Dave the Nomad

The past few weeks of lightning speed travel has been a seemingly fast forwarded version of my trip. The looming end to my world trip often finds me preoccupied with thoughts of home and returning to a semi-permanent lifestyle. I’m currently on a 44-hour long ferry from Shanghai to Japan collecting my thoughts on China as we skim along the clear blue sea.

China’s large cities are minor variations of each other. Beijing is like Shanghai, but not, and Shanghai is like Hong Kong, but not quite, and so on. The yuan profits of the ‘made in China’ export army are thrown around with excess in these Special Economic Zones, eerily cosmopolitan places capable of being in any developed country. Thankfully, the back-street charm of these cities still came alive with a walk down unknown and untidy streets to ad-hoc markets and awe-struck stares.

Only in China have I felt like the tourist attraction. I decided to climb Tai Shan, the holiest mountain in Taoism en route from Shanghai to Beijing. Oddly, this beautiful mountain town is hidden from most foreigners itineraries. As I climbed on clean cut stairs through manicured hillsides, engraved rocks, and graceful slopes, I felt like there was something missing….it was my fellow foreign traveler. As I neared the top of almost 7000 steps and the respective mountaintop, I was fully aware of my status as the token foreigner, the throngs of coordinated hats, flags, and families pulsed past me as I took a photo. A timid group of teenagers approached me and asked for a photograph, ten minutes later I entertained my final consecutive request for a photo and continued hiking around the enclave of mountain-top temples. Later, outside Tiannamen Square I was again posing with babies, and sheepish elderly couples. The switch of roles was a great perspective change; flattering in its scarcity and overwhelming in overzealous repetition.

As with many reminiscent thoughts, my opinion of Beijing finds the good moments washing away the lurid memories of head-ache inducing pollution, pungent wafts of stinky tofu, and incessant traffic. I had a great time abandoning my map and meandering through the maze of corridors of the Forbidden City connecting the many gardens and palaces. I spent the next day strolling through the Summer Palace; the Chinese version of the Palace of Versailles. The larger than life complex is beautifully set on a hillside with moats, ponds, and an impressively large mucky green lake. Yet, something was odd about all of these spectacles, an aura of fake Disneyland oozed from everything. The word ‘reconstruction’ has a different meaning in China; preservation and precision are extra credit options if time allows once the concrete is poured and the paint is un-lovingly applied.

Based on my experiences with skyscrapers and cookie cutter history China, I was looking for something a bit more down to earth and unscathed by modernism. I stumbled upon an advertisement for a “Secret Great Wall Tour,” and decided however cliche, it would be my best chance at seeing a portion of the Great Wall unsaved from nature’s revenge. Early the next morning, I piled into a small minivan with a handful of other like-minded people, sweated through a stop-start dance out of the city, and halted in a small village in Heibi province to pick-up an old lady. A few miles down the road we were unceremoniously ushered out of our vehicle and told to start following our guide. After a half hour of hiking through brush land covered hills, a dilapidated, yet grandiose, wall stood before us. For the next three hours we hiked to our hearts content along the unpreserved, untouched, and wildly overgrown wall. Happily tired, our guide brought us down a different path back into town and ushered us into a small restaurant for a local all-vegetarian lunch spread.

Although there is a plethora of different lifestyles in China including Muslims and vegetarians, there remains a phrase I knew I would have to test, “if it moves, it is eaten.” Small roadside squatters sold anything from toads, frogs, eels, and odd fish, to ornate skin-designed peaches and the delicious Peking duck. My only experiences with odd eats so far on this trip was a small assortment of fried bugs, and a whole tarantula in Phom Phenh. The surprisingly tasty, albeit extra crunchy, arachnid left me open to trying more. The night food market in Beijing, infamous for bizarre eats, was to be the true proving grounds. The menu follows:

After a night of apologizing to my stomach with no real adverse side effects I found myself returning to Shanghai to catch my ferry, happy to leave, and excited to return. I only tasted a sliver of this massive country, and encountered a small sub-section of its population. My coastal, mainly big city, tour of China was a good experience, but I find myself longing to return to the far reaches of this modern empire, to the ancient relics and hidden valleys. For now, I will continue to sway across the water on our ferry.

Lightning Fight

I’ve been hanging out with my brother’s friend from university, AJ, the past few days on Koh Lanta. Today is his first professional Muay Thai Boxing Match, and this is my account of that fateful day.

Preparation

AJ has been in the gym training twice a day for the past couple of months. I asked him what one of his last workouts involved: 2500 crunches with a few hundred pushups, and grappling with a 6′ 5” Swede. Physically, AJ was as ready as could be, but the preparation didn’t stop there. Like a Thai version of Blues Brothers, the event was advertised by handing out flyers to everyone, making posters, and having a truck drive around the island with an oversized megaphone precariously strapped on shouting out the news of the big fight; there is something refreshing about hearing about an event this way.

