Solo, Female, and Traveller

From Amelia Earhart to my own Chinese great-grand-mother who crossed the Pacific Ocean in the 1920s to come to Canada-the Golden Mountain, solo women travelers have done amazing things and have been doing so for a long time. 

Before deciding to travel solo for six months (or rather 5, since January was spent with travel buddies), I had done my research and had some prior experience of the risks and rewards of "paddling my own canoe" in other countries.  Many articles, books, blog posts have been written about the experience. Nevertheless, the most frequent two questions I have gotten about my travel have been a) Do you get tired/scared/lonely when travelling solo, and b) How much does it cost to travel for six months.  I will leave question B for another time but thought I should offer my own take on A.

Travelling solo and female: The rewards
First off, the good news: What is so great about solo female traveling? While I can't give you the male perspective, I can say that travelling alone has been for me an incredibly positive experience.  The reality is that finding a travel buddy for six months would have been difficult for me. so the decision to do it alone was born of necessity.  But it is definitely something I recommend trying at least once, as in my experience it is easier and more fun to interact with all kinds of people when you are one person. Traveling alone and traveling as a woman does make one appear more "vulnerable" for lack of a better word, but it also makes one more approachable. I have received many kindnesses from strangers, people are as a general rule willing to help you (of course there are exceptions) and even let you be a part of their lives for a short while.  I've had people offer to pay for my meal, people offering to drive me places and people offering to share their meals with me (all with kind intentions- dont worry, I only accept free rides from other young women!!)
The other great advantage of solo travel is flexibility and the ability to go where I want, when I want. I do enjoy travel with friends but after a while it can get a bit tiring to compromise on things like budget, speed, level of comfort, things to see vs not see, and so on.
So my ideal formula is 3-5 days with friends or other travelers Ive met, followed by 2-4 days of doing my own thing. It is surprisingly easy to meet nice fellow travelers so I rarely worry about this- and leave it up to fate most of the time whether I find travel buddies or not.

Travelling alone and female: The challenges
There are also challenges related to travelling by yourself, and as a woman. There are times where I do wish for a travel buddy who I havent just met. The main thing is probably that traveling with one other person allows you to share the best and worst experiences. Simply put, amazing sunsets and beautiful and unusual sights are more fun to experience when shared with someone. Also, being sick doesnt seem quite so bad when you have someone to get you water, cancel or make reservations or just make sure you are ok. (I ve been lucky and only got sick once, but that was enough to cause me to have a "I wish I were home" moment!)
As for safety, well, I am a naturally cautious person who is probably more alert and aware of her surroundings when alone. The one time I got robbed- in Colombia last year- was when I was walking with a Colombian female friend back to our hotel. I have met both solo travelers and couples who have been pick-pocketed so traveling with another person doesnt guarantee you that things wont happen. I follow basic safety precautions- dont walk down a dark street at night, use recommended taxis where available, keep an eye out for suspicious activity, let guesthouses know generally where I will be and what time I plan to leave/return.  I have felt safe 99.9% of the time while traveling, exceptions being Medellin Colombia at the end of the day, and aggressive touts in India which in the end were more annoying than dangerous.

Overall, as I said, solo female travelling has been a super positive experience for me. I have made many good friends and had fun experiences that might not have taken place in other circumstances. I enjoy a range of types of travel, including volunteer and study/work abroad, which also offer routine and ready-made friends, something that is not as easy to come by when backpacking. In the end it is about knowing yourself and your travel style. But definitely dont "knock it (solo travel) til you've tried it!"

Thanks for reading, All the best,
Mia
p.s. I had a 20 hour layover at Changi airport-happy I at least had a blog to keep me busy! On to Manila!

Yangon Day 1

(edit- had to post this out of order due to poor internet access! enjoy).
Yangon, April 2016. Aung San Suu Kyi 's government has just taken the reins of power after years of military dictatorship and Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, is an exciting place to visit as it begins to open itself up to mass tourism and exchanges with the world at large.    
A few observations:
This place definitely reminds me more of India than Thailand. Not only is there lots of action in the streets, people also look somewhat Indian , and the buildings are pretty run down, a la Chawdani Chowk in New Delhi. Men wear the longyi or sarong and you dont see any girls wandering around in shorts, as one does in Bangkok. The men all have stained red teeth from chewing paan(betel nut). (Contrary to India, this is a primarily Buddhist country so you do see a lot of monks like in Thailand... and there are no sacred cows blocking the streets!).

