The week this all started... (Part 3)

Saturday through Sunday

Saturday, June 12th

Bye Christina! Have a safe trip, and don't worry about Uni, you're english is great and you'll be fine. I prepare for my 13 hour bus ride to Saigon. I was able to sleep most of the time Phnom Penh. Uneventful trip. Change buses. Don't want to take out more money to just buy food. It's ok... I'll just eat this bread and fruit. Uneventful boarder crossing.... uneventful arrival in Saigon. I try to stay awake to watch the US v. UK game. BlackBerry messaging with my lil sis who explains the game to me (since I am once again watching it in Vietnamese and don't understand what's going on). UK - 1, US - 0. I wonder if it's in English on ESPN? Flipping through channels. Lil sis sends me a bbm "Did you see that?!" No!!! What did I miss?? The US goal... of coarse. Fell asleep during the second half. Mexico v. South Africa was a much better match.

Sunday, June 13th

Suppose to fly out today to Hoi An, but Tiffany told me that they were going to Nha Trang instead. Ok... I'll try to change my flight - it got delayed anyways, so they should change it. Unfortunately, as the customer service agent proceeded to tell me, JetStar doesn't fly to Nha Trang. Ok, they refund me my money. I get on line to book my ticket on another airline, only to find out that I need 36 hours prior to flight to book. I am NOT spending more time in Saigon than I have to! I've seen everything there is to see. Oh, I wanted to ride the train. So I have to leave at 4:45 AM because the train leaves at 5:30 AM. It's ok.... it'll be a nice ride.

After realizing my coincidences, and thinking about the adventures and great things I have seen because of my "inconveniences," I realize that I am a pretty lucky person. I have seen some amazing things because of my inconveniences and I need to write my crazy stories down :o) So here I am.... typing away. I spent my afternoon at coffee shops typing this up, getting a pedicure and my nails painted, walking around Saigon, watching older people working out in the park, couples holding hands, and a lot of white men with asian women (....I wonder if they are legit of if that's more "sex-tourism"). After a long day of doing nothing (which felt nice...), I laid down to try to get some sleep.

The week this all started... (Part 2)

Thursday through Friday

Thursday, June 10th

Woke up at 5:45 AM to have breakfast at 6 because the bus was picking me up between 6:10 and 6:30 AM to take me to my boat ride at 7 AM. The bus (of coarse) got there at 6:30 AM and the boat left at 7:30 AM. The Lonely Planet says the boat ride to Battambang is suppose to take approximately six hours, but depending on the water level it can take anywhere up to eight or

nine hours, or more (but really? or more??). Jake warned me that water levels could get you stuck, so I was sure to ask the lady scheduling my boat trip for me, the nice lady at Encore Angkor, to double check to make sure that there was enough water. The night before she assured me that she had checked and was told there was enough water. So off I went!

Hour 1: Kinda bored. Nothing much to see. Water is kinda shallow on the river, but it's ok, we should be on the lake soon.

Hour 2: At the lake, and the water still looks kinda shallow. Hmmm... but it's a lake right? It can't be THAT shallow.

Hour 3: Wow, this is AMAZING! So happy I did this! Wait... why are

we stopping? Why is the man taking off his clothes? Why is he jumping in the dirty water? And wait!!! Why is the water only up to his thighs?! Oh no!!! Why is he pushing the boat??? Oh no.... we're stuck.

20 to 30 minutes later: he's getting in again. That must mean we're not stuck anymore.... but he does not look happy.

Hour 4: Still haven't moved. Something is wrong with the motor. Oh wait! Wait!!..... Here we go! Oh oh.... mud is going EVERYWHERE (including on me)!! And it's coming out of the motor, that can't be good.

20 to 30 minutes later: We're moving!! But water is going everywhere from out of the motor. That can't be a good sign can it? Look how pretty! But if it's this shallow on the lake, how's the marsh going to be??

