Here are some awesome videos that Jason made during our trip. Enjoy!
This was Day 7, Friday.
This is that same day.
This is the top of the previous temple.
Here we are in Bangkok at the Imperial Palace, early in the trip.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Good Eats and Cherry Blossoms
Spring time has finally arrived in Korea! Slowly but surely a change was evident... first there was the slight tinge of green in the otherwise brown and dead looking stick like vines and trees covering the Korean landscape. Then there was actual green stems. Then there were the first flowers, bring yellow dropping vines. And now, finally, the cherry blossoms and other flowering trees have started to bloom! Not all trees have yet blossomed, but the buds are there in their scraggy branches.
The first welcome signs of spring food arrived as well. I think deliciousness must come in three's.
First...
Second...
Third...
After the egg splatter, we ate breakfast and headed to the bus terminal to meet Amber and Scott. We headed off to Gangneung for the day to check out their Cherry Blossom Festival. The Festival was right next to the ocean and the big lake. They are known as the "Pine City" so the beach has a cute boardwalk interwoven with pin trees. The whole perimeter of the lake is surrounded by cherry blossom trees! They were so beautiful. It was just a lovely day out. A little windy and cool, but definitely warmer than it has been.
Amber also noticed a rental area for tandem bike rentals so we decided to give it a try! At first the boys wanted to do boy girl, boy girl because they thought we couldn't keep up, but we assured them we could handle riding together. What a funny site we must have been, two girls and two boys on two tandem bikes riding around the lake! It is a big lake so it took us about an hour to get around the entire thing. It was a great ride though and we got to see so many different flowers and people. We also had an awkward moment where an old man with a camera walked up to us at a spot where we had stopped to take pictures. He said "photo together?" and we thought he was offering to take our picture. I started to hand him my camera but he said no, and gave his to Jason and then gestured for me to come over to him. So this creepy old man wanted a picture with me. So there I stood while Jason snapped away. Then the old guy simply left and didn't even offer to take a group shot for us. Awkward.
We concluded the day with dinner back in Wonju. I'm so glad its getting warm! Today is nice as well, with clear skies and a warm sun!
The first welcome signs of spring food arrived as well. I think deliciousness must come in three's.
First...
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| Easter chocolate from home! So yummy and gone instantly! |
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| A great trip to the market behind my place, lots of fresh produce and other yummy foods. So colorful I had to take a picture. |
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| SPLAT! This is Jason and his splatted egg. He was trying to be like Alton Brown and flip it in the pan, but this time it ended up on the floor. |
After the egg splatter, we ate breakfast and headed to the bus terminal to meet Amber and Scott. We headed off to Gangneung for the day to check out their Cherry Blossom Festival. The Festival was right next to the ocean and the big lake. They are known as the "Pine City" so the beach has a cute boardwalk interwoven with pin trees. The whole perimeter of the lake is surrounded by cherry blossom trees! They were so beautiful. It was just a lovely day out. A little windy and cool, but definitely warmer than it has been.
Amber also noticed a rental area for tandem bike rentals so we decided to give it a try! At first the boys wanted to do boy girl, boy girl because they thought we couldn't keep up, but we assured them we could handle riding together. What a funny site we must have been, two girls and two boys on two tandem bikes riding around the lake! It is a big lake so it took us about an hour to get around the entire thing. It was a great ride though and we got to see so many different flowers and people. We also had an awkward moment where an old man with a camera walked up to us at a spot where we had stopped to take pictures. He said "photo together?" and we thought he was offering to take our picture. I started to hand him my camera but he said no, and gave his to Jason and then gestured for me to come over to him. So this creepy old man wanted a picture with me. So there I stood while Jason snapped away. Then the old guy simply left and didn't even offer to take a group shot for us. Awkward.
We concluded the day with dinner back in Wonju. I'm so glad its getting warm! Today is nice as well, with clear skies and a warm sun!
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| On our street in Wonju |
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| Blue and pink go so well together |
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| "one + one = more than two" Huh? |
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| Gangneung lake and walking path, look at all the people |
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| Scott, Jason and Amber |
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| Pucker up! |
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| So perfect |
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| Scott |
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| Amber |
Friday, April 15, 2011
Cambodia Day 8 Saturday
Saturday in Cambodia marked one week from when we left Seoul. Vacation was already half way over! We decided to take it easy on Saturday since we'd been exhausting ourselves for days and thus, didn't visit the temples of Angkor. Instead we had a really lazy day.
After breakfast we decided to go with Brian into the center of town to look around the large market and grab some lunch. While a nice idea, we underestimated how hot it was walking in the 90 degree weather directly under the strong sun. The trees in Angkor provided much more shade than we had previously realized. Our goal was to find the French restaurant Brian had read about that served crepes. After wandering around the Pub Street area for a bit we eventually found it. The menu had a lot to offer, especially in the crepe section, but everything was much more expensive than we had been used to for the past week. Crepes were $5, which is a lot even in the US! But since we were there, we went ahead and each got one. And they were tasty.
By that time it was already past noon and we decided it was time to head back to Rosy's for some delicious iced coffees. We also had to get back in time to be picked up. The night before we had booked a little excursion for ourselves, something different than the temples. We were going to be taken out on a boat to Tonle Lake, the largest lake in southeast Asia. The whole package was about $30 each and included transportation plus dinner. Our guesthouse had recommended it as a nice way to see the lake and the floating village, hassle free. Yes that's right, there is a floating village.
