Wats and wats of wats

The temples, or wats as they are called are 6.5 km north of Siem Reap which to get to you either need to higher a tuk tuk or a bicycle.  I did both.  The first day of temples I rented a bike for one dollar and set off for the many temples to the north, Angkor Wat being the most famous but not necessarily  the most awe inspiring .
I rode to four of the different temples first Angkor Wat which I walked around in for a bit after I got some delicious street food.  It is old, large and beautiful and covered in tourists....Next temple please!  After I left for the famous faces of the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom.  Here there were fewer tourists and I was able to peacefully walk around through the many pillars of giant smiling faces.  This temple was steep and interesting.  I hung around a bit then moved on to one more temple then finally Ta Prohm or more well known as the location for Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.

Ta Prohm is by far the most interesting temple to me because it has been over grown with the trees planting their roots all around the hidden temple and jungle.  Although it has been pruned back it still feels slightly more forbidden or lost.  It has a slight air of mystique and with fewer tourists would have been an ideal place to explore. The temples were fun to see but after a day of riding my bike and walking through them all day I felt a bit templed out.

At the temples there is a problem and frustration which aided my temple exhaustion.  Every temple you  go to you become accosted by the children of Cambodia trying to sell you cheap bracelets, post cards, books and drinks.  They come in swarms all shouting "you buy my...." No matter the number of times you decline or walk away they always continue.  When they finally realize they can't change your mind and you don't want to buy they walk away mumbling or sometimes just blatantly say a good old F&*^% you!  So sweet.

I was about to give up a second day of templing but was invited by my fellow hotel guests to go with them on a rock and roll tuk tuk the next day.  That's right, ROCK and ROLL baby.  I of course could not resist.  The second day our amazing tuk tuk driver showed up in style with dvd players, speakers, ipod hook ups, music and a cooler.  What more could you ask for?  With my companions, a Brit boy, and 2 Aussie boys we set off on our adventure, headed for the smaller temples away from the north and to the east. 

These temples were less impressive but the day was made by our amazing tuk tuk driver who would pull into the temples doing donuts and yelling rock and roll.  He was an ex monk that stopped being a monk to support his family.  A month ago he got the idea to convert his tuk tuk into an unusual and unique tuk tuk which rocked!  As we pulled into the third temple we started the donuts with our music blasting.  The children from the empty restaurants came running over trying to get us to eat at their restaurant.  Normally this would have been annoying but instead it was a pleasure as our driver decided to have them all rock, paper, scissors for our patronage. 

The kids not only were laughing but they were amused by our famous driver and were able to just be kids.  We finally sat down to a nice meal.  After we finished our food we joined the kids in games and they all were begging for their photos to be taken.  I took tons of photos and continued to show the results to the very excited children.  We got to talk with the kids without them selling anything and enjoy their company.  This was by far the most enriching experience in Cambodia thus far. 

After, as we headed for Angkor Wat for the sunset we made a quick pit stop at the orphanage.  Again we were greeted by smiling children who offered us water and chairs and a concert.  "In da joongle da mahty joongle" was lovely but took me a minute to realize they were singing in the jungle the mighty jungle.  They also attempted head and shoulders knees and toes and the ABC's among others.  They were very cute but often never on the same word or with the right beat and never pronounced correctly.  It was very cool to watch and we also got to observe their English class before we left.  The orphans here seemed well cared for as best they can and have not needed to beg which was refreshing.

The second day of temple seeing was more of a cultural day and I very much enjoyed it.  I think it had much to do with my fellow travelers who were laid back and wanting to play with the children and also to our tuk tuk driver who new just how to make everyone smile.

Temple pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/TheWats?authkey=Gv1sRgCJOMwe784cfdfQ&feat=directlink

Cambodia, the Final Frontier: Siem Reap

Border crossing hell= mini van to the boarder where a "guide" met us.  Well our guide was young, arrogant and had a bit of an attitude.  I found him untrustworthy and felt like he was always trying to take advantage of the situation and get as much money out of us as possible.  After leaving the boarder with a bitter taste in my mouth I finally found myself on my way to Siem Reap in a taxi with two travelers from the Republic of Georgia.

Transporting pigs, they are alive!

