I truly don't want to spend all my time lamenting over my personal woes when street children are forced to sell chewing gum and ladies balance piles of books from cafe to cafe trying to get a few dollars from tourists off the photo copied knock offs they have so specially wrapped in plastic for the aestetics we "first" world citizens so blatantly expect. So after I added the period to that extremely long sentence I'm ready to sing.
Today began with a knock on our trap door.The cozy attic room we occupy has a stairway that leads to only one place,us.On the other side was our new travelling mate Laura. Laura is hardcore, she's doing the travel thing alone. I guess that's how they make them up in Washington St.I'm excited to travel with her for a while.The three of us sat around for a while this morning before making a move for food and transportation. Food we found easily in the mini hotel alley lined with clothes vendors, guesthouse entrances and the frequent entrepreneur peddling sunglasses, books or "marijuana for smoking", any of which you can purchase from the comforts of your dining table.It was when we sauntered our full bellies over to the local motor bike rentals that we were faced with issues.
First, the $1 bikes we encountered on day one were inflated to $5 and when the three of us went to climb on $3.50 deal we did find it all of a sudden became illegal.I suppose a Vietnemese toddler has more dexterity than three full grown Americans. I've seen tons of 15 month olds hanging on the handle bars, standing on the seats and posed in other rodeo riding positions amid the 3 other people perched on the bike with them. So if you wondered why three of us were getting on one bike, it's because that's what we've seen other people doing. If nothing else it would give us something to write about.
We already stick out like black folks at a Klan meeting and since that's what everyone seems to be staring at how much attention could we draw by hoisting our caucasian friend on the back of our moving circus act. We got off the bike though after sitting there next to the curb, all three of us on the bike, in the neutral position.It seems like foreiners get different treatment and they were pretty sure we would get a ticket if we rode off together.
In the rain we walked to the War Remnants Museum and got a good education on the Anti-American war, also known as the Vietnam war in the US. Let's just say they don't teach it like this back home.It was unbelieveable the amount of destruction the U.S. left behind that people are still dealing with. I don't really have the energy to get into it but if you know anything about the war enlighten me.I'm not trying to spark any arguments but dropping chemicals on peoples homes, lives and land is crazy and 21 million gallons is evil. With that I 'm done because I'm getting pissed as I type.
Don't be lazy research and form your own opinions of things. Laziness allows images and subliminal messages to slip into our psyche and determine and form our thoughts for us. Be careful what you watch and read.
Joronda
17 November 2005
15 November 2005
more pictures :)
salaam
3 new albums have been added to the photos section. please read the following post titled "New Features!!!" for more detailed information. all pictures are available for your printing or purchasing pleasure...please don't hesitate to pillage.
enjoy!!
salaam
mateo
3 new albums have been added to the photos section. please read the following post titled "New Features!!!" for more detailed information. all pictures are available for your printing or purchasing pleasure...please don't hesitate to pillage.
enjoy!!
salaam
mateo
14 November 2005
New Features!!!
If you've been away from your computer for the weekend and you're just getting back on the blog you may notice some additions. We know everyone has been anticipating pictures so look to your right and in the side bar you'll see a link for pictures. We have finally worked it out! Once you click on the photo link, click on any album to view its contents. Once inside the album, click on the view slideshow link (above the fourth picture) for the best look at our experiences. You can periodically check back for new images and we will keep you posted when we add new albums. So far you can go back and see what Thailand was like for us.
Speaking of going back, it looks like we do most of our posting on the weekends. Last weekend we put up several post. If you're interested go back to the Visit Koh Phi Phi and read forward. Sorry to throw some people off but we had a lot to catch up on.
Also, if you're not familiar with world maps we've put them at your finger tips. The moving flag shows the country we're currently in. We are heading south to north in Vietnam and will be in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 more days. The currency is the dong and in 5 weeks we've already operated in 4 different currencies Thai baht, Cambodian riel, Vietnemese dong (VND) and the U.S. dollar. We have our calculator with us at all times. Check out our Exchange Rates link and see what the U.S. dollar amounts to in other countries. We've already spent 80,000 dong on internet today.
We will keep putting up relevant links and updates but if there's somthing we've forgotten please let us know. Talk to you all soon.
Joronda
Speaking of going back, it looks like we do most of our posting on the weekends. Last weekend we put up several post. If you're interested go back to the Visit Koh Phi Phi and read forward. Sorry to throw some people off but we had a lot to catch up on.
Also, if you're not familiar with world maps we've put them at your finger tips. The moving flag shows the country we're currently in. We are heading south to north in Vietnam and will be in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 more days. The currency is the dong and in 5 weeks we've already operated in 4 different currencies Thai baht, Cambodian riel, Vietnemese dong (VND) and the U.S. dollar. We have our calculator with us at all times. Check out our Exchange Rates link and see what the U.S. dollar amounts to in other countries. We've already spent 80,000 dong on internet today.
We will keep putting up relevant links and updates but if there's somthing we've forgotten please let us know. Talk to you all soon.
Joronda
12 November 2005
phnom penh's international mosque...like none other
salaam
this is a special ode to the international masjid in phnom penh:
two minarets high in the sky with a gold dome between,
the grandeur of this cambodian masjid is a sight to be seen.
your gates stand majestic, and the view is immense,
i tremble with excitement as i pass through the fence.
proud to be muslim...my heart sings with joy,
but slightly confused i become, when approached by a boy.
nekid is he, and wet to the bone
dripping and flipping he is not alone.
there 's about 15 others, and all of them, birthday suit clad,
doing bare assed handstands and smiling...they couldn't be more glad.
so why, you may ask, were they wet to the bone?
because the front of the masjid looked like a flood zone.
murky brown water awaited our feet,
and if you know my wife...this was not a treat.
"jihad!" i cried, which means 'struggle' in arabic,
but the thought of malaria had my wife very scared of it.
i tried to convince her that there was nothing to fear,
and reminded her of the little boys who had just been soaking their rears.
if it was that dangerous they'd surely find a place that was better,
but with all my smooth talking she was still real unsettled.
i said, "look there's a bridge, it's gotta be safe"
she screamed, "not when its made from toothpicks and duct tape!"
so her hand i held as i waded knee deep,
and bambi-kneed she fumbled across the bridge incomplete.
"don't worry", i said, "we're almost there",
as she's got the front of the masjid locked in her stare.
she leaps to the steps and breathes a huge sigh of relief,
and from behind, an approving "BAAA", from the resident family of sheep.
oh cambodia, your country leaves me with mixed emotion,
to have a masjid like that...ya'll must have been smokin'.
so how can i convey all that we've seen
to the people back home who read only what we bring?
try this...next time you all go to your houses of prayer,
picture flood waters deep, sheep, and bottoms of bare
...stir it all together, and then you'll be there.
salaam
mateo
this is a special ode to the international masjid in phnom penh:
two minarets high in the sky with a gold dome between,
the grandeur of this cambodian masjid is a sight to be seen.
your gates stand majestic, and the view is immense,
i tremble with excitement as i pass through the fence.
proud to be muslim...my heart sings with joy,
but slightly confused i become, when approached by a boy.
nekid is he, and wet to the bone
dripping and flipping he is not alone.
there 's about 15 others, and all of them, birthday suit clad,
doing bare assed handstands and smiling...they couldn't be more glad.
so why, you may ask, were they wet to the bone?
because the front of the masjid looked like a flood zone.
murky brown water awaited our feet,
and if you know my wife...this was not a treat.
"jihad!" i cried, which means 'struggle' in arabic,
but the thought of malaria had my wife very scared of it.
i tried to convince her that there was nothing to fear,
and reminded her of the little boys who had just been soaking their rears.
if it was that dangerous they'd surely find a place that was better,
but with all my smooth talking she was still real unsettled.
i said, "look there's a bridge, it's gotta be safe"
she screamed, "not when its made from toothpicks and duct tape!"
so her hand i held as i waded knee deep,
and bambi-kneed she fumbled across the bridge incomplete.