Hour 5: We've been at the mechanic (an old man with a house boat on the river) for about 45 minutes now. Little kids in uniforms are passing us by. Cute kids :o) So glad I am doing this.... The marsh seems a lot deeper than the lake! Kinda odd, but whateves. Yeah, more water is suppose to be coming out of the side of the boat - and WAY less mud.....

Hour 6: The boat is fixed and we're moving! That's what it's suppose tolook like.... We've picked up some locals (who paid aboutout 1/10 of what we did), and now we are crammed. Nowhere to put my legs. We should probably be there soon. Awesome, but so happy it's hour six. And we've stopped! But this doesn't look like a town. Ohhhh.... we're just here to grab food? Ok, guess I'll get out and use their restroom (since the one on the boat looks kinda sketchy). Oh look, the restroom is a hole over the river.... ok... good thing I really didn't have to go.... at least not #2..... On

our way again... look how pretty :o)

Hour 7: guy said about 3 more hours and then got off the boat... Wait!! He was our mechanic!!! I don't know if I can take 3 more hours. Wooden boat, no back support, Cambodian lady on the right hogging up all the space. Military guy to the left and in front w/pistols in their belts.... I'm going to take a nap.

Hours 8 - 9: Neck hurts from trying to sleep sitting up on a wooden beam that's suppose to be considered a seat with the side of the boat as back support. Couldn't nap. This is pretty. Oh God, get me there. Although this is nice scenery. Man my back hurst... Try standing. Sit back down (not enough room to stand).

Hours 10 - 11: We're never going to get there!! The sun is setting, I'm still on this boat, it's hot and humid! I'm going to die on this boat... I must be in hell!

Hour 11.5: We're stopping! Oh wait, it's just to drop locals off... We're stopping again!! More locals off.... yeah, we're stopping, more locals off... wait, motor off.... everyone getting off.... We're here!! Land!!!! I need a beer.....

Friday, June 11th

Debated on taking a 13 hour bus ride to Siagon again, but I can't stand another long trip right after yesterday. Luckily I met some cool people on the boat yesterday (a Canadian, an Italian, and a Dutch). So I decided to sightsee with them instead :o) After negotiating a deal with our tuk-tuk driver for the day, we were off!

First we decided to go see (and ride) the bamboo train. According to Mr. Rich (our tuk-tuk driver who spoke decent english), it is called a bamboo train because in 1979 when the cambodians began using the train tracks for local transportation (and after they were "freed" by Vietnam), the trains were moved by bamboo sticks, like a boat. Now the drivers have a small motor on the back that moves the trains around. We decide to send Christiana (the Dutch) to negotiate the price - which ended up pretty funny since the driver didn't speak any English! Finally we were off! Those tracks don't look straight... bump bump bump.... it feels like we are on a roller coaster! Jajaja! Oh oh, there's another train coming right at us! Jajaja! We stop. We have four passengers and you have two, you should get off. Oh wait, there's another train behind you. I guess we'll get off. The two drivers disassemble our train, he moves forward, we wait for the next driver to pass, he stops and helps us reassemble our train and we continue forward. After a beer at the next village we head back to our tuk-tuk driver so we can head to see a temple.

Yes... another temple, after Angkor Wat I really didn't want to see any more temples... but what else is there to do here in Battambang? After about a 1 hour drive via tuk-tuk, and a LONG steep hike up stairs (with little kids trying to fan us to make money) in extreme heat and humidity, we reach the top of the temple. The ruins are amazing, and the signs reading "Enter at your own risk" make you realize that the buildings are leaning and are not really based on anything but some sticks trying to hold it up. Regardless, the view from up here is AMAZING and totally worth the hike.

After we hike down the steep steps and buy some water (did I mention it was hot and humid?) we get in our tuk-tuk again and go to "the mountain." As we drive up to the mountain you can see an amazing buddhist temple at the top. We decide to grab a quick lunch before it starts to rain and head up the mountain. "You really should take a guide," says Mr Rich. "If you don't take a guide you won't be able to find the caves." How hard can they be to find? But the guide is only $2.... fine, we'll take a guide (soooo not going to be worth it, but what's 50 cents each?). Oh yeah, and what time do we have to be back? 5 PM? That's the time the 1 million bats come out? Oh, not 1 million anymore? 2 million? Ok... we'll be back by 5 PM.

