clairejenna
We are two archaeologists excited for 8 months of digging and traveling. We begin in Fiji, where we will spend about a month on an excavation. Next, we are off to Australia for a week, checking...

Drugs, drugs, drugs
Waterloo, Canada
So, malaria drugs are expensive. I also learned this summer, working at Archaeological Services, that deet melts plastic. Therefore, we could come home with malaria/dengue fever, and/or no skin, as a result of the deet. Just a heads up.
written by  clairejenna on January 6, 2009 from Waterloo, Canada
from the travel blog: Claire and Jenna Do The World

We made it...barely.
Nandi, Fiji
We are here in Fiji, at last. Took us 4 days to get here - flew from Toronto to London, London to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Nadi. We arrived yesterday evening (we are a day ahead of you all) and we were picked at the airport by a family friend of Claire's. Our arrival could not have come at a worse time -- torrential downpour has been the forecast for the last two weeks, and the entire city of Nadi is flooded. The man we are staying with, Azeem, cannot get to his office because of the flooding. There have been Hurricane warnings but nothing has occurred yet. It has literally not stopped raining since we got here and the winds can be pretty bad. Today we went into town to look at the damage caused by the floods. We couldn't get into the city because of police barricades. There is a curfew in effect at the moment to prevent looting and keeping people off the streets. The asphalt is ruined because of the water. Despite of this, the country is still beautiful and the people are so incredibly friendly. Everyone has a smile on their face and we watched kids playing in the water, up to their waists. We haven't done anything overly exciting yet because of the weather, but we did head out with Azeem to a few grocery stores and checked out some resorts in Fiji. There is a real difference between the town and the area where the resorts are. Some areas are quite posh, while others seem rundown but still really nice. Claire is freaked out because no one wears shoes here. People walk the streets and the stores in bare feet. We are spoiled already because we are staying in Azeem's beautiful house, but we are looking forward to our dig in two days, where we will be staying in a traditional Fijian village.
We will be in touch!
written by  clairejenna on January 14, 2009 from Nandi, Fiji
from the travel blog: Claire and Jenna Do The World

"Most Devastating Storm Ever"
Nandi, Fiji
Today was the first day we could get into the city of Nadi. Over the last week the area had been underwater from unrelenting rain. All day,every day the rain was steady and hard. As Canadians we couldn't believe just how much rain could actually fall from the sky.
Driving around town was incredibly depressing. The streets were full of store merchandise that had been ruined and furniture that had been waterlogged. Garbage was everywhere. Visually it was unbelievable but what was worse was the smell. The stench came from the stagnant waters that still pooled in the streets but also from the heaps of garbage that pilled infront of every store. (everything was covered in mud)
Each shop had their entire contents cleaned out. Many were sweeping the water out of their stores with brooms. We couldn't help but think of the despair. These people just lost everything. Azeem (the man we are staying with) told us of a man that owned a pharmacy and lost everything. We also heard that people's cattle were being swept away by the rising rivers. Even though I hadn't seen the country before the destruction, I still am in a state of shock when I see what it is like now- after the waters have receded.
If the dig doesn't happen, due to the weather, I think Claire and I should volunteer with the Red Cross. People are desperate for supplies and we could help with handing out aid.
Although the country is in bad shape you can still see how beautiful it is. Today the sun was shining and the people were smiling. Random people you don't know smile and say 'Bula' (which means hello). Everyone is so kind and courteous! People will ask where we are from. They will also wonder why we are archaeologist! Azeems friends asked, "Why do you want to do that job? Why don't you want to be a nurse?" We smile and say, "We love our job"!
Claire and I hit a wall about 3 or 4pm. I think the jet lag is still lingering! We have taken a nap each day, but this will change once we get on the dig. Both of us are looking forward to getting our hands in the fijian dirt... probably mud now!
Love from fiji,
J
written by  clairejenna on January 15, 2009 from Nandi, Fiji
from the travel blog: Claire and Jenna Do The World

Excited and Scared at the same time...
Nandi, Fiji
Today is the last day of civilization... we think!
Both Claire and I are a little nervous about what tomorrow will be like! We start the excavations on the Lapita culture in Bourewa. We are staying in a small village that doesn't have a phone or internet. For the last week we have been living in a very nice place and have gotten used to the luxuries of modern living. We wont have showers or electricity so the next two weeks could be either exciting or scary.
This afternoon we went to Azeems parents house in Ba. It's about an hour and a half away from Nadi. The drive was unbelievably beautiful. On one side there were huge forested mountain and on the other was plains that lead down to the water. Unfortunately we passed some villages that had been hit by the floods badly. It was tough to see the people were all in good spirits.
When we got to Azeems parents house, his mother had offered us a traditional indian meal. SO DAMN GOOD. Claire and I breathed it in!
We lounged around the house for a few hours but before we got back on the road we thought we should go to the washroom.
