Old Faces, New Places...

After hearing from so many people that Phnom Penh was only good for a days lesson in the history of Cambodia I left the unspoilt beauty of Monkey Beach behind with mixed feelings. It wasn't such a long journey, I spent most of it exchanging bananas for tastier snacks with the lady next to me whilst her poor son was throwing up whatever he'd eaten that day, showing the Khmer distaste for bumpy bus rides. It was just after dinner time when I arrived and whilst hurtling around in a tuk-tuk i caught sight of a familiar face - Aussie Geri! It turned out she was staying just round the corner from my chosen guest house so we arranged to meet when I'd had chance to unload the rucksack and wash away the bus grease. It seems it's hard to not bump into people when everyone's doing such a similar route!

Wandering round the city the streets were eerily quiet. P'chum Benh, a Buddhist festival that involved the blurring of worlds and feeding spirits sticky rice, had brought the whole city to a stand still.

A couple of guys from the hostel joined us for the obligatory Phnom Penh sightseeing, first the killing fields and then Tuol Sleng (s21). The Killing Fields proved to be utterly horrific. It was unbelievable that such mass brutal acts of violence were able to continue for years without interruption or critique. Most shocking was the visible remnants of bodies that surface to the ground after every rain, even thirty years on - teeth, clothes and ones were uncovered demonstrating the sheer amount of people killed.

Tuol Sleng, for me, was even harder to bear. We had a guided tour around the former school to better understand how and why it became a prison. Classrooms were converted into cells and torture/interrogation rooms, furniture from the school was implemented as weapons, even the playground equipment had a macabre history. The stark contrast between the image of happy children and ignorant brutality was overwhelming. This feeling hit a peak on the way out as we met one of only two survivors from the prison, wordlessly he mimed the horrors he had been through. Apparently everyday he sits there, across from the place he was tortured, smile on his face ready to tell his story.

After such an intense and emotional experience I was craving something a little more fun. For the guys the answer was a shooting range, whilst the experience of witnessing gun-shot was exciting it wasn't quite what I had in mind! Instead I sought out my favourite tuk-tuk driver and bounced my way over dusty dirt tracks to Phnom Tamao, a 10km wildlife reserve. Phnom Tamao is an incredibly beautiful and well kept zoo that defies all Asian stereotypes of animal cruelty. Three dollars got me a guided tour from the lovely Anay who must have spent half of the money buying me snacks! A guided tour meant I got up close and personal with the animals, stroking monkeys, springbok like creatures and even elephants!

Phnom Penh was a surprisingly beautiful city and I could have happily stuck around longer, but time, as always, was ticking and I had plans to visit one last Cambodian destination before getting back to Laos.

Sihanoukhville/Monkey Island

After the pretty busy few days in Siem Reap it seemed a good time to head to the coast before immersing myself in the busy capital of Phnom Penh. Sihanoukville is Cambodia's main coastal party town and I went with the hopes of having a 'holiday', sleeping on the beach in the day and indulging in cheap cocktails, however the rain put a quick stop to that! A murky drizzle settled itself over the town for the entire duration of my stay but that's not to say it put a dampener on it. I checked in to my first real dorm and stayed there 3 nights - mainly enjoying the delicious food they cooked up! There was a real friendly vibe to the town and most of my time was spent playing pool or lounging around chatting. At night things got a little crazy, even for low season and everyone seemed to follow similar patterns through the 3 or 4 main bars and finally down to the beach. One of my room-mates demonstrated the effects of over-drinking one night when he came in and relieved himself on his own rucksack! Along with the partying there also seemed to be a pretty sleazy undercurrent. The town had a ridiculous amount of deaf prostitutes which boggled me, why were they all deaf and why were they all together in Sihanoukville! On top of that drugs were freely available and a high percentage of the people were out of it most of the time which became fairly exhausting...

After the three days there I'd about worn myself out and was craving a real beach and somewhere a little less full on. The coast, like Thailand, has many Islands scattered just off shore, unlike Thailand most of these remain fairly undeveloped and were all the more appealing for it. I booked a ticket to Koh Rung, also known as monkey island but from conversations with the locals the only real chance you'll get to see monkeys are when they come back from successful hunting trips! I'd timed it just right and spent my birthday here enjoying good company and beautiful surrounding. The first part of celebrations was a midnight swim with glowing plankton, it was like a firework show in the water, beautiful and ethereal. In the day I explored the island a little, finding a hidden waterfall, a strange shrine and the unfortunate discovery of quicksand. Before birthday drinks in the evening I helped out at an evening English class for some of the island's older children and was amazed at how easy they found the language! And then the day was finished with a few rums and an honest promise that I'll be back on the beach at some point in the near future!

Arriving back at Sihanoukville I decided it was time for a treat, a room with a TV and, best of all, a hot shower! An early night with Twilight (don't judge!) meant I was prepared for the 6:30am bus to Phnom Penh the next morning.

Apologies for the lack of photos (due to the monkey beach quicksand incident!) but here are some stunning ones from the bungalows I stayed at there... www.monkeyisland-kohrong.com/gallery/

Enjoy : ) xx

Goodbye Laura, Hello Cambodia!

