Monday, April 16, 2007
More Bali Pics
1) Bomb Memorial for the 2002 Bali bombing - Kuta, 2) Traditional Balinese House (Lora's), 3) See! HAHAHaha, 4) Benji, Farun, and Rizal - Balangan, 5) Balangan sunset, with golfcourse sillhouette
BALI's Back
I'm still here, healthy, except for peeling skin, and in good spirits, except for memories of a sweaty hostel sleep last time night that got me up various times during the night - nothing too out of the ordinary (I didn't have a single sleep in Bali where I didn't wake up at least once in the night). However, it's not about the sleeps! That's why I choose to save $1.5o with a fan.
I got into Bali on the 28th of March. Arrived at the airport to see billboards of surf advertisments, pamphlet racks filled by surf tourism, and hungry surf donkeys waiting for their decks to come out onto the conveyer belt. After getting begged for a tip by an airport customs imposter who carried my bag 5 steps to customs, I broke free, out of the swarms to meet Brett and Lora, who were waiting outside. Good times, reunited with some sunshine coast kids. I found a place in Kuta (the main surf junkie, business oriented, tourist trap of Bali) about a 1 minute walk from Kuta beach which has a nice beach break, and 30 seconds from Un's Hotel/The Balcony Restaurant, the hot spot that Lora's friend's family owns and where it all goes down. My place - $4/night including breakfast. I'm set.
The Balcony was my central scene. Some of you may know it as the place Brett performed at here in Bali - a sick show too apparently (Wilderness Crew is blowing up in Bali, requested constantly by pros and industry cats). Posted on the walls are photos of all the pro surfers that have eaten there (the wall is full), and boards that pros have donated - Taj, Parko, Andy, and a Slater board with a broken nose in the bathroom. I met a few surfers - Rob Machado, Benji Weatherly, Mikala Jones, and a lot of the Bali rippers. It's a humbling scene - these guys are celebrities to anyone that surfs, but it's not like the trainwreck scene that is Hollywood whatsoever. It's a crazy trip though, because you're chilling with a guy like Machado, and you look down into the street and there's a huge Hurley ad with him on it. It was def. a cool experience, and you feel like you're at the heart of surf culture for real.
A typical day was spent going up to the Balcony, ordering an avacado juice, using the phone to call Brett/Lora and then heading out to the beach, sitting in loungers, eating Tea Pat (tofu dish in peanut sauce) and surfing the beach/reef breaks (Bali's southern coast has 100s of breaks, some being right on the shore, others being a boatride away to outer reefs, and known as some of the best waves in the world, especially the cliffs that are home to Balangan, Dreamland, Padang Padang, Impossibles, and Uluwatu). There was a break in that routine when we went NW to Amed and did some snorkelling, and to Ubud, where we fed some monkeys at monkey forest. One of these little guys actually took my water bottle, twisted it open, and tilted the bottle up for a sip!! ehehMonkeys these days....
Besides the surf, what sets Bali apart from most other spots in Indo, is the culture and religion though. Three times a day everyone sets out Hindu offerings, which are handmade small coconut leaf baskets with flowers, inscence and food in them, and are placed outside shops, or on roads. The offerings are for the gods and spirits and are supposed to bring prosperity and good health to families. Also, temples, and statues are seen everywhere, even in the heart of shoptillyoudrop Kuta. Traditional Balinese houses look like temples as well. There's a huge gateway entrance with a stone carved backing right behind it to keep away evil spirits, and individual stone huts for every part of the house, with stone paths cutting through the lawn, going from hut to hut. There's a lot of tradition, and a lot of family love. Ceremonies for deaths and births can be held by whole communities of people wearing traditional balinese clothing for days. It's a good vibe, and a nice atmosphere.
Pictures: 1) Kuta Square, 2) Dreamland, looking towards Padang Padang, Impossibles, and Uluwatu, 3) Nusa Dua, lounger and tea pat anyone? 4) From Rizal's house on the Bookit (the "toe" or the "nipple" - the south tip) looking down on the airport (the middle stretch of land) and Kuta and Kuta beach 5) Hmm.. this Balangan wave looks rippable.
