This is Asia!

Sunday 6/21/2015

This morning we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. My omelet with Kampot pepper, ham, cheese and mushrooms was just what I needed to replenish my energy. I was low on cash, but luckily with the omelet, juice and large water my total came to $6.25. It was pouring rain again so our beach plans were squashed. As we started walking into town our tuk-tuk driver from yesterday pulled over to ask us for our plans. The nine of us decided, per his suggestion, to rent a van for $80 to take us up and around the sights of the national park. Before our driver picked us up we purchased brightly colored ponchos for $0.50 a piece.

The ride from Kampot town to the park entrance took around thirty minutes. The road curved around leading up the mountain. It was raining when we began, but as we drove the fog took over obstructing much of our view. We stopped first at an old abandoned Catholic Church. The rain and fog made the beat up and graffitied building even more erie. Bright green moss covered one of the walls. 

Our second stop was either an old palace or an old casino, depending on who you ask. It was obviously once very opulent. It had been raining all morning so the inside was wet with puddles that stood up to a few inches deep. The reflections of the light from the windows on the puddles were beautiful. Surprisingly, there were families sitting on the ground in there having lunch. I explored the many floors alone apart from the group. I was on the top floor looking out when I noticed several of them in their Easter egg colored ponchos making their way to the car. I tried unsuccessfully several paths to make my way out. When I arrived last at the van they were already discussing who would go in to find me. 

Our next stop was a "waterfall." There was a large building with people inside eating at picnic tables. We found out later they didn't serve food there, so all of those people had brought their own elaborate dishes in styrofoam containers. You could hear the rushing water from the path. When I saw how wide the river was I was excited to see the falls. Sadly, the path stopped at the top of the falls so you really couldn't see anything. I'm still shocked they had built such a large building to have at this site and that so many people were gathered there. 

We got back in the van and it was still raining. We asked the driver what else there was to see around the area. Having heard about a damn, he got on the phone with his friend to figure out where it was. He timidly drove the roads leading to the damn, obviously not really knowing where he was going. This may have been the creepiest of our morning destinations. There were more of the swan boats siting on the water, neglected. It was foggy over the body of water, it was hard to tell how large it was. 

We raced back to the van as not to get the seat that was falling apart on the long ride back to the city. I wouldn't say it was a morning wasted, but it is not how we thought we would be spending the day. I think I got some good pictures and we definitely had some laughs.

By the time we arrived back in Kampot it was almost three and we were starving. We sat down for lunch at The Rusty Keyhole. The sign said "best ribs in Kampot" and it came highly recommended by some other volunteers. Out front they were basting and grilling large hunks of meat. It smelled delicious. Jen and I split a "toasty" (a grilled ham and pineapple sandwich) and the ribs. I ordered a large water and she had a beer. The food was amazing and there was a lot of it, the total between us was $9.50. I highly recommend it!

We had time to kill so we walked around town in the rain. I had seen a sign at the restaurant advertising a sustainably and responsibility made clothing store, so when we passed it I made everyone go in. I got a $10 t shirt with a graphic of one of the prayer boxes printed on the front. It was more expensive than items sold in any of the markets, but I appreciate their mission. We strolled through town a it before having dessert. I had a banana cream pie and small coconut cookie for $2.25. Both had great flavor, although the cookie was a little dry. As we were walking back to the Mad Monkey to catch a ride home the fishing boats were headed out for the day. The colorful boats travelled in a pack under the Kampot bridge and past town. 

