Safe in Phnom Penh

Hello all,

I am in Phnom Penh right now, the capital city of Cambodia, after two very difficult journeys. The trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap was ridiculous (see Amar's entry on the site) and the journey by boat from Siem reap to Battambong although beautiful, was uncomfortable to say the least. We have discovered that the time required to travel from place to place is double the time quoted by the official that you purchase your ticket from. Foreigners also must pay absurd amounts to make these journeys, just a fact of the Cambodian life. The people here are unbelievable beautiful and the children in particular have a way of stealing your heart. It is very difficult to see them in such living conditions and even more difficult to imagine what they have been through over the last century in terms of political discourse. Amar is reading a book right now on the civil war of Cambodia in which the Khmer Rouge killed millions of innocent Cambodian people. If anyone is interested there is a great movie called the Killing Fields that is a good history of what it was like to live during their regime.

Siem Reap was unbelievable and we spent 4 days there visiting the temple city of Angkor Wat. It was inspirational and spiritual. We were fortunate enough to catch both sunrise and sun set at the main temple called Angkor Wat its self and spend the rest of the days exploring the numerous ruins. My favorite temple (Ta Phrom) featured gigantic tree roots woven into the ruins of a 500 year old temple. I could have stayed there my whole life it was so beautiful. The last day of our 40 USD pass was spent with our good friend Alice checking out our favorite sites one last time, this time by bicycle instead of the standard rickshaw tour. It was a perfect way to end our time there. We finished out our time in Siem Reap drinking beer and watching football in good conversation with Alice about her life in Belgium. Everyone has such interesting stories to tell and I always enjoy to hear these stories.

After a quick stop over in Battambong we arrived in Phnom Penh aboard the easiest bus ride to date. The guest house we are staying in is in the heart of backpacker country and has a beautiful deck built on stilts out over the water. A perfect place to read, write, converse and reflect. Although, the room conditions are horrid, however we have made the best of it and don't mind it for a few days as it was so cheap (1 dollar a day). We are off to see the killing fields and torture areas that the Khmer Rouge used tomorrow. It will be difficult to see, but I think something that I need to experience while I am here. Anyways, once again, hope all is well and I will be in touch. Take care and thanks for taking time to read, I love sharing my adventures.

Peace,

Dave

Wat an amazing place!

ANGKOR!!
I think it's impossible to do justice to this place with a mere description. The sheer enormity is astounding - the cities and temples stretch out for miles - and the architecture is unbelievable. Then you take a closer look only to discover a myriad of intricate bas-reliefs and magnificent carvings and statues. Even if you aren't in to the museum thing, just exploring the complexes is wicked. And then some things just blow your socks off (or in our case, Tevas). Angkor Wat is a must see, the view from the top alone is worth the trip. The forest-engulfed temple of Ta Prohm (made famous in "Tomb Raider") and similar monuments (one of my favorites was Banteay Kdei) make for the best exploring. We spent hours moving through the huge places. The entire Angkor site is very well organized and spotless, but somehow it maintains the Indiana Jones feel. ie as long as you avoid the many tour groups you feel like youve just discovered an ancient lost city. Very cool. We took tuk-tuk (see: first post in this blog) tours the first two days to familiarize ourself with the place and cover all the major spots, even taking in sunrise at Angkor Wat on the second morning (stunning). After taking it easy (ie boozing in the surprisingle vibrant downtown Siem Reap) on the second night we went out for a final visit to our favorites and a gorgeous sunset from Angkor Wat on day three. Some people think its crazy to buy a three day pass, but we could've stayed there for a whole week, easy. (for anyone interested, my favorites were probably Bayon and Banteay Kdei)

Though sad to say goodbye to Siem Reap and Angkor it was time to move on so we bought a very pricey speedboat ticket along "the Kingdom's most scenice water route"...of course the boat was nothing more than a long metal tube with barely enough room for your knees, especially when crammed with travellers (similar to our bus ride from Pondicherry to Chennai). The boat took 8 hours to reach, we were told the trip should last 3. Following biking around Angkor on the bike-seats-of-death the day before, both Davey and I were having a tough time sitting down even once we were off the boat. Battambang seemed chilled out but we decided to high tail it southeast the next morning.

Dave and I currently find ourselves in Phom Penh, the capital (and largest city) of Cambodia. We settled in to ramshackle accomodations that boast a sweet deck that extends out into the small but picturesque Boen Kak lake for awesome views of the sunsets. This is backpacker land as I imagined it before leaving. Our guesthouse is one of almost a dozen that are pretty much identical (dingy wood-linoleum paneled hallways with dilapidated rooms on either side, leading out from the dirt track/sharp gravel street to the beautiful waterfront) and lined up side by side along the narrow death trap of a road. This part of town is kind of annexed from the rest, a refuge within the city for travellers and Cambodians alike to indulge in partying and chilling out. Thats the great part about it, the vibe is so different from Bangkok. Here travellers of all ages and nationalities mingle with the fun-loving locals. Everyone is out to relax and enjoy themselves. There is the smell of many an intoxicant in the air, accompanied by sweet tunes eminating from each deck. We're looking forward to a few days here before heading to yet another country.

keep the emails coming
lia suhn hao-y

That was Siem bus ride...

