eat. As a traveler, I enjoy living outside my comfort zone. I like to push myself to experience new situations and new people. By exploring the world as a traveler, I can do this quite well.

CAMPECHE, MEXICO

     I travel slowly, visiting fewer places, but for longer stays. When I arrive somewhere new, I first look for a place to sleep. Instead of booking a room at a place I’ve never been, I find a place to stay upon arrival. I enjoy this flexibility, and often find some superb accommodations. I am learning to rely on my instinct and intuition, and when I find a place I like, I stay for a while. If I find a place that feels uncomfortable, I move on. This concerns sleeping places as well as cities, town, or villages. If it feels good, I stay for a while. The longer I stay in one place, the more local people I meet, and the easier it is to experience the local peoples lifestyle. Each day begins with no plans, I like the day to unfold as it will. With little effort, opportunities arise and situations present themselves, and my days are full of pleasant happenings.


PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
     
     Of course, the life of a traveler is not always pleasant. Shit happens, but that is a part of life anywhere. Sometimes it gets lonely, but that can be resolved by finding other travelers or interacting with local people. After all, it is the people that make the place. It is the people I meet along the way that later remind me of a place. Other travelers let me look at their guidebooks so I don’t have to carry a heavy travel book. Other travelers trade me their reading books so I only have to carry one at a time. Other travelers share their experiences so I can learn about new places to visit and places to sleep and eat. It is the people I meet that are forever in my heart and mind. The people, make my travels pleasant.


HANOI, VIETNAM


     It is as a traveler, that I have found a country I want to live in. As a traveler, I have found that I like the southern part of this country. And, as a traveler, I have selected a small town to settle myself. Soon, my real adventure begins. Because I have traveled for years as a solo traveler, I am comfortable moving permanently abroad. Sure, it will be difficult at times, but since I am at ease being a traveler, I know I can deal with anything that comes up. Let the wild rumpus begin . . .

13 November 2012

sleepy alligator in the noonday sun

     This blog posting is about Lao wildlife and plants. The Lao people get their protein from food culled from nature, not from farms or ranches. Most of the Lao people live alongside a river, making fish their main source of protein. The giant Mekong catfish can grow up to three meters long and can weigh as much as 300 kg. Unfortunately, the damming of the Mekong River is leading to its extinction in the wild. Overfishing of lakes and rivers also poses a risk to fish species. Lao has about 340 species of fish, the main ones being catfish, barb, carp, sharkminnow, and sheatfish. Among the endangered aquatic species in Lao, are the Irrawaddy dolphin and the Siamese crocodile.

BATHING BEFORE GIVING ME A RIDE THROUGH THE JUNGLE AND ACROSS THE RIVER, NEAR TAT LO
    
     Lao has one of the least disturbed ecosystems in Asia. This is due to its overall lack of development and low population density. Lao was once known as 'the land of a million elephants'. However, today, only about 800 remain in the wild. Another 1200 Asiatic elephants are used for heavy labor in the logging and agricultural fields. Some are being used in the tourism industry. I took an elephant ride earlier this year, and I was thrilled with the experience! These large mammals move gently through the narrow jungle trails and over the slippery river rocks! Amazing! Elephants are revered in Lao, and I watched eight elephants walk down the main street of Champasak, on their way to a Buddhist celebration at Wat Phou, Lao's most important archeaological site. All the Champasak families came out to watch this elephant procession, and the children brought the elephants bananas, leaves, and water. A joyful celebration that occurs every february! I'm looking forward to watching the elephant races next year!!!

ELEPHANTS STROLLING DOWN THE MAIN STREET IN CHAMPASAK, LAO

     Almost all the wild animals in Lao are threatened to some extent by hunting and habitat loss. Animals native to Lao include the lesser panda, raccoon dog, Lao marmoset rat, Owston's civet, and the pygmy slow loris. The most noted of Lao's wildlife are the primates. Five species of gibbon, the Phayre's leaf monkey, two types of langur, and several macaques are all unique to Lao. The list of endangered species is long, the most notable being the Asiatic black bear, the Malayan sun bear, the tiger, leopard, and the clouded leopard. Some endangered species are so rare, they were unknown until recently. In 1992, the spindlehorn, a horned mammal, was found in the Annamite mountains. This animal was described in 14th century Chinese journals and was thought to have died out. In 2005, a species of rock rat was discovered, the sole surviving species of a prehistoric group of rodents that died out about 11 million years ago.