Pretty soon after our ice coffees a large air conditioned van arrived. We were the first three pick-ups. There was a driver and a guide. The driver didn't speak any English, but the guide did. Again we were so impressed with his speaking skills! He told us he'd only been studying English for three months, paying an hourly fee to take classes at the local university. He told us it cost more to have English taught by a native speaker and that he paid the cheaper fee for the Cambodian teacher (who obviously does a great job!). He also pays for the hourly class instead of the ones with a set time because they are more expensive, plus, if he has to work, he can reschedule where if he is taking the set time class, just like any college class, if you miss it you can't make it up. He said he was studying Tourism Business so this seemed the perfect job for him. He was a very nice guy to talk to and we liked hearing his story.
Before heading out to the lake we stopped to pick up five more passengers. What a motley crew we were. First we stopped at a lush, exclusive hotel to pick up two Australian guys, one plump and brown, one plumb and white, with fancy cameras around their necks, sun hats and khaki shorts. Second stop was at another exclusive hotel. This time it was an Eastern European couple, a very large man and his very tan, very blonde, very busty wife. Last was a small guesthouse like ours where we picked up a tiny, 40 something Japanese woman. (Everyone also spoke perfect English.) What a group.
Then it was off towards the lake. Our guide made sure to point out lots of things to us on the way as we wound through Siem Reap, realizing the city was much bigger than we had thought. We passed both shack houses and solid homes, markets and families. He would say, "see those men, those are the fish men, they catch fish and sell it to market every day." Or, "see this, this is a crocodile farm. It takes seven years to raise a crocodile, then you can sell it to China for purses and bags and make a few hundred dollars." Apparently crocodile farms were very common in Cambodia!
As we got out of town the land became sparser, with only a few buildings lining the street. We also saw an accident. A person on a bike had been hit or run off the road and ended up in the side bushes, people were gathering around to help but we don't really know what happened. The road we were on was raised, on either side it was a good 10 feet or more to the ground below. Still the guide told us that during the rainy season, this road is covered with water! Thus getting to the lake becomes almost impossible, even for the fish men. That is why many families have portable homes, or two homes. They live next to the lake during dry season, and then during rainy season move inland. That is also why the homes are built on stilts, because the water level fluctuates so much! On our way we stopped at something called GECKO, an education center built on stilts, right between two homes. The front GECKO touched the raised street, the back of the house looked down 20 feet to the small stream below. There were stilt houses all around us, we could look right into people’s backyards and see them washing in the pump water, peer at their chickens pecking away at the sparse grass and notice kids playing. These people would move once the rainy season came in. Our guide also explained that they had recently had a fresh water pump installed in the area, which made living conditions much better because the lake water they had been drinking and using to cook with was not clean. At GEGKO we got to see pictures and charts discussing the dramatic and drastic changes in water level the lake undergoes every year, as well as learn more about the fish, snakes and crocodiles raised in the area. Actually, the crocodiles are fed the water snakes! Eww!
Finally we arrived at the lake, or at least to the peninsula that boats followed into the lake. The area wasn't exactly picturesque since it was the dry season and there were a hundred or so shacks built around its edge. There were also hundreds of small boats in the water. And then we noticed a large, ugly construction site to the right. We asked what it was. Our guide said, "oh that is a Korean resort being built, they are the ones who supplied the road we just drove on." Our jaws dropped! I was so upset! I couldn't stop thinking "stupid Koreans!" We had actually seen a ton of Korean's in Cambodia, I could hear and recognize them right away. They were the ones who were always on tour buses. They would look at the temple and get right back on. They never interacted with the locals. I know what most Korean's opinion of Cambodia is already, dirty and dark, bad people. I was so outraged that they were able to come to Cambodia, buy up some prime land next to the lake and build a huge resort. I just know the majority will never leave its grounds unless they are riding comfortably on a bus. It’s just too bad. I hope they do something more for the local economy than a dinky one lane road.
Luckily it was quickly time for us to board our small boat to head to the lake. The boat was long seating about 50 but it carried only our group. All the boats were brightly colored and hummed with the noise from the motor. Going up the peninsula was fun, we got to see homes on the banks, pass other boats and saw the beginnings of the floating village. A new school house was being built! And when I say floating, I mean they really do float! A whole community lives out on the lake and their homes, shops, schools, even the police buildings, are built on floating platforms. Amazing! The people of the floating village are also not actually Cambodian, they are Vietnamese. Somewhere along the line when the Vietnam War was going on they came to Cambodia and Cambodia has allowed them to remain ever since. They all live together and speak Vietnamese and the Cambodia's can automatically tell them apart.
As we were cruising along suddenly a much smaller and faster boat zipped up next to us. It was driven by a young boy and next to him sat an even younger girl. Suddenly he cut the motor and they fell away, behind us. Then suddenly they were back again, this time right next to our boat, keeping speed with us. They opened up a cooler and the girl hopped on board! They were just like pirates, only pirates that were selling instead of taking! She was selling sodas and beer, just like that! The European man bought a beer. She jumped back in the speedy boat and away they went. It was so cool.