I got into Bali on the 28th of March. Arrived at the airport to see billboards of surf advertisments, pamphlet racks filled by surf tourism, and hungry surf donkeys waiting for their decks to come out onto the conveyer belt. After getting begged for a tip by an airport customs imposter who carried my bag 5 steps to customs, I broke free, out of the swarms to meet Brett and Lora, who were waiting outside. Good times, reunited with some sunshine coast kids. I found a place in Kuta (the main surf junkie, business oriented, tourist trap of Bali) about a 1 minute walk from Kuta beach which has a nice beach break, and 30 seconds from Un's Hotel/The Balcony Restaurant, the hot spot that Lora's friend's family owns and where it all goes down. My place - $4/night including breakfast. I'm set.
The Balcony was my central scene. Some of you may know it as the place Brett performed at here in Bali - a sick show too apparently (Wilderness Crew is blowing up in Bali, requested constantly by pros and industry cats). Posted on the walls are photos of all the pro surfers that have eaten there (the wall is full), and boards that pros have donated - Taj, Parko, Andy, and a Slater board with a broken nose in the bathroom. I met a few surfers - Rob Machado, Benji Weatherly, Mikala Jones, and a lot of the Bali rippers. It's a humbling scene - these guys are celebrities to anyone that surfs, but it's not like the trainwreck scene that is Hollywood whatsoever. It's a crazy trip though, because you're chilling with a guy like Machado, and you look down into the street and there's a huge Hurley ad with him on it. It was def. a cool experience, and you feel like you're at the heart of surf culture for real.
A typical day was spent going up to the Balcony, ordering an avacado juice, using the phone to call Brett/Lora and then heading out to the beach, sitting in loungers, eating Tea Pat (tofu dish in peanut sauce) and surfing the beach/reef breaks (Bali's southern coast has 100s of breaks, some being right on the shore, others being a boatride away to outer reefs, and known as some of the best waves in the world, especially the cliffs that are home to Balangan, Dreamland, Padang Padang, Impossibles, and Uluwatu). There was a break in that routine when we went NW to Amed and did some snorkelling, and to Ubud, where we fed some monkeys at monkey forest. One of these little guys actually took my water bottle, twisted it open, and tilted the bottle up for a sip!! ehehMonkeys these days....
Besides the surf, what sets Bali apart from most other spots in Indo, is the culture and religion though. Three times a day everyone sets out Hindu offerings, which are handmade small coconut leaf baskets with flowers, inscence and food in them, and are placed outside shops, or on roads. The offerings are for the gods and spirits and are supposed to bring prosperity and good health to families. Also, temples, and statues are seen everywhere, even in the heart of shoptillyoudrop Kuta. Traditional Balinese houses look like temples as well. There's a huge gateway entrance with a stone carved backing right behind it to keep away evil spirits, and individual stone huts for every part of the house, with stone paths cutting through the lawn, going from hut to hut. There's a lot of tradition, and a lot of family love. Ceremonies for deaths and births can be held by whole communities of people wearing traditional balinese clothing for days. It's a good vibe, and a nice atmosphere.
Pictures: 1) Kuta Square, 2) Dreamland, looking towards Padang Padang, Impossibles, and Uluwatu, 3) Nusa Dua, lounger and tea pat anyone? 4) From Rizal's house on the Bookit (the "toe" or the "nipple" - the south tip) looking down on the airport (the middle stretch of land) and Kuta and Kuta beach 5) Hmm.. this Balangan wave looks rippable.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
From the Jungle to the Pavement
Kuala Lampur - land of buildings
KL clubbing -- Jesse, Julia, and Carly
2nd best - Petronas Towers
Besides being extremely stylish, those glasses also work for 3D moviesPicking up where I left off, we finished our second hike and decided right then and there that we could probably catch a bus out of the park that night. We had already paid for the night at our bungalow but they were cool with it if we just paid half. So we did. Showered, packed, and walked out to the road to wave down the city bus going back to the east coast with our mind on Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. We waited for an hour and a half with me trying to tell Jesse it was all his fault the bus would never show up. While we sat there listlessly, I watched the second monkey we've seen all trip (neither in the wild) play about with its chain and get all the fun you could imagine out of a broken, dirty plastic chair. Just as a torrential downpour met us the bus decided to show up.
