Blogs from East, Cambodia, Asia - page 20

Sorry, this one got really long, but it has been absolutely amazing. As always, here is our favorite conversation from the road these past few weeks: “You buy bracelet?” “No thanks,” I replied. “Okay.” The little girl replied, disappointedly. “Where you from?” “United States.” “Oh, America. Washington D.C. capitol. Population about three hundred million. President George Bush. Alaska biggest state. Rhode Island smallest state. Honolulu capitol of Hawaii.” “What about Wisconsin?” “Umm…” The girl gives me a blank look. I ask myself if anyone ever knows anything about Wisconsin. “Now you buy bracelet? I give you special price, fifteen for two dollars?” “What do I do with fifteen bracelets?” I ask, thinking of the Wayne’s World scene discussing gun racks. “You give them to your girlfriend.” “I don’t have a girlfriend.” As I chuckle. She obviously ... read more

Only one full day left in enigmatic Cambodia. It's going to be such a shame to leave this incredible country as there's so much, all in the details, that we're going to miss. Here are some of the minutiae that make up the crazy whole that we love so much:- Khmer food (especially Lok Lak and the supremely delicious Amok), local markets selling the living, barely living and very much dead creatures of this country (you can ascertain the level of life by the number of flies - the more flies, the deader it is), the gorgeous red dust tan, counting the number of hello's received as we walk through a new village and the most beautiful smiles as we return the greeting, the happy serendipity of arriving, randomly, at the perfect guest house after a ... read more

So, this blog will include two places: Kratie and Ban Lung. On 1/10 we left for Kratie which is about 5/6 hours from Phnom Penh in central-eastern Cambodia: *The night before in Phnom Penh, I watched a dog take a dump on a pile of trash around a light post. I thought to myself, that is a very smart dog, as it could have crapped anywhere. *Our bus was freezing and was filled with mostly upper class travelers, very few locals. A man spoke for almost 5 minutes in Khmer though, and then spent 10 seconds explaining what he had said in English. He spoke with a loudspeaker inside the bus. My eardrums bled. *Along the way, we stopped at a rest stop and Dan and I got mobbed by some young girls trying to sell ... read more

On www.travelfish.org I'd read about a homestay experience that sounded interesting. A couple, Don and Kheang offered an experience to see what rural life is like in Cambodia and the reviews of the experience had been great, so when I arrived in Phnom Penh I rang Don and organised a visit. Don is an American that's settled down in Cambodia, with his Cambodian wife and two children Ra and Na. They are a really interesting couple that have both had fascinating lives and it was just so interesting hearing their stories!! Kheang had actually been alive while PolPot was in charge, so had seen a lot of hardship and a lot of change in Cambodia. When I arrived, so I could see a bit of typical Cambodian scenery and also get a bit of an insight ... read more

What I expected was to see a society totally different from Cambodian culture, known for their carved totems of deceased family members. What I got was an amazing river trip on a unique boat, views of Vietnam, a $1.50 ramen meal and also a glimpse at a Chinese village over 100 years old! It was hot, the river was cool. I bought a hat that barely fit my head. We were exhausted on the drive back to Ban Lung, as the sweltering heat, tropical sunshine and 120 decibell boat engines deafened us the entire way. It was an amazing trip and a perfect way to end my time in Ratanakiri. With a few more years of tourist dollars, proper preservation of the forest and some more tourist promotion- Ratanakiri is poised to be the outdoor capital ... read more