Our next attraction was just as bizarre. Another speeding boat came up to us, this time a father was driving it and a really young boy was perched in the front. And what was he holding? A SNAKE!! We had been warned we would see this and that it is a little disturbing but... there it was, a five year old boy holding a snake around his neck, smiling and holding up the peace sign. It was cute but odd and we didn't want to take pictures, although some people did. And then the boy was on our boat, luckily without the snake, asking for $1 for his picture. Our guide had already told us you didn't have to pay. Maybe they should ask for the money first? Brian had snapped a picture and the boy knew it. He perched right next to him saying "Mr, Mr..." his hand out, just begging. Brian uncomfortably looked away and eventually the boy got back in his own boat. What a sight! (And hey, maybe the snakes are harmless and they know how to handle them, I shouldn't judge!)
Finally we had reached the lake and we could see its enormous size! You could not see across it and it appeared just like an ocean, glimmering in the waning sunlight. We passed through the floating village, marveling at the houses just sitting there on the water, wondering how they got electricity... Before dinner we stopped at a large floating building that houses a crocodile farm. Another pretty cool event, we got to look down into a pit and see bunches of crocodiles lying on top of each other, sloshing about in the water! And next to them, piranha fish! They threw some food in so we could watch them splash around eagerly! So crazy! Also here there were even more Vietnamese kids holding snakes. There were toddlers to tweens, just wandering around with snakes on their necks, in their hands... if you looked too long they would start to pose and you'd have to quickly walk away. I feel like the snakes were out of a cartoon, stunned and annoyed about being carried around by these kids but unable to do anything to stop it. The kids were also in the water, floating around in large buckets. They had large sticks they would use as paddles and they would paddle around while sitting in their buckets with a snake around their neck.
Back into the boat we went and it was a short ride to our dinner destination. It wasn't a restaurant per se, but a large old fashioned looking boat that was permanently anchored to its location. The man who ran the boat trip had bought it and turned into a floating restaurant. Our trip included unlimited food and drink! On the top deck two tables were set, the sun was slowly setting behind us and the beautiful lake surrounded us. It was peaceful and perfect.
The European couple sat together and everyone else occupied the larger table. We learned from the two Australian men that they were on a company retreat for two weeks and that their company always chooses exotic locations for business. They worked with major airlines and baggage claim systems, I got the impression they were very well off. We also learned their hotel was something like over $150 a night, while ours was $20. The Japanese woman was so cute, so typical in her quiet and almost shy manners. She was definitely not shy though, or timid, because she was traveling alone for a week. She explained it was extremely rare for people to take time off of work in Japan, even though they technically can (sounds like Korea!) so she felt guilty but just had to do it. She said "my coworkers will be mad at me, so I must buy them gifts."
Our dinner was great, curry, rice, chicken, soda, beer, water. Our guide also became our server. Everyone was enjoying the evening so much that he had to finally usher us off the boat at 7pm when it was time to go back to town. By then it was pitch black, I think the moon was hidden by clouds. Our boat had a little light and a large spot light. We went slowly down the peninsula, our driver knowingly guiding us, turning on the spotlight only every now and then so as not to blind other passing boats. Every time he did so we could see the thick coating of bugs in the air. Who knew what lay in the dark waters to our sides. We began to think, if we hit ground right now and were stuck or started to sink, this would be the funniest group of people to ever have to help each other escape! Two slightly cocky Australian guys, an overly sexual odd couple and a soft spoken Japanese woman, plus two Cambodian natives and us! Good thing nothing happened!
When we left the boat we had to walk up a steep boat dock. At the top of it were lights shining next to our van. They were thick with bugs. As we walked we realized by the water was not where we wanted to be. There were bugs coating the air! I began to run up the dock and everyone else followed, we were waving our hands around like crazy people, pinching shut our mouths and hoping nothing went up our noses!
Back to town it was and off to Rosy's. We were back by 8pm. We had been told that that night was the annual Puppet Parade for the children of Siem Reap. A non-profit organization works with the local kids to make huge paper mache puppets, so big that it takes 10 kids to operate one by standing inside and working the arms and such. We had wanted to see the parade but were afraid we missed it because of the boat trip. Luckily though it ended right in front of Rosy's in the large gardens. All the puppets were set around a large stage were all the children and their families could come to enjoy a slideshow and performances! It was such a great thing to witness and I was so happy these kids who have so little could enjoy such a fun night. The puppets were also amazing! There were about 10 of them, some were dragons, swans, cars, monsters, and they were all lit up with lights, painted and decorated. It was very cool. The night air was beautiful and the colorful puppets lit up the river front.
Before the day ended we decided we had to go to the Night Market. We had driven by it on our way to the lake so we now knew the way. Down a busy street we went. As we walked we passed numerous massage parlors and were given many fliers. These legitimate massage parlors offered neck massages for as low as $5!
I was intrigued by the signs for "Dr. Fishy" -- a service that would make you "happy and funny!" We'd been hearing about these places for days and I finally had to try it. Outside each massage parlor was a large tank with little silver fish in them. For only $2 you could stick your feet in the tank for half an hour and the fish would eat the dead skin cells off!! $2 also included a beer or soda. How could I pass it up? So I boldly told the boys we needed to stop, handed over my $2 and slowly lowered my feet into the water. And guess what, it did make me happy and funny!! The fish nibbling on my feet tickled sooooo much!!!! It was impossible not to laugh and squirm about while hundreds of hungry fish fed away!! Brian had so much fun watching me that he decided to try as well. Jason declined due to his too ticklish feet. I think maybe he was just grossed out. Brian and I sat there for a good while, almost half an hour, before we decided our feet were clean enough and it was time to move on. I must confess I loved Dr. Fishy! It was so much fun and really worked, my feet were nice and smooth! I think this kind of thing is becoming popular in the US too, but I'm sure it costs a ton of money.