2 hours later at 8:00pm, we arrived at the train station in town. Our train wasn't to leave until midnight. 5 hours and then we would catch a 9 hour bus across the border and into the Kuala Lampur city centre. We got a bite to eat and Jesse got sick from that bite. Quite possibly the worst time--about to board a rickety old train with forsaken bathrooms and no leg room. So the trip was a lot worse for him. He made it, but bitterly and in a daze.
The train actually didn't pick us up until 2am, which means we were waiting for a good 6 hours. We were dead tired from the hike earlier that day but I didn't want to sleep, so Jesse obliged spreading out a newspaper to lay on. There he was, tired, sick and dirty with duct tape on his toes and his body sprawled out on newspaper....even the train station beggars wanted to give him some money.
We got into Kuala Lampur at 7:00pm the next day. We wandered around looking for rooms only to discover that the Formula 1 Grand Prix was in town and that all of the hotels were booked out to the burbs. We were in a bind. I suggested we just hop on another overnight bus to anywhere but Jesse was too sick. Following a rumor, we found a guesthouse that would let us sleep on their roof. So we did. Oh man, was it ghetto but at least they set us up with a mattress and sheets. I had a mosquito net but Jesse didn't--after that glorious sleep he awoke with hundreds of bites, and they only got to his arms and chest. God knows what else was up there, rats, cockroaches, and bed bugs I'm guessing.
We have a room now at the same place, so no worries. The rest of our time in KL has been spent visiting all the sights that one is supposed to see--the parks, Chinatown, Little India, and the Petronas Twin Towers (the second tallest buildings in the world). We also met up with my friends Julia and Carly who I knew from Junior High and High School back in Moraga. We literally ran into them in Vientiane (Laos) and met up again in Hanoi (Vietnam) and Koh Tao (Thailand). We had some good silly times here in KL together --eating Durian (a famous fruit that tastes like egg and onion, that is to say disgusting), getting lost, drinking, and dancing.
Next up: Malaysia's east coast. Until then.....
2 hours later at 8:00pm, we arrived at the train station in town. Our train wasn't to leave until midnight. 5 hours and then we would catch a 9 hour bus across the border and into the Kuala Lampur city centre. We got a bite to eat and Jesse got sick from that bite. Quite possibly the worst time--about to board a rickety old train with forsaken bathrooms and no leg room. So the trip was a lot worse for him. He made it, but bitterly and in a daze.
The train actually didn't pick us up until 2am, which means we were waiting for a good 6 hours. We were dead tired from the hike earlier that day but I didn't want to sleep, so Jesse obliged spreading out a newspaper to lay on. There he was, tired, sick and dirty with duct tape on his toes and his body sprawled out on newspaper....even the train station beggars wanted to give him some money.
We got into Kuala Lampur at 7:00pm the next day. We wandered around looking for rooms only to discover that the Formula 1 Grand Prix was in town and that all of the hotels were booked out to the burbs. We were in a bind. I suggested we just hop on another overnight bus to anywhere but Jesse was too sick. Following a rumor, we found a guesthouse that would let us sleep on their roof. So we did. Oh man, was it ghetto but at least they set us up with a mattress and sheets. I had a mosquito net but Jesse didn't--after that glorious sleep he awoke with hundreds of bites, and they only got to his arms and chest. God knows what else was up there, rats, cockroaches, and bed bugs I'm guessing.
