The richest poor country in the world

I have been in love with Thailand for 10 years. Everybody who has heard me speak about Thailand (or even just from reading this blog) you can tell that I love Thailand, which is why I end up never leaving. I'm glad I did though, Laos is amazing!! 

However, I keep talking to people who mention how the people are dirt poor. They mention that the majority of the population live in rural areas and in a global scale, are considered below the poverty level because they don't earn so-many-dollars per capita per year.

Honestly, I don't see it. 

They live in little villages by the river, and subsist on some combination of sticky rice plus what they plant, the animals they keep (chickens, pigs, buffalo) and the fish they catch. 

You see fathers carrying babies, and mothers tickling toddlers who giggle adorably. They have plenty of food and water. They live in their own houses. The food is great. The weather is wonderful, and when it gets too hot, they jump in the river! The scenery is breath-taking and beautiful. There's no polution, no stress, no noise. They have schools and free health-care. I even walked into a hospital and it was squicky clean and empty (no crowds of patients waiting). The people are nice, helpful, happy. 

But don't take my word for it: here are some pictures:

(Friends and chickens)

(Drying rice)

(Typical houses) 

(Cooling off)

(Going out to fish)

(Big sister and chubby baby!)

(Sunset over the mountains)

(Silly foreigners -me- spinning around and making adorable little girls giggle)

Where is the poverty? Sure, they don't have any money... but they have no use for it. They have everything they need -- things that money can't buy... 

I guess I have a different definition of what it means to be rich or poor. To me, these people are the richest people I've ever met... 

The other side of the Mekong

I mentioned that I was forcing myself to leave Thailand and go to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, right?

Well, a few days ago I crossed the Mekong river from Thailand into Laos. It's beautiful here. The people are just as friendly as in Thailand, the food is similar (though not *quite* as good!), it's actually cheaper, and there are absolutely breathtaking places. 

(Sunset over the Mekong, looking onto Thailand on the other side)

Why didn't I come here sooner!? :) 

From the border town of Houay Xai, I took a local bus to Luang Namtha, a place close to a beautiful National Park of 96% protected forest. 

I met some people on the way, Sam from Spain and Pauline from France. We all wanted to do some trekking, so we decided to look for something and book together. 

The first day, after we booked our 3-day trip, we rented motorbikes and went out exploring. We were riding on this tiny road going up the mountains and passing by lots of little villages. 

Our lunch spot, by a little creek, high up in the mountains... 

Then back to town, shower and dinner. 

The next day, we started our tour at 9am. The first day was kayaking down the Namtha river.

(Sam and I on the kayak)

At first it was a little slow going, we had to paddle a lot and I was tired... Then we stopped for lunch and I got some more energy. 

In the afternoon the river was flowing faster, and we had quite a few rapids! It was a lot more fun, and a lot less work... :) 

Then we got to the village where we were going to spend the night and leave the kayaks. The people are cery friendly, and even though we can't really communicate with them, we tried to interact and somehow always understand each other... 

I was pretty exhausted, hadn't slept much at all the night before, so I went to bed early. 

The next day, the trekking was pretty tough. It was uphill most of the way, and I mean straight up, through the tropical jungle. But we made it, and the view from the top was incredible!! 

(Arriving at the top!!)

(Sunset panorama)

After sunset, Tanoi (our guide) cooked us dinner, and then we went back to the viewpoint to look at the stars for a while. Absolutely incredible!! I've been really lucky in this trip, with lots of opportunities to be in the middle of nowhere, with no light polution, no electricity, no internet, nothing. A chance to disconnect, look at the stars, and see the beauty of this world... 

On the third day we trekked back to the village, completely downhill, at knee-busting angles. Finished with a swim, and playing with the little kids from the village. 

(Namtha river)

(Adorable giggling girls spinning around)

Then back to Luang Nam Tha for a looong shower, dinner and bed!

My first 5 days in Laos have been amazing... :) 

News from Tchad!

I may be physically far away, but my mind is never too far. I have not forgotten my patients. Or Tchad. And as weird as that might seem, I miss it... 

So every once in a while, I ask for news... 

And I am happy to report that Irene came back for her check-up, her stump is all healed up and Dr. Scott sent her to the handicapped center to get a prosthesis. It'll probably be a peg leg (above knee amputations suck!) but it'll be enough to free her hands from the crutches, so she can carry her babies again. :) 

Gombo, one of the patients I was doing dressing changes twice a day and who kept producing pus and more pus, has also been discharged, healed, without infection. Hallelujah!! 

But the best news are about Blaise. He's the one I thought was going to lose his leg. The one I pumped full of antibiotics and also did dressing changes twice a day. When I left, he was off antibiotics and infection free, but still had 2 giant wounds which could get infected again any time. 

