Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Crap, I just lost my entire post. Keystrokes do random things in Asia. And it was a really good one too...

I don't want to type it out again, so I'll just summarize.... in Phnom Penh, got in yesterday, took a motorbike through the city to the guesthouse, Phnom Penh is like a recently rediscovered ancient city, crumbling decadence, etc, met some Aussies, the staff of the guesthouse got off work, we started drinking, dancing on a rooftop with shirtless Cambodians singing AC/DC.

SO after that me and the Aussies, Sam and Sam, went to a pizza place and had some pizza, and then started an evening bar tour of Phnom Penh. They had been here for a few days, so knew some good places. After a couple bars and trying to dance with some locals we realize that our driver had been in all the bars with us, and was probably kinda drunk, so we told him just to take us back to the guesthouse.

Today has pretty much just been recovering. But tomorrow I plan to actually do something. I want to see the Royal Palace, the Killing Fields, maybe go to a shooting range and fire a AK47. Good times!

Koh Samui, Thailand

I survived the Full Moon Party through a formidable amount of pacing.

The day before, the 23rd, we did a round-the-island boat tour, saw the falls that several famous kings of Thailand used to visit, and generally got to see more of the island and hung out on a lot of beaches.

The 24th was the Full Moon Party. Not as crazy as I was expecting really, but still a good time. We met up with some Norwegian girls from the boat trip the day before. May and them broke off and I went off in search of Random Friends. I met three Irish boys, four English blokes, one Aussie guy and two Aussie girls. The Aussies were the most fun of any of them, it made me miss Australia. Around 4am we made our way back to Rainbow Bungalows.

The next day I took off to come here and May went off to Koh Tau, the scuba diving mecca of Thailand. If I had the money or the time to refresh my scuba skills I would have joined her, but instead I'm here on Koh Samui, making my way to Bangkok before heading off to Cambodia. It's unlikely we'll see each other again, so we said our goodbyes at the pier and I was off.

Either the scale on my map is wrong, or my taxi driver took the most circuitous path possible. What looks like 10 km on my map according to the scale ended up being an hour and a half drive. It's amazing how far 100 baht (about $3.25) can take you.

And my bad luck with traveling with cameras continues. My waterproof/shockproof/should-be-generally-indestructible camera is no longer working. At first it kept on insisting that the battery case was open, then the lens got all fogged up, and now none of the buttons other than the power button work. I'm going to look up some troubleshooting guides and hopefully figure it out.

As for now, I'm off to explore a little bit of Koh Samui and generally waste time till my flight leaves tonight for Bangkok.

Koh Phangan, Thailand

Alright, May and I made it! May's flight was canceled, so she ended up getting here a day late. So my first night here I went to Haad Rin with some Canadians from my hotel, met some Swedes at a bar and went to the beach. Good times. The next day May showed up and we spent the day lounging as she acclimatized to Koh Phangan.

Today we've just been walking around Haad Rin, seeing what there is to do. Apparently the Full Moon Party has been delayed to the 24th, so we won't leave till the 25th. We got a Thai Massage today, my second massage ever. That 90 pound girl beat the crap out of me like I stole her money and called her ugly. I'm limping a little bit from what she did to my left leg. All part of the experience though. Tonight we're thinking of going to see a Muay Thai fight.

Bangkok Airport, Thailand

Alright.... I've been at the airport for three hours. No sign of May.... she should have been out of customs about two and a half hours ago... and I'm not sure what flight she is on...

Bangkok, Thailand

Wow.....

Okay, this has been the craziest most intense day of my trip. Not so much because of anything that happened, but just because Bangkok is an intense, crazy place.

I got in last night and made my way through customs and all that, took about an hour and a half, no worries. Got out into the airport proper and laid my hands on some cash from the ATM and did some halfhearted haggling over the taxi fare before going to my hotel. It's the Viengtai Hotel, a pretty snazzy place for $60 a night. I could have gotten a place for much cheaper, but I had heard that Bangkok is a little crazy, so you might just want to stay some place a bit more opulent your first time. I got to the hotel and checked in, had a shower and a beer from the minibar and went to bed. Nothing too exciting.

