The Kalalau Trail

The Kalalau Trail along Kauai's infamous Na Pali coastline is esteemed as one of the world's greatest treks. However, on paper, this doesn't really make sense. It's an eleven mile trek along a narrow trail carved into the side of rugged mountains that quickly ascend 1,000 of feet from the sea. The fact that the wettest spot on earth is directly above this trail ensures that it is always dangerously wet & prone to disappear completely under the frequent mud slide. There are no restroom facilities aside from the two composting toilets, and all water sources (aka streams, waterfall, ponds, etc.) are known to contain the bacteria leptospirosis...which will inspire a prolonged gnarly flu. And if you do reach the end of the trail, you've got to turn around and hike back the way you came.

On photographic paper, it looks like this:


So as you can see we made a wise decision; and @ 7am on Friday morning we set out on a 3 day (2 night) hike , equipped with the following:

• A "youth" tent from Wal Mart (measuring 5' x 6'), which as you might expect is too small for any non-midget
• Two fleece sleeping bags
  
• Two bags of trail mix, a half pound of steak, 200 oz. of water, water purification tabs, 8 kudos bars that we acquired from stealing children's lunches from a school bus, a gallon of red quinoa, 4 salmon cups, and 6 snickers bars (save the best for last)

The trail certainly did not disappoint in any respect, good or bad. It was long, it was strenuous, it was breathtaking. For the first 6 miles we traveled through rain forest type terrain: winding through dense canopy, crossing streams and stumbling over tree roots. Then somewhat abruptly, the climate changed and we emerged into what was seemingly a desert by comparison. The trail wound along red-barren* (no, not like the delicious pizza) volcanic mountains with amazing views of the transparent, electric blue water below.

*not to be confused with the manufacturer of delicious frozen pizzas


We continued throughout the day, periodically stopping at one of the man incredible vistas to take in the true brilliance of the Na Pali coastline. In front of us an endlessly vast ocean, to the left and right were the silhouettes of nearly vertical mountains; all together it was a vibrant contrast of reds, greens & blues (I'm pretty sure those are the primary colors) that is unparalleled on this planet. And somehow, we made it to the end.


The trail ends in this, worth every step of the 11 mile trek. You can go no further, not that you'd really want to. Many people make it this far and decide not to return. They plant a garden, get rid of their clothes and work on their tan...needless to say, a simpler lifestyle than most.

Photos

They're all here, check em out
http://www.SLOtography.com/Travel

We've Only Just Begun

The trip is over, but because life is a journey, the blog must go on.



http://kilauearoundhouse.blogspot.com/

In Summary

The trip is over, we're home, and everyone wants to know, "How was it?"..."What was your favorite place?"...and my favorite, "How did you guys get along?"

Well, answering those questions is easier said than done. If you had a couple of hours to burn, you could start at the bottom of the blog and read your way up...however, if you are the type of person who prefers the Cliffs Notes to the real book, then this is the blog for you. Here it is, in no particular order, our trip...

We've:

• traveled to three continents, throughout nine countries (Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam).
• covered thousands of miles by land, by sea, and by air: bus, car, tuk-tuk, speed boat, sail boat, ferry & of course, campervan.

• collected over 20 stamps in our passports.
• eaten llama, alpaca, crocodile, kangaroo, & numerous unknowns (probably including dog).
• met people from around the world including countries we no longer knew existed, like Slovenia.
  
• sampled wine from regions across the globe; not that we couldn't accomplish the same by visiting a Trader Joes.
• thrown up everywhere...in nearly every country, on the land, on the sea and in the air.
• encountered bathrooms that upon first inspection don't even look like bathrooms, but the smell always gives them away.
• explored beautiful cathedrals, massive temples, ornate wats, impressive monuments & creepy mausoleums that demonstrate the power of a people's beliefs.

(Apsaras carved from sandstone at Angkor Wat)

• seen natural sights so awe inspiring they would cause even the most devout atheist to ponder the presence of a divine being.

