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The title is true - we left Nepal on a whim. Getting ready to go to bed one night Aaron brought the idea up and the next day it was decided that we would fly to Thailand 4 days later, on May 1st. So, on that day, we took Royal Nepal Airlines and left Nepal - it was sad to leave as we had such an amazing journey there, but we were ready for something new.
We flew into Bangkok where we spent 4 nights. There isn't much to say about Bangkok except that you feel like you're in the future especially after being in Nepal for a month and a half. Cars with AC, paved roads with lanes that people actually use, skyscrapers. Excuse my French, but it was a total mind-fuck. We stayed where all the backpackers do - Kao San Road - which is pretty much lined with bars and restaurants. We went out every single night and got pretty much 'pissed'as our Aussie blokes would call it - sometimes staying up all night and passing out at noon!
So yea, that's Thailand for us - oh, and we saw some cool temples too...
After 4 nights in Thailand, we took a bus into Cambodia - to Siem Reap where Angkor Wat is - the biggest religious area on the planet. It's impossible to walk around, you have to get someone to drive you around. We were able to see everything but it took us 3 full days - 8 hours each day and was an amazing experience. On the 2nd day, my birthday, we arrived at sunrise, cruised around and then the drinking commenced - hard. All I remember is being at the local popular bar - Angkor What? - Aaron leaving early, then me waking up in my bed. I don't know how I got back because I diddn't even know how to get home if I was sober....oye...some things are better left unknown...
Then, we took off to Phenom Penh, the capital of Cambodia - it's situated along the Mekong river and is a pretty seedy place but we had a good time there. We stayed on the lake side which is being filled up with dirt by Korean investors so they can build commercial property - it's really sad.
Next, we went to the beach - Sihounuke Ville (sp?) - where for the first few nights we got extremely drunk and spent way too much money. We decided that we shouldn't be going out like that and saved $10 a day, which is HUGE over here. (From here on is an email I sent to my Dad - I've gotten lazy with my writing, so I apologize ahead of time)
It was nice - waking up late, eating, drinking, etc, but it got expensive when we went out and now we're in Kampot about 2 hours to the east right on a river and surrounded by jungle mountains. It's a nice change of pace from the busy-ness of the past few places we've been. We got to Cambodia and went to Siem Reap - a huge destination for tourists, mostly Chinese, to see the temples at Angkor Wat. Then we went to the capital, Phenon Penh, which was pretty crazy but good fun too. Then to the beaches....so every place we've been so far, tuk-tuk (motorcycle with tow in back for passengers) drivers ask you if you want a ride, drugs, etc. Then, when you're relaxing on the beach, you're constanly bombarded with people asking you if you want a massage, manicure, fruit, squid, "lobster", etc so it's hard to relax and read.
Now, being in Kampot we get none of that. We arrived yesterday and split a cab from Sihounuke Ville (the beach) with a Scottish couple. We got the guest house, checked in and the Dutch lady who runs it invited us to a traditional Khemer (Cambodian) wedding! We agreed and so we left around 3PM and drove about an hour outside of town into the middle of nowhere - farms growing anything from corn to pepper (which Kampot is world-renowned for). We're in the tuk-tuk, squeezed in with 5 white people, passing all these villages who I'm 95%!s(MISSING)ure they've never seen a white person before, let alone 5! We wave at everyone like we're kings and queens visiting the countryside!
Then, we finally arrive at the party and the music is BLARING. It's hard to talk to one another and we're SURROUNDED by locals when we arrive. They are fascinated by us...it's really surreal. The people here are really beautiful. Considering that they went through an attempted genocide only 35 years ago, they are always smiling and always hospitable. We're taken to our table, the white-person table, and are stared at while they bring us traditional food and booze. It's hard for Aaron because everything has meat in it so he can only eat rice. Meanwhile - everyone else is chowin' down. Relatives of the bride and groom come up to us and shake our hands, and although they can't speak to us, we know they are really happy to have us there.
The Dutch girl who knows the family tells us to start drinking heavily because at 7PM, all of us will be dragged to the dancefloor! So, we do as we're told and sure enough, the dancing commences.
First, the bride and groom stand together in front of everyone on top of a make-shift stage and are given speeches. They want all of us to give one too and they'll translate. First, the Scottish girl gets up and sings a love song that everyone claps along with - it was really great, then anther girl gives a speech, then they say "one more!" so, Aaron pushes me up there! I say that we've been in Cambodia for 3 weeks and we find the people and the country as a whole to be extremely beautiful, and wish for the bride and groom to have a long life together and have many children. I'm given an A+ by the Whiteys and that's good for me because I probably spoke in front of 200+ people! Then, we dance the night away...mostly with the children who love to imitate us and give us high-fives, which we taught them (at first they were FRIGHTENED of us when we arrived). It was the most memorable night of our SE Asia trip by far and we're really excited for what's to come in the next few days. Now, we're planning on renting a couple of scooters and just cruising around town and maybe checking out some caves!
That's probably the final blog (for this trip, at least) - as much as I enjoy sitting and staring at a computer screen while I could be out relaxing next to a river (aka I don't enjoy it that much), I'm gonna leave the blogs at that. Plus, who the hell likes the world blog anyway, it's such an ugly word. They shoulda come up with something more attractive like "weblog".
See everyone in less than a month!
Max
PS - I didn't bring my camera for the wedding but we plan on getting some off of our friends that we attended with so I'll post them when we get ém!
PPS - Sorry about grammar, spelling, I wanna get the hell outta here!
PPPS - I know that "blog" is short for "weblog"....
Thailand Pictures
Cambodia Pictures #1
Cambodia Pictures #2
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anonymous
non-member comment
wow, sounds amazing max...that's so great that you got to experience such an intimate and indigenous wedding. i will have to say that it scared me when i read the beginning of the weblog when you talk about how you don't remember getting home...i guess it's just the jewish mother in me coming out but PLEASE be careful, i want to see the levitt brothers alive and well as soon as possible!! miss you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xxoo