10.21.2007
Final Two Weeks in Thailand
One last visit of Surin, Thailand:
The Beaches of Ko Tarutao:
Dive Trip in the Similan Islands:
Final Stop in Bangkok:
Getting Home to Arizona:
The Beaches of Ko Tarutao:
Dive Trip in the Similan Islands:
Final Stop in Bangkok:
Getting Home to Arizona:
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Hello all -
I know that I just sent an email not too long ago but I just realized how my last few emails has made it seem like the sky is falling in so this is my attempt to show what we really think about on a daily basis instead of just the heavy days, which Jason has so lovingly pointed out, are giving me gray hairs ;).
The following two transportation stories happened within two days of each other a little less than a week ago, both are true and not exaggerated ;)...
Our bad luck started a few days ago in Battambang, Cambodia (it already sounds serious!). One of the reasons for visiting Battambang is to see the French colonial architecture in town but, being it is a small town, most people also use the town as a base to explore the countryside and outlying temples. After an hour in town, we too were itching to get out and stretch our legs. Unfortunately the only way to get there is by renting a motorbike so for the last time on our trip (hopefully) we hopped on a Honda 100cc (more like a scooter) motorbike.
Cambodia is a good country to explore on bike because there aren't too many other vehicles on the road and before too long we were biking through small villages that make their living by catching fish in the near-by river or growing rice in their plot out back. Most of Cambodia's roads are empty but they also aren't very well maintained so the ride is more about avoiding pot holes than other vehicles and at times it can be quite jarring, however after a half hour or so of driving the ride became so rough that I had a hard time keeping my feet on the foot rests and after a few seconds Jason asks me if I keep shifting my weight (making it hard for him to steer). Once I convince him that I am holding still we think that there must be something wrong with the bike. Sure enough we have a flat. We pull over in the middle of a small rural community (people build their own houses, almost everyone grows at least some of their own food, extended family lives together, chickens run amok, etc) and start to think of our options... was there a mechanic shop that we drove past a few blocks back (you can always tell which ones they are by the bike tires hanging from the eves outside)?
Before we can even recall the past 30 seconds of driving a man comes out of his home and motions to our bike. It must have been obvious that there was something wrong but I point out our tire and he gives us a knowingly smile and motions for us to follow him into his yard. In his yard his wife cradles their son in a hammock as he falls asleep and his mother/mother-in-law prepares vegetables for lunch. They offer us seats and he runs into his home returning a few seconds later with tools in hand and starts to work on our bike. We watch as he effortlessly finds the hole (and shows us the small spiral shaped metal wire that punctured our tire), prepares the tire for a patch, adheres the patch to the tire, checks to make sure it sealed the hole, and puts the pieces of the tire back together. In the meantime to take notes and share our leechy (small, maybe best described as grape like fruit) with his mother/mother-in-law and son. We think it is going to be an expensive day; $7 to rent the bike plus... 2,500 reil (approx. $0.60) for the tire repair. We say our thank yous and continue on our way.
We visit the ruins of a temple and take back roads stopping for lunch on the way where when asking for their specialty we get coffee... which neither of us drink, we go hungry. After our caffeine buzz we take another dirt road to a second temple located on top of a hill with breathtaking views of the countryside we had covered that day and back to Battambang. A young man learning English shows us around the temple and to a killing field used by the Khmer Rouge... but I promised not to be serious so I will stop there ;).
After looking around we start making our way down the step hill back to level ground. We were almost down when we hit a small patch a gravel and the bike slides onto its side. We were going slow enough that we were able to jump off before the bike hit the ground, however the hand break (like a bicycles) was a little less lucky and snaps off. We think... man this really is going to add up! The man who fixed our tire was very kind and hardly charged us anything but surely this will cost a bit more. Luckily the hand break is really only the back-up break and the foot break is the one we will actually use to get home. On the way back we keep an eye out for more tires hanging from eves...