Wow this hike is steep! At least it's on a road.... "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Little "soldiers" run by us with sticks pretending to shoot us! Oh no!! I pretend I am shot and injured, the Italian and the Canadian stop to take pictures. Us girls continue to hike... we are not in the best shape of our lives and need all the time possible. Fork in the road, but it's obvious we should go to the left.... we didn't need a guide. Plus, he's really quiet... hardly talks... and said his english was really bad. As we walk up to one of the high points our guide (who I later find out is named Wa Da, but goes by Da) jumps on the roof of what seems to be a water tank that holds rain water. We look over the valley to the mountains which he explains is the Thai border. This building (pix on the left) used to be a prison (he explains), during the khemer rouge time, but now it's a buddhist temple. I later find out that Da studied buddhism and lived in a pagoda for most of his life. At the age of 12 he ran away from home (a few years after his mother passed away and father remarried). He lived and studied there until he was 18. Now, at 21, he studies english and gives tours, trying to save money to pay for english classes and one day attend university (he's going to have to give a lot of tours if he's only charging $2 a tour!). We continue on our tour to the cave (the reason we are up on this steep mountain!). Ok... so maybe we wouldn't of known which way to go to the cave, but there were plenty of monks around and we could have figured out where it was.... As we went in to the cave Da explained that this is where people from the prison were executed. They were mostly teachers and students, and they were thrown from the top of the cave to their deaths. Their skeletons have been gathered and put to the right and left of the

cave (I chose not to add that picture, but email me and I will send it to you if you'd like). An older lady and man were at the bottom with a laying buddha, incense and red string. After a 50 cent donation, the older lady (sitting on the left of this picture) tied a red string around my wrist and thanked me. We proceeded to get in to an in debt discussion with Da regarding the Khemer Rouge and their time in power. Approximately 3 to 6 million people were murdered in Cambodia during this time (Da said six, I have read three), no one from his town because they weren't educated, but a lot of people were murdered. His parents were sent to work in the fields, and afterwards went to a refugee camp in Thailand. They were separated when they went to the fields, and it took them a year to find each other after the liberation. Only 3 million Cambodians were left alive after that time in history. Da went on to tell us how that part of history is not allowed to be taught in Cambodian schools. He mentioned how he was curious when he was younger, and he once asked his teacher about it, but his teacher shook his head and told him he didn't know anything about that. (Da's english is a lot better than he says it is! Insightful conversation...)

On Da's recommendation we're off to another cave. Yeah, we would have NEVER found this one! We walk down some stairs and look! Monks! The Italian has wanted to take a picture

with monks, and here's his chance. Da approaches the monks and asks if it's ok for us to take our pictures, and they agree (do they ever disagree with anything?? :o) With the help of Da we proceed to have a conversation about them, where they are from, how many people live with them in their pagodas. They are from the same town but three small pagodas. I promise to print up the picture and send it to them (although the address they gave me was in khemer......) and the proceed to invite me to their village and their pagoda. We are their friends now and we just have to show up to the village and ask one of the villagers and they will point us in the right direction. We will stay with them. Well, that's enough reason to go back to Cambodia for me!

After our brief chat with the monks we hike up some more to the thinking buddha (which is huge) and his disciples praying for guidance. We go up higher to the new temples (which we originally saw on our drive up) and enter another temple and talk about buddhism with another monk. He's only been studying for a few years and it seems to be that Da knows more about buddhism than he does! Oh oh... it's almost 5 PM! Better go head down to see the bats. $2 well spent on the guide.

The bats are going crazy... but they aren't coming out yet..... How long do they come out for Mr. Rich? "One hour," he replies. I don't believe you! That has to be more than two million bats (they're flying out in a pattern now, heading towards the river to find insects... damn river with hardly any water that I was on for over 11 hours yesterday!....). "Don't believe me?! We stay and see and you believe me then!" Replies Mr. Rich. Ok, ok, I believe him. It's been a long and AMAZING day.....

