3 Months - 5 Countries - Bringing It Home

From the craziness of Delhi to the serenity of Hemkunt Sahib in the Himalaya to a placid strong flowing Ghanges amidst the bathing Ghats of Varanasi. From the Taj Mahal to the deserts of Rajasthan where I rode a camel and slept in the desert. From the tea plantations of Munnar to the backwaters of Kerala to a swim in the Arabian Sea along the shores of Goa. From Bombay to Bangkok to skies filled with Chinese lanterns above the city of Chaing Mai. From Thailand to Laos and a trek through jungle forests. From a boat ride up the Mekong to a remote village to a Buddha park outside Vientiane. From a dodgy crossing into Vietnam to vast flourishing rice paddies once known as the DMZ. From the countryside of Hue to the tourist enclave of Hoi Ann to the intriguing city of Saigon. From the Mekong Delta up the river into Cambodia. From the killing fields to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. Then back to Bangkok. Three months has never passed so fast for me……

I arrived home exhausted with the worst case of jet lag I’ve ever had. I’ve been home now for a week and a half and am finally starting to come around after catching up on more than one rerun of Mr. Ed at 4 am in the morning. I’m now able to sleep in until 6am. As is the case with many mountain top experiences I’m coming down from a high which is leading me into the valley of post trip funk. It’s no wonder considering where I’ve been and the fact that I had ample time to adjust to cultural differences. In a sense, I’m going through a bit of reverse culture shock.

I love to travel and I get a buzz out of experiencing something new all of the time. I feel especially alive when I'm on the road. When I eventually arrive back home it's especially nice because I’m usually quite tired. Once I catch up on rest and settle back in I quickly start thinking about the next journey. For example, a 100 mile walk across the island of Corsica is sounding pretty good for sometime next year. Aside of the usual desire to roam I’m also left with deeper contemplative questions of life and purpose? For the most part, it’s good and positive stuff.

Not all trips are the same. Some leave more of an impression than others. My recent journey has left me with an element of experience I believe to be life changing. I feel different due to what I’ve seen and experienced. Today I was thinking about all of the life stages and phases I’ve gone through. I consider myself a person who is constantly evolving and I’d like to believe for the better. Not just for myself but for others I may know or meet along the way. I’m mostly left with an enthusiasm and excitement for the future. I feel very lucky to have found a path that keeps kindling a passion for life despite whatever bumps in the road I may encounter.

Thougts on Cambodia - Part 2 - The Not So Pretty

A week in Cambodia is not much time at all. It’s just enough time to look around and to see that the country has a lot of potential. Although Cambodia is entrenched with ancient history it’s a very young country in a lot of ways. As I’ve mentioned, everything seems to be run by people in their 20’s and younger but from what I can tell there’s a good work ethic amidst the general population. Also, I didn’t notice any outward signs of impending civil unrest which is good for attracting tourist and investors. I believe the desire of most every Cambodian is to be able to earn a good quality of life and to live in peace.From what I can tell things look good for Cambodia’s future but as a traveler passing through you never really know what’s just below the surface. There are a couple of disturbing issues that do stand out.

The most apparent issue is with the flow of foreign investors money in and out of the country. With so many foreign developers creating businesses in Cambodia and taking profits out of the country I fear that Cambodia may not benefit as much as it could. I’m all for free enterprise and capitalism but a weak government coupled with loose laws and corruption can negate any sense of fairness. I was amazed by all of the Lexus SUVs’ and other expensive vehicles I saw in Phnom Penn. It was really quite strange considering how most everyone in Cambodia is very poor. As with most all 3rd world countries a frighteningly few have msot all the money as everyone else lives in poverty. I wouldn’t be surprised if the few with all of the money in Cambodia aren’t even Cambodians.

The most disturbing thing about Cambodia is its current ranking as the #1 destination for sex tourists. It’s especially popular for pedophiles. Cambodia’s moral compass is confused. Considering the history of the country it’s not so difficult to understand why. It’s not uncommon for some families to sell or offer their child into the sex industry in order to make a couple of dollars. Yes, just a couple of dollars. In reality, despite a couple of profitable tourist enclaves and Lexus vehicles in Phnom Penn, Cambodia is a very poor country. Real poverty can cause people to do some awfully desperate things.

