Winging It

Note: I have updated the album titled "Australia: Melbourne and Around" with the pictures from the past few days, including the Great Ocean Road trip and a day at Phillip Island. Enjoy!

Summary:

• Friday, 24 Dec: Made breakfast; met up with Martin to search for rental car companies; eventually booked through Thrifty online; went our separate ways for lunch and to rest; took a nap; met up again with Martin to buy food at Queen Victoria Market and then head to Port Melbourne Beach to relax and then meet people for a Couchsurfing BBQ; spent several hours at the beach, watched sunset; headed back to the dorms around 10pm.
• Saturday, 25 Dec: Got up early, showered, packed and checked out of the hostel; picked up rental car and slowly drove through the city to Martin's hostel to pick him up; we realized we had no idea how to get to the Great Ocean Road so stopped at a Holiday Inn, where they printed us a packet for the whole trip; spent the entire day driving along the Great Ocean Road, ending in Warrnambool.
• Sunday, 26 Dec: Went to Tower Hill park west of Warrnambool and climbed around a bit; hit several outlooks along the Great Ocean Road on the way back towards Melbourne, as well as national parks; got in to Melbourne where Martin's couchsurfing host agreed to host me as well.
• Monday, 27 Dec: Picked up a girl Martin had met at his hostel; drove to Philip Island, about two hours away; explored the island for the day; attempted to find a Melbourne city-view from Martin's guidebook, but arrived 30 minutes too late to get in; back to Melbourne and Rachel, our couchsurfing host. 
• Tuesday, 28 Dec: Up early to return car to rental company; walked around Melbourne Central Business District (CBD); watched street performers at Federation Square, visited information center, used internet cafe; headed back to host's house, eating Middle Eastern for a late lunch; played on computer, did my laundry and chatted with host and other surfers.

On Thursday, December 23rd, I met Martin. Martin is a student in Germany who recently finished university and is taking some time to travel before starting up his studies again. On Friday, we searched around for car rental companies, having no luck until we tried online. Even then we paid quite a lot for our car, but decided that we really wanted to do the Great Ocean Road trip, so we went ahead with it. And on Saturday, we were off! It was the beginning of a trip with a stranger, with no plans for accommodation or meals or road maps past the basic tourist maps.

The coastline was beautiful and the weather, while ever-changing, was nice enough to allow short walks on beaches and trails. We jumped in and out of the car fairly often, wowing over the views. We got along pretty well and even the highway driving was fun, if adventurous at times, since driving on the left is a bit strange to me. We did some basic grocery shopping so that we could minimize what we spent on meals. In the evening, we decided to drive another hour past the 12 Apostles, which was the last thing we saw for the day, to Warrnambool. Martin was able to get online on his laptop and found that there was a backpacker (hostel) in that town.


We found one, although not the one he'd found online, and they had dorm beds for $24AUD apiece. It was actually a really nice hostel, with a kitchen and dishes, pool table, free tea and coffee, games, maps, brochures and big tv's. The walls were fairly thin, but otherwise it was a great place.


The next day, we headed to a place I'd found in one of the hostel brochures, Tower Hill. It was a pretty mixture of wetlands and forest, just behind a crest of hills from the ocean. Then we headed back along the Great Ocean Road, taking the whole day to hit different viewpoints that we hadn't seen the day before. The weather wasn't quite as nice, but there were moments of blue sky that were stunning. We got back into Melbourne fairly late, arriving just before midnight at Martin's couchsurfing host's house.

There, we met Rachel, our host, and her other surfer, Nick from Belgium. And soon after that, I was asleep!

The whole trip was one of "winging it." It was a completely comfortable experience, but everything worked out just fine in the end. Rachel has agreed to host me for a couple nights (along with Martin and Nick) and so my last few days in Melbourne will be easy and cheap! Plus, Rachel is an extremely friendly, talkative and lively hostess. It's just too bad that she works nights at her job, because we don't get to hang out as much as I'd like.


Being a bit more "foot loose" was one of my goals for my travels. I tend to over plan, so I've been working on doing minimal planning and seeing what comes up. Usually, things turn out pretty good, or even great!
But it's a hard habit to cultivate, since there's always the sense that by doing this, I'll miss seeing something that I shouldn't miss.


I'm really enjoying Australia. Although the weather is cold so far, it's still beautiful outside. The people are friendly and engaging. And the city of Melbourne is engaging and full of personality that you can feel and see.  

--Z

Mid-Trip Assessment

Note: I have uploaded two posts today, this one and “I’m Getting Too Old for This.” Don’t forget to scroll down and read both of them!