This morning I got up and checked out and started walking around.

Bangkok is a hellion. Every moves so fast and everything is packed together, no one waits for anything. And the Thai can chat like no one else. Sometimes I'm bad for not talking to the actual residents of where I am visiting, but in the four hours (I can't believe it was only four hours... it really seemed like four days) I spent making my way around town I stopped and had serious conversations with about half a dozen people.

The first was a man who stopped me on the street, thinking my bag was open (it wasn't). He asked me where I was from and we started chatting. He recently bought a computer for his 4 year old son and works at the post office. He told me that today is a Buddhist holiday and that the new Prime Minister has waived the entrance fee on several temples and sites. He sat down with me and my map and made a little plan of what I should do today. He even waved down a tuk-tuk (more on them later) and told the driver where to take me and for how much. Driving around for four hours only cost me 20 baht (about 70 cents)!

So the driver took me to a temple and inside a man approached me and showed me around the temple, explaining the praying rituals of the Thais and the different Buddha statues. Then we segwayed into commerce and such, and we talked about getting custom suits and shirts in Bangkok.

So then my next stop was at a custom suit store. The salesman Mike really wanted me to buy two suits, three shirts and a couple ties for $400, but I eventually got it through to him that I don't have that kind of money, so instead I will have a couple custom tailored shirts to pick up in a few days for $70.

After that was another temple. It was just nice to walk around and sit for a while. Walking the streets in Bangkok, you get hassled a lot by taxi drivers (Not NEARLY as bad as Central American ones though. A simple "No, thank you" will usually be enough to get away, no yelling or pushing required.)

Then I went to the Golden Mount, a Buddhist temple built high on a hill, that offers good views of the city. Unfortunately, Bangkok is covered in smog, and getting up there just made me realize that I'm standing in filth. And that a lot of Bangkok is made up of ghettos right next to highrise luxury apartments.

After the Golden Mount I walked back to my hostel and ran into a teacher from a local high school. We chatted, he has family in Toronto. He thinks I look Thai. I actually got that a lot today. My skin right now is the exact colour of most Thai's skin, and the facial features aren't that far off either. It's hard explaining to Thais why I'm the colour I am. Most of the ones I met today walked away with the impression that my mother is from India. So anyway, he gave me directions back to my hotel, and now I'm sitting in a cafe, desperately wanting a shower and a nap, but I've checked out already so will have to power through for the next 7 hours till it's time to go meet May at the airport and head to Koh Phangan.

Oh, and the tuk-tuks! These are basically three wheeled contraptions. The driver sits in the front, and there is a bench big enough for two people in the back. It was a little worrying at first, for a few reasons:

1. Bangkok drivers take road lanes as suggestions only. The first time we veered into the other lane into oncoming traffic I nearly jumped out, but apparently that's just how it is done.
2. They're pretty flimsy vehicles. So if a tuktuk gets in a accident with a car, the car wins.
3. There are very few traffic lights. Right of way is determined by who ever gets to the intersection first.

But I didn't actually see any accidents, so I guess they now what they are doing.

That's all for now, next stop is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Phangan!

Perth, Australia (again)

I can't believe I am halfway through my trip. It's always the way. I've been gone a month, but it seems like a week ago at most. And tomorrow the Australia portion of my trip ends. So goodbye sunny beaches and freckled girls, hello mad Asian traffic. Everyone I've met who has been to Bangkok talks about the traffic. There are no real crosswalks, I was told the best way was to close your eyes and start walking at a steady pace and trust the attentiveness of Bangkok drivers to notice you.

