So our plans didn't quite pan out like we had wanted. Our original plan was to take the bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok which would take 6 hours... it ended up taking 11 hours. Then we were going to go to train station in Bangkok where we would book our train ticket to Vientiane in Laos that night. So not what happened. Trains are booked up until January 2nd. We ended up buying a bus ticket from a tour agency that I hope is reputable and isn't going to scam us. It's apparently a "TAT" agency which is a government run travel agent, but the thing in Asia is that if a business is doing well, another entrepreneur might steal the name and call their business the same thing. The sign on the travel agency said TAT, but we have no idea what the company's logo looks like. For example in Hanoi, Vietnam, there is a very successful travel agency called Kangaroo Travels. There is one real one, and 5 fake ones.... Lets hope that's not the case with this one. Although I don't see how the government wouldn't immediately shut down a fake TAT agency. In Asia, anything is possible.
We're in Bangkok and ended up staying in a guesthouse close to the train station called "Your Place." It's really cute and you can't even tell you're in Bangkok. It's in a little alley way with a lush garden and lots of birds and fish in ponds. It's expensive but we still didn't have a place to sleep until 9:30 last night, so we were willing to pay the $26.
Tonite we leave for Vientiane in Laos. Hopefully things run accordingly but the last couple of days have been a clusterf$@* which has been quite frustrating. Nothing has worked out according to plan. Cross your fingers for us.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Angkor WHAT!!!??
We did our duty as tourists of Cambodia and paid homage to Angkor Wat and other surrounding temples that surround the city. Most of these temples are about 800-1000 years old and were built by Buddhists and Hindus..... I don't feel like explaining much more than that so google it if you really care to!
Honestly, Joey and I aren't fans of temples. So after waking up at 4:30am to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat with 100000+ people we were already tired of it! We went to about 10 temples that day. Our tuk tuk driver was the best. His name is Phat and we became pretty good friends. He actually got out of the tuk tuk and personally showed us some of the temples. He would like to become a tour guide one day, so it's a good chance for him to practice his English and guiding skills. It was really nice hearing about his life in Cambodia. He was open to any questions that we had about his life, or Cambodia views in general. Phat is getting married in March and he's excited for their wedding. You could tell he's also a bit nervous. We drove by a Cambodian wedding and did the slow drive by to see what was happening. Weddings here last three days! On the last day is when it's fun, just like a typical western wedding, everyone is dancing and getting drunk. We're really not much different from Cambodians.
After 2pm rolled around, Joey and I were templed out. They look pretty much all the same. Also, we didn't bother to know more about them previously, so it was just like looking at old stone buildings. I wish we could appreciate it more, but that's just us and temples don't tickle our fancy! We decided that we'd rather nap for the rest of the day than see more temples. We did take lots of nice pictures though.
Our Christmas Eve was quite tame. There wasn't much going on, and we were so tired from the temples and two nights of really bad sleep. First the sleeper bus, and now the stupid rooster by our hotel that goes off all hours of the night! Have any of you ever had work dreams? You get home late from work and go to bed shortly after, and your dream is still like you're at work? I've had these dreams as a bartender where I just serve drinks all night in my sleep. I've been having "market dreams" where I'm going through a market and there is all these people asking me to buy stuff and saying "Lady you want to buy something?" "Where you from?" and also beggars on the street asking me for money. In my dream all I want to do is help people but no matter how much I buy, or how much money I give, it doesn't solve the problem. So not what I would call beauty sleep.
We woke up to 30degrees outside and no christmas tree. It wasn't starting to look a lot like Christmas, that's for sure. There was no indication that it was Christmas day. Obviously they don't celebrate it here because Cambodia is a Buddhist country. It was business as usual. I woke up with a hankering for mimosas because thats what my family has every Christmas morning, that and Egg Mc'Wiltons. We went to the gas station to see if they had champagne but the only bottle they had was $26. I didn't mimosas that badly. We mostly spent our christmas morning talking with our families on skype, which was really nice.
For our Christmas present to one another, Joey and I brought two big 50kg bags of rice to COFCO orphanage in Siem Reap. As soon as we pulled up in the tuk tuk, a bunch of kids came running over to us with huge smiles on their faces. They were giving us hugs and laughing. It was so welcoming and such a good feeling. Inside the orphanage it was all decked out with Christmas decorations. The kids were in their best clothes and wore little santa hats. There were already quite a few foreigners there playing with the kids. Most of them had two or three kids hanging off of them. It wasn't too long before Joey and I had our own orphans to hang from our arms like monkeys. They were soooo affectionate. They were giving kisses on the cheek, hugs, and wanting to be touching you constantly.
About 20 minutes after arriving there was a dance show put on by the older kids of the orphanage. They were all decked out in traditional costumes and makeup. The dancing was truly fantastic and very professionally done. When the dancing was done it was time for Christmas carols! The kids sang us Jingle Bells (well the chorus atleast, they didn't know the in between parts) with such enthusiasm. Next it was birthday time! Most Cambodian orphans do not know their real birthday so every year on Christmas they celebrate everyone's birthday with cake, streamers, silly string, sparklers and music. It was so awesome to see these kids go crazy over the cake. All of them looked so excited to devour the cake. Soon after they were served the cake, they were trying to share with all of us. This might be the only cake they get in an entire year, but all they want to do is share with us. It was amazing to see how giving these kids are. They have nothing, yet want nothing more than to share.
After the birthday celebration it felt like the right time to leave. While we were leaving I had a bit of an emotional breakdown. Obviously the orphanage was really fun and moving, but I couldn't help think that these beautiful, happy and caring children aren't wanted by anyone. Rarely do these children actually get adopted. Most of them will grow up in the orphange until they are young adults. Cambodians are very family oriented and extended family is very important. You know these children at the orphanage aren't even wanted by their extended family. These kids have nothing, and face great challenges once they get older and move out of the orphanage into the real world.