We didn't know that there would be a MONSTER spider sitting on the floor in the washroom. The thing was the size of our palm! Azeem laughed and said that it wasn't even the biggest spider in Fiji. EWWW
What did Claire and I get ourselves into?
So with that said... we are kinda looking forward to going into the bush and excavating! :)
We will write you an update when we get out of the village... hopefully without spider bites!
Love from Fiji,
J
P.S. We just got home from dinner, where we met up with some friends of Azeem's here in Nadi. We spent the evening at a great restaurant called Nadi Bay. The moment we arrived,the waitress came over and put flowers behind all the ears of the women who came in. There was the cutest little boy there named Tyler - his dad is German, and his mom is Indo-Fijian. He speaks both Fijian, English and German. He was the life of the party and made Jenna and I laugh for a long time. The resort cat fancied Jenna, and jumped on her lap, where he remained for most of the meal. It was Azeem's friend's birthday and the staff at the restaurant (all Fijian) came over and sang to her with their guitars and their leis and their flowered skirts. It was really fun!
P.P.S. We forgot to mention we ran over a puppy on our way into town yesterday. He ran out into the road and we heard a thump and a squeal. Azeem says he was okay (he checked his blindspot) but Jenna and I aren't so convinced. Also, we saw another dog lying in the middle of the road today on our way back from Lautoka. There are lots of stray dogs here and they can be quite mean. Jenna and I heard a gang of them getting into a fight last night outside our window. Sorry to end on a bit of sad note.
Love,
C
written by  clairejenna on January 16, 2009 from Nandi, Fiji

Straight out of a Textbook...Cultural Anthropology 101
Vusama, Fiji
Bula everyone - We are alive!
We are now back in Nadi, at Azeem's house. However, we stayed the night at a nice hotel down the road in order to clean up and get a good night's sleep.
Here's how it went down:
We arrived at Vusama Village, roughly 45 minutes south of Nadi, two weeks ago. Our arrival sparked the excitment of the village, with Jenna and I being part of the research team, and 4 Earth Watch volunteers joining the expedition. The minute we arrived, we had a Kava ceremony with the chief of the village. This was when it hit us - we are really in a textbook. When we joined the Kava ceremony, we had to lower our heads in front of the chief and sit cross-legged on the floor of the main house, which is how we spent all of our meals and meetings - on a mat on the floor. We drank the Kava reluctantly, but it actually wasn't that bad. The villagers are not allowed to drink alcohol, and Kava is as close to a religious experience to them as anything. It is a drink made from a Fijian root, a narcotic, which acts as almost a sedative and numbs your tongue and lips. We spent many a night drinking with the villagers. When you accept a bowl of Kava, you clap your hands once (in a cupped position), and the person who passes it to you claps three times while you are drinking it. Then, you pass the bowl back and clap three more times. You can either say "high tide" which means you want the kava bowl to be filled high, or "low tide". Jenna and I usually had low tide except for a few times when we had high tide.
Jenna and I were separated and we lived in two different houses with two different families. Our rooms were located in the living room of the houses, partitioned by a curtain. Our beds had mosquito nets (thank god) and sheets that we never used because it was too hot and sticky. It is customary for all villagers and guests to wear sulus (wrap-around skirts) in the village. Even the men wear these traditional skirts. Almost all villagers wear no shoes at all, even when doing work.
I lived in the headman's house. His name was Dedo and he was second-in-command to the chief. His wife, my mother (nay-nay in Fijian) was a lovely woman who took good care of me. They had two kids, Mila (8) and Sana (6), who just started school again. And Dedo's 16 year old brother also lived with us, although he got kicked by a horse early on in the week and broke his leg. Dedo wasn't especially affectionate toward me, although his father (who I was to call Vava, meaning "father") was very sweet. One night the village boys were joking with me and telling me to drink high tide at Kava, and Vava yelled at them "No! Low tide. She is MY daughter." That shut them up fast. Everyone in the village called me Kelera, not Claire. It was my Fijian name and somehow everyone who lived in Vusama knew me and called "Bula Kelera" every time I walked by. The chief's late wife was named Kelera, so I think it had special significance. Very cool.
We went to the washroom in an outhouse, with a pit toilet. We bathed in a three-walled bathing hut in the backyard of the house, using a bucket of water from the well. Every time I had a shower, a group of cows and horses and chickens were always surrounding me. I also had the most active bed in terms of animal visitors. A chicken loved my bed, leaving me presents in the form of eggs on my blanket. A large crab once escaped from the kitchen and made its way into my room and underneath my bed, where I saw him scurrying along, trying to escape death by boiling water. The kitchen was located in a separate hut, outside the main house, so it was a quite a distance for the little guy. We caught him and put him back in the bucket. I enjoyed him at dinner later. Rats made their way under my bed in the middle of the night -- which drove me nuts! To wake up to the sound of one or two of them was awful but luckily they never came under the mosquito net (at least I hope not). Jenna once had a cockroach escape from her bag and crawl up her arm. And ants covered everything. If you left a bag of cookies in your room, sealed in a ziploc bag, you would return in the evening to find ants inside the bag, covering the cookies entirely. And HUGE spiders. They jump, too.
