India: Hillstations and Flatlands

India has been one of the most fascinating countries we have been to over the past year. It is colorful, dirty, full of smiles, frustrating, rich in culture, smelly, abundant with laughing kids, home to the most tasty of foods, overly bureaucratic, carrying a history of brutal warfare, dotted with the most amazing forts we have ever seen, torture when dealing with many of its illogical systems, and ripe with energy. This is a country that has left us wanting more, yet has made us excited to head back home. India is, for sure, one of the most astounding places ever (at least in our opinion).

We started traveling in India on one of the coolest tours(our only organized tour our whole trip) with a fun group of people primarily through the State of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is full of forts, ancient cities, colorful saries, spicy cuisine, stinky camels, and melting sunsets. Before even entering Rajasthan, however, we had to check out (as no Northern India trip would be complete without) the Taj Mahal. Words cannot capture this wonder and the beauty of this place left our mouths wide open at first site.

The places we checked out in Rajasthan included Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisilmer, Tordi Garth, Nimaj Bagh, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. Yet, one of our favorite times in Rajasthan was taking a camel safari about 60 miles from the Pakistan border in the Great Thar Desert. The safari was also amazing in that we woke up to a great sunrise in the desert on Jaime's 33rd Birthday! Though it was tough finding a cake in Bikaner, Jaime had a great birthday evening with a descent chocolate cake:)

The rest of our journey included visits to amazing hill stations in Northern India's State of Uttar Pradesh. We checked out the yoga capital of the universe, Rishikesh, but left sooner than the Beatles did back in the 60's. We loved the towns of Nainital, Mussoorie, Almora, and had a vigorous trek in Himalayan hills filled with bright red Rhododendrons. Our volunteer guide, Denesh, was wonderful and was proud to introduce us to his family. All in all, it was quite the journey and some of the people (especially in the smaller villages) were the kindest we had met all year. Oh...and there was plenty of Masala tea!

We returned to the states on April 11th (after one full year abroad) and we're now driving around the country to visit family and friends. We had a great time together exploring the world and managed to make it back with only the carry on bags we started with.

Cambodia: Beautiful and Tragic

Two weeks has not been enough time for Cambodia. We found it to be a country of stark contrasts: old ruins and modern cities, wealthy businessmen and begging landmine victims, beautiful countrysides and litter-filled rivers. The only constants seem to be the presence of tuk-tuks (3-wheeled motorbike transportation) and cheap beer.

We started our trip in Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, with the 12th century ruins spreading over 3,000 sq. km. Our two favorite temples were the infamous Angkor Wat and the mysterious Ta Prohm. Angkor Wat is intricately detailed with wall carvings, steep stairs, tall towers, and Jaime loved the perfect symmetry. Unfortunately large portions of Angkor Wat were under restoration, so we don't have any photos worthy of posting. Ta Prohm is another stone temple that appears to have been taken back by the forest; the trees are overgrown on the temple walls, creating a nearly magical feel.

Phnom Penh is the capital city with a riverfront esplanade that comes alive with activity in the evenings. While the food and beer have been delightful, this city has made us think deeply about Cambodia's past and present. There are countless street children and amputated landmine victims begging or selling bracelets and copied books; a number of small children simply begged for a sip of water. Despite the extensive US bombings over the country, 1/3 of the Cambodian population (2-3 million people) was was killed under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. We visited Tuol Sleng (a.k.a. S-21) Security Prison which was a high school that the Khmer Rouge converted into a prison and interrogation center in 1975. Approximately 20,000 people were held there, and the torture methods used were so atrocious Jaime started to cry. We also visited Choeung Ek (a.k.a. The Killing Fields) where many prisoners from S-21 were executed enmasse, never "wasting" bullets, but rather using garden hoes and other horrific methods. In 1979 the remains of nearly 9,000 people were found in 86 of the 129 mass graves onsite (they left the remaining 43 mass graves untouched). Sadly, this is only one of 380 killing fields the Khmer Rouge created throughout the country.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum from our emotions in Phnom Penh, we spent several days doing absolutely nothing in the oceanfront town of Sihanoukville. We sat on Serendipity Beach eating, relaxing under the shade of umbrellas on deckchairs, swimming in the warmest ocean water we've ever experienced, sleeping in a cheap hotel room, and then repeating the process for the next three days in a row. Jason drank so much Angkor Draft that he was forced to swim/pee every 30 minutes.

If you haven't heard yet, on March 6th (tomorrow!) we're flying from Cambodia to spend the last five weeks of our trip in India. We start in Delhi and head to the north. Then back to California on April 11th!