After a heavy experience at the orphanage, Joey and I decided it was time for some Christmas fun. We found a bar that was having a $5 all you can eat buffet with cheap drinks. There were backpackers from all over the world. While the food wasn't exactly what we expected (Chicken wings, noodles, veggies, fries) it was still good, and the Christmas cheer was definitely in the air. We had a really good time and for a while forgot about missing our families. We truly miss you guys!!!! We met a nice aussie named Ian, whom we met up with today for some lunch. He might be following our route to Laos tomorrow with us.
Tomorrow we will be leaving at 8am for Bangkok. We will spend a few hours in Bangkok and then head to Vientiane in Laos on ... you guessed it, a sleeper train. Maybe it won't be so bad?
Honestly, Joey and I aren't fans of temples. So after waking up at 4:30am to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat with 100000+ people we were already tired of it! We went to about 10 temples that day. Our tuk tuk driver was the best. His name is Phat and we became pretty good friends. He actually got out of the tuk tuk and personally showed us some of the temples. He would like to become a tour guide one day, so it's a good chance for him to practice his English and guiding skills. It was really nice hearing about his life in Cambodia. He was open to any questions that we had about his life, or Cambodia views in general. Phat is getting married in March and he's excited for their wedding. You could tell he's also a bit nervous. We drove by a Cambodian wedding and did the slow drive by to see what was happening. Weddings here last three days! On the last day is when it's fun, just like a typical western wedding, everyone is dancing and getting drunk. We're really not much different from Cambodians.
After 2pm rolled around, Joey and I were templed out. They look pretty much all the same. Also, we didn't bother to know more about them previously, so it was just like looking at old stone buildings. I wish we could appreciate it more, but that's just us and temples don't tickle our fancy! We decided that we'd rather nap for the rest of the day than see more temples. We did take lots of nice pictures though.
Our Christmas Eve was quite tame. There wasn't much going on, and we were so tired from the temples and two nights of really bad sleep. First the sleeper bus, and now the stupid rooster by our hotel that goes off all hours of the night! Have any of you ever had work dreams? You get home late from work and go to bed shortly after, and your dream is still like you're at work? I've had these dreams as a bartender where I just serve drinks all night in my sleep. I've been having "market dreams" where I'm going through a market and there is all these people asking me to buy stuff and saying "Lady you want to buy something?" "Where you from?" and also beggars on the street asking me for money. In my dream all I want to do is help people but no matter how much I buy, or how much money I give, it doesn't solve the problem. So not what I would call beauty sleep.
We woke up to 30degrees outside and no christmas tree. It wasn't starting to look a lot like Christmas, that's for sure. There was no indication that it was Christmas day. Obviously they don't celebrate it here because Cambodia is a Buddhist country. It was business as usual. I woke up with a hankering for mimosas because thats what my family has every Christmas morning, that and Egg Mc'Wiltons. We went to the gas station to see if they had champagne but the only bottle they had was $26. I didn't mimosas that badly. We mostly spent our christmas morning talking with our families on skype, which was really nice.
For our Christmas present to one another, Joey and I brought two big 50kg bags of rice to COFCO orphanage in Siem Reap. As soon as we pulled up in the tuk tuk, a bunch of kids came running over to us with huge smiles on their faces. They were giving us hugs and laughing. It was so welcoming and such a good feeling. Inside the orphanage it was all decked out with Christmas decorations. The kids were in their best clothes and wore little santa hats. There were already quite a few foreigners there playing with the kids. Most of them had two or three kids hanging off of them. It wasn't too long before Joey and I had our own orphans to hang from our arms like monkeys. They were soooo affectionate. They were giving kisses on the cheek, hugs, and wanting to be touching you constantly.
About 20 minutes after arriving there was a dance show put on by the older kids of the orphanage. They were all decked out in traditional costumes and makeup. The dancing was truly fantastic and very professionally done. When the dancing was done it was time for Christmas carols! The kids sang us Jingle Bells (well the chorus atleast, they didn't know the in between parts) with such enthusiasm. Next it was birthday time! Most Cambodian orphans do not know their real birthday so every year on Christmas they celebrate everyone's birthday with cake, streamers, silly string, sparklers and music. It was so awesome to see these kids go crazy over the cake. All of them looked so excited to devour the cake. Soon after they were served the cake, they were trying to share with all of us. This might be the only cake they get in an entire year, but all they want to do is share with us. It was amazing to see how giving these kids are. They have nothing, yet want nothing more than to share.
After the birthday celebration it felt like the right time to leave. While we were leaving I had a bit of an emotional breakdown. Obviously the orphanage was really fun and moving, but I couldn't help think that these beautiful, happy and caring children aren't wanted by anyone. Rarely do these children actually get adopted. Most of them will grow up in the orphange until they are young adults. Cambodians are very family oriented and extended family is very important. You know these children at the orphanage aren't even wanted by their extended family. These kids have nothing, and face great challenges once they get older and move out of the orphanage into the real world.
After a heavy experience at the orphanage, Joey and I decided it was time for some Christmas fun. We found a bar that was having a $5 all you can eat buffet with cheap drinks. There were backpackers from all over the world. While the food wasn't exactly what we expected (Chicken wings, noodles, veggies, fries) it was still good, and the Christmas cheer was definitely in the air. We had a really good time and for a while forgot about missing our families. We truly miss you guys!!!! We met a nice aussie named Ian, whom we met up with today for some lunch. He might be following our route to Laos tomorrow with us.
Tomorrow we will be leaving at 8am for Bangkok. We will spend a few hours in Bangkok and then head to Vientiane in Laos on ... you guessed it, a sleeper train. Maybe it won't be so bad?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Scuba doo ba doo, where are you?
So it's been a while! Joey and I have been busy bees in Cambodia. After Phnom Penh we headed to Sihanoukville which is a beach bum town on the coast. The beach itself wasn't that nice but we knew it would be the last one for a month or two while we go through Laos, Northern Thailand and Myanmar. We met a really nice Irish couple named Sarah and Donough. Super nice and the first night we had happy hour and pizza at one of the beach bars.