The food was basically the same every day - rice, fish curry, roti, fish, rice, noodles, sausage, fish, rice, lentils, rice... did I mention rice?!!! And we had to drink the water in the village, which was collected rain water and did not make us feel so good all the time.
Also, we were covered in mosquito bites. They really got us. Hopefully we don't get sick. Jenna's legs look like she has leprosy.
The villagers are incredibly religious - they are Methodists and attend church every Sunday. They don't dance or do any work on their Sabbath. Most of the young adults in the village are married or planning on it. Dedo asked if I was married once and I said "No. Maybe before I am 30". To which he replied "No. 25." Oh my.
It is important to insert here a comment about the concept of "Fiji Time". Breakfast and dinner were "supposed" to be served at 7:30 am and 7:30 pm. We never actually ate breakfast until 8:30 and dinner could be served as late as 9 pm. No one wears a watch in Vusama.
One of the coolest things in this rural village were the wild horses. These horses would come running through the village or stop and eat grass some nights. One night, my friend and I were watching the stars and having a chat and the wild horses came in to eat. We were watching them, when all of a sudden some of the village dogs started barking at them and spooked them and they started running at full speed toward the mat we were on in the grass. I have never run so fast in my life!!! We laughed about it after but it was a really terrifying moment.
Now on to the dig. The excavation was located on the South West coast of Fiji, which was a 5 minute bumpy drive from Vusama (in the back of pick-up trucks) at a site called Bourewa. We worked with the University of the South Pacific and Jenna and I were part of the research team. The dig was run by the Professor of Geography at USP, Prof. Patrick Nunn, or Paddy as we called him. Most of the excavators were students from USP, including students from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Guam. We learned so much about the South Pacific. The students were so nice and had such a culture. The girls from the Solomon Islands had dark skin and natural blond hair - they were beautiful! We learned about the terms Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian and all the cultural differences and similarities. They were really hard workers but they weren't archaeologists, or even archaeology students. Mainly, they were geography or geoscience students. The excavation methods were different than what we are used to. The site was 3000 years old and was based on the Lapita people, who traveled from the West Pacific islands and colonised Fiji around 2900-2850 BP. The site was mainly characterized by decorated, dentate-stamped pottery sherds, stone tool implements of different types, and shell ornaments and jewelery. It was a VERY rich site - we found stuff almost every time we screened dirt or moved our trowels. One obsidian core was found during Phase 3 excavations a few years ago, but it hasn't been found since. There were lots of layers of shells, which is known archaeologically as a shell midden, for the people here were eating lots of shell fish and discarding them all over the place. We found a skeleton too, but it wasn't Lapita age, as it was discovered in the upper layers and is probably 700-800 years old as per the earlier radio-carbon dates from previously found skeletons at Bourewa. Jenna and I had an awesome time excavating him/her.
Jenna and I were also invited to be part of the excavation team that traveled 45 minutes north of the site to a really cool cave site. We had to climb half an hour up this very steep, rocky hillside and just when we thought we were going to die, we reached a cave opening. Probably the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. Bats were flying in and out of it and we had to wear masks while we excavated because of the bat guano (poo). There was literally a 20 metre bat guano pile at the back of the cave. There was an opening in the roof the cave, which poured light into one area of the cave that also happened to have a stone-lined fire hearth area. This prompted the archaeologists to investigate here. We found pottery and lots of shells (which is very interesting because we are so far away from the sea). We dug with headlamps attached to our foreheads and masks on our faces. The ammonia from the bat guano was really strong. Also, the entire time you are digging, there are hundreds of bats flying above you. I was nervous at first but got used to it quickly. For me, the cave excavation was the highlight of the two weeks.
We worked 6 days a week and on the 7th day (sunday) we went to church (which was in Fijian) and then ate a big lunch. Then we spent the day at Natadola Beach, which is known as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world (those of us who didn't have Sabbath went swimming).
The last two days we were there, the village celebrated our departure by having a big dinner feast (with lots of rice, haha) and lots of Kava drinking. The best part about the Friday night festivities was the village young men, who entertained us with a traditional Fijian dance of short sulus and no shirts and grass ankle-skirts. I have never seen something so masculine and sexy in my whole life!! Jenna and I were giggling like little school girls. Fijian boys can dance - unlike Canadian boys ;)
Our group presented Kava roots to the chief on the last night and they had a ceremony for us. It ended at 12 am, because Sunday is the Sabbath. However, the men still stayed up and drank Kava until 4 in the morning, cross-legged on the floor - in silence, as per usual.
The morning we left, my nay-nay (mother) made me a beautiful lei (lay, necklace) from some of the flowers in the village. She also gave me a new sulu and presented me with it before breakfast. We then had a family portrait in the living room of their house.
We had a wonderful and very different experience in Vusama and we have very fond memories of our Fijian family and friends. We will post the link to our pictures as soon as we upload them.