For those who wonder about how I’m handling a trip like this, I figured a general assessment of how I’m doing in various respects would help to put things into perspective. It’s really NOT impossible and sometimes it seems even more doable in many ways than a 9-5 workday, regular lifestyle!

Physically

Physically I’m doing well. I’ve been fairly sick just once, although I’ve suffered some reactions to foods along the way. The one time I was sick, it was pretty severe for about twelve hours, but full recovery took almost a week and a half, possibly longer. I’ve been fairly consistently plagued by bug bites of varying natures, but nothing serious or infected. Occasionally I get a headache or feel out of it, but am generally recovered by the next day. Twice I’ve felt cold/flu symptoms coming on, but have been able to avoid full-fledged sickness. I twisted my ankle once fairly hard in Thailand, but it was find the next day. I’ve suffered only one mild sunburn.

Mentally/Emotionally

Mentally I’m also doing well, at least, in my opinion! There are days I feel lonely or homesick, but in general that doesn’t last too long. Oddly enough, I find this hits the most when I’m amongst a large volume of other travelers, due in part because many people travel with friends or partners and therefore don’t always reach out to the singles. One hurdle I passed recently was the “I’m not on vacation” realization. For about two months, I enjoyed my travels as I would any vacation. Then, I started to feel antsy, as if I should be getting back to work. The only thing is… I don’t have a job to get back to! It was a strange feeling, almost like I was doing something wrong. It takes regular reminding that it’s all right to be traveling, and to be doing nothing on some days, even! I have not felt depressed or driven to go home immediately. And thus far, I haven’t begun to worry about my future.

Financially

I’m doing all right on my budget. As most of you know, I budgeted fairly high for this trip. I had the great intention of tracking everything I spent and reporting on daily food, lodging and transportation costs. Unfortunately, my dedication flagged after just two weeks of trying this, so now I track my expenditures the easy way: every time I withdraw money from the ATM, I put it into my spreadsheet. This eliminates the hassle of converting the currencies daily as well as remembering every Baht, Reil or Dong that I spend. My mindset is generally that I be frugal but not extra-frugal; that I do the things I really want to do, weighing them against other opportunities that I’ll have in the region; and that the money I put aside for travel is for my trip and if I run out early, then so be it. But, I really hope I don’t run out early!

For those that are curious, here is a general summary of my costs so far.Each country’s costs is an average of the number of days in the country and the total amount spent in that country, to include the transportation for getting there (flight, train, boat, etc), food, accommodations, fun extras, gifts, mail (packages and postcards), toiletries and unexpected costs, like new cameras. Oh, and ATM fees, which have ranged from $0 to $10 per transaction.

• South Korea: 15 days: $71 average per day; overall, well under budget.
  • It’s odd that I spent so much, since I didn’t pay for accommodation for most of the trip. Unexpected costs included a new camera when my old one broke. Big extras were a flight to Jeju Island.
• Hong Kong: 6 days: $89 average per day; overall, slightly under budget.
  • Again, no lodging costs, but Hong Kong is expensive. Big extras included a trip to Macau and a night-time cruise in Victoria Harbor.
• Thailand: 16 days: $92 average per day; overall, slightly under budget.
  • Some lodging costs; traveled with short-term travel friends for half the time; bought lots of souvenirs and some tailor-made clothes; two day trips with a guide.
• Vietnam: 20 days: $58 average per day; overall, well under budget.
  • Paid for all but three nights lodging; shared several nights lodging with another traveler; big extras were a trip to Halong Bay, a new camera when I lost my other new one, and a motorbike trip in the countryside for three days; ate primarily street food.
• Cambodia: 19 days: $30 average per day; overall, WAY under budget.
  • Paid for all lodging; shared several nights of lodging; ate street food and restaurant food; big extras included three-day pass to Angkor, boat trip to Battambang and a boat day-trip in Sihanoukeville.
• Thailand: 2 days: $72 average per day; overall, slightly under budget.

So, as you can see, I’m under budget! So far I think that I’ll be able to keep slightly under budget in Australia and New Zealand, but I’ll really have to be careful on the big extras. There are just so many to choose from: sailboat trips, sky diving, guided day trips, etc. It helps that I’ll be staying with friends for about two weeks in NZ, but after that, we’ll have to see.

Packing

Thus far, I haven’t found anything that I missed packing. There are a few things I haven’t used yet, but nothing that I will send home. I may have to buy some warmer everyday clothes for Australia and New Zealand, because it’s cooler than I expected. My hiking boots are a bit heavy to lug around, but I’m glad that I have them. My electronics have all worked out quite well, although the used cell phone I bought doesn’t hold a charge worth a damn. My hats are the one thing I haven’t used as much as expected. My packs are holding up fine. While fairly unused, my medical kit keeps me feeling safe and comfortable.