A nice benefit to traveling with my friend Deb, while in S.E. Asia, was that I never got solicited for sex when I was with her. However, if I walked the streets by myself at night offers were common. I'm totally averse to prostitution and am completely disgusted by the mere thought of pedophilia. The Cambodian authorities have outlawed sex with a child but in some cases police may actually be involved in promoting it. All with the motivation of making a couple of dollars. A prostitute can be bought for the entire night for $5 and the money is split several ways. Sex is sold all over the place for those who are interested. The most blatant I saw was a street just off the Phnom Penn water front. It was lined with clubs suggestively named and you would have to be stupid not to know what goes on in those places. Actually, this is problem in many parts of S.E. Asia but in Cambodia it is especially bad.

Fortunately some offenders are being prosecuted and a number of nongovernmental organizations are involved with combating the issue. For those who are interested in knowing more about the problems and what can be done about it here’s a link to an organization that a friend of mine works for: http://transitionsglobal.org/volunteer.php

Fortunately, for the most part, Cambodia seems to be moving forward towards the better. It’s not like the Cambodian people aren’t aware of the issues I’ve disclosed. The combination of outside investors, NGO’s, and the history of Pol Pots' regime combined with greed and corruption is bound to create an air of uncertainty and distrust amidst the current populations. This could take a lot of time, if not generations, to sort out and overcome. My hope is that Cambodia finds a clear moral compass. Hopefully this will lead to stronger leadership amidst its own people so they can live and prosper freely under a just government. Well, that’s my ideal hope at least…

Siem Reap - Angkor Wat - Cambodia

The bus ride to Siem Reap from Phnom Penn was pretty straight forward and easy. We had arranged for transportation through the hotel and were first picked up by a minivan packed with backpackers before being shuttled to a full sized bus at a nearby station. We departed on time and about halfway we stopped at a roadside station/restaurant for lunch. Deb and I didn’t think anything of sitting down and eating but we were the only westerners to do so. If I were just starting my travels I probably wouldn’t have eaten where we did but perspectives change after awhile in the 3rd world. I greatly enjoyed a large bowl of fresh veggies and noodles served up by a staff of young people with oldest barely 20 something.

Upon arrival in Siem Reap we were deposited at a station on the outskirts of the city. The prepaid fee for a Tuk Tuk was one U.S. dollar per person which seemed reasonable. We told the driver where we wanted to go and he claimed the hotel was no longer open. The closed hotel scenario is a very common scam. The take is when the driver offers his help by delivering you to another hotel where he receives a commission. I figured I was on to it but as it turned out the prepaid Tuk Tuk service was totally legit and the hotel we wanted was indeed closed. I was pleasantly surprised by the honesty. Our driver cheerfully took us to another place of our request. Tuk Tuk and taxi drivers are generally hard to trust in Asia.

Siem Reap first appeared as a noisy and dusty small city. We walked around a bit and found a really nice hotel located down a side alley which was much quieter. We secured a clean large room with 3 beds for $7 a night. Two beds for sleeping and one bed to throw our stuff on. Once we were settled in we headed for the tourist enclaves of Bar Street and The Alley. Siem Reap attracts many tourists from all over the world and there’s a section of the city that caters to all of the tourists needs. Deb and I needed food and beer so we settled on a place that offered dinner for $3 USD and included a beer. Again, everything appeared to be run by people in their 20’s and younger. However, I suspect by the way businesses are set up they are probably mostly owned by westerners.

Our only real objective in Siem Reap was to spend most of our time during a three day period touring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a large temple complex with a variety of temples spread amidst the country side. The first structures were originally built around the 12th century for a king. At first Angkor Wat was Hindu but it eventually turned Buddhist. Many of the structures are either well preserved or nicely restored. Everything is built with stone blocks and many show various types of religious and non religious carvings.

The best way to visit Angkor Wat is to rent a simple single speed bike for a $1 a day and ride all over the place. We got a little bit of a late start the first day which turned out to be for the better. If you start too early there’s a chance you will be overrun by tour bus groups. Aside of the main temple complex the crowds were not bad unless a tour bus was present.