On first arrival I noticed that everything was very dusty and everybody seems to get around on motorbikes or bicycles and sometimes loaded on the back of trucks. All along the road to Siem Reap were motorcycles with pigs tied on their backs, two to a motorcycle, or 3 dozen birds tied by one leg or sometimes even an ox or horse with legs tied together on some sort of cart on  the back of a bike.  On first look they seemed dead until I saw a couple kicking and moving.  Welcome back to the third world I thought...and loved it.

First impressions of Siem Reap and Cambodia, I was surprised by how developed the infrastructure was, like the main roads, not to say they are anything comparable to the western world.  Geographically Cambodia is very flat, except for the southwest region, which surprised me so the roads are paved, straight and easy to negotiate, just don't hit, bikes, kids, animals, motorcycles or any other road block. 

I found Cambodia like Thailand has a very developed tourism economy in comparison to other places.  They have many easy to use tour agency's (though you need to watch out they can rip you off but that's the way the game goes) that only focus or mostly cater to travelers.  This seems to isolate the travelers from the locals at times, more so than in South America.  People seem to show less interest in the backpackers and it is more difficult to interact and feel excepted.

The people of Cambodia seem to be wonderfully friendly and smiley and a pleasure to talk to much of the time but they can also become short, arrogant and hostile at other times.  If money for tourist services is involved they often try to take advantage and can use sarcastic and rude comments.  If you say you don't need or want their service on multiple occasions I was told "fine then do it yourself," which I was trying to do anyways.  Also, on a daily bases in Siem Reap you are accosted by tuk tuk drivers asking if you need one.  If you politely say no they don't stop and then ask you about tomorrow, if you just say no they will respond with a sarcastic "no, thank you"and if you say nothing at all they get louder and more rude.  They do not understand how to back off.  They consistently hassle you no matter what whether it's for a tuk tuk, food, drink, post cards, books, etc.  If I want what you have I will find you!!!  It is possible to walk past a line of tuk tuk's tell the first no politely, the second no again and the third no and you will still be asked by the fourth and fifth in line. WTF?

The city of Siem Reap itself is nothing more than a small town with the center catered to the tourists.  The day market, the night market, the food stalls the bars and the restaurants are all battling for your patronage like the tuk tuks.  It becomes overwhelming and annoying most of the time.  Mostly Siem Reap is the city that is the jumping off point for the amazing temples including the famous Angkar Wat.

Additionally it is at night that the children come out to beg and try and sell you bootlegged books.  Both the children and the women with babies and empty bottles are trying to make money off of you.  One woman asked for money for formula and a guy bought her a 10 dollar bottle of formula and when he gave it to her she ran and we were told by the shop keeper she returns it at another shop.  If you buy anything you need to open it so they can't return it.

The children additionally try to sell you stuff and won't leave you alone or they try and touch you, (watch your wallet) and look really sad and helpless so you give them money for food.  I tried offering food to one but he didn't want food.  It's hard to not trust children but many are brought up to scam travelers.  They are not begging for themselves or selling books for themselves but for someone else around the corner.  Seeing these sights makes you feel bad but I know that supporting this behavior only hurts it in the long run.  You are better off giving your money to an organization that can help. 

My first full day in Siem Reap I spent  wandering the town to the market buying silver bracelets, my weakness, and stumbling on the Angkor Artisans which is a fair trade school where they teach locals to make traditional stone carvings and wood carvings as well as silk paintings and silk weaving.  You can tour the workshop and watch them create intricate details.  At the end there is a shop where you can buy the products.  It was all very impressive and beautiful, but a bit pricey, but that is fair trade.

Artisan carving a statue

In the shop I noticed a free shuttle to their silk farm/factory as well so I visited and watched how they make silk and how they weave amazing time consuming patterns on intricate looms.  All of the workers were extremely friendly and nice and it allowed me to notice the difference in attitude between those being taught and learning a skill that allows them to make a fair wage and income to those who feel abandoned and like they deserve more.  

Overall I am liking the more third world aspect of Cambodia but am having mixed feelings about the people and how they deal with tourism and the begging.  I feel I am constantly being overcharged and they are always trying to get money and rip you off.  When they look at you they see dollar signs, not people.