Summary

All in all, so far so good! I’ll try to remember to do these mid-trip assessments every three months or so, to see what may have changed!

--Z

I’m Getting Too Old for This

Photos: Australia: Melbourne and Around

Note: I’ve added a link to Martin’s blog to the right. Take a look, he’s got a fabulous camera and is a pretty good photographer! To find out who Martin is, read this blog post. :)

• Monday, 20 Dec: Wandered around Khao San Road area, visiting bookshops and trying to barter a good deal to sell or trade my old books (SE Asia guidebook, Millenium book #2, and a language book for SE Asian countries) so that I could get a good price on Millenium #3 and a guidebook for Oz and/or NZ. I ended up paying about $10 for Millenium and $8 for a 2010 NZ guidebook. Woo! Otherwise, puttered around, played on computers and peoplewatched; at dinner, an older woman named Ingrid asked me to sit with her, then help her on the computer, then walk her back to her hotel; she was a trip! Resisted urge to cut my hair super short and dye the stubble bright blue. Also attempted to sink wash clothes to get the stench out.
• Tuesday, 21 Dec: Slept in; street food breakfast; read book; did last computer chores; bought an airport minivan ticket; at a huge late lunch; left for airport at 5pm, arrived at 7:00pm due to traffic; bought some treats and water, the latter which was not allowed on the plane due to Australian restrictions; boarded flight, finished my book after two hours, went to sleep. Annoyed that JetStar charges $3 for a cup of tea, $8 for a blanket and $12 for meals, and keep the cabin ice cold.
• Wednesday, 22 Dec: Arrived Melbourne feeling groggy and dehydrated; spent an hour and a half at the airport clearing customs (had to declare my food, which consisted of a bag of dried mango chips and some herbs) and then hanging out at the information desk to figure out a place to lodge; finally decided on Melbourne International Backpackers (MIB) and bought SkyBus ticket to city; made transfer to a free bus to my hostel; arrived, checked into a 6-bed dorm, ate at a Malaysian place for lunch and then took a three hour nap; went to Queen Victoria Night Market with some dorm-mates and had Middle-Eastern for dinner; fell asleep at 11pm.
• Thursday, 23 Dec: Slept very well! Availed myself of free breakfast – cereal for the first time in almost three months! Then set out to explore local Melbourne area: free City CIrcle Tram, saw Dockside and some cool city streets; meandered around for most of the day; met a Couchsurfer interested in renting a car to explore the Great Ocean Road; bought food to cook for dinner/lunch; ate at hostel; developed a major headache and went to bed.

 

No, I’m not too old for traveling. I’m too old for dorms. I’m too old for the girls hooking up with guys in the top bunks, pretending to be asleep when you walk in unexpectedly. Too old for the girls whose best friends are insanely jealous and shoot adoring looks at the guy with whom their friend is hooking up. Too old for clambering into the top bunk and waiting for the lower-bunk girl to stop squirming around.

I never thought I’d feel too old for this!

It’s not all bad. I don’t mind the laundry that is currently hanging on jury-rigged clothesline across the room. And the guy causing all the trouble is actually a fairly nice-seeming guy from London. It’s just the drama that seems a bit much, is all. Girls who haven’t outgrown high school and college level emotional turmoil and tendencies get a bit annoying, but hey – they are just out of “uni” as they call it, so I suppose I should give them leeway.

Melbourne is a hoppin’ place! It’s so modern and clean and lively! It must be said that I’m suffering severe stickershock, and it’s well justified. Not only is it difficult coming from Asia to Australia in the first place; Australia is also just really friggin’ expensive! A big bottle of water cost me $3.20 today (and AUD=USD at the moment). In Cambodia it would be $0.50. Oy. Internet at my hostel? $3 an hour. In Bangkok, it was about $1 an hour. And my half a bunk bed here costs $26 per night. An ensuite double, by myself, cost at most $10 per night in Asia. Ouch!

The weather is quite cool but also very sunny. From what I understand, I seem to have brought the good weather with me; it was apparently rain and even cooler temps before. The streets are paved evenly and the sidewalks are good for walking upon. It’s quite the contrast from Cambodia’s dirt roads and decimated sidewalks when they even existed. Oh, and the showers! Sure, I’m using shared bathrooms, but the showers are hot and have great pressure! I’ll admit I was not eco-friendly this morning as I reveled for twenty minutes in the fabulous heat.

There are many beautiful parks in Melbourne, which I fully intend on taking advantage of by reading, napping or wandering through them. There are a few free things to do, although the things that cost seem to cost a lot (like $20 for entry to the aquarium). I found a couple of streets that were filled with beautiful graffiti, which was fun to peruse like an art gallery. I found two places so far with free wi-fi: the state library and Foundation Square. I love the feeling of a clean, smoothly running city.