Vinaka (thank you) for reading our blog!!
Moce!! (pronounced 'mo-thay' - Goodbye!!)
written by  clairejenna on February 1, 2009 from Vusama, Fiji

The experience of a life time!
Vusama, Fiji
The last two weeks have been one of the best experiences of my life. I feel like anything I write won't justify just how amazing life in Vusama Village was. Claire wrote a novel so I wont reiterate what she already posted I'll just add my experiences.
When we arrived at the village I felt like a celebrity everyone came outside to greet us. We were surrounded by 30 people all excited to introduce themselves and ask who we were. I was a little nervous at first since I am brutal at remembering names (even english names). I felt like there was no chance on absorbing them but surprisingly I picked up a lot in a short time. They all assured me that I would know all of them by the end of the week! They were right!
After the traditional Kava ceremony, that welcomes us into the village, we were given "buddies" that would help us out if we needed anything. My buddy was Poonum. She is a beautiful Indo-Fijian girl that was a student of the University of South Pacific. Although my buddy was Poonum my house mate was Sai. Sai was also a Fijian student of USP. I couldn't have asked for a better roomie! She was sweet, funny, helpful and incredibly beautiful! She helped my with so many thing and eased my culture shock! There were many nights we would stay up and talk about life in Fiji and how our cultures differed.
The house I stayed in was owned by the Chiefs daughter. Her name was Bucca (Boo-ka) and she had a 16 years old son named Buddy-or that's what we called him at least. He was really shy at first but then warmed up and became a very funny 16 year old!
I didn't realize until the second last day that another man lived in my house. He was Bucca's brother. The reason I didn't know he lived in my house is because the house was sectioned off with curtains. Sai and I slept in the front room with curtains that were pulled to make it more private. The kitchen/washing room was behind another curtain. This is where the family spent most of their time. I would yell 'Bula Bucca' when I came in and she would yell 'Bula' back.
My first sleep in Vusama Village was a pretty rough. I had to go to the washroom so bad but was too scared and didn't know how to get to the pit toilet (they are about 20 meters off from the house). So I held it and held it and held it! The night felt so long! I soon got over my fear of night and lurking insects!
The next day we were thrown right into the dig! We were up at 7:30 for breakfast and at the site by 9:00. Breakfast was amazing every morning...we had cakes and fruit. When we arrived at the site I was in shock, it was unbelievable. We were steps away from the beach and the shells that were coming out of the units were nothing I have ever seen before. They were monstrous! Bigger than a softball and triangular in shape! I honestly just walked around for 15 minutes staring at them! My mom would have lost her mind if she saw them! I remember turning to Claire and being just in awe! I couldn't believe we were on a 3000 year old site and in Fiji to boot!
The first day was long. We worked until 6pm and thought there was no way we could last 2 weeks! Everyday after that we only worked until 5pm though. Work became easier as we got adjusted to the site. Dr. Nunn also allowed us to take many breaks and would sometimes bring us fruit to recharge our drained bodies!
Each day on site was great fun! I was in Mata's pit for the first few days. He is a Fijian archaeologist who works at the museum in the capital. He was quite at first then became a very entertaining man! I also had other USP students in my unit-Reemal, Cozy, Kirti and Schiza. They all were great people and made me feel welcomed!
On the first day of work I found a skeleton. I could believe that it was just right there. It was amazing to excavate it by myself as well. At home it becomes such an ordeal when bones are found!
I don't have any complaints of the site, it was interesting and educating! The people were so kind and everyone was so quick to help one another! It's great to see people eager to work and loving their job!
Claire loved being at the site more than the village but I think I loved the village more. Not that I didn't LOVE LOVE LOVE the site but I just enjoyed the experience of how people lived in the village. Everyone who lived in Vusama was so hospitable. They all yelled 'Bula Jenna' even when I had no idea who they were. They were all so gracious and giving.
Ironically, some of the best memories I have of the village was when I was showering and brushing my teeth. It seemed to be when the most hilarious and spectacular things happened! Like Claire's bucket shower, I only had three walls as well. Since it didn't have a curtain or anything blocking my naked body I could look out on the hills behind the village. I would frequently see wild horses, pigs and sometimes men walking by! I'm not sure if they saw me since I turned away as soon as I saw them! I would also hear random things in the bush that I didn't know what it was! Maybe it's best I didn't know!
Every night when I brushed my teeth I would look up at the stars! They were more beautiful then I have even seen them! Toronto is missing out on how beautiful the sky is! I would also hear random things in the bushes when I was brushing my teeth. One night in particular I was brushing them when I heard a loud noise over my shoulder. I turned around and it bolted from the bush... I SCREAMED. I actually screamed so loud that I think people thought it was a dog yelp! So embarrassing! It was only a pig but it scared me so much my heart was still racing when I crawled into bed!
I cant write much now since Claire and I are heading to Robinson Crusoe Island for a few nights and have to catch our ride, but I will finish explaining my experiences when I get back!