My first stop as a solo traveller was the beautiful city of Siem Reap. This meant an early morning start to catch the bargain train to the border (less than a quid for a 6 hour train!) I was surprised that the train station wasn't heaving with backpackers and even more shocked to find that there was only two of us on the train, me and a charming Gentleman from Holland who caused great amusement bringing his bike on the train and then preceding to break not just one but two of the carriage's benches! The views from the train were stunning and it was the first I caught sight of the well talked about flood damage. Telephone poles and electrical wires hovered inches above the water level and people were boating/tubing and swimming to their houses, a sight that would become fairly common in Cambodia!

The border crossing was surprisingly quick and easy but incredibly busy, probably due to the 2 huge casinos stood just on Cambodian land, a massive middle finger to Thai gambling laws! We were taken to a tourist only bus headed for Siem Reap and my introduction to the somewhat unreliable Cambodian roads was fairly easy going, apart from the driver's apparent love of playing chicken with whoever and whatever was in the oncoming traffic! Once in Siem Reap we were dropped at a "bus station" which was actually a group of tuk-tuk drivers ready to overcharge and claiming that every guesthouse and hostel apart from their friends was flooded! I'd already booked ahead and the amazing owner, Hak, sent out a driver to pick me up. It seemed the tuk-tuk drivers were partly telling the truth, the floods had reached the city and at some parts the water was knee deep! It didn't seem to put anyone off though and streams of tuk-tuks, motorcycles and bicycles battled not just the water but the unknown roads beneath - a gravelly pot-holed affair. Several ladies tipped their bikes and lost the days shopping but still it was smiles all round!

Hak's was a really homely type place with big sofas and a dvd player, a perfect place to sit out the nightly storms. Most of my time in Siem Reap was spent, not watching TV, honest! But exploring the world famous temples built there hundred of years ago. I saw sunrise at the Angkor Wat, climbed literally hundreds of eroded stone steps, fought of tiny entrepreneurs at every corner, one of which suggested buying a bracelet for my brother with his name sewn on, explaining that he was 26 and Northern didn't make the little guy hold back! On the third day I was joined by two of the girls who'd just moved in to Hak's. We spent the day exploring the less visited temples - one of which was a series of strange carvings glimpsed through a waterfall! In the afternoon our lovely driver, Vanner, treated us to some local fun. He took us to a Khmer hang out spot - a local lake, we split a crate of beers and had an easy afternoon.

After the temple tour I stayed on another couple of days to enjoy the shopping, the Khmer people make you feel like an expert haggle and it all got a bit addictive, needless to say my rucksack is now bulging! The extra couple of days also gave me chance to try out the nightlife. A group of us headed to the aptly named 'Pub Street', beers were 50 cents, music was loud and for such a sacred city it seemed everyone was up for a party! It also gave me a little more time to appreciate the food in Cambodia! The french influence was obvious in the delicious baguettes and tasty pastries - something the Thai just can't quite get right. The actual Khmer food was amazing too, lovely lok lak and morish amok all washed down with the local Angkor beer. Yum!

On my last day I was given a (free!!) packed breakfast and sent on my way to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's most talked about beach and the place I would spend my birthday!

Prepare for lots of updates this week as I'm spending my time on the sleepy 4000 Islands of Laos working on recovering some of that lost tan! : )

Welcome To The Jungle...

Almost forever ago I was still in Thailand with little Laura and just before she left we spent a few days exploring the real Thailand - the jungle! Early morning we left sleazy Phuket for the wilderness of Khao Sok armed with copious amounts of deet, snacks galore and prayers that the rain would hold off for a couple of days. On the way to Khao Sok our little minibus made several very snappy un-thai like stops, first for breakfast and before our stomach's had chance to settle we were whisked away to the Tsunami Memorial. The memorial consisted of a police boat that had been washed 2km inland, I was expecting a tiny row boat or similar but instead it was a gigantic metal ship. Next to this was a booth plastered with the most graphic images, the type that would be censored everywhere in England.

From here we were taken to a breathtaking viewpoint and on to a monkey temple. Whilst I've been to a monkey temple before the monkeys were not as funny or as feisty as the ones here. Laura, the risk-taker she is, bought a bag of peanuts. Chaos ensued! One of the monkeys pounced and Laura was jumping around as if she was on a pogo stick, the poor monkey clinging to her neck. This was all captured on film by a lovely old English guy, unfortunately he doesn't have facebook so you can't enjoy the moment.

That was the last of the mini stops and it was time for dinner, a feast of most of our favourite things! Massaman curry, friend chilli chicken, spring rolls and soup! After this we got chance to view some on site animals, a croc, a monkey, a tortoise and best of all Buddy, the cheeky gibbon! We first spotted him being sick on his swing, an interesting sight and an obvious indicator that he wouldn't be eating the pineapple we had to offer him. He did however want anything that was not tied down - sunglasses, camera cases and a poor lady's head scarf!

