Road-trip -The legendary highway 1

On the road! Here we come California /
Tien paalla jalleen! Valmiina valloittamaan California

It ain't always sunny but the views by the highway 1 were still awsome /
Aina ei ollut aurinkoista mutta maisemat valtatie 1:n varrella olivat silti mahtavat

Tourists on the run / turistit matkallaan

A mobile store in a camping area / paikallinen kauppa-auto leirintaalueella

Sunset in Big Sur / auringonlasku Big Surissa

Tourist in lovely Monterey /
turistina ihanassa Montereyssa

My must see place was Monterey and I wasn't disappointed /
Odotin erityisesti Montereyn nakemista, enka pettynyt

They had these amazing candystores in the Fisherman's warf in Monterey/
Karkkikaupat Montereyn kalastajasatamassa - jos olisi ollut pakkasta niin mulla olisi jaanyt kieli kiinni ovenkarmiin

Jose in the Fisherman's Warf, Monterey /
Jose satamassa Montereyssa

Fisherman's Warf Monterey

Monterey's Aquarium is world-known, and for a reason!/
Montereyn merimaailma on maailman kuulu ja syysta!

MR Octopuss / MR mustekala

Adorable, and we could see them free in the ocean as well /
naita hellyyttavia otuksia oli nahtavissa myos vapaana merella

Ready for whale watching! Didn't know yet what I was getting /
Valmiina lahtemaan merelle katsomaan valaita. Tassa vaiheessa ei ollut viela pienintakaan tietoa,
mita matkalla tulisin  nakemaan

These fellows stank but they were very cute /
Nama ystavat haisivat pahalle mutta olivat erityisen sopoja

Of course there was no guarantee that we would see anything in this whale watching. But amazingly we saw like 20 whales and they were circling our boat so we really go a good look at them/
Reissulle lahtiessa ei tietenkaan ollut takuita etta mitaan nakisimme mutta olimme aarimmaisen onnekkaita ja naimme jopa 20 valasta jotka pyorivat pitkaan laivamme ymparilla

Definately one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had/
ehdottomasti yksi upeimmista kokemuksista ikina

Pumpkins in every form

Nyt on taas opittu tärkeitä asioita. Siitä kuinka monessa eri muodossa ja asiassa kurpitsoja voi hyödyntää! :D kurpitsapiirakkaa, kurpitsajäätelöä, kurpitsasalsaa ja kurpitsasmoothieta. Puhumattakaan lasikurpitsoista, kurpitsahatuista ja muista asusteista. Kaikkia näitä oli tarjolla Half Moon Bayn vuosittaisessa kurpitsafestivaalissa. Homma voi kuulostaa vitsiltä mutta kun jonotat puolitoista tuntia ruuhkassa niin ymmärrät että amerikkalaiset selvästi ottavat kurpitsansa vakavasti.

I am an ignorant little girl and I am glad to admit it

Here I go again. I am sorry that I didn't write the closure for my trip in Asia. To be honest I was so annoyed and sick after my long flight to Finland. And I think I was experiencing some cultural shock after realizing how totally different world I was living in for several months.

But now I am on the run again and this time my destination is sunny California. I am glad to go but I have to admit that I never really even wanted to go to US and to San Francisco. Or I don't mind of course and I am happy to see the TV series and movies "alive" but I didn't have the urge to go to US like many people do. You might find it unfair that I am still traveling while you think that you don't maybe have the chance to do it. But what I think is unfair is that you more likely have all or most of your love ones close by. I don't, and the odds are that I never will have. Everything has more than one way to look at it :)

I was picky for once and paid a bit extra to be traveling nicely with BA and with good connections. The whole trip takes only a bit more than 16 hrs plus some which is in my scale a good traveling time.

As stated I was not very enthusiastic of traveling to US. Nor any other new place actually. I was just thinking how I don't have any place right now where I would like to visit. Somehow the world citizen thing had gone to my head and I was thinking in a way that I have seen enough. Boy was I wrong.

I fell back into reality just now when we are passing some mountains in Canada. I don't think I have ever seen mountains like that. I could see an avalanche and a small turquoise mountain lake in the middle of nowhere. And mountains as far as I could see and canyons and all that seemed untouched! Well. I know where I want to go next. And to learn more and see more. I know nothing about Canada and very little about any part of US and if I can see something extraordinary already when flying I can definitely learn more in my destination.  Therefore I admit that I am ignorant and I am glad to admit it because it means that I still have a lot to learn.  

