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!

Pai + A note on Thailand's Deep South

I spent the weekend in Pai, a small town located about 146 km north of Chiang Mai, towards the Burmese border. My goal was mostly to get out of Chiang Mai for two days and to find a pool to cool off.  Mission accomplished in both cases... As you can tell from the picture above!

Pai is an "interesting" place to visit, and I use the inverted commas because I wasn't a huge fan in the end.  It is a very hippie-culture sort of place... very popular with backpackers of the dreadlocked variety.  I enjoyed the small-town feel of Pai, but it's always a little strange to me to be in a foreign country but in a place where there is so little interaction between the 'locals' and the 'farang' (foreigners).  Case in point:  I went to the pool with two nice girls I met at the hostel, and well... it was all foreign tourists with the only locals being behind the bar.

Maybe I should nuance or explain by quoting the Lonely Planet here:

"Unlike Khao San or the islands, Pai (pronounced more like the English ‘bye’, not ‘pie’) is just as popular among Thais as foreigners. During the peak of the cool season (December and January), thousands of Thais from Bangkok crowd into the town, making parts of it feel more like the Chatuchak Weekend Market than a village in Mae Hong Son. Traffic jams aren’t unusual during this time of year, and accommodation becomes so scarce that many are forced to rough it in tents.Despite all this, the town’s popularity has yet to negatively impact its nearly picture-perfect setting in a mountain valley. There’s heaps of quiet accommodation outside the main drag, a host of natural, lazy activities to keep visitors entertained, a vibrant art and music scene, and the town’s Shan roots can still be seen in its temples, quiet back streets and fun afternoon market."

From: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/mae-hong-son-province/pai/introduction#ixzz449xJOll9

I think I would have enjoyed Pai more had I stayed longer and gotten to know more people. I was definitely intrigued by the religious diversity there (I saw at least 3 Muslims including a woman wearing a full burka). And there was a lot to do in Pai, including climbing 400 steps to the White Buddha, and visiting the caves, canyons and natural hot springs nearby. 

One thing that I did enjoy was walking up to spend the afternoon at the Pai Circus School, a small circus-school-cum-resort with lovely views of the valley. I pretty much just lazed at the pool, watching other guests try out the hoola-hoops, jester/devil sticks and juggling.  I had to leave at the end of Sunday afternoon to catch the bus back to Chiang Mai, but had I stayed, I could have attended a fire show!   (No worries... as I have plans to attend a muay thai competition later this week. Entertainment is not what's lacking in CM!)

A note on Thailand's Muslim minorities

I've had some conversations about the conflicts in southern Thailand with my friends at Oxfam and with some expats I've been working with in Chiang Mai. I still know very little about politics and religious diversity in Thailand but here are some facts or impressions that I've cobbled together:

• About 5-6% of the Thai population adheres to Islam. However there is an enormous diversity of "Islams" in Thailand... from Chinese Muslims in Northern Thailand, to Malay Muslims in the 'Deep South" provinces of Patani, Yala and Narathiwat. 

• The Thai government wishes to project an image of a unified country, but in fact there are many separatist groups in the Deep South, who do not identify strongly with Thailand as a whole.  As one article in Asian Correspondent noted,  "The Thai-Muslim sense of identity will need accommodation within existing narratives of what is ‘Thainess’ today. “Thainess’ will have to allow some plurality in the future."  Southern-Malay Thais speak mostly Malay, are Muslim and share more cultural affinities with Malaysia than with Thailand. 
• I was frankly shocked to hear about the conflict that has been raging in Thailand's southernmost provinces since about 2004-2007.  It seems that no-one outside of Thailand has heard about this...but it is a very real and devastating conflict, with roots going back to the annexation of Pattani and the division of the area between Thailand and Malaysia, under a 1909 deal between Britain and the kingdom of Siam. Since 2004, estimates show that more than 6,300 people have been killed.  It's an all-too-familiar story of "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" with insurgents saying that they are struggling to restore their homeland, and the Thai government on the other hand vowing to stamp out terrorism and separatism.  What's most tragic in my opinion is the level of targeting of the civilian population... 89% of the victims have been civilian casualties. Schools, teachers, monks and imams are often victims of insurgency bombings.   In 2013, the Thai government and rebel factions began peace negotiations but these have amounted to nothing to date.  Perhaps the government feels it has bigger fish to fry with the deep political divisions between royalist elites and middle-class rural voters from the provinces... 

• I wish there was something to do about this conflict, but for now, I guess all I can do is talk about it, and encourage my friends to find out and support campaigns such as Oxfam Thailand's campaign to support business opportunities for poor women in the conflict-affected provinces. It's not enough but hopefully things will change in Thailand and the country can begin to heal itself. 

