words, words, words

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Quite a lot has happened. After a really long set of busses, boats, etc. I arrived in Phnom Penh. There I spent the first few days looking at the remnants of the modern history, before setting out for Siem Reap to the ancient history.

In short, the U.S. turned it’s back on Cambodia and allowed genocide to happen for 4 years. The Killing Fields were still filled with bits of bone, and cloth. The prison where they interrogated people is a collection of tiny cells and making a bigger impact, polaroids of the victims, the hundreds and hundreds of victims. A very poignant reminder of the evil that men can do.

That said, Angkor Wat is breathtaking. It is impossible to describe.

After a teeth rattling bus ride over some of the dustiest roads I have ever seen. I spent most of the time talking to a monk, named Sahmning, who has invited me to his Pagoda (Wat). Monks are very interested in learning English here and they are

really nice guys.

So here I are at one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (Or so they say, I’m not sure of the list, but I know most of the Ancient Wonders of the world and don’t recall Angkor Wat being one of them, but I think the original list was made by the Greek’s)

There are a series of temples, and cities dating from about 1050 c.e.It is incredible. I can’t really describe it and will have pictures to

put up soon.

Spent the whole day on bicycles riding to and in these temples that are simply incredible. Though, they are just a bit too far apart and it is too hot to push a bike … but still can’t go off the trails because of land-mines.

A few more days here at Angkor Wat, then maybe the beach, or some more hidden temples.

Some of them are very Indiana Jones-ish. Trees growing through enormous walls.

It is all simply incredible, and I feel very fortunate to be here.

That said: The reminders of the recent past are everywhere, land-mines have claimed countless victims here and with a county with no social welfare system, you feel obliged to help with a little money whenever you can. The most ironic thing is, through all the difficulties, the Khmer people are the kindest that I have seen in the world. And are reknowned for their world class smiles, which are everywhere.

Today, leaving Angkor Wat, (for our second visit) a Khmer family invited two of us Westerners to pose with them in front of the Wat. They wrapped arms around us on either side, thrilled to have Westerners in their photographs. Very bizarre. The people are every bit as touching as the Killing Fields in an entirely different way. They are the loveliest people I have ever met in my life, it is truly a shame that they are being exploited by their government so ruthlessly.

Hoi An, Vietnam

Have ever so slowly worked up the coast to Hoi An, stopping in Dalat and Nha Trang on the way. Dalat was a picturesque little village in the mountains, lots of pine trees and it was quite cool, both in climate and in general atmosphere. Nha Trang is billed as the Vietnamese beach party town, and I think they can keep it, it was filled with trash, both rubbish and the Eurotrash variety.

Hoi An is a lot nicer. It is a smaller town near the coast with a great deal of colonial architecture and a million tailors. On the main street in the middle of town there are restaurants for tourists on one side and restaurants for the Vietnamese on the other side. You can sit in peace and eat Thit Nuong and watch the people getting hustled by pre-pubescent salemen as they eat fish and chips on the other side. There is also the thumping house music to contend to. Meanwhile you can rest easy in the relative cover of darkness enjoying a good meal for 30 cents. Also, I think it is safer to eat at the stalls on the street because they pack everything up and clean(?) at the end of the night. I’m not so sure about the kitchens at the other restaraunts.

Some of the more toursit-y dining places are really just ways to keep you still long enough to find out if you want a suit. The last thing I would ever want right now.

The beach was ok. I suppose after surfing in some beautiful places (Bocas del Toro, Galapagos) I am a bit spoilt.

The small waves on the beach were a mirror image to the waves of people that came from the shade on the opposite side of the beach, trying to sell you crap. Any kind of crap you could ever want can be found on the beach here.

Thinking of starting an art project.

And writing something.

But enjoying Vietnam a great deal more than Thailand, and am very excited about Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh

Just arrived in Vietnam. It is a so incredibly different from Thailand. The people physically appear the same, but the from the outset the writing is in Roman characters, the language is completely different and there is a lot less of tourist hustle, or so it seems thus far. Another extremely noticeable thing is the enormous amount of scooters! It is awe-inspiring and the traffic laws they follow seem to be flexible to say the least. The scooters pull up to the traffic lights around the stopped cars (which are few and far between) and then the light turns green and they are off and running, racing the way the Dutch race bicycles. The lanes are suggestions, not really laws. To cross the road I keep reminging myself, “Be bold and the Universe will come to your aid.” There are literally, hundreds and hundreds of scooters at every intersection. They swarm around you like ants. It is truly comic. Socialism doesn’t seem so bad. So far I am not sure why, at one point in history, we were trying to kill these people. Going to spend a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) before starting to travel up the coast. The fruit is intriguing and stuff that we would never get in the states. A welcome change from the deep fried cricket that I ate in Bangkok last night. I just took 1,000,000 dong out of an ATM machine, which made me feel rich, although it was only about 80 U.S.

The internet here is slower than any other place on earth that I’ve been.

I think it is becuase of the firewall to keep out “subversive” websites.

Updates from Vietnam will be infrequent, at best.

Koh Lanta Yai

Much much better.

It is quieter and there is no thumping house music.

There are seasnakes, though. Which apparently are 10xs more dangerous than Cobras, but there are no recorded fatalities from swimmers.

Koh Phi Phi

On an island off the coast of Thailand called Koh Phi Phi. It is incredible, very very beautiful, but so full of tourists it is ridiculous. Tomorrow, set off for a different island with less tourists called Koh Lanta.

The locals here, if you can find them, tend to regard tourists as if you were an inanimate object between them and your wallet. However, I would do the same because of the way some of them behave. A shame really as the parts of the island that are unspoilt are fantastic.

A couple of examples:

First, people drink cocktails in buckets. It is stupid looking to see an adult drinking out of a sand castle building device.

Second, a lot of restaraunts have T.V.s so they can play movies to drag in tourists. Last night a horde of people were watching the beach, which was ironic. A bunch of tourists in Thailand watching a movie about people that want to get away from the tourists in Thailand. I forget the name, but it is like the snake that eats its own tail.

Third, aw I don’t want to go on….

I don’t mean to whine, but you get to paradise and the last thing you want to do is share it. I think I was spoiled by Bocas del Toro, Panama. There the beaches are empty and there is good surf.

Here, there are T-Shirt shoppes.

I think this is the wrong island is all.

I am really looking forward to Vietnam and Cambodia, which hasn’t been touristed out.

It reminds you of the Siesta Key Village in Thailand.

Lot’s of debauchery, lots of tourists and some natural beauty, but hard to find your own slice.

The hike to the top of the island was great with fantastic views, and the kayak around yesterday was also terrific. The cliffs protruding into the ocean are fantastic.

So… I am enjoying myself, but need to be some place quieter.

Very healthy after a week of suspicous looking food and ‘rustic’ accomodations.

(People pick their nose a lot here. I think it is an Asian thing.)

The itinerary has been ammended to stay in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam until the 11th of March.

Crap, one of the restaruants near the internet cafe is showing a movie with automatic gunfire and the speakers are rattling my fillings loose.

I’m gonna go.