For three days we cycled all over the place and roamed amidst the temples. Angkor is a huge attraction for people visiting Cambodia and the locals take full advantage of profiting from it. At every temple a visitor is approached by vendors trying to sell books and trinkets. Many places have make shift food stalls and the patrons of such stalls are constantly trying to get you to stop for a drink or food. The touts can definitely get excessive but the good thing is that everyone is friendly and lighthearted about it. While taking a break near a stand selling trinkets a woman tried selling me various souvenirs. I was clear that I didn’t want anything but she persisted. She would show me an item and ask a high price. I’d continually say no until she got down to a really cheap price. When she became convinced that I really didn’t want the item, she would put it down, smile, laugh, then pick up something else and repeat with the same approach. It was actually quite entertaining. After awhile we were both laughing at each other. In the end I didn’t buy anything but I must admit 3 custom Angkor Wat t-shirts for $5 USD is a good deal.

On the third day we got up early and biked in the dark to catch a sunrise over the main temple complex. Needless to say it was beautiful but we reached max wattage by mid morning and just couldn’t bear to look at any more temples. I don’t know what it is but it’s very common to burn out on viewing temples. It’s funny how utter amazement the first day turns into,” I can’t take it anymore”, by the third day. There are only so many temples and museums a traveler can visit in a set amount of time. After that it’s just too much. All said, Angkor Wat is beautiful and amazing place.

Images of Cambodia

Back Home and Craving a Beer at 5 Am

After being on the road for a little over 3 months and passing through the countries of India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia my journey has come to an end. Deb and I parted ways in Bangkok on the evening of December 14th. I headed to the airport for home and she planned to take a train to Malaysia the following day. After a little while in Malaysia she will travel on to New Zealand for the rest of the winter. We had a good time together and I will miss her company.

It was a 28 hour trip to get back to Texas. I flew Bangkok > Seoul, Korea > Dallas > Houston. I saw the sun rise twice and hardly slept. It was bumpy all the way across the Pacific but the Korean Airlines Stewardesses kept everyone well fed and hydrated. Notice I used the politically incorrect word, "Stewardesses" instead of "flight attendants". We don't have "Stewardesses" anymore in America. Based on observation "Stewardesses" retain an element of elegance, style, and service no longer seen in "flight attendants". I think I prefer a nice foreign "Stewardess" staffed air carrier over American based airlines when flying overseas.

I arrived home crazy jet lagged. This morning I awoke at 3am and was immediately wide awake. I could not get back to sleep. By 5am I was ready for a beer because on the other side of the world it was 5 pm. Maybe a beer would have helped by making me sleepy but I headed to the gym instead. Three months of traveling through 3rd world countries is hard on the health so after my workout I went on a shopping spree at Whole Foods. Holy Cow!!! Things are expensive in America! I stuck to sale items and got a bag of apples for free when I noticed the register rang them up at the wrong price.

So, what's next? Work. Yes, my bank account necessitates a definite need to work. I'll coast through Christmas and put things into high gear after new years. I'll likely be traveling again by late spring but I have no definitive plans. I think next year will be mostly hiking oriented within America and Europe.

For now it's good to be home and I'm ever more grateful for what I have. Especially considering where I've been. I really have no reason to complain about anything. Life is good. As usual I consider myself a VERY lucky man....

A Good Travel Buddy

A good travel buddy is hard to find. It's not uncommon to run into other travelers along the way and team up for a few days but beyond that it's hard to find someone who is compatible for longer periods of time. I usually travel alone and generally prefer to, however, I enjoy traveling with the right kind of person. It's great to share the experience and to have someone to bounce things off of. It can also make things easier and often times a lot more fun. I met Debs over a year ago while hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. She joined me again in the Spring while walking in Wales. When we met up in Thailand I wasn't sure how long we would be traveling together. I figured a week or two then we would go our separate ways. One week led into another and before I knew it we passed through 4 countries in a little over a month and half. Here's a few photos of my good friend Debs in Vietnam and Cambodia....

Photos - S-21 and the Killing Fields - Cambodia

These are a few photos I took while visiting S-21 and the Killing Fields of Cambodia. I didn't take many pictures. I was not inspired to take photos and felt a little odd taking the few I did.

Thoughts on Cambodia - Part 1

Cambodia is the last country I visited on my current tour through S.E. Asia. Time got the better of me so when I finally arrived I barely had a week to spend between the two main cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. However, the limited time I spent there was enough to leave quite an impression that has evoked a lot of thought. I’ve decided to post my impressions of Cambodia in two parts along with events of my travels while there.

