March Photos...

Glass bottom boats for snorkeling in Gili T

Shelly´s bar in Chaing Mai

View from our room - rice fields in Ubud

Our friendship bracelets (with Emily)

Hanging with Michael FRANTI in Ubud...

Espana

Spain has been a major culture shock... once we arrived in Madrid, after flying through the Middle East - it was very cold and now.. I have a cold..

We spent two nights in a hostel in Madrid and then took a bus to Salamanca! Both cities are fantastico, lots of gorgeous buildings, great cafe con leche and Salamanca was expecially great, since I had not been there in 15 years!

Now we are in Valencia, about to venture to Barcelona to meet Morgan and old Yahoo! pals, which will be great.

Indonesia

Indonesia is incredible...

From Phuket, Thailand we flew to Bangkok, slept in the airport (which was hell) and ventured to Indonesia...
Surfed in Kuta, Bali & hopped over to Gili T, Indonesia, which is the most magical island- no dogs, motos, cars, sometimes no electricity and running water - but gorgeous!

The sunsets are incredible falling behind a volcanic mountain and snorkeling!!!

We saw giant purple starfish, fish of every shape and color- large sea turtles and the water is crystal blue and gorgeous...

Now we are in Ubud, Bali, (an artsy & cultural town) for two days and going to see Michael Franti in concert tomorrow night, our last night in SE ASIA before we head to Spain... bittersweet to leave this amazing place..

Ko Samui & Koh Tao

The beaches of Koh Samui and Koh Tao are fantastic- Crystal blue and warm water- good people, travellers and times!

Yesterday we went with a group around the island of Koh Tao snorkling -it was amazing... Glo in the dark fish, gorgeous coral and amazing scenery...

We are off to Krabi, Railay, Koh Pi Pi and then down to Bali!

Much love. xo J

Thailand

More photos from Thailand...
We landed in Koh Samui yesterday... amazing...

Trekking in Northern Thailand- Chaing Mai

Chaing Mai was great! We flew from Vietnam safely, took a fantastic Thai cooking course, coconut soup, red, green, yellow curries, stir fry and so many wonderful dishes...

The following day we met Tee, from Pooh Eco Treks (yes, really) drove three hours into the wilderness-

We stayed with Dong and his family, a three room wooden shack in the Karen Village

They cooked us a great curry, and we played soccer with the children and sang songs, they even cooked a mouse on a stick GROSS. I did not try it but Robin did try chicken balls .... At 4 am the roosters started, who live under the hut, under our heads basically... after breakfast and learning more about the Karen culture, meeting the tribes animalism Shaman (who had a full set of black teeth from chewing tabacco) we took off for the river into the jungle.

The second night we stayed in a hut on a waterfall- it was gorgeous! Tee our guide and his 10 "cousins" cooked us amazing meals, and we watched them prepare everything (cups, utensils, knifes and all the food) in bamboo from the forest... Even our "packaged" lunches were wrapped in banana leaves. UNreal and so effiecient. We stayed up playing Uno with the tribesmen and thenext day trekked again through the jungle, saw an actual Gibbon jumping around in the trees and walked with bamboo torches through a bat cave.

What an experience! So amazing to see how simple these people live in the hills. The only thing the goverment provides for them is one solar panel for each house for electricity...

Mui Ne, Vietnam

Last week, I left Ho Chi Minh City for a four + hour bus ride to this sweet little "surf" spot on the ocean, called Mui Ne.

The ocean was warm, and clean as well as the pool at our hotel. It was awesome, tons of kite boarders, kite surfers, good food, beaches, sunsets and of course, Saigon Beer.

I stayed for three days and then took the bus back to HCMC to check on Robin- she is doing great!

The Vietnamese children were adorable and the fishing boats unreal and so colorful, loved being out of the city in a great little beach town taking motos around, doing karaoke and having laughs!

Photos from HCMC...

Vietnamese artists copying a photo of Obama and painting it in oil= amazing.

My new pal Emily

My computer watch! This thing is the BEST & nerdiest thing I have even owned. 1. I got the price from $10 to $1

2. The Vietnamese Dong is 17.25 to 1$ US

3. It is not waterproof

4. The Vietnamese street vendors are so jealous and I know you are too!

The Street I am living on... Bui Vien (The Dong Hotel is hoppin)

Vietnam on my own...