(The impressive rinse cycle at Iguazu Falls)

• and then, witnessed animal species so strange that only Walt Disney could have created them, or rather, they evolved.

(Rafiki?)

• gawked at menus where the most expensive meal was less than $5 dollars, and then moved along claiming, "it's so expensive!"
• spent anywhere from $2 to $200 on dinner
• witnessed men, women & children in a seemingly depressing state of poverty, smile more radiantly than a child pop star.

(no wonder Angelina has half a dozen of them)

• seen an eclectic mix of beggars & sellers from 2 year olds who could recite capital cities across the world to 75 year old land mine victims who did nothing more than sprawl out on the sidewalk displaying the few limbs that they still had.
• stayed in a range of hotels, hostels & guest houses, from 5 star resorts to places that could only be classified as shit-holes.
• switched rooms more often than Goldilocks; sleeping on beds hard & soft, covered in plastic & sometimes bed bugs.
  
• stolen airline blankets that proved to be lifesavers on various freezing nights.
• seen looks of confusion disappear as we shamelessly act out what we're trying to say in a form of archaic sign language.
• cruised through airports with ease as if it were the pre-terror era, (accidentally) bringing knives, lighters & even liquids aboard the plane.
• swam in lakes, rivers, streams, oceans & seas, such as: the Pacific, Atalantic, Amazon, Tasman, Coral, South China, Mekong, Nam Ou & the Gulf of Thailand.

(Only a place so serene as Ko Samui, Thailand could get me to read)

• shamelessly snapped off over 10,000 photos...and I still feel we don't have enough.
  
• witnessed the largest land mammal, the biggest fish, and a chimpanzee eat his own (or maybe his mother's) shit.

• lived out of a bag for four months, packing & unpacking over 60 times.
• fought with each other repeatedly, about mostly stupid things like whether they use peanut butter in the dough of banana pancakes (I was right, they do).
• jumped out of a plane, willingly, arriving safely on the beach in Wollongong.
• arrived on US soil for the first time in months to one of the most incredible sights: a sunny day in San Francisco.

How was the trip? It was absolutely amazing! But it was also completely stressful, enlightening, draining, inspiring, depressing and compelling. The culinary experience was remarkable: the exotic, the familiar, the delicious, and the vomit inducing...were all unforgettable. The people were nearly always awesome; but there's always the one person who leaves the greatest impression on you, and just so happens to be a complete asshole. We rarely got a good nights sleep, which is possibly the thing you crave the most while traveling...besides good Mexican food. How did we get along?...Pretty well, considering we spent four months together (nearly every minute)...while enduring every emotion known to man (or woman), including exhaustion from sleep deprivation and days spent traveling, hunger, and homesickness. And despite it all we returned intact as a couple, a couple with a little bit more experience. I suppose the best answer to the question, "how was it?" is to go find out for yourself. Just let us know if you need some advice.

Bangkok, Round II

Our first bout with Bangkok left us battered and bruised, with a bad taste in our mouths. Upon our first escape from this heavyweight city we swore we'd never return, but as time went on, our wounds healed. We realized that we were previously ill equipped to deal with the overwhelming nature of Southeast Asia's biggest city; but in our travels we endured much, much worse than Bangkok had to offer (see: Hanoi) and this time we knew what to expect. So nearly two months later, we return to face off again with the giant that is Bangkok...for a proverbial re-match.

This round we took a different approach. Rather than staying in the outskirts of the city, we decided to go for the heart: Khao San Road. This is the Bangkok which locals avoid and travelers can't get enough of. Whether you're looking for a piercing, fresh squeezed orange juice, pirated dvds, last minute souvenirs, an authentic Thai massage, hair extensions, falafel, or a bucket of booze with a straw for each of your new found friends; this is your one stop shop.


Khao San is the type of place that promises a sensory overload similar to Vegas, minus the glitz of air conditioned casinos and nightly performances by Danny Ganz or Celine Dion.