We spot a small shop in a roadside village and pull over. As I walk up I hold up are break and smile. They smile back and show me that they have the part and motion to bring the bike over. I ask him how much it is and I think I hear "pee puan bram" or 2,500 reil or $0.50. As they start to work on the bike Jason and I discuss his quote. We start to question ourselves. We had thought the price we be $5-10 and figured he probably said "m'pee bram puan" or 25,000 reil or $6. It took 2 people 5 minutes to fix the break and the foot rest which was bent. At the end I clarify (sometimes when we have given too much the price magically goes up)... "pee puan bram roy" (roy is their word for 100 which he left off his quote that would tell us just how many zeros he meant). Head nods all around. We pay the gentlemen $0.50, bringing the total for the day to $8.10, and are on our way. In the end, although the incidents that happened were unfortunate and a bit annoying, we were really happy that they allowed us to interact with the locals, to get a feel of what the price desparities are between home and here, and to be the recipients of their generosity.
The next day we took an 7 hr boat trip from Battambang to Siem Reap were the famous Angkor civilization was based for 600 years. In it's height, the Angkorian Kingdom covered much of Northern Thailand, Southern Laos, and Southern Vietnam. It was the most powerful in the region and acquired great wealth which it used partly to build a huge capital city here is Siem Reap. Much of what is left today are beautifully decorated stone temples, gates and bridges. They call it one of the worlds "New 7 Wonders". I have to say I buy it... I am awestruck by what we have seen the past week. It can be compared to the Mayan civilization in Central America (maybe a little more familiar to us Americans).
We picked our hotel here based on the fact that they offer us free water to refill our water bottles, free breakfast, and free bicycles to explore the temples on. We plan to spend 7 days here taking our time to take in the structures so this is quite a deal for us! Today we got up at 4:30 to eat breakfast and bike to Angkor Wat (the temple of all temples (some say in the world), the most famous structure in Angkor) for the sunrise. The main temple complex is 6km from town and at 5:30 we buy our week long passes. Eagerly we pedal fast towards Angkor, perhaps too eagerly because Jason's feet whirl the pedals around too fast for his single-speed, silver, no-name bike and the chain snaps off. We are stopped in our tracks 500 meters (about a third of a mile) from Angkor Wat's entrance gates. No matter! We have a bungee cord that we rig up for Jason to tow me by (we switch bikes because I was pulling us too slowing for our anticipation).
With 400 meters to go (1/4 a mile) and entrance gate in site but out of grasp, the situation goes from bad to terrible fast (don't worry I am being dramatic... this isn't a serious email). While perched on top of Jason's bike (I have to jump off it to stop) I loose hold of the bungee cord. What happens next is hard to explain in words but the hook on the end of the cord gets caught in Jason's wheel spoke and coils like a snake around his wheel hub. It wound itself so tight that the wheel would no longer turn. After cutting ourselves loose and missing the sunrise by 15 mins, we were on our way again.
Jason soon forgets some of his disappointment when we park the bikes and spend the day exploring the walled city of Angkor Thom. The monuments are more than I had ever imagined with huge faces made out of stone peering down at us from every angle and detailed reliefs telling epic Hindu stories caringly carved deeply into the stone in even the smallest corner of every structure. At the end of the day we hop back on our bikes for Jason to tow me the half hour back to our hotel. Within the first kilometer (about 1 1/2 miles) my ride becomes bumpy and now I know the feeling... a flat tire. We get a quote from a man fixing bikes up ahead... $5. After paying $0.50 not two days before we decided to spend $2 on a taxi instead. We felt bad having to explain what happened to our hotel... "so that free bike you lent us... and then.... and then...".
In the end we got to see sunrise and sunset at Angkor Wat each twice... so nothing is lost. I guess you can say our trip has given us plenty of opportunities to work on our patience!
So this email may be less serious but it isn't any shorter! I'll work on that for next time ;). I am still enjoying all of your updates and look forward to hearing them in person very soon (2 and a half weeks!).
Much Love to you all!
-m-
Angor Wat:
Our Engagement Photos:
Former Khmer Rouge Strongholds:
I know that I just sent an email not too long ago but I just realized how my last few emails has made it seem like the sky is falling in so this is my attempt to show what we really think about on a daily basis instead of just the heavy days, which Jason has so lovingly pointed out, are giving me gray hairs ;).