"don't worry", i said, "we're almost there",
as she's got the front of the masjid locked in her stare.
she leaps to the steps and breathes a huge sigh of relief,
and from behind, an approving "BAAA", from the resident family of sheep.
oh cambodia, your country leaves me with mixed emotion,
to have a masjid like that...ya'll must have been smokin'.
so how can i convey all that we've seen
to the people back home who read only what we bring?
try this...next time you all go to your houses of prayer,
picture flood waters deep, sheep, and bottoms of bare
...stir it all together, and then you'll be there.
salaam
mateo
Gooooood Morning Vietnam
I couldn't resist and I wanted to let you all know where we are. Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is our temporary place of residence. We have decided to stay in Vietnam for 3 weeks but let me tell you, I wasn't feeling that way when we first crossed the border.
Side note - I'm a paranoid sceptic from South Central LA, I'm as observant as a cat when my environment is unfamiliar and I rarely trust anyone who says hello then lingers for too long.
With that insight into my personality I found myself running for the border gate to find anyone with a working international cell phone. When I tried to speak to the guard in English he wanted no parts of me. Mateo was back at the main building steps about 150 meters away holding my passport and pack. I only wanted to walk past the gate arm to plead with our bus mates for a phone. I thought the guard wouldn't let me back in but I broke for it anyway. Not knowing a sole seated in the cramped little restaurant bus depot I spoke out in a loud confident way "Does anyone have a phone that calls internationally?" They all just stared at me "Welcome to Vietnam" the tour guide said with a smile. "Yeah, thanks" and I continued on with my business. One really nice lady from California offered up her cell phone and we immediately started running back to the border building. The guard didn't stop us and when we finished our sprint I walked right past Mateo letting him know the bus had just pulled up. I made it back to the American I so desperately wanted to help.
Mateo and I met her on the bus and it was she who must have recognized our slow American accents when she asked "where in the States are you from?" We later sat with her and her friend on the Cambodian side of the border. Trying to cross the border was where the problem started. She didn't realize her visa was not valid for multiple entries and the officials were doing nothing to try and help her out. In fact they were all laughing and the language barrier was both the biggest disadvantage for her and the greatest tool of torment for them. We did everything we could to help her and I felt horrible heading to the bus. I told the guide the situation and it turns out that she may have made it over the border later that evening. This brief description doesn't even give you an idea of the official scam we walked right into at the door of the border building when the men in blue with official badges tried to charge us 15,900 dong for filling out Mateo's arrival card. We had the guards up and simulataneously sang out "for what?" when he said $1 the Vietnamese equivalent for that amount of dong. Needless to say I was determined to help this lady because I was afraid of what other scams they might try to run if we were all gone and she and her friend were there alone at the border.
We don't have any volunteer jobs lined up just yet but giving has to do with a lot more than joining an organized group. Today we went searching for a school that gives free education to street kids. We didn't find it but we bought some apples for some street kids. Tomorrow we'll be back out again trying to give of ourselves. Some times the situations present themselves and sometimes we have to seek them out. We'll keep you posted on the status of our search.
Joronda
Side note - I'm a paranoid sceptic from South Central LA, I'm as observant as a cat when my environment is unfamiliar and I rarely trust anyone who says hello then lingers for too long.
With that insight into my personality I found myself running for the border gate to find anyone with a working international cell phone. When I tried to speak to the guard in English he wanted no parts of me. Mateo was back at the main building steps about 150 meters away holding my passport and pack. I only wanted to walk past the gate arm to plead with our bus mates for a phone. I thought the guard wouldn't let me back in but I broke for it anyway. Not knowing a sole seated in the cramped little restaurant bus depot I spoke out in a loud confident way "Does anyone have a phone that calls internationally?" They all just stared at me "Welcome to Vietnam" the tour guide said with a smile. "Yeah, thanks" and I continued on with my business. One really nice lady from California offered up her cell phone and we immediately started running back to the border building. The guard didn't stop us and when we finished our sprint I walked right past Mateo letting him know the bus had just pulled up. I made it back to the American I so desperately wanted to help.
Mateo and I met her on the bus and it was she who must have recognized our slow American accents when she asked "where in the States are you from?" We later sat with her and her friend on the Cambodian side of the border. Trying to cross the border was where the problem started. She didn't realize her visa was not valid for multiple entries and the officials were doing nothing to try and help her out. In fact they were all laughing and the language barrier was both the biggest disadvantage for her and the greatest tool of torment for them. We did everything we could to help her and I felt horrible heading to the bus. I told the guide the situation and it turns out that she may have made it over the border later that evening. This brief description doesn't even give you an idea of the official scam we walked right into at the door of the border building when the men in blue with official badges tried to charge us 15,900 dong for filling out Mateo's arrival card. We had the guards up and simulataneously sang out "for what?" when he said $1 the Vietnamese equivalent for that amount of dong. Needless to say I was determined to help this lady because I was afraid of what other scams they might try to run if we were all gone and she and her friend were there alone at the border.
We don't have any volunteer jobs lined up just yet but giving has to do with a lot more than joining an organized group. Today we went searching for a school that gives free education to street kids. We didn't find it but we bought some apples for some street kids. Tomorrow we'll be back out again trying to give of ourselves. Some times the situations present themselves and sometimes we have to seek them out. We'll keep you posted on the status of our search.
Joronda
09 November 2005
Mmmmm...goopey thorax
You all are wonderful for remembering my birthday. Thank you so much for the wishes. A few days ago I was sitting on a bus thinking about the many travels we've already made and it didn't occur to me that my birthday was so close. We were on the road after that 6:30 wake up knock and I was so out of it I just stared out the window of our blazing hot mini bus as we pulled in and out of country side vending shacks. Now please don't think I'm criticizing the local retail establishments. In order for you to get an understanding of what I'm referring to when I say restaurant or store I have chosen words that may be used in the U.S. to describe the common structures we frequent in this region of the world. These places have great food, service and views so shack is but a brief way to assist you in creating a visual for what I'm seeing.
About 2 hours into our 6 hour trip we stopped at a rest stop for people to get food, use the bathroom and possibly stretch their legs. Everyone eventually exited the bus, including Mateo but I didn't really feel like moving. I stayed in my seat and stared out the window. Beneath 4 large patio style umbrellas lined up on the dirt driveway were ladies selling sweet fruits to the patrons who exited the bus. Meanwhile, along comes an independent vendor with fried frog bodies and some other fried meat I didn't recognize. "Wow", I thought, she had a great presentation of her product. The frogs were stacked on top of each other so you could see the whole of each individual piece. I had a great view too because she walked by with the basket on her head close enough for me to see the heads were all cut out.
Although I didn't recognize the other meat, I was more curious about the basket that she put her goods down next to. People seemed to really be into what ever was in that basket. Not too many people were getting frog but they were filling up bags with this other stuff. The stuff was going so fast the lady had to keep pilling more on top. By this time people were filing back on to the bus. Mateo had been close to that area so I asked him what was in the basket, he didn't know. "What do you think it is?..." We both watched a man bend down to inspect and then pop one into his mouth. Well based on the way he grabbed and chewed it I thought "oh they're dates" so when I looked over to Mateo I figured my thoughts would be validated especially since the lady across the isle from him had a bag of them. She had a bag and the people in front of us had a bag, I think every row on the bus had some except us.
We had to be sure so when the lady in front of us opened her bag and Mateo said they're crickets I was glad I didn't get off the bus to go get some "dates". Ok but how about they weren't even crickets but big, juicy, barbequed grasshoppers. The lady next to us was really generous and offered Mateo some. It was only because she caught him staring into her bag and from the look on his face I'm sure she thought he was salivating over a grasshopper snack. What he was actually recovering from was the glimpse he caught of the style of indulgence he had just witnessed. I couldn't see over the seat but from his view the lady plucked the legs off then separated the thorax from the rest of the body. It was at this point that she sucked the goop that seeped from the appendages of the insect. Shortly after we heard the bag to the right of us crinkle and its contents displayed before us with the invitation to reach in and partake. No thanks, we're fasting.
Joronda
About 2 hours into our 6 hour trip we stopped at a rest stop for people to get food, use the bathroom and possibly stretch their legs. Everyone eventually exited the bus, including Mateo but I didn't really feel like moving. I stayed in my seat and stared out the window. Beneath 4 large patio style umbrellas lined up on the dirt driveway were ladies selling sweet fruits to the patrons who exited the bus. Meanwhile, along comes an independent vendor with fried frog bodies and some other fried meat I didn't recognize. "Wow", I thought, she had a great presentation of her product. The frogs were stacked on top of each other so you could see the whole of each individual piece. I had a great view too because she walked by with the basket on her head close enough for me to see the heads were all cut out.
