As if pooping in the woods, trespassing through people's homes or not shaving for 3 months ( to be fair JoAnne does try to keep hairless -which I thank her for- except for the sweater that coats her arms.
Imagine the sun at its peak position in the sky radiating against your face. The heat of Chang Mai in Northern Thailand is unrelenting and forces me to perspire in places we never thought possible. Chang Mai, a city not near any swim able river or ocean. Our only hope in seeking relief of the heat is through finding a swimming pool.
We saddled up our bicycles to search for the Olympic sized pool at the Chang Mai University. However, along the way we were derailed by a big shopping mall with a hotel attached. To our luck the hotel even had a pool on the roof.
We walked straight through to the reception and inquired about purchasing a day pass. The receptionist had no idea what we were talking about but told us that the pool was on the 4th floor.
The pool was big, clear and very inviting. After we had found a bathroom (surely we didn't stick-out using the facility located through the employee lunch-room) to change in, Jo and I wasted no time and jumped right in.
About an hour later, I noticed a man starring very hard at us from the other side of the pool. I realized that he probably works for the hotel and I am pretty sure he notices that we are the only guests not using a hotel towel to dry off. On his way over to our chairs, JoAnne and I create a story. We tell the security that we are guests staying with our parents (anyone who is a good liar could tell that that was our first flaw right there. How probable is it for 2 girls in their 20's to be staying with their parents? ). I continue anyway regardless of how foolish I feel and tell him my last name is Anderson and that my parents have the key which is why I couldn't tell him our room number. Yep I actually said all that and he saw right through it but gave us the benefit of the doubt. As he was calling the front desk to verify if we were in fact guests, JoAnne and I decide to make our stay in the pool count. We turned right around and jumped in, cannonball and all. The end of the story? well, we were asked to leave and no, no purchase to the hotel could allow us to stay in the pool. We climbed out and didn't even bother to dry off before trudging through the marble hallways and out onto the street.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Good Morning Vietnam!
A few days prior to our departure from Cambodia to Vietnam, we heard nothing but complaints about our new destination from fellow backpackers. Jo & I decided it might be best to hide our Americanisms by talking softer and by trying to dress a bit more conservative (Cambodia was nothing but sunshine every day and so we had to bare our shoulders!). We also wanted to claim ourselves as Canadians, only this worked for maybe a day until we met another Canadian.
Chau Doc, a small town just 100 km beyond the Vietnamese border was our first stop. Chau Doc is the home of the SAM mountain consisting of 100,000,000 steps to the top and drink vendors with hammocks every 20 feet. We ate breakfast everyday next door to our guesthouse where we enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee which wiped the enamel right off of our teeth! It was so strong, both Jo and I were convinced that the coffee was laced because it made me dizzy! We also order a bowl of Pho, the national food. Pho is a bowl of noodle soup with slivers of meat, fish balls, broth, bean sprouts, mint leaves and whatever else they have to make it a nourishing breakfast (see the picture below). Our soup was fixed for us in a separate kitchen and was personally delivered by a little Vietnamese man on his moto.
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During our first night in Vietnam we were taught how to eat spring rolls. Yes, the cook saw how I was eating and decided to teach me the real way to eat a spring roll. She marched right up to my plate and wrapped the fried roll in a web of sticky rice with a piece of lettuce, pineapple, mint dipped into sweet & sour chili sauce. We were in love.My most memorable moments of HCMC:
- My most favorable moment in Ho Chi Mon City would have to be when Jo & I joined an aerobics class of over 100 women in the park. While women are not supposed to expose their shoulders, they are however permitted to practice humping the air while being watched by a wall of men!
- Shopping in Vietnam was a difficult task for me. I, nearly 6 ft, am much taller and wider than even the Vietnamese men! Non the less we found a thrift shop where we proceeded to buy vintage dresses from Korea!
Favorite moments in Hoi An:
- Walking to the China Beach. It was too cold for swimming but the beach was empty to our liking and beautiful.
- Having a Tailor design and create a silk jacket & top for under $50.
- Swimming in our freezing pool although it was 50 degrees just because we wanted to use the luxury of having a pool.
Favorite moments of Hanoi:
- Meeting the Australian boys! ah ! Joanne and I were having our 2nd dinner as our midnight snack (after the booze we consumed or tried to as we had many failed attempts at finding a good place to party) and low and behold we found 2 beautiful australian men sitting besides us who wanted to go have a drink with us (dirty, unkept us!). Great night, yes, a great night indeed.