Hope everyone is great back home and keeping warm!
I love and miss you all!
J xo
written by  clairejenna on February 2, 2009 from Vusama, Fiji

Nothing like the Robinson Crusoe novel...
Vusama, Fiji
For the last 6 days we have been on a remote island off the south west coast of Fiji! Although the island is called Robinson Crusoe it is NOTHING like the novel!
To start, the novel is about a castaway that lands on an island in Venezuela not Fiji... Also, I'm pretty sure the original island didn't have half naked men fire dancing and knife throwing! :)
The island was so much fun! Our intention was only to stay for 3 nights so we could explore other islands in the north but just like the castaway in Venezuela we got stuck there! (by choice though!) The first few days were really relaxing. There was only about 7 guests in total and we were all girls! I'm sure to some that would be a dream island! It was nice since we could relax and head to bed early since there wasn't much happening! But the day before we left a boat FULL of people arrived! This changed the dynamic of the island 100%. First... boys arrived! and they were all party animals so the island became more upbeat then the relaxed one we were used to! Claire and I hadn't had a party night since we got to Fiji so we were excited to dance and have a few beers! With all the new arrivals we decided to stay two more nights! Some of the people we meet were Israeli, Irish, Dutch, English and French Canadians.
Claire and I also met this really amazing girl named Nikki. She is from Oregon but was working in New Zealand for the last 6 months. She became a really good friend in only a short time! I love when you feel like you have know someone forever but in reality its been only a short time!
The island was tiny so you could walk around it in 20 minutes! We did this a few times throughout the 6 days. At one point we took kayaks out to a sand bar about 2km off the island! I wish I brought a camera since the view of the island way out there was absolutely stunning. The palm trees were so tall and the beach was so beautiful! Just like a postcard!
The staff on the island was hilarious. The men were the entertainers and the women did the cooking and reception. [I don't know for sure, but I think there is a law in Fiji that men have to be beautiful! Every single guy I have seen on (and off) the island is gorgeous!] The men's uniforms on Robinson Crusoe consisted of a sulu ONLY! ...long pieces of fabric tied around their waist! It must be a marketing ploy!
Every other day a Day Cruise would come to the island and the men would put on a show. There was traditional Fijian dances, knife throwing, fire dancing, lovo cooking, coconut tree climbing, bush walks and coconut jewelery making.
It was sad to leave the island since we became such good friends with the staff. They treated us so well and made us feel incredibly welcome. We were constantly laughing with them and joking around! I definitely recommend going to Robinson Crusoe if you are ever in Fiji!
Off to Sydney tomorrow... super excited!
love from Fiji (for the last time!)
J
written by  clairejenna on February 8, 2009 from Vusama, Fiji

arrived in the land down under...
Sydney, Australia
After spending a month in Fiji our time there finally came to an end. Both of us were sad to leave since we made some great friends and had amazing times! HOWEVER I feel like it's just a matter of time before I'm back. The people, the food and environment were nothing I had ever experienced.
I could definitely see myself living in Fiji for part of my life!
(to all our Fijian friends... we miss you already!)
We flew out of the Nadi airport at 9:00am and arrived in Sydney at 12:30pm. The flight was incredibly short compared to our other flights!
When we got to Sydney we called the hostel we had book the night prior to pick us up. It was about a 15 minute drive to the hostel which was located downtown. We decided to stay there since there was free internet and and it was close to the harbour (Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge).
When we checked in, they directed us across the street to their "other" building! Obviously the one they didn't advertise on the website! It was pretty run down in the first building and even more so in ours! Oh well...we figure we will just deal with it!
When we got into the room we saw an older man there... maybe in his 40s. We said Hi and asked him where he is from... he said "Sydney". I didn't click in until a bit later when I saw his whole life set out on the table in the room! --He lives here permanently!--
Sooo I've come to the conclution that Claire and I are sharing a room with a potential homeless man! We have seen other men in the hostel that are city workers etc. as well. We joked with each other today that we are staying in a homeless shelter for a few days!
Oh well... at least we have a good story!
We haven't done much since we arrived. Last night we were in bed pretty early since it was an early morning in the airport. I got my nose pierced in the afternoon so I had a pounding headache. All we did was see Bride Wars at the theater and then headed home to bed! Boring for our first night in Sydney but we will make up for it tonight!
Today we walked all over the city. We came across the Australia Museum so we went in! It was a small building compared to the ROM but it had really neat stuff. There was a skeleton, Papua New Guinea and wildlife photography exhibit! Really interesting stuff!
We went down to the Opera House and had some lunch but didnt stay long! Hopefully we will be able to see the Opera House from the water before we go!
Claires friend Laura is coming tomorrow morning. She is staying with us until Friday then we are heading home with her to Wollongong for a few days! It will be nice to see another part of Australia as well!
We might head to the zoo tomorrow... I'm excited to see animals!
Wish we were closer to Steve Irwins Zoo... but Sydney's will do!