The following two transportation stories happened within two days of each other a little less than a week ago, both are true and not exaggerated ;)...
Our bad luck started a few days ago in Battambang, Cambodia (it already sounds serious!). One of the reasons for visiting Battambang is to see the French colonial architecture in town but, being it is a small town, most people also use the town as a base to explore the countryside and outlying temples. After an hour in town, we too were itching to get out and stretch our legs. Unfortunately the only way to get there is by renting a motorbike so for the last time on our trip (hopefully) we hopped on a Honda 100cc (more like a scooter) motorbike.
Cambodia is a good country to explore on bike because there aren't too many other vehicles on the road and before too long we were biking through small villages that make their living by catching fish in the near-by river or growing rice in their plot out back. Most of Cambodia's roads are empty but they also aren't very well maintained so the ride is more about avoiding pot holes than other vehicles and at times it can be quite jarring, however after a half hour or so of driving the ride became so rough that I had a hard time keeping my feet on the foot rests and after a few seconds Jason asks me if I keep shifting my weight (making it hard for him to steer). Once I convince him that I am holding still we think that there must be something wrong with the bike. Sure enough we have a flat. We pull over in the middle of a small rural community (people build their own houses, almost everyone grows at least some of their own food, extended family lives together, chickens run amok, etc) and start to think of our options... was there a mechanic shop that we drove past a few blocks back (you can always tell which ones they are by the bike tires hanging from the eves outside)?
Before we can even recall the past 30 seconds of driving a man comes out of his home and motions to our bike. It must have been obvious that there was something wrong but I point out our tire and he gives us a knowingly smile and motions for us to follow him into his yard. In his yard his wife cradles their son in a hammock as he falls asleep and his mother/mother-in-law prepares vegetables for lunch. They offer us seats and he runs into his home returning a few seconds later with tools in hand and starts to work on our bike. We watch as he effortlessly finds the hole (and shows us the small spiral shaped metal wire that punctured our tire), prepares the tire for a patch, adheres the patch to the tire, checks to make sure it sealed the hole, and puts the pieces of the tire back together. In the meantime to take notes and share our leechy (small, maybe best described as grape like fruit) with his mother/mother-in-law and son. We think it is going to be an expensive day; $7 to rent the bike plus... 2,500 reil (approx. $0.60) for the tire repair. We say our thank yous and continue on our way.
We visit the ruins of a temple and take back roads stopping for lunch on the way where when asking for their specialty we get coffee... which neither of us drink, we go hungry. After our caffeine buzz we take another dirt road to a second temple located on top of a hill with breathtaking views of the countryside we had covered that day and back to Battambang. A young man learning English shows us around the temple and to a killing field used by the Khmer Rouge... but I promised not to be serious so I will stop there ;).
After looking around we start making our way down the step hill back to level ground. We were almost down when we hit a small patch a gravel and the bike slides onto its side. We were going slow enough that we were able to jump off before the bike hit the ground, however the hand break (like a bicycles) was a little less lucky and snaps off. We think... man this really is going to add up! The man who fixed our tire was very kind and hardly charged us anything but surely this will cost a bit more. Luckily the hand break is really only the back-up break and the foot break is the one we will actually use to get home. On the way back we keep an eye out for more tires hanging from eves...
We spot a small shop in a roadside village and pull over. As I walk up I hold up are break and smile. They smile back and show me that they have the part and motion to bring the bike over. I ask him how much it is and I think I hear "pee puan bram" or 2,500 reil or $0.50. As they start to work on the bike Jason and I discuss his quote. We start to question ourselves. We had thought the price we be $5-10 and figured he probably said "m'pee bram puan" or 25,000 reil or $6. It took 2 people 5 minutes to fix the break and the foot rest which was bent. At the end I clarify (sometimes when we have given too much the price magically goes up)... "pee puan bram roy" (roy is their word for 100 which he left off his quote that would tell us just how many zeros he meant). Head nods all around. We pay the gentlemen $0.50, bringing the total for the day to $8.10, and are on our way. In the end, although the incidents that happened were unfortunate and a bit annoying, we were really happy that they allowed us to interact with the locals, to get a feel of what the price desparities are between home and here, and to be the recipients of their generosity.