My plans for my time in Melbourne include attending a Christmas Eve BBQ on the beach with the local couchsurfers here; a three-day trip with a German couchsurfer named Martin, up the Great Ocean Road and back, to include Phillip’s Island; and that’s about it so far. Tomorrow I will explore the area some more, particularly to buy some gifts and souvenirs and maybe some warm clothes, if I can find anything affordable.

Oh! And I love how friendly Australians are, and that they call me “love” or “darling” as a matter of course and not in a weird way.

Sticker shock? Yes. Culture shock? Of course. Still happily traveling? Absolutely!

--Z

Connecting with Cambodia

Photos: Cambodia: Battambang

• Thursday, Dec 16: Relaxed and chatted with Aroma boys in the morning; took cooking class at Tigre de Papier and made fish amok and mango salad; spent the rest of the day chatting and hanging out with the Aroma boys; dinner with Sebastian (lok lak again); bought beers for the guys at the guest house; said good-byes.
• Friday, Dec 17: Took morning “bus” (really a small pickup with twenty passengers stuffed into it) to Tonle Sap pier; took slow boat to Battambang, took about eight hours; checked in to Paris Hotel with Gretta; dinner at White Rose; to bed early!
• Saturday, Dec 18: Up for breakfast at 8am; took a tuk-tuk to the bamboo train and discovered the corruption of new tourist attractions; explored Phom Sampeou with a fourteen-year-old as our guide; relaxed back at the room; out for a late lunch/early dinner; massage by Seeing Hands; out for a drink; to bed at midnight.
• Sunday, Dec 19: Up early to catch bus; said good-bye to Gretta; caught minivan to bus station; bus to Poipet; mini-van to border, where we were dropped off in the middle of a roundabout; walked through border control, first Cambodian side and then, longer wait at the Thai side; somewhere inbetween my bus ticket was taken and exchanged for a piece of blue tape; on Thai side, a minivan picked us up and we drove for three hours to Bangkok; dropped off in Khao San area; checked into same guest house as before.

 

The last week and a half has been an amazing run of meeting fascinating people. In Sihanoukeville, a hippy Turkish couple started making me realize that I wasn’t allowing myself to connect with the local people. The care they took in learning about their hosts at the guest house, knowing their names and situations and personalities, was a real wakeup call for me. I like to think of myself as friendly and out-going and open-minded, but as I’ve been traveling I’ve picked up an “us vs them” mentality. That is to say, a “tourist versus local” kind of view. This was really cemented in Vietnam.

Kampot showed me that the Cambodians are kind and caring, when they offered quiet support and care during my sick days, but I still didn’t learn the names of the guys who brought me fruit and asked how I was feeling. In Kep and Rabbit Island, I kept mostly to myself. In Sihanoukeville, I learned about the young girls working at the guest house and it’s restaurant, thanks to the Turkish couple. I learned to relax and joke with the Cambodian employees at the guest house, instead of just viewing them as servers. And when I made it to Siem Reap, I met someone who completed the lesson for me: Vivi from Germany.

When I arrived at the Aroma Daily guest house in Seam Reap, I was tired. It had been a twelve-hour bus day, complete with an army of tuk-tuk drivers clamoring for my attention and business the minute I stepped off the bus. At the time I was frustrated, but my tuk-tuk driver ended up taking me to a guest house that had me hooked from the moment I arrived. Two women about my age, whom I couldn’t see because they were sitting out in the dark courtyard, called out, “Hello!” when we pulled up. I checked in to a room and immediately came downstairs, asking if I could join the girls. They were Vivi from Germany and Gretta from Australia. I didn’t realize at first that there were several Cambodian men sitting with them, and when I did, I felt awkward.

That lasted all of thirty seconds. Vivi introduced me to everyone, and everyone seemed quite glad to meet me and make room for me to sit and join them. The next five days  were such fun! Not only were the temples amazing and breathtaking, but my experiences just sitting and chatting with Trea, Sam, Same, Taom, Sopheak, Srei and Savannah, not to mention Vivi and Gretta, was a real treat. I learned – somewhat - to interpret their humor, to repeat a few words and learn a bit of the language, and to get to know these people. To tell the truth, Vivi’s openness, friendliness and absolute adoration for all things Cambodian – including her boyfriend/fiance – was completely  infectious and made me feel at ease right away. She is one of those characters that make an everlasting impression on you in a multitude of ways.