We hoped in the van for home. After only a few minutes, the driver stopped in the middle of an intersection. He hopped out and two young men jumped in. As the first driver waved his goodbyes, I couldn't help but think "what the hell is happening?" I worried we were involved in a scam or worse. We drove about ten minutes in the correct direction and my nerves calmed a bit. As soon as I was feeling more confident, we pulled over again. Our already full van was picking up what seemed to be a hitchhiker. He settled in comfortably in the front seat with the young man who I hope he already knew. They were in for a long ride sharing a bucket seat. I was still concerned, but considering the language barrier all I said to the driver was "Phnom Penh?" At first his expression said no, but then he nodded yes. I looked to my travel companion, Rannva to see if she and I shared these thoughts. She responded to my worried look with an enthusiastic "This is Asia!!"  We drove anther thirty minutes and dropped one of the front passengers off. The other guy took a brief stop to grab a snack at a food stand selling a variety of fried insects. We drove another hour before stoping on the side of the road again, this time for two bottles of water and a pack of gum. As soon as we arrived in Phnom Penh, we had another dilemma, did these guys know where we were going? The answer soon became obvious. At this point I was no longer nervous about being kidnapped but rather only about how to give directions to someone with this language a barrier. We handed them a card with the information of the star house. The talked back and forth with one another before making a phone call. We soon arrived in a familiar area. These guys obviously didn't know where we were going because they pulled over to ask directions. When they did I took matters into my own hands and propped myself on the bench between them. I gave directions by pointing with my arm, left, right or straight until we were firmly home in front of the star house. These poor guys had to listen to us freak out a bit at every stop and to us singing to music until our speaker ran out of juice. Afterward they blared music of their own. I didn't much like most of it, but the Cambodian rap song that came on toward the end of the ride was catchy. I'm sure they will be telling stories about us about as long or longer than we will be telling stories about that ride.

$5.25 Omelet with Kampot pepper and water
$9 $80 van split for the day to the mountains of Kampot
$4.75 Lunch at The Rusty Keyhole Toasty, Ribs and large water $9.50 split 2 ways
$2.25 slice of banana cream pie and a cookie
$10 $90 van back to Phnom Penh split 9 ways
Today's Total: $31.25

Happy Blessings

Orientation Day 2

Tuesday 6/16/2015

Today we took a tour around the city. We met Sreng on the first floor of the guest house. He had a fifteen passenger air conditioned van waiting for us.

Our first stop was Olympic Stadium. Despite its name the stadium has never hosted the Olympics. It is the home to the Cambodian national soccer team. They have a game tonight against Afghanistan. Our guide was worried that the attendance would suffer because the price tag jumped from a dollar 25 to 2 dollars for this game. The people are concerned about the money as much as the principle against such a large price jump. Surprisingly the stadium was open to the public we just walked right in. There were people preparing the place for tonight's game by making food and setting up tents. The stadium also included two Olympic size swimming pools. Even though our day was just beginning I was already tempted to jump in. I'm not sure I will ever get used to this heat.

We drove in a roundabout around what phenom we were told there are ashes of cremated people in the domes. Then we stopped at The Pagoda. The wat looked similar to the ones we had visited in Bangkok. But when we entered it was empty of people except for one monk who sat reading in a chair against the wall. There were large soft oriental style rugs lining the floor. There was of course a shrine to Buddha at the front. But I was surprised to see bright seventies style decorative lighting (like Christmas lights) adorning the head of one of the statues.

We were told by Sreng that we had the opportunity to be blessed by the monk if we wished. Jen, Sara and I were the only ones interested, so we knelt down in a prayerful pose as instructed. The monk sat in front of us and began chanting. He sprinkled us with water. When he was finished he took three bright red colored bracelets and dunked them in the water in front of him. Then he brought us up one by one and tied the bracelets to our left wrist. (I made the mistake of presenting my right wrist since I had a watch on my left, but was told that the right wrist is for males). This was so different than the Catholic blessing that I am used to. The monk spent a lot of time in prayer over us. I had no idea what he was saying but was later told that the bracelet was a blessing of happiness. What a beautiful experience that I wasn't expecting. Afterward we were lead into another building that contained a very small (alter) where we made a wish by placing a sick of incense in a bowl of sand. I found myself seriously wishing for a happy marriage and a child. Not that my marriage isn't happy now, I have just seen so many end in sadness and divorce. A happy blessing was perhaps just what I had needed.

          

The next two stops were not as meaningful or interesting to me. We drove across a bridge to  Diamond Island which was almost deserted during the day but apparently has an event center that is a popular spot for wealthy families to host events. It is one of the only event centers in the area that has a large car park to cater to rich vehicle owning guests. Then we went to the very small Kite museum. Kite making and flying is a traditional Cambodian practice, although it is more rare now. The kites often included a bamboo rod that would create a whistling sound when flown that could be heard throughout the village.