In the afternoon we were taken on a lazy canoe tour and had snakes, lizards and creepy crawlies pointed out as well as a personal encounter with a fat frog! Our guide also gave us a bit of a Tarzan show, swinging from ropes and jumping into the river, he was, i think, a little disappointed that we had both forgotten our bikinis! As the river tour ended it was almost time for the day trippers to leave, but not before taking a few trips down the zip-wire (playing flying foxes apparently!)

It turned out that we were the only people staying overnight which at first sounded a little scary but turned out to be a blessing! We were treated like kings, given time to have a necessary nap and then being treated to a herbal sauna - a homemade affair which we thought was broken for quite some time! After around 10 minutes of sitting, not wanting to offend our hosts, it kicked in! The air was thick with a medicinal steam that felt like it was doing wonders for the skin.

Tea time was another feast with enough food to feed 10 people! But good sustenance for our night time trek, a walk for the jungle on the search for jungle cats, monkeys and other such things. Unfortunately this is when the rain kicked in, the animals went running and we were left with mutant sized insects - spiders, grasshoppers, fire flies. The guides showed us an ingenious use for banana leaves, they made the most effective umbrellas! Finally when it was time to return only one of the group fell on the floor - the guide! We consoled him by letting him win at thai poker (10 blooming rounds!)

The second and final day involved a 4km trek through the jungle, hindered slightly by the rain and the scary sight of an incredibly large tree that had fallen down the mud banks between the start and return of our walk. We were then taken on a return trip to the monkey temple which was holding a special weekend market, we were to help with the daily shop! This was Laura's first experience with a thai food market and she was enthralled. Live snails, a whole pig chopped into tiny parts, chicken feet and all the unimaginable parts of animals, it was particularly funny when a butcher offered her the pig's tongue! ThankGod none of these bits appeared in our dinner. After food we boarded the mini bus (ignoring a bit of kerfuffle from some rather rude Russians) and set off for our final few days in Bangkok and our final few days together.

Only two(ish) weeks behind now : P
xxx

A Tribute

Mere minutes ago Laura left for the airport, no doubt she will check the internet at some point in her time there and I wanted to give her this little surprise...

Thankyou Laura for -

1) Almost always carrying loo roll, it's one of the most important things here!

2) Rubbing sun cream on my back, even though it made her hands sticky.

3) Forcing me to take more pictures

4) Taking pictures for both of us when I forgot my camera

5) Coming to the jungle with me in her last few days knowing that topping up the tan was unlikely.

6) Having the best/worst hair I've seen in ages, hello Italian footballer : P

7) Letting me shower first.

8) Letting me use her shower gel whilst I shower first.

9) Protecting me from the (one or two) possibly rabid dogs we've met.

10) Only ever complaining about the little insignificant details...."If I could change one thing about this room it would be making the TV a little higher".

But if I could change one thing it'd be her sleeping patterns : P

Wishing Laura a safe journey home, now back to bed for me. Night all : )

Catching Up (Part 2)

Thailand's islands are possibly the most popular touristy destination, not just for backpackers but families and couples too. They bring to life what people imagine when they hear the word 'Thailand' - crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, good food and cheap cocktails. When we said our goodbyes to Sangkhlaburi this is what we were heading for, starting with Koh Phagnan. Another sleepless overnight bus led to a lot of people trying to clutch back their lost sleep on the deck of the ferry, however the excitement of going back to the south was enough to keep me awake and i was happy enough to spend the hours watching the sea.

We stayed at a little beach resort called Mac Bay, it felt like utter luxury in comparison to the last room and our bungalow was literally right on the beach front. As an added bonus we found our own guard dog (Frank) who slept beneath our balcony and kept us safe at night : )

The main town in Koh Phagnan offers little more than overpriced clothes, schnitzel, shakes and clinics, but this is all you really need. The doctor's clinics are vital as the amount of injuries rivals Vang Vieng however fire, not water, is the cause in Koh Phagnan. Almost every night the beaches (and sometimes the jungle too) are lit up with fire shows, fire limbo, fire skipping ropes and fire slides. They all look deceptively simple, especially when the Thai men are showing how it's done. On certain nights throughout the month the fire shows get even more spectacular, the biggest night being the full moon. We were lucky enough to get there the day before the august full moon, the same month of the full moon I'd seen the year before! We went in to town to buy fluorescent/tie-dye/full moon appropriate clothes and ended up being drawn to the fire shows and throbbing bass at the beach even though we had all said an early night would be better! The night before turned out to be more fun than the actual full moon, better music and a slightly less chaotic atmosphere made everyone feel more at ease.

The rest of the week was spent sun bathing, swimming and partying, so with not too much to see or do I put my DIY skills to the test! By the end of the week I had crafted a pretty little photo frame with wood and shells from the beach and a whole lot of 7/11 superglue! Our second to last night was a big goodbye party for the group we'd been travelling with. It was almost like a tropical Christmas, we had a bonfire on the beach and a huge feast with everything you could imagine (even pigs in blankets were on the menu!). Early the next morning people started to get their ferries back to the mainland or onwards elsewhere. Laura and I found a new travel buddy for the next few weeks (the lovely Kate : ) ) and we were heading for Koh Tao but that will have to wait until the next update - within the month I hope!