I have found "the one" for me in Asia

This is it, this is the one, the best city for me in Asia so far.

Street view next to Mekong River /
Luang Prabang on sekoitus Aasiaa ja Eurooppaa
(Laos on Ranskan vanha siirtomaa)
arkkitehtuuriltaan sekä ruoiltaan (mahtavia croissantteja,
leivoksia sekä kahviloita joissa nauttia niitä)
ja se tekee tästä kaupungista erityisen viehättävän.

Luang Prabang is a small city in Laos with a
strong French influence (has been a colony)  with wonderful Lao people and delicious coconut curry and wonderful green landscapes. You can find next to each other a typical Lao-style house (same as in Thailand) and a beautiful European-looking house from the last century.

I have enjoyed great breakfasts in small cafeterias with so good bread that at least one of my friends would die if she would get her hands on that. And three courses menus with 
so good vinaigrette that I have returned to this cafe just for it. And the cost is minimal :) This is also the only city I have found in Asia with some wine culture. So I have really enjoyed walking, reading and drinking red wine in the riverside cafes.



Le Cafe Ban Vat Sene and
my first course
of the lunch today /
Tämän päivän lounaalla vihersalaatti
 täydellisellä vinegairettella
ja vielä täydellisemmällä leivällä.
Nami!



I have stayed in here already... mm four or is it five days and someone would say that I haven't done anything. It has been raining quite a lot so there has been few possibilities anyway. But I also decided after quite tiring search that I won't do any arranged activities. I have gone for two cycling tours already and I have gone trekking. I have visited hill tribes in Vietnam and in Thailand and even though I have no doubt that they would be different in here, I just think that I wouldn't get to know them any better with a one or two day walk through. And because I don't support the elephant rides and I would die if I would do some kayaking in this weather so I had quite few options for activities. Therefore I have stayed in the city. But I tell you what I have done during these days.

In addition to reading, reading and reading I have taken a gorgeous two hours body scrub+massage in a very nice classy spa. I have gone jogging in the morning along the Mekong river and seen the monks getting their morning alms. I have visited temples and the local library where I taught English to one 17 years old monk novice. Or actually he says that he thinks he is 18 but because his parents didn't know how to read and write so they didn't mark the day he was born nor were sure about the year. Well he had six siblings anyway so who can count who was born and in which year.



My "student" novi Sing calling the monks for the lunch /
Opetin tälle munkille englantia ja hän kutsui minut käymään tänä aamuna
temppelissä, jossa hän asuu.



He invited me to his temple this morning and I went there (on the back of the motorbike of a worker from my hostel who was on his way to school) to talk with him about Buddhism, Lao people and his wishes for the future. And about Finland because he was very interested in our social security and free education as anyone is who has very few chances in their own country by being poor. It was a very nice talk and it surprised me still how well he spoke English. But he said he had had lessons with native speaking volunteers for two years and well, he spend all his free time (which is quite a lot in a temple) studying and learning about different things so I guess his motivation was quite on the spot.

And the last thing I could mention is that I had a very fun party night because I met one really good and fun Irish guy and I was immediately very at ease with him. I bet we could have been very good friends but our ways separated too fast when he left me because of another guy :) But this night we had fun together. We played pool (I was terrible) and went to couple of bars and met other tourists. In the end we went to one bowling place, where everyone who wishes to party after 1130 pm goes as every other place in Luang Prabang closes. And that was quite a fun and different way to party by playing pool and drinking Lao whiskey :p



Traditional Lao Food - sticky rice, Jeow mak Keua (eggplant dip)
Mok Pa which is fish steamed in a banana leaf (me no likey) and
and something else which was quite good :D



Also traditional Lao food (sticky rice and the eggplant dip are the same) but in a bit different setting.





So I think my holiday has been exactly like my kind of a holiday (with these weather conditions). Now I will be off to teach some more English.



A surprisingly fun night in a surprising Tasmanian company

Okay, I have two stereotypes to be straightened :) First of all, anyone who claims that men have only one thing in their mind when they come and talk in the bar, they are wrong. Not always. And second of all, everyone who say that you cannot have a fun night with anyone of your fathers age, is wrong as well :)

I had a pleasure to spend hours yesterday in an English pub talking with a Tasmanian 56-year-old ex-sailor called Shaw. And I had a really fun time! I heard about hippie revolution in the 70's and heard how he had been picking fruits, fishing for his living, lived in a Tasmanian little village and traveled his whole life. And I saw pictures about his children (same age as my siblings) and now-a-days lesbian wife. He reminded me that I have still all of that (maybe I don't want everything from that list ;) ) and anything I want ahead of me. It was a truly refreshing talk which lifted my spirit.