People are so kind and helpful in Yangon, Im almost embarrassed to be treated so well.  When I bought my 1$ plastic bag to keep my wallet from getting wet, the vendor shows me how to close it properly. I have already met a nice young Chinese- Burmese girl who was manning a free food table.. and a young engineer who treated me to a bowl of noodle soup.  One little kid was a bit terrified of me but on average the kids are very friendly and quite enjoy the chance to soak a foreigner with water (well in fact they dont really care whether you are a foreigner or not because its fun to soak everyone!  )

There is a five day street party going on... and having been to Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Yangon for this water festival called Thingyan or Songkran, I have to say that Yangon is by far the most INTENSE. Lots of music, dancing, everyone being driven around in pick up trucks and getting super soaked. The atmosphere is really friendly and fun, but I am glad my hostel is so central because I really needed to nap this afternoon and take a break from the street action.
  I dont mind spending a bit of time in crazy, intense, gloriously wet Yangon but I think I will enjoy something more laid back after this!  Happy Burmese New Year. xx

(Français).
En bref: Oh lala! La fête de l eau (Thingyan a Myanmar) est encore plus intense ici qu'en Thaïlande. C'est un enorme street party, avec musique et camionettes qui servent de navettes pour les fêtards.  Je me sens un peu comme une vedette parce que les gens sont tres gentils, et contrairement a l'Inde, ils sourient plutot que de simplement dévisager les étrangers. J'ai bien hâte d'aller voir les temples de Bagan et le lac Inle, mais je me compte tres chanceuse d avoir pu fêter le Nouvel an birman ici!!

Shan State Exploring

Hello! Shan state and particularly Hsipaw was a highlight of my trip to Myanmar... Loved the two day trek we did despite seeing barren landscapes due to slash and burn agriculture technique in preparation for corn planting.
Six of us- a Brit, 2 Americans, 2 Aussies and me la Quebecoise- went treking through the help of Lily s guesthouse (Lily herself is adorable and very helpful). Along the way we got to visit Shan and Lisu villages.  The villagers are quite poor so we were happy that our money went to some locals rather than to a corporation or whatnot.  We stayed overnight at Pan Nyaw, which has the cutest kids ever (or cutest "nuggets" as my trekmates said). Half the group was pretty althletic and did some gymnastics with the kids.  The non athletic half- including yours truly- had fun also playing games and letting the kids enjoy using our mobile phones and cameras.  Truly these kids are genius- figuring out how to use my voice recorder while not actually being able to read English.

Most treking is done with a guide which is a smart idea tiven that locals dont speak much English. They were very welcoming to us...treating us a bit like celebrities.  I wonder if the novelty will wear off as Myanmar welcomes more and more tourists over the years to come .  My main hope is that tourism will benefit locals and that it will be done in an environmentally sustainable manner...Myanmar from what I have seen is getting increasingly polluted which is such a shame.  The country has some great natural beauty to preserve.

The hike was somewhat challenging due to the heat but we enjoyed the views.  I was reaaaally happy to have a shower, change, and have a mango shake at the end of it all.

Mandalay

Hello from Mandalay! Its a rainy afternoon ergo time for me to send another update. Myanmar is definitely full of postcard worthy places, although Mandalay is rather ugly and one needs to dig a little bit to find peaceful monasteries and inspiring street scenes.  I lucked out and am staying at a very friendly guesthouse (Dreamland...a very romantic name befitting a city that evokes romance in the collective imagination).  Spend some time today at the Shwe in Bein monastery- absolutely lovely and old school- and meandered around the city, taking an hour to climb up Mandalay Hill for some interestig views of the city. Its the full moon today so unfortunately many things are closed, including the Jade Market which I did want to visit. Oh well, I will likely pop by Mandalay again on my way back from Hsipaw so no worries.

The Maha Muni Temple is definitely cool to visit- the brave souls willing to get up at 4am can be rewarded by seeing the monks polishing the face of the giant Buddha in this temple- Big Buddha is supposedly 2,000 years old and periodically gets repainted with gold leaf. Women are not allowed in the inner sanctum but we can still get a pretty good glimpse of the star attraction from a distance as they keep the doors to the buddha open.

The royal palace gates and fortress are also pretty neat to see (last pic).

xx
- Mia

(Français)
Bonjour de Mandalay! C est une ville qui a une reputation tres romantique même si en realité Mandalay est plutôt sale et peu adaptée aux pietons. Je suis allée visiter le monastère Shwe im Bein, le temple Mahamuni (buddha en or enorme) et la colline de Mandalay qui offre une belle vue de la ville et du fleuve Irrawady. Pour une fois il pleut et la temperature est assez tiède pour qu on puisse se balader. Plusieurs marchès et magasins sont fermés pour le jour de la Pleine Lune mais ce n est pas trop grave, je risque de repasser par Mandalay sur mon chemin de retour vers Yangon. Prochain arrêt: Hsipaw, la nature, les villages!
xx