The new hostel is nice, I've met many people, maybe three of whom I can name. Last night I went out for the first time in Perth, so I can scratch that off my list. Right now I am just wasting time till we start a bbq in a few minutes. So here are some random observances of Australia:

• Aussie boys are really macho. It's a bit much at times.
• Burger King here is called Hungry Jacks. Same logo and food, only the name is different.
• Australians don't use ketchup. But they give you fries with everything. What is the purpose of fries, but as a receptacle for ketchup?
• They drive on the other side of the road and I still haven't gotten used to it. I keep on looking at cars and thinking "These guys pay no attention to the road!" before realizing I'm looking at the wrong side.
• Everywhere in Adelaide is "Two blocks down, to the left". Every time I asked for directions to get anywhere at all it was "Two blocks down, to the left".
• Pretty much everyone traveling in Oz is working while doing it (bar work and fruit picking are the two most popular occupations). I'm one of maybe four people in this hostel just on vacation.
  

Perth, Australia

Just got back from a three day tour around the southwestern part of Australia. I think I have now seen every tiny shite town in SW Australia (the town of Northcliffe's actual slogan: "Where the hell is Northcliffe?").

It was an alright tour. Met some good people, we formed Team Alcoholic. It started with touring a brewery and tasting each and every beer they made. Not as a whole, individually. Last night we had to be thrown out of the bar down the road from the hostel because they were closing and we wouldn't leave. Good times.

Other more responsible highlights:

• Going to a very nice beach and going for a swim. This is significant because it was my first foray into the Indian Ocean, meaning that I have now swam in every ocean on Earth. They also have a "Southern Ocean" in Australia, so I swam in that one too a couple weeks back just to cover my bases.
• Climbing up a 70m tree. I didn't really climb all of it, I got spooked halfway and stopped. Whatever.
• Seeing some interesting rock formations. This trip has really been full of interesting rock formations.

So now I have two more days at the YHA (puke) and then I change to the Witches Hat hostel (horray!) which has come highly recommended. Tomorrow I will either visit Rottnest Island, just southwest of Perth which is supposed to be very nice and have some adorable wallabies, or I will go to Freemantle, which has some adorable museums. Going to Rottnest means getting up early, so I will probably just spend an afternoon in Freemantle.

Perth, Australia

I think I might be a rain god. Or some kind of rain avatar, at least. I've had rain probably once every three days I've been in Australia. Keep in mind this is the driest continent on Earth, in the middle of their summer. I've been rained out of resorts in Fiji, and a drought actually ended when I showed up in south eastern Australia. I got rained on at night while camping in the DESERT.

It's raining in Perth today, so I'm whittling away my afternoon on the internet and travel planning.

So I did a three day tour from Alice Springs to Uluru (a distance of about 750 km) with The Rock Tours. A really good time, good guides, good people, an all around awesome experience. The first day we hiked through Kings Canyon, that I mentioned earlier. A three and a half hour hike, and I have never been hotter in my life. Thank God halfway through we come upon a waterhole known as the Garden of Eden. We all have a good splash and cool down. After Kings Canyon we grab some beers and head to our camping spot for the night.

We had one place to go, but our trainee guide Bree got a little lost in the night time, so after driving through the bush in the dark for half an hour and having to unhitch the trailer so that the bus could turn around, we go to a different camp spot, which turns out to be a construction depot. More funny than anything. We roast up some kangeroo tail, get rained on in the middle of the desert, and have the construction foreman come up and tell us the place in going to full of trucks and tractors in 10 minutes, so we have to get out.

The next day we make a couple more stops, see some kangeroos and wild camels, and hike through the Olga mountain range, just outside of Uluru (and actually part of the same geological event). After yesterdays Kings Canyon adventure, most of the group doesn't feel up to a 8km hike through this mountain range. Their loss. For the 7 of us (out of 21) who did the hike, it was absolutely stunning. These red domes raising out of the desert and circling you all around was really something to see. The people who did the hike, Natalie, Julian (my bus bench buddy and time wasting game opponent), Sean, Jerome, Horshct and the old German couple (never did learn their names...) all had a great time.