Siem Reap Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/SiemReap?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDrorXh3OSA6wE&feat=directlink

Ton Sai Climbing Heaven

With a 15 kilogram bag I left for the far side of the resort beach and found the connecting path to the alternate world of the backpackers and climbers.  It was a bit of a strenuous climb up and over to the other side but I needed the conditioning having not climbed in over a year.  As I entered the new world I spotted a dive instructor from the place I received my open water certification.  He immediately showed me where he was staying for super cheap.  I got my own bungalow with a double bed, so so sheets and a working toilet and shower, though, not what you would call luxury, actually boarding on very poor but it works.

Railay, Thailand

The first night we grabbed some food at a little hut which was delicious and decided to meet up in the morning to find some climbers with ropes to adopt us.  We met at the food hut in the early morning I ordered the best fruit yogurt and muesli and coffee and we waited, and waited, and slowly gave up on hope of finding climbers, after all it is the low season and not many people are floating around.  Just when almost all hope was lost our angel Martin from France appeared and invited us to climb with them.  I rented a harness and off we went to find a wall to climb.

After not climbing for nearly a year my start was slowing. not finishing the first route which was graded a French 6b+, so 5.10b/c for the Americans.  Low on confidence and feeling week I was not sure I would be able to climb anything here until things changed for the better....which only took another 20 minutes.  I made another go at a 6a route and not only completed it but felt confident, next step, leading, maybe not this time around. 

Climbing Ton Sai

I spent the next couple days either climbing or recovering from climbing.  I met loads of others who were also their for the amazing limestone walls and quickly made friends and climbing partners.  Ton Sai was so beautiful and laid back.  The low season also was refreshing as there were fewer people and places open so it made life simplistic and relaxing.  After 5 nights on Ton Sai I decided I was ready for a change of pace away from the sun and the sand and heading to something more cultural. 

My original plan was to head into Northern Thailand but after much debating and problems trying to figure out timing with Georges arrival and my visa expiring I decided it was best to waist some time in Cambodia.  I took a boat to Ao Nang, then a van to Surat Thani then an overnight bus back to Bangkok.  I arrived at 5:30 in the morning to Bangkok full of exhaustion and ready to collapse.  I was unable to process anything in my brain and decided it was best to get a room and stay another night in Bangkok until I could sort out my next move.....somewhere in Cambodia.  Today I have roved around Bangkok with a fellow backpacker from Colombia.  I have practiced my Spanish and am ready to head to the boarder at 7am on to Ankor Wat.

Railay pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/Railay?authkey=Gv1sRgCKj2uaSh_ajs2gE&feat=directlink

Ko Phangan...Ko Phanwrong...

Ok, so I made a hasty decision and arrived on Ko Phangan with zero idea of where to go, I know, my own fault.  I ended up following three Israeli guys to the area where the full moon parties are, second bad choice of the day.  Anyways, the place was kind of dead as it was not full moon time and it was covered with Germans and Israelis.  The beach was kind of dirty and overall it gave me a bad vibe.  I had some drinks and food with the three guys after I found a small room then hit the hay early.

Upon awakening I went and bought a ticket on the first boat and bus to Krabi town.  I left Ko Phangan and headed west.  It was a 3 hour boat ride and a 3 hour van ride.  Disembarking from the van I met a Scottish gay couple and attached myself to them.  We were headed for the same guest house so it was perfect.  We arrived showered and headed for some beers and some of the cheapest and best Thai food....street food!  We left for the night market which is all food and I order amazing noodle soup and they each ordered a curry dish and noodles.  All the dishes were amazing and cheap.  After we left for a bar where we chatted and drank cocktails for the rest of the night.  Good night.

Night Market, Krabi

Things began to look up for me and I started feeling more comfortable with my decision to move on.  I woke up in the morning and headed for the pier to catch a longtail boat to Railay beach, which is the only way it can be reached.  I was the only traveler about and was told we needed more people before we could leave so I ventured to grab some street food at a little local stall with locals eating.  I asked for a menu but was told the menu was the food, they brought me behind the counter and pointed to all the items trying to explain.  Eventually I was just given one noodle dish.  It was cheap and delicious and I enjoyed it with a couple locals.