Other than that my stay in Vientiane has been not too bad but not too fun either. It has been raining quite some and I have been biking and seeing the city but it is nothing too special. But that's what I read from internet so I wasn't too surprised. But tomorrow morning I head to Luang Prabang and I have high hopes about that. I might be spending even a week in there trekking and relaxing if I like it. First I need to get there. I heard that the road is horrible and the rainy season is not helping it. I decided that this wasn't the time to save money and took a day-time tourist bus which should be better than local buses. And have less locals who apparently are getting easily sick on the serpentine roads... I wonder what I need to survive that trip :D

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Minulla on kaksi stereotypiaa rukattavana. Ensinnakin kaikki joiden mielesta miehilla on vain yksi asia mielessa jos he tulevat juttelemaan baarissa, ovat vaarassa. On poikkeuksia! Toisekseen kaikki jotka sanovat ettei ilta voisi olla hauska vanhempiesi ikaisessa seurassa on myos vaarassa!

Minulla oli ilo istua iltaa eilen tasmanialaisen 56-vuotiaan entisen merimiehen kanssa. Kuulin hippivallankumouksesta 70-luvulla, kalajuttuja merelta, tarinoita hedelmien poiminnasta ja matkustuksesta seka millaista elama oli vuosikymmenia sitten tasmanialaisessa pikkukylassa. Nain myos valokuvia Shawn lapsista jotka olivat sisarusteni ikaisia seka hanen ex-vaimostaan ja hanen uudesta tyttoystavastaan. Yksi parhaista illan anneista oli se etta han muistutti etta minulla on mita ikina haluankin edessa ja etta voin itse muovata tulevaisuuteni haluamakseni. Virkistava keskustelu totisesti nostatti fiiliksia :)

Muuten olo taalla Vientianessa on ollut niin ja nain. Ei mitaan hirvittavan hauskaa muttei nyt ihan kurjaakaan. On satanut aika paljon ja olen silti pyoraillyt ympari kaupunkia. Olen lahinna valttanyt kaikki temppelit koska sain Thaimaassa niista tarpeekseni. Ja ne on aikalaill kaupungin parasta antia silla tama ei ole mikaan hirvean ihmeellinen paikka, mutta sita jo osasin odottaa lukemieni nettijuttujen perusteella.

Huomisesta eteenpain odotukset kohdistuu Luang Prabangiin, jonka uskon olevan minulle aivan nappi paikka. Voisin viettaa siella vaikka viikon vaellellen ja rentoutuen mikali kaupunki tosiaan minulle sopii. Ensin vain taytyy paasta sinne, mika ei valttamatta ole ihan kivuton juttu. Tiet ovat ilmeisesti hirveassa kunnossa ja sadekausi ei todella auta asiaa. Paatin etta tama ei ole paikka jossa rahaa saastetaan ja otin turistibussin paivasaikaan jonka pitaisi olla paremmassa kunnossa kuin paikallisbussit. Ja niissa matkustaa myos vahemman paikallisia joiden kuulin olevan erityisen herkkamahaisia Laosin serpentiiniteilla... Mitahan pitaisi pakata mukaan etta selvian siita matkasta :D

Technical difficulties in Vientiane Laos

I have couple of blog texts waiting for to be published. But I am facing some troubles. My computer is refusing to connect to WiFi and my phone was stolen. Therefore I don't have any other means to update my blog than slow internet cafes in Vientiane.

Since day before yesterday I have been alone again. My beloved bambu-hut roommate Claire flew home after two months of volunteering and some ten days of traveling together. We had great time together and our last night with Cabaret, nice dinner (very fast though because we were late because of the stupid traffic) and a party we had after cabaret. We finished the party at six am listening some local guys singing and playing guitar when the sun rose after a fun night in Khao San road. Everything else was funny that night but when we saw one guy taken by a police because he had smoked or something. I felt bad even though we didn't know him. I guess he was in big troubles. And it wasn't anything like the police saw him but somebody of the locals had told the police as he drove straight to him. And he was taken by a police which can mean two years in a prison in Thailand...