Although I didn't recognize the other meat, I was more curious about the basket that she put her goods down next to. People seemed to really be into what ever was in that basket. Not too many people were getting frog but they were filling up bags with this other stuff. The stuff was going so fast the lady had to keep pilling more on top. By this time people were filing back on to the bus. Mateo had been close to that area so I asked him what was in the basket, he didn't know. "What do you think it is?..." We both watched a man bend down to inspect and then pop one into his mouth. Well based on the way he grabbed and chewed it I thought "oh they're dates" so when I looked over to Mateo I figured my thoughts would be validated especially since the lady across the isle from him had a bag of them. She had a bag and the people in front of us had a bag, I think every row on the bus had some except us.
We had to be sure so when the lady in front of us opened her bag and Mateo said they're crickets I was glad I didn't get off the bus to go get some "dates". Ok but how about they weren't even crickets but big, juicy, barbequed grasshoppers. The lady next to us was really generous and offered Mateo some. It was only because she caught him staring into her bag and from the look on his face I'm sure she thought he was salivating over a grasshopper snack. What he was actually recovering from was the glimpse he caught of the style of indulgence he had just witnessed. I couldn't see over the seat but from his view the lady plucked the legs off then separated the thorax from the rest of the body. It was at this point that she sucked the goop that seeped from the appendages of the insect. Shortly after we heard the bag to the right of us crinkle and its contents displayed before us with the invitation to reach in and partake. No thanks, we're fasting.
Joronda
diamonds in the rough
salaam
let me first start this post with a big, THANK YOU, on behalf of joronda and myself, to everyone that has followed our blog. your support has been monumental, and your posted comments are certainly the highlights of our days. i can't tell you how eager we are to get to a computer and read your reactions to the variety of experiences that we have been privy to. it truly brings us all closer...so thank you again.
...and to the poster that decided to bring out the 1978 to 1991 tight pants and sweater wearing name...you're a damn fool :)
on to the title...
there certainly have been "diamonds in the rough" in this bittersweet love affair that, when coupled with all that cambodia has to offer, has made the overall country worthwhile. while we have been unable to partner up directly with an established volunteer organization, we have tried to help out indirectly. tonight we had dinner in a fabulous restaurant that was recommended by "the lonely planet" (a backpackers guidebook) called mith samlanh, which means close friends. mith samlanh is a cambodian non-partisan, non-religious, non-governmental organization that was founded in 1994 in response to the increasing needs of street children in phnom penh and the surrounding province. with numerous objectives to fulfill their vision, mith samlanh is dedicated to creating a safe, hands on, and proactive environment so that no child is forced to live or work on the streets. they service 1800 children per day and the restaurant is simply one component of their outreach. the entire restaurant functions at the hands of students who have been removed from the street environment. the food is amazing and the atmosphere is a true delight. we decided to frequent the establishment for joronda's second birthday, and volunteer indirectly by spending money for a worthy cause (all proceeds go directly to the students) . it certainly wasn't the hands dirtying volunteering that we had set out to accomplish on this trip...but i guess givers can't be choosers, so we are greatful nonetheless.
other diamonds in the rough would have to be the variety of children that we have met. there is definitely something special about the true innocence and purity that a child possess and unconditionally emits. now certainly we have encountered those with a hidden agenda, but even in that, when steered in a different direction, they have been generally honest, sweet, and loveable individuals. for example, today we rented a motorbike ($3) and joined the other salmon swimming upstream to tour phenom penh. side note...cambodian traffic is HORRIBLE to put it mildly. lane lines are as insignificant as racing stripes...it doesn't matter where you're at or which way you're going, you can rest assured that you are in the correct lane and that everyone else is wrong. anyway, when we stopped at several sights we were approached by numerous children trying to do and receive for a multitude of things. from watching our motorbike, to taking their picture, to trading ink pens...all for $1. this one little guy was so hell bent on watching our motorbike that he would barely let me put the lock on the bike without jumping in my lap to do it for me. i let him try...and then i kept pressing my face into his cheek while asking him why he was having trouble. we all smiled and laughed as he finally backed up and let me do it. he then told everybody, in khemer, that i'd had my nose in his cheek as he laughed and pointed while relaying the experience. we met another little boy who kept asking for a dollar...immediately i started tugging on his dirty camoflauge shirt and begged him to give me his shirt. he laughed and tried to walk away as i kept hounding him about his shirt. he gave me every excuse as to why he couldn't give me his shirt unless i traded him for my watch or my motorbike...we parted amicably. later on, joronda and i saw the same boy when we were leaving the sight and he came right up to us to continue the bartering. i asked him what his name was and he said something that sounded like "boogady". he kept saying, "that's me, that's me, like on t.v.", with a huge smile on his face. after about three minutes of misunderstanding, joronda asked him to say his name again...and clear as day, he let us know who his favorite wwe television wrestler was by giving us his adopted moniker of "booker t". he then pounced on one of the other boys standing around as we drove off, all of us laughing...after all, they're just kids.
so in this country of abrasion, these are some of the gems...thank you all again for your continued support...you are our gems
salaam
mateo
let me first start this post with a big, THANK YOU, on behalf of joronda and myself, to everyone that has followed our blog. your support has been monumental, and your posted comments are certainly the highlights of our days. i can't tell you how eager we are to get to a computer and read your reactions to the variety of experiences that we have been privy to. it truly brings us all closer...so thank you again.
...and to the poster that decided to bring out the 1978 to 1991 tight pants and sweater wearing name...you're a damn fool :)
on to the title...
there certainly have been "diamonds in the rough" in this bittersweet love affair that, when coupled with all that cambodia has to offer, has made the overall country worthwhile. while we have been unable to partner up directly with an established volunteer organization, we have tried to help out indirectly. tonight we had dinner in a fabulous restaurant that was recommended by "the lonely planet" (a backpackers guidebook) called mith samlanh, which means close friends. mith samlanh is a cambodian non-partisan, non-religious, non-governmental organization that was founded in 1994 in response to the increasing needs of street children in phnom penh and the surrounding province. with numerous objectives to fulfill their vision, mith samlanh is dedicated to creating a safe, hands on, and proactive environment so that no child is forced to live or work on the streets. they service 1800 children per day and the restaurant is simply one component of their outreach. the entire restaurant functions at the hands of students who have been removed from the street environment. the food is amazing and the atmosphere is a true delight. we decided to frequent the establishment for joronda's second birthday, and volunteer indirectly by spending money for a worthy cause (all proceeds go directly to the students) . it certainly wasn't the hands dirtying volunteering that we had set out to accomplish on this trip...but i guess givers can't be choosers, so we are greatful nonetheless.
other diamonds in the rough would have to be the variety of children that we have met. there is definitely something special about the true innocence and purity that a child possess and unconditionally emits. now certainly we have encountered those with a hidden agenda, but even in that, when steered in a different direction, they have been generally honest, sweet, and loveable individuals. for example, today we rented a motorbike ($3) and joined the other salmon swimming upstream to tour phenom penh. side note...cambodian traffic is HORRIBLE to put it mildly. lane lines are as insignificant as racing stripes...it doesn't matter where you're at or which way you're going, you can rest assured that you are in the correct lane and that everyone else is wrong. anyway, when we stopped at several sights we were approached by numerous children trying to do and receive for a multitude of things. from watching our motorbike, to taking their picture, to trading ink pens...all for $1. this one little guy was so hell bent on watching our motorbike that he would barely let me put the lock on the bike without jumping in my lap to do it for me. i let him try...and then i kept pressing my face into his cheek while asking him why he was having trouble. we all smiled and laughed as he finally backed up and let me do it. he then told everybody, in khemer, that i'd had my nose in his cheek as he laughed and pointed while relaying the experience. we met another little boy who kept asking for a dollar...immediately i started tugging on his dirty camoflauge shirt and begged him to give me his shirt. he laughed and tried to walk away as i kept hounding him about his shirt. he gave me every excuse as to why he couldn't give me his shirt unless i traded him for my watch or my motorbike...we parted amicably. later on, joronda and i saw the same boy when we were leaving the sight and he came right up to us to continue the bartering. i asked him what his name was and he said something that sounded like "boogady". he kept saying, "that's me, that's me, like on t.v.", with a huge smile on his face. after about three minutes of misunderstanding, joronda asked him to say his name again...and clear as day, he let us know who his favorite wwe television wrestler was by giving us his adopted moniker of "booker t". he then pounced on one of the other boys standing around as we drove off, all of us laughing...after all, they're just kids.
so in this country of abrasion, these are some of the gems...thank you all again for your continued support...you are our gems
salaam
mateo
07 November 2005
cambodia...a bittersweet love affair
salaam
bang, bang, bang...what the hell?!!?? joronda and i look at each other perplexed as our guesthouse door is being rustled at 0630. bang, bang...i snatch open the door to find "lucky", one of the guesthouse workers, standing in front of me with a big smile and saying, "you go phnom penh?". i say, "yes, at seven thirty", he nods, smiles, and walks away. i close the door thinking to myself how nice it was of them to wake us up.