During the planning stages of this trip, I remember a friend of mine who had visited some of the same places last year telling me the journey from Bangkok to Siem Reap (site of the legendary Angkor temples) was one of the most memorable experiences of his voyage. I couldn't imagine how right he would be...

After hearing about a common bus scam run by travel agents in Bangkok - where travel on the notoriously poor roads from Poipet (the border of Cambodia and Thailand) to Siem Reap is purpousfully elongated in order to force travellers to take a room at a commisioned guest house upon arrival - Davey and I decided to play it safe and buy passage only to the border, then make it the rest of the way ourselves (which, according to Lonely Planet was no sweat). The ride from Bangkok was great, the very comfortable a/c bus covered the ~200km in just under 4 hours and we even procured visas in less than 90 minutes once there (funnily enough, we were charged $30US for a visa that clearly stated "20USD"...ah the power of bakseesh). As the group of travellers crossed into Cambodia to change buses and continue the journey, the two of us decided the service seemed reliable and the trip comfortable and fast, contrary to all prior indications. So we purchased the pricey onward tickets for USD10.

After a short wait at the bus stand, something resembling motorized transportation appeared and we were piled in, with just enough seats for everyone and our packs piled so high they obscured the driver's view out the windshield. The roads were attrocious, alternating between pavement that was so full of pot holes it rivaled the surface of the moon, and a dirt track. The bus' suspension system resembled that of a sherman-era tank, but the pleasant travellers on board made the journey enjoyable.

The bus suffered a minor breakdown as a wire came loose from the battery due to the heavy jarring. The driver must encounter that problem all the time, he fixed it without hassle and we were on our way shortly. A few hours (ie 30km down the road) later there was a huge crashing sound and the bus died again. As everyone climbed off the bus we spotted the problem; the gas tank had fallen off the underside and was being dragged along! It was 10:30pm, and by the time a replacement vehicle arrived two hours later everyone's good spirits were beginning to wane. Everyone was expecting a bus or minivan to come to the rescue, but it turned out to be a truck with and open back, which proceeded to break down itself as it pulled up beside the marooned group. After an hour of getting people and gear on and off the truck (the heavy monsoon rains that had been threatening us from the get go were finally unleashed) and fixing both vehicles to a degree suitable for travel we finally set off on the home stretch. We were all in the bus to avoid the downpour, with the gas tank tenuously tied on to the bottom of the bus with wire and the truck towing the bus. Our acute engineering senses told Dave and I that this might not be the safest thing to do, but the obvious danger paled in comparison to our need for a bed. I dozed off despite the violent banging and crashing, dreaming of Angkor in the morning...

I woke up when we came to a sudden (although not unexpected) halt about an hour later. The truck's gearbox had broken. We were trapped inside as there was a ridiculous storm outside, the deluge accompanied by vicious thunder, and lightning that was lighting up the entire horizon. Another rescue vehicle was beckoned by the poor driver and guide, but we soon received word that it had either been struck by lightning or run off the road or something. We contemplated walking into town, but that clearly was not going to work. We were settling in for a very uncomfotable night, when a vehicle appeared out of the heavy rain and thunder. Salvation!

Sure enough, the booming tourist town of Siem Reap's supply of non-meat-locker-on-wheels type transportation was fully booked at 4am on a Tuesday night in the low season, so we had no choice but to cram ourselves into a space 1/3 the size of the bus. The funny thing is, everyone was so cheerful, we were all smiling and laughing, sharing snacks and snapping pictures as we trudged the last hour to town packed in like sardines.

In conclusion, it was a hell of a trip, one that I will never forget. The aches and pains will heal themselves soon (perhaps with the aid of traditional Khmer massage) but the memory of the trip and the companionship the 18 of us felt for the 'brief' time we were together will last a lifetime. There was even some very impressive scenerey thrown in, to boot. We are already planning a reunion, but this time probably nowhere near National Highway 5.