Tourism ruins any country. Vietnam has had time to toughen its skin and it has. Even Jo's great bargaining skills did not smooth over well. Vietnam loves to explain Vietnamese war in their fashion and are not afraid to share their thoughts. Joanne and I kept are nationality to ourselves. Like any country, there are bad seeds anywhere. Visiting this country was better than any history book could have been. Although, I could have done without the stares and gesturing that I was humongous!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A Portrait of Cambodia
Cambodia is considered a developing country. The Pol Pot regime (aka political potential) stole Cambodia's opportunity to have prospered alongside other Asian countries like China or Thailand. Twenty years later the once broken country without music, travel, or happiness it is still considered to have an old fashioned feel as if it were held in a time capsule.
Sihanoukville: Cambodia's booming beach town, Phnom Penh's: Killing Fields and a location for major business of city/ rural dwellers alike and Siem Reap's : Angkor Wats (one of the biggest temples of the world) are helping to bring Cambodia out of the dust and onto the map for international travelers, both the young and old.
While moto's & Toyota's litter the roads, Lexus' or the occasional Hummer's give the sign that there is wealth in Cambodia.
The Irish owner to the Greenman bar in Kampot believes that there is a lot of money pouring into the country to try and alleviate some of its major problems such as: government corruption, sex trafficking, education, land development, pollution and poverty. The only real problem is that there is money to be made in each of these dilemma's and thus it is harder to ever see an end.
As we shared a taxi with 5 other people in a 5-person car (yes, Joanne and I sat on top of each other for about 2 hours) traveling out of Sihanoukville and into Kampot, we met a Cambodian/Chinese man in our taxi. His name was Wil. He insisted on taking us out to eat lobster (another sign of wealth) and sing Karaoke. As we waited for our Karaoke room to be made, I was able to ask him questions about the Cambodian culture that my guidebook did not answer. I learned that when a Khmer man falls in love, he really falls in love. A Khmer woman, however, will marry a man especially a westerner for his wealth and not for her heart.
Occupations:
Prostitution, a popular occupation is considered a job just as any and abused by many Western men passing through Cambodia. Throughout Cambodia I have not seen any local men dating Western women. This is because for a man in Cambodia it is very important for his family to approve of his spouse and a Western woman would be just too different. Wil believes that Western men tend to fall in love with the "ugly" women. Ugly equates a woman with dark skin. A woman with whiter or lighter shades is deemed very attractive. This may also be a symbol of class, as whiter skin would denote not working outside or in the fields. Other occupations in Cambodia are quite similar to the Western world, only it may involve waiting around a lot usually for a customer of some sort. A lot of Cambodia's business deals are face-to-face interactions. While the internet exists, I have found that people generally do not respond to emails and prefer to communicate the old fashioned way.
The People:
Khmer people are relaxed and easy going. Modern day Cambodian women still dress in 90 degree weather very conservatively; they wear jackets covering their bare arms and long pants. It is considered improper for a woman to drink beer in public and hang out on the streets late night. However, in touristy places, this rule takes on a new meaning and allows Jo and I to have our sunset beer. A popular outfit for both children and adults consists of a matching flower print shirt and pant combo which closely resemble pj's. Men also dress business/casual even if they are just lounging about. Children learn to ride a motorbike as soon as they can walk. If their family can afford not to have their child contribute to the house-hold income then they go to school. In touristy areas, children are used as beggars for their parents and exclaim that my donation will be used towards books or a pen. There are 3 types of education options; a public school, a private school and a language school. Since the rise of tourism in Cambodia, language school primarily teaching English has become very popular. Language school costs about $8 per child per month.
The Land:
Garbage disposal either involves dumping it in your backyard and burning it or in bigger towns there is an option to have it picked up by a hand-pulled wagon. There is not much concern about the environment or litter just yet. Hopefully in effort to preserve the picturesque land with the crisp sandy lined oceans, mountainous landscapes, the red dirt roads, the sun, the breeze they will start to care.
Safety:
Cambodia is relatively a safe place. Men like to look at us and thankfully (unlike the Thais) they only look. Considering the fact that I am twice their size in both width and length I can only imagine what I may look like to them. People do not really care what you do. There is no official drinking age and marijuana is advertised in restaurant menus (really only to entice the tourists of course). However, should one need the police or be rushed to the hospital there is little help abound to come to your rescue. They say if you get sick in Cambodia it is better to stay out of the hospital because then you will only get sicker.