If you want to visit a country searching for an identity I recommend Cambodia. I guess that’s what happens when a governmental regime exterminates all those who are educated, business minded, creative, not of a pure ethnic religious background, and/or suspected in anyway of disagreeing with how things are being run.

Cambodia experienced a horrible genocide from 1975 to 1979. Under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge frighteningly large numbers of innocent people were rounded up and sent to work camps, prisons, and/or executed. The idea was to start the country anew by ridding it of people who were seen as a threat against forming a truly pure Khmer society. If you weren’t seen as pure Khmer death was imminent. Sound familiar? Pol Pot carried out horrid acts of terror amidst his own people for four years until the Vietnamese ran him out in 1979.

By time Pol Pot was dethroned an estimated 2 to 3 million people were dead. A definitive number has yet to emerge as mass graves are still being found. Some graves contain 10’s of thousands of victims. The country was left utterly devastated mentally, socially and economically. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in their attempt to create some kind of sick pure society destroyed anything and everything Cambodia had prior to Pol Pots reign.

Today Cambodia is on the up and up but it still has a long way to go. Cambodia has been described as a nation overcoming post traumatic stress disorder with a skewed moral compass. The people are a mixed bag of personalities but for the most part nice, friendly, and hard working. However, there’s something missing that’s hard to describe. There seems to be an element of confusion similar to what you might see in a young person trying to find them self. Perhaps it’s because everything seems to be run by people in their teens and twenties. Tourism is really growing and Cambodians are happily taking advantage of the opportunity to make money off of tourist. Things are changing quickly and business is very competitive. Overall, I like the Cambodian people and can’t help but feel a heavy heart for all they have been through.

Deb and I entered the country by boat via the Mekong River from Vietnam with a group of backpackers. The 2 day journey was set up through a local tour operator and everything went fine as we were shuttled from bus to boat to floating hotel to boat to bus. No problems with the border crossing. One thing I’ve learned on this trip is if there is any chance of a problem crossing a border, arrange to cross with a tour group or something of the like. A single westerner or two is much more likely to run into a border scam as opposed to a group of 10 or 20 crossing with a tour group.

Our first stop in Cambodia was Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh is a bustling community of contrasts. It’s a third world city full of new Lexus SUVs, Land Rovers, and Four Runners amidst a sea of motorbikes and motorbike Tuk Tuks which look a bit like a motorcycle pulling a chariot cart. There are plenty of touts from Tuk Tuk drivers and people selling things but unlike other countries they usually take no for an answer the first time. Those who are more persistent do it in a fun loving way so the hassle too isn’t too bad.

Phnom Penh is now seeing a lot of outside investors trying to get in early as the country continues to sort itself out. I’m not really sure who is running the country. I assume there’s some sort of communist government but I’d say foreign capitalist and nongovernmental organizations are pulling all the strings. The upside is that building is happening, infrastructure is taking hold, and rising tourism is pumping the good 'ol American Dollar into the economy. It’s quite odd going to an ATM in Cambodia and having it spit out U.S. Dollars. The dollar is king in Cambodia. Everything over a dollar is dealt in dollars. Everything under a dollar is dealt in the Cambodian currency of Riel. There are no coins and no one wants them. The downside to the upswing is I’m not sure just how much the Cambodian people are actually benefitting from it all. For example, I was shocked to find out that Japan owns the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh where foreign tourist pay $2 each to visit with just a small percentage of the earnings going to a Cambodian black hole known as the finance ministry. I also heard a story about a Korean company that has built hotels and runs Korean tours using only Korean run buses, accommodation etc. In other words some foreign companies may be reaping large profits out of Cambodia by taking advantage of loose trade regulations etc.,. I also suspect corruption is widespread if not the norm.

When Deb and I first arrived we checked into a family run accomodation on the Phnom Penh water front that we dubbed as the Hobbit Hotel. Ten bucks got us a small but clean windowless room with two beds and air con. The low ceilings and yellow painted walls gave the room a wacky feel. Not to mention the short steep steps that led to a narrow hall leading towards the room door. It really was like stepping through the looking glass. When either one of us sat while the other stood the person standing looked oddly disproportionate and large. The size and dimension of the room played tricks on visual perception like a carnival fun house. Turning on the TV and watching a Will Farrell movie after drinking 3 fifty cent mugs of beer just added to bizarreness of it all. It was one of those quirky wonderful kind of places that backpacker travelers like myself love to find.

