Oh, Chiang Mai!

One particular stop in Thailand was sure to be a hit – Chiang Mai.  I knew I was going to like this Northern town because all of the specs were similar to my former home in Vietnam, DaNang.  Medium sized, cooler and less traffic-jammed than the big urban cities, and great eco-tourism to get you out and about.  The only major difference is that Chiang Mai is a well-known city in the backpacking circuit, and for good reason.  A friend of mine who I met on the bus ride over from Cambodia flew into Chiang Mai on the same day as me, so we decided to do a day of awesome together, and awesome it was.  We booked a tour with Untouched Thailand and two very fluent English speaking guides picked us up at 6:30am to head north.  These guys (named Pon and Tom) were great conversationalists, and had a unique back story – they grew up together and spent 18 years as monks!  This came in handy while we were visiting temples, as they knew so much about monastery life. 

Our first stop was at the Elephant Training Center.  There were many options for elephant interaction in Chiang Mai, some charging 58000 Baht ($187) for one day.  We didn’t know much about this place as we booked a tour and everything was prearranged, but we might have done this portion differently in hindsight.  Riding an elephant through the forest is an amazing experience, but something about it just didn’t feel right.  Riding a horse seems fine, but riding an elephant - an animal three or four times the size of a horse – brought on some guilt.  Afterward, it was very cool to feel the elephant’s skin (so rough!) and feed him a whole bunch of bananas.  It was warming to hear about the relationship the elephants have with the mahouts.  Our guide told us the mahouts rarely take any holidays, because having an elephant is a full-life job.  One mahout and one elephant are together until one of them dies.  After speaking with my host about our unease in the situation, he explained that they could be logging, which isn’t allowed anymore, so this life is much better and easier than the abuse loggers once put them through.  After we saw the mahouts give the elephants a bath, we jumped onto a bamboo raft and floated down the river.  It was a wonderful and peaceful ride. 

After leaving the elephant camp, we headed over to a cave, which was nice, but nothing compared to what I’ve seen in the last year.  I’m pretty sure Vietnam takes the cake for caves.  Sorry, Thailand.  Can't win 'em all.

Playing in the Mud - Thailand (Chiang Mai)

I’m researching and visiting as many ceramics villages as possible on my route through Southeast Asia.  

So far, Vietnam and Cambodia both offered traditional handbuilding techniques unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  Thailand, however, takes the cake for innovative wheel throwing processes. 

The village doesn't make too much of a variety of vessles.  They make very big pots/vases, very small candle holders, and a specific type of medium sized genie-like bottle.  Every artist was open to me visiting their home and taking photos or videos of their process.  The village was free to enter and there was absolutely no pressure whatsoever to purchase anything.  That was a first.  I actually wanted to purchase something, but the type of work they made wasn't exactly conducive to backpacking.  

Genius!

On the Move

Bangkok Traffic

One of the biggest parts of continuous travel is the transport that takes you in and out of countries, through puddled city side streets, and out into the countryside. 

For me, figuring out new kinds of transport (which happens often) is a little stressful.  Do I need a token or a card?  Am I getting ripped off majorly right now in this taxi?  Oh you need that token or card that I’ve lost now that I’m at my final destination??

BUT, when I do figure out whatever system is taking me here and there and I finally get on it, I really, really, enjoy using it.  

Vietnam

In Vietnam, there were mostly xe oms.  “Xe” means motorbike and “om” roughly translates as “hug,” which is a cute way of calling (often) haven’t-showered-in-three-days men with no official uniform asking if you want a ride.  Having my own moto, I didn’t accept their offers too often, but when I did, it was a fast, cheap and friendly way of getting across town.  If you didn’t use the xe oms, you had to take a fancy taxi car, which was usually painful to negotiate and quite expensive as there were very few cars compared to the moto traffic. 