BREAKFAST BEFORE GIVING ME A RIDE
    
     Forest covers about 70% of Lao, and the country ranks 17th in the world in terms of forest cover as a percentage of total land cover. Most of the vegetation is associated with monsoon forests, and is a mixture of deciduous trees. There are no rainforests in Lao, though nonindigenous rainforest species, like the coconut palm, do exist in the lower Mekong River valley. Teak, padauk (Asian rosewood), and mahogany grow in the forest cover. Many fruit trees, bamboo, and a large amount of flowering species are also found. In the higher plateaus, grasslands and savanna are common. The Bolaven Plateau, in the southern part of the country, is home to high-grade coffee and tea plantations. There are 20 national protected areas in Lao, protecting 18% of the country, making Lao one of the most protected countries on the planet!

11 November 2012

his job is to shed light, and not to master

TAT KUANG SI, NEAR LUANG PRABANG, LAO

     Land-locked Lao is about the size of Great Britain. Over 70% of the country is covered by mountains and plateaus. Northern Lao is made up of steep-sloped mountain ranges and the highest peak is 2820 meters high. Southern Lao is mostly fertile plains, where the majority of Lao agriculture takes place. The Annamite mountain range, 1500-2500 meters high, separates Lao from Vietnam. The Mekong River separates Lao from Thailand. The mighty Mekong River, with its source on the Tibetan Plateau, flows through Lao, bringing fertile soil to the rice, vegetable, and fruit fields in southern Lao. The Mekong River, as well as its many tributaries, also supplies the Lao people with a vital part of their diet, fish. 4% of the total surface area of Lao is arable land, compared to 30% of the total surface area of Thailand. 1% of the total surface area of Lao is irrigated, compared to 10% of the total surface area of Thailand.

       
                            SOUTHEAST ASIA          POPULATION            AREA                DENSITY
                                 COUNTRY                      (2011)                (SQ. KM.)          (POP/AREA)

                                LAOS                           6.5 MILLION            236,800                  28
                                CAMBODIA                15.0 MILLION            181,035                  84
                                MALAYSIA                 28.0 MILLION            329,847                  86
                                MYANMAR                 62.0 MILLION            676,578                  92
                                THAILAND                  64.0 MILLION            513,120                125
                                VIETNAM                    89.0 MILLION            331,210                270
                                PHILIPPINES               96.0 MILLION            300,000                320


     This table shows that Lao is the least populated and least dense, of all the Southeast Asian countries. 80% of the Lao people work in agriculture and live in rural areas. Lao is one of the United Nations Least Developed Countries, with the goal of getting off this list by 2020. Being land-locked, and having no ports or rail links, Lao struggles to trade with the world economies. There are plans for a railway connecting China and Thailand, with the rails traveling thru northern Lao. There are also plans for a railway connecting Thailand with Vietnam, with the rails traveling thru central Lao. Lao is a member of ASEAN (an economic group of Asian countries), ASEM (an economic group of Asian and European countries), and will join WTO in 2013. Lao mining and hydropower are the driving force of the Lao economy.


                                 SOUTHEAST ASIA         ECONOMIC VALUE                 ECONOMIC
                                     COUNTRY                 GDP  IN USD (2011)       GROWTH RATE (2011)

                                    LAO                                    8 BILLION                            8.3 %
                                    CAMBODIA                       13 BILLION                            6.1 %
                                    MALAYSIA                      279 BILLION                            5.2 %
                                    MYANMAR                        52 BILLION                     5.5 %
                                    THAILAND                       346 BILLION                            6.2 %
                                    VIETNAM                         123 BILLION                            5.9 %
                                    PHILIPPINES                    213 BILLION                            3.7 %


     For comparison purposes, nearby Indonesia has a GDP of 846 billion, and China has a GDP of 7 trillion. Lao may have a small economy and a small population, but it has joined the ‘modern’ world. WIFI is available across the country, as well as cell phone use. There is electricity available in the cities and towns. There are banks, yet few ATM machines. Lao is advancing rapidly, yet still embraces a lifestyle from generations past. 60% of the Lao people practice Theravada Buddhism, a relatively small branch of Buddhism, found also in Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. 40% of the Lao people practice Animism, a belief in the existence of spirits that animate the world for good or bad. I am moving to Lao to experience a slower-paced lifestyle, without the materialism. I want to live in the moment, and have time to spend with the community members, to laugh, to love, and to share our lives!

