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Published: June 30th 2013
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Fucked Up
My new jeep getting towed already. :( Well I'm still here. Not quite sure what I was thinking when I wrote the other day that I would be out of here in a two days or so. If a 15 minute errand takes 3 hours here, well something that should take 2 days takes 7 or 8.
So now I have my one year visa. It was actually stamped on my birthday so that was kind of cool. Kind of like a birthday present from Cambodia. I got another birthday present from the planet too. On the night before my birthday the largest supermoon of the year happened (the time of the year when the moon is closet to the earth). So at around 12:15am (just after it became my birthday) I was sitting on the 4th floor of guesthouse with a perfect view of it. Not a cloud in the sky. A backpacker I had hung out with a few days before remembered that is was my birthday that night and came over to bring me a beer and say happy birthday. It was a nice peaceful birthday.
My days have been busy, filled with a mix of enjoyment and real life errands. In the
Rainbow
Can you see it? mornings I have been going to the market to get food for Ikelos, take care of my laundry, see whats happening with the plate for my car, etc. I have taken Ikelos back to the vet too. I think the dried fish he ate while in California really screwed his stomach up. He has been having trouble eating ever since then. The vet thinks maybe he has an ulcer from it. He sent me to the pharmacy to buy some human medicine that helps to repair the stomach lining and prevent ulcers. He has been on it since yesterday and seems to be doing a lot better. The medicine was nice and cheap here too only $9 for 45 packets of the medicine. know it would have been at least $100 in the states.
I also took myself to the hospital to get a hepatitis A/B titer. My vaccination history is a little screwy so I wasn't sure if I was properly vaccinated. It turns out I wasn't. I was all good against Hep B, but need a vaccine for Hep A. So I went back to the hospital 2 days ago to get a shot. Now I have
Backpackers
Having a good time with the locals. to go back again in 2 months for the last booster of it then I should be set for at least 15 or 20 years I believe.
I met three American backpackers the other day and they asked me to to show them around a bit. I had one of them rent a scooter and the four us us set off. (I took on on my motorcycle). Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I bought some piece of shot motorcycle for $125. It is perfect. Loud, noisy, dirty, and uses a lot of petrol. None of the local will want to steal it. I took them to a place called Wat Phnom which is one of the famous temples in the middle of the capital. Then theu started asking me about a place to buy a vollyball and where to play. I told them I wasn't sure where a net was but I know a big open grassy field (a place called Olympic Stadium) and we could probably find a ball to buy on the way there. As we were starting to drive over there I could tell that it was raining in the area we planned on going
Tuk Tuk
Ikelos in a tuk tuk so we changed plans and I decided to show them the old backpacker area and what used to be a lake.
As we are climbing up to the dirt field that used to be a lake they start telling me how they found some people in Vietnam that were playing vollyball and they wanted to play, so they waited by the court for about 45 minutes. Eventually the Vietnamese guys told them they could come play, but they had to pay. Sounds like the Vietnam I know as well. As they are telling me this story we get to out onto the dirt field and there are actually 2 vollyball nets there with like 30 Cambodians playing. The guys look at me and ask if I think they will let us play. I tell them there is no chance they won't let us play.
Literally less than one minute later they are all calling over to us to come join their game. This is what I love about Cambodia, the people. Once we get to the court they tell us they are all drunk. So we have to chug a beer really quickly before we can
start otherwise it is unfair. Can't refuse an offer like that. We wind up playing a few games with them for about 2 or 3 hours. It turns into whoever loses buys the next case of beer. Needless to say we were all drunk by the time we left the field. The backpackers had a great time. They just kept telling me that this was exactly what they were looking for.
The next morning I go to take my jeep for a test drive around the city. Figured I should make sure it is running well before I head out on a 5 hour drive. I leave Socheata's house and go the gas station to fill up because there is no gas in the car. I get about 2 blocks from the gas station before I break down. Turns out it was a diesel engine and I put gas in. Oops. I had no idea. now I know that anything bigger than a totyota camry here is a diesel engine. I won't be making that mistake again. So now my jeep is at the mechanics getting its fuel system flushed.
Well turns outs I am going
Trying
He is trying to make silk. She made it look so easy. to be in the capital for a few more days yet. I get a call later in the morning from the American backpackers hoping I can take them somewhere cool again. I decide to take them to Koh Dich. A little island in the middle of the Mekong River like 20 minutes outside the city. On the ferry over we meet a girl named Maria who lives on the island. She invites u to her house to watch and see how she makes silk. Then she lets each of us try and make some silk. It was fun. She makes it look so easy, but I guess she has been doing it for many years.
Afterward we invite her to come with us to the little beach on Koh Dich where there are little huts built like 5 or 10 feet out into the water. We buy some jackfruit and grilled banana with rice before we head down to the huts. At the hut we order a grilled chicken, some beer, and then buy a papaya salad off a little lady with a floating table. We spend the next couple of hours just swimming and eating with our new friend. It was a good time. I got to practice my Khmer and she got to practice her English.
After heading back to the town I notice that I am beginning to feel sick. I have come down with a cold. I went to sleep real early last night and I think I am already beginning to feel better today. I am going to just rest and take it easy today again. I want to be all better real soon.
Well time to go. I will continue with more later. I just got a call about my car. Lets go find out what then damage is.
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Sebastian Crumple
non-member comment
Western Vet?
Interesting that there is a Western Vet - good for the Cambodians if they are allowing folks from other countries to share their expertise. Might want to consider having some wonderful human being take a picture of YOU...just a thought.