We have a room now at the same place, so no worries. The rest of our time in KL has been spent visiting all the sights that one is supposed to see--the parks, Chinatown, Little India, and the Petronas Twin Towers (the second tallest buildings in the world). We also met up with my friends Julia and Carly who I knew from Junior High and High School back in Moraga. We literally ran into them in Vientiane (Laos) and met up again in Hanoi (Vietnam) and Koh Tao (Thailand). We had some good silly times here in KL together --eating Durian (a famous fruit that tastes like egg and onion, that is to say disgusting), getting lost, drinking, and dancing.
Next up: Malaysia's east coast. Until then.....
Monday, April 9, 2007
Khaosok and Koh Tao
Khaosok National Forest -- Jesse in his bamboo world
Khaosok National Park--Dinosaur roots
Khaosok National Forest- thick bamboo
Koh Tao- Jesse's self-portrait with my silhouette in the background
Koh Tao sunset....we drank beers in the warm ocean every night to this scene
The Jungle
We left the islands. It had to happen at some point, I guess. After all the drinking and doing nothing, Jesse and I decided to head straight into the jungle and sweat out the last week. We went to Khaosok National Park in Thailand, halfway between the east and west coasts. It's one of the oldest rainforests in the world (160 million years old), one of the biggest, and one of the last remaining homes to wild elephants, tigers, leopards, and bears. Also, the world's largest flower is found here, the only place it can be found actually. We came too late to see it bloom, but when it does it has been described as smelling like a rotting corpse.
Well, we didn't see any of it, the flowers or the animals. That was somewhat disappointing to us until we realized that it probably wouldn't be a good thing had we encountered any large mammals anyways. But we did see a lot, heard a lot, and smelled a lot.
The first night there, we found this exotic looking tree frog just hanging out on the curtains of our room--it was lime green with long legs and orange, suction-cup toes. Jesse and I were little girls about it, arguing over who should do what about getting it out of the room. We ended up using a plastic bag to shimmy it out, then slamming the door and sighing with relief.
We went on two hikes, the first one along a river--grueling and long without enough water--the second serene and eery through the densest bamboo jungle, so wet it felt like your soul was sweating. We didn't see many animals, like I said, but you could feel them out there. Bird cries serenaded us the whole time, some sounding like yelps, others like flutes, and then some that sounded like wind-up toys--and this all probably came from the same bird. We even heard some velociraptor rumblings. Also, the trees sounded like they were seething or quietly screaming. I'm not sure what it was, but maybe or probably insects of some wild kind.
The only animals we saw were lizards, and we encountered a lot of them. Mostly small but all exotic to our eyes. Some were green, others grey--all had extremely long tails. Miniature dinosaurs. And at the end of our second hike, I heard a yelp from Jesse ahead of me--he had just witnessed a long snake (maybe 2.5 meters) too thick to get one hand around....we walked hurriedly after that.
Both hikes ended at waterfalls with swimming holes. We spent awhile at both swimming and eating our lunch of raisins and peanuts. Each time swimming I emerged with a leech on my leg, and both times it led to Jesse and I frantically searching in our shorts for a colony of them. It was the first time I've ever had a leech on me, so that was exciting.
The smells, too. At times it was sweet like candy, other times it smelled like you would imagine earth to smell like--green, brown, and heavy. Sometimes like almonds, others like jasmine, and still others like Jesse. I said it felt like your soul was sweating, well it also smelled like the ground was sweating.
Jesse lost about 3 pairs of sandals during our time on the islands and he had discarded his shoes somewhere in Vietnam, I think. It had been a week since he had any footwear and the duct tape covering his toes are evidence of that. Just before we got on a bus out to the forest, he rushed out to buy shoes and the biggest he could find were a US size 9 1/2 which won't even fit me comfortably. And you could probably guess they weren't of the best quality either. These were what he hiked in. The first day 18 km and the second 10km. He was spending a good hour and a half each day just tending to his feet--neosporin, bandaids, ducttape, rubbing and crying. He made it though and I'm proud of him (he finally found some sandals that fit him here in Kuala Lampur (Malaysia)).