NAM SONG AND LIMESTONE CLIFFS NEAR VANG VIENG, LAO

27 October 2012

see here how everything, lead up to this day

   
4000 ISLANDS IN THE MEKONG RIVER, DON DET, LAO
 
     This past year, I have been doing research in preparation for my upcoming move abroad. Not much information exists, unless you are a wealthy American looking to live the American life in another country. This blog is a way to share what I have learned about moving to a foreign country, with the goal being to live like the locals. I have chosen to maintain an address, drivers license, and bank account, in America. This is not a requirement, this is my personal choice. I have a will, living will, durable power of attorney for healthcare, and cremation authorization, available if ever needed. I think these are a good idea for any traveler, especially for those looking to live someplace other than their homeland.

     Americans can live anywhere in the world as long as they want, without returning to America after a certain time. Unlike some countries, there is no requirement of periodically returning to America to maintain citizenship. Unless one was to renounce American citizenship and accept another countries passport, an American retains citizenship. I renewed my American passport and was able to get a 52-page passport, rather than the standard 26-page, both costing the same. This is excellent for travelers who fill pages quickly. My standard passport filled three years before expiring, and instead of getting extra pages put in it for 82$, I got a new larger one for 110$, expiring in ten years. This is the passport renewal fee, not the fee to get one’s first passport.

     When I reach American retirement age, I can apply for social security benefits online anywhere, and have monthly deposits put in any financial institution in the world. I do not have to live in America to receive benefits, and benefits do not have to be deposited into an American bank. Concerning the death of an American citizen abroad, this is a relatively straightforward process. The country where an American citizen dies, sends their passport and any remaining personal effects, to the nearest American embassy. The embassy sends a death notice to the personal contact on the deceased’s passport, and the standard death process ensues. This is much easier if one has registered with the nearest American embassy, a choice, not a requirement.

     I have learned what is needed to move abroad, and have purchased a one-way ticket for february 1, 2013. This will give me time to receive my tax forms and file my 2012 taxes before I leave. I have gotten rid of my material posessions, and will leave nothing in storage in America. With a small backpack, a small duffle bag, and my laptop, I am ready to go. A Nigerian folk saying I like is:

                     THE DAY ON WHICH ONE STARTS OUT, IS NOT THE TIME TO START ONE'S PREPARATION

VIEW OF HALONG BAY, VIETNAM, FROM CAT BA ISLAND

11 October 2012

all the years combine, they melt into a dream

SEA OF CORTEZ, NEAR MULEGE, MEXICO
     My journey began almost ten years ago, on a beach near Mulege, Mexico. I had traveled abroad before, but that fortieth birthday celebration on Playa Santispac, opened my eyes to my travels in the future. At that time in my life, I was lacking in some direction, living paycheck to paycheck, moving here and there, going nowhere. On that warm and sunny beach on the Sea of Cortez, I met Lara, a woman my age, from Colorado. She told me how she had changed her own directionless life, into one full of accomplishing her dreams and goals. She spent some years working hard and was starting on her life's adventure, there, on Playa Santispac. Her words and her actions inspired me, and I started to dream of how my own life would change. And now, almost ten years later, I am ready to uproot and move to Lao. It is time to finish the first half of my life living in The West, and start the second half of my life living in The East. No more cold rain and snow. No more cold feet, dripping nose, or layers of clothing. I'm going where the climate suits my clothes!

OCHHEUTEAL BEACH, SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA
    Swinging in my hammock and watching the dolphins play in the bay of Playa Santispac, I dreamed of spending the birthdays of my forties in an equally warm and sunny place. Northwest America in February is a cold and dreary place, and celebrating my future birthdays in the sun, was my first goal. My next birthday was at a beach near La Paz, Mexico. While there, I realized I needed a change, the western world was too familiar, and I needed something different. And different is what I got, celebrating my next birthday on Ochheuteal Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. That birthday and the six month adventure around it, led me to another goal, I wanted to live in Southeast Asia. My next birthday found me in Bagan, Myanmar, and the three month adventure around that birthday, opened my mind to many possible futures. But, I was still living paycheck to paycheck. I returned to America with a plan, find a better paying job, simplify my lifestyle, and save money. The next two birthdays I worked and saved, rather than traveled, and my dream came closer to reality. But, I missed spending my birthdays in the sun.