Our main objective in Phnom Penh was to visit the S-21 genocide museum and the Killing Fields. For me it somehow felt like a chance to pay my respects to humanity. I’d like to say that I wanted to visit in order to make some sort of sense of it all but I knew that would be impossible.

On the recommendation of a friend we chose to visit S-21 first. S-21 was originally a high school that was turned into Pol Pots most notorious prison killing facility. 18,000 passed through its grounds with only few captives making it out alive. There are a number of rooms with a single metal bed and a photograph of a tortured dead victim as it was found when the Vietnamese liberated the prison. That’s the way the tour starts and it’s pretty much all downhill from there. Other buildings were converted into small makeshift rooms with tiny prison cells. Objects of torture are shown here and there. Lots of interpretive panels, set amidst the grounds, explain what went on. The feel and energy of the place is heavy and thick. The horror experienced by those who passed through is unimaginable to me.

In the afternoon we continued on to the Killing fields where victims of S-21 were disposed of. It’s located about 15 kilometers outside of Phnom Penh. The site is made up of a number of mass graves that have all have been exhumed. The thousands of skulls and bones that were collected now lay neatly stacked upon shelves inside a tall tower like Buddhist stupa. It’s a fitting monument to all those who were killed but it’s still hard for me to comprehend what took place on those very grounds. Maybe it’s just too much for a normal human being to fully comprehend such a horribly inhumane event.

The actual setting of the killing fields is quite peaceful with shady trees and footpaths. Deb and I took our time walking around. Ironically there’s a school right next to the site. It was a little odd hearing school children play as we toured the grounds thinking of what once took place there.

Needless to say it was a very heavy day for both of us but worthwhile as well. Somehow I feel like visiting places such as S-21 and the Killing Fields gives me a chance to pay my respects to those who perished under a government run by a mad man. It brings me more in touch with the fact that unthinkable atrocities created by humans really do happen. It’s not just some Hollywood fictional film dreamed up by a dark minded writer. It’s reality. The most horrifying thing I saw, which I also completely blocked out until Deb reminded me, was the baby smashing tree. Try to wrap your mind around that one!?!?!?

After visiting S-21 and the Killing fields Deb and I were ready to get out of Phnom Penh. I think that’s the best thing to do. Phnom Penh has kind of heavy vibe about it and once you visit the places we visited you really just want to move on after that. Our next stop would be much more upbeat as we planned to visit the famous temples of Angkor Wat and the city of Siem Reap. The following day we hopped on a bus at 7:30 am and were on our way…….

Images From Vietnam

The Woman Drank Snake Wine!

“This is the best. Here we have rice wine with seven poisonous snakes. Would you like to try?” Deb stepped up as the guide dipped a ladle into a large jar of rice wine with 7 dead poisonous snakes and some kind of bird. He served her a shot with a couple of other backpacker dudes and on the count of three they drank it up. I was very impressed. I don’t know many women who would drink snake wine. Not only was I impressed but I was almost inspired to do the same. Regrettably I did not try the snake wine for fear of hallucinating or something like that. Deb may have an aversion to rats and roaches but if the wine bottle has a cobra in it there’s no problem.

We spent 3 nights in the cool mountain city of Dalat before heading to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. While in Delta we broke my rule of not renting motorbikes in 3rd world countries. The average rate for an all day rental is $5 so we spent a day riding around the countryside and hiked up a big hill for generous views of the surrounding area. Deb and I made a good team for one bike. I focused on the driving while she navigated. Fortunately, I did not crash into a cow like India. Vietnam is virtually free of livestock on roadways.

The trip from Dalat to Saigon was breezy easy. We booked tickets on the nicest bus which costs us around $7.50 each for the 8 hour trip. We lucked out when it dropped us directly in the area we wanted to stay near Phan Ngu Lao. It’s a very busy area bustling with activity but we spied a quiet alley with several backpacker hotels and found and an amazingly tranquil place in the middle of it all. Our first impression of Saigon was much better than we expected.

Saigon is a city of 7 million people and 5 million motorbikes. You don’t see a lot of cars in Vietnam but motorbike scooters are everywhere thanks to the Henry Ford attitude of China. Seeing how the Vietnamese were all riding bicycles because no one could afford a car China approached Vietnam with an idea. Taking the numbers game into account China’s goal was to get as many people motorized by offering brand new motorbikes for $300. The country enthusiastically jumped all over the idea and motorbikes filled up the roadways in no time.