I didn't take many pictures, and the ones I did just don't do the place justice. The scenery was too full, too complex, too wild to capture within a box frame. It might be saying something about my photography, but I think it says more about the place (with emphasis on "think"; see also: "hope"). It was beautiul and we only brushed the surface.
Right now, we're back on pavement in the capitol of Malaysia, the site of our next story.
P.S. Even though the pictures might not be the greatest, I'll post some of them....but the internet cafe I'm at has their CD drive bolted shut....next time....I promise.
Well, we didn't see any of it, the flowers or the animals. That was somewhat disappointing to us until we realized that it probably wouldn't be a good thing had we encountered any large mammals anyways. But we did see a lot, heard a lot, and smelled a lot.
The first night there, we found this exotic looking tree frog just hanging out on the curtains of our room--it was lime green with long legs and orange, suction-cup toes. Jesse and I were little girls about it, arguing over who should do what about getting it out of the room. We ended up using a plastic bag to shimmy it out, then slamming the door and sighing with relief.
We went on two hikes, the first one along a river--grueling and long without enough water--the second serene and eery through the densest bamboo jungle, so wet it felt like your soul was sweating. We didn't see many animals, like I said, but you could feel them out there. Bird cries serenaded us the whole time, some sounding like yelps, others like flutes, and then some that sounded like wind-up toys--and this all probably came from the same bird. We even heard some velociraptor rumblings. Also, the trees sounded like they were seething or quietly screaming. I'm not sure what it was, but maybe or probably insects of some wild kind.
The only animals we saw were lizards, and we encountered a lot of them. Mostly small but all exotic to our eyes. Some were green, others grey--all had extremely long tails. Miniature dinosaurs. And at the end of our second hike, I heard a yelp from Jesse ahead of me--he had just witnessed a long snake (maybe 2.5 meters) too thick to get one hand around....we walked hurriedly after that.
Both hikes ended at waterfalls with swimming holes. We spent awhile at both swimming and eating our lunch of raisins and peanuts. Each time swimming I emerged with a leech on my leg, and both times it led to Jesse and I frantically searching in our shorts for a colony of them. It was the first time I've ever had a leech on me, so that was exciting.
The smells, too. At times it was sweet like candy, other times it smelled like you would imagine earth to smell like--green, brown, and heavy. Sometimes like almonds, others like jasmine, and still others like Jesse. I said it felt like your soul was sweating, well it also smelled like the ground was sweating.
Jesse lost about 3 pairs of sandals during our time on the islands and he had discarded his shoes somewhere in Vietnam, I think. It had been a week since he had any footwear and the duct tape covering his toes are evidence of that. Just before we got on a bus out to the forest, he rushed out to buy shoes and the biggest he could find were a US size 9 1/2 which won't even fit me comfortably. And you could probably guess they weren't of the best quality either. These were what he hiked in. The first day 18 km and the second 10km. He was spending a good hour and a half each day just tending to his feet--neosporin, bandaids, ducttape, rubbing and crying. He made it though and I'm proud of him (he finally found some sandals that fit him here in Kuala Lampur (Malaysia)).
I didn't take many pictures, and the ones I did just don't do the place justice. The scenery was too full, too complex, too wild to capture within a box frame. It might be saying something about my photography, but I think it says more about the place (with emphasis on "think"; see also: "hope"). It was beautiul and we only brushed the surface.
Right now, we're back on pavement in the capitol of Malaysia, the site of our next story.
P.S. Even though the pictures might not be the greatest, I'll post some of them....but the internet cafe I'm at has their CD drive bolted shut....next time....I promise.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Island Living
As ryan explained in the last post, the circle around SE Asia and back to Bangkok has been completed and as we arrived in Bangkok we had this weird feeling like we were done.. ready to board the return plane and share our stories, but of course, our leg south remained and with that we tried to rest up........ until..... we found out we could connect with our high school boys robbie and franz! ok, early night out the window, lets do this up right.
We like to think were vets at this point and we can walk in stride and relaxed along kho san road, but its still intimidating and choatic. We let franz and rob pick the meeting spot, and where else, but the kho san mcdonalds to share some hugs, just like Sechelt without the borrowed cars and drive throughs..
