Well I survived!!

[lobs211]

Ha ha made it back from the jungle without being kidnapped!

I wanna lie and say how great it was but it wasnt 😞 

So I will just say the good bits!

Met some lovely people, strong women doin it so hard

Went to 2 orphanages OMG Gorgeous kids, wanted to bring em all back!

Saw some beautiful country and ate weird but (some) nice food

Had a crack at BBQ grasshoppers LOL

Great weather and did some good shopping for the kids - had to leave my Aussie clothes & shoes there, couldnt fit it all in, ha ha

Burma was scary, I didnt like it

Laos was good, very interesting

Thailand (Chiang Mai) up North I loved, VERY different from Phuket

All in all was interesting and Im glad I went but I wont ever do it again 🙂

[freshwater-2]

The males - I had so many arguements where they saying Im not Australian

Lobs,  I can't stop laughing about this. You, of all people, not Australian?

[lobs211]

I know Fresh, they think all Aussies are white with freckles, light hair etc

They kept saying I was African 😞

This lovely lady, real real nice, saw me upset at dinner and she told me they believe up there: "The blacker the face, the lower the race"

Did u know that? I didnt 😞

But there was lots of GOOD stuff, and NICE ppl but it did wreck it for me a bit.

Theres an island in the Golden Triangle not owned by anyone, right in the Meekong River, Thailand Burma and laos - noone owns it, boats pull up there to buy and sell and smoke opium, no law ofcourse, was amazing! I never knew this 🙂

[freshwater-2]

Yes Lobs.....this is the case in many third world countries (and others).

I have local Biripi and Woromi friends (one of whom is a Professor) that experienced this as tourists in the middle east and sub-continent.. I often saw it in my previous career which involved a lot of world travel.......No, I wasn't a flight attendant.  ha ha ha.  

So sad......... But they don't know any better.  Blame it on ignorance,  But the degrading attitude still hurts.

[*ibis]

g'day lobster

i want to know more of this island in the mekong delta

sounds like my sort of place

[serendipityricho]

Welcome home Lobs-big learning curve for you.-was different from the last

trips and im glad you behaved.

Ibis-that island is called Cheechandchong lol............................Richo.

[debra9275]

Glad to hear you're back home safe and sound Lobs

not so sure about those BBQ grasshoppers though 

[lurker17260]

Laos was good, very interesting

Sa bai dee Lobs.  I loved Laos.  I found the people generally to be very gentle and friendly and the countryside beautiful.  I hope that's not where you weren't believed to be Australian?

I hadn't realised how much trouble they are still having with land mines and UXO's until we went to a prosthetic and rehabilitation place in Vientianne.  Very sad.

[lobs211]

LOL hey Ibis - its the 1st Ive heard of something like this - its a random island sitting there no one owns so if u wanna knock someone off thats the place to do it!

I asked our guide Charry, (I think his name was actually Charlie - but he says Charry so did i PMSL) and he said there is no law, no nothing because no one claims it so thats where the opium deals go down so that all 3 countries can say its not happening on their turf LOL

Lurker, I had alot of trouble in Burma (awful place) but not in Laos so much and yes in Thailand - its a Northern thing apparently, even their hilltribe ppl who are darker are looked down upon.

All the creams and face stuff in the department stalls have whitening in them, they wanna be whiter, its seen as much better, they cant believe white fellas sunbake or even more unbelievable is that they pay for fake tans LOL

[lionrose.7]

Lobs I saw that, cant buy any face cream that does not have a whitener in it.

[freakiness]

Looks like you're happy to be home  😄