Well, he is doing great! He's still at the hospital, but the wounds are almost completely closed, and he has both legs and no infection. He will walk again. He will lead a normal life. A young, strong guy like him, would have been reduced to begging if he had lost his leg. Now he's got a chance at life. 

There are no words to describe how happy that makes me... :) it was not in vain. The fight payed off. 

That's Blaise, on my last day there... 

Surprised!

I have done a fair bit of traveling. And when you go to countries like India, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, you see a fair amount of temples. Most of them are beautiful and full of intricate, delicate designs and paintings... but after a while, they start to blend together and you're no longer sure which one is which... 

However, today I was in for a surprise. 

Around Chiang Rai there are a lot of places to see, waterfalls, temples, villages... but they're spread out a few kilometers in every direction, so I rented a motorbike (ok, it's a scooter!), looked up some maps, and started off. 

After a few kilometers, there was a sign and I turned right off the highway: immediately, I saw the temple and couldn't believe my eyes. 

It's incredible. It is simply incredible. All white with delicate designs made with tiny mirror squares that make it shimmer with the light, and it just took me by surprise... 

There are also some creepy details, like the sea of hands from the underworld reaching out to you as you cross the bridge onto the temple: 

A bottle of whisky on top of a very scary sculpture: 

Or heads hanging from trees with weeds growing out of them: 

But back to the temple: 

Definitely one that will stick in my memory and will not blend in with the others... 

Wat Rong Khun, or simply: The White Temple

The happiest place on earth...

Forget Disneyland! Thailand is the happiest place on earth! The name of the country literally means "Land of Smiles". Boy, did they get that right! 

Just landing in Thailand puts a smile on my face. I can't think of a single thing I don't like about this place. The food is fantastic. The people are lovely, friendly and helpful (without trying to sell you a thing!) the weather is great. The beaches are beautiful. The diving is incredible. The prices are cheap. It is easy, with an excelent tourist infrastructure. It is safe (even for a woman solo-traveler). 

Even if you say there are a lot of tourists, yes, true, but not everywhere. There are SO MANY incredible places out of the tourist trail, it's easy to avoid them if you want. 

This is my 3rd visit, and this time, I'm actually *forcing* myself to leave, in order to visit the neighbouring countries (Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam) which I keep wanting to see but always end up getting stuck here. Went to get my Vietnam visa today, so this time it is happening!!! 

But first, I think I'll have another Pad Thai... ;) 

The roof of the world!

I wrote this post a few days ago, but since blogger is blocked in China, and I can´t manage to make the vpn work on my phone, I am only now able to post...

Tibet

Breath-taking. That word pretty much describes my experience in Tibet.

It's a very good thing that I had done the Annapurna Circuit Trek, where I had hiked up to 4,000m before coming to Tibet. On this tour, the first night we stayed at Zhangmu, the border town between Nepal and Tibet. Altitude: 2250m. 

The second night, we stayed at Tingri, altitude: 4,250m!! That's an altitude gain of exactly 2,000m! That's the highest I've ever slept, and incredibly, other than a very mild headache and a little trouble falling asleep, I had no issues. I was even running! Compare to Bolivia, where I could literally, barely walk, and spent the whole night gasping for air, and I'll say acclimatization is awesome. Our bodies really are incredible... 

We're happily driving down the road when our guide, Pema, unceremoniously announces that the pointy peak in the middle is Mt. Everest. I was not prepared. This is it, the tallest mountain in the world, in front of me!! And I'm driving straight to it! 

I couldn't help thinking of God's promise that He has thoughts for our good (Jer. 29:11) and that as far as the heavens are above the earth, so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts... (Ps. 103:11)

As C.S.Lewis would put it, we are far too easily pleased... He wants to give us so much more!!! 

Anyway, when we stopped at Tingri, I met a group of very nice people doing the same tour (albeit with different guides/drivers/cars) and we went up the hills behind Tingri to watch the sunset *and* the sunrise over Mt. Everest. Pictures don't do it justice, but I'm just giddy. I have this silly grin on my face and I just can't erase it. I'm in Tibet. I have seen Mt. Everest. I can die happy now. :) 

I will stop writing now and just post some pictures... :) 

Koen and I when we first scrambled up the hills, early afternoon...

Sunset with bird... 

Mt. Everest is actually the one on the far left... 

Sunset panorama

Sunrise...

Sunrise panorama

Again, Everest is the pointy one on the left...

This is the closest you can get without a special permit: 75km!

Last view from the road, on the way to Shigatse...

Group photo! From left to right: Yan, Niek, Dina, Koen, Sam, Fay and I

Jump! :) 

Last one at the Gyatchu La pass, at 5,248m! Leaving mt. Qomolagma Nature Reserve...