It’s wonderful that the people of Vietnam have a way to get around but it’s quite a challenge crossing the street. The best method is to simply walk into the traffic at a slow and steady pace. The trick is once you start moving don’t stop. Stopping could be dangerous. While crossing I get a sense of what it must have been like when god parted the Red Sea. Motorbikes closely pass without running into me. It’s quite amazing. It now feels perfectly normal to walk into 4 lanes of busy traffic with hardly looking both directions. It’s kind of magical in a way.

We spent a whole day in Saigon visiting Independence Palace, the former headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government, and the war relics museum. I was most fascinated by Independence palace as I’ve seen the film footage of tanks rolling through the gates when Saigon fell in 1975. Let’s not forget the 58,000 American soldiers and countless others who died trying to save what it stood for. It was quite interesting roaming through the meeting rooms, residence quarters, bunkers and war room where the American backed South Vietnamese tried to establish and hold on to Democracy. After the palace we headed to the War Relics Museum for the North Vietnamese take on the war.

I must admit that the War Museum was very interesting with its photos and American war relics, planes, tanks, bombs, etc, etc,. The most impressive displays were the photographs taken by number famous war photographers who caught some amazing images in the thick of battle. Naturally, everything was clearly slanted to make the North Vietnamese seem like wonderful people who were brutalized by the heinous American Aggressor. No doubt the war was horrible and very controversial but they failed to mention that many of their own people despised the North Vietnamese Communist aim. Also, I didn’t see anything about how the North Vietnamese rigged bombs on small children to blow up Americans etc. Stuff like that happened. I know an American Vietnam Vet who saw his buddy blown up right in front of him as he offered a village kid some chocolate. Nonetheless, the museum brings up some interesting questions about the war, which in my opinion, really never should never have happened. There are always two sides to every story and usually both sides bring up valid points.

Deb and I enjoyed the high energy vibe of Saigon minus one incident. I was walking along a street near the edge when I saw a 100,000 dong note laying on the ground (worth about $5.50). I casually picked it up and proceeded to walk on. I was a fair distance from other people and someone, most likely a tourist, had obviously dropped it. Well, if you’re a white person like myself walking down the street in Asia you’re always being watched by someone. As I began to walk on some local guy, who saw me pick it up, ran over and started yelling at me. He was very aggressive and I asked him if he knew who it belonged to. He made signals like he knew who it belonged to and was aggressively demanding I give it to him. He didn’t speak English and when I resisted giving it to him he grabbed my arm and pulled the money out of my hand. I really don’t like it when someone aggressively approaches and lays a hand on me. I almost knee jerk reacted by punching him but didn’t. I just let him have the money, gave him a bad look, and walked away. I really didn’t care about the money and if he would have approached me nicely and claimed he was the one who lost it I would have simply given it to him. I did the right thing by letting it go and wished I had never found the money in the first place. When we walked back down the street a little later I stared right at him. He shamefully turned away and wouldn’t look at me. What does that tell you? 100,000 dong may not seem like much to a Westerner but in Vietnam not many people are fortunate enough to make that much in a day. I would rather have given it to a beggar on the street than have a suspected liar and a thief aggressively pull it out of my hand. It was a very unpleasant experience but I quickly got over it with a beer. Often times the best thing is to do is forget about it and let Karma work it out.

We left Saigon on a two day packaged budget tour to the Mekong Delta that included a border crossing via boat into Cambodia and transportation to Pnohm Pen. The idea was to travel with a group of other backpackers and an English speaking guide to avoid anymore border problems.

It was on the tour that Deb drank snake wine. Where are we now? After an easy border crossing and beautiful boat ride up the Mekong River, Deb and I arrived in Pnohm Pen. It’s time to pay our respects to the horrendous tragedy of Cambodia. In the late 70’s over 3,000,000 people were senselessly murdered by their government. On arriving in Pnohm Pen Deb and I immediately notice a very different vibe from the rest of S.E. Asia……

Life In The Loophole - Drifting Through Vietnam

I’ve now been traveling for nearly 3 months. While doing so the earth has been spinning steadily as it faithfully makes its way around the giant fireball in the sky. Miles of walking, long bus trips, mixed food, and varied sleep have made me giddy with exhaustion. The next two weeks are sure to pass in a snap and home is certain to feel strange when I return in mid December.