"hold on!!", i hear joronda yell outside of the shower i was currently drying off from. bang, bang, jiggle, bang, bang..."hold on!!!" she yells again with anxiety in her voice because someone is just trying to walk into the room. i quickly pull on my "these damn things will never get clean" pair of underwear and spring to the door. joronda slides into the bathroom behind me to protect her modesty as i open the door..."bus, bus" another guesthouse worker rapidly utters and gesticulates as if to imply that we were late. with my head poking behind the door i inform him that it is 6:45 am, and that it was he who told us the night before that the bus didn't leave until 7:30. "no, bus, bus!!" he exclaims once more, pointing to the window that overlooks the driveway. i step into the hallway frustrated and let him know again that he told us 7:30 and that we would be down as early as 7 o'clock to checkout and so forth. with that, he leaves and joronda and i shake our heads in disgust and quickly finalize our belongings.
bang, bang "bus, bus!!"...we hear clamoring from our door for yet a third time this morning. "what the f---!!!", i yell and visibly agitated jerk open the door and step directly to the third guesthouse worker to bother us this morning. he barely comes up past my waist, and considering that i was still in my draws in was just an unfortunate situation for everyone. he eeks out a third, "bus" and with patience lost, i let him know that this treatment is not appreciated. the time is 6:52 am...welcome to cambodia.
cambodia has been a land of mixed emotions for both joronda and myself. amidst the joy of exploring the ruins of the ancient angkor temples (good call uncle dave)...we've spent an equal amount of time brooding, thinking, and vocalizing our frustrations with the country as a whole. the conditions are heartbreaking...poverty is rampant, everything is filthy as hell, there seems to be no love, and people just accept it. we've only been here for 5 days and so far 95% of the people we've met have been shady tricksters, con artists, and thieves. they feen for money like a junkie for a fix, and when you don't just give in, they berate you with more and more scams to get a dollar.
when you don't give the dirty woman holding the dirtier baby a buck to fill her already full bottle with more milk, she curses you. when you reach out to the young desheveled boy, who has been tugging at your shirt and arm for the past 5 minutes begging for a dollar to get some food...and when you offer him a fresh meal from your own plate, he looks at it with disgust, turns up his nose and says "i don't like that", and then continues to beg you for a dollar for some food. when you ask a merchant if they know where you can buy some cambodian tea and they ask you to wait here...then they come back from a convenience store and try to sell you a $0.50 bag of tea for $15...and when you politely refuse they too curse you and tell you they wouldn't have gotten it if you didn't want to buy. i mean the shit is just ridiculous, frustrating as hell, and infuriating...what are you supposed to do? we came on this trip with the sole intention of volunteering...to help those in need. and these folks are definitely in need...but hell, we don't have a dollar to give everyone in cambodia, and even if we did...what good would it do? it sure wouldn't be enough to counteract the mental subjugation that has one believing that a dollar is their saving grace. in my opinion, money is a created reality, a figment, a farce, nothing but little colorful rectangular cloth-filled smoke and mirrors. money only has the value that we allow it to have. now trust me, i understand the need to pay bills...and i know that it takes more than a pretty smile and winning personality to keep a roof over ones head and to feed a family. but damn...there has to be some balance. i mean, i'll buy your baby some milk, give you some food, and frequent your shops...but instead, all you bastards want is a dollar and every opportunity to con me out of mine.
to you the reader...
thank you for sifting through my lamentations, and frustrations, and please note that the 'you', of course, is not directed at you who maybe reading this but instead is written frustration at the proverbially societal 'you' that indoctrinates counter-spiritual teachings and thought. these are just my opinions.
the intro stories significance is this...
we arrived in cambodia with high hopes and excitement about experiencing the breadth of a new countries humanity. instead we've experienced bi-polar bitterness and emotional unrest that has left us standing in a hallway in our draws screaming...with no one understanding a word we're saying.
salaam
mateo
bang, bang, bang...what the hell?!!?? joronda and i look at each other perplexed as our guesthouse door is being rustled at 0630. bang, bang...i snatch open the door to find "lucky", one of the guesthouse workers, standing in front of me with a big smile and saying, "you go phnom penh?". i say, "yes, at seven thirty", he nods, smiles, and walks away. i close the door thinking to myself how nice it was of them to wake us up.
"hold on!!", i hear joronda yell outside of the shower i was currently drying off from. bang, bang, jiggle, bang, bang..."hold on!!!" she yells again with anxiety in her voice because someone is just trying to walk into the room. i quickly pull on my "these damn things will never get clean" pair of underwear and spring to the door. joronda slides into the bathroom behind me to protect her modesty as i open the door..."bus, bus" another guesthouse worker rapidly utters and gesticulates as if to imply that we were late. with my head poking behind the door i inform him that it is 6:45 am, and that it was he who told us the night before that the bus didn't leave until 7:30. "no, bus, bus!!" he exclaims once more, pointing to the window that overlooks the driveway. i step into the hallway frustrated and let him know again that he told us 7:30 and that we would be down as early as 7 o'clock to checkout and so forth. with that, he leaves and joronda and i shake our heads in disgust and quickly finalize our belongings.
bang, bang "bus, bus!!"...we hear clamoring from our door for yet a third time this morning. "what the f---!!!", i yell and visibly agitated jerk open the door and step directly to the third guesthouse worker to bother us this morning. he barely comes up past my waist, and considering that i was still in my draws in was just an unfortunate situation for everyone. he eeks out a third, "bus" and with patience lost, i let him know that this treatment is not appreciated. the time is 6:52 am...welcome to cambodia.
cambodia has been a land of mixed emotions for both joronda and myself. amidst the joy of exploring the ruins of the ancient angkor temples (good call uncle dave)...we've spent an equal amount of time brooding, thinking, and vocalizing our frustrations with the country as a whole. the conditions are heartbreaking...poverty is rampant, everything is filthy as hell, there seems to be no love, and people just accept it. we've only been here for 5 days and so far 95% of the people we've met have been shady tricksters, con artists, and thieves. they feen for money like a junkie for a fix, and when you don't just give in, they berate you with more and more scams to get a dollar.
when you don't give the dirty woman holding the dirtier baby a buck to fill her already full bottle with more milk, she curses you. when you reach out to the young desheveled boy, who has been tugging at your shirt and arm for the past 5 minutes begging for a dollar to get some food...and when you offer him a fresh meal from your own plate, he looks at it with disgust, turns up his nose and says "i don't like that", and then continues to beg you for a dollar for some food. when you ask a merchant if they know where you can buy some cambodian tea and they ask you to wait here...then they come back from a convenience store and try to sell you a $0.50 bag of tea for $15...and when you politely refuse they too curse you and tell you they wouldn't have gotten it if you didn't want to buy. i mean the shit is just ridiculous, frustrating as hell, and infuriating...what are you supposed to do? we came on this trip with the sole intention of volunteering...to help those in need. and these folks are definitely in need...but hell, we don't have a dollar to give everyone in cambodia, and even if we did...what good would it do? it sure wouldn't be enough to counteract the mental subjugation that has one believing that a dollar is their saving grace. in my opinion, money is a created reality, a figment, a farce, nothing but little colorful rectangular cloth-filled smoke and mirrors. money only has the value that we allow it to have. now trust me, i understand the need to pay bills...and i know that it takes more than a pretty smile and winning personality to keep a roof over ones head and to feed a family. but damn...there has to be some balance. i mean, i'll buy your baby some milk, give you some food, and frequent your shops...but instead, all you bastards want is a dollar and every opportunity to con me out of mine.