Laos - Untouched Land and Genuine People

Jaime and I entered the country of Laos on January 26th not really knowing what to expect. After volunteering and travelling in Thailand for quite a while, Laos was a change that left us with fond memories of its land, its food, and its people. The prices of accommodation and food in the Northern parts of Laos made us realize that we will have a hard time adjusting to prices when we get back to the US. The smiles were probably the most genuine we've experienced thus far in Southeast Asia. No one (other than the occasional shopkeeper wanting an extra 5 cents) tried to cheat us out of money and people were fair and helpful. These are a people that, only 30-some years after our country dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on the country, treated us like royalty and with such kindness.

We started our trip taking a stunning, yet not always comfortable, boat trip for 2 days down the mighty Mekong river from Huay Xai towards Luang Prabang. We thoroughly enjoyed the French colonial feel of Luang Prabang, including the historic buildings and tree-lined sidewalks. (Were we really in Asia?) While in Luang Prabang we also took a side trip along the Nam Khong River and got to visit a Khmu village just east of Luang Prabang, which including mountain biking, trekking, and kayaking. The homestay in the village was a blast, and the kids tried to teach Jason to walk on bamboo stilts!

After Luang Prabang, we decided to take boats as far North as we could go...Phongsali, Laos. The trip up the Nam Ou river started out the first day with our boat bottoming-out in the shallow, dry-season river; I (Jason) had the opportunity to get out of the boat with a few other guys and push it upriver. I realized at that moment that our adventure had begun. We visited amazing villages such as Nong Kiaw, Mong Ngoi, Nong Kwai, and the ever-colorful Phongsali. I learned how to fish with nets like many villagers along the rivers and Jaime learned the art of silk weaving (she made a placemat that took all day to complete).

After travelling by river we ended up trekking a bit near Ban Noi (next to Phongsali) and having another incredible homestay in an Akha village. The Akha tribe is a tough life to say the least, and it was the work ethic of the Akha women that impressed us most of all . Most of the Akha women are married at 14, have kids by 16, and work from 3 am till about 11 pm everyday the rest of their lives. We slept in the village headman's home on their dirt floors, took baths from the community well, wandered into the woods when nature called, and our food was cooked over the smoky kitchen fire. A few days later I took a 3-day trek into Nam Ha National Protected Area (95% of the park is covered by jungle), and Jaime decided to take a break from trekking by relaxing at a guesthouse in Luang Nam Tha.

All in all, we had an amazing time in Laos and would recommend the country to anyone...though it takes a little more of an adventure-minded person with a tad bit of flexibility to travel in the far North (most villages in the North had electricity only 3 hours a day, and many towns had no hot water at all...unless you got your host to boil it for you). We will never forget all the smiling children along the rivers and in the villages shouting out that warm Laos greeting, "SABAIDEE!!!"

Sukhothai and Chiang Mai

Jaime and I are starting to get back into travel mode and we are loving it! We started out by heading to Sukhothai, Thailand's capital city from 1238 to 1419. The remains of the old city caught us off guard and were astounding to say the least. Jaime practiced her Buddha pose a bit and we had a great time biking in the central zone and outer zones of the old capital. We also enjoyed our hotel room as WE NOW HAVE HOT WATER AGAIN!!

Yesterday we arrived in Chiang Mai and have started to tour around the city today as we will be using it as a hub for hiking in the Northern parts of Thailand. Tomorrow we start a 3 day trek where we will be staying for a few nights in different hill tribe villages. We are looking forward to the trek and are hoping that Jaime doesn't get too many more mosquito bites:)

Bittersweet...leaving people of character

Well, Jaime and I are leaving Mae Sot tomorrow after an amazing 3 months of teaching, writing, and putting a bit of effort into helping organizations that have a desire to change a military controlled country into a free democracy. Many of my (Jason's) students shed a few tears yesterday as they threw a going away party for me. I admit that I shed a couple as well. I never knew that teaching a bunch of Burmese refugees would have had this type of impact on me, yet it has.


These past three months Jaime and I have learned so much about Burma's situation, their people, and how they view life in general. Though the food was a bit of a challenge for Jaime (fish paste and rice 5 days a week is tough), the cold water bucket showers a bit shocking at times, the constant ants and cockroaches in the house disheartening, and the language barrier continually difficult we still came to appreciate how the Burmese love the simple things in life and how they have smiles unlike anything we've seen. The smiles are what amaze me...these people cannot return to their country and they are not free in their safe houses...they still smile though.

At one point over the past three months I went home to see family. One thing I noticed when I arrived in the good ol' USA was the amount of frowning faces I saw in the crowds. We are a spoiled country and have a freedom that others only dream of...yet we frown? I have come to realize from teaching the guys I've been with that people of character are people who smile in the face of opposition, men and women who appreciate what has been provided for them even if it is very little, and folks who don't give up even if the task seems quite fruitless at times. How I wish more of us would smile back in the states...most of us have no idea how blessed we are.

Christmas Season - Karen Children - Good Combo!