The Serendipity beach is the beach we stayed by in Sihanoukville. Most of the time it was far from relaxing. We would be sun tanning on some chairs and then be hassled by kids selling bracelets, fruit, books, sunglasses... you name it. Also the massage ladies who always took notice to my unshaven legs. I couldn't go 10 minutes without my leg being caressed by a Khmer lady who wanted to wax them for me! haha.
At one moment Joey and I were surrounded by about 7 kids. We had started talking to one girl who just wouldn't leave us alone and once the beach kids see that you are talking to one of their kind... you better watch out. They will swarm you. She was giving us this sad story about how she doesn't go to school and needs to work on the beach to support her and her mom. We didn't want to buy a bracelet so we bought her a meal. Soon after she was done eating, she was asking us to buy bracelets again! Then she was offended and left without saying thank you. (She said it later when we walked past her)
There have been several times when giving money to amputees or poor people where they actually say they want more than you are giving them. Today I handed a man 500 riel (which is about 12 cents, I know it's not much but every bit counts. We would rather give to as many people as we can instead of giving a couple a lot) and he looked at me and said "I want 1000riel." The nerve! I could be like a lot of tourists and pretend you're not even alive (This is the tactic used by many tourists to avoid beggers) and not give you anything. Its frustrating that we try to help, but it's never enough and sometimes not even appreciated. Obviously some of them have been jaded by tourists.
During our stay in Sihanoukville we signed up for a PADI open water scuba diving course through a place called EcoSea. The first day we watched the DVD's and filled out the questions. The next day we did the confined underwater session with our instructor. I found it quite overwhelming at first because I felt like I was suffocating from breathing underwater. After a while I got the hang of it and really started to enjoy learning the underwater skills. I've been spending a lot of time swimming and going in pools, which unfortunately triggered an ear infection. The day we had to leave for the island to do the underwater dives, my ear was killing me. I couldn't hear at all, and I couldn't imagine going underwater especially at 10m below the surface. Joey and I had to cancel our course which sucks. We had already passed the exam and did the confined underwater, so now we will be able to go to Thailand with a piece of paper from our dive instructor as a referral. That way we don't have to do the test or confined dive again. Plus, we won't have to pay for the course all over again.
We went to a doctor in Sihanoukville who checked out my ear and said it had actually been infected for a while. This guy spoke perfect French, but wasn't great at English. I knew Joey would come in handy on this trip. To get an inspection of my ear and medication cost $5. It's amazingly cheap to buy pharmaceuticals here. My ear is definitely feeling better but I really dislike being on antibiotics.
Joey and I spent almost a week in Sihanoukville and decided we best be on our way. What better way to travel than on a sleeper bus. I thought we learned our lesson, but apparently not. This bus was mainly just upright sitting seats that were really cushy. Plus you get a blanket and a pillow. Not really my idea of a comfortable sleeper bed. Which was more unfortunate was that there were two babies on the bus sitting close to us , both of which intermittently cried alllllllllllllllllllllll night. Absolutely brutal. I think there have been a couple times during this trip where transportation felt like hell on earth, but this one took the cake.
We arrived in Siem Reap quite early at 6am. Our guesthouse arranged a tuk tuk to pick us up for free which was a godsend. Getting off a bus at a bus station is definitely an experience. You see all the tuk tuk and moto drivers just drooling like wolves when the bus pulls in. When the door opens the hunt for them begins. You will have 5-6 tuk tuk drivers talking to you at once, all trying to undercut the other to get your business. Most of the time Joey and I just decide to walk but this time the bus station was 13km out of town. It was so nice to see a tuk tuk driver holding a sign with our names on it. You belong to them, and the other drivers know this, so they don't even try. It's quite pleasant!
I arranged for us to stay at Jasmine Guesthouse in Siem Reap. It's a cute family run guesthouse that hires disadvantaged youth and younger people from surrounding villages who normally would just be farmers not making much money and not going to school. Mr. Kunn and his wife, Jasmine, are so friendly. Our room is nice and we get free breakfast! We've had a good time here so far.
The Serendipity beach is the beach we stayed by in Sihanoukville. Most of the time it was far from relaxing. We would be sun tanning on some chairs and then be hassled by kids selling bracelets, fruit, books, sunglasses... you name it. Also the massage ladies who always took notice to my unshaven legs. I couldn't go 10 minutes without my leg being caressed by a Khmer lady who wanted to wax them for me! haha.
At one moment Joey and I were surrounded by about 7 kids. We had started talking to one girl who just wouldn't leave us alone and once the beach kids see that you are talking to one of their kind... you better watch out. They will swarm you. She was giving us this sad story about how she doesn't go to school and needs to work on the beach to support her and her mom. We didn't want to buy a bracelet so we bought her a meal. Soon after she was done eating, she was asking us to buy bracelets again! Then she was offended and left without saying thank you. (She said it later when we walked past her)
There have been several times when giving money to amputees or poor people where they actually say they want more than you are giving them. Today I handed a man 500 riel (which is about 12 cents, I know it's not much but every bit counts. We would rather give to as many people as we can instead of giving a couple a lot) and he looked at me and said "I want 1000riel." The nerve! I could be like a lot of tourists and pretend you're not even alive (This is the tactic used by many tourists to avoid beggers) and not give you anything. Its frustrating that we try to help, but it's never enough and sometimes not even appreciated. Obviously some of them have been jaded by tourists.
During our stay in Sihanoukville we signed up for a PADI open water scuba diving course through a place called EcoSea. The first day we watched the DVD's and filled out the questions. The next day we did the confined underwater session with our instructor. I found it quite overwhelming at first because I felt like I was suffocating from breathing underwater. After a while I got the hang of it and really started to enjoy learning the underwater skills. I've been spending a lot of time swimming and going in pools, which unfortunately triggered an ear infection. The day we had to leave for the island to do the underwater dives, my ear was killing me. I couldn't hear at all, and I couldn't imagine going underwater especially at 10m below the surface. Joey and I had to cancel our course which sucks. We had already passed the exam and did the confined underwater, so now we will be able to go to Thailand with a piece of paper from our dive instructor as a referral. That way we don't have to do the test or confined dive again. Plus, we won't have to pay for the course all over again.