Jxx
written by  clairejenna on February 10, 2009 from Sydney, Australia

Bangkok Bound...
Bangkok, Thailand
Although we only spent 5 days in Australia we felt like we really gasped what the Australian culture had to offer... ohh wait. that might be because it is identical to Canadian culture! The few days we spent touring around Sydney felt like we were right back downtown Toronto enjoying a cup of coffee and a bagel in any corner cafe. I know that is blunt and I'm sure Australia has a lot more to offer but in the short time we had there we definitely got the hometown vibe!
We spent the last two days with Claire’s friend Laura in Wollongong. It was a cute suburban city that gave off a feeling of warmth and small town kindness but with 300,000 people. Not so small!
Laura was a gracious host and made us feel so welcome. Her roommate Meagan was also there to show us around town and take us to the hot spots. We spent most of the day shopping and walking around exploring. (Thank you ladies; we had a great time with you both)
Although we only stayed in Australia for 5 days we were happy to be on our way. (Not to leave Laura and Meagan) but to get our REAL backpacking journey started. So far we haven’t really stayed in hostels but rather friends houses.
Thailand was going to be the beginning of a new way of living!
We arrived in Bangkok last night around 10:30pm local time. --Advice to all, try to arrive in a foreign country in the day time to reduce confusion!--
We called Claires friend Camille to tell her we were in town and excited to meet up. She gave us directions to a hostel that she had pre-booked and we left the airport in search of a taxi.
Shockingly when we emerged from the terminal there weren’t men in our faces yelling about their taxi services. They were far off in the distance but nothing too intense. My vision was to be overwhelmed by people yelling and grabbing for us to get into their car!
I felt safe getting into the hot pink taxi cab (the colour of taxi's in Thailand). It cost about $20 Canadian to get to the hostel which is 550 baht.
The conversion is a bit difficult at times but Claire has some quick math skills so together we can make it work!
For our first day in Thailand we walked around one part of town looking at the overflowing shops of clothing and jewelry! Claire and I have been restraining ourselves not to buy clothes in Fiji and Australia so we can go nuts in Thailand.... and we did! Within reason though! We have a month and three weeks to go and my prediction is that we will have a whole new wardrobe by the time we hit Europe!
Camille, Claire’s friend, and her sister Lara have really helped us with getting adjusted to the culture. They knew where to go and how to bargain! They have already been such a huge help!
The girls are resting in our hostel right now. We have a 4 person bedroom with a private bathroom for less than $40... So cheap!
Our plan is to head to Chiang Mai tomorrow or the next day with a few others... I’m excited for the lazy river and eco-tourism that everyone has told me about.
More blogs to come...
Hugs and kisses from Thailand!
Jxxx
written by  clairejenna on February 16, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand

Things I Have Learned About Myself
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Some things I have learned about myself so far:
1.) I can go for a month using only a bucket of water to clean myself. Jenna and I had just TWO real faucet-hot water showers the entire time we were in Fiji. From January 10th until February 10th, I mainly used a bucket and some soap -- even in Nadi, where the flooding caused major plumbing problems (We used a bucket at Azeem's house).
2.) I can survive rats, crabs, chickens, bed bugs, jumping spiders, ants and cockroaches - all of which made it onto my bed at some point during the past two months.
3.) I will never move to Australia. Australia is Canada -- it just has more things that can kill you.
4.) No matter how strong I think I am, I cannot rip Australian money. (Neither can Jenna for that matter, because it is designed to be un-rippable. And it is.)
5.) I love Thai food more than I thought. A huge plate of Pad Thai is a craving that creeps up on me more than once a day.
6.) I still love elephants more than I can explain, but their trunks are gross. Especially when they make their way into your lap while searching for food.
7.) I was too quick to judge crocs (yes, I am referring to the ugly, plastic clogs). These cheap shoe-replacements can be found in the villages of Fiji and Thailand. Even our jungle guide was wearing them!
I'm sure I will think of more, but I'm going to drink cheap Thai beer now!
Cheers from Chiang Mai,
Claire
written by  clairejenna on February 22, 2009 from Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai Memories...
Chiang Mai, Thailand
FIRST. I want to apologize for not being more diligent with this blog. I wish I could say that I was in some far off jungle or village that didn't have internet but I would be lying!
So SORRY to my family and friends that have been patiently waiting for a blog update!
Looking back Chiang Mia was such a long time ago! But in reality it has only been about a month since we were there! So many places and things since our time there but the memories are some of the most vivid!
The city was amazing. One of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was unique since there was an old and new part divided only by a moat! We stayed in the old part with our friends from back home Mike, Bryce and Camille. We randomly had all been in Thailand at the same time and decided to meet up in Bangkok. Everyone had known each other from home through one of Claire’s best friends, Leah. I have never met her but I feel like I know her since everyone talked about how much they loved her! (HI Leah... if you are reading this!)
Chiang Mia wasn't on water or didn't have any beaches. It was in the north part of Thailand. This is where you come to do jungle treks and see elephants.