Having survived our first night back in Bangkok, sleeping well in to the afternoon, we decided to venture out for some sight seeing. Of course, this is the same thing that got us into trouble before, but this time around we were wiser. We arrived to the Royal Palace dressed like the slutty Americans that we are: tank tops, shorts, and other offensive gear, requiring the fashion police to intervene and issue us some new outfits.


Lauren came out looking like your average Thai girl and blended right in with the crowd. I'm pretty sure there is no photographic evidence of my outfit, which was essentially a pair of awesome hammer pants. Within the Royal Palace we were treated to yet another unbelievable collection of architecture, art, and Chinese tourists.


Our last day abroad was capped off with a feast intended to satisfy all cravings for Thai food for months to come, but was obviously a failure a couple of hours later when we arrived to the airport, hungry. At 6am on February 28th in Thailand we departed, with mixed feelings and much more crap than we started with. Nearly 18 hours later (including an uneventful layover in Tokyo where we got some Yen) we arrived in San Francisco at 9am on February 28th, only 3 hours after we started. Well, 3 hours and 114 days.

There Are No Sharks At Shark Island

We would like to preface this blog with a simple conversion: 7.5 meters is equal to 25 feet. Keep that in mind.

As you've come to find from reading this blog, Thailand is home to elephants, knock-off clothing, scam artists, and lady boys. However, there is a softer side to Thailand, and it exists off the coast in the sea. Filled with tropical fish, colorful corals, and much more, it's no wonder that scuba divers and snorkelers flock to Thailand to immerse themselves in its crystal clear waters.

So we found ourselves in Thailand, perhaps for different reasons than some (see: sex tourists); and while it was not our primary goal to scuba dive, it'd be a bit ridiculous for us not to right? So we walked into Easy Divers with a large Singha beer in hand, which did not seem to alarm the two Germans who greeted us. At some point, I glanced over at the wall of the shop to see a poster with the image of a whale shark...it looked something like this:













It's a bit ironic that the largest fish in the sea is also one of the most elusive. With not one, but two of the coolest names to be bestowed upon a fish, the whale shark's name is enviable in itself. Whale sharks are so cool that they have a posse of fish that constantly follow them, just feasting on their leftovers. These massive fish are whale-ish in size but they are in fact sharks, frequenting the depths of the sea; very rarely do they venture near enough to the surface (to where divers can see them). But of course, when you step into any dive shop they'll hype up the possibility of plunging into the water and swimming with one, no matter how far fetched it may be.

Our dive master was more realistic about our chances: first, he admitted he'd seen only 5 whale sharks in over 1500 dives and prior to our second dive, at Shark Island, when someone asked the obvious question, "will we see any sharks?" he responded, "there are no sharks at Shark Island!" Oh well, we jumped in anyway.

The water was disturbed that day: full of floating crap, including invisible jelly fish spores that would sting for a second before fading away...just in time for the next one to hit. We swam for thirty minutes with butterfly fish, barracudas, and incredible corals. Late in the dive the sun disappeared from above us, almost as if it had hidden behind a cloud. I turned my head up to investigate, and saw the silhouetted figure of a whale shark gliding through the water above me. I instantly lunged and grabbed Lauren, spinning her around to reveal the sight. She explained later that her first reaction was horror, like one would expect if they saw a shark swimming a few feet away. But the fear faded away and we swam along in awe. Once the shark had disappeared from view, we celebrated in the only way we knew how, with an underwater high five.

For five more minutes we swam along in our less impressive surroundings, with smiles filling our masks. The dive was coming to an end and I couldn't wait to reach the surface where we could finally break our silence and discuss what we had seen. I looked back for a routine buddy check to see Lauren squirming out of the way of a tail the size that was as large as her. Attached to the tail, was a whale shark 7.5 meters in length and as it turns out, the mother of the tiny shark we had just seen (only 2.5 meters). The shark was so huge, we couldn't see from one end to the other, so we never even saw it's face. It seemed the whole dive group, nearly 40 people, had discovered this shark and was now swimming along slowly with her.