We went to a doctor in Sihanoukville who checked out my ear and said it had actually been infected for a while. This guy spoke perfect French, but wasn't great at English. I knew Joey would come in handy on this trip. To get an inspection of my ear and medication cost $5. It's amazingly cheap to buy pharmaceuticals here. My ear is definitely feeling better but I really dislike being on antibiotics.
Joey and I spent almost a week in Sihanoukville and decided we best be on our way. What better way to travel than on a sleeper bus. I thought we learned our lesson, but apparently not. This bus was mainly just upright sitting seats that were really cushy. Plus you get a blanket and a pillow. Not really my idea of a comfortable sleeper bed. Which was more unfortunate was that there were two babies on the bus sitting close to us , both of which intermittently cried alllllllllllllllllllllll night. Absolutely brutal. I think there have been a couple times during this trip where transportation felt like hell on earth, but this one took the cake.
We arrived in Siem Reap quite early at 6am. Our guesthouse arranged a tuk tuk to pick us up for free which was a godsend. Getting off a bus at a bus station is definitely an experience. You see all the tuk tuk and moto drivers just drooling like wolves when the bus pulls in. When the door opens the hunt for them begins. You will have 5-6 tuk tuk drivers talking to you at once, all trying to undercut the other to get your business. Most of the time Joey and I just decide to walk but this time the bus station was 13km out of town. It was so nice to see a tuk tuk driver holding a sign with our names on it. You belong to them, and the other drivers know this, so they don't even try. It's quite pleasant!
I arranged for us to stay at Jasmine Guesthouse in Siem Reap. It's a cute family run guesthouse that hires disadvantaged youth and younger people from surrounding villages who normally would just be farmers not making much money and not going to school. Mr. Kunn and his wife, Jasmine, are so friendly. Our room is nice and we get free breakfast! We've had a good time here so far.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Cambooooooodia is serious stuff
Didja know that Cambodia is the 10th poorest country in the world? Joey and I had felt like we hadn't seen much poverty until we took the bus to Sihanoukville on the coast. Along the way, we realized how much trouble the people of Cambodia are in. Sihanoukville is a haven for ex-pats and tourists. Unfortunately where the tourists are, are where the poor kids flock to. Kids are begging for money and trying to sell you anything they can. Some of them are quite funny to talk to because they have already been hardened by tourists, and are such smart asses. You'll ask their name and they'll be like "Why would I want to tell you that?" They also have a preprogammed answer to "Why aren't you in school?" which happens to be "Had it this morning" Or if you don't want to buy a bracelet shaped like a squid, their answer will be "Do you think I care?! I don't care!" This is soon followed by the worst cut eye I've experienced from what might be one of the cutest little girls I've ever seen.
Joey and I are feeling overwhelmed. Being asked for money left, right and center is exhausting especially when you know these people depend on it and have no other way of income. These kids can't afford to go to school so they sell bracelets, and sunglasses or the services of others (manicures, massage, waxing etc). It's either this, prostitution, or working in the rock quarry for a lot of kids. Most of them know quite good English from working on the beach and are easy to make friends with until they keep on asking for money. Joey and I had a conversation with a girl for quite some time today at the beach. She was quite keen on selling us an ugly bracelet neither of us wanted. We ended up buying her lunch and that made her happy. Most of the beach kids were super jealous that she was eating in a fancy "westerner restaurant." They couldn't believe that we had bought her something. We mostly did it so she would shut up about the bracelets. Haha. As soon as she was done eating, it was back to the bracelets. Jeeeeeze. We just bought you a huge lunch and you still want us to buy a bracelet? Bug off.
During her lunch with us, we were visited by all her beach friends. One particular young girl kept on asking Joey if he wanted a massage. His answer was that I give him massages. Bad idea, buddy. This led to quite an inappropriate conversation with one girl who quite graphically described what she thought was a massage. I was in disbelief. This young girl, probably not even 7 years old, claims to know what happens behind closed doors at night. We didn't even ask to discuss, she just put it out there. We didn't even know how to respond with what she had just said. It made both of us quite uncomfortable. It's hard to know what to do in a situation like that. You can't scold the child, you shouldn't laugh, and they're not gonna go away if you tell them too. Especially after reading a book called Sex Slaves in Asia which discusses the process of which young girls go through (emotionally and physically) the world of the sex trade. This young girl was obviously being prepared for it by somebody. Either a parent or someone she trusted. It makes me sick to think about.
The sex trade is very apparent here. It's a regular sight to see a fat ugly bald white guy with a hot young Cambodian girl. After reading the book I mentioned previously, I really start to empathize for these girls, and the younger ones who will ultimately be put into the trade. The psychological and physical pain these women go through on a regular basis is unimaginable for me. Today, I saw a old man with a prostitute on the beach. I guess she did something he didn't like because next thing I saw he grabbed her by the face and pushed her down to the ground. Next thing he does is shake his finger at her like she's some kind of dog. I had to contain my anger and walk away. NO ONE should ever have to be treated like that, and it breaks my heart that I'm in a country where this kind of a event (and even worse) happens every day.
Joey and I are enjoying the beach and the pool by our hotel, but both of us are feeling more and more heavy hearted. There is so much pain here. We're so lucky to come from where we do. It's sad to say, we're also lucky for what colour skin we have. It is a very common practice for women in South East Asia to bleach their skin to become more fair. I've seen lots of women who do this, and it surprised me today when one of the young girls on the beach inquired about my sunscreen making her whiter like me. She seemed disappointed that it wasn't going to help her be less Cambodian.
We didn't expect for this trip to be all fun and games. This trip is to open our eyes and see things that make us realize that we can't take life for granted because there are people out there in the world who would do anything (sell themselves, or bleach their skin) for a chance to be us. I apologize if this blog entry is depressing because I don't mean it to be that way. If anything I wish it were more funny, or exciting, but it's just reality for today.
