Blogs from South, Cambodia, Asia - page 336

This was my last day in Cambodia, a 37 hour day by my calculations. I was not a math major, so if I'm off don't be surprised. I left Phnom Penh just after noon, but arrived in Seattle at 2pm the same day. It felt like more than a 37 hour day. Being back in Seattle is a bit odd, and definately cold. I had my first warm shower in a month - only crazy people want hot water in Cambodia. There was one tourist at our hotel in Siem Reap, he was complaining to one of the women who worked there how the hot water in his room didn't work. I tried hard not to laugh out loud at him. Cold showers are the only relief I could get from the heat. The last thing ... read more

I ended up getting a bad cold, or perhaps a flu on our last day at Siem Reap and was miserable on the six hours bus ride back to Phnom Penh. I was happy to be going back to the comfort of Anisa's apartment though, and she took very good care of me. We were planning on turning right back around and leaving for the northeast, Krachie or Ratnakiri, but my cold got in the way. We decided to rest in town for a couple days and decide later. I just wasn't up for the twelve hour bus ride and I doubt Anisa was looking forward to it either. Hanging out in town included multiple trips to Psar Toul Tom Pong to buy kramas and other gifts. I also accompanied Anisa to the Intercontinental Hotel where ... read more

What’s Hot in Kep -the weather -30-60 min morning motorbike commute -4 inch wide paths between rice paddies -emaciated feral dogs running loose -bullocks, dogs, chickens and pigs in the middle of the road -free brown highlighted hair due to malnutrition -open-air air-conditioning with topnotes of eau de manure -people 5’6” and under -rice, rice, rice, and more rice -being first in line to diagnose TB, typhoid and acromegaly What’s Not in Kep -snow -8 min morning walk to MSB, the UofT meds’ dungeon -4 lane wide highways -leashed licensed dogs eating caviar in Yorkville -concrete median dividers in the middle of the road -$200 professionally highlighted brown hair -impersonally filtered air conditioned air with topnotes of Kenny G -people 5’6” and over -french fries -being last in line to diagnose LOL’s in NAD* and GOMERs** ... read more

Anisa needed a break after her last week of school so we went directly out to the beach on Monday. It's technically the rainy season - though it hasn't really rained much yet - so we were almost the only tourists there. It was very relaxing and we didn't do much besides sit around on the beach reading. I've been feeling pretty sick since Sunday morning: stomach cramps, probably from eating poorly washed vegetables in Vietnam. Poorly washed doesn't just mean washed with tap water it can mean washed in the river or not washed at all. The south along the coast is much greener than around Phnom Penh. The scenery between PP and Sihanoukville was beautiful. It was a big change because we started into the hills, everything around Phnom Penh is flatter than the ... read more

I think that I needed this trip, after the academic tumult and emotional histrionics that has characterized this last school year. The change to this rural setting has been surprisingly easy, full of sunshine, languor and rest. My brain is revelling in the lack of hyperkinetic memorization, wallowing contentedly from each full night of sleep like an elephant who’s just found a mud patch. The slower pace has also allowed me to rediscover the red, orange and yellow end of the colour spectrum as I relearned how to drive a 100 cc scooter. Culture and perception is a funny thing. Put on a pair of long pants, and I blend into the general population in Cambodia as just another face with ubiquitous black hair and eyes. Put on a pair of shorts, however, and I’m instantly ... read more