 

Cambodia

In Cambodia, I was so amused by their tuk tuks!  Once a bicycle and cart operation, Cambodian auto rickshaws are a three-wheeled sensation, and an essential form of urban transportation, especially for 2-4 person groups.  There were also moto taxis of course, for even cheaper than the tuk tuks - but no helmets!  (I discussed these more at length in this post)

Queuing in Vietnam was practically nonexistent.
Look how these skytrain riders file in from the arrows
on the sides!  Crazy!  

Thailand

In Bangkok, moto taxis were again a transport staple, but they wore official orange vests.  There were SO MANY CAR TAXIS.  For such a huge city, I figured most people would rely on public rail transit - and many do - but looking down on a jungle of stagnant traffic, there were multiple colors of taxis as far as the eye could see.  If you didn’t want to take a taxi, you could hop on the Skytrain or the underground mass rapid transit – MRT.  I used the skytrain every day that I was in Bangkok.  It was so intuitive and conveniently connected to many attractions in the heart of the city.  Plus – on those hot muggy days (every day), the Skytrain was the coldest place in the city.  After five minutes, we were wishing we'd brought a sweater. 

I have to go to the bathroom. Or rather, I GET to go to the bathroom. Terminal 21, Bangkok

I wish I’d kept a bathroom diary of all the wonderful ways people ask you to go to the bathroom.  It would be such a brag sheet of endurance.  I've slipped and fallen on wet bathroom surfaces, squatted in a hole on tumultuous train rides, fended off rats in back-restaurant johns, and conquered a number of other less sanitary obstacles.  Needless to say, when I see that a stall comes with a) a toilet seat and b) the less common toilet paper, I am a beaming queen on her hopefully disease-free throne.    

Cambodia was actually a step up in sanitation but still pretty similar to Vietnam unless you were in a nice restaurant or store.  Tourism helped. 

Then came Bangkok. 

This throne washed and dried your bum. It even had controls to get juuust the right angle.  You might think "euwww, you touched the buttons?" fear not novice restroom user, the stall was also complete with hand sanitizer and wipes, which you could use even before washing your hands in the sink area.  Swanky.   

On a recommendation from my couchsurf host, I went to a shopping mall called Terminal 21.  Apparently they are known for their creative bathrooms and after an hour or two of meandering around, I was about to leave when I realized I had to go to the bathroom.  Or hang on – I HAD TO VISIT THE BATHROOM!  I almost forgot to check out one of the main attractions of this joint.

Travel Mistakes with a Side of Stress to go, Please

US Dollars, Vietnam Dong, Cambodian Riel, and Thai Baht

Even well-seasoned travelers make mistakes from time to time.  If you’re lucky enough to witness them admitting them, you may find yourself in a high place, smirking at their misfortune because even you would never forget or do that.  That was me, reading a blog about a year ago when one of my favorite bloggers admitted her international money woes due to careless mistakes.  I wouldn't categorize myself as well-seasoned in the travel department but I have learned the essential dos and don’ts when it comes to staying out of serious trouble abroad.  Today was a bad day.

All Templed Out? A Walk on the Crawly Side

Since I was enjoying myself so much, I allotted an additional day in Siem Reap to splurge one last time on what ended up being the most fun day of my trip.  After temple trekking, there aren’t too many activities advertised to do, especially in town, so I started exploring other eco-tourism outings.  Through a random tripadvisor link, I happened upon a beautiful picture of a caterpillar.  So entranced, I read through the description and reviews

Dani Jump in his playground

(all of which were five stars).  It described a nature tour, led by Dani Jump of Bees Unlimited to explore the creatures and forest life of the Angkor Archaeological Park.  Through very prompt email correspondence, Dani and I arranged a tour that would depart from my hotel at 7am and return some time mid-afternoon.  At this point I was feeling pretty strapped for cash, but it was a private tour with a Cambodia nature expert so how could I resist?

The tour was $35 itself and $10 for the tuk tuk driver, which would have been waived if I had found another participant. 