On another note, tomorrow Joey and I are signed up for our Open Water PADI course which will allow us to go scuba diving throughout our trip. It's quite expensive but it was something that we had planned to do while we are here. The first day of the course will involve sitting in a classroom for 5-6 hours, watching DVDs and doing quizzes. The next two days will be on an island nearby where we will actually learn how to dive. We're both pretty excited!
We're also starting to make plans for Christmas. We will more than likely be in Siem Reap for Christmas. We have nothing special planned, but we'll skype with our families for sure. I think if we think about Christmas too much, we'll get more sad. It's been exactly a month since we left. We're starting to miss you guys back home! I hope some of you decide you want to come visit us out here during our journey. It's easier than you think. Yes it's expensive getting out here, but once you are here, it's soooooooo cheap. Think about it ;) haha.
Joey and I are feeling overwhelmed. Being asked for money left, right and center is exhausting especially when you know these people depend on it and have no other way of income. These kids can't afford to go to school so they sell bracelets, and sunglasses or the services of others (manicures, massage, waxing etc). It's either this, prostitution, or working in the rock quarry for a lot of kids. Most of them know quite good English from working on the beach and are easy to make friends with until they keep on asking for money. Joey and I had a conversation with a girl for quite some time today at the beach. She was quite keen on selling us an ugly bracelet neither of us wanted. We ended up buying her lunch and that made her happy. Most of the beach kids were super jealous that she was eating in a fancy "westerner restaurant." They couldn't believe that we had bought her something. We mostly did it so she would shut up about the bracelets. Haha. As soon as she was done eating, it was back to the bracelets. Jeeeeeze. We just bought you a huge lunch and you still want us to buy a bracelet? Bug off.
During her lunch with us, we were visited by all her beach friends. One particular young girl kept on asking Joey if he wanted a massage. His answer was that I give him massages. Bad idea, buddy. This led to quite an inappropriate conversation with one girl who quite graphically described what she thought was a massage. I was in disbelief. This young girl, probably not even 7 years old, claims to know what happens behind closed doors at night. We didn't even ask to discuss, she just put it out there. We didn't even know how to respond with what she had just said. It made both of us quite uncomfortable. It's hard to know what to do in a situation like that. You can't scold the child, you shouldn't laugh, and they're not gonna go away if you tell them too. Especially after reading a book called Sex Slaves in Asia which discusses the process of which young girls go through (emotionally and physically) the world of the sex trade. This young girl was obviously being prepared for it by somebody. Either a parent or someone she trusted. It makes me sick to think about.
The sex trade is very apparent here. It's a regular sight to see a fat ugly bald white guy with a hot young Cambodian girl. After reading the book I mentioned previously, I really start to empathize for these girls, and the younger ones who will ultimately be put into the trade. The psychological and physical pain these women go through on a regular basis is unimaginable for me. Today, I saw a old man with a prostitute on the beach. I guess she did something he didn't like because next thing I saw he grabbed her by the face and pushed her down to the ground. Next thing he does is shake his finger at her like she's some kind of dog. I had to contain my anger and walk away. NO ONE should ever have to be treated like that, and it breaks my heart that I'm in a country where this kind of a event (and even worse) happens every day.
Joey and I are enjoying the beach and the pool by our hotel, but both of us are feeling more and more heavy hearted. There is so much pain here. We're so lucky to come from where we do. It's sad to say, we're also lucky for what colour skin we have. It is a very common practice for women in South East Asia to bleach their skin to become more fair. I've seen lots of women who do this, and it surprised me today when one of the young girls on the beach inquired about my sunscreen making her whiter like me. She seemed disappointed that it wasn't going to help her be less Cambodian.
We didn't expect for this trip to be all fun and games. This trip is to open our eyes and see things that make us realize that we can't take life for granted because there are people out there in the world who would do anything (sell themselves, or bleach their skin) for a chance to be us. I apologize if this blog entry is depressing because I don't mean it to be that way. If anything I wish it were more funny, or exciting, but it's just reality for today.
On another note, tomorrow Joey and I are signed up for our Open Water PADI course which will allow us to go scuba diving throughout our trip. It's quite expensive but it was something that we had planned to do while we are here. The first day of the course will involve sitting in a classroom for 5-6 hours, watching DVDs and doing quizzes. The next two days will be on an island nearby where we will actually learn how to dive. We're both pretty excited!
We're also starting to make plans for Christmas. We will more than likely be in Siem Reap for Christmas. We have nothing special planned, but we'll skype with our families for sure. I think if we think about Christmas too much, we'll get more sad. It's been exactly a month since we left. We're starting to miss you guys back home! I hope some of you decide you want to come visit us out here during our journey. It's easier than you think. Yes it's expensive getting out here, but once you are here, it's soooooooo cheap. Think about it ;) haha.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Phnom Penh: A different world from Vietnam
We made it to Phnom Penh in Cambodia this afternoon after a smooth border crossing with a tour company. As soon as we crossed the border it looked a lot different. The Khmer people look dramatically different from the Vietnamese people and the architecture of the buildings are very different as well. The only thing that remained the same were the cows and water buffaloes on the side of the road.
You can definitely tell that Cambodia is not a communist country because the rich here, are really rich and unfortunately the poor, are really poor. It's really sad to see people who are skin and bones, or children who don't have shoes. One of the saddest things I saw was a young boy carrying around a baby in his arms looking through garbage for food. The city of Phnom Penh is very beautiful, so you begin to wonder where the government spends the money when you see Lexus' everywhere and then children who are begging for money. There are a lot of people looking for handouts from tourists, which I can see is understandable. While Joey and I were enjoying some beers on our guesthouse patio, a boy wearing tattered clothing and no shoes approached us begging for money. He didn't speak a word of English so I asked the server to ask him if he was hungry and if I could buy him some food. He declined, but still stood there begging for money for another 20 minutes.