The next day we took an 7 hr boat trip from Battambang to Siem Reap were the famous Angkor civilization was based for 600 years. In it's height, the Angkorian Kingdom covered much of Northern Thailand, Southern Laos, and Southern Vietnam. It was the most powerful in the region and acquired great wealth which it used partly to build a huge capital city here is Siem Reap. Much of what is left today are beautifully decorated stone temples, gates and bridges. They call it one of the worlds "New 7 Wonders". I have to say I buy it... I am awestruck by what we have seen the past week. It can be compared to the Mayan civilization in Central America (maybe a little more familiar to us Americans).
We picked our hotel here based on the fact that they offer us free water to refill our water bottles, free breakfast, and free bicycles to explore the temples on. We plan to spend 7 days here taking our time to take in the structures so this is quite a deal for us! Today we got up at 4:30 to eat breakfast and bike to Angkor Wat (the temple of all temples (some say in the world), the most famous structure in Angkor) for the sunrise. The main temple complex is 6km from town and at 5:30 we buy our week long passes. Eagerly we pedal fast towards Angkor, perhaps too eagerly because Jason's feet whirl the pedals around too fast for his single-speed, silver, no-name bike and the chain snaps off. We are stopped in our tracks 500 meters (about a third of a mile) from Angkor Wat's entrance gates. No matter! We have a bungee cord that we rig up for Jason to tow me by (we switch bikes because I was pulling us too slowing for our anticipation).
With 400 meters to go (1/4 a mile) and entrance gate in site but out of grasp, the situation goes from bad to terrible fast (don't worry I am being dramatic... this isn't a serious email). While perched on top of Jason's bike (I have to jump off it to stop) I loose hold of the bungee cord. What happens next is hard to explain in words but the hook on the end of the cord gets caught in Jason's wheel spoke and coils like a snake around his wheel hub. It wound itself so tight that the wheel would no longer turn. After cutting ourselves loose and missing the sunrise by 15 mins, we were on our way again.
Jason soon forgets some of his disappointment when we park the bikes and spend the day exploring the walled city of Angkor Thom. The monuments are more than I had ever imagined with huge faces made out of stone peering down at us from every angle and detailed reliefs telling epic Hindu stories caringly carved deeply into the stone in even the smallest corner of every structure. At the end of the day we hop back on our bikes for Jason to tow me the half hour back to our hotel. Within the first kilometer (about 1 1/2 miles) my ride becomes bumpy and now I know the feeling... a flat tire. We get a quote from a man fixing bikes up ahead... $5. After paying $0.50 not two days before we decided to spend $2 on a taxi instead. We felt bad having to explain what happened to our hotel... "so that free bike you lent us... and then.... and then...".
In the end we got to see sunrise and sunset at Angkor Wat each twice... so nothing is lost. I guess you can say our trip has given us plenty of opportunities to work on our patience!
So this email may be less serious but it isn't any shorter! I'll work on that for next time ;). I am still enjoying all of your updates and look forward to hearing them in person very soon (2 and a half weeks!).
Much Love to you all!
-m-
Angor Wat:
Our Engagement Photos:
Former Khmer Rouge Strongholds:
Last Country: Cambodia
Hello Everyone!
It's almost April and I will be back in the states in 26 and a half days! Our trip is finally down to a vacation length, but I don't think either of us fully grasp that the end is approaching. This has been our life for quite a while now and there aren't really any preparations that will make it sink in (we've packed a bag every day for the last 330 days). On April 24 we will go to an airport instead of a bus station, and then we will fly home to see the first familiar faces in a year. We are both very excited! The trip has been a wonderful experience that has taught me many things that (I hope) will allow me to live the life I want live, but each passing day makes me more certain that I should be at "home (wherever that ends up being)." I feel like I should be at my "home" not simply because of frustrating cultural differences, missing familiar things, or the long time away from friends and family, but rather because traveling has started to seem like such an unnatural thing to do in this world. Having met so many people with greater ability but less opportunity has made me excited to get back to the real world (where people have to work to feed themselves) and into the thick of things; there has been an increasing feeling of guilt, and I guess the best way to put it is that traveling for this year has made me feel an enormous desire to get back and repay the world for this opportunity. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm whining, I still would not trade the lessons learned in the last year for anything. This year of travel is most definitely the best decision I've made. It's just time to get home, move forward, and truly appreciate the things around me that I used to take for granted.