We stopped for an hour at the central market for lunch and shopping, although we only had time for lunch. The restaurant was a sort of fast food Korean bbq joint. I had a bbq chicken leg with fries and a peach soda for $6. We were obviously at a place that catered to westerners because this was co loser to western process. Our food took a long time so we didn't get a chance to explore the market. After waiting for everyone to gather we got back in the van and made our way to Liquid Bar. There we sat and had a refreshing Ankgor Beer. Sreng ordered a plate of fried tarantulas and beetles and invited everyone to try. After the ants and frog last night I wasn't up to it. Jen, Rannva and Natalie all gave the tarantula a try. No one was brave enough to try the large beetle. I was told the tarantula had a bad texture, I'm not sure if I will regret not trying a tarantula, but I most certainly wasn't up to it today. 

$6.50 lunch of grilled bow chicken with fries and a peach soda

$0.25 water

$1.50 one Ankor beer

$2.90 shampoo

$1.90 large lychee juice

$4 mojito

$3 audio guide at the killing fields

$3 $6 air conditioning spilt
Today's Total: $23.05

A New Day, A Fresh Perspective

Orientation Day One

Monday 6/15/15

What a difference a day makes! After sleep and a nice cold morning shower, I felt refreshed and ready to learn more about the city. Even though I only slept four hours in a hot room, it really did turn my attitude around. Today we began orientation. There I learned that UBELONG is one of approximately fifty overseas organizations that partner with the local group "Volunteer Action of Cambodia." All of our training and communication from here out will be with VAC. Before lunch we covered transportation, the history of Cambodia, Cambodian politics today and the VAC's mission. I knew about much of the history of Cambodia from my preparation for this trip. However, it was more interesting to hear the history told directly by a confident, obviously educated Cambodian. I did learn more about the most practiced religion here, Buddhism. I read Siddhartha when I was in college, but I remember very little about the book. Buddhists here believe in karma. Life is cyclical and if you do good in the world good will come back to you and if you do bad, bad. I was aware that they believe in reincarnation. What I didn't realize is as Buddhists they still believe in heaven and hell. Instead of going there forever as most Christians believe, Buddhists believe that heaven or hell are rewards or punishments that may last for one year or for many. The ultimate reward for good karma is nirvana which is from my understanding an ultimate state of peace. Nirvana, once reached, is everlasting. I had a hard time reconciling what I learned about the faith with the corrupt Cambodian government. Over ninty percent of Cambodian people are Buddhist. If you are truly Buddhist and believe in karma both good and bad how can you behave so poorly toward fellow humans? Cambodia's government is ranked as one of the top corrupt governments in the world. Bribes are often accepted by government officials. If you are accused of doing something you are most often considered guilty. Land grabbing is common and accepted practice. If you speak out against these injustices you face the probability of being arrested. Corruption is not the only problem current Cambodia faces. Although prostitution is illegal in Cambodia it is a common practice. Nineteen percent of Cambodians live under the poverty line. Drug abuse is common amongst teens. I can not imagine living in a place where if I spoke out against something that was so obviously wrong I could be punished, but this is the life of many Cambodians. Given Cambodia's sordid past, I still have a great appreciation for how far they have come while accepting there is a lot more work to be done. 

After lunch we went over cultural dos and don'ts and attempted to learn the Khmer language.

Take aways 

Don't - shake hands when meeting, touch people on the head or shoulder, touch a monk if you are female

Do- bow head when passing old people,  hand over and receive items using two hands, finish everything on your plate, shower at least twice per day (I was very worried this would be on the don't list thinking water would be expensive)

Afterwards Sreng, one of the program coordinators, gave us a list of what Cambodian people think of westerners: they smoke, show affection in public, have tattoos and piercings and women drink with men. All of us laughed, as my new Italian friend Sara could be the poster child for the perception Cambodians have of westerners!

We had a long break between our lessons and dinner. During which we took the time to take our laundry to be washed. I have one clean outfit to wear tomorrow. Perhaps I didn't pack enough, I never get sweaty back home but here I am swimming in sweat by mid morning. We stopped on the way home for smoothies and fresh juice. I had a delicious watermelon juice for only $1.50.