Cambodia has no social or economic support for amputees or disabled people. These people are usually shunned from the rest of society as well. It really breaks our hearts to feel this privileged and these people have nothing. This trip has really made both of us re-evaluate what we want in life, and how fortunate we are to be from where we come from. If any of you who are reading this, and felt stressed today, try to think about what kind of stress and hardship someone in a country like Cambodia has to go through everyday. It's obviously easy to ignore when you don't have to see it, but it's becoming increasingly harder for Joey and I to deal with. I have really started to realize that most of my worries are very trivial and will soon pass. Living on the street or in dire conditions doesn't pass so easily.
Tomorrow we have hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the Killings Fields which are located 15km from our guest house. The Killing Fields was where over 17,000 men, women and children lost their lives in the late 70's and early 80's during the Pol Pot regime. Their bones and skulls remain in massive graves. 2 millions people overall were killed during this genocide. Cambodia only had a population of 7 million at the time. We will also being visiting an elementary school that had been converted into a prison where people (including children) were tortured before being killed in the Killing Fields. It should be a very sobering day for the both of us.
You can definitely tell that Cambodia is not a communist country because the rich here, are really rich and unfortunately the poor, are really poor. It's really sad to see people who are skin and bones, or children who don't have shoes. One of the saddest things I saw was a young boy carrying around a baby in his arms looking through garbage for food. The city of Phnom Penh is very beautiful, so you begin to wonder where the government spends the money when you see Lexus' everywhere and then children who are begging for money. There are a lot of people looking for handouts from tourists, which I can see is understandable. While Joey and I were enjoying some beers on our guesthouse patio, a boy wearing tattered clothing and no shoes approached us begging for money. He didn't speak a word of English so I asked the server to ask him if he was hungry and if I could buy him some food. He declined, but still stood there begging for money for another 20 minutes.
Cambodia has no social or economic support for amputees or disabled people. These people are usually shunned from the rest of society as well. It really breaks our hearts to feel this privileged and these people have nothing. This trip has really made both of us re-evaluate what we want in life, and how fortunate we are to be from where we come from. If any of you who are reading this, and felt stressed today, try to think about what kind of stress and hardship someone in a country like Cambodia has to go through everyday. It's obviously easy to ignore when you don't have to see it, but it's becoming increasingly harder for Joey and I to deal with. I have really started to realize that most of my worries are very trivial and will soon pass. Living on the street or in dire conditions doesn't pass so easily.
Tomorrow we have hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the Killings Fields which are located 15km from our guest house. The Killing Fields was where over 17,000 men, women and children lost their lives in the late 70's and early 80's during the Pol Pot regime. Their bones and skulls remain in massive graves. 2 millions people overall were killed during this genocide. Cambodia only had a population of 7 million at the time. We will also being visiting an elementary school that had been converted into a prison where people (including children) were tortured before being killed in the Killing Fields. It should be a very sobering day for the both of us.
Hello Hello Hello Hello.. yea
Saigon was a big city. What more to expect? Although it was a lot more modern than the Hanoi in the north. We found a nice guest house that had internet, a/c, and free breakfast. We've heard from other travelers that we can get rooms for a lot cheaper, but we never really asked the details. Internet is crucial for Joey, and A/C is a necessity for the both of us. We were right in backpacker central on Bui Vien Road. Our guest house was tucked away in a little alley way so the sounds of scooters and partiers were non existent, which is the way we like it :) Joey and I are turning into old people. Haha just kidding.
Our first night in Saigon we didn't do too much. Had dinner and then went to bed early. We had booked a Mekong Delta tour for the next day and needed to get our sleep! The morning came too fast. Still not caught up from our sleeper bus experience to and from Mui Ne, we half walked half slept to the tour office. I know we said we wouldn't do anymore tours, but honestly, it's usually the easiest way to see a bunch of sights in one day.
Our tour was unexpectedly decent! We drove to My Tho on the bus and then boarded a boat that took us down and around the Mekong River. The Mekong river is vital to many Asian countries. 6 to be exact: China, Loas, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Passing through that many countries (especially China) makes me wary about what kinda fish comes out of there. Good thing we had pork for lunch. The tour took us to Unicorn Island where they make spectacular coconut candies. The highlight of the tour was getting up close and personal with a real water buffalo. He was really cute and friendly. I also got a little bit friendly with a boa constrictor owned by one of the locals. Joey bribed me into doing it! Another highlight was taking a boat paddled by two local ladies through a jungle like alley way in their island village. It was neat to see what island life meant in the Mekong Delta.
That night Joey and I decided to eat where the locals ate. Enough of these Westerner style restaurants. It was time to sit in plastic children's furniture on the sidewalk and breath in the smoke of the local men. The guy beside us just so happened to speak perfect english. We started discussing the Vietnamese economy, and other questions Joey and I had been itching to ask someone. It was really neat to finally talk to a local that didn't want anything from us, even though he had his own tour business. His friends did not speak very good English but took this as an opportunity to practice, which made it even more fun.
Minh (the English speaking Vietnamese guy) mentioned the idea of playing a game of pool with us at a pool hall about 5 minutes away. Joey and I were a bit skeptical because we've heard of so many scams. It's really unfortunate that we have to have our guard up so much when talking to locals. It's necessary but it really hinders our ability to gain a better perspective on our lives. Who can blame us though? 99% of Vietnamese people who have talked to us during our visit here have wanted something from us.
We had a great time with Minh and his friend at the pool hall. Joey and Minh battled it out with the billiards which left me to entertain Minh's friend who speak minimal English. Tai was his name. He used to be a telegrapher in the Cambodian civil war in the 70's and 80's. He may have not spoke much English but he sure knew how to flatter me. Every second sentence was "You are so charming." "You could be a model" or "You are so happy." Him and I played a game of pool but the bugger forfeit the game because I was so bad and he wanted me to feel like a winner! Joey and Minh played best of 7 games. Unfortunately Joey lost and had to pay for the beers. Minh still chipped in, which we both thought was really nice and somewhat relieving. Joey and I were ecstatic that we had our first real local experience which is pretty hard to do when you are a tourist and on the main tourist trail. We were glad that we spent one of our last nights in Vietnam with locals and getting to know what they are all about.