Morning Wholesale Market

We started out in the wholesale market, bustling with the sale of morning produce, meat and seafood.  Large silver bowls with all kinds of wild market food lined narrow, muddy pathways.  It was difficult to squeeze past hagglers and peek into every stall while averting the dreaded sandal slop of mud, but interesting to experience busy morning life.  

We enjoyed noodles with a deep fried something or other for breakfast and then taste tested a few other goods as we walked.  Finally, we came upon an insect merchant and Dani urged me to try the big red ants that had been biting me just the day before.  Payback time.  As he is vegetarian, Dani didn’t partake, but he assured me they were sour.  Why? Red ants eat mango leaves so their bodies taste like a squirt of lime.  Delicious!  ...Really!

Siem Reap to Bangkok, the Easy Way!

From my transport research (because these transitions tend to stress me out) the legs from Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and then from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap are relatively easy and hassle free.  It’s when you get to the Siem Reap to Bangkok (Thailand) leg where the fun starts.  The countless stories of near-death experiences and “I’ve never been more terrified in my life” statements start

 popping up.  I wanted to avoid feeling terrified while in Thailand, so I dug deeper.

VIP

Where’s the Hassle??

The problem with this route lies in the transfer over the border.  Many bus companies will take you to the border, and then when you cross to the other side, you then wait, sometimes hours, for smaller mini shuttle vans to pick you up.  These vans are on deadlines, and sometimes speed 130k and faster in an 80k zone.

These two problems – border thumb twiddling and mini shuttle vans from hell – are mostly solved with an bus company called Nattakan Co.  They have an office in Siem Reap just a few doors down from the only KFC in town.  I would recommend going a day or two ahead of time, just to make sure you get the bus/seat you want. 

The Beauty of Banteay Srei

Last night, I was wrestling for connection with the internet, so now, as the coach bus is gently bouncing through the rice paddies of rural Cambodia, I’ll detail the last of my activities while in Siem Reap. 

I really enjoyed Siem Reap, enough to stay an extra unplanned day.  Yes, there is an element of tourism, and many night markets with merchants chiming to the same tune of “hello, ladeee, buy something?  What you looking for?  Very good price!” And then there are the beloved tuk tuk drivers, starved of work in the slow season.  In the night markets, there are dozens of t-shirts with

No Tuk Tuk

Not today

Not tomorrow

Walking through History - Angkor Temples Day 1

Siem Reap is a tourism mecca, due entirely to the Angkor Archaeological Park just 6k away from town.  You can buy a one-day pass for $20, a three-day pass for $40, or a seven-day pass for $60.  When not temple trekking, there aren't many other activities to occupy your time, so I thought it was well worth a 3-day pass into the park.
June through October is the rainy low season, so mid June couldn't be a more perfect time for me to be here.  The temples are almost empty, it's not that hot (compared to DaNang) and every afternoon, there's a twenty minute downpour to cool the air and wake up the lush rain forest smells.

On my first day to the park, I arranged a sunrise tour of the major big temples on the near-side of the park.  This included Angkor Wat (the famous one), Angkor Thom (the one with faces), Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider one) and the Elephant Terrace, among other smaller temples worth trekking around in.

Choeung Ek, the Killing Fields

During the last full day in Phnom Penh, another couchsurfer and I took a tuk tuk twenty minutes outside the city to learn about and visit the site of Choeung Ek, better known as the Killing Fields.

Through portable audio devices, the history of Khmer Rouge was explained as we walked past empty green spaces.  Without the history, you might wonder if this area differed from any other.  Most of the evidence of genocide has been erased from sight, but the audio narrator and voices of survivors allowed us to painfully recreate what happened just 35 short years ago.







There are several estimates of the number of victims, but during the Khmer Rouge rule 1975-1979, the tyrant
Pol Pot was responsible for the deaths of roughly 2,000,000 people, through execution, disease or starvation.  The population of Cambodia was 8,000,000, so if you can imagine one out of every four people in your country perishing, you can imagine the severity of this genocide.