We drive back to the hotel, relax a little and head to a restaurant to watch the Mexico vs. South Africa game (which is being displayed by projector on the side of a building). What do you mean off-sides? That should have been a goal.... right? Can't understand the explanation (we're watching it on Vietnamese TV). After a frustrating kick (for me), and holding it for about half the game, I decided to go to the restroom. "Hurry up Mexican!" Crap!!! I missed the goal! Oh well, at least they are tied now.

Good day... Good day.

The week this all started... (Part 1)

Sunday to Wednesday.....

Sunday, June 6th

Had to wake up early because we (Laura and I) wanted to have breakfast at the place where we had dinner because it was AMAZING - although the waitress was a meanie, it was worth waking up early and going back to (for more on that read my blog on Vietnam...). We had breakfast and met up with everyone else there (everyone else includes: Nate and Lindsay (who were already there and had ordered), Tiffany, PBuck, Rich and Dave). We headed over to the travel agency where we had all purchased our bus-boat-bus tickets to Hanoi the night before. The first bus ride would have been uneventful, had Dave not realized he had gotten ripped off and jumped off the bus to run back and fight for his money. Needles to say, even though he confronted the woman about ripping him off, he was not able to recover his correct change, but he did run off with three large room temperature waters! Way to show them Dave ;o) Unlike the previous days (where we had to ride boats that went "at the speed of Vietnam") our boat ride consisted of a speed boat!

After a LONG bus ride, where a few from the group had to use a restroom that was occupied by pigs, we arrived in Hanoi. Ahhh!!! Attack of the taxi drivers! We had to take two taxies that were probably each the size of a minicouper but less spacious, and got to the hotel that PBuck and Nate had picked out. Lindsay and I walked away as the boys argued with the taxi driver about him charging over 200% of what we were suppose to be charged, deciding we were probably useless when it came to negotiating compared to Nate and Dave. I proceeded to get my phone out to steal some wifi (after they informed us that they were booked) to chat with my lil sis. The hotel offered us a free taxi ride to their other location so that we could check out those rooms.

Where's my phone? No seriously, where's my phone?? We were in the lobby of the hotel. Dave asked me if I checked every pocket in my backpack. Yes I checked every pocket, but still continued to empty it out (again), emptied my purse (again), NOTHING! A million curse words ran through my head (and probably came out of my mouth as well). The receptionist called the taxi company, maybe it had fallen out in the cab? After about 20 minutes of waiting for everyone to come down (they had all decided that they were staying there, I was flying to Saigon that day so that I could take a bus to Cambodia the next day) I asked the receptionist if he had heard anything. In his asian accent he said "No no, later later. Take time to look." My phone was gone, lost forever :o( My new phone, with my collection of contacts from the past five years. My phone, with my bbm.... I guess I was going to have to call Sprint and tell them to send me a new one for when I got home.... I was never going to be able to call all of those people I always say I am going to call and never do.... No one could cheer me up on the way to lunch. A few people asked if it had showed up. No, it hadn't. The receptionist had called the taxi company, but in this country (and after the recent experiences with its people), what were seriously the odds that, even if the taxi driver found it, it would be returned? Close to none.

I had to head back early from our late lunch so that I could head to the airport to catch my flight. Tiffany and I had not paid attention on how to get back (she was going to take a nap), but we could figure it out right? One more block, ok, maybe the next block... or the next.... did we walk this much? Yeah, we did right? Ah... here it is.... walked in the lobby... "oh miss, here is your phone." What?! Seriously?! I could kiss you right now!!! I don't think the short little vietnamese receptionist knew how to react to that. He just said "no no." Jajaja! My phone! And off I was, got a drive to the airport, stole some wifi from the business vip room (thanks to Sophie and her wonderful advice), got to my room in Saigon and passed out.... I had to wake up early the next day to get on my 12 hour bus to Siem Reap.