But yeas, I was quite sad when Claire left, I have to admit. And it didn't help that it was raining in Bangkok (again) and that I was really done with Thailand. But basically I was done with Bangkok, I didn't like it. And I wouldn't recommend it. It is too big, not very beautiful and the traffic is horrible. Really, it takes awfully long to go anywhere during the rush hours and it is very hard to get a taxi cos they refuse to go anywhere at that time. Unless you pay more...

I took a night train to Laos border, close to Vientiane. I didn't have a plan where to go and how to get there. I just knew that I want to visit Luang Prabang and that it might be nice to see the capital in one point. I knew that my visa was over, as there were no trains at the day time and by taking the night train my arrival day would be one day after my visa had expired. So I had to spend some time in the immigration office, pay some money for them and for the Laos immigration for visa (their exchange rate was very interesting). I was a bit overwhelmed when I got out and the massive attack of the tuk tuk drivers and "travel agencies" didn't make me feel better. I bet my phone was stolen in that point. But then I just walked to the first local bus I saw, asked how much was it and sat even though I didn't know where it was going. Luckily I found out when I stepped out that I was in Vientiane and I decided to stay in here for couple of days. I have two rules in my adventures. I am adventurous only at the day-time and I always have cash and emergency cash. And with these two rules I have managed quite well :)

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Minulla on pari blogitekstia odottamassa julkaisua, mutta minulle on tullut pari mutkaa matkaan. Tietokone on lopettanut yhteistyon langattomien nettien kanssa ja minulta vietiin puhelin eilen. Olen siis aikalailla yhteydettomassa tilassa. Ainastaan Vientianen nettikahviloiden superhitaat netit ovat vaylana ulkomaailmaan.

Matkustan jalleen yksin koska ihana bambumaja huonekaverini Claire lahti kotiin toissapaivana. Meilla oli todella hyvat (tultiin tosi hyvin juttuun) pari kuukautta yhdessa vapaaehtoistyossa ja kymmenisen paivaa matkustellen Thaimaassa. Viimeinen ilta oli erityisen hauska koska kavimme Cabaressa, soimme hyvin (tosin nopeasti koska olimme myohassa typeran liikenteen takia) ja juhlimme aamuun asti. Ilta paattyi vasta kuudelta aamulla kun kuuntelimme paikallisten kitaransoittoa kadulla auringon noustessa. Illassa oli vain yksi ikava kohta kun naimme kuinka yksi turisti kerattiin talteen poliisin toimesta hanen ilmeisesti poltettuaan ruohoa. Vaikken tuntenut koko kaveria kavi saaliksi. On vakava juttu joutua tekemisiin thaimaan viranomaisten kanssa, huonolla tuurilla pari vuotta thaimaalaisessa vankilassa.

Mutta siis olin aikalailla surullinen Clairen lahdettya. Bangkokissa satoi mika oli masentavaa ja olin muutenkin jo ihan taynna Thaimaata, erityisesti Bangkokia. En suosittelisi Bangkokia matkakohteena silla se oli todella iso, sekava, aika likainen eika sita voi luonnehtia kauniiksi kaupungiksi. Sen liikenne on myos painajainen. En ikina voisi asua sellaisessa kaupungissa. Ruuhkassa voi oikeasti viettaa tunteja (meilla meni kahtena paivana niin kauan!!) eika taksia saa mistaan koska he eivat halua menna liikenteen sekaan. Ellet tietenkin maksa enemman kuin pitaisi...

Otin yojunan rajalle, mika tarkoitti sita etta olin Laosin puolella vasta torstaina. Viisumini kun vahentui jo keskiviikkona, mutta paivasaikaan ei ollut mahdollista paasta Laosiin. Jouduin siis viettamaan jonkin aikaa rajalla, maksamaan ja hommaamaan viisumia Laosiin. Jopa rajavartiostossa minua vedatettiin, vaihtokurssi oli aika omintakeinen maksettaessa visaa. Taman seurauksena olin jo valmiiksi vahan vasynyt ja tuktuk-kuskien ja "matkanjarjestajien" vyory ei auttanut asiaa. Pakenin lahimpaan paikallisbussiin, kysyin paljonko se maksaa ja istuin siina paatepysakille saakka vaikken edes tiennyt minne se oli matkalla. Minulla on kaksi saantoa tassa seikkailussa. Seikkailen vain paivasaikaan ja kannan mukanani aina kateista ja hatavarakateista. Nailla saannoilla olen parjannyt aika hyvin :) Tallakin kertaa minua onnisti ja loysin itseni Laosin paakaupungista Vientianesta. Paatin jaada tanne pariksi paivaksi tekemaan hieman taistelusuunitelmaa tulevaa matkustusta varten.