to you the reader...
thank you for sifting through my lamentations, and frustrations, and please note that the 'you', of course, is not directed at you who maybe reading this but instead is written frustration at the proverbially societal 'you' that indoctrinates counter-spiritual teachings and thought. these are just my opinions.
the intro stories significance is this...
we arrived in cambodia with high hopes and excitement about experiencing the breadth of a new countries humanity. instead we've experienced bi-polar bitterness and emotional unrest that has left us standing in a hallway in our draws screaming...with no one understanding a word we're saying.
salaam
mateo
06 November 2005
recap...bangkok to krabi to phi phi
salaam
because it has been a while since i've lent my comments to this blog i thought i'd share with you an excerpt from my personal journal. please allow me to forewarn the reader that the content of this entry is uncensored. this is all me, raw and uncut, and in no way reflects the opinions of my wife, family, or religion. viewer discretion is advised.....but it's really not that bad.
th 06 oct 05 05:59:50
...just finding a bus departing the same day that wasn't full was a chore. we walked with our 50 pounds of bullshit on our backs for several miles in the rain trying to find the best deal...so after all that, we came up with nothing but poor demeanors and marital frustration. booooo! while in our quandry we were eventually approached by this man whom we had encountered earlier who was happy to offer us an answer in exchange for a 20 baht ride from his tuk tuk driving friend. after some continued talking (me trying to explain that the t.a.t was too expensive and we were ok walking) the tuk tuk driver offered us a free ride to the t.a.t so that she could get a free gas coupon. much to joronda's anger and disappointment, i agreed. so the scowl-faced skeptic and i boarded the tuk tuk bound for yet another t.a.t (tourism authority thailand...or something like that...but it should stand for theiving another tourist). when we arrived at the t.a.t i figured i should do all the talking and so i left joronda outside with the tuk tuk and i went in to work. after some negotiating i was able to get us on a bus to krabi leaving that evening at 1900 for 550 baht each. that still doesn't include the boat ride from krabi to phi phi but at least it was a start.....
so currently i sit in a small "truck stop"/travel agency in surat thani awaiting our transfer bus to take us to krabi at 0700. anyway, getting back to the first leg of the bus trip...
once we finally boarded the bus to krabi i was very happy. happy to finally be enroute and that much closer to phi phi, and for not having to stay a third night in bangkok. it's not that bangkok was bad, bangkok was great! i was just trying to get to phi phi asap...i mean hell, that's why we came out here. so bottom line...i'm glad to be on the bus. the bus is packed with an eclectic mix of travellers...israel, hungary, ireland, new zealand, and indonesia are just some of the countries aboard.
so while on this bus i learned two quick lessons...hungarians are assholes, and americans piss and moan about everything! of course i am NOT talking about all hungarians and americans, just the 6 occupying the 3 seats around us. lets start with the americans...just before the bus was about to depart, and 15 minutes late i might add, buffy and biff saunter onto the bus being extra careful not to touch anything (damn near including their seats) lest the third world cooties latch onto their pampered asses.....speaking of pampered asses, i must interrupt this harangue to tell you about the best 3 baht ever spent. just used the toilet here and what glorious item did i find awaiting me?...none other than the rough, sandpapery goodness of 1 ply elementary school toilet paper!!! ahhh, the soothing scratch of 1 ply after a long contained bowel movement is just what i needed to get the pep in my step again in this land of water and bare hand wiping. but i digress...
so buffy (with biff nodding in approval like a cheap bobblehead doll) proceeds to complain that they must be on the wrong bus because it looks nothing like the picture...since when does anything in marketing ever look like the picture? when was the last time mcdonalds served the juicy burger with fresh tomato and crisp lettuce like they advertise? we all know it's only the best in wilted, microwaved cuisine from them. so unfortunately buffy had to settle for bangkok's v.i.p bus service, which i thought was great. i mean we were on a double decker, air-conditioned bus with reclinable seating, blankets, a t.v., and the best part...big windows for an unabashed view of thailands thoroughfare. so for 10 hours she pissed and moaned, moaned about pissing, slept, then pissed and moaned again. ahhh, i love americans, but hungarians...shhiiiittt...well at least the couple seated in front of us...but they were so rude that i hope they didn't f--k it up for the entire country. let me explain...
from the time we boarded the bus it started off bad. at 1845, joronda and i are shown our seats behind the aforementioned couple. now mind you, it's only 6:45 in the evening and at this point they had their seats in 3/4 recline, which is exactly the distance between my right hand and left hand...that is if my fingers were interlocked and my hands were duct taped together and then put in a vice to squeeze out all remaining air!! well you get the idea...so naturally this presents a question of etiquette (to reference 'Fight Club') when passing, do i brush the top of your head with my ass or crotch? hmmmmmmmmm...so an ass and a crotch later we take our seats...no big deal.
20 minutes later i'm standing in the isle rearranging my belongings when suddenly i'm stiff-armed in the back by 'olga' rushing down the line like she's walter payton!! where, where could she possibly be going? well i'll tell you...no where. do you hear me? NO DAMN WHERE!!! and how do i know this? because when she got 4 steps away from me, she turned back around and pushed and shoved her way back to her seat...strike two. still no big deal, i mean we're in thailand for goodness sakes, and we're blessed to be here.
6 hours later...joronda and i return to the bus from the 1 hour break we were given, only to find these bastards in FULL RECLINE. what the hell is this?!?!!? strike three!! now after "crotch on facing it" back to our seats joronda flips on the overhead reading light to write in her journal. this subsequenly awakens the photo-sensitive 'olga' who snarls at the 1 watt bulb which can barely light itself, let alone the entire bus. so why was 'olga' disturbed by this insignificant reading light...because it was shining directly in her eyes. and why was it shining in her eyes...because her head was so far back that her face was cesarianed in joronda's lap so any journal writing would have had to be done on her forehead. so 'olga' jumps up cursing to 'mr. olga', who yells to their friends, who holler back to 'olga', who looks at us with disgust, throws a temper tantrum, and eventually...shuts her damn mouth, puts on an eye mask, and goes back to sleep. and that little light continued to stay on...you know why...because we're blessed to be in thailand for goodness sakes, and it's not that serious.
hope you enjoyed the story. please note: all "serious" curse words were censored...i mean come on guys, my mom's going to read this...and i love my mom :)
salaam
mateo
because it has been a while since i've lent my comments to this blog i thought i'd share with you an excerpt from my personal journal. please allow me to forewarn the reader that the content of this entry is uncensored. this is all me, raw and uncut, and in no way reflects the opinions of my wife, family, or religion. viewer discretion is advised.....but it's really not that bad.
th 06 oct 05 05:59:50
...just finding a bus departing the same day that wasn't full was a chore. we walked with our 50 pounds of bullshit on our backs for several miles in the rain trying to find the best deal...so after all that, we came up with nothing but poor demeanors and marital frustration. booooo! while in our quandry we were eventually approached by this man whom we had encountered earlier who was happy to offer us an answer in exchange for a 20 baht ride from his tuk tuk driving friend. after some continued talking (me trying to explain that the t.a.t was too expensive and we were ok walking) the tuk tuk driver offered us a free ride to the t.a.t so that she could get a free gas coupon. much to joronda's anger and disappointment, i agreed. so the scowl-faced skeptic and i boarded the tuk tuk bound for yet another t.a.t (tourism authority thailand...or something like that...but it should stand for theiving another tourist). when we arrived at the t.a.t i figured i should do all the talking and so i left joronda outside with the tuk tuk and i went in to work. after some negotiating i was able to get us on a bus to krabi leaving that evening at 1900 for 550 baht each. that still doesn't include the boat ride from krabi to phi phi but at least it was a start.....