After my delicious meal I met a vacationing older Malaysian couple.  Together we waited until we had enough people to leave for Railay beach and off we went to arrive at a small half resort half backpacker hangout.  They headed for the resort and I headed on a hike up and over a hill to the tiny village of Ton Sai, where all the rock climbers hangout.  Perfect start!

Krabi pictures!: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/Krabi?authkey=Gv1sRgCM29nsXw36_HJg&feat=directlink

Ko Tao Open Water Dive

Upon arrival this small island reminds me of the beaches in Mexico or Colombia.  All the long boats are anchored along the shore with palm trees everywhere and the small village atmosphere.  I already knew it was going to be a nice relaxing environment and the perfect place to get dive certified......

Sunset on Ko Tao

I am now a certified open water diver.  The course was three and a half days of movies, basic theory and practical diving.  The course was both fun and interesting.  I shacked up at the dive school Big Blue and was put in a class of four with an English guy, Ian (also my dive partner) and a couple living in Dublin from Poland and France.  Our instructor Nick was patient and friendly.  At the hostel they have an outdoor bar and restaurant right on the beach with a beautiful view. 

The first time in the water was good fun and we learned all of our skills on a sandy island beach off the coast.  Here we learned to empty our masks, what to do if you run out of air and how to control our buoyancy.  Most of this I found simple and basic and found myself growing impatient with the other partner group.  Things took a long time in the water and by the end I had blue lips and was freezing.  The cold made the end not enjoyable and all I could think about was getting out.

The next day we had basic theory in the morning and our first two proper dives.  Again I found that some of the other students struggled at times which could have been very funny if I was not freezing again.  As I complained to my boyfriend he quoted it perfectly, "idiots are annoying, but at least they remind you that life is tough, but it's a whole lot tougher if you're stupid."  Although I am sure they are not completely daft it took them a bit longer to catch on, and I am not sure they mastered any of it.  On this dive we swam in close to shore and did a gradual swim deeper and deeper.  I found it pretty basic and we didn't see a whole lot. 

By the second dive of the afternoon I was given two wetsuits and a pep talk to get me back in the water...I really was cold!  The two suits helped and the second dive was really enjoyable. We started at the surface and lowed ourselves along the anchor line.  This was a far more interesting decent and the overall dive went much smoother.  My partner and I were the first group (right behind the instructor) and the other two became the second group, behind us!  YES!  Following them was like following a 6 year old trying to drive a car, fast, stall, stop, go, up, down, stop, slow, foot in face, kick Sucks!!  Now we had a much smoother swim with a steady pace which allowed us to play with our buoyancy more.

Today was our final day and we had our final two dives.  We woke up and left before 7am and were the first boat on the water.  It was, by far, the best day diving as every ones skills slowly improved, though some faster than others.  For both dives I had on two wetsuits and we descended down the anchor line.  The first dive was at an underwater pinnacle and the second was on a coral reef.  Both were great fun and relaxing when I wasn't cold.  I found the buoyancy and breathing techniques fun to play with and relaxing.  Overall I am really excited to do some more diving and am ready to get my advance. 

With open water you can only dive down to 18 meters with the advanced course it allows you to go down to 30 meters.  Not this trip but next time I will move on to get my advanced certification.  What next????  We get to watch a film of our final dive day tonight, have some drinks to celebrate, a couple more days here then headed south.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/KoTao?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6Z_JSq-cnCgAE&feat=directlink

Moving On

My last day in Bangkok left me feeling confident in my decision to move on.  I went and saw China town and ran into a lovely Australian girl who I spent the day with, had a couple glasses of wine and some lunch with, she was headed to Chang Mai at 4 and I was headed to Ko Tao at 6.  Overall a great time in Bangkok which left me fulfilled. 

Next stop, Ko Tao....I waited for my guide at 6 and was picked up along with other travelers.  We went to the bus office and waited for an hour to depart.  I met a Northern Irish girl and English guy and we sat down and I had some wonderful glass noodles and vegetables from a lovely family restaurant.  At 7:30 we finally boarded the bus.  The bus was basic, but at least had a bathroom.  Our adventure began.  We drove until 3:30am where we were told it was our stop and to disembark.  We were left with a bunch of other travelers outside a closed shop in a random town.  We were told we needed to wait here until 6am when another van would pick us up to drive us to the boat. 