Closing remarks:
Cambodia has been a great country to visit. As the tourists continue to flock, I am sure it will not remain such a pure untouched land and thus I am very thankful to have witnessed Cambodia as it is still in its elementary stages of becoming a developed country.
Sihanoukville: Cambodia's booming beach town, Phnom Penh's: Killing Fields and a location for major business of city/ rural dwellers alike and Siem Reap's : Angkor Wats (one of the biggest temples of the world) are helping to bring Cambodia out of the dust and onto the map for international travelers, both the young and old.
While moto's & Toyota's litter the roads, Lexus' or the occasional Hummer's give the sign that there is wealth in Cambodia.
The Irish owner to the Greenman bar in Kampot believes that there is a lot of money pouring into the country to try and alleviate some of its major problems such as: government corruption, sex trafficking, education, land development, pollution and poverty. The only real problem is that there is money to be made in each of these dilemma's and thus it is harder to ever see an end.
As we shared a taxi with 5 other people in a 5-person car (yes, Joanne and I sat on top of each other for about 2 hours) traveling out of Sihanoukville and into Kampot, we met a Cambodian/Chinese man in our taxi. His name was Wil. He insisted on taking us out to eat lobster (another sign of wealth) and sing Karaoke. As we waited for our Karaoke room to be made, I was able to ask him questions about the Cambodian culture that my guidebook did not answer. I learned that when a Khmer man falls in love, he really falls in love. A Khmer woman, however, will marry a man especially a westerner for his wealth and not for her heart.
Occupations:
Prostitution, a popular occupation is considered a job just as any and abused by many Western men passing through Cambodia. Throughout Cambodia I have not seen any local men dating Western women. This is because for a man in Cambodia it is very important for his family to approve of his spouse and a Western woman would be just too different. Wil believes that Western men tend to fall in love with the "ugly" women. Ugly equates a woman with dark skin. A woman with whiter or lighter shades is deemed very attractive. This may also be a symbol of class, as whiter skin would denote not working outside or in the fields. Other occupations in Cambodia are quite similar to the Western world, only it may involve waiting around a lot usually for a customer of some sort. A lot of Cambodia's business deals are face-to-face interactions. While the internet exists, I have found that people generally do not respond to emails and prefer to communicate the old fashioned way.
The People:
Khmer people are relaxed and easy going. Modern day Cambodian women still dress in 90 degree weather very conservatively; they wear jackets covering their bare arms and long pants. It is considered improper for a woman to drink beer in public and hang out on the streets late night. However, in touristy places, this rule takes on a new meaning and allows Jo and I to have our sunset beer. A popular outfit for both children and adults consists of a matching flower print shirt and pant combo which closely resemble pj's. Men also dress business/casual even if they are just lounging about. Children learn to ride a motorbike as soon as they can walk. If their family can afford not to have their child contribute to the house-hold income then they go to school. In touristy areas, children are used as beggars for their parents and exclaim that my donation will be used towards books or a pen. There are 3 types of education options; a public school, a private school and a language school. Since the rise of tourism in Cambodia, language school primarily teaching English has become very popular. Language school costs about $8 per child per month.
The Land:
Garbage disposal either involves dumping it in your backyard and burning it or in bigger towns there is an option to have it picked up by a hand-pulled wagon. There is not much concern about the environment or litter just yet. Hopefully in effort to preserve the picturesque land with the crisp sandy lined oceans, mountainous landscapes, the red dirt roads, the sun, the breeze they will start to care.
Safety:
Cambodia is relatively a safe place. Men like to look at us and thankfully (unlike the Thais) they only look. Considering the fact that I am twice their size in both width and length I can only imagine what I may look like to them. People do not really care what you do. There is no official drinking age and marijuana is advertised in restaurant menus (really only to entice the tourists of course). However, should one need the police or be rushed to the hospital there is little help abound to come to your rescue. They say if you get sick in Cambodia it is better to stay out of the hospital because then you will only get sicker.