In the evening, the fourteen volunteers and Sreng went out for a traditional Cambodian dinner. The food continued to come in large family sized portions plate by plate as we laughed, drank and talked about the cultures of our own home countries. In traditional Cambodian families, you do not talk during meals. However, according to Sreng, what we were doing was typical for young Cambodians (apart from the women drinking with men). There were so many new dishes to try. Two beef dishes, two vegetable dishes, one dish with vegetables and noodles, fish amok (tasted like a weak soup version of a coconut curry), fried whole frogs that were two to three inches long, ants, and something I would describe as corn squares. Most of the food was very good. The frog was difficult to eat because you could so clearly identify it. The ants had a nice flavor from the marinade, but the texture was difficult to get over. I don't think I'll be eating either of those dishes again while I'm here. We enjoyed our time together as we were serenaded by Cambodian karaoke. The meal was covered by VAC through our volunteer fee, but came to only $75.

At the end of the day I was tired but happy. Happy to be here meeting new people and learning about many different cultures. I not only am up for this, I am excited to be here. 

$1.50 watermelon juice
Today's Total:$1.50

My Packing List

6/9/2015

My Packing List

1) Eddie Bower Rain Jacket

2) Camera with 2 extra batteries, 2 memory cards and a mini tripod

3) Tampons

4) Electric converter

5) Socks, underwear and swim suit

6) Facial wipes

7) Antibacterial wipes

8) Makeup, deodorant, contacts, toothbrush, toothpaste, compact mirror

9) Tops

10) Bottoms

11) Copies of important documents (passport, maps, hotel reservations)

12) Sanuks and Chacos

13) Sneakers

14) Insect repellant wipes

15) Liquids (shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, tinted face moisturizer, contact solution)

16) Journal, two books, notebook with notes on what I want to see and how to see it as well as emergency contact information, tucked inside pictures of family

17) Handbag (pen, sharpie, tide to go, lip balm, sunglasses, wallet, small flashlight, earplugs, eye mask, travel hairbrush, phone sized wet sack, pack of wet ones, headphones, passport, iPhone and charger)

18) Medical Kit (see previous blog entry)

Not pictured: trash bags, zip lock bags, rain cover for pack, cheap digital watch, necklace, rings, travel towel

What to wear?

6/9/2015

What to wear?

Cambodian women dress conservatively. From my research it is my understanding that most of the time their knees and shoulders are covered. However, Southeast Asia is very hot.  I expect the temperatures while I’m there to run from 75°F to 100°F, so covering up will be difficult. I decided to pack mostly separates in a neutral color palette. With these 13 pieces I can make 31 outfits!

Clothes

1 maxi skirt

1 pair dress shorts

1 pair athletic capris

1 pair linen pants

2 knee length skirts

1 knee length sleeveless dress/swim cover up (not pictured)

4 cotton short sleeve tees

1 athletic moisture wicking tee

2 tank tops

Shoes

1 pair sneakers

1 pair Chacos

1 pair sanuks

Other (not pictured)

1 bathing suit

7 pairs underwear

1 sports bra

2 regular bras

1 rain jacket
3 pairs socks

Update: In Cambodia they did require us to cover our shoulders and knees at work.  You had to cover shoulders and knees in temples in both Cambodia and Thailand.  However, the restrictions were lifted during free time. I didn't need to pack so many bottoms.  I ended up buying cotton shorts and pants at the market that were cooler and more comfortable than the pants I brought.  The underwear from REI were the easiest to wash in the sink and wear again.  If I were spending more time there I would definitely bring a few more pairs of those.  I wish I would have packed one more bra.  I have never been one to sweat in the chest area, but in Asia I sweat everywhere! I wore the Chacos almost everywhere.  I never wore my sneakers or socks. The green skirt from Gap pictured was my coolest most versatile piece.  It has big pockets that worked well for carrying my phone and wallet around town.

My Medical Kit

6/8/2015
My Medical Kit

I am excited to try new foods in Cambodia, but I have a weak stomach. I would consider myself an amateur foodie, but here in the US I know what I can’t eat; Or rather what I may choose to eat knowing I will regret it later.  (Sorry if this is TMI but I promised honesty.)  So one of my biggest concerns going to Cambodia is illness. Even people I have talked to who have strong stomachs admit that they had problems when traveling in Asia. In researching, I discovered that counterfeit drugs are big business in Asia. http://sea-globe.com/the-drugs-dont-work/ For this reason I am packing more medications than I normally would on a trip abroad. Below is a list of everything in my medical kit, although many of the ones I packed are the Target versions.