Finally we made it to the Night Market! And what a market it was! It was the first night market to be opened in Siem Reap since the awful Khmer Republic and was a controlled market. Vendors had to apply to be included and thus the whole area was more trendy and clean than most markets. The entryway was grand, with white colored lights covering the large sign for its entrance. More lights were stew across the streets leading to the entrance. The stalls were decorated like beach huts with straw roofs and the floor was covered in small white gravel. The market also included two swanky looking bars and a one room movie theater. I was immediately in love with the Night Market. We shopped around a bit, coming away with some tshirts.
We decided to end the night there since while the day had started out lazy, it had been long. Plus the next day it was back to the temples!
After breakfast we decided to go with Brian into the center of town to look around the large market and grab some lunch. While a nice idea, we underestimated how hot it was walking in the 90 degree weather directly under the strong sun. The trees in Angkor provided much more shade than we had previously realized. Our goal was to find the French restaurant Brian had read about that served crepes. After wandering around the Pub Street area for a bit we eventually found it. The menu had a lot to offer, especially in the crepe section, but everything was much more expensive than we had been used to for the past week. Crepes were $5, which is a lot even in the US! But since we were there, we went ahead and each got one. And they were tasty.
By that time it was already past noon and we decided it was time to head back to Rosy's for some delicious iced coffees. We also had to get back in time to be picked up. The night before we had booked a little excursion for ourselves, something different than the temples. We were going to be taken out on a boat to Tonle Lake, the largest lake in southeast Asia. The whole package was about $30 each and included transportation plus dinner. Our guesthouse had recommended it as a nice way to see the lake and the floating village, hassle free. Yes that's right, there is a floating village.
Pretty soon after our ice coffees a large air conditioned van arrived. We were the first three pick-ups. There was a driver and a guide. The driver didn't speak any English, but the guide did. Again we were so impressed with his speaking skills! He told us he'd only been studying English for three months, paying an hourly fee to take classes at the local university. He told us it cost more to have English taught by a native speaker and that he paid the cheaper fee for the Cambodian teacher (who obviously does a great job!). He also pays for the hourly class instead of the ones with a set time because they are more expensive, plus, if he has to work, he can reschedule where if he is taking the set time class, just like any college class, if you miss it you can't make it up. He said he was studying Tourism Business so this seemed the perfect job for him. He was a very nice guy to talk to and we liked hearing his story.
Before heading out to the lake we stopped to pick up five more passengers. What a motley crew we were. First we stopped at a lush, exclusive hotel to pick up two Australian guys, one plump and brown, one plumb and white, with fancy cameras around their necks, sun hats and khaki shorts. Second stop was at another exclusive hotel. This time it was an Eastern European couple, a very large man and his very tan, very blonde, very busty wife. Last was a small guesthouse like ours where we picked up a tiny, 40 something Japanese woman. (Everyone also spoke perfect English.) What a group.
Then it was off towards the lake. Our guide made sure to point out lots of things to us on the way as we wound through Siem Reap, realizing the city was much bigger than we had thought. We passed both shack houses and solid homes, markets and families. He would say, "see those men, those are the fish men, they catch fish and sell it to market every day." Or, "see this, this is a crocodile farm. It takes seven years to raise a crocodile, then you can sell it to China for purses and bags and make a few hundred dollars." Apparently crocodile farms were very common in Cambodia!
As we got out of town the land became sparser, with only a few buildings lining the street. We also saw an accident. A person on a bike had been hit or run off the road and ended up in the side bushes, people were gathering around to help but we don't really know what happened. The road we were on was raised, on either side it was a good 10 feet or more to the ground below. Still the guide told us that during the rainy season, this road is covered with water! Thus getting to the lake becomes almost impossible, even for the fish men. That is why many families have portable homes, or two homes. They live next to the lake during dry season, and then during rainy season move inland. That is also why the homes are built on stilts, because the water level fluctuates so much! On our way we stopped at something called GECKO, an education center built on stilts, right between two homes. The front GECKO touched the raised street, the back of the house looked down 20 feet to the small stream below. There were stilt houses all around us, we could look right into people’s backyards and see them washing in the pump water, peer at their chickens pecking away at the sparse grass and notice kids playing. These people would move once the rainy season came in. Our guide also explained that they had recently had a fresh water pump installed in the area, which made living conditions much better because the lake water they had been drinking and using to cook with was not clean. At GEGKO we got to see pictures and charts discussing the dramatic and drastic changes in water level the lake undergoes every year, as well as learn more about the fish, snakes and crocodiles raised in the area. Actually, the crocodiles are fed the water snakes! Eww!