Other Resources on Thailand's "Silent War" in the South: 

http://newirin.irinnews.org/forgotten-conflicts-thailand-a-silent-war/ 

http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/thailands-deep-south-living-in-conflict/ 

Report on torture (Cross Cultural Foundation and Patani Human Rights Network): https://voicefromthais.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/press-release-launching-torture-report-pattani-full-report/

Palace Demons and Monitor Lizards

Sawasdee!!   Je suis a Bangkok et je rencontre des demons et des lezards  (Varanus salvator ou Varan malais) partout !! haha.  D'abord j'ai vu plusieurs 'demons' statuettes recouvertes d'or et de bijoux, qui servent de 'gardes' du Palais Royal de Bangkok.  Le Palais est assez impressionnant et il y avait une grosse foule en consequence.
Pour quelque chose de plus tranquille je suis allee au Parc Lumphini aujourd'hui... mais quelle etait ma surprise d'apercevoir l'animal ci-dessous, en train de tranquillement gober son poisson tout rond.  Le Varan malais est inoffensif mais c'est tres drole d'en voir un qui se balade et qui fait aller sa langue en forme de fourche, surtout quand on ne s'y attend pas!  Les Thais n'y pretent pas plus attention, c'est comme les Quebecois et les ecureuils... "Bein quoi? Ah bon, Ca vous semble anormal, ces petites betes la?"

(English).  Hi all, Sawasdee!  I am in Bangkok and meeting demons and lizards at every street corner. I went to the Grand Palace on Sunday and saw the Dvarapala Yaksha or Door Guardians which stand at the entrance of the Emerald Buddha and all the other gilt-covered buildings inside the Palace. It is quite a sight to behold and I am glad I went to see it, despite the heat and throngs.
For a quieter excursion, I went to Lumphini Park today after getting my local SIM card... and saw the water 'monster' below, the giant Monitor Lizard, which was leisurely enjoying its fish lunch. These animals are pretty harmless but seeing them gave me quite a start! The Thais of course dont pay them any attention, much like us and squirrels.. "What these funny things? Oh they are a dime a dozen you know".

Giant Monitor Lizard Eating Fish- in the heart of Bangkok (Lumphini Park)!!

Been enjoying the food in Thailand of course!! Street food a plenty and lots of good 'modern' Thai cooking as well.  

Recommendations:

• Passport Books on Phra Sumen  (They have a lovely alcove cafe and are open until 8pm on fridays). 
• Taking the river boats!
• Eating in Chinatown
• Getting a haircut-  In Thailand I've discovered that they even wash your ears when giving you the usual shampoo prior to cutting your hair. 
• The Royal Barges Museum and Grand Palace

The Royal Barges Museum was another little hidden gem, wish I had snapped some pictures! 

This is where they keep the 'reconstructed' royal boats that the King uses for special events. There are four types of royal barge, including one type which is for the King to change into his ceremonial clothes - basically an over-water changing room, if you will.   The building and use of Royal Barges fell out of use after the fall of Ayuthaya , and most of the old ones were damaged when Siam was fighting its neighbours.  However they have restored this ages-old tradition.  The barges are quite formidable.  Each one even has a cannon to fend of any enemies that should venture in its fluvial path. 

I am off to Northern Thailand to hopefully see some elephants.  Until next time!

Mia

Memories of Borough Market

Borough Market. 

Springtime in Oslo

A rainbow is a momentous occasion. TWO rainbows? Well, that`s extra special. I was blessed to see this beautiful natural phenomenon whilst enjoying some quality time with family in Oslo, Norway.

After finishing two exams last week,  I was more than ready for some R&R away from London, so this was the perfect getaway. My aunt picked me up at the airport & we spent three days hanging out with her five grandkiddies, who are all much taller than when I last saw them in 2008. I played ping pong and Wii with the boys and we attended a very fun opening event for the local community/art centre. I wish I 'd taken more pictures of the Art Collective...the space was picturesquely located in the woods next to a farm (with beautiful horses!) and every nook and cranny is filled with colourful artwork, intricate wood sculptures, silver jewellery, film studios, etc.

My neurons got a pleasant break all weekend & I had fun trying to follow the conversations in Norwegian-Chinese-Swedish (not to mention watching a movie in Italian with Norwegian subtitles!! At the Art Centre we watched Cinema Paradiso, on an outdoor screen, with the sun not quite setting because of course it is Norway in the summer time....)

Norway's Old Town

I also spent half a day wandering around Oslo proper, watching the changing of the guards, doing some window shopping and coffee drinking. I also visited the Nobel Peace Centre, where they have two very interesting photo exhibits on Afghanistan - from a soldier's and from a local women's perspective.

Photo credit: Lynsey Addario- In Afghanistan, Exhibition at the Nobels Fredssenter

It goes without saying that Norway is a beautiful country. My aunt has a theory that the good quality of life that Norwegians enjoy can be measured by the ratio of trees per capita. I`m being a bit facetious but my own theory is that people who enjoy their life show it by showcasing beautiful things...which are plentiful in Oslo. Regardless, I am struck by the poise and pride the Norwegians possess. It's certainly a country which deserves to be discovered. Maybe in another four years, I'll be back and exploring the fjords...

xoxo Miss Engagée