That night we went to watch the sunset over Uluru and have a couple beers. Probably the most chill and awe inspiring part of my trip so far. We sat there for about an hour and a half and watched the clouds and shadows play along Uluru's alternating jagged and smooth edges. That night we camped at the nearest campground, had a shower, went for a swim in the pool and ended the night with some games, Sleeping Bag Sumo and The Box Game (pick up a box with your mouth, without touching your knees or hands to the ground). Natalie won the latter easily. Turns out our 18 year old German is also a ballerina.

The next day we watched the sunrise over Uluru while having breakfast and started the drive back to Alice Springs. We made a few notable stops. I bought a painting from an aborignee who came to see if we had any leftover bread after our lunch at a small town stop, and then rode a camel, an hour out of Alice Springs. Man, those guys have a rough gait. And getting down from a camel is a whole new experience in fright.

That night we all got together for drinks and dinner. We exchanged names and email addresses, had a few laughs, some interesting conversations, bought a shot for a British birthday girl. A good end to a good trip.

So now I am in Perth. So far, I am not terribly impressed. Apparently really everything good about Perth is actually outside of Perth. I walked through the downtown area yesterday, which was bland. Even the riverside was pretty meh. I was going to check out the edgier Northridge area today, but, like I said, it's raining. It also doesn't help that I'm in a YHA (Australia's version of HI hostels, for those who know what those are). Basically, it's a very large, very impersonal hostel/budget hotel that has no real style and doesn't have any nice small, intimate areas that facilitate meeting people. I met one guy, Lee, in my room and that's been it. A rude Frenchman was thrown out of my room at about 2am last night, but neither Lee nor I have any idea why. It's surprisingly hard to find accomodation in Perth, so moving would be tricky. I might do another tour in a couple days, and then book a different hostel for after that, but Perth doesn't seem to have many reasonably priced tour deals. And of course, all this bitching and complaining could just be because I'm coming down off a high after a really good trip to Uluru.

Alice Springs, Australia

Just a quick update before I run out and join my tour group for dinner and drinks.

I'm alive! Turns out my little joke from the end of the last post wasn't such a little joke. On the first hike we were told that 3 people have died doing it in the past 2 weeks, and while we were hiking two people had to be heli-lifted out of the canyon we were hiking and a third was left on the ground because there was only room for two. Our tour guide gave her "50/50 chances" of surviving. Pretty sobering stuff. But thankfully our tour guides were very competent and well prepared.

Uluru was awesome, off to Perth tomorrow!

Alice Springs, Australia

For those who don't know, Alice Springs is smack in the middle of abso-freaking-lutely nowhere. Pretty much dead centre, Australia. All around this little 30,000 person town is desert. And man is it hot. So hot that the exertion of typing is making me sweat a little bit. Yeah.

Anyhow, Adelaide. A lot of people say Adelaide is boring. They're right. It seems like a great town if you were in your 40s. A lot of museums, a lot of churches. The octogenarians wandering town seemed to like it well enough though.

Our first night most of my group met up at a hostel bar and, since it was a mostly female group, went to this Irish pub where it was ladies night. A nice bar, full of very nicely dressed people. Some of the local Aussie boys were jackasses, but slap them around a bit and they respect you more and back off. One thing about the bar though: The worst music I have ever heard. Yes, including in Yellowknife. But the Aussies LOVE IT. Really bad, corny music from the 80s and 90s, and the dance floor is packed. And - Robi and Robert have spoiled me here - the transitions were dreadful. No one else seemed to notice, but it was like nails on a chalkboard.

The next day I walked around and shopped. I ripped off the waist strap of my old bag, getting it out the back of the bus trailer, so I get a new one. Man, am I ever hemorrhaging money in Australia. Every time I check my credit card balance I cringe. Oh well. Thank God southeast Asia is cheap! That night I took it easy, went to see the Darjeeling Limited with Helena, a girl I met on the tour bus and packed it in relatively early.

So now I am in Alice Springs. Which is hot. Really, really hot. In case I hadn't mentioned. And early, crack-o-dawn, tomorrow I set off on my tour to Uluru (Ayer's Rock, to those culturally insensitive few amongst you). I really hope I don't die. Because it is really, really hot out.