Finally we arrived at the lake, or at least to the peninsula that boats followed into the lake. The area wasn't exactly picturesque since it was the dry season and there were a hundred or so shacks built around its edge. There were also hundreds of small boats in the water. And then we noticed a large, ugly construction site to the right. We asked what it was. Our guide said, "oh that is a Korean resort being built, they are the ones who supplied the road we just drove on." Our jaws dropped! I was so upset! I couldn't stop thinking "stupid Koreans!" We had actually seen a ton of Korean's in Cambodia, I could hear and recognize them right away. They were the ones who were always on tour buses. They would look at the temple and get right back on. They never interacted with the locals. I know what most Korean's opinion of Cambodia is already, dirty and dark, bad people. I was so outraged that they were able to come to Cambodia, buy up some prime land next to the lake and build a huge resort. I just know the majority will never leave its grounds unless they are riding comfortably on a bus. It’s just too bad. I hope they do something more for the local economy than a dinky one lane road.
Luckily it was quickly time for us to board our small boat to head to the lake. The boat was long seating about 50 but it carried only our group. All the boats were brightly colored and hummed with the noise from the motor. Going up the peninsula was fun, we got to see homes on the banks, pass other boats and saw the beginnings of the floating village. A new school house was being built! And when I say floating, I mean they really do float! A whole community lives out on the lake and their homes, shops, schools, even the police buildings, are built on floating platforms. Amazing! The people of the floating village are also not actually Cambodian, they are Vietnamese. Somewhere along the line when the Vietnam War was going on they came to Cambodia and Cambodia has allowed them to remain ever since. They all live together and speak Vietnamese and the Cambodia's can automatically tell them apart.
As we were cruising along suddenly a much smaller and faster boat zipped up next to us. It was driven by a young boy and next to him sat an even younger girl. Suddenly he cut the motor and they fell away, behind us. Then suddenly they were back again, this time right next to our boat, keeping speed with us. They opened up a cooler and the girl hopped on board! They were just like pirates, only pirates that were selling instead of taking! She was selling sodas and beer, just like that! The European man bought a beer. She jumped back in the speedy boat and away they went. It was so cool.
Our next attraction was just as bizarre. Another speeding boat came up to us, this time a father was driving it and a really young boy was perched in the front. And what was he holding? A SNAKE!! We had been warned we would see this and that it is a little disturbing but... there it was, a five year old boy holding a snake around his neck, smiling and holding up the peace sign. It was cute but odd and we didn't want to take pictures, although some people did. And then the boy was on our boat, luckily without the snake, asking for $1 for his picture. Our guide had already told us you didn't have to pay. Maybe they should ask for the money first? Brian had snapped a picture and the boy knew it. He perched right next to him saying "Mr, Mr..." his hand out, just begging. Brian uncomfortably looked away and eventually the boy got back in his own boat. What a sight! (And hey, maybe the snakes are harmless and they know how to handle them, I shouldn't judge!)
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| Homes on stilts at GECKO |
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| Boat dock |
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| Pushing off, our guide |
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| Our boat looked just like this |
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| Brian with his previously snake holding boy, begging for a dollar |
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| Like little pirates! |
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| Floating village home, there were many more |
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| In their buckets, sorry you can't see the snakes. I felt bad taking pictures. |
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| Our odd group, plus crocodiles! |
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| Me and croc skins! |
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| Brian, Jason and me |
The European couple sat together and everyone else occupied the larger table. We learned from the two Australian men that they were on a company retreat for two weeks and that their company always chooses exotic locations for business. They worked with major airlines and baggage claim systems, I got the impression they were very well off. We also learned their hotel was something like over $150 a night, while ours was $20. The Japanese woman was so cute, so typical in her quiet and almost shy manners. She was definitely not shy though, or timid, because she was traveling alone for a week. She explained it was extremely rare for people to take time off of work in Japan, even though they technically can (sounds like Korea!) so she felt guilty but just had to do it. She said "my coworkers will be mad at me, so I must buy them gifts."
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| The life |
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| Sunset on Tonle Lake, floating structure |
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| Dinner! |
Our dinner was great, curry, rice, chicken, soda, beer, water. Our guide also became our server. Everyone was enjoying the evening so much that he had to finally usher us off the boat at 7pm when it was time to go back to town. By then it was pitch black, I think the moon was hidden by clouds. Our boat had a little light and a large spot light. We went slowly down the peninsula, our driver knowingly guiding us, turning on the spotlight only every now and then so as not to blind other passing boats. Every time he did so we could see the thick coating of bugs in the air. Who knew what lay in the dark waters to our sides. We began to think, if we hit ground right now and were stuck or started to sink, this would be the funniest group of people to ever have to help each other escape! Two slightly cocky Australian guys, an overly sexual odd couple and a soft spoken Japanese woman, plus two Cambodian natives and us! Good thing nothing happened!
When we left the boat we had to walk up a steep boat dock. At the top of it were lights shining next to our van. They were thick with bugs. As we walked we realized by the water was not where we wanted to be. There were bugs coating the air! I began to run up the dock and everyone else followed, we were waving our hands around like crazy people, pinching shut our mouths and hoping nothing went up our noses!
Back to town it was and off to Rosy's. We were back by 8pm. We had been told that that night was the annual Puppet Parade for the children of Siem Reap. A non-profit organization works with the local kids to make huge paper mache puppets, so big that it takes 10 kids to operate one by standing inside and working the arms and such. We had wanted to see the parade but were afraid we missed it because of the boat trip. Luckily though it ended right in front of Rosy's in the large gardens. All the puppets were set around a large stage were all the children and their families could come to enjoy a slideshow and performances! It was such a great thing to witness and I was so happy these kids who have so little could enjoy such a fun night. The puppets were also amazing! There were about 10 of them, some were dragons, swans, cars, monsters, and they were all lit up with lights, painted and decorated. It was very cool. The night air was beautiful and the colorful puppets lit up the river front.
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| Me and one of the many puppets |
Before the day ended we decided we had to go to the Night Market. We had driven by it on our way to the lake so we now knew the way. Down a busy street we went. As we walked we passed numerous massage parlors and were given many fliers. These legitimate massage parlors offered neck massages for as low as $5!
I was intrigued by the signs for "Dr. Fishy" -- a service that would make you "happy and funny!" We'd been hearing about these places for days and I finally had to try it. Outside each massage parlor was a large tank with little silver fish in them. For only $2 you could stick your feet in the tank for half an hour and the fish would eat the dead skin cells off!! $2 also included a beer or soda. How could I pass it up? So I boldly told the boys we needed to stop, handed over my $2 and slowly lowered my feet into the water. And guess what, it did make me happy and funny!! The fish nibbling on my feet tickled sooooo much!!!! It was impossible not to laugh and squirm about while hundreds of hungry fish fed away!! Brian had so much fun watching me that he decided to try as well. Jason declined due to his too ticklish feet. I think maybe he was just grossed out. Brian and I sat there for a good while, almost half an hour, before we decided our feet were clean enough and it was time to move on. I must confess I loved Dr. Fishy! It was so much fun and really worked, my feet were nice and smooth! I think this kind of thing is becoming popular in the US too, but I'm sure it costs a ton of money.
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| Dr. Fishy! Hard to pose for so long for this one! |
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| Gross but cool |
Finally we made it to the Night Market! And what a market it was! It was the first night market to be opened in Siem Reap since the awful Khmer Republic and was a controlled market. Vendors had to apply to be included and thus the whole area was more trendy and clean than most markets. The entryway was grand, with white colored lights covering the large sign for its entrance. More lights were stew across the streets leading to the entrance. The stalls were decorated like beach huts with straw roofs and the floor was covered in small white gravel. The market also included two swanky looking bars and a one room movie theater. I was immediately in love with the Night Market. We shopped around a bit, coming away with some tshirts.
We decided to end the night there since while the day had started out lazy, it had been long. Plus the next day it was back to the temples!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cambodia Day 7 Friday
Our second full day in Cambodia took us back to Angkor Wat. We had arranged for our driver to pick us up again. He arrived on time… well, it wasn't the same guy, once again, but a driver arrived none the less. Again we zipped down the road headed for the temples. This time we decided to hit up one of the other major areas of the complex, a huge, maze like temple that you could wander in for hours. I think this one was one of my favorites because there was such a great play of light and dark streaming through the windows and corridors that it really did feel like a maze. You could also climb to an upper level on this one and stand between the many towers that topped its construction. The towers all had faces carved into them, which was what this temple was famous for. Again Brian had his nose buried in his guide book. He was determined to read about every detail he saw, every stone motif, sunken walkway and fallen stone wall. Again Jason and I wandered off by ourselves, meeting Brian from time to time, only to wander off again.
After more than an hour we finally had our fill and were surprised to find Brian waiting for us on the other side. He had just about had it with his book and was about to throw in the towel since it proved more difficult than expected to orient himself. He offered it to Jason and I many times but we always declined.
In this area of Angkor Wat there were large patches of cleared flat land, surrounded by trees, some containing large temple complexes inside. It was lot of ground to cover but one area was walk able to the next. We saw our first elephants here too! People were riding them into the temple complexes, just like the first explorers had done! I preferred my tuk tuk though and felt a little bad for the elephants.
After the maze like face temple, we were able to walk outside for a long time from one structure to the next. We passed over a dry mote via a long stone walkway, passed by a huge temple that was unfortunately closed for construction, and finally made it to a tall narrow one that we could climb up. The stairs were super steep and it was quite the scary climb with only a small landing at the top. After that we were finally almost done with the area, wandering around on some fortress like walls and sunken walkways. Brian was trying feebley to keep reading from his book but it was getting so incredibly hot we were all starting to melt and shut down. After hours in the hot sun, we needed food.
Our driver had told us to look for him across the street at the food vendor stalls where he would be waiting with his friends. But we had taken so lone he was sitting in the tuk tuk, ready to go when we arrived. We decided we needed to eat though! So he directed us to one of the stalls, number 26 or something. There some nice women once again ushered us into seats and we ordered more scrumptious food and some fruity Fanta soda.
Again we were surrounded by girls trying to sell us things, this time postcards and bracelets, but also a guide book, exactly like Brian's. Brian had bought his in town for $9, the girl was selling hers for $8 (originally $10) but we had seen it for even cheaper. Jason had decided by this time that he wanted to buy one for himself (as a keepsake, not to read on site) so this girl was tempting.
Actually these girls, who were older about 13 or 14, were extremely good sales persons. Their English was amazing (and made us wonder over and over why Korean's are so bad at English!) and they had a comeback to every excuse we made. "Sir, buy a postcard?" "But I don't have any friends to send it to." "Well that's because you don't buy them a postcard, if you do, you will have friends." Or "your mother would love this souvenir." The Canadian guy had told us last night he had been asked "buy a magnet sir?" "I don't have a frig." "Well, you could send it to a friend." It was lots and lots of fun to talk with these girls and they were pulling out all the stops! Telling us "I will be so sad, I will cry, if you do not buy!" And "I will remember you when you finish eating, you will buy then!" The girl with the book was really working on Jason, telling him she needed the money for school. She told us that her boss (I asked who, she said her cousin) buys the book, then she has to sell it for at least $5. She gets half of any profit above that, and he gets half. Thus if she sold it for $8 he would get $1.50 and she $1.50, thus she could not sell it for any less. She said then she would give the money to her mother for school, which cost $6 a month. That was also where she learned English. We asked why she wasn't in school then and she said she goes in the morning, then works in the afternoon.
Ultimately we didn't buy anything from these girls and the one with the book looked genuinely sad when we left her empty handed. Jason told us afterwards that he just didn't want to buy from a kid, after everything we'd been told about being careful where to put our money in terms of helping children. Maybe she really was going to use the money for school, we just didn't know. That's why everyone had recommended giving to charities if you wanted to give, because then you know the money goes to a kid.
After lunch we took things a bit slower and saw some of the smaller complexes in the area before calling it day. We ate some delicious fresh bananas and pineapple. We also enjoyed a light rain storm and heard some thunder. The cloudy sky was a nice relief from the sun.
That night we had dinner again at Rosy's. We drank lots of cheap beer. I really wanted to go to the Night Market we'd been hearing so much about, but Jason and Brian seemed very content to stay at Rosy's. Much later than expected, around 9 or 10pm, we finally walked into town. Another beautiful night greeted us; warm air, a call river lined with trees, colored lights strewn about and blinking in their branches.
We didn't really know exactly where the Night Market was, just that it was near Pub Street. We ended up just missing it, if we'd walked one block farther we would have seen it. Instead we stopped at Pub Street and decided to try the Mexican Food place. Not exactly what I had in mine but oh well. We got tacos and they were... amazing! The best Mexican food we had had yet! In Cambodia, who would have thought?! We also got margarita pitchers and were just one pitcher shy of getting the free tshirt. Unfortunately the place was closing around midnight so they kicked us out. Not ready to be done with the night we headed next door to one of the only bars left open, Temple Bar. Brian had heard it was an indie hangout but if it ever was, those days were gone, instead they were blasting late 90's early 2000's pop and hip hop music. This was the bar to be at if you were young and wanted to drink and dance. We sat outside on the patio, right next to the now dark and deserted street. Brian and I thought the place was fun but Jason thought it was just full of dumb "bro's." Maybe it was...
Because we ordered a pitcher of vodka red bull (not a good idea!) we got a free Temple Bar tshirt! Score! It went to Brian. The night got later and later as we sat talking and enjoying ourselves. We didn't get back to the guesthouse until after 3am!
The most awful thing about the night though was what we saw on Pub Street. Out front of Temple Bar many tuk tuk drivers stood around waiting to take people home. These guys, while nice, were not the most clean cut of types, drinking, smoking, etc. That was fine, but what was not fine where the two twelve year old girls that were forced by their parents to stand on the street holding two display case trays trying to sell jewelry. Multiple times they came up to our table and tried to engage us but we just had to ignore them. You feel awful. Jason was especially bothered by this and had a hard time concentrating on the bar. I tried to push them out of my mind, which I feel shamed doing... The girls were in the pajamas, with little clips in their hair. They were so young, and it was 2am. They should have been home in bed. These were definitely the kids you did not want to give money to. They doubtfully went to school and what kind of parent would send them out like this! It was sickening. The most disgusting thing happened. This awful fat blonde white girl stumbled out of the bar with tape wrapped around her body, for some reason. The little girls began to pick it off of her and save it on their trays. When her arms were free she drunkenly reached down the front of her shirt into her bra, pulled out a couple of crumpled dollars and thrust them at the girls, laughing and stumbling as she walked away. It was so gross. I wish we could have done something in this situation but I don't know what we could have done? Another awful juxtaposition of pleasure and poverty. I just fear these are the types of girls that are going to end up prostitutes, hanging around bars with older tuk tuk drivers around.
After more than an hour we finally had our fill and were surprised to find Brian waiting for us on the other side. He had just about had it with his book and was about to throw in the towel since it proved more difficult than expected to orient himself. He offered it to Jason and I many times but we always declined.
In this area of Angkor Wat there were large patches of cleared flat land, surrounded by trees, some containing large temple complexes inside. It was lot of ground to cover but one area was walk able to the next. We saw our first elephants here too! People were riding them into the temple complexes, just like the first explorers had done! I preferred my tuk tuk though and felt a little bad for the elephants.
After the maze like face temple, we were able to walk outside for a long time from one structure to the next. We passed over a dry mote via a long stone walkway, passed by a huge temple that was unfortunately closed for construction, and finally made it to a tall narrow one that we could climb up. The stairs were super steep and it was quite the scary climb with only a small landing at the top. After that we were finally almost done with the area, wandering around on some fortress like walls and sunken walkways. Brian was trying feebley to keep reading from his book but it was getting so incredibly hot we were all starting to melt and shut down. After hours in the hot sun, we needed food.