Until then I’ll continue to live life in the loophole. American dollars turned into 3rd world currency allow a commoner to live the easy life for months on end. Lovely $10 hotel rooms, meals for a buck or two, lengthy bus trips for a pittance, and no real responsibility make me wonder how I’m ever going readjust to what now seems like the crazy high price of average American living. It’s all relative I suppose.

My friend Deb has been a good travel mate. People think we are married. I think it’s kind of funny but she always makes it a point to let people know we are only friends. Deb is a very independent woman whose only real love is fried food and her dog Jake. We get along well and watch each others back which just makes travel easier. We both get less hassle traveling together and needless to say enjoy each others company. She’s a good bloke…

Vietnam has turned out to be a surprise for both of us. We had heard mixed reports about the people but overall have found them to be perfectly fine if not really friendly. In the tourists areas you do run into some hassles and touts but usually they are really nice about it.

We are now in Dalat. It’s a beautiful hill city that reminds me more of Europe than than S.E. Asia. I told Deb that I thought it was a bit like France. Upon nightfall we noticed a large in town radio tower all lit up and looking just like the Eiffel Tower only smaller.

When we arrived we were first greeted by motorcycle taxi guides known as an Easy Riders. We met several at the bus station but told all of them we wanted to walk. We left the bus station for the city center and paused to look at our map. An Easy Rider appeared on the street to offer us help with directions and to suggest a hotel. We agreed to check out his hotel suggestion but refused a ride. He then left and we walked on. We assumed he was long gone but when we came to a busy intersection he reappeared to show us the way. He then left us alone but met us again at another intersection. This happened a few times. His approach was always, “Excuse me, can I help you?” When we thanked him and/or told him we were fine and did not need his help he would disappear only to reappear anytime we stopped to look at our book or map. When he saw we had enough of his offer to help he would say, “Ok, sorry, sorry”, then disappear again.

When we arrived at the hotel he told us about he was standing at the door to greet us and immediately showed us the room. It was good but we wanted to check out other places before deciding. We thanked him and got the usual, very polite, “Ok, sorry sorry”. We went on to walk on our own through the city but he kept reappearing like an apparition at various hotels. “How about this one?" How about this one?” It was actually getting downright funny the way he would disappear and reappear. Basically he was trying to earn a commission by referring us to a hotel. Finally I nicely put my foot down and he seemed to back off for good. So I thought. I must add that he was very nice, polite and friendly so Deb and I behaved the same.

So, eventually Deb and I settled on a place, dumped our packs, and went out for dinner. That’s when he reappeared again. “Maybe tomorrow I can give you a tour”. I’m not sure how the both of us were going to fit on the back of his small motorbike but I’m sure he didn’t think it would be a problem. Deb stressed the point that we were not sure what we were doing the following day and were not interested.

After about an hour or so at a restaurant I needed to run back to the hotel to get my jacket and guess who appeared again. “Excuse me, Excuse me”. I waved him off and tried not to laugh. There was something humorous about his approach. It’s was downright unbelievable how nice, polite and persistent this guy was. I also started to feel kind of sorry for him. He was trying so hard. I returned to the restaurant and told Deb what happened and she couldn’t believe the guy was still on us. It was going on over 4 hours.

I began to feel more sorry for the guy and told Deb I was just going to give him some money. She discouraged it for good reasons and had a valid point that if I just give him money it might give him the idea to be more persistent with other travelers. She also reasoned that his behavior was above and beyond unusual. Was it a desperate Easy Rider hurting to make a buck or a guy with obsessive tendencies?

When we left the restaurant guess what? He appeared again. “Excuse me, Sorry, Sorry. Tomorrow I can pick you up at 7 or 8:30 for a tour?” He was incredibly polite but Deb very nicely and firmly told him no. He seemed to take it all right and finally responded with a simple “Ok”. We watched him ride off into the darkness and actually felt a mix of guilt and sadness for the poor guy. He was just so nice and polite but Deb and I were simply not interested and in our exhausted state, from a long day of travel, didn’t want to make and plans……

We kind of half way expected to see him the next morning in front of our hotel but I guess he finally got the message. After a couple of days in Dalat we will head on to Saigon and make arrangements to take a boat up the lower Mekong River and cross into Cambodia. I'm steadily making my way back to Bangkok where I'll end this journey and fly home.