We all emerged from the water to the startling commotion on the surface. It was a celebration; every diver, from those just getting certified, to the most experienced dive master, was amazed. We had not only witnessed a whale shark & its baby, but we had swam along with them. We had discovered sharks, at Shark Island...go figure.

Banana Pancakes in Ko Sumui

There's no dessert that can compare to the flavor and pure unhealthiness of a Banana Pancake in Ko Samui. So it's delicious. In fact, if you're lucky enough to stumble upon the Tom Cruise of Banana Pancakes, you will enjoy the preparation almost as much as the end result.



But as you may have suspected, there is plenty more to do on the reasonably sized island of Ko Samui. Of course, we wouldn't have known this if it wasn't for our old friends (and tour guides), Darren & Kathryn.























(Darren, Kathryn & the Namuang Waterfall)

For instance, you can rent a motor scooter and daringly maneuver in and out of traffic as you realize the entire island is now at your fingertips. You can marvel at the 'natural' rock formations of Grandfather & Grandmother rocks...essentially a giant penis and vagina that coincidentally appear in the same vicinity. You can bathe in the refreshing waters of Namuang waterfall and then ride a tortured elephant for about 50 yards.
















Grab a bowl of green curry at any number of oceanside restaurants and stare at the ladies who mine for snails in the tranquil surf. After lunch stop by and hang with the mummified monk and ask each other, "why do you think they put glasses on him?" If you haven't already seen enough puzzling marvels on the small island, head all the way up to the northern tip to see the Big Buddha...who just so happens to have one big nipple, which further complicates the gender confusion surrounding the Buddha. At this point, the day ought to be nearing an end, which means it's time to grab a Singha, hit the beach, and watch the sunset. If you're lucky, you'll stumble upon a litter of puppies who will practically beg you to pick them up and pet them.























For dinner you can stroll along the beach and check out the dozens of fresh seafood restaurants; for fun try weighing a few gigantic lobsters to see how much they would cost. After you wisely decide against the overpriced seafood, make your way back to the busy streets of Chaweng and instead dine at an Italian restaurant called Rice??? At this point, you can either hit the crowded streets of Chaweng and dance/drink the night away...or wisely decide to call it a day, retire to your rock hard mattress & blaring air conditioning, and drift away. What a day.

The Temples of Angkor

The Temples of Angkor are unbelievable. I could tell you all about the impressive architecture or ornate carvings, all done using sandstone that was floated miles down the river to the various sites. I could show you the 1,000+ photos I took detailing the dozen or so temples that we visited over two full days. You could even go so far as to research the Khmer empire, commonly compared to the Roman empire, that flourished for hundreds of years from 9th to 15th century. And if you were incredibly motivated you could fly into the brand new Siem Reap international airport, just a few miles from the temples, and explore yourself. But I can honestly tell you that no matter what you do, you still will not believe it; this place is beyond comprehension.



The Angkor is the area that once served as the capital city for the illustrious Khmer empire. Numerous temples are scattered around the Angkor area (check out this 3D map for a frame of reference), each with a story; typically built to pay homage to a current or past king, or even a Hindu or Buddhist god. There's Bayon with it's huge stone faces...


And you can witness Ta Prohm struggle to stay standing as the raw power of nature takes over...


And a bit of a drive away you'll find the lovely Bantay Srei, that was constructed using only the pinkest sandstone.


And while there are dozens of temples that lie within 15km of each other, it seems that every single tourist is piled into the mother of them all: Angkor Wat.


This is arguably the most amazing place on earth. With most of the temples aged over 1,000 years, it's amazing that they're still intact. Many of the temples are in a state of decay, but luckily nations from around the world have joined in to help preserve this ancient gem of Southeast Asia. And coupled with the flow of wealthy tourists they will no doubt survive another 1,000 years.