There is something special about meeting up with good friends in ridiculous places, so the energy is high, turning heads on this busy street with stories, laughter, and yelling isn't easy but we managed to do so. We choose an Irish pub to do the damage because we had a few irish blokes with us who craved some Guinness... and you don't need to convince ryan for a tall Guinness pint..
conversation buckets and beers, once the night was going we brought back the competitive spirit from high school basketball with some doubles pool... i have a vague memory of franz yelling in my ear as i leaned over the white ball with the eight ball in the distance , "are you a money player or what!?!" .. scratch, other team wins.... we were a better duo with him driving to the basket and me waiting for the baseline jumper.. oh well .. it is also funny how informal we are.. when i asked where robbie went, franz let me know he puked in the washroom and left, thanks for the goodbye robskie! see you boys back on the coast
We felt like we had tackled Bangkok pretty well (sky train, shopping district, football field sized market, river taxi's, grand palace and pad thai) ok ready for Koh Tao, a southern island just north of Koh Phanang.. the island is owned by the King so there is no messing around, not with the environment and not with the communal feel.. watch out if you challenge it, four years ago, a fellow moved in and tried to create a monopoly with a huge diving resort, and when he got too cocky he was shot outside the 7/11... not sponsored by the king but yeah, don't mess.... because of the diving it is not overwhelmed with the party feel and the beach and coral reefs are well protected.. the beach is not on much of a slope so it allows for wading in the water with the sunset in the distance ahhhhh , so what if it was just ryan and I?
We have to throw a shout out to our Moraga California friends Carly and Julia (Ry's childhood schoolmates) for showing us the ropes and encouraging me to try my first thai salad, mm!
with such beauty at hand we felt it was time for some snorkeling. We were promised some shark viewing along the south coast but the visibility was a bit rough with all the sand, I was craving an adventure so i decided instead of taxing to the next dive spot, i would travel and snorkel along the rocky coast to the next beach, a decision helped by the theft of my lovely sandals the night before.. Ryan, being sensible, and having a bag to tend to, laughed at me but also offered support, you know, like the i don't want to have to deal with the paperwork if you die out there kinda support
so I'm off, a journey that lasted 2 beaches, three point breaks and a lot of climbing.. the snorkeling was amazing, huge reefs, flounders the size of my torso, pointy nosed fish that swim a little to shallow for my liking.. i never felt in danger, but i also never let my guard down.. the feeling you have when your climbing a tree as a kid... the tides you have to respect, i tried to go back on the rocks at one point and started to get tossed, after that i promised my self i would swim the rest of the way, 2km or so and i met ryan, who let out a laugh and a sigh of relief! it was a blast, in such developed islands, its rewarding trying to find peace or solidarity alongside the landscapes, besides running into the odd plastic bag which i mistook for a jelly fish, or avoiding a broken bottle amongst the rocks, it was my untouched paradise.
Little did we know that the beach we choose to go to was private with no foreign snorkels, and permission needed... as they saw me struggling up to the shore i think they were flexible with their rules... the interesting thing about private beaches that we found out was women are much more inclined to bath topless = 0 .. Ryan and I took it in stride and there were no looks.... 1.) we didn't have sunglasses to hide behind 2.) peripheral vision is hindered when the sun is bright and low and, 3.) we''re proper gentlemen as you all know!
We plan to take adam here when he returns and we'll see if we might do a scuba diving course.. As of now were preparing for a beach that claims to hold between 10-30,ooo partyers, the full moon in Kho Phanang... aaawow! we'll be safe Mrs. Farrell and mom...
To come, Ryan and I want to get away from the beach and spend a week or so inland in one of the oldest rainforests in the world, to give an example of the biodiversity it has over 30 species of bats! I'll take plenty of photo's.. suz I'll try to learn some bio lingo so i can really get into what we see... love the treks so it could take up some time.. were skipping Samui, Phuket and Krabi to do so.. people turned us off on them for their number of '"girly bars"and the concrete jungle that has recently emerged.. Chillytown, you been barrelled yet?