so currently i sit in a small "truck stop"/travel agency in surat thani awaiting our transfer bus to take us to krabi at 0700. anyway, getting back to the first leg of the bus trip...
once we finally boarded the bus to krabi i was very happy. happy to finally be enroute and that much closer to phi phi, and for not having to stay a third night in bangkok. it's not that bangkok was bad, bangkok was great! i was just trying to get to phi phi asap...i mean hell, that's why we came out here. so bottom line...i'm glad to be on the bus. the bus is packed with an eclectic mix of travellers...israel, hungary, ireland, new zealand, and indonesia are just some of the countries aboard.
so while on this bus i learned two quick lessons...hungarians are assholes, and americans piss and moan about everything! of course i am NOT talking about all hungarians and americans, just the 6 occupying the 3 seats around us. lets start with the americans...just before the bus was about to depart, and 15 minutes late i might add, buffy and biff saunter onto the bus being extra careful not to touch anything (damn near including their seats) lest the third world cooties latch onto their pampered asses.....speaking of pampered asses, i must interrupt this harangue to tell you about the best 3 baht ever spent. just used the toilet here and what glorious item did i find awaiting me?...none other than the rough, sandpapery goodness of 1 ply elementary school toilet paper!!! ahhh, the soothing scratch of 1 ply after a long contained bowel movement is just what i needed to get the pep in my step again in this land of water and bare hand wiping. but i digress...
so buffy (with biff nodding in approval like a cheap bobblehead doll) proceeds to complain that they must be on the wrong bus because it looks nothing like the picture...since when does anything in marketing ever look like the picture? when was the last time mcdonalds served the juicy burger with fresh tomato and crisp lettuce like they advertise? we all know it's only the best in wilted, microwaved cuisine from them. so unfortunately buffy had to settle for bangkok's v.i.p bus service, which i thought was great. i mean we were on a double decker, air-conditioned bus with reclinable seating, blankets, a t.v., and the best part...big windows for an unabashed view of thailands thoroughfare. so for 10 hours she pissed and moaned, moaned about pissing, slept, then pissed and moaned again. ahhh, i love americans, but hungarians...shhiiiittt...well at least the couple seated in front of us...but they were so rude that i hope they didn't f--k it up for the entire country. let me explain...
from the time we boarded the bus it started off bad. at 1845, joronda and i are shown our seats behind the aforementioned couple. now mind you, it's only 6:45 in the evening and at this point they had their seats in 3/4 recline, which is exactly the distance between my right hand and left hand...that is if my fingers were interlocked and my hands were duct taped together and then put in a vice to squeeze out all remaining air!! well you get the idea...so naturally this presents a question of etiquette (to reference 'Fight Club') when passing, do i brush the top of your head with my ass or crotch? hmmmmmmmmm...so an ass and a crotch later we take our seats...no big deal.
20 minutes later i'm standing in the isle rearranging my belongings when suddenly i'm stiff-armed in the back by 'olga' rushing down the line like she's walter payton!! where, where could she possibly be going? well i'll tell you...no where. do you hear me? NO DAMN WHERE!!! and how do i know this? because when she got 4 steps away from me, she turned back around and pushed and shoved her way back to her seat...strike two. still no big deal, i mean we're in thailand for goodness sakes, and we're blessed to be here.
6 hours later...joronda and i return to the bus from the 1 hour break we were given, only to find these bastards in FULL RECLINE. what the hell is this?!?!!? strike three!! now after "crotch on facing it" back to our seats joronda flips on the overhead reading light to write in her journal. this subsequenly awakens the photo-sensitive 'olga' who snarls at the 1 watt bulb which can barely light itself, let alone the entire bus. so why was 'olga' disturbed by this insignificant reading light...because it was shining directly in her eyes. and why was it shining in her eyes...because her head was so far back that her face was cesarianed in joronda's lap so any journal writing would have had to be done on her forehead. so 'olga' jumps up cursing to 'mr. olga', who yells to their friends, who holler back to 'olga', who looks at us with disgust, throws a temper tantrum, and eventually...shuts her damn mouth, puts on an eye mask, and goes back to sleep. and that little light continued to stay on...you know why...because we're blessed to be in thailand for goodness sakes, and it's not that serious.
hope you enjoyed the story. please note: all "serious" curse words were censored...i mean come on guys, my mom's going to read this...and i love my mom :)
salaam
mateo
pictures are coming...
salaam
i am sure that many of you are eager and waiting see pictures of our journey thus far. we do apologize sincerely for not having posted any as of yet. we have tried on numerous occasions and have been unsuccessful. i never bought a cf card reader before departing (which i've heard is lightning fast) and so i am still trying to upload pictures directly from the camera, which has proven to be a painstakingly slow process. i'm sorry...please be patient. since i have yet to find a card reader we may have figured out another way, which would involve burning them to a cd and then proceeding from there. if any of you picture uploading, computer geniuses out there have any suggestions please don't hesitate to share them in the comments section. we certainly could use them. thank you again for you continued patience, and my apologies once more.
salaam
mateo
i am sure that many of you are eager and waiting see pictures of our journey thus far. we do apologize sincerely for not having posted any as of yet. we have tried on numerous occasions and have been unsuccessful. i never bought a cf card reader before departing (which i've heard is lightning fast) and so i am still trying to upload pictures directly from the camera, which has proven to be a painstakingly slow process. i'm sorry...please be patient. since i have yet to find a card reader we may have figured out another way, which would involve burning them to a cd and then proceeding from there. if any of you picture uploading, computer geniuses out there have any suggestions please don't hesitate to share them in the comments section. we certainly could use them. thank you again for you continued patience, and my apologies once more.
salaam
mateo
05 November 2005
Transportation
Well let's just say we've become quite savy in the transportation area. In case you don't know we're no longer in Thailand. After boats, buses, tuk tuks, trains, motor bikes and the wonderful pedal bike I think we have this thing down.
We spent 19 hours in 3rd class on a train to Chiang Mai (Don't do this if your butt cheeks are not well padded or you bring your own...padding that is) Additionally our feet resembled plump potatoes ready to be slathered with butter. My toes were so powdered they looked like I walked to Chiang Mai...through flour patches.
We decided to do it on our own and rented a motorbike when we got there. This was great after I stopped knocking my helmet against the back of Mateo's head. He got the hang of it after the first day and we were weaving in and out of traffic like the locals. I have to be honest though, I let the helmet go after day one. In big blue letters it said BEER on the back and I figured it must be some tourist joke. I already looked like something weird with a headwrap stuck under this small helmet leaving cushion lines on my forehead. My head was ringing and the rain was whistling off the top of my head as we wizzed down the road getting passed up by the more experienced Thai motorbike drivers like 11 year old girls and 70 year old women.
We left Chiang Mai with the anticipation of what Cambodia was to bring but delighted by the experience we had there. 12 hours on a bus and we found ourselves back on Khao San Rd. When we came through there 4 days prior Mateo was wearing one flip flop and one tennis shoe and the predatory sales reps were so amused that one of them remembered and spotted Mateo's matching shoes this time and wondered why he was matching. At 6 am it's just not fun to try and communicate in a language you really can't speak but we laughed it off and headed into the Israli Connection for some rest and tooth brushing.
We enjoyed 3rd class so much that we decided to hit the same style to Cambodia. No problem because this was only a 6 hour trip. Although we were the only non Thai faces on the train we felt right at home. We had been there before. It would have been even better if we were able to purchase something from one of the local vendors but I'm sure we'll get the opportunity some other time.
Of course we were greeted by a willing tuk tuk driver in Aranya Prathet. He held up 7 and we thought we were getting a deal of a ride to the border but when Mateo asked for change for his 20 baht the driver said no 60 baht. It's interesting that he could say sixtey and not seventy until he was about to get 7 baht. Mateo wouldn't budge and some man off the street gave the driver 40 more baht. The point was, this guy tried to get over on us after we asked 3 times how much the ride would cost and repeated 7 baht each time he put up his fingers.