George Forman Grills, AJ Cooks Thai

After a casual morning, AJ and his girlfriend April convinced me to come to a Thai cooking class for the afternoon. As tourism is at a low right now, we were the only three in the class, which consisted of us choosing 5 dishes and making them. On our menu for the day, in order of preparation: Beef salad (favorite dish of a soon to be Muay Thai boxer), chicken stir-fry with hot basil leaves, Pad Thai, Massam curry paste, and Massam Curry.

The dishes were eloquently simple, delicious, and nutritious. As we were pounding the curry paste, I asked AJ if he was ready, his reply was to mash at the mortar and pestel harder, and say, “Just getting warmed up.”

Bright Beach

Filled with delicious food, I planned to watch sunset on the tranquil beach, and AJ was going to get a rub-down massage before the fight. As happens this time of year, a large thunderhead had been brewing overhead, and the lightning started to rumble in the distance. It was an odd rush to the senses of staring at a beautiful beach and hear the rolling thunder in the distance. In a freak show of particle charges, we were all suddenly jostled out of our seats as lightning struck the beach with hardly a cloud above us.

After hearing screams, and realizing something had gone terribly wrong I stood up and started to run over to the strike. A blur of what-ifs ran through my head as I flashed back through all the various kinds of Red Cross and lifeguard certifications. As I arrived at the site, there were down branches from the tree that was hit. The branches had collapsed a massage hut, and two women were being dragged from the organic rubble. I could tell they weren’t hit. Definitely in shock, but ok.

I suddenly start seeing faces from the last few days as more people come running out of curiosity or a sense of trying to help. AJ arrived behind me from his massage, and like me wanted to help, but there was not much we could do,…especially with out inadequacies in speaking Thai. Thankfully, a truck arrived to shuttle them to the hospital within 2 minutes, and the crowd had cleared. It was a sudden jolt to the senses, and I decided to head back to the hammock on my bungalow for the rest of the time.

Welcome to the Ring

AJ likes to eat Snickers right before fighting for a little extra energy, not found in the rice/noodle with vegetable and meat staple diet. As such, both he and April had bought 4 each to be ready. With way too many Snickers hiding in the refrigerator in the bungalow ready for a last second snack, we were off to the ring early to meet friends and prep. AJ paced around, April and I scoped out the best photo/film location in the front row and squatted until show time. After waiting for the opposing fighters to arrive, and an hour of anxious fidgeting, the fighting began.

If you haven’t been to a proper Muay Thai match, the fight is 5 rounds, knees and elbows are fair game, and no head gear is used. Unlike our version of English brute force fighting, Muay Thai involves carefully places kicks, learning the opponents movements, and hard knees to the kidneys and stomach when grappling in close contact. The pre-fight involves a respectful walk around the ring to each corner, a walk and kneeling circular display in the middle with flowers adorned by the owner/ manager / or other dignitary present. The headbands are removed and the fight begins. During the fight, traditional high pitched music with a solid percussion beat is played as the joust for control starts.

Today’s match involved 9 fights, starting with children, a section of 5 international fighters (with AJ as the showcase foreigner), and a last bout between two Thais. We cheered for the Lanta gym side the whole time, but the Thais seemed to secretly cheer for the Thais the whole time. The first couple of international fighters did poorly after an adrenaline rush of swinging arms and hard kicks to their core. They didn’t last the ensuing rounds, and our hopes for AJ were starting to be put into doubt.

After a large Canadian smothered his opponent into submission, the largely foreigner crowd was out of their seats and cheering. It was AJ’s turn, and we were loud and proud as he walked down to the ring with a good friend from the gym, Aakey.

The Fight of All Fights

AJ’s opponent’s name was Ramboo, pronounced Rambo. AJ stood in his corner waiting for his opponent to step-in to the ring. 5 minutes later, a rumble heard, Ramboo stepped in large and in-charge. With a grin large enough to hide a submarine, he started to walk around the ring, but unlike the previous fighters, he made a show of punching and kicking the corners as he walked, whereas most fighters, including AJ, make a quiet bow of contemplation and keep walking.

The necessary pre-fight ritual complete, there was not much standing in the way of the fight. Round one was off, and the battle began with a cautious start. AJ and Rambo tried to find the weaknesses of each other with a raucous crowd and high pitch music flooding the ears. The dual was evenly matched until almost the end of the round when AJ landed a solid punch flooring Rambo. It wasn’t a knockout, but a good boost of moral. Haggard looking, the opponents were summoned to their corners.

After a buzz of activity in the corners with men vigorously stretching and rubbing legs, splashing water on the fighter, it was back to the action. Round two started the same as round one, but this time, AJ had unleashed his attack. After a couple grapples, and random kicks, AJ took the upper hand. A couple well placed kicks and a final blow sent Ramboo to the ground again. This time for good; with a wave of the referee’s hand, the bout was over. AJ 1 Rambo 0.