Our first night in Saigon we didn't do too much. Had dinner and then went to bed early. We had booked a Mekong Delta tour for the next day and needed to get our sleep! The morning came too fast. Still not caught up from our sleeper bus experience to and from Mui Ne, we half walked half slept to the tour office. I know we said we wouldn't do anymore tours, but honestly, it's usually the easiest way to see a bunch of sights in one day.
Our tour was unexpectedly decent! We drove to My Tho on the bus and then boarded a boat that took us down and around the Mekong River. The Mekong river is vital to many Asian countries. 6 to be exact: China, Loas, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Passing through that many countries (especially China) makes me wary about what kinda fish comes out of there. Good thing we had pork for lunch. The tour took us to Unicorn Island where they make spectacular coconut candies. The highlight of the tour was getting up close and personal with a real water buffalo. He was really cute and friendly. I also got a little bit friendly with a boa constrictor owned by one of the locals. Joey bribed me into doing it! Another highlight was taking a boat paddled by two local ladies through a jungle like alley way in their island village. It was neat to see what island life meant in the Mekong Delta.
That night Joey and I decided to eat where the locals ate. Enough of these Westerner style restaurants. It was time to sit in plastic children's furniture on the sidewalk and breath in the smoke of the local men. The guy beside us just so happened to speak perfect english. We started discussing the Vietnamese economy, and other questions Joey and I had been itching to ask someone. It was really neat to finally talk to a local that didn't want anything from us, even though he had his own tour business. His friends did not speak very good English but took this as an opportunity to practice, which made it even more fun.
Minh (the English speaking Vietnamese guy) mentioned the idea of playing a game of pool with us at a pool hall about 5 minutes away. Joey and I were a bit skeptical because we've heard of so many scams. It's really unfortunate that we have to have our guard up so much when talking to locals. It's necessary but it really hinders our ability to gain a better perspective on our lives. Who can blame us though? 99% of Vietnamese people who have talked to us during our visit here have wanted something from us.
We had a great time with Minh and his friend at the pool hall. Joey and Minh battled it out with the billiards which left me to entertain Minh's friend who speak minimal English. Tai was his name. He used to be a telegrapher in the Cambodian civil war in the 70's and 80's. He may have not spoke much English but he sure knew how to flatter me. Every second sentence was "You are so charming." "You could be a model" or "You are so happy." Him and I played a game of pool but the bugger forfeit the game because I was so bad and he wanted me to feel like a winner! Joey and Minh played best of 7 games. Unfortunately Joey lost and had to pay for the beers. Minh still chipped in, which we both thought was really nice and somewhat relieving. Joey and I were ecstatic that we had our first real local experience which is pretty hard to do when you are a tourist and on the main tourist trail. We were glad that we spent one of our last nights in Vietnam with locals and getting to know what they are all about.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Yet another bus from hell.....
To get from Hoi An to Mui Ne we had to take a 20 hour bus ride on a sleeper bus. We had been told to be at our hotel at 6pm by reception. Joey and I decided it would be a good idea to eat at the Indian restaurant we had been to earlier in the week. As we're walking to our hotel we see a sleeper bus drive by. Joey was like "I hope that wasn't our bus...." When we get to our hotel (It's 5:50pm) There is a man waiting outside saying that we need to follow him NOW because our bus has already left and we need to meet up with it. We're running through alley ways in Hoi An trying to catch up with the bus. When we catch up with it, there are about 4 guys grabbing our bags and yelling for us to get on the bus. I made the mistake of not taking my shoes off before I entered the bus, and got an ear full from the driver. Sorry I'm not familiar with Vietnamese bus etiquette.
Obviously we choose the worst seats on the bus. Joey still has the school bus mentality that it's "cool" to sit in the back of the bus. We're in this little corner on the back wheel of the bus. I can feel us driving over pebbles on the street. The A/C didn't work down there so it was blistering hot. Plus the beds we're in don't full recline, and they're so inclined that I kept sliding down. I lasted about 2 hours there before I couldn't take it anymore. As much as I would have liked to be with Joey for the journey, my sanity and beauty sleep are more important.
20 hours later: We arrived in Mui Ne. We had already decided that we were going to stay at the Watering Hole Resort which was rated highly by our Rough Guide book. It was supposed to have a restaurant, a beauty salon, a bar and a travel office. Non of which were open when we arrived. $20 a night bought us a room with 2 of the hardest beds my tush has ever experienced. We were also accompanied by many friends. Ants were everywhere. I took the initiative to use toothpaste to plug up the holes they were entering the room through. Much to my dismay, they'd make another hole somewhere else. I gave up pretty fast. We upgraded the next night to a room directly on the beach which has less ants.
The beach in front of our resort was covered in garbage. Obviously this is a 1 star resort, but still not what we were expecting. Walking the beach involved not getting plummeted with brown waves, and not stepping on articles of clothing, dead crabs, and fishing net. Grrrrrreat. The construction site two doors down really added to the ambiance.
Mui Ne is a weird place. It's definitely set up for hordes of tourists and could accommodate thousands of foreigners if need be. In reality, it's a ghost town. There weren't that many tourists here. Restaurants line the main drag of the town, and pretty much all of them are empty. Most travelers take the precaution of not going to a restaurant with no people, so the vicious cycle continues until one brave soul bites the bullet. Joey and I didn't want to be that brave, so we followed a family of four on their venture. They settled on a place that looked like a little hole in the wall. We were skeptical but after a look at the menu and it's cheap prices we were sold. Other travelers on the road followed suit. Next thing there were 10 people in the restaurant. That's the way it works here. We were greeted with such a kind, warm smile of the owner. He was excited to have customers and even told us that we had made him really happy to have us. Pin spoke very little english but his smile and enthusiasm made up for it. The food was really good and Pin even gave us a special complimentary dessert. We went back there the next day.