We actually had to walk across the border to Poi Pet, Cambodia. I can tell you this is one of the most disturbing experiences we've had thus far. There's tons of kids begging on the streets and they are very aggressive. Just as we were standing there a kid stole something and ran into the river behind some bushes. A couple of kids surrounded us and I had to say "get going". This was a really hard experience for me. I really don't like to ignore or be mean to kids and at the same time I had to protect our stuff. One young boy was trying to get close to Mateo's backpack while a little girl was walking beside me trying to grab my hand. Most of these kids don't have families and they are truly by themselves. They travel in packs and they are demanding and intimidating if you allow them to be. We walked across the border with a "travel agent" who played right in to our uncertainty. I was really done when two naked babies who couldn't even talk came running up to us trying to beg. They couldn't have been more than 15 or 16 months but very tiny.
A day later we found ourselves bumping down a road from Poi Pet to Siem Reap. This trip is almost indescribable. The bus sounded like a wooden roller coaster and the road was so bumpy that most of us were laughing when we first started out. The novelty wore off after about an hour and then people just got pissed. I thought the best part was when we stopped for a toilet break and the bus driver just pulled over on the side of the road. 8 hours later we reached Siem Reap with some very upset people. Mateo and I made the best of it and stayed at the guesthouse that none of us initially knew they were bringing us to. I actually thought the trip was kind of cool minus my headache and sore neck.
For the last two days we've been exploring temples. If you have a chance look up Angkor Wat. It's amazing and that's where we are. We're on bicycles daily travelling a couple of miles to visit some amazing ruins. We went to Ta Prohm today and that's where Tomb Raider was filmed. It's like some stuff out of an Indiana Jones movie. Ok this post is really long so we'll update you later. In 2 days we head south to Phnom Penh the capitol of Cambodia.
Joronda
We spent 19 hours in 3rd class on a train to Chiang Mai (Don't do this if your butt cheeks are not well padded or you bring your own...padding that is) Additionally our feet resembled plump potatoes ready to be slathered with butter. My toes were so powdered they looked like I walked to Chiang Mai...through flour patches.
We decided to do it on our own and rented a motorbike when we got there. This was great after I stopped knocking my helmet against the back of Mateo's head. He got the hang of it after the first day and we were weaving in and out of traffic like the locals. I have to be honest though, I let the helmet go after day one. In big blue letters it said BEER on the back and I figured it must be some tourist joke. I already looked like something weird with a headwrap stuck under this small helmet leaving cushion lines on my forehead. My head was ringing and the rain was whistling off the top of my head as we wizzed down the road getting passed up by the more experienced Thai motorbike drivers like 11 year old girls and 70 year old women.
We left Chiang Mai with the anticipation of what Cambodia was to bring but delighted by the experience we had there. 12 hours on a bus and we found ourselves back on Khao San Rd. When we came through there 4 days prior Mateo was wearing one flip flop and one tennis shoe and the predatory sales reps were so amused that one of them remembered and spotted Mateo's matching shoes this time and wondered why he was matching. At 6 am it's just not fun to try and communicate in a language you really can't speak but we laughed it off and headed into the Israli Connection for some rest and tooth brushing.
We enjoyed 3rd class so much that we decided to hit the same style to Cambodia. No problem because this was only a 6 hour trip. Although we were the only non Thai faces on the train we felt right at home. We had been there before. It would have been even better if we were able to purchase something from one of the local vendors but I'm sure we'll get the opportunity some other time.
Of course we were greeted by a willing tuk tuk driver in Aranya Prathet. He held up 7 and we thought we were getting a deal of a ride to the border but when Mateo asked for change for his 20 baht the driver said no 60 baht. It's interesting that he could say sixtey and not seventy until he was about to get 7 baht. Mateo wouldn't budge and some man off the street gave the driver 40 more baht. The point was, this guy tried to get over on us after we asked 3 times how much the ride would cost and repeated 7 baht each time he put up his fingers.
We actually had to walk across the border to Poi Pet, Cambodia. I can tell you this is one of the most disturbing experiences we've had thus far. There's tons of kids begging on the streets and they are very aggressive. Just as we were standing there a kid stole something and ran into the river behind some bushes. A couple of kids surrounded us and I had to say "get going". This was a really hard experience for me. I really don't like to ignore or be mean to kids and at the same time I had to protect our stuff. One young boy was trying to get close to Mateo's backpack while a little girl was walking beside me trying to grab my hand. Most of these kids don't have families and they are truly by themselves. They travel in packs and they are demanding and intimidating if you allow them to be. We walked across the border with a "travel agent" who played right in to our uncertainty. I was really done when two naked babies who couldn't even talk came running up to us trying to beg. They couldn't have been more than 15 or 16 months but very tiny.
A day later we found ourselves bumping down a road from Poi Pet to Siem Reap. This trip is almost indescribable. The bus sounded like a wooden roller coaster and the road was so bumpy that most of us were laughing when we first started out. The novelty wore off after about an hour and then people just got pissed. I thought the best part was when we stopped for a toilet break and the bus driver just pulled over on the side of the road. 8 hours later we reached Siem Reap with some very upset people. Mateo and I made the best of it and stayed at the guesthouse that none of us initially knew they were bringing us to. I actually thought the trip was kind of cool minus my headache and sore neck.
For the last two days we've been exploring temples. If you have a chance look up Angkor Wat. It's amazing and that's where we are. We're on bicycles daily travelling a couple of miles to visit some amazing ruins. We went to Ta Prohm today and that's where Tomb Raider was filmed. It's like some stuff out of an Indiana Jones movie. Ok this post is really long so we'll update you later. In 2 days we head south to Phnom Penh the capitol of Cambodia.
Joronda
Visit Koh Phi Phi
So after our last escapade I figured I should post a plug for Thailand. If you've never been out of the country or you have and would like to find more places to visit I must suggest to you Koh Phi Phi Thailand. It's an island atmosphere so things are really laid back. I don't know why more U.S. residents don't travel abroad and especially why not to Thailand. It really isn't that far and if you just want to be a tourist it's easy to navigate and it's cheap to live. Koh Phi Phi was hit pretty hard by the Tsunami and the people are working really hard to build it back up. A lot of work has alfeady been done and P.P. is definitely up and operating. You should visit if you are planning a cool vacation.
Here are the things I liked about the island; Ordering fruit shakes in tropcial flavors from small stands with Thai pancakes cut in squares that you eat with a skewer stick, Stepping out on the veranda every morning and seeing the Andaman sea calm and nestled between two mountains that create a bay, Hiking up to the viewpoint and watching the sunset behind the other islands, Laying in a hammock at the top viewpoint overlooking the bay and far off islands while dangling over lush jungle landscape, Sweating hard while throwing sandbags in the rain to new friends who came to the island to do the same.
In terms of the work it's mostly done by hand. This is why I had a blood blister the first day we tried to work. When it came to our last couple of days on the island I was right on the dock with the rest of the Thai workers picking up our goods for the garden. The feeling was weird since the dock meant something totally different to me when we arrived 2 and a half weeks prior. After hauling 200 bags of of soil on a trolley (a wide, steel hand truck) with my English partner Sean Pual, I felt like I was really in the thick of it. Meanwhile, Mateo was the resident cement man and didn't have an opportunity to partake in this project. It's funny how we're on the same trip but will have lots of different stories to tell. I'm sure his account of the tablighi jammat (the Muslim brothers) will be much different from mine, as well as some of his stories from the garden, ask him about the dragon when we get back. While he was working cement I seemed to typically be on the trolley. We used broken coral to build a retention wall and when the tide was really low and far out we would take the trolley out and load it down with the coral. We had to lift these really heavy pieces from the wet sand and dump them onto the trolley and then push it back up to the retention wall. This was about a 200 meter round trip with 4 people pushing and pulling. When we could this is how we spent our afternoon. Until the full moon stopped all that. You get really familiar with the tide when your job depends on it.
Joronda
Here are the things I liked about the island; Ordering fruit shakes in tropcial flavors from small stands with Thai pancakes cut in squares that you eat with a skewer stick, Stepping out on the veranda every morning and seeing the Andaman sea calm and nestled between two mountains that create a bay, Hiking up to the viewpoint and watching the sunset behind the other islands, Laying in a hammock at the top viewpoint overlooking the bay and far off islands while dangling over lush jungle landscape, Sweating hard while throwing sandbags in the rain to new friends who came to the island to do the same.