Everyone was exhausted, including a cranky 5 year-old German boy that continually threw tantrums, no fun.  I actually  got some sleep on a little bench under a covering despite the fact the air was damp, rainy and cold. Our van finally came and took us to a bus which took us to our boat.  We departed the pier at 7:30 and finally arrived in Ko Tao at 10am.  It has been a long exhausting night and it is starting to catch up with me.  I have hunkered down at a dive school and start my open water certification tomorrow.  I can't wait. 

Overall my first impressions of Thailand are all good.  The food is amazing and the people are nice but the traveler trail is a well beaten path.  There seems to be little room for adventure and or error because they make it very simple for the tourist.  Although this is nice because it is less stressful it is also slightly less exciting and I am looking forward to something a little more off the normal travel route. 

Ko Tao seems to be more low key and relaxing.  Today is a bit overcast but slowly the sun is emerging and the temperature is increasing, time to hit the beach. 

Bangkok

On first arrival in Bangkok I found it hot and humid and I was surprisingly relaxed and ready for the adventure to begin.  A quick bus to the backpacker area and a quick search for a hotel left me with nothing to be desired but a bite to eat.  I ordered spicy thai soup with vermicelli noodles and loads of vegetables which tasted amazing then hit the hay as I was exhausted.  

Grand Palace, Bangkok

I woke up early Friday got some amazing fruit, yogurt and museli on the street with a great coffee and left to see the Grand palace, some temples, the amulet market and the water taxis. The sites were really quite amazing, the palace was covered in gold and the largest laying down buddha in the world was here.  Although I enjoy the temples and the palace I am much more of a culture girl and my favorite part of the day was the amulet market where Thai people go to buy little trinkets and good luck charms.  I saw only one other westerner walking around which made me happy.

Throughout the day I used the Thai public transportation which included water taxi boats up and down the river.  It was refreshing and showed a great perspective of the city from the water.  It was on one of these trips I met Bernd a German guy.  We chatted and took the boat up and down the river and stopped at a little local side stall on one of the piers for spicy squid and grilled fish.  Overall a cheap delicious meal.

From here we went to the center of town.  We tested out the up ground skytrain and visited the giant mall.  With everything from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach and all the other expensive unaffordable designer brands people go gaga for being in a very high end classy mall.  As we walked around we realized that all the crowds in the mall were young and hip.  They must come from the upper upper middle class and be very good at spending their parents money.  Many were high school students in uniforms or what looked like university students, definitely not young people making their own money.

After a day of wondering I was very tired and we headed to the bus stop and met another traveler, Berg, from China.  The three of us headed to dinner at an amazing, slightly higher class Thai restaurant.  We had a nice bottle of wine and we had an amazing meal.  We ordered for different dishes and split them all including grilled fish, spicy mango salad, tom yum soup, and pad thai, all of which was mouth watering delicious.  After we headed to a Jazz club where local music students were performing and who were amazing.  After the actual band finished all the students in the club continued to play piano and sing passing around the microphone and and having an amazing live karaoke session.  What a night!

The next couple days I went to the weekend market and almost lost my mind.  More jewelery, household goods, and amazing clothes in a crowded market.  If I was rich I would have bought loads and sent it all home. As for today, I am checking out and moving on to greener pastures.  I am headed south to Ko Tao which is a small island where I will get dive certified.  I can't wait!

Bangkok Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/Bangkok?authkey=Gv1sRgCP__142JkcbOeQ&feat=directlink

Final Day Korea

So on my final day in Korea I finally was successful in seeing the DMZ, I got to North Korea for a quick pic with a guard and came back.  After I enjoyed Korea from a boat on the Han River.  Overall a great day with one of my favorite people Claire. 

With the threat of a typhoon hitting the next morning being at it's fullest at 9am, my flight being at 9:40 I was a bit nervous and tried to forget by heading out for my final farewell dinner with Tram, Rebekah and Claire  We had some Mexican, sangria and wine, what a night. I finally crawled into bed at 2am only to not sleep and listen to the pounding rain and howling wind, and then to wake up and head for the airport at 5am.  Surprisingly,  I got to the airport on time and my flight left without any issues....I finally arrived in Bangkok!

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/linseypaddock/DMZ02?authkey=Gv1sRgCP2v2umC2ODydA&feat=directlink