...and that’s exactly what we did!
The day after we get there we headed into the jungle. A three day trek through the forests of Thailand. Some many think we are crazy but we had a blast. The hiking was a little intense. (the tourist place gave us no warning before we booked it as to how strenuous it actually was!) up hill, down, hill, up hill, down hill. We were probably on level ground for a total of one hour in those three days!
The jungle was so beautiful. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous being so deep in the jungle and not having a plan of action incase something happened. But we went with it anyways!
During the hike we would come across waterfalls that we took much needed breaks in. And at night we would hear the gibbon apes calling to each other. An unreal feeling for an anthropologist! All Claire and I could do was smile! There were so many more experiences and memories from those three days that it could fill a book...
I couldn’t recommend jungle trekking more! If anyone is planning on coming to Thailand...a jungle trek is a must!
The rest of the time in Chiang Mai was touring around the city! The boys we were with rented motorbikes so us girls jumped on the back and held the map! We went all around the city and to the north end. We ventured down roads that didn't have signs in search of waterfalls and temples.
We decided to visit the 'Long Neck Tribe'. (they have a tradition of pulling rings around their necks to display age) The culture was amazing but it was definitely a tourist grab. First, we had to pay when we arrived which wasn't a huge deal but when we walked through the gates of the village everyone was trying to sell us something!
They were all working on handmade scarfs and blankets. Mind you, they were all so beautiful! (I bought a scarf AND a blanket!)
Even the children were working on something that they could sell the tourist which came to gawk at them!
They even had the rings that we could put around our necks to see what it’s like!
It was amazing to see them but I felt sorry for them at the same time.
From the moment I walked into the village to the time I left it felt like I was wandering around a human zoo. There was a feeling of abnormality in the air that couldn’t be ignored.
After we left the village we hoped back on our bikes. We toured around for a bit more. Mike, the guy I was with, drove so fast that we were always ahead of everyone. So it wasn't weird when I looked back and didn’t see anyone. However it was only when Mike and I pulled over to wait for them we knew something was weird since they didn't come.
Claire and Bryce were missing. We waited and waited. Mike even went back to the last spot we saw them but still couldn't find them.
I didn’t know if I should worry or not. Mike, Camille and I waited some more and ran through the options. We hadn't seen an ambulance go by and there was not accident on the road. We decided that they must have made a wrong turn and were on the way back to the apartment but on a different road!
We decided that we should head back too. When we got just meters away from our place I heard Claire’s voice call me but I couldn't see her. She was sitting in a car that was parked in front of us. She yelled. "I fell off the bike". My heart sank. I couldn't see her injuries because she was in the car and it was dark.
We finally got here across to the apartment and looked at the battle wounds! They were gnarly! We decided to get them properly cleaned at the hospital since we paid for health insurance already!
Good thing we did because the doctor laced her up six times... I was almost sick watching the six stitches go through her skin! She is a trooper for sure!
Although it kind of messed up or plans on moving to the next city it was also a blessing. Chiang Mai is so beautiful that we could of stayed another two weeks there. I was in no rush to leave!
Eventually we had to move on! Laos was next and we were really excited but cautious of the travel/transportation since our friend had become gimpy!
...there is more to come
MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU ALL!
Jxo
written by  clairejenna on March 22, 2009 from Chiang Mai, Thailand

Why Do I Always Have To Sit Beside the Puker??
Bangkok, Thailand
This country is so incredibly HOT. Each morning in Koh Pah Ngan, the girls and I were woken up by our sweat. Seriously. I always wake up to the sound of myself gasping for air and wondering if a giant spider weaved a web all over my body because I am stuck to the sheets. (No spider, just sweat. Lovely.) I made a promise to myself and to Jenna that on the remainder of this SE Asia journey, I will only stay in rooms with air conditioning and/or more than one fan. Of course, we haven't stuck to that because rooms with air conditioning are significantly more expensive here. What a great idea to travel through SE Asia during the hot season. Even the locals hide in the shade. haha! (I guess all of you back home in Canada are green with envy, though, eh??)
Side note: We have barely met any Canadians. Definitely no Americans. Actually, of all the people we have met traveling through SE Asia, the majority of them are English, Swedish and Israeli.
Alright, back to the heat. To escape it, we've decided to come blog about the trip so far and upload photos in the air conditioned internet cafe outside our guest house. We are back in Bangkok after a fun-filled few weeks in the south of Thailand. We began on the party island of Koh Pha-Ngan. Thousands of people flock to this island for the infamous 'Full Moon Party.' We attended the pre-party the day before (where I brought my camera), which was one of the craziest parties I have ever been to. The Full Moon Party was even more nuts. I can't even begin to describe the night we had. Everything is fluorescent and on drugs. As soon as you step onto the beach, there are thousands of people dancing to rave music, people skipping rope that is ON FIRE, and everyone is painted up and holding 1 to 4 drinks in their hands. As a party-goer, you stop at one of the many little bars on the beach and pick up a bucket. Basically, for 120-300 Baht (depending on the drink, 4-10 dollars Canadian) you can drink an entire mickey of alcohol in one bucket with many straws. They open up the mickey of your choice, pour the whole thing in the bucket and fill it with ice and your mix. Camille and I got mojito buckets. My first night, I was drunk after one - but in my defense it is one entire mickey AND I hadn't been able to drink for a while, on account of my motorbike accident!! I won't discuss the Full Moon Party night, as our parents will be reading this. I am going to discuss another topic now...
