Melbourne, Bangkok & Phnom Phen

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Hello From Cambodia!

Melbourne was lovely, very relaxing after the hectic pace of enjoying New Zealand. Got to attend the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, and check out the suburban cul de sac where they film ‘Neighbors’ 😊

While landing at Bangkok’s airport I was struck by the presence of a golf course on the grass between the runways, with mopeds queuing up to cross the runway!
Otherwise Bangkok was surprisingly ‘western’. Lots of fine ‘high-end’ shopping malls that I would normally have associated with cities like New York or Paris. The city has many fine skyscrapers and a terrific elevated ‘sky-train’. While on a boat trip along the city’s river, I felt like the BBCs’ Michael Palin with my head stuck out to the side, taking in the views of the cites many Buddhist temples. Traffic in Asia is mad. Millions of mopeds, cars, buses and bikes. Many of the junctions are proof that the chaos theory can indeed work 😊 Even after a week I still haven’t quite figured out which side of the road they are supposed to be driving on. It takes ages to build up the confidence just to cross the road, even at zebra crossings! You wouldn’t want to be chicken or you’d never cross the road 😉 There’s been times, when I was tempted to hail a taxi or tuk-tuk, just to get me to the other side. 😊


On Monday I had to visit 3 embassies to arrange visas. The only way to make it around on time was to ride as a passenger on the back of a ‘moto’ (Honda 50) . And was that ever a real taste of Asia, weaving between traffic, pedestrians, and hens! I think the drivers name was Tommy Tukamomo J

It’s a small world; at the Vietnamese Embassy I got talking to a retired Irish couple (from Sutton) who have spent the past 6 years sailing around the world (must have taken the slow boat to China😉 They know my Uncle Tony, through Rush Sailing Club, and about his ‘Mermaid’ boat..

April is the hottest month in SE Asia, and it certainly is balmy here (mid to high 30’s every day & night). It sure is cheap over here with made to measure suits and transport costing about 10% of the price in Ireland.

I am now at the Ankor Wat temples in Cambodia. The country is one of the worlds poorest, but the people are remarkably warm and friendly. I will spend the next few days exploring the many temples here (Film location for Tomb Raider). The temples / lost cities are huge. Some are estimated to have accommodated up to 1 million people almost a millennium ago.

Cambodia’s recent history is marred by the atrocities by Pol Pot & the Khmer Rouge from 1975-79. Up to 3 million people (25% of the population) were tortured / killed / starved during the attempt to drag the county back into the Stone Age. All machinery was outlawed, towns & cites burned and anyone who was educated was exterminated, along with their families. Even the wearing of glasses was considered reason for death. A museum dedicated to the dead, was originally a high school converted to a prison. From here, 17,000+ bodies were buried in nearby mass graves (‘The Killing Fields’). Its horrendous just how savage our shadow side can be.

According to the World Bank 50% of the world’s population live on less than $2 / day. Most of the rest of my travels will be through such economies. Next week; Vietnam.

God bless,

-Adrian,

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