Medical Kit

Tums

Pepto-Bismol Tablets

Benadryl Tablets

Advil

Dramamine

Imodium A-D

Prescription Antibiotic (Cypro)

Nuun Electrolyte Drink Tablets

Neosporin + Pain Relief

Band-Aids of various sizes

Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes

Sunscreen

Bug repellant wipes

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin D3
2 personal prescriptions

Update: I used the pepto tablets for my stomach, gave away some Benadryl, used Advil for aches and pains, used the Neosporin on my coral injury, and took the anti diarrheal a few times. Gratefully, I never took the antibiotic.  I used two packs of antibacterial wipes.  The Nunn tablets were yummy and helped a lot when I felt dehydrated. 

My first visit to REI

Osprey Meridian

Osprey Porter 46

3/25/2015

My first visit to REI

I know, I know, you can’t believe it.  This girl who is about to go spend a month all the way around the world hasn’t even been into an REI!?!? Well, its true.  I don’t backpack or camp.  I hike occasionally in my bright pink Under Amour sneakers and yoga pants. I had a worthy companion as my guide to this strange new world of REI, my friend and Cambodia travel companion Jen.  She is a long-standing REI fan.  In fact, if she had a second job her first choice would be to work there. 

First impressions- its HUGE!! REI is a very large store.  It is well organized into areas of interest; biking, camping, backpacks and luggage, kayaking and water sports etc. 

I was there to look at backpacks for my trip.  Jen had advised me that smaller is better, considering my weak and delicate nature. (Apparently that’s how she described me to the sales associate on her last visit)  Following his suggestion I had been looking online at the Osprey Farpoint  (http://www.rei.com/product/837010/osprey-farpoint-40-travel-pack) and the Osprey Porter (http://www.rei.com/product/870903/osprey-porter-46-travel-pack ).  They did not have either item in store for me to try.  In store I gravitated toward the Osprey Meridian Wheeled Convertible (http://www.rei.com/product/837018/osprey-meridian-wheeled-convertible-luggage-22 ).  Come on girls, who doesn’t like a convertible?  Two things in one! Backpack by day, wheeled luggage by night. It also held 60 L as opposed to the 40-46L of the other two packs and had a detachable smaller day pack. Great for the over packer in me!  Sadly, this bag came with two unwanted extras, extra weight and extra money.  I was not comfortable with $329.95 price tag, over twice the price of the bags I had looked at online.  With he Meridian on my back, we were greeted by an enthusiastic salesman who spent about 15 minutes with us comparing the Meridian to the REI Stratocrusier (a less expensive similar option). (http://www.rei.com/product/870109/rei-stratocruiser-wheeled-backpack-22) I liked the thicker belt of the Meridian. I have big hips, always have.  In high school my boyfriend’s mother called them “birthing hips” while I was in my prom dress.  IN MY PROM DRESS!!! Today I proudly call my “birthing hips” “backpacking hips” in the hope that they will help me carry my presumably heavy pack this summer. Stratocrusier, Farpoint or Porter? Decisions, decisions!! So much to think about!

Next stop, antibacterial underwear.  Yes, that’s a thing.  Jen survived the Camino de Santiago on two pairs, washing them out in the sink each night.  First, they are not cute.  There was nothing cute about them.  When I pointed this out to Jen, she joked that perhaps the ugly underwear would help prevent me from entering the Cambodian sex trafficking trade. Thanks Jen, thanks for looking out for me. The benefits of course were they are quick drying, moisture wicking and have an antibacterial treatment to prevent odor.  Sexy, right? Sadly, they were out of my size.

We spent the remainder of our time looking through clothes and picking up things for Jen’s upcoming weeklong backpacking trip.  I left empty handed, feeling overwhelmed but excited.  How much of this stuff do I need?  Convertible, breathable hiking pants?  What about a quick dry towel?  Do I need a rain cover for my backpack? What about a lighter rain jacket?  Mine is probably too heavy for the heat and humidity that is south east Asia.  One thing at a time, first I need to choose the pack.  When I arrived home I joined the REI club and ordered the Porter and a pair of undies ($156.88).  REI has a fantastic return policy, so if this bag is not the one I won’t be out the cash. Why join the club?  Well, the club cost $20 to join and they were offering a $20 coupon if you joined the club and made a purchase over $100 so I say “Why not!!”

Total-$2295.58