Once out of the ring, we all took turns congratulating AJ, receiving oily tiger balm hugs in return from him, and taking a superfluous amount of photos. AJ was ecstatic, we were ecstatic, we were shocked by the win, especially so fast, but we were happy. After some goodbyes, and a brief deliberation on where to have some celebratory drinks, we were off.

Many thanks to AJ, April, and their many friends who helped make my time on Koh Lanta amazing.

After my gracious sponsored flight back to Bangkok with the EWB team from CWRU, I left Sanchit, Dr Rollins, and Lynn in the terminal purgatory to return to the USA, and I checked into a sparse guest house in Bangkok. I spent the next few days checking out the sights of Bangkok including the Grand Palace, the massive 120 m long reclining Buddha, and stumbling upon a Ta Karouw Tournament. Ta Karouw is a native game in which team members attempt to hit a bamboo ball into a three hooped net about 3 m overhead using their elbows, legs, knees, shoulders, and heads.

I met a few other travelers along the way including Karen from San Diego and a group of Norwegians just starting a month of travel through Thailand. Karen gave me some great advice on where to go down south, as she was leaving the next day for home. I took up her advice to travel to the beautiful and overcrowded Ko Phi Phi island. The archipelago is home to the movie “The Beach,” harvesting of swiftlet nests (made from the bird’s saliva) used in the excessively priced Chinese bird-nest soup, stunning Karst formations jutting out of the water, and a devastating Boxing Day Tsunami.

The island has recovered well in the past few years, thanks mainly to the thriving tourist money pouring into the island. I randomly ran into the group of Norwegians I had met in Bangkok, and we had a blast snorkeling, building sandcastles, tanning (and burning) on the beach, watching Muay Thai boxing, and partying early into the morning on the beach. This debauchery island is filled mostly with Scandinavian travelers, and I picked up on a few words thanks to my new friends. My favorite was the word for pre-gaming (drinking before going out) forshpiel, which also means foreplay.

Every time I opened my eyes after laying in the sun or opening the window I was again awestruck at the beauty of this place. Parts of the island are still being rebuilt after the Tsunami, and evacuation routes are now very clearly marked. I left this beautiful island to visit a friend of my brother’s on Koh Lanta who has been living here for several months training as a Muay Thai boxer while getting his PADI Dive Master certification. AJ fights on Sunday, and I’m enjoying the more relaxed and desolate beaches here while waiting to cheer him.

I’ve already talked about Amiens, but having friends abroad is like having a home away from home. It has been a refreshing break from the constant move, worrying about checking out by 10 am, figuring out what I want to do each day, or when the next train leaves. I realize the weather had me running the last few days, and its nice to slow things down a bit and remember I’m here to see and enjoy, not check places off a list.

Josee has been taking cooking lessons here from a retired chef, who was high up in a French hotel chain and has worked abroad sharing the finer points of French food with the world. He is now retired in Amiens, and does small cooking lessons several times a month. After calling up and checking to see if there was room, he was more than happy to let me join for the lesson and insisted on me not paying for it as I was backpacking around Europe. Today, we learned how to make two dishes, an entree (which is the American equivalent to an appetizer, not the main meal,) and a main dish.

Pannequet de saumon au crabe et gingembre
Gravlax salmon roll with a ginger crab filling

Cuisse de canard farcie en pot au feu
Veal and Pork stuffed duck thigh in stew

The two dishes were surprisingly easy to make, and the group was eccentric and welcoming. I originally had envisioned Josee having to translate everything I couldnt understand, but there were two other people from Britain there who now live in Amiens. Between the three of them, the flow of conversation and cooking was seamless and fun. Lionnel, the chef, was a boisterous man who obviously loved cooking. His home is on the outskirts of town with an amazing kitchen and full garden in the back. I was told he also taught cooking lessons to blind people once a month! Lionnel made a lot of witty jokes (which had to be translated for me), but he always had a smile on his face.

Everyone helped out, and Lionnel was a metronome for the group as side conversations ruled the morning as much as the cooking lessons. The social atmosphere, and delicious food made for a great start to the day.

I say start today because I promised Josee I would join her on a three hour run. She is training for the Dublin marathon, and was looking for some company on her run. I figured it was nearly the least I could do for her in return for graciously hosting me. Never fear, I joined her on a bike. There was no way I was going to survive a three hour run no matter how much hiking I’ve been doing. The run was entertaining, and we ran around in the hills and farmland surrounding Amiens. I did my best to entertain Josee with stories of my travels thus far, and we had plenty of good laughs. This is my last stop in Amiens (and my French home away fro home), and I’m headed off to Paris next. I’ve also posted pictures from the last month, so make sure to check them out when you get a spare minute.