Pakaten ja panikoiden

Leirin kolmas osa saa odottaa koska nyt on viimeiset hetket käsillä ja pakkaamisesta ja panikoinnista on paljon sanottavaa :). Olo on puistattava, eikä kyse ole enää ruokamyrkytyksestä jonka nappasin käydessäni Malesiassa. Nyt kyse on siitä että vapaaehtoistyöni loppuu huomenna. Vaikka tiedossa on matkustamista ja lopulta paluu Suomeen ei siitä ole oikein apua tällä hetkellä. Vaikka kolmeen kuukauteen kuului paljon toimettomuutta, siihen kuului myös perhe-elämää, paljon iloisia hetkiä kymmenien uusien ystävien kanssa sekä paljon ihmeteltävää ja koettavaa. Ennen lähtöä minun kuten monien muidenkin fiilikset noudattavat samaa kaavaa. Noin viikkoa paria ennen lähtöä ei yht äkkiä haluaisikaan lähteä ja tulee kyseenalaistettua omaa valintaa kun asiat kotona olivatkin yhtäkkiä niin hyvin. Ehkäpä nämä tunnelmat siis kuuluvat kotiinpaluushokkiin, mutta omalle kohdalle tätä ei vielä ole sattunut vaikka kotiin on tullut palattua jo Englannista, Itävallasta ja Meksikosta. Ja täytyy sanoa että Thaimaa ei edes vakuuttanut minua samalla tavalla kuin edellämainitut! Tuntuu hurjalta jättää taakseen perhe, jossa on asunut kolme kuukautta. Etenkin kun vasta lähiaikoina kommunikointi on alkanut rullaamaan ja olo on tuntunut kotoisalta. Edelleen vaivaa myös tunne etten saaanut aikaan tarpeeksi ja että jos olisin voinut jäädä olisin vasta nyt alkanut tietää mitä me voisimme tehdä toisin. Vietimme kaksi päivää vapaaehtoisten seminaarissa jossa laadimme SWOT-analyysiä käyttäen kuvauksen projektimme nykytilasta ja tulevaisuuden suunnitelman. Homma on niin alussa että koimme Clairen kanssa jopa pieniä mustasukkaisuuden pistoksia kun kuulimme että joku koordinaattoreista voi mennä vailla ensi viikolla käymään kylän koulussa selvittämässä josko vapaaehtoiset voisivat opettaa siellä englantia. Vähän liian myöhään meille. Tuntuu siis siltä että ei täältä vielä pitäisi lähteä ja jättää kaikkea tätä taakseen. Myös uudet ihanat kaverit ja kaikki hauskat kokoontumiset jatkaa täällä ilman meitä ja se tuntuu omituiselta.



Oma maailma tuntuu niin kaukaiselta! Kaukaisuutta lisää se että pelkään saavani huomattavasti suuremman kulttuurisokin kuin aiemmin palatessani kotiin ja aionkin käyttää aikaani matkustaessani yrittämällä varautua sokkiin. Luulen että minun on vaikeaa palata hiljaiseen Suomeen jossa kaveriporukat ovat pieniä (mutta sitäkin laadukkaampia :)) ja kalenteri täytyy kaivaa esiin jotta pääsee juttelemaan ja tekemään yhdessä. Onneksi Suomessa on kesä jotta ihmiset ovat ulkona jottei tarvitse istua yksin sisällä ;) olen myös onnellinen että en palaa asumaan yksin vaan perheeni kanssa sillä vaikka olen aina tarvinnut oman tilani, en ole kaivannut sitä lähes ollenkaan täällä ja liikaa omaa tilaa voisi olla hämmentävää alussa.


Tavallaan on hyvä että nämä fiilikset tulevat jo nyt jotta minulla on aikaa varautua kulttuurishokkiin, ehkä tuleva pari viikkoa matkustellen Clairen kanssa auttaa myös suurelta osin sen yli ja sen jälkeen minulla on vielä aikaa itsekseni ajatella asiaa kun tieni vie luultavasti Laosiin. Varmaan ainoa kerta kun en ole nauttinut pakkaamisesta!