Termites go Marching in Angkor Wat, Hurrah, Hurr..Ouch! Ouch!

It sure is nice knowing where you're going, but be sure to look down sometimes.  You may miss (or step on!) a massive but tiny moving world.  

I may have been bitten a few times during the filming of this video.  As it turns out, giant red ants hang on to your clothing and even continue to bite you hours later.

Worth it to pretend I'm a Nat Geo videographer.

Excuse me, but you have an Antenna in yo Teeth

Today was another long leg of the tri-country bus adventure.  I was going from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Cambodia) with Mekong Express (still highly recommend this bus line)  This leg was six hours and $12. Our fare included a bottle of water, a moist towelette and some bakery goods.  We also had a very sweet bilingual tour guide who gave us updates along the way in Khmer and English.  It always seemed like she spoke for a far lengthier time in Khmer than when she translated to English, but most of it was fluff anyway.  During our thirty minute lunch stop in Kampong Thom, I hopped off of the bus and walked over to a fruit and...insect stand where our guide was munching on something.

"What do we have over here?"

"Try it!" she says.  "You don't have any of this in your country?"

"Only for pets."

I stared down at a huge pile of crickets, and realized that someone was asking me to eat something, so I'd better agree.  I asked her if she'd video me eating my first cricket and she happily obliged.  It definitely looked like she was filming me as I grabbed the two back legs of the cricket and shucked the body away from them into my mouth.  As I'm chewing, I notice her fumbling with my camera.  A look of confusion replaced her smile.  ..Sigh..

Playing in the Mud - Cambodia

Today was definitely a highlight for my short stay in Cambodia.  I took a day trip to the province known for pottery, just two hours via bus from Phnom Penh.  I would have just continued on to Siem Reap afterward, but there are two main arteries out of Phnom Penh - Hwy 5 going to Battambang and hwy 6 going to Siem Reap.  Kampong Chhnang (the province I was visiting) was on Hwy 5.  So, early in the morning, I said goodbye to the other couchsurfer staying at the movie house and snagged a tuk tuk to the Sorya bus station near the Central Market in Phnom Penh.  I bought a ticket for $4.00 and again, assuming the worst, boarded the bus going toward Battambang.  My fears were put to rest with decent seating – no, I didn’t want to touch anything, but this would definitely do.  There was a young western fellow sitting across the aisle from me and whaddya know, he was also going to Kampong Chhnang and hailed from Palatine, IL - so close to my home town!  Sometimes I wonder how these things happen. 

One thing that I really loved about getting out into the countryside were all the palms that filled the vast, flat stretches of land.  Through these, the baby blue sky reflecting in the rice paddy fields.  A Cambodian pastor sitting near us informed that this province was also an area known for sugar, which is extracted and boiled from the palms.  After a slightly longer than quoted bus ride, the other American and I got out in the middle of a very small town, with one central monument.  I swear every single child –and some adults – said “hello!” as we passed, looking for a tuk tuk to our respective destinations.

On the road in Phnom Penh

I told myself I wasn't going to compare Vietnam with the other countries that I visit in SE Asia, and I'm conscientiously not stooping to some backpackers' generalizations to culture or a people as a whole!...God forbid, BUT, I must quickly note, that I am loving the transportation in Phnom Penh, in contrast to Vietnam.  Not only is it cheaper, but much more comfortable and appears slightly more sane on the daredevil motorbike aspect.