Monday, June 7th

I was not hungry this morning on my way to the bus. It's going to stop right? After a nap we crossed the border and stopped at a restaurant. What is that that they are selling? And why are the flies landing on it? Ummm.... oh, ritz cheese crackers. I'll have that. Slept the entire way to Phnom Penh (which is probably a good thing b/c I do not remember where I had put those napkins so that I could go to the restroom). I didn't know we were transferring buses. Ok... seriously, I need to stay awake! Nope, slept the whole way to Siem Reap. After a quick dinner with Tiffany and Lindsay (who had flown in from Hanoi), we were off to bed - deciding that we would save the sunrise for Wednesday and sleep in on Tuesday.

Tuesday, June 8th

Sleeping in was only until 8:30 AM. Yeah... and that was only after I woke up at 5:30 AM and forced myself to go back to sleep! We had breakfast (with the mosquitos who ate us alive) and decided that we better get going (around 11 AM....) or else we weren't going to see anything! On a side note, if you are ever in Siem Reap, consider staying at Encore Angkor. It has the friendliest staff and is so clean and spacious. It's amazing!

Where are we? I mean, we can walk through all these ruins and everything? But of coarse! :o) Siem Reap is seriously one of the most amazing places I have ever been. I almost didn't come. Lindsay didn't want to rush Vietnam, and Tiffany wanted to hang with the group (which is completely understandable since they are probably a lot more fun that I am!), but after a brief chat with Jake, I decided I couldn't miss out on a place he recommended so highly. I was coming with or without people. And boy was I happy that I did! This place was amazing. No, I am not an archeologist, and we didn't get a guide, so I had no clue what the carvings meant, or what each temple was for - and there was no way I was buying a tour book because then I was going to have to carry it and pack it, and honestly, my bags were full! - but irregardless it was still AMAZING.

Our first stop was Angkor Thom. From what I read, Angkor Thom was the capital at one point, and used to house around 1 million people (don't quote me, I'm writing this without my book) when Paris only had about 50k. That's impressive. What we see now is only the temples, for the people used to live in houses that were built out of wood, since stone was only considered to house the gods. Therefore only the temples remain. I spent a lot of time with the girls, but on a few occasions I was left on my own (either because they did not want to climb another temple, or because they turned right, I turned left, and then I didn't know where they went!).

On the first occasion I was left completely by myself was when we went to two small temples (after the main ones in Angkor Thom). They looked identical, one on the left, and one on the right... so the girls hung out while I went to the second one. There was hardly anyone there, and as I walked a little in to the forest I thought about what it must had been like to have lived here 2000 years ago. I walked in to a small area of the temple that had a small buddha.

An older woman walked up to me and handed me three incense sticks. All she could say was "three... good luck," as she bowed three times with her hands clasped towards the buddha, signaling me to do the same. I did, "donated" to her a dollar, as she tied red string loosely around my left wrist. Then we were off again, I got separated a few more times because I would walk one way and them another, so I got tons of pictures of the temples, or of me taking my own picture, and would meet up with them at the end of the temple. After a few hours of sweating (did I mention it was humid and hot!) we went to lunch along the "kings swimming pool." I wanted to get in the kings swimming pool (a huge man made lake next to the temples)! But, unlike the locals that were in there swimming, I wasn't willing to get in the muddy water (I know, how American of me....). It started POURING while we were finishing our lunch, so we headed back to the hotel, then proceeded to get massages, take naps and eat dinner. Overall, a good day :o)

Wednesday, June 9th

Alarm went off at 4:15 AM. Please God, let it be raining. Lindsay gets out of bed to check the weather, "it looks cloudy."

To which I reply, "It sounds like it's raining." Wishful thinking out loud I guess.

Faeder replies, "No, I was just outside, it's not raining."

"Are you sure? Because it sounds like it's raining."

"I'm sure, I was just outside. But you can get up and check."

"One of us should go ask the driver if it's worth going." No one replies or gets up. Ok... I guess I'll go, although honestly I am crossing my fingers praying that the driver isn't there, or that it starts raining, or that he says it's not a good day to go... that way I can go back to bed. zzzzzzz. They get up as well, and we get dressed, brush our teeth and head downstairs. No such luck, our driver is there and ready to go. Wish I was as alert and awake as he is.