Dave's Bangkok Impressions

Hello friends,

Amar and I arrived in Bangkok at 6 am Saturday morning after a retched 2 hours of bumpy sleep on the plane. We hoped on a bus and headed into the city to find ourselves on Khao San Rd., which is a highly overcrowded traveler area. I am convinced there are more backpackers found here in one square block then the rest of the world combined. When compared to the kind of conditions and people we had been visiting in South India, it was a real shock. I might call it, anti-culture shock. After getting off our bus we ran into another traveler, Katie from Ireland/England (she was hesitant to specify which country she called home) who was also in need of lodgings. We decided that splitting a room three ways with a friendly stranger was better then splitting it two ways alone. She was a great resource as she had traveled all over the world and a very interesting and intelligent woman to share stories with. It was strange to have her so quickly into personal space and then just as quickly out of it. I guess that is a lesson I am beginning to learn about this whole traveling thing. The relationships you form are quite random and for very short periods of time, but these conditions allow for a real openness amongst the participants which translates into great communication. After finding a place and getting settled in, it was time to explore the city.

The main street is crowded and filled with shops, both street vendors and commercial stores. Everything here is super cheep and I am definitely going to go a little spend crazy when I return to Bangkok on my way back to India. The food here is unbelievable. If you venture a little off the main road you can find the best Pad Thai known to man for as little as 50 cents. Top it off with a nice cold Tiger Beer for less then a dollar and you are in Thai heaven for the duration of your meal. Eating on the street is also a great experience and watching the people pass by on their own expeditions is more then pleasurable. I often wonder where all these people are going and what they are thinking (queue up "People Watching" by Jack Johnson for sound track to this writing). Speaking of Jack, he seems to be a local favorite and we have herd him in the streets at least 5 times since arriving here, another reason to love the place.

Saturday night we were fortunate enough to run into our good friends Sam, Brenndan and Matt (fellow Queen's Engineers). It was fantastic to see some framilliar faces and share stories about our travels. It was a great night out on the town with great conversation, football atmosphere and a few beers. They made our night and we wish them well on their journies. It was sad to spend such short a time in their company, but such is the way of a nomatic lifestyle. Thanks again boys for such a great time.

On the downside, the continual hounding from vendors and beggars in Bangkok is getting somewhat tiring. It is difficult to feel sympathy when one cannot walk properly through the streets due to their efforts. We have gotten to the point now where we are almost rude to them, unfortunately. There are some amazing sites to see as we have ventured into some beautiful Buddhist Temples and monuments. The spiritual atmosphere is overwhelming and we have been fortunate to catch religious chanting twice on our visits. Buddhism is an interesting religion and seeing it up close and person has sparked an interest to learn more about it. The decoration and details used to highlight spiritual figures and teachings is overwhelming and one can't help but be sucked into their beauty. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting out of tourist Bangkok and seeing the real thing.

Well, as my entry gets longer and longer, I think it is time I bring it to a close. Amar and I are heading to Cambodia tomorrow on what has been describe as a tedious journey. I am confident with our combined skills we will make it in one piece. I hope all is well with each and every one of you and enjoy the sun, talk to you soon.

much awaited pictures from Kerala

Hey all,
Dave and I currently find ourselves in Bangkok, Thailand staying in what has to be the world's densest backpacker hangout, Khao San Rd. More to come on that shortly.

Here is a small sample of the magnificent Keralan landscape we found on our houseboat.






The luxury of the houseboat was a welcome pampering ahead of the sketchy hostels/hotels to come...you can see the open air living room at the very front of the boat, thats where we did the majority of our chilling

The sunset was unreal, I promise its not just pictures of us superimposed onto postcards! The perfect way to finish a day in paradise, capped off with a fresh-caught crawfish dinner.

Let me know if you would like to see more, these pics are just the beginning

Last days in India

Here I am back in Chennai once more. As Davey mentioned (see previous post) Kerala was utterly spectacular, I've seen a lot of this amazing country and the backwaters easily ranks in the upper echelon. The tranquility and sheer beauty can hardly be put into words, so I hope to post some pictures a.s.a.p. Our luck (for the most-part) was unbelievable. Not only did we get perfect weather for our off-season backwater houseboat ride but we were the sole audience members at a performance of a Kathakali (the traditional Keralan dance/artform; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali) play in Cochin. The control and animation of the dancer and musicians was awesome, and the costume was spectacular. Despite my bout with the so-called "Delhi-belly" I had a great time in Kerala and can't wait to return/see more of "God's own country".

Before Kerala the four of us made a quick trip down to Pondicherry. The former French colony had a unique and sophisticated colonial vibe to it. It was my first visit despite its proximity to Chennai. We loved the delicious French cuisine, and met some great people who took us on a (at times harrowing) scooter ride to a party at the "alternative lifestyle community" set up in Auroville (www.auroville.org). It was our first taste of the traveller vibe, including a rather uncomfortable bus ride back to Chennai. I can't wait to immerse myself in that mentality once we hit Southeast Asia.

