Banaue to Bontoc

Wow! I've already been to many places. It's amazing...but what is most amazing is that I believe someone was looking our for me while I was here. I think my Gramma Sahm sent me a guardian angel.

In the Manila bus station I met my traveling partner. He is a nice German guy named Kai. We have been headed in the same direction most of the time and we are good at traveling together. He is always getting the best prices and teaching me the ways to travel. It is very, very awesome! The Germans, they know where it is at!

So, the first place we headed was Banaue, home to the famous rice terraces, the 8th wonder of the world. The guide book said that the rice terraces in Batad were better, so we hiked up a mountain for 2 hours and then walked into town. Batad has barely any electricty, no hot water and the only way in is to walk. It was so awesome! We traversed through the rice terraces all day, saw a big waterfall and enjoyed talking with the local people. We stayed at Rita's. Rita is a very old, Ifuago Native of Batad. I had a beautiful evening with her. She told me all about her life and she taught me how to prepare the rice for the grinding. So we talked about life and shredded a bundle of rice together. I loved looking at her old hands, rugged feet, her smile with no front teeth and imagining what a hard life she has had. It has been the best part of my travles so far.

Then we woke up early the next morning and headed to Banaue. We walked out of Batad at 6 AM, up the beautiful mountain. THere is nothing better than waking up in the morning and the first thing you get to do is hike in the mountains! After walking almost two hours out, we hopped on top of a jeepeny and made our way back to Banaue. Then we hopped a bus to Bontoc on our way to Sagada.

Transportation is absolutely crazy here. The main mode is jeepeny. Google Image a jeepney, there is no way to describe them!

So, we took a beautiful bus ride through the mountains, with rice terraces everywhere. It reminded me a bit of Colorado! On the crowded bus we met up with 3 Spanish girls and we had a good talk with them. They were also headed to Sagada. So all 5 of us headed to Sagada on top of the Jeepney. I felt so free and full of life!

Sagad was a nice little mountain tomb, where we went hiking to see 500 year old coffins. It was pretty interesting...the landscape is the most amazing.

Now Kai and I are headed back to Manila. Manila is kinda of the hub. We half to go there to get other places. So we are waiting in Bontoc for a 12 hour bus ride to Manila. We just had a wonderful lunch of bread and a can of sardines next to the dirtiest river ever! But, there were beautiful kids swimming butt naked in the river with the cattle and they happily posed for camera shots. Then some more kids came by us, they are so interested in us and we did a huge photo shoot with them! They are so wonderful. This has been the second highlight of my trip, it makes me realize that I truly love kids!

So, onward ho to Manila. We may either go to a volcanoe tomorrow or just head down to the beach to swim with whale sharks. I will let you know how it all goes. Miss you all!

Manilahh!

Wow! I'm here! I'm not quite sure what to think. I'm just trying to take it easy and once again, adjust to culture shock.

Manila is reminding me of what I picture a "spanish harlem" to look like. Colorful, lots of people, cars, jeepneys, dirtyness all mixed in together with KFC's, McDonald's and of course 7-11's.

Being here makes me once again feel like a wealthy westerner. I've been the only non-fillipino person at the bus station all day.

The people are absolutely beautiful! Beautiful skin, hair, smiles. . .hard working people.

It's 90 degrees here today and I am loving the heat and sunshine. Taiwan has been cold, damp and gray....only a couple more hours and I will be headed to my first destination, Banaue.

Stay tuned....

Life keeps on going. No matter what we try to do, we cannot control the perpetual flow of time. All we can do is to make sure that ourselves are awake at the steering wheel of our life.

Life has been a blur for me these past six months. I really have had no control over what is coming in and going out in my life. I am living in oblivion. Which tends to be real nice for a while. But as I was laying in bed tonight finsihing a movie, I had a huge awakening. Where have I been? What have I been doing? My life has been going so fast I can't see it!

I'm idling, but I'm not. Taiwan is confusing me. I am not sure what to think at the moment. The craziness of life here cannot be explained, only experienced, thru a hands on approach. The hum of the scooters, the grey of the pollution, the way the Tao rainbow dragon lights up the eyes. The Asian mist has a way of encompassing a soul and holding onto it with a tight grip. It begins to squeeze the life out of it and then reprieves us with it's beauty.

Asia is a strong woman, with a big heart. She tries to impress our souls with all of her mysterious allures of temples, buddahs, mountains and freedom. It's not hard to get sucked into her world.

I've been so caught up in it and feel that I am ready to leave. But her hold is so mighty, that if I leave, I will be scared. No one will understand me. No one will understand what I have been through. I may be more alone than if I choose to stay.

Somehow I've changed. Taiwan has brought me into a new circle of life that I have yet to understand. I am looking, searching and trying to see, but the haze is blinding my vision. Hopefully tomorrow, Asia will be generous and bring a breeze to clear my mind.

Election Weekend

Wow! Elections in Taiwan! What an experience! Tomorrow the Taiwanese
will vote for their next president. It is very different than how things are done
in the states.

All day, supporters have been driving around in trucks and cars with loud
horns on them. Projecting from these automobiles is obnoxious Chinese
voices telling us all who to vote for. It is noise pollution to the 100th degree!
Then in the middle of big interesections they stop traffic to light off firecrackers
by the brick full, bottle rockets, big fireworks, like we would see on the fouth of
July and parades of lights and flags of all the candidates! It is total craziness!

The Taiwanese would have it no other way! Why is this the craziest place I have even been? Why do they not understand what noise violations are? Why do the work and work and work, get taken advantage of by their employers and put up with this? I cannot understand it! All I can say is that it is "fong quang" which in Chinese means "Crazy!"

I have been living here for 6 months now. This picture I took last Sunday. It was the first time I ever saw this many mountains outside of my town. I never knew they existed. They are always covered by pollution. It is the Taiwan beauty hidden behind a culture that is struggling to emerge into the 21st century.

Craziness!

My brother

My Brother Luke is a crazy guy
He does not sit around and let life pass him by

He is witty and charming, a smile from ear to ear
When he is with me I have no fear

Childhood companion, mentor to me
Everything I am not, but enjoy it vicariously

Since he came to Taiwan, he lit up my heart
Now I wish we would never part

But onward Ho! We all must go
We are living our lives with an artistic flow

I am off to travel and explore what's here
Inspired by my brother, his spirit is near

Law of Attraction

A year in one's life can be many things,
Slow motion, fast forward, the telephone rings

Who or what is on the other end
Only one way to find out
as the path curves and bends

Experiences, travels, knowledge expands,
Follow the dreams your heart demands
For there's only one way to discover your life
Stop out of the box
There will be a little strife

Nobody said it was easy to do
A seeker will search for the path that's true

In one year's time there's much to release
Uncover your spirit
And you will find peace

JS 12/25/07