Our driver had told us to look for him across the street at the food vendor stalls where he would be waiting with his friends. But we had taken so lone he was sitting in the tuk tuk, ready to go when we arrived. We decided we needed to eat though! So he directed us to one of the stalls, number 26 or something. There some nice women once again ushered us into seats and we ordered more scrumptious food and some fruity Fanta soda.
Again we were surrounded by girls trying to sell us things, this time postcards and bracelets, but also a guide book, exactly like Brian's. Brian had bought his in town for $9, the girl was selling hers for $8 (originally $10) but we had seen it for even cheaper. Jason had decided by this time that he wanted to buy one for himself (as a keepsake, not to read on site) so this girl was tempting.
Actually these girls, who were older about 13 or 14, were extremely good sales persons. Their English was amazing (and made us wonder over and over why Korean's are so bad at English!) and they had a comeback to every excuse we made. "Sir, buy a postcard?" "But I don't have any friends to send it to." "Well that's because you don't buy them a postcard, if you do, you will have friends." Or "your mother would love this souvenir." The Canadian guy had told us last night he had been asked "buy a magnet sir?" "I don't have a frig." "Well, you could send it to a friend." It was lots and lots of fun to talk with these girls and they were pulling out all the stops! Telling us "I will be so sad, I will cry, if you do not buy!" And "I will remember you when you finish eating, you will buy then!" The girl with the book was really working on Jason, telling him she needed the money for school. She told us that her boss (I asked who, she said her cousin) buys the book, then she has to sell it for at least $5. She gets half of any profit above that, and he gets half. Thus if she sold it for $8 he would get $1.50 and she $1.50, thus she could not sell it for any less. She said then she would give the money to her mother for school, which cost $6 a month. That was also where she learned English. We asked why she wasn't in school then and she said she goes in the morning, then works in the afternoon.
Ultimately we didn't buy anything from these girls and the one with the book looked genuinely sad when we left her empty handed. Jason told us afterwards that he just didn't want to buy from a kid, after everything we'd been told about being careful where to put our money in terms of helping children. Maybe she really was going to use the money for school, we just didn't know. That's why everyone had recommended giving to charities if you wanted to give, because then you know the money goes to a kid.
After lunch we took things a bit slower and saw some of the smaller complexes in the area before calling it day. We ate some delicious fresh bananas and pineapple. We also enjoyed a light rain storm and heard some thunder. The cloudy sky was a nice relief from the sun.
That night we had dinner again at Rosy's. We drank lots of cheap beer. I really wanted to go to the Night Market we'd been hearing so much about, but Jason and Brian seemed very content to stay at Rosy's. Much later than expected, around 9 or 10pm, we finally walked into town. Another beautiful night greeted us; warm air, a call river lined with trees, colored lights strewn about and blinking in their branches.
We didn't really know exactly where the Night Market was, just that it was near Pub Street. We ended up just missing it, if we'd walked one block farther we would have seen it. Instead we stopped at Pub Street and decided to try the Mexican Food place. Not exactly what I had in mine but oh well. We got tacos and they were... amazing! The best Mexican food we had had yet! In Cambodia, who would have thought?! We also got margarita pitchers and were just one pitcher shy of getting the free tshirt. Unfortunately the place was closing around midnight so they kicked us out. Not ready to be done with the night we headed next door to one of the only bars left open, Temple Bar. Brian had heard it was an indie hangout but if it ever was, those days were gone, instead they were blasting late 90's early 2000's pop and hip hop music. This was the bar to be at if you were young and wanted to drink and dance. We sat outside on the patio, right next to the now dark and deserted street. Brian and I thought the place was fun but Jason thought it was just full of dumb "bro's." Maybe it was...
Because we ordered a pitcher of vodka red bull (not a good idea!) we got a free Temple Bar tshirt! Score! It went to Brian. The night got later and later as we sat talking and enjoying ourselves. We didn't get back to the guesthouse until after 3am!
The most awful thing about the night though was what we saw on Pub Street. Out front of Temple Bar many tuk tuk drivers stood around waiting to take people home. These guys, while nice, were not the most clean cut of types, drinking, smoking, etc. That was fine, but what was not fine where the two twelve year old girls that were forced by their parents to stand on the street holding two display case trays trying to sell jewelry. Multiple times they came up to our table and tried to engage us but we just had to ignore them. You feel awful. Jason was especially bothered by this and had a hard time concentrating on the bar. I tried to push them out of my mind, which I feel shamed doing... The girls were in the pajamas, with little clips in their hair. They were so young, and it was 2am. They should have been home in bed. These were definitely the kids you did not want to give money to. They doubtfully went to school and what kind of parent would send them out like this! It was sickening. The most disgusting thing happened. This awful fat blonde white girl stumbled out of the bar with tape wrapped around her body, for some reason. The little girls began to pick it off of her and save it on their trays. When her arms were free she drunkenly reached down the front of her shirt into her bra, pulled out a couple of crumpled dollars and thrust them at the girls, laughing and stumbling as she walked away. It was so gross. I wish we could have done something in this situation but I don't know what we could have done? Another awful juxtaposition of pleasure and poverty. I just fear these are the types of girls that are going to end up prostitutes, hanging around bars with older tuk tuk drivers around.
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