I guess it is important to mention here what happened that fateful evening in Chiang Mai. Jenna, Camille, Mike, Bryce and I decided to rent motorbikes for the day and go visit the traditional long-neck village people located just outside the main city. We drove around all afternoon and had a really fun time. I sat on the back of Bryce's motorbike, and he seemed to know what he was doing (even though this was the first time he and Mike had driven a standard - that should have been my first clue). Everything was fine until we skid off the road on our way back into Chiang Mai and we slid across the pavement for a while. Dripping in blood, I stood up and started laughing at what just happened. Then I saw my skin on the pavement and all the blood and it wasn't so funny. Bryce told me to get back on the motorbike and he would drive me back into the town but there was NO WAY I was doing that again. Mike, Jenna and Camille were already long gone (as they were ahead of us) and there was nothing I could do but watch the blood drip off my right leg and pool on the pavement. Luckily, a nice Thai woman saw the accident, stopped her car and offered to drive me to Chiang Mai on her way to the market. I bled all over her car and felt so bad that I gave her 1000 Baht to say thank you and I'm sorry at the same time. Jenna took me to the hospital and I got a good cleaning of the several wounds that lined my leg from the toes to my knee,as well as 6 stitches in my foot! I was on crutches for about a week after that, and got my stitches taken out 7 days later in a sketchy hospital in Laos (this hospital in no way compared to the one in Chiang Mai, which was big and clean and well-equipped). My doctor in Laos didn't speak English and the hospital was covered in flies and dozens of nurses with nothing to do. When we first arrived, there were at least 20 nurses sitting in the lobby, watching TV (and some half asleep). I guess not too many people can afford health care in Laos. The antibiotics, which were meant to prevent my foot from getting infected, also prevented me from consuming any alcohol for a while and thus I was drunk after one bucket. OKAY?! Don't judge me.
Now, I need to say something about Laos. Beautiful, incredible Laos. Although the country is FAR less developed than Thailand, and I only spent 8 days there, I fell in love with the country, despite its downfalls. The countryside, jungle, mountains and villages that line the roads leading to the bigger cities are among the most beautiful scenes I have ever witnessed. Rice fields being cultivated by women in traditional Asian straw hats, wild boars and goats crossing the roads so suddenly that the bus comes to a screeching halt, children running around the villages with sticks and no shoes while their mothers sit and weave on the porches: all of this I saw on my 13-hour, hot local bus ride to the city of Luang Prabang from the Thai/Laos border. I opted to take this bus because I thought it would be easier on my foot than taking the two day slow boat journey that Camille and Jenna decided on. They promised the bus was air conditioned. It wasn't. They promised the roads were new and clean and not bumpy. They weren't. They said the bus was spatious. It was anything but. My first understanding of the Laos people was that they were good liars. I sat in the front of the bus, with my leg up and my crutches falling all over the place. A quarter of the way there, our already-packed bus made a stop alongside a dirt road, filled the aisles with big bags of rice and allowed MORE Laos people to join the horrible journey - but only to sit on the rice bags in the aisles or stand near the front by the driver (where I was sitting, oh joy). Oh, and did YOU know that Laos people love to spit and puke?? Almost every minute of that bus ride was filled with the sound of someone horking and then opening a window and spitting out the contents of their mouths onto the winding roads. And they all puke. A lot. The person beside me was puking, the person behind me was puking, the people in the aisles were - you guessed it - PUKING! My British friends sitting in the back told me some guy filled up 4 bags of puke and left them on the bus when we stopped for a washroom break (finally) and it was so horrible that Brits had to move them off the bus themselves!!!
Jenna, Camille and I took another bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, Laos. More puking. This time, a young girl about 16 years old was sick beside me. She sat in the aisle of our jammed bus and was so sick that she eventually just drifted over into my lap. This is where one of the most incredible things happened - one of those moments when you travel where you feel like you make a connection with someone who is a complete stranger, on the other side of the world. I felt so sorry for the girl, that I offered her my sweater to lay on my lap the entire way to Vang Vieng. Eventually, we both fell asleep; her, laying on my legs, and I laying on her back. She spoke no English and I didn't know her name. All I knew was that we were as close as two people could be for that 7 hour bus ride. When I got off, we smiled at each other, as she returned my sweater. That was that. But it is still one of those moments I will remember fondly - despite the puke.
More to come about our Southern beach adventures!!
xox
Claire
written by  clairejenna on March 24, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand