Angkor What?

Cambodia has been a blast so far. The reason for not updating any sooner was due to the speed of the internet here. Its unreasonably slow, barely working half the time.

I started off in Sihanookville where I met the craziest people in the world. It seems that all ex-convicts from the UK, Australia and New Zealand like to reside here. I met a nice Belgium by the name of Jack who has been living there for over a year. He owns a bar appropriately named Jack's Shack where I met many of the western locals. I was the youngest by far, but it was still nice to meet people from different types of backgrounds. Having a friend who owns a bar on the beach means lots and lots of drinks. I ended up passing out on the beach. A French named Elvire was nice enough to take me back home haha.

Next was Kampot where the sky turned a dark greyish tone and the rain was relentless. I signed up for another trek up Bokor Mountain. Not only was it literally 40 degrees hike, but the rocks that lined the trail made it a relentless climb to the top. The sights at the top were covered in mist. Many of the building are remnants of Kampot's rich past. Casino, large hotels and other grand buildings now lie alone above the mountain shaded in mist. During the Khmer Rouge period, these buildings were used as a base for their activities. I could hear the erie silence coming from across the fields that surround the buildings.

The capital city Phnom Pehn was next. A bus ride from Kampot costed me $5 and 5 very long hours. Once there I found a guesthouse built on the lake in backpackersville. Of course the room costed me only $2USD. I met a bunch of other lonely travellers and had a great dinner. The next day, Michael and myself went to a shooting range and each shot a gun. I never knew guns had such a recoil. My AK-47 blasted through a brick wall and the butt nearly took my shoulder off. The killing fields was next. Thousands of skulls stacked atop each other marked the massacre of the Khmer Rouge. Super glad I shot the guns before I arrived at the killing fields, I wouldnt have wanted to shoot anything after this. The sightseeing took me to S-21, a highschool converted into a torture camp for supposed enemies of the Khmer Rouge. Again it left a nasty taste in my mouth as I tried to understand the killings.

Siem Riep is where I am at the moment. It is city that carries a laid back vibe that pulses to the beat of the overwhelming temples nearby in Angkor Wat. Massive temples line the sights, many dating back over a thousand years ago. On the first day we biked our way throughout a number of temples and watched the sun set15m high at the top of a temple. Today we woke up at 4 and caught a tuktuk to see the sunrise at yet another temple. The sights are amazing of course as I walked through the same temple Tomb Raider was filmed. Nightlife here is amazing as my buddies and I laugh through the night with a couple of Angkor beers.

Next Stop

After two nights of rapid partying, the group has dispersed onto different locations. The Canadian boys have moved on the Laos, Alice and Mathew are heading south to the islands and I am going to Cambodia. Its sad to see everyone go, but I cant wait to see Cambodia with my own eyes.

Yes Man, Best Movie Ever

After residing in busy Bangkok for three days, I left to Chang Mai. No longer are crazy tuk-tuk drivers trying to mow me down on the road, no longer are the mass number of western men strolling around with a friendly female. Chang Mai is a mix of relaxation and adventure.

Day 1: Arrived at Chang Mai train station (15 hr ride). Met two Dutch girls and two Canadians on the bus ride to BMP the guesthouse. Moored around the pool and met yet another Canadian and a Brit who just so happens to be a soldier. Went to Night Market with Canadian boys and had dinner. Watched a guy get KO'd at a Muay Tai match, the ground went nuts. Had a beer at Cream bar (turned out to be a male dominated bar *coughing*), then went to V Bar for another.

Day 2: Woke up early to drive off into the countryside. Hiked up to Karen village with the two boys and two Dutch girls. Chad, Geoff, Lisette and Kristen. Earlier we caught frogs during the trek. We cooked and ate them later for dinner, didnt expect frogs to be so good. Party all night with the two boys and the locals there. Had a chit chat with King Kong (local), Pun (guide) and the boys.

Day 3: Lazed around all morning and had great breakfast. HIked to another village. Bathed in a waterfall two seconds walk from the village. Had curry for dinner (fantastic) and played some more drinking games later on. Sat beside a campfire and talked til I was too tired to move. Slept like a baby in a hut with the sound of the waterfall lulling me to sleep.

Day 4: Lazed around in the morning yet again and had toast and eggs. Hiked an hour to an elephant conservation camp. Screamed with delight on top of an elephant as it threw its trunk back for bananas. Moved on to a river to race down its rapids on a bamboo raft.

Sorry for the short summeries, but I havnt been able to get any sort of internet since the trek. Pictures will be uploaded when I find a cardreader.

The Canadian boys taught me something real interesting. On the plane from Canada, they watched Yes Man the movie with Jim Carrey. Since then, they have been following in his footsteps by saying yes to everything. This mentality was then transferred to me. As of the trek I have done things I never thought possible, such as frog eating, trusting the locals, climbing a waterfall (failed but tried), paddling a makeshift bamboo raft and many more. It doesnt matter whether you are in Thailand or Canada, just try to say yes to everything and for sure the day will never end. Chad: Its better to be open minded than to be empty headed.

Thailand smiles

The lack of posts is a result of having to pay for internet service, versus the free accomadations I recieved in HK.

Thailand has been good to me so far. The places are harder to get to than HK but a hired tuk-tuk driver is all you need. I'm living in the Khao San area, every backpackers first stop.

The first night was tough, nearly all the guesthouses were full. My twenty pound bag was adding to the stress. Finally I was able to find a room, that looked more like a jail cell for 300baht. It was an uncomfortable night, but I was tired and too culture shocked to care.

Morning after, I found a much better room (with higher ceilings) for 150baht, now thats a deal. A tuk-tuk driver took me around the city for 20baht the whole day. I was able to book an entire week in Chang Mai for 8000baht all inclusive with the exception of water.

Its funny how the drivers go about in Bangkok. My ride on the tuk-tuk at times felt like a rollercoaster. Buddahs, big buddahs, lucky buddahs, lots and lots of buddahs. I'm glad that I'll be doing something other than sightseeing by tomorow.

At last, I had a bowl of vegetable soup for 60baht. For some reason I have not been able to stomach anything this whole trip so far. Perhaps its the heat. Nevertheless the food smells and tastes exceptionally good, but of course everytime I walk by I feel like throwing up. The night ended on a high note with two Australian "blokes" as they put it. We had a couple of drinks and barhopped until neither of us could stay awake anymore.

In Chang Mai I plan to do a three day trek with a small group of people around the world. Hopefully it will be one of the highlights of my trip.

Lantau: Bus Ride from Hell

According to my mother, I dont have enough pictures of myself. Soooo...I took some more!

I woke up feeling tired and sore all over. The day, I thought was going to be a rest day where I could recover and save a buck or two. It wasnt long before Ching Ching, came into my room to look through my entire bag followed with multiple questions. Why Why Why...errr Because this, because that. T jeh jeh as the kids call her, briskly came in as well and asked if she could tag along with one of my adventures, it was her day off after all. So I guess today was a play day.

The two of us took the ferry across to Lantau Island, Mui Wo port. Buses were parked outside waiting for tourists to pack themselves inside. We took the number 2 to Nyong Ping, also the location of the Big Buddah and Monestary. The ride there was nicknamed "The Bus Ride from Hell" by a Canadian girl in the back.

Rain drizzled as we walked up the steps to Buddah. Halfway up I almost died of exhaustion. It turns out the Buddah looked better down the stairs than up close on top. The monestary was boring as well, but I got to witness the locals praying for lots and lots of good fortune.

Next stop was Tai O, a village famous for its shrimp paste and fishy markets. We had dow fu fa (Tofu Flower haha) for $7 each. We left Tai O and returned to Mui Wo where we snacked on chicken nuggets from Micky Ds.

The night ended at the Thai restaurant where I nearly died again from the heat of chili peppers.

Bad bus driver. Bad

Across the River

Today proved to me exactly how efficient the transportation service in Hong Kong is. In the morning I started with a trip on a double decker bus. It took me to the Wan Jai harbour where I took the 10 minute ferry ride to Tsim Sha Tsui. From there on I walked the whole neighbourhood and back, such that my feet are red and aching still.

TST is known for its vast quantity of informative museums. Being a lover of the past, I chose to spend two hours of my time at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

Later on I visited one of the last remants of the surprisingly large Indian population that seems to thrive in TST. I arrived at the mosque only to find that I was unable to enter because I'm not muslim, female and or course not covered from head to toe in black. Nevertheless I strolled around and snapped some shots from outside. Kowloon Park, previously the place where Indian troops bunkered down in WW2, was next to the mosque. Trees and man-made ponds provided cooler temperatures and the gossiping men made it a treat for photographers.

Not long after I made it up north to yet another Tin Hau Temple, bigger than the one from yesterday. There I watched as old men huddled around chinese chess games.

I wandered further into the west side on Mong Kok to find a temperory bazaar (like a food court). There I shared a table with an old man and had a bottle (glass!) of coke. The lady working there later made me pay HKD $7 ($1) for it. RIP OFF!

After many wrong turns, I finally made it to the Jade Market. Western looking people were swarmed with offers while I was ignored, much to my approval. I enjoyed walking through the stalls until I whipped out my camera. At that instant people started realizing that if I had enough money to buy a camera, I would be rich enough to buy their jade pieces. Not long after I left.

Dynamic this part of town is, I began to lose interest fast as my feet groaned with every step. The Ladies Market was not what I had previously thought it to be. It was full of clothes, souvenirs and other trinket that I would not buy normally anyway. The opportunities for photographs were plentiful though, much until a lady said "no photo". Hah, I took the picture anyway and smiled as if her english was too poor to understand. The day was ending so I headed south to the harbour.

On the way back I made a small detour to Temple Street Night Market only to find owners setting up their stalls. Boo.

No English.

A Good Start

Today was an adventure, especially for my poor poor feet. The day started nice and early in the morning, 7:30 to be exact. I made my way to Wan Jai by MTR to look for USBs. My escapade in HK's shopping district took me to Causeway Bay, the neighbourhood next to my original location.

I spent some time in Victoria Park, a large area (small in Canadian standards) full of trees of different kinds. Birds chirped and bugs buzzed to my annoyance. The park itself was full of foreign photographers looking to get that perfect shot.

Causeway Bay was only a step a fall and another step away from the park. I took the liberty to explore the port only to find it empty of scenery. What I did find though were old Chinese junks and small vessels that I suspect some sailors subletted as homes.

I had witnessed earth, water, the only thing left was air. No I didnt fly. Instead I climbed a couple of stairs and visited a 200 year old temple called Tin Hau Temple appropaitely situated on Temple St. It was a dark and nusky place, something you would expect from its profile. So dark in fact that photography was impossible.

With time to spare and nothing left to do, I went for lunch. A small store was selling noodles and fish balls for HKD $9 ($1.50 CAD). I ordered it instantly and headed back to Victoria Park for my meal.

Then I was off to Central on the MTR. I looked out of place especially here, in my dingy backpackers clothing while everyone wore suits and shirts for the banking disrict. Originally I wanted to go up the highest skyscraper, but opted out for a HKD $48 tram ride up to Victoria Peak. The view from the top was amazing as were the trails around the mountain. I hiked for 2 hours, and took pictures for 3 hah. My feet are now busted but it was well worth it.

Blisters on my toe.

Arrival at Last

After a grueling 15 hour flight, I finally arrived at HKG airport. I met a friend along the way by the name of Justin. He was a great help considering he sat next to me on the plane, spoke perfect english and coincidentally lived in the building next to the one I am staying at.

So far the people I have met are incredibly friendly. A gaurd at the building helped me find my way, evening joggers and even the two Filopino caretakers at my cousins house are accomidating.

A little later after I first arrived, I went to scope out the residential neighbourhood. Not much to see, except for mountains and a sort of cannal. Nevertheless I got some great shots and met some pretty funky girls. Two sisters tryig their luck at fishing told me only small, impossible to cook fish lurked under the water. The older of the two, 2 years my senior but looked 5 years my junior struck up a conversation. She was definitely interested in the fact that my cantonese was so damn good.

Speaking Chinese. Good?

D-Day

It's official people, we're hitting the beaches. No not the beaches in Normandy (although that would be nice at this time of the year) but the ones situated in the tropics where the water is clear and the sand is fine as dust.

My bags have been packed for a week now with a total of 20 lbs to add to my frame. Sandals, sleeping bag, currency, I've written my list and checked it twice, thrice even. Now its only a matter of finishing off some loose ends. I have 24 hours to meet with my elementary teacher who by the way was an expat himself until the birth of a youngling, tack on another Can flag and say farewell to all those who will never see me again (bye!).

I want beaches and lots and lots of coconuts.