I was in Siem Reap for six days and after my first day, I most looked forward to meeting and chatting with the Aroma boys. Trea was quiet and barely said anything, but when he laughed, his whole face lit up. Sam was friendly and eager. Same was a wanna-be player/gangster, but in a joking way; he teaches the others Khmer boxing and makes quite a show if he thinks he’s been slighted. Taom seemed younger than the others and was pretty  excitable, but was the first to 

jump up when I came downstairs. Sopheak, brother to the woman who ran the guest house, was serious until I managed to draw him out a bit. He didn’t smoke or drink like the others, so he was a bit apart, but one-on-one he was wonderful to talk to. His English was the best out of everyone. Srei was playful and head over heels in love with  Vivi, who felt the same about him. And Savannah was also a surprise, since I had felt uncomfortable around him at first and later, he would flash a huge grin at me and wave when I went by. Unfortunately, VIvi and Srei left after my second day; they were going to Srei’s parent’s house, to introduce Vivi and announce their plans for marriage. They got back after I had left for Battambang. 

I hope that I’m able to hold onto the lesson I feel like I was learning in Cambodia: to view and treat and talk to all these locals as real people, not just salespeople 

catering to tourists. It will be hard and in some cases impossible – the big cities are toughest – but my six days in Siem Reap really taught me the reality of travel: meeting not just other travelers, but the locals who are proud of their country and want to share everything  with those willing to listen. 

When I answered the Aroma boy’s question of whether I would come back to Cambodia, they frowned. “Don’t say maybe,” they insisted. “That means you don’t care.”

I can say yes with no hesitation. Cambodia is the first place I’ve been where I felt absolutely drawn to return, whether for another visit or to work I’m not sure. It’s such a mix of rough living conditions and devastating poverty that it surprises me that I want to go back. While I was sick I was terrified that I would need, and not have access to, medical help. I don’t think it would be easy to work or volunteer in Cambodia, in terms of living there.

But I can say absolutely: Yes, I will come back to Cambodia.

--Z

Tackling a World Wonder: Angkor and Around

Photos: Cambodia: Siem Reap, Angkor and Around

Wednesday, Dec 8: Hiked around Rabbit Island on my own; sunned; swam; read books; relaxed.

Thursday, Dec 9: Took morning boat back to Kep; hung out in cafe with Austrian/Norwegian couple; took bus to Sihanoukeville; checked in to Apple Guest House; met hippy Turkish couple; went to the beach, braved beggars and salesgirls, swam in the ocean; ate dinner at place recommended by Austrian/Norwegian couple and enjoyed amok; chatted with Turkish couple.

Friday, Dec 10: Went on boat cruise run by a German guy; snorkeled at a coral reef; wallowed in gorgeous waters at a nature preserve area; visited island of the rich; had a nice evening and dinner with the Turkish couple at Apple Guest House.

Saturday, Dec 11: Took bus to Siem Reap, took from 7:30am to 7:00pm! Insistent but nice tuk-tuk driver took me to three guest houses (not including the one I requested), the first two were full, last one had available double; checked in to Aroma Daily guest house and met Vivvy (German) and Gretta (Australian), two friendly girls staying there; learned about Vivvy’s life, which involves moving to Cambodia permanently and marrying her Cambodian boy Srei; dinner with Sebastian and Sam, had fermented fish dip.

Sunday, Dec 12: Explored Siem Reap city center area near Pub Street; joined Vivvy and Gretta for a late breakfast; visited Artisans d’Angkor; wandered around town a bit more; met more of the Aroma boys who work the tuk-tuks and guest house; felt instantly part of the group there; went to see sunset at Phnom Bakheng; met Nikki and Mariana from Couchsurfing for dinner and chatting; met Vivvy, Gretta, Sebastian (French) and Srei at Angkor What Club for drinks and dancing.

Monday, Dec 13: Met Mariana and hired tuk-tuk to explore temples: Angkor Wat, Baksei Chamkrong, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Royal Palace, Terrace of the Elephants and Ta Prohm for sunset; Tuesday, Dec 14: Bicycled with Gretta; breakfast in Siem Reap, yummy toast with tomato and avocado with a vinaigrette; biked to Rolous group of temples and visited Preah Ko and Bakong; spent the rest of the day recovering; dinner with Sebastian and Sam, had lok lak.

Wednesday, Dec 15: Sunrise at Angkor Wat with Gretta and Mariana; breakfast there; visited Neak Pean and Ta Som with them; hired female moto-driver to take me to Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean, quite far north; loved wading in the waters at Kbal Spean; out to dinner with Gretta and Mariana at Happy Special Pizza, but didn’t experience the “happy.” Hung out with the Aroma boys at the guest house.