Right now I find myself in Kampot, Cambodia. The last three months have taken us through China, Tibet, and Vietnam. The next few weeks will be spent in Cambodia with a final brief stop on the Thai beaches for some relaxation and (hopefully) scuba diving. Just like that we will be a world away from the history that Cambodia holds and relaxing on peaceful beaches. The countries we have been lucky enough to visit have all had a turbulent recent history to say the least. Seeing the effects of history and politics in these areas has been confusing and sobering. I don't want to get too serious in this message, because I'm hoping that you'll look forward to seeing me again after reading this email and not think that I've gotten even more boring and serious over the last year (though I probably have). :) The one thing I will say about our travels is that even with the turbulent recent histories in the countries of Laos, China, Tibet, Vietnam, and Cambodia is that I was a bit shocked at how normal everything seemed, how normal life is during and after war and famine. Life in these countries, at the superficial tourist level at least, isn't that different from life at home. Life is filled with more extremes (ie poverty), but the general feel is the same. I don't know what I was expecting, but the lack of major cultural barriers was strange to me. I think people in the USA have an image of life outside our borders as totally different from the lives we enjoy, but, I guess if there's one thing I've learned over the last year, people all over the world have very similar desires, problems, and frustrations. The degrees are very different, but people are very similar all over the world no matter if governments or ideologies try to convince you otherwise.
Enough of that. While I may try (very hard, believe me) to sound like I've had this profound experience grappling with all of the world's problems, those of you that know me well probably can see through it and know I'm only showing one side. In the end, if you would ask me: 'what's the best (and most useful) thing I've learned in the last year?,' my answer, without hesitation, is to learn how to use chopsticks like they were a natural extension of my hand. I can pick up two peanuts at the same time with ridiculous ease. It's the simple things that make life interesting, and I have enjoyed every single meal over the last three months for the simple fact that I got to impress myself with my mastery of chopsticks. Forks and spoons are much more useful, but NOT more fun. :) I was given a fork to use the other day and I fumbled... I really forgot how to use it more effectively!
We are still unsure of the exact date we will be in CO (sometime around Mother's Day) but plans will come together sooner or later; we look forward to spending lots of time with Jason's family and all of our friends there once we arrive. Then we will head to MN and WI in July to visit the rest of my family and friends at the Hart family reunion and Cassie's wedding! For those of you who have dispersed further we will have to talk about meeting up somewhere! I love you all very much! Please take care of each other and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!
I hope this message finds you happy and healthy and getting excited for spring thaw. Only 26 and a half days! I can't wait to see you all again; we have A LOT of catching up to do. Take care of yourself!
Oh and Jason and I are going to put together a list of our favorites and mosts (e.g. favorite national park, most exhilarating bus ride, favorite dish/what I ate for dinner, biggest screw-up, what my current hotel bathroom is like, etc... like the ones you did in college when you were procrastinating reading... if you don't know what I am talking about let me know and I will forward you one ;) ) to help us process some things and then send it out just before we get home... so if you have any questions you want answered (anything and everything)... send them our way in the next couple of weeks and we will add them!