Jaime and I had the privilege of helping out a friend on Saturday with a Christmas party for 200 Karen children that live at a migrant camp. The Karen people come from the Karen state in Burma, which lies in the Eastern Region and also along the Irrawaddy Delta. The Karen have fought for independence from Burma since 1949. They are a strong people and many of the men are either soldiers or farmers in their hill region.



Most of these kids will not have their parents around to raise them, let alone a meaningful Christmas. Their parents are stuck back in Burma, while these kids have a chance at a better life. We split the group into two 100 people teams and Jaime covered crafts, while I lead games for the kids. It was an amazing day and the children had so much respect and appreciation for us that we walked away feeling as though their laughter and loud singing voices were enough of a gift for us to last many Christmases (okay...that sounds cheesy...but you could only understand if you were there in the moment).

The end of the party included singing and Jaime and I, along with two others, handing out over 200 presents to kids, and other Karen caregivers. It was exhausting, yet extremely fulfilling and it was amazing seeing how excited the children were to receive a gift for the holidays. These kids, along with many others in Mae Sot that evening, sang songs so loud to God as though He were sitting in the back balcony row of a huge auditorium....no microphone was needed...all we could do was smile.

My watery eyes and U Htun Win's essay

Prior to heading back to the States for a quick week-long trip in Orlando, FL with my family I had some students conduct interviews on each other about Burma and on me. Their questions were out of this world and on Monday December 7, 2009 one of my students handed in an essay that made my eyes water. These students range from beginners with the English language to advanced elementary students. U Htun Win (an advanced student) handed in the following essay in English:

"December 1, 2009

Now I live in Mae Sot in Thailand together with many young people. Many Burmese people live in Thailand illegally. Why do they live here with many difficulties? It is a very good question. The answer depends entirely on Burma's situation. Burma's country has been governed by military dictators since 1962. In Burma many people can't live, work, learn or speak. We have no human rights. Many people can't save their lives by their works, except for military high ranking people and a few Burmese people. So, Burma's people have long wanted a Democracy in Burma, and we have attempted to have one in many ways. Burma's dictators have suppressed and arrested many politicians and democratic activists.


Burma's most famous opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is still under house arrest.
Now we are staying in Mae Sot and conducting political activity, studying political subjects, and learning the English language. Our teacher is Jason. He is from Truckee, CA in America. Our English classes started on October 14th. On November 20th, he let the class ask him some questions. We learned information about his life, his political and religious views, and his ambitions by asking him questions.


His name is Jason LaChance. He is 32 years old. He is married. His wife's name is Jaime. They have no child yet. Jason is handsome, well spoken, good teaching, and polite. He was born in the town of Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin State. He was born on November 2nd 1977. He has two brothers, Sam and Charlie. He has college degree from Arizona State University. He met Jaime at University and married with her on August the 5th in year 2000. After his wedding, Jason attended law school at John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois State. After law school, he lived in the Town Truckee in California with his wife.
Jason did not always like his job in family law and they decided to travel. Jason has travelled to countries like Kenya, Nepal, Indonesia, China, Tanzania, Thailand, Laos, Singapore and many european countries and countries South America. Jason and Jaime have sympathy and social service spirits. Now they are living in Mae Sot in Thailand. Jaime is working on of Burma's highly active organizations, AAPP, and Jason is teaching English language to our GW members as a volunteer.

He and Jaime arrived at Thailand in September 2009 and went to the border town of Mae Sot. In Mae Sot they met many Burmese immigrants and political organizations. They know about Burma's situation and feel sympathy to Burma's people.
Jason started teaching our GW organization members on October 14th. He likes GW members' spirit and eagerly teaches English language to the members.

He has good views on Burma's junta and the opposition to political activists inside Burma and abroad. He has wish to help Burmese people to get the free and democracy. But he doesn't wish to change our culture to be like his in America. Jason likes our GW's nonviolent action, as he doesn't think we can win by fighting with weapons.
I ask Jason if America can win against Afghanistan. Jason thinks Afghanistan is a different kind of enemy that we can't necessarily beat. This was his opinion.

His opinion is to change Burma's situation a democracy needs the help of other countries like European, Asian countries, and America. Jason thinks, and I think too, that America is afraid of China."

This essay may mean nothing to others. It meant the world to me when I read it. U Htun Win is a 55 year old migrant worker who hasn't seen his wife and daughter in years as he is constantly running from Burma's military. He is a simple man. A man who has taught me more in the past 2 months than most textbooks have taught me in my lifetime. The essay he gave me was almost three pages in his handwriting. I only asked for 5-10 sentences. Last week I brought him a New York Times newspaper and he smiled at me like a kid getting a Play Station for Christmas. He is always eager to learn more, hard working, and smiles at the simplest of things. His desire after I teach him is to go teach other migrant workers simple English.