More Bagan

Bagan feels very luxurious to me, probably because I am staying at a very nice little hotel (affordable because of Agoda.com and the fact that I am actually in a mixed six bed dorm room in this nice hotel!).  Yesterday I took full advantage of the hotel services and booked a shared taxi to visit Mt Popa which is one of the many sacred sites of Bagan.  A little off the tourist trail, Mt Popa is pretty fun to visit.  We stopped at a place that makes palm alcohol and palm sugar snacks on the way (very tasty... they also make palm sugar and milk sweets that taste a lot like my piano teacher's Sucre à la creme!).  Mt Popa is a shrine on a mountain top, you have to climb some 400 steps in your bare feet.  I got to ring the gong at one of the shrines and we made friends with a large Burmese family (three girls, four boys, and a grandma with a very firm handshake).
The six in our Mt Popa group also decided to take a boat from the Old Bagan jetty to watch the sunset.  The rest of my time in Bagan has been touring the ruins and doing a bit of shopping in the Lacquerware shops.  Bagan is known as THE place in Myanmar to buy the beautiful handmade lacquer bowls, cups and plates.

Top pagodas to visit in Bagan:
Shwesandaw Pagoda for the best view of the temple-strewn plains;
-Ananda Paya for the biggest standing buddhas;
- Shwedagon Pagoda for a very "local feel".

-Stayed at the Royal Bagan in Nyaung U and recommend it.
Next stop, Mandalay!!

xxx

Bagan, Myanmar

A quick helli from Bagan Myanmar!! Who knew Myanmar had so many ruins and temples and buddhas oh my...And also who would have thought that this would be the place that tires me out the most! ;)  In a good way that is.  Its veeery hot here, 40 C in the daytime on average, and the only way to do any touristy things is to get up early in the morning (then have a nap and swim in the afternoon). Had a lovely day today touring Old Bagan ruins and even got to watch the sun set over the horizons. Just gorgeous.
-xoxo

April 13-16: Songkran, Thailand

Happy Songkran! Every year on April 13-16, the Thais (and Lao, Buddhist Indians and Burmese) celebrate the annual water festival, which coincides with the sun crossing Aries and the hottest time of year - when getting doused with water is really quite refreshing.
I had to good fortune of witnessing Songkran festivities in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, and can attest that the best party is definitely in Chiang Mai, as the whole city , and people of all ages, participate in the water festivities.  A traditional part of Songkran is to give merit (offerings) to the monks and to wash the Buddha statues in a ritual of cleansing. It is also a tradition to pour water of the hands of the elderly as a sign of respect; or as one friend put it, "We wash our parents for the New Year!".  But the most memorable Songkran tradition is the water fights.  Thai families set up a large wading pool or buckets filled with water outside their homes and kids and adults take pleasure in hosing down passerbys.
This reminded me of a mix between Carneval and Halloween... as it is a kid centric holiday (children are the most enthusiastic participants in the water fights) but people also dress in colourful clothes and some even wear masks. 
I and my backpack got totally drenched leaving CM on my way to take the train to Bangkok but luckily I had anticipated the cold showers and put every last item in a plastic bag (thanks mom for the bags!).

I am writing from the Don Muang airport awaiting my flight to Yangon, Myanmar!
Hugs,
Mia

(Français)

En résumé... Je viens de fêter Songkran, le festival de l eau en Tahilande qui est aussi célébré au Laos, au Myanmar et dans certaines regions de l'Inde. C etait toute une occasion! C est le moment de se "purifier" et le pays au complet prend plaisir à s arroser d'eau. Les enfants adorent cela!  Quel plaisir de pouvoir arroser les passants... surtout lorsqu on les surprend avec de l eau glacée! Super rafraichissant ;)
Je pars maintenant pour le Myanmar. Je vous embrasse!

And the livin' is easy

Je termine mon long sejour (un mois) a Chiang Mai avec un melange d'impatience et de paix intérieure. Je suis restee si longtemps ici pour mon contrat de recherche ,  et je suis donc impatiente de repartir!! Chiang Mai c etait super, vraiment une ville qui offre une belle qualité de vie, mais je commence a avoir tres hâte a ma prochaine destination.  En même temps, j ai vecu une certaine tranquilité d esprit ici...je me suis fais quelques amis...et j'ai surtout passé mes temps libres a manger, a nager dans la piscine et à profiter des massages beaux, bons et pas chers!! Aujourd'hui je crois que c'etait mon 4e massage et je me disais ouffff! Ça ne sera pas facile de retourner a la vie "normale". ;)
So here are my next destinations:
Myanmar ( 2 weeks)- hopefully Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle lake and perhaps some hiking.
Philippines (23 days)- Manila, north of Luzon and at least one island among Palawan or Bohol, maybe both.
Vietnam (29 days) - trip planning still a bit vague but definitely going South to North with a return trip to Tra Vinh as well as stops planned in Dalat, Hue, Hoi An , Hanoi and maybe some national parks.