In terms of the work it's mostly done by hand. This is why I had a blood blister the first day we tried to work. When it came to our last couple of days on the island I was right on the dock with the rest of the Thai workers picking up our goods for the garden. The feeling was weird since the dock meant something totally different to me when we arrived 2 and a half weeks prior. After hauling 200 bags of of soil on a trolley (a wide, steel hand truck) with my English partner Sean Pual, I felt like I was really in the thick of it. Meanwhile, Mateo was the resident cement man and didn't have an opportunity to partake in this project. It's funny how we're on the same trip but will have lots of different stories to tell. I'm sure his account of the tablighi jammat (the Muslim brothers) will be much different from mine, as well as some of his stories from the garden, ask him about the dragon when we get back. While he was working cement I seemed to typically be on the trolley. We used broken coral to build a retention wall and when the tide was really low and far out we would take the trolley out and load it down with the coral. We had to lift these really heavy pieces from the wet sand and dump them onto the trolley and then push it back up to the retention wall. This was about a 200 meter round trip with 4 people pushing and pulling. When we could this is how we spent our afternoon. Until the full moon stopped all that. You get really familiar with the tide when your job depends on it.
Joronda
01 November 2005
What a close call
So we left Phi Phi 4 days ago with sad faces but many new friends. It's amazing how helpful and giving people are when you just stop to talk for even a brief moment. Equipped with our Lonely Planet guide to Souteast Asia (compliments of our new English friend Margie) we decided to head north to Chiang Mai, Thailand. This was not in our original plan but everyone spoke so highly of it we figured we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Our transportation route went something like this. From Phi Phi we boarded a ferry that dropped us off an hour and a half later in Krabi. Here we were to take an overnight bus twelve hours to Bangkok.
In Krabi we were waiting on the curb for the FREE bus to take us back to the bus depot when we spotted three Muslim brothers on a motor bike. We made eye contact as they puttered by and about 60 seconds later they had circled back and pulled up right in front of us. From our brief conversation we gathered only one of them spoke English and he was doing very well with the language. They were only in Krabi for 10 days and they live in a small town close to the Malaysian border. After about 5 minutes of aquaintence they were prepared to offer us food and a ride to the bus depot. We had to decline the food, no time, but the ride sounded good. I didn't think all 5 of us on the moped would be a good idea but no problem because they had a car. After 20 minutes two of the brothers returned and we all piled into a black pickup with a bubble campershell on the back. Please keep in mind our bus leaves at 4pm and it is 3:32, this isn't an issue though because we are really close to the bus depot. So now we're off in the truck headed the oppopsite direction of the bus depot. Why? Well, we don't know. I gave it a good 45 seconds before I said "This is a different way from what we know" and the brother's reply "Yes, this is the short cut, I think..." So I sat there observing the scenary and checking my watch. I spoke again "Does he know where he's going?" and the brother's reply "Yes (followed by something in Thai to the driver). You see, I'm sitting in the back and Mateo is sitting in the front at the driver's request. By this time I'm getting nervous and the brother next to me says "do you already have a ticket" well of course we do, and it's confirmed and our backpacks are at the depot. "May I see your ticket" says the brother. I didn't really like that idea since now I recognize that we are really far away from what could possibly even have been a short cut. Moments later the brother is on his cell phone with the bus company. Now from this point the conversation is a bit hazy. I can see that Mateo is starting to look a bit worried, by the tone of the brothers voice he's trying to handle some business on the phone and now I'm really freaking out. But I had to keep my cool because I was devising a plan and I didn't want to give it away by acting too nervous. I said to the brother "This really feels like the wrong way" so he asks the driver in Thai if he was going the right way and in very clear English he says "YES". Right around this time I spot the highway and I just knew he was going for it. I was on the edge of my seat as we rounded a corner to what appeared to me could be a back way to the bus depot and it was. However, it wasn't our bus depot. "That's not our's" "That's not our's". I have never felt my mouth and cheeks drop so low. We pleaded with the driver to drive fast back to the ferry dock where they picked us up. He wasn't listening to us and the brother next to me was back on the phone. He was speaking in Thai and I was translating him to say "They will not be leaving today." I just wanted to jump out but again I'm in the back, in the middle and Mateo is sitting calmly in the passenger seat in the front. I was wishing I had paper to pass him a note. It's 3:45, we're about 15 minutes from our true bus station, the driver is stopping on the side of the road. The brother on my right is quiet and the brother on my left is still having this conversation with the bus company, in Thai. This torture went on for another 2 minutes before the little truck started heading back towards the ferry dock. We did make our bus but I was exhausted when I leaped from the back of the truck and ran up the bus stairs with the English speaking brother repeating "I'll be waiting for your e-mail" as he waved from the streets seeing us off safely. I kind of felt bad that I let my horror film ridden mind get the best of me. Sori was his name and he apologized profusely. We should have been tipped off from the beginning when they said they weren't from there. These brothers were visiting Krabi just like us. We are certain to ask more questions when people offer to help us out.
Joronda
In Krabi we were waiting on the curb for the FREE bus to take us back to the bus depot when we spotted three Muslim brothers on a motor bike. We made eye contact as they puttered by and about 60 seconds later they had circled back and pulled up right in front of us. From our brief conversation we gathered only one of them spoke English and he was doing very well with the language. They were only in Krabi for 10 days and they live in a small town close to the Malaysian border. After about 5 minutes of aquaintence they were prepared to offer us food and a ride to the bus depot. We had to decline the food, no time, but the ride sounded good. I didn't think all 5 of us on the moped would be a good idea but no problem because they had a car. After 20 minutes two of the brothers returned and we all piled into a black pickup with a bubble campershell on the back. Please keep in mind our bus leaves at 4pm and it is 3:32, this isn't an issue though because we are really close to the bus depot. So now we're off in the truck headed the oppopsite direction of the bus depot. Why? Well, we don't know. I gave it a good 45 seconds before I said "This is a different way from what we know" and the brother's reply "Yes, this is the short cut, I think..." So I sat there observing the scenary and checking my watch. I spoke again "Does he know where he's going?" and the brother's reply "Yes (followed by something in Thai to the driver). You see, I'm sitting in the back and Mateo is sitting in the front at the driver's request. By this time I'm getting nervous and the brother next to me says "do you already have a ticket" well of course we do, and it's confirmed and our backpacks are at the depot. "May I see your ticket" says the brother. I didn't really like that idea since now I recognize that we are really far away from what could possibly even have been a short cut. Moments later the brother is on his cell phone with the bus company. Now from this point the conversation is a bit hazy. I can see that Mateo is starting to look a bit worried, by the tone of the brothers voice he's trying to handle some business on the phone and now I'm really freaking out. But I had to keep my cool because I was devising a plan and I didn't want to give it away by acting too nervous. I said to the brother "This really feels like the wrong way" so he asks the driver in Thai if he was going the right way and in very clear English he says "YES". Right around this time I spot the highway and I just knew he was going for it. I was on the edge of my seat as we rounded a corner to what appeared to me could be a back way to the bus depot and it was. However, it wasn't our bus depot. "That's not our's" "That's not our's". I have never felt my mouth and cheeks drop so low. We pleaded with the driver to drive fast back to the ferry dock where they picked us up. He wasn't listening to us and the brother next to me was back on the phone. He was speaking in Thai and I was translating him to say "They will not be leaving today." I just wanted to jump out but again I'm in the back, in the middle and Mateo is sitting calmly in the passenger seat in the front. I was wishing I had paper to pass him a note. It's 3:45, we're about 15 minutes from our true bus station, the driver is stopping on the side of the road. The brother on my right is quiet and the brother on my left is still having this conversation with the bus company, in Thai. This torture went on for another 2 minutes before the little truck started heading back towards the ferry dock. We did make our bus but I was exhausted when I leaped from the back of the truck and ran up the bus stairs with the English speaking brother repeating "I'll be waiting for your e-mail" as he waved from the streets seeing us off safely. I kind of felt bad that I let my horror film ridden mind get the best of me. Sori was his name and he apologized profusely. We should have been tipped off from the beginning when they said they weren't from there. These brothers were visiting Krabi just like us. We are certain to ask more questions when people offer to help us out.
Joronda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)