We like to think were vets at this point and we can walk in stride and relaxed along kho san road, but its still intimidating and choatic. We let franz and rob pick the meeting spot, and where else, but the kho san mcdonalds to share some hugs, just like Sechelt without the borrowed cars and drive throughs..
There is something special about meeting up with good friends in ridiculous places, so the energy is high, turning heads on this busy street with stories, laughter, and yelling isn't easy but we managed to do so. We choose an Irish pub to do the damage because we had a few irish blokes with us who craved some Guinness... and you don't need to convince ryan for a tall Guinness pint..
conversation buckets and beers, once the night was going we brought back the competitive spirit from high school basketball with some doubles pool... i have a vague memory of franz yelling in my ear as i leaned over the white ball with the eight ball in the distance , "are you a money player or what!?!" .. scratch, other team wins.... we were a better duo with him driving to the basket and me waiting for the baseline jumper.. oh well .. it is also funny how informal we are.. when i asked where robbie went, franz let me know he puked in the washroom and left, thanks for the goodbye robskie! see you boys back on the coast
We felt like we had tackled Bangkok pretty well (sky train, shopping district, football field sized market, river taxi's, grand palace and pad thai) ok ready for Koh Tao, a southern island just north of Koh Phanang.. the island is owned by the King so there is no messing around, not with the environment and not with the communal feel.. watch out if you challenge it, four years ago, a fellow moved in and tried to create a monopoly with a huge diving resort, and when he got too cocky he was shot outside the 7/11... not sponsored by the king but yeah, don't mess.... because of the diving it is not overwhelmed with the party feel and the beach and coral reefs are well protected.. the beach is not on much of a slope so it allows for wading in the water with the sunset in the distance ahhhhh , so what if it was just ryan and I?
We have to throw a shout out to our Moraga California friends Carly and Julia (Ry's childhood schoolmates) for showing us the ropes and encouraging me to try my first thai salad, mm!
with such beauty at hand we felt it was time for some snorkeling. We were promised some shark viewing along the south coast but the visibility was a bit rough with all the sand, I was craving an adventure so i decided instead of taxing to the next dive spot, i would travel and snorkel along the rocky coast to the next beach, a decision helped by the theft of my lovely sandals the night before.. Ryan, being sensible, and having a bag to tend to, laughed at me but also offered support, you know, like the i don't want to have to deal with the paperwork if you die out there kinda support
so I'm off, a journey that lasted 2 beaches, three point breaks and a lot of climbing.. the snorkeling was amazing, huge reefs, flounders the size of my torso, pointy nosed fish that swim a little to shallow for my liking.. i never felt in danger, but i also never let my guard down.. the feeling you have when your climbing a tree as a kid... the tides you have to respect, i tried to go back on the rocks at one point and started to get tossed, after that i promised my self i would swim the rest of the way, 2km or so and i met ryan, who let out a laugh and a sigh of relief! it was a blast, in such developed islands, its rewarding trying to find peace or solidarity alongside the landscapes, besides running into the odd plastic bag which i mistook for a jelly fish, or avoiding a broken bottle amongst the rocks, it was my untouched paradise.
Little did we know that the beach we choose to go to was private with no foreign snorkels, and permission needed... as they saw me struggling up to the shore i think they were flexible with their rules... the interesting thing about private beaches that we found out was women are much more inclined to bath topless = 0 .. Ryan and I took it in stride and there were no looks.... 1.) we didn't have sunglasses to hide behind 2.) peripheral vision is hindered when the sun is bright and low and, 3.) we''re proper gentlemen as you all know!
We plan to take adam here when he returns and we'll see if we might do a scuba diving course.. As of now were preparing for a beach that claims to hold between 10-30,ooo partyers, the full moon in Kho Phanang... aaawow! we'll be safe Mrs. Farrell and mom...