We decided that it probably wasn't worth spending a full day on the beach, so Joey and I rented a motorbike for $5. There were lots of jeep tours to the sand dunes outside of town, but much to Joey's disappointment, they wouldn't rent out a jeep to us. It had to be on a tour. The bike would have to do. The bike was a standard and Joey scared me a bit at first. It took him a couple minutes to get used to the shifting. After a few bumps and high revs it was smooth sailing. We made our way to the White Sand dunes which were about 20-25km away from the beach. It was so nice to be doing something on our own instead of a tour. We can stop whenever we like and go wherever we like.
The sand dunes were far more impressive than Joey and I could have imagined. Alluring white mountains of sand with a lush blue lake at the foot. Who would have thought that Vietnam had a desert? This wasn't anything that we had thought we would find in Vietnam. We rented crazy carpets from some boys at the parking lot. 30,000VND wasted. Those crazy carpets did nothing at all. I was quite bummed out because I've gone sledding down dunes before and it's very fun.
We wanted to get back to town before the sun set because we had to drive through a couple of towns, and didn't want to in the dark. I feel pretty safe in Vietnam and there hasn't been a situation where I have every felt threatened, but there's no harm in being cautious.
That night we went for dinner at a place called Luang Tom's. It was recommended in both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide for it's fresh, cheap and tasty seafood. Probably not recommended for their service. One concept that I don't think Vietnamese restaurants have grasped it strategically cooking meals so that every one at a table can eat at the same time. Joey's always the lucky one with his food arriving first. This time, he could have eaten his entire dinner and had dessert plus a beer, by the time mine arrived. It was alright, and probably not worth the wait.
The next day I spent the morning laying on the beach while Joey worked. He had planned to do the same as me, but work got in the way. By the time he was done, it was time to pack up and check out. We had a bus ticket to Saigon that afternoon. Once again we said goodbye to the beach and soldiered on.
Obviously we choose the worst seats on the bus. Joey still has the school bus mentality that it's "cool" to sit in the back of the bus. We're in this little corner on the back wheel of the bus. I can feel us driving over pebbles on the street. The A/C didn't work down there so it was blistering hot. Plus the beds we're in don't full recline, and they're so inclined that I kept sliding down. I lasted about 2 hours there before I couldn't take it anymore. As much as I would have liked to be with Joey for the journey, my sanity and beauty sleep are more important.
20 hours later: We arrived in Mui Ne. We had already decided that we were going to stay at the Watering Hole Resort which was rated highly by our Rough Guide book. It was supposed to have a restaurant, a beauty salon, a bar and a travel office. Non of which were open when we arrived. $20 a night bought us a room with 2 of the hardest beds my tush has ever experienced. We were also accompanied by many friends. Ants were everywhere. I took the initiative to use toothpaste to plug up the holes they were entering the room through. Much to my dismay, they'd make another hole somewhere else. I gave up pretty fast. We upgraded the next night to a room directly on the beach which has less ants.
The beach in front of our resort was covered in garbage. Obviously this is a 1 star resort, but still not what we were expecting. Walking the beach involved not getting plummeted with brown waves, and not stepping on articles of clothing, dead crabs, and fishing net. Grrrrrreat. The construction site two doors down really added to the ambiance.
Mui Ne is a weird place. It's definitely set up for hordes of tourists and could accommodate thousands of foreigners if need be. In reality, it's a ghost town. There weren't that many tourists here. Restaurants line the main drag of the town, and pretty much all of them are empty. Most travelers take the precaution of not going to a restaurant with no people, so the vicious cycle continues until one brave soul bites the bullet. Joey and I didn't want to be that brave, so we followed a family of four on their venture. They settled on a place that looked like a little hole in the wall. We were skeptical but after a look at the menu and it's cheap prices we were sold. Other travelers on the road followed suit. Next thing there were 10 people in the restaurant. That's the way it works here. We were greeted with such a kind, warm smile of the owner. He was excited to have customers and even told us that we had made him really happy to have us. Pin spoke very little english but his smile and enthusiasm made up for it. The food was really good and Pin even gave us a special complimentary dessert. We went back there the next day.
We decided that it probably wasn't worth spending a full day on the beach, so Joey and I rented a motorbike for $5. There were lots of jeep tours to the sand dunes outside of town, but much to Joey's disappointment, they wouldn't rent out a jeep to us. It had to be on a tour. The bike would have to do. The bike was a standard and Joey scared me a bit at first. It took him a couple minutes to get used to the shifting. After a few bumps and high revs it was smooth sailing. We made our way to the White Sand dunes which were about 20-25km away from the beach. It was so nice to be doing something on our own instead of a tour. We can stop whenever we like and go wherever we like.
The sand dunes were far more impressive than Joey and I could have imagined. Alluring white mountains of sand with a lush blue lake at the foot. Who would have thought that Vietnam had a desert? This wasn't anything that we had thought we would find in Vietnam. We rented crazy carpets from some boys at the parking lot. 30,000VND wasted. Those crazy carpets did nothing at all. I was quite bummed out because I've gone sledding down dunes before and it's very fun.
We wanted to get back to town before the sun set because we had to drive through a couple of towns, and didn't want to in the dark. I feel pretty safe in Vietnam and there hasn't been a situation where I have every felt threatened, but there's no harm in being cautious.
That night we went for dinner at a place called Luang Tom's. It was recommended in both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide for it's fresh, cheap and tasty seafood. Probably not recommended for their service. One concept that I don't think Vietnamese restaurants have grasped it strategically cooking meals so that every one at a table can eat at the same time. Joey's always the lucky one with his food arriving first. This time, he could have eaten his entire dinner and had dessert plus a beer, by the time mine arrived. It was alright, and probably not worth the wait.
The next day I spent the morning laying on the beach while Joey worked. He had planned to do the same as me, but work got in the way. By the time he was done, it was time to pack up and check out. We had a bus ticket to Saigon that afternoon. Once again we said goodbye to the beach and soldiered on.
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