Much love,
-m-
Phnom Penh, Capital of Cambodia:
Kampot and Bokor Hill Station:
Battambang:
Boat Trip from Battambang to Angkor Wat:
It's almost April and I will be back in the states in 26 and a half days! Our trip is finally down to a vacation length, but I don't think either of us fully grasp that the end is approaching. This has been our life for quite a while now and there aren't really any preparations that will make it sink in (we've packed a bag every day for the last 330 days). On April 24 we will go to an airport instead of a bus station, and then we will fly home to see the first familiar faces in a year. We are both very excited! The trip has been a wonderful experience that has taught me many things that (I hope) will allow me to live the life I want live, but each passing day makes me more certain that I should be at "home (wherever that ends up being)." I feel like I should be at my "home" not simply because of frustrating cultural differences, missing familiar things, or the long time away from friends and family, but rather because traveling has started to seem like such an unnatural thing to do in this world. Having met so many people with greater ability but less opportunity has made me excited to get back to the real world (where people have to work to feed themselves) and into the thick of things; there has been an increasing feeling of guilt, and I guess the best way to put it is that traveling for this year has made me feel an enormous desire to get back and repay the world for this opportunity. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm whining, I still would not trade the lessons learned in the last year for anything. This year of travel is most definitely the best decision I've made. It's just time to get home, move forward, and truly appreciate the things around me that I used to take for granted.
Right now I find myself in Kampot, Cambodia. The last three months have taken us through China, Tibet, and Vietnam. The next few weeks will be spent in Cambodia with a final brief stop on the Thai beaches for some relaxation and (hopefully) scuba diving. Just like that we will be a world away from the history that Cambodia holds and relaxing on peaceful beaches. The countries we have been lucky enough to visit have all had a turbulent recent history to say the least. Seeing the effects of history and politics in these areas has been confusing and sobering. I don't want to get too serious in this message, because I'm hoping that you'll look forward to seeing me again after reading this email and not think that I've gotten even more boring and serious over the last year (though I probably have). :) The one thing I will say about our travels is that even with the turbulent recent histories in the countries of Laos, China, Tibet, Vietnam, and Cambodia is that I was a bit shocked at how normal everything seemed, how normal life is during and after war and famine. Life in these countries, at the superficial tourist level at least, isn't that different from life at home. Life is filled with more extremes (ie poverty), but the general feel is the same. I don't know what I was expecting, but the lack of major cultural barriers was strange to me. I think people in the USA have an image of life outside our borders as totally different from the lives we enjoy, but, I guess if there's one thing I've learned over the last year, people all over the world have very similar desires, problems, and frustrations. The degrees are very different, but people are very similar all over the world no matter if governments or ideologies try to convince you otherwise.
Enough of that. While I may try (very hard, believe me) to sound like I've had this profound experience grappling with all of the world's problems, those of you that know me well probably can see through it and know I'm only showing one side. In the end, if you would ask me: 'what's the best (and most useful) thing I've learned in the last year?,' my answer, without hesitation, is to learn how to use chopsticks like they were a natural extension of my hand. I can pick up two peanuts at the same time with ridiculous ease. It's the simple things that make life interesting, and I have enjoyed every single meal over the last three months for the simple fact that I got to impress myself with my mastery of chopsticks. Forks and spoons are much more useful, but NOT more fun. :) I was given a fork to use the other day and I fumbled... I really forgot how to use it more effectively!
We are still unsure of the exact date we will be in CO (sometime around Mother's Day) but plans will come together sooner or later; we look forward to spending lots of time with Jason's family and all of our friends there once we arrive. Then we will head to MN and WI in July to visit the rest of my family and friends at the Hart family reunion and Cassie's wedding! For those of you who have dispersed further we will have to talk about meeting up somewhere! I love you all very much! Please take care of each other and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!
I hope this message finds you happy and healthy and getting excited for spring thaw. Only 26 and a half days! I can't wait to see you all again; we have A LOT of catching up to do. Take care of yourself!
Oh and Jason and I are going to put together a list of our favorites and mosts (e.g. favorite national park, most exhilarating bus ride, favorite dish/what I ate for dinner, biggest screw-up, what my current hotel bathroom is like, etc... like the ones you did in college when you were procrastinating reading... if you don't know what I am talking about let me know and I will forward you one ;) ) to help us process some things and then send it out just before we get home... so if you have any questions you want answered (anything and everything)... send them our way in the next couple of weeks and we will add them!
Much love,
-m-
Phnom Penh, Capital of Cambodia:
Kampot and Bokor Hill Station:
Battambang:
Boat Trip from Battambang to Angkor Wat:
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