As Barney from How I met your Mother is fond of saying...its gonna be LEGEN...wait for it....DARY! :)

Salutations,
Mia

Chiang Mai Favourites

Bonjour!

I find it hard to realize, but I am at my half-way (3 month) point in my Asia trip !  The second thing that I find hard to believe, is that I will have spent nearly one month in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  I didn't expect to spend so much time in this city but it's definitely one of those places that gets nicer over time - as you start to discover your favourite secret cafes, explore the sois (small side streets), and generally feel like a local.  Chiang Mai at first gave me the impression of a noisy and somewhat uninteresting city, so I'm pleased that I have managed to re-evaluate my assessment. (Ah, the evaluator language comes out. Next I will begin to discourse on indicators. ;) )

So, let's see, what have been to date my favourite places in Chiang Mai?

1. Patara Elephants

Going to play with elephants at Patara was an absolute definite highlight of my time in Chiang Mai. The elephants-for-tourists industry can be a little shady and it was definitely nice to know that Patara takes its elephant care seriously.  In addition to taking care of elephants, they focus on reproduction, knowing that the elephant population has drastically declined in the last few decades. We got to spend a half day being an "elephant baby-sitter", learning how to feed elephants, check for signs that they are healthy or not, etc.

2.The pool at Deejai Gardens

I landed in Chiang Mai at the hottest time of year (Helloooo 40 C daily), so the pool was an absolute essentiel. Deejai's has a decent salt water pool,  AND has hammocks, AND is located down the street from the hostel where I ended up moving to get A/C.  A bit of a party place but lovely nevertheless.

Enjoying the pool!

3, 4, and 5. The coffee shops of Chiang Mai (3 favourites)

It's a toss up to date between:

• Into the Woods (a cute Disney-themed cafe that serves overly sweet drinks but has fantastic wifi and A/C)
• Boon Som Sa (?) cafe, which is gorgeous and located just outside a Buddhist temple, Wat Pansao I believe.  (Can't beat the sight of monks drinking coffee, but unfortunately it's just a little too hot these days to sit outside all day). 
• Wawee Coffee, which is the Chiang Mai equivalent of Starbucks or maybe Tim Hortons.  FYI there IS a Starbucks in Chiang Mai, but with so many lovely options to choose from, it would be sort of insane to have coffee there. 

The Coffee Shop Outside the Buddhist Temple (Just Outside Chiang Mai's West Gate)

6. Food-wise, my favourite vegetarian places were Taste Of Heaven and Morning Glory. 

I got to meet lovely people, including a Torontonian female muay thai boxer, while eating at both places, so bonus points to both. Taste of Heaven is right next to the Lost Books Used book store, so that was even better!   Honourable mention to Beetroot Stories, located in the courtyard behind Wawee Coffee on Rachamanka Road, for having the most amazing coconut drink.

7. Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh

A visit to Chiang Mai wouldn't be complete without a stop at both these impressive buddhist temples, or wats. My pics aren't great because I mostly went there to soak in the peaceful atmosphere at dusk. Wat Phra Singh dates from the 14th century and actually has several buildings including a "mini Wat Po" (reclining Buddha statue) and an impressive old temple behind the more modern one.  It is also where many young monks are instructed in Thai language, script, and Buddhist teachings. I saw a parade of about 30-40 monks going to 'school' one evening - they are just boys but at the same time, they look like they have learned a few things about meditating and so forth.

Wat Phra Singh buddhas

Next time I visit Chiang Mai, I will try to come in December-Jan when it's not so hot, and enjoy more of its outdoor adventures such as hiking and zip-lining. But for now I'm grateful for cool coffee shops and nice jazz bars.  Oh yeah forgot to mention the North Gate Jazz Bar, which is also a good spot to enjoy live music with friends.

Voila, my little compilation of Chiang Mai essentials.  If you have any suggestions to add, please comment! Thanks.

Til next time,
Mia 

Eating bugs

This has been the most culinarily adventurous weekend of my trip! Yesterday I did a cooking class with Asia scenir school where we leaned to make pad thai, kao soi( a typical chiang mai noodle dish make with egg noodle) and spring rolls. It was so much fun and pretty easy! the thais called pad thai their "fast food" because it takes only 5 min to make once all the ingredients are assembled.
I also went to the Saturday night market with my friend S who is a thai language instructor. We sat down for some serious eating, including an appetizer snack of fried silk worms and grasshoppers as well as omelette with ant eggs (they are small and white, look like larvae which is basically what it is). My friend enjoyed the look on my face as i steeled myself to swallow the bugs. They are actually pretty nice, especcially grasshopper although it looks the worst when you re not used to eating bugs. We also had spicy papaya salad, chicken and sushi washed down with mini ice cream cones. Quite a night for the taste buds.

Have a great week. xx
Mia