Saying bye to Rock and Benny wasn't fun, they will definately be missed as they made enriching travel companions, but capping off the trip with a meeting in paradise (aka beaches of Thailand) will be sweet. Unfortunately our departure to Thailand has been delayed, but Dave and I keenly await arriving in yet another new and exciting land. The schedule will be very hectic once we touch down since we have a lot of ground to cover, but we're intent on enjoying every moment of it and taking our time exploring four extraordinary countries.

This should be my last post from India for a while, we leave Friday the 16th and will make our way from Thailand through Cambodia, up Vietnam and across Laos before hitting the beaches in southern Thailand (that is the tentative route, anyting can change but we will keep you posted). Look out for updates from thrilling mainland SE Asia.

I'd love to hear from everyone, hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summers! Drop me a line here or email me at amar.kher@gmail.com

Dave Chimes in...

Hello All,

This is my first post online but as I have now determined what I will be doing for the rest of the trip I am ‘chiming’ in. Amar was nice enough to allow me to hop on board and post my thoughts about the trip so here they are:

The first big news is that the four has become two. I have decided to leave this beautiful country of India and follow Amar into the South East of Asia. It was quite sad to say good bye to both Derek and Benny yesterday in Kerala, but we are planning to reunite at the end of July on the beaches of Thai Land, the perfect location to exchange the experiences we have all had. Both Derek and Benny are quite the linguists and I advise that if you are looking for a heaping helping of description and emotion you check out both of their blogs at:

http://theindianodyssey.blogspot.com/

http://bthorek.blogspot.com/

I also have realized that there are several other friends that are traveling the world and experiencing some amazing adventures of their own, so if you would like to keep up with them you can visit:

Matt Rossiter: http://barrhaveninvasion.blogspot.com/

Shane Nagle and Tommy: http://tomandshane.blogspot.com/

Sarah Wilson: http://senoritawilson.blogspot.com/

Shaina Dinsdale: http://carpediemshainastyle.spaces.msn.com/PersonalSpace.aspx

Now onto the actual trip. After four or five more amazing days in Chennai experiencing the city and the food under the supervision of the Kher family we decided to take the overnight 14 hour train across the country to Kerala. This was the official beginning of our travels as we could no longer rely on the guidance and aid of and Indian family. The rail journey was very enjoyable as we were able to sleep most of it away while enjoying a little chess and cards during the even hours before bed. Little did we know what was awaiting us.

Kerala, which the locals call “God’s own country”, lives up to its name. It is a lush green State on the South West coast of India known for its beautiful backwaters and traditional dancers. This time of year along the West Indian Coast means monsoon weather, however not for these lucky travelers. Similar to the amazing Canoe trip weather that I experienced in early May, the three days of Kerala weather involved nothing but sunshine and heat. Not only was the weather outstanding but since it is the off season in Kerala (due to the typical monsoons) we managed to procure a house boat tour through the backwaters at the reduced price of 7000 rupees (about 160 Canadian dollars) as compared to the normal 15000 rate. It was a beautiful thatched boat with three rooms in immaculate condition. The boat took us for an entire day and night through the backwaters. The backwater environment was indescribable and it is difficult for me to think of a more beautiful area. It was one of those places in which one can find complete peace and truly feel at one with the surroundings. It was a time of reflection, inspiration and bliss. I will remember Kerala for a long time to come and hope to visit is again in my lifetime.

After the back water tour we headed to a coastal city called Fort Cochi. It is a beautiful city that relies on the sea for food and transportation. The meals there were very well priced and extremely good, unfortunately Amar happened upon a bad prawn dish and paid for it all night and the next day. Fortunately, we were able to catch some traditional dancing in a theatrical production in near by Ernakulam (a short ferry ride across the bay) before the fish imposed regurgitation onslaught attacked our dear friend. I hate to be comical about it as it was so hard on him, and I know it will be my tern to experience it in the future, but all you can really do it laugh it off to remain in good spirits. The dancing was amazing and the make-up and costume were both complicated and tribal. In short, another successful and insightful adventure.

The next step is the flight out of Chennai to Bangkok where Amar and I will begin our journey. Although as mentioned earlier it is quite sad to leave our fellow travelers, and what lies a head is quite unknown, it is still a very exciting time. The future holds experiences I can not imagine and I look forward to lapping up every last drop of this adventure. I am definitely starting to fall into the ‘traveling’ mentality and find that I am truly trying to live each moment to its fullest. It is quite refreshing to feel the constant push of inspiration and enlightenment. It is more then I could have hoped for.

I hope that is all is well back home and although this post is so much about me I often wonder how everyone is doing during their respective summers and think about the folks back home constantly. So feel free to send an e-mail or post a comment to let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear from you. Take care and Amar and I will keep you informed from Thai Land. Till we meet again….

Dave

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!!

"Many happy returns of the day" as they say in India.