TRAVEL STORIES

I stayed in Chiang Rai, Thailand, near the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Laos, at $3 a night with "Turkish Toilets." I went on a tour of the area down to Chiang Mai down the river called Mae Taeng, where we were able to see Floating Markets. Thais would be selling dragon fruit, star fruit, mangosteen, jack fruit – all were so exotic, different from the fruits we got at home, and very fragrant! I also saw this very large monkey resting on the "porch" of this man's floating home - I think
this baboon was a pet, as he sat comfortably in a chair, surveying the boats that would go by. When we reached our destination, I was greeted with a man who owned this python - I put it around my neck - but just for a minute! And I remember that night, when I sat down for dinner, the Thai people were more than friendly, and they would serve me things that I didn't quite know until they arrived - one concoction was fried butterfly larvae. Egads. I tried them, and thought they tasted like old paper; however, I
swallowed my pride, smiled and said, "They are scrumptious!"

When in Australia, I travelled to Alice Springs, properly called Uluru by the Aboriginal people. There I met with this woman from the Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health I had contacted while still in the States, and she was so happy to have me go with her to the villages of the Aborigines, whom she had worked with the Aborigines for several years. When I arrived, I went to this main structure where all the women had gathered. They showed me how they socialize differently from the men, did not drink alcohol or do drugs (a fascination for the young MTV population), and how they expressed their concern for HIV/AIDS. They would use symbols to recreate stories, or Jukurrpa, centered around ‘the Dreamtime’ (when they believed the world was created). Because they lived in Central Australia, they typically did dots, indicating the sun, water, and earth, and they pictures I saw were of woman gathering or with a digging stick and a coolamon (a carrying vessel for water, fruits, nuts, as well as to cradle babies). They depicted their lives with AIDS, and how their husbands/sons would turn a blind eye to the problem. Then they brought me to a secret hiding place where they would do ceremonies together as women. They did one while I was there – the indigenous females were of all ages, but they turned towards the eldest while they sang. After the tradition, we fixed some kangaroo tail, cooked in the ground, and had some corn with fresh water. It was how they would build their bond when the men were not listening to them, for a subject so important. I was honored to be a part of it.