Closing remarks:
Cambodia has been a great country to visit. As the tourists continue to flock, I am sure it will not remain such a pure untouched land and thus I am very thankful to have witnessed Cambodia as it is still in its elementary stages of becoming a developed country.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Kanye's words of wisdom
As I lay in bed listening to Kanye West's album, Graduation it hit me. I shouldn't be worrying about making the wrong decisions for my future career or even my ex-boyfriends. I need to start living in the now and Kanye's message (which I created by listening to every song and pulling out his words of wisdom to make one statement) will be my guide to living the good life.
What do I know?
Let the story begin.
Welcome to the good life. Let's go on a living spree, they say the best things are for free. It's hard not be act reckless.
Find your dreams. I wonder if you know what it means to find your dreams. These dreams keep waking me up at night.
I go for mine, I got to shine.
Everything I'm not, may be everything I am.
What don't kill me will only make me stronger.
If you try hard that's when you die hard.
You can still be who you wish you are.
An independent traded in for a husband and kids. Ever wondered what it all means?
You only live once do whatever you like.
Me like-y.
What do I know?
Let the story begin.
Welcome to the good life. Let's go on a living spree, they say the best things are for free. It's hard not be act reckless.
Find your dreams. I wonder if you know what it means to find your dreams. These dreams keep waking me up at night.
I go for mine, I got to shine.
Everything I'm not, may be everything I am.
What don't kill me will only make me stronger.
If you try hard that's when you die hard.
You can still be who you wish you are.
An independent traded in for a husband and kids. Ever wondered what it all means?
You only live once do whatever you like.
Me like-y.
" She's Hot, You're Not"
The sex industry is what pays the bills for women in Cambodia.
Last night on the V-day JoAnne and I set out to find a bar blasting some good old black eyed peas. We walked the strip of bars/restaurants on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Pehn, both dolled up ( in the back packer world this translates into: clothes that don't smell too bad, maybe shaved armpits and some accessory) with the secret hope that maybe we will either find a last minute valentine or that we manage to just get trashed- I thought either one would be fine. We walked and walked but there wasn't a bar in site playing anything audible.
We decided to take a tuk-tuk to the other side of town, also known as the back packers scene. Just as we step out onto the street, someone extends their hand to reveal a pack of weed the size of a cigarette box. Still no bar, but a super sketchy street. The next time we pass this man again he offers me ecstasy. I just laughed in his face and said "no" and continued looking for an ultimate bar for our valentine's celebration.
I noticed a bar filled with Cambodian women with outfits as if they were on their way to prom. One woman sat across from a Western man with a HUGE belly and a bald head. She was obviously much more attractive than he, but how did he make that work? I guess it really IS ALL about the Benjamins.
I can't help but stare at the many older men who have chosen to spend the evening dinning a 16 year old. A fellow backpacker once told me that the average "freelancer" aka prostitute makes an average of $20 dollars a month! Imagine what a dinner or even a night back in the hotel room with the beauties of Cambodia is costing these big 'ol men....
At this point, we decide that we would much rather catch the end of Grey's Anatomy and sip a Diet Coke rather watch women degrade themselves.
Last night on the V-day JoAnne and I set out to find a bar blasting some good old black eyed peas. We walked the strip of bars/restaurants on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Pehn, both dolled up ( in the back packer world this translates into: clothes that don't smell too bad, maybe shaved armpits and some accessory) with the secret hope that maybe we will either find a last minute valentine or that we manage to just get trashed- I thought either one would be fine. We walked and walked but there wasn't a bar in site playing anything audible.
We decided to take a tuk-tuk to the other side of town, also known as the back packers scene. Just as we step out onto the street, someone extends their hand to reveal a pack of weed the size of a cigarette box. Still no bar, but a super sketchy street. The next time we pass this man again he offers me ecstasy. I just laughed in his face and said "no" and continued looking for an ultimate bar for our valentine's celebration.
I noticed a bar filled with Cambodian women with outfits as if they were on their way to prom. One woman sat across from a Western man with a HUGE belly and a bald head. She was obviously much more attractive than he, but how did he make that work? I guess it really IS ALL about the Benjamins.
I can't help but stare at the many older men who have chosen to spend the evening dinning a 16 year old. A fellow backpacker once told me that the average "freelancer" aka prostitute makes an average of $20 dollars a month! Imagine what a dinner or even a night back in the hotel room with the beauties of Cambodia is costing these big 'ol men....
At this point, we decide that we would much rather catch the end of Grey's Anatomy and sip a Diet Coke rather watch women degrade themselves.
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