EDZNA RUINS, NEAR CAMPHECHE, MEXICO
     I remembered a childhood fascination with the Mayan world, and for my forty-sixth birthday, I explored the Mayan ruins on the northern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The next birthday found me back in Southeast Asia, in Lao. I enjoyed my time in the small riverside town of Champasak, a slow-paced, simple town, in the southern part of the country. There, the people are friendly and I felt welcomed and comfortable. My next birthday, I explored more Mayan ruins, this time in the southern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and northern Guatemala. I returned to Lao for birthday forty-nine, again spending time in Champasak. With eight out of ten birthdays in my forties, in a warm and sunny place, I feel I have accomplished one goal. I have worked hard, saved money, and planned for my future in Southeast Asia, and will celebrate my fiftieth birthday there, accomplishing another goal, of living in Southeast Asia. With my life contained in a backpack and small duffle bag, I will start the second half of my life in Champasak, Lao.
                                    DREAMS CAN COME TRUE AND I FIND IT BEST TO DREAM BIG!!!

MAIN STREET ALONG MEKONG RIVER, CHAMPASAK, LAO

20 September 2012

going where the chilly winds don't blow

     Why Lao? Good question. Part of my reason is to live in a warmer climate, I am tired of having cold feet all year long. Part of my reason is to live a slower-paced lifestyle, where people have time to stop and talk. Part of my reason is to live a more basic life with a lower cost of living, America is too expensive for me. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to be an American, with all its opportunities, and I have nothing against America or the people living there. It is just time for a change, and I choose to live in Lao, where the chilly winds don't blow.
     I am comfortable in Southeast Asia, but I choose Lao for many reasons. The following views are mine, and only mine, gained from the ten months over the years, I have spent in Southeast Asia. Thailand is too westernized with its mcdonalds, starbucks, and 7-elevens. Vietnam is too money oriented, a bit too greedy. Cambodia has a large population struggling to live with a corrupt government, and Myanmar is too oppressed. Yet, in all these countries, I have met kind, generous, and loving people. Lao is still a quiet place, with its people getting up with the sun and going down with the sun. I know things are changing rapidly in Lao. I have seen huge changes in the seven years I have been visiting, but, I choose to live in Lao.


     Lao is landlocked, with China and Myanmar to the north, and Cambodia to the south. Thailand is Lao's western neighbor and Vietnam is to the east. Lao is about the size of Washington state, in America, and has a similar size population, around 6.5 million people. I choose to live in southern Lao, near the city of Pakse, in the small riverside town of Champasak.


     Lao people live a river-based life, with the Mekong River flowing north to south thru the entire country. There are countless rivers and streams flowing into the mighty Mekong, and the river life prevails. There are mountains in the north and flat, rice-growing areas in the south. The food is excellent, lots of sticky rice and fresh produce. The Bolaven Plateau in the south is where we can find superb coffee and tea in shade-grown plantations. And then there is Beer Lao, the best lager in Southeast Asia. Lao has everything I am looking for, and I am getting ready for an early February 2013 arrival.

15 September 2012

sometimes we visit your country and live in your home

LOADING OF THE RICE BOAT ON THE MEKONG RIVER, LUANG PRABANG, LAO
     Greetings, this blog is a way to keep my family and friends informed of my adventures abroad, and also a way to welcome others to the life of an American expat. Let's start with a few definitions. An expat (expatriate) is someone who lives in another country other than their original homeland, while retaining their original countries citizenship. I am an American expat and have met Canadian expats, Italian expats, and British expats. I am moving to Lao PDR (Lao Peoples Democratic Republic), a small country in Southeast Asia. In the future I will call this country Lao. I use the name America instead of the United States of America, because everwhere I travel, it is called America not USA. This is similar to using the name Mexico which is officially called the United States of Mexico.

     While planning my move abroad, I found very little information about what is involved in this process, and why people relocate to another country. Unless you are a wealthy American retiring to live the American life in another country, little information exists. Part of this blog is for those who dream of something different. I am not a tourist, I am a traveler. I do not take tours because I want to interact with the local people. I use local transportation as the locals do, and eat from the street vendors as the locals do. I stay in basic rooms, usually guesthouses attached to a families home, and I travel with a small backpack. I enjoy traveling with a minimal plan, staying in places longer when I feel comfortable, and moving on from places that do not. I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone.

     I have spent nearly fifty years living in the American northwest, and have done some traveling abroad. I am a westerner going to live in an eastern culture. I know I can live in another culture, but my background will always slant the way I see things. Yet, I have learned that deep down, people are the same everywhere. We all love the same way and we all feel pain the same way. I am going to live in Lao as the Lao people do and leave behind the American extravagance. This blog is my story.