After a quiet 30 minute ride out to Angkor Wat, we drag ourselves out of the tuk-tuk (our preferred mode of transportation) and start walking towards the temple. It is pitch dark. There are a few other people walking ahead of us. They brought flashlights. That would have been a good idea. Tiffany comments that "I have a head lamp in my bag.... should have brought it." Too late now... oh well.... We're walking, walking, trying to avoid the puddles that are reflecting in the moonlight. We get to the entrance to the temple and the sign says "Do not pass." Hmmmm.... what do we do now? We passed a lady who said "Coffee lady? Watch sunrise here and drink coffee. Have breakfast." Maybe we should go back to her? I wonder if she serves pancakes? Then a few people pass us up and just go in... ok, well then, I guess the sign is just for looks? We proceed to go in as well. It's pitch dark in here! It's ok... some moonlight is shinning through and it is now dusk... so there is "some" light. Another sign that says "No Entry" or something to that respect, and it's WAY too dark to go that way. We end up at some stairs with a smaller temple in front of us. Lindsay and Tiffany go up that one and I proceed around to find a possible higher point to watch the sunrise. Found one! Crap, there's the main temple.... I walk back and scream at Tiff and Faeder that I found some place higher and that I was going to try to find somewhere else. I walk around a little more. Hey, there's a man up there with a dog! Yes! Go back to find Tiff and Lindsay... Hey, where did they go? Shit, I'm going to miss the sunrise, forget it... I'm going up.

The guy is no longer up there, him and his dog are chillin' at the bottom. I ask how he got up there and he said something (it sounded like $5) but I did not understand him. So I jumped the fence and climbed the stairs. Oh my gosh, this is AMAZING. The sun is "up" (as up at it can be at 5:15 AM) and I decide to walk around and try to find the girls. The place was nearly deserted. I walked, took a few pictures and had the place to myself to explore. I walked around the temple twice. Ran in to a guy I saw/talked to on Tuesday. He missed the sunset because he didn't get there till 5:30 AM. Hmmmm.... it's been about two hours and still no girls. Run in to one of the girls that was walking in front of us when we walked in. "Did you loose your friends too?" I ask.... "Yeah, but I think I saw them over there. Yeah, here they come." Well that's nice, I wonder where mine are! Well, I'll just head out and see if I run in to them? I leave the temple and walk across the street, figuring I'll ask our tuk-tuk driver if he's seen them and if he hasn't then I will go back across and take some more pictures. Oh look, there they are! Eating pancakes :o)

Tiffany's back was bugging her from the crappy massage she got on Tuesday (Faeders' and mine were great!), so she headed back and Linds and I headed to the country side to visit a small temple. The drive out there and back was AMAZING, and given that it was 8 AM and there was still not that many people out and about, we got some great shots. On our way back we truly saw how the people lived. We passed three little kids on the mini-trailer of a motorbike. They looked so happy.... buggers running down their face and all. They waved and got so excited when Lindsay and I waved back! Our tuk-tuk driver had to answer a call, so we pulled over on the side of the road. There were about seven women working in the area on the side of the house. Easily four generations of women. "Even the little girl is working," commented Lindsay. After a few more temples, we were done. Our tuk-tuk driver said there were still more to see... but Lindsay and I didn't think we could do it anymore, so we asked it there was anything special about the rest. He said no, not really, they were all made from the same rock. Jajajaja! After checking on Tiffany and eating lunch, Lindsay and I took the tuk-tuk out to the lake. $50 for a boat! No way, $20. "No... $45." Nope, no boat trip. "$30." Nope, we'll only pay $20. "No." Ok then... no boat ride. We walked away and took a picture. We'll just tell people we went out to the lake ;o)

After a nap, and Tiffany's miracle massage, we got manis and pedis, and then had dinner. I had to get up at 5:45 AM to get ready for my boat ride to Battambang, so I called it an early night.