 

I didn’t know much about Angkor Wat, except that it was famous and, as friends and family had recalled, monumental and imposing. When I arrived in Siem Reap, I knew that I had to buy a one, three or seven day pass, and that as a bonus, I could catch a sundown on the day before my pass became “active” if I bought the pass after 5pm. I had also heard that biking around the temples was a fantastic way of seeing the temples. I was vaguely aware that there were more temples than “just” Angkor Wat, but until I traded for a book about the temples, on Rabbit Island, I had no idea how many.

My book alone covered fifty-two ruins of various sizes, of which Ankgor was just one. On my first full day in Siem Reap, I hired a tuk-tuk to take me out to the park entrance, where the passes were sold, at 5pm. I paid my $40 USD for a three day pass and he then took me to Phnom Bakheng for sunset. He dropped me off and parked amongst the dozens of other tuk-tuks and moto-bikes. It was a fifteen minute walk up a hill on a well-trodden path, with glimpses of the setting sun through the thick growth of trees. At one point, I passed a group of land mine victims playing musical instruments. It was a surreal introduction to the temples and to some of the sadder truths of Cambodia.

When I got to the temple itself at the top of the hill, I sighed. There were people all over the stones, detracting greatly from the majesty and grandeur of my first temple viewing. They were like ants, milling around and climbing and descending, jockeying for the best views of the setting sun. I took a deep breath and clambered up the steep, small stairs, at times supporting myself with my hands on the next highest step. For the next hour, I walked around the temple ruins, admiring the crumbling lions and incredibly vast views offered from the top of the surrounding landscape. The setting sun was beautiful, of course, but for me the magic lay in the ruins themselves. I stayed until it was dark and had a close call when I slipped going down the steps, stopping myself with my face against someone’s leg.

The next day, I tackled several temples with a Couchsurfer I’d met named Mariana, from Brazil. We hired a tuk-tuk and first explored Angkor Wat, late in the morning, and that took us almost two hours. It’s a huge, sprawling city of a ruin, with so many separate structures that it’s hard to describe. There were ridiculously long walls, which were completely covered with intricate carvings depicting historical accounts and religious stories. It blew my mind that these were almost a thousand years old in some cases, these carvings that were so detailed and fantastic that artists today still copy them.

We spent the day going from temple to temple, getting used the the architectural set-up and religious overtones of the ancient buildings. We ended at Ta Prohm, which is where Tomb Raider, with Lara Croft, was filmed. It’s actually nicknamed the Tomb Raider temple, sad to say. We spent sunset there, properly amazed at the takeover of nature: the trees and  their roots were slowly 

The next day, I bicycled out to a group of temples called the Rolous Group. I went with

On my third and last day, I went with both Mariana and Gretta to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was raining when we got there around 5:30am. With a crowd of other people which  was certainly smaller than 

ripping apart various sections of the temple. In some cases, the roots alone were far taller than me. The evening light filtered through the trees and offered a truly eerie sense of the place. The forest critters became noisy, adding a natural music which really made the huge trees seem even more alive. All in all, while I was impressed by the temples and enjoyed pondering the age, I can’t say I was terribly overcome with awe. My favorite of the day was Ta Prohm.

Gretta, an Australian girl I’d met at my guest house. The ride itself was not pretty until we got out of Siem Reap. One way was a distance of about twelve kilometers and it was a hot, hot day. The temples themselves were small and pretty. We didn’t take very long to explore them, maybe two hours, before heading back to the guest house. Bicycling was a great way to go, although because we went to a far-flung group, I don’t think I got the full effect of cycling the ruins. In retrospect, I should have bicycled to the main complex and taken a tuk-tuk to the further places.

usual due to the rain, we waited for the sun to light up the clouds. The pictures I captured were far more brilliant than the experience itself, although the rain did let up and eventually stop. My favorite moment was that point where I blinked and suddenly it was light out. The towers of Angkor Wat were not stunning but they were imposing and majestic. It is hard to imagine that a thousand years ago, monks and royalty and a city of people witnessed the sight every day.

We then rode in our tuk-tuk to two other temples, one of which – Ta Som - I really, really liked. It had four square pools around a central pool and was accessible only via a wooden bridge of wood planks through a sort of marshland. It was serene and you could easily picture the contemplation and prayer that went on there centuries ago. Also, we spotted a beautiful king fisher perched in center pool’s small temple, his brilliant blue and gold body flashing in the 

sun. Apart from an annoyingly loud Japanese tourist who insisted on shouting everything to his friends, it was a great visit.

At this point, Gretta and Mariana were finished and I decided to head north via motobike to visit another far-flung grouping of ruins. The novelty of this trip was two-fold: first, I hired a woman motobike driver, the first I’d ever seen. Don’t get me wrong, women ride motorbikes everywhere; it’s just that they don’t generally take tourists. The second part of the novelty was that I was on my own, finishing my temple-touring as I’d started it with that first sunset: with just my own sense of time and wandering and thoughts.