Pimp my Phnom Penh Ride

My Ho Chi Minh couchsurf host

Today has been an exhausting but fun day of transport.  At 6:10 (ten minutes before my alarm was scheduled to rattle me awake) I rose from my host's couch and prepared for the bus ride into Cambodia.  She generously drove me to the ticketing office where the most recommended bus company was to pick me up at 8:00am.  We said our goodbyes, I helped her kick-start her bike (it had been having problems), and then she was off to work!  Walking into the ticketing office, I froze with panic.  I had left my purse inside her bike seat because she had warned me about moto-theft.  The bus was leaving in twenty minutes and it would take her at least ten minutes to get to work and open her seat, realizing my purse was in there.  Of course my phone was in my purse so I couldn't call her.  All I could do was wait on the curb and be calm, because there was absolutely nothing else I could do to get my purse faster.  Playing through all the possible scenarios of what I would do if I missed the bus, I turned my head to the right and there she was, thirty meters away, walking her bike toward me.  With my two backpacks, I awkwardly started waddle-running toward her in an epic romance fashion, yelling, "I knew you'd come back!" 

Kelsey.  Seriously.  No more of that.

A Fastpack through the Big One

DAY ONE!!!
I'm going to TRY to blog SOMETHING every day while traveling.  Sometimes it might be small, sometimes it might be a ramble, and on some nights, I may have more time to put some decent effort into a post.

This morning started early with my darling roommate zipping me off on my last DaNang motorbike ride to the airport.  I tried to soak in the trip as much as horn-honkingly possible, but I knew I would be in HCMC soon anyway and get a good dose of motorbike terror on the backs of random nice-smelling xe-oms (moto taxis).  Sitting on the hard steel chair in our dinky airport, I tried not to be too sentimental.  I gave my roomie a giant hug, and some of the people from the restaurant I volunteered at showed up at 6am (bless them!) at the airport to give gifts and see me off.  They and the rest of my DaNang family were on my mind when our boarding call sounded throughout the terminal.  I slowly stood up and stood in the chaos of an attempt at a queue for plane ticket ripping.  Being a temp resident in Vietnam, I knew better than to expect a line - this is the closest I get to unintentional moshing these days.

The flight was fast!

Ho Chi Minh has some beautiful parks, right in the middle of urban life

Today I wanted to take it easy because a) no offense HCMCers, but I'm not huge into big cities and after living in VN for nearly a year, I'm excited to see other countries!  So I'm visiting a select few museums and calling it a day!

I might have started my day in a more cheery place, but my couchsurfing host was working in District1 and she said she'd look after my rucksack while I meandered around.  Her work was walking distance to the War Remnants Museum so that's where I started.

Finding Zen in Đà Lạt

During travel, what you see and do can leave a lasting impression of your trip, but often not as permanent as who you meet.  During my recent trip to Đà Lạt, I was able to spend some time with some folks you often don't see due to their lifestyle - monks and nuns.  

Đà Lạt is rich in abundance of pagodas and the landscape provides a sort of fairytale land backdrop for their archways, buildings, and statues to be nestled into.  The first one I stumbled upon, I was with Dyanne.  It was high up on a hill off of a main road outside of town.  After a few exchanged "hello"s and "we're from America"s, we started looking around at their own small plot of coffee plants, a building for community activity and one for worship, I heard someone say "Canada! Canada!" and we looked over as a beautiful girl with freckles all over her face and a shaved head approached.  With almost no Vietnamese accent, she greeted us in English and continued to explain that she had studied in Canada for a few years and that this pagoda was strictly for nuns.  We were visiting during a time of confinement - they would not leave the pagoda for three months.  Whew! That's a lot of time together.  

Getting Lost in Đà Lạt

My last trip in Vietnam was to the southern part of the central highlands in a popular destination for lovers called Đà Lạt.  My friend Dyanne (TravelnLass) helped me obtain a motorbike within an hour of arriving and I knew that I was destined for fabulous rambles over my four-day-stay.  This bike was more powerful than my DaNang steed -a whole 125CCs!

With Dyanne working at her language school in town, I hunted down a map of Đà Lạt, stuffed it into my bag and proceeded to drive down a street I didn't know.  (There were many of them at this point).