Vietnam has been a trip! Robin is under the weather and still in Cambodia, hopefully meeting me here tomorrow...

I am staying at this little hotel on Bui Vien the backpackers neighborhood- it is pretty neat. Las night we met some new friends and went to see a Flipino cover band- it was awesome! They played Pearl Jam and my new favorite song " I'm Yours" By Jason Maerz

Been to the market, and today to a "factory" which gives disabled Vientmese jobs, doing various art work, which they sell. Afterwards we went to Cu Chi Tunnels, where the Vietnamese had built tunnels to hide from the Americans bombing their quiet and happy little town near Siagon and the Mekong River. It was a bit akward, and very interesting... We (the group that I went with and my new pal, Emily- ironically from SF) were able to climb through the tunnels (dark and aweful) and learn more about the war, and the Vietnamese people.

Our tour guide "Mr Bean" was in the war, as a US Captain, but is half Vietnamese and half Filipino and decided once the war was over to stay in Vietnam. Interesting.

Heading North for some Beach time in the next few days....

Phnom Phen- Feb 21

Robin has been sick for the past couple of days so I have been riding solo and making friends around Phnom Phen- really interesting women who teach at the Cambodia schools (one american lady who is running from her debt in the states, but is one hell of a dancer!), another guy who is reviving Cambodian music since most musicans were killed and bringing it back to life as well as doing a documentory on this place the Cambodian living arts.

Today, I went to the Lighthouse Orphanage and sang songs, drew, chatted and huged the adorable children who were all smiles and so carefree. They are well fed by donations and are learning english, french, Khmer and Japanese. Playing soccer with them was awesome and they sent me home with drawings and in high spirits- and yes I wanted to bring one home with me, well three in fact.

Explored the city, ate at this great place called Shop and took a walk- past an open square area where 100's of women where following young Cambodian men doing dances. It was awesome...

So the adventure continues. Might be heading for Vietnam, maybe Laos- but definatly going to a children's traditional dance class in the morning.

Southern Cambodia- Sihanoukville

We travelled all day- 10 hours for the beach! A small beach town outside of Sihonoukville, Serendipity and Otres beaches...

We wondered around for dinner, and then hit up the mile spread of beach bars, tree houses, dance parties, kareoke and lounging by the ocean. Which was dirty and dana said smelled like "a sewer". I am pretty sure I got bitten by ants when I was peeing outside, since it was nicer to pee on plastic bags then in the squat style toliet...

I am dipicting Cambodia as this ugly place, but it is not. The colors are fantastic, the people smile and are helpful and kind... despite the horror they and thier ancestors have been through with the Khmer and Pol Pot.

Back in Phnom Phen we visited the killing fields, which is heartbreaking. There are still clothing remnants on the ground from the mass genocide that killed most intellects, artists, musicians and any one who would have bettered the country or was a threat to Pol Pot.

I was able to celebrate Dana's birthday with her out to dinner (cheeseburgers and profiteroles!)

Siem Reap & Angkor Wat with Dana!

Meeting up with Dana, was perfect, Luke her fantastic boyfriend had gotten us a great hotel with a swimming pool for Valentine's day- so kind of him- thank you Luke Man!

So... we all arrived at the same time and went to a great dinner filled with laughs at the Red Piano in Siem Reap...

The following day we took a tuk tuk to Angkor Thom, and saw the amazing temples that were not completely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. The Bayon was incredible. 15 foot faces made from sandstone and there were almost 200 of them....

The other wats (or temples), that have 1,000's of carved faces (the craftsmen and women were speacialized in either the left or right side of the face, therefore they look different) and three headed elephants, it was unreal. Some of the wats have become ruins and amazing trees grow right inbetween the stones. Angkor Wat is fantastic & uncomfortably hot.

We wanted to wait to see Angkor Wat (the massive temple) so we had a swim the next am and got a "Happy"pizza and headed to watch the sunset at Angkor Wat, it was quite busy with tourists and I had a dance off with a young gal about 100 feet away at the other side of the wat, which gave dana and robin a laugh...

I cannot believe how dirty Cambodia is... it is heartbreaking to see a river's edge completely covered with plastic bags and styrofoam.