First I hit Banteay Srei, which was crawling with a few bus-loads of tourists but contained some incredible carvings and a layout that for me was easy to picture whole. Then I went to Kbal Spean, which is not a temple but merely carvings done by ancient hermits long ago, in rocks now laying in the middle of a stream on broken pieces of stone. I waded in the water and thoroughly enjoyed myself, moreso when my motobike driver joined me with  bananas, cold water and gleeful splashing in the stream. That day ended on an incredibly high note and I was well pleased, even though I was too tired to last until a final sunset viewed from a different temple.

So, I did the temples of Angkor alone and with friends, via tuk-tuk and motorbike and bicycle. I was not as awestruck as I had hoped and expected to be, but the experiences are ones that I don’t think I’ll soon forget.

--Z

Appreciation

Photos: Cambodia: Kampot, Kep & Rabbit Island

• Saturday, Dec 4: Started recovering in Kampot, ate very plain fare, took two short walks that exhausted me; read my book, listened to iPod, e-mailed and napped.
• Sunday, Dec 5: Continued recovering; rented a bicycle and meandered slowly around Kampot; continued with simple foods and apple juice; felt very drained and sad, but attributed this to antibiotics; took a second bicycle ride and tried to figure out what I wanted to do in the coming days; very low energy but no more being sick.
• Monday, Dec 6: Took afternoon bus to Kep, just a forty-five minute bus-ride away from Kampot; met a couple, guy from Austria, girl from Norway, and we decided to search for a guest house together; after three places, we settled on Cham Kep, which faced the west and was on the coast; I wandered a bit on my own in the evening; went to crab market, which is a row of small shack restaurants specializing in crab; enjoyed relaxing in a hammock and watching the sun set; slept well. Finished antibiotics.
• Tuesday, Dec 7: Took a thirty minute boat from Kep to Rabbit Island; paradise; spent the day reading, napping, swimming and sunning. Very quiet island paradise with palms, blue waters and bungalows with simple toilets; had dinner with the same couple, but otherwise relaxed on  my own.

My appetite and energy have returned, although I’m still a bit nervous when I eat. I’ve got a bit of a sun burn on my face and shoulders. I’m sandy even when I do my best to towel off. And I am loving every minute of being on Rabbit Island.

Last night, the generator turned on around 7pm, when it got dark. At 9:30pm, it shut off, and then the island was quiet, besides the insects and the waves. I slept quite peacefully, with the constant light breeze creeping through the gaps of my rustic bungalow and keeping me cool. Right now I’m relaxing in front of my $7/night bungalow, on it’s small porch, where a hammock supports me and swings each time I shift. I can look out and see the blue sky with thing wisps of cloud; palm trees by the dozens, soaring into that sky; the gorgeous blue water rippling in the wind; bamboo platforms scattered all around, with lazy sunbathers snoozing, reading or pondering the sea lying on top; boats at anchor; and the wandering island-dweller, doing chores or scattering the roaming chickens, dogs or cats.

Today I traded in my book (“Hawaii” by Michener, I recommend it!) at one of the bars for a book on Angkor, which I will see in several days. I also wandered around the island for about two hours, following paths that looked not often used, and sometimes wondering if I was on a path at all. I got to see all sides of the island: rocky beaches, mangroves, muddy waters, clear waters, villages of the island community, abandoned boats. In some waters were row upon row of clear plastic water bottles, bobbing on the waters in a pattern indicating some kind of fish farm or net.

Today I’ve been thinking a bit about how lucky I am to have the friends and family that I do. It’s odd, considering I haven’t been with any friends or family for over a month now. When I was sick, though, I managed to Skype with my parents twice each day for three full days, and that was such a comfort and a help when I was feeling so terrible. E-mailing with friends also helped, and getting to read about their goings-on and daily lives was a way for me to escape my own hot, uncomfortable days.

There are times when I silently berate myself for being so dependent on others. Shouldn’t I be completely independent, able to support myself through good times and bad, toughing out the loneliness and enjoying the high points all by myself?

The thing is, I decided today, I should count myself incredibly lucky and instead of berating myself, I should be congratulating myself. How fortunate I am to have such a great family, such caring and communicative friends, and how awesome is it that technology allows me to pipe them into my life? Far from being dependent on other people, I think today that my independence shows itself most strongly when I am able to share it with others in my life. And if sometimes I ease my difficult times by sharing my thoughts and frustrations with them, then that’s also perfectly all right: it’s the kind of person I am, that I can enjoy more fully and suffer less intensely when I can chat it out with others.

So, thank you to you all, for letting me tell you all the details of my daily life on my travels, both trivial and momentous, ugly and beautiful. I can’t tell you how much it helps me experience things in different and meaningful ways, and how it makes me feel like loneliness is impossible, with a world full of people like you.

--Z

Recovery, I Hope

Photos: Cambodia: Crossing the Border

• Monday, Nov 29, evening: Arrived at Chau Doc “floating hotel” in the midst of a rain storm; electricity intermittent; stayed by myself in three-bed room, no AC; nearby bachelor’s party an interesting experience, with 1.5L water bottles filled with homemade rice wine; loud music, karaoke, all the men quite happy to have foreigners to party with; went to bed around 10pm.
• Tuesday, Nov 30: Up early for breakfast; harangued to buy a fast boat ticket, $5 more than the slow boat, finally gave in; we visited a fish farm and a small floating market, then were put on the “fast boat” around 8:30am, which supposedly would arrive in Phnom Penh around 2pm; arrived in Phnom Penh around 6pm, all passengers having decided we were ripped off by having paid for a fast boat but been put on a slow boat; border crossings went easily, only over-charged by $2; met Heather from England on the boat and we checked out four hotels in Phnom Penh, before settling on a $6 double room; went out for expensive but quite tasty dinner.
• Wednesday, Dec 1: Slept in; visited Security Office 21, high school turned prison during Pol Pot regime, and nearby killing fields; very intense, disgusting and horrific; incredibly hot day; head cold worsened, tired easily; went to Russian Market and ate stall foods for lunch; attempted to visit Grand Palace but it was closed; wandered around a bit then headed back to hotel; dinner in the hotel; was not feeling well, took cold medicine.
• Thursday, Dec 2: Felt better in the morning; walked up to Wat Phnom on the only hill in the city; walked down to Grand Palace but it was closed for lunch; went to National Museum which was quite nice, but I didn’t have the focus to really delve into it; ate at “Friends Cafe,” which had a lovely mango-papaya salad and sun-dried tomato dip; took a moto back to hotel for 1pm bus to Kampot, but were told the bus was broken and we were rebooked on a 1:45pm bus; mini-van came at 1:55pm and rushed us to the bus, which was full; we had to sit on plastic chairs set in the aisle and next to the driver; arrived in Kampot about an hour late; found Pepper Guest House double room to stay in; ate next door, yummy food, but I wasn’t feeling well so turned in early.
• Friday, Dec 3: Woke up at 7am when Heather came stumbling in from a wild night out; promptly began having traveler’s diarrhea every fifteen to thirty minutes, which was soon accompanied by vomiting; hot, miserable, sweaty, sick; out of bed at 4pm when Heather left to bicycle around; got staff to clean bathroom, change sheets; they were nice, offering me plates of fruit (I nibbled in the evening) and a ride to the doctor’s if I needed it; Skyped with folks; to bed around 9pm, having not vomited since 4pm and the rest seemingly better, but still nauseous.

I’m sitting in a single papasan-style chair, the kind with a round wicker basket and a cushion in it. One foot is propped up on the small table in front of me and my view is quite pretty: palm trees, hanging plants, a little lawn with some flowers. I’m at the Pepper Guest House in Kampot, resting and feeling like I’ve been hiking all day. In reality, I was in bed until 8am, ate a meager breakfast of one small baguette with a little butter and jam, sipped about a quarter cup of apple juice, and Skyped with my mom. Then I walked with Heather for about twenty minutes around the small town, which completely exhausted me. It’s quite hot today and my two bottles of water are within reach.

I finally succumbed to what every traveler gets at some point: traveler’s diarrhea. Luckily, I seem to have passed the worst of it, which was quite bad and I’m glad to leave it behind. There’s something terribly unromantic about the sweaty, nauseating business of traveler’s diarrhea, even if it is in the midst of a pretty little place like Kampot.

My plan is to let myself recover here in Kampot for a couple of days. Today I will probably not do much more than nap, attempt to eat some plain, steamed rice, read, and catch up on captioning my pictures. I’ve begun the course of one of the antibiotics I brought with me and will continue taking that for another two days. I’m not hungry in the least and I’m quite hot and tired, but still, I feel so much better than yesterday that it’s laughable.

Perhaps tomorrow, if I’m feeling still better, I’ll take a bike ride around town and outside of town. On Monday, if I’m feeling almost 100%, I’ll head to Kep for a day trip, and then Tuesday to Sihanoukeville, where beaches await.

Apologies for the short post, but I do believe it’s time for a nap. For everyone who celebrates it, have a lovely Chanukah, full of lights, latkes and love.

--Z