To come, Ryan and I want to get away from the beach and spend a week or so inland in one of the oldest rainforests in the world, to give an example of the biodiversity it has over 30 species of bats! I'll take plenty of photo's.. suz I'll try to learn some bio lingo so i can really get into what we see... love the treks so it could take up some time.. were skipping Samui, Phuket and Krabi to do so.. people turned us off on them for their number of '"girly bars"and the concrete jungle that has recently emerged.. Chillytown, you been barrelled yet?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
words
We haven't said much about what we've been doing over the last couple of weeks, but Adam's been good about giving you an idea through the pictures....his patience deserves credit considering it takes 5 minutes to download just one onto the blog. I figured I could offer some words to go along with the pictures.
So, there was Cambodia, about 2 weeks, 3 cities, and filled to the brim. I told you a little about Sihanoukville on the coast....beach beach beach. Then Phnom Penh, the dirty crazy capitol. I guess what stands out to us, and what may be of interest to you, was seeing the Killing Fields and the S-21 prison. I don't really want to go into the history of it all, mostly because I don't have the energy to take out the Lonely Planet Guide and copy it word for word, but maybe all you need to know is this: from 1975-79, Pol Pot's regime managed to kill a lot of people indiscriminately and gruesomely. He wanted a classless society, so he tried to eradicate the classes....if you were educated, you were in trouble, so doctors, lawyers, anyone that could speak a foreign language, were rounded up, imprisoned, tortured, and killed. And it goes without saying that any political opposition was met with a heavy hand. If a person was guilty, his/her entire family would be considered so, and not just one's immediate family but cousins, uncles, aunts, and perhaps even more distant relatives were at risk. In effect, the regime took pity on no one. In fact, at the S-21 prison the entire first floor is full of the pictures of prisoners (the mug shots that the regime took for their records), and in whole sections of the walls you find only young faces with scared and confused eyes. We saw children as young as 6 or 7. It was crazy, room after room was full of these mug shots, and it was....I don't know....interesting..... to just run your eyes across them seeing eyes, noses, and ears that you might find on anyone out in the street. People that looked like people we've met. That might seem obvious, but that was the most chilling part of it all.....not the pictures of mangled bodies (which were on display as well), but of normal healthy faces perhaps awaiting their fate.
Before visiting the S-21 Prison, we went to the Killing Fields where thousands were executed and buried in mass graves (I think there were around 120 graves). Just a field that one might mistake for a park, except for the giant stupa in the middle filled with level after level of human skulls, to the point where you have to strain your eyes and neck just to see to the top. It was the first time I've ever seen a human skull and I thinkI got my fill. I wasn't sure really what one does in a situation like this......... I took pictures........ but that seemed inappropriate somehow. They separated the skulls into categories like "juvenile women aged 18-25" or "adult men aged 25-40" ....that seemed strange for some reason.
It was hard to connect all this. Like if there was just one picture of one of my family members at the prison, I would be inconsolable, but somehow we're able to walk through room after room of pictures and stare at hundreds of skulls, and afterwards we can still laugh and eat. Almost every Cambodian had at least one family member--and in many instances 3 or 4--fall victim and I can't imagine what it would be like for them to do the same tour we did....... we saw both in one day.
Ok then, so next was Siam Reap in the north where the famous Angkor Wat ruins are. It was the center of Southeast Asia from the 8th c. to the 14th c. .....I can't tell you much more than that. The ruins are all stone temples. For me, it felt like a playground for big kids.
The place is absolutely enormous. You can buy a 3 day pass, which many people do, because it's impossible to see all in one day. We went for the sunset one night, which is free if you buy a pass for the next day, and then the next morning for the sunrise (I know......). Pretty funny though because there was neither, we'll just call it a set and a rise. In the morning it was storming with thunder, lightning, and heavy rains.....I don't know what compelled us to stick with our plans, but we did. The place to see the sunrise is at the main temple, Angkor Wat (the biggest religious building in the world) and most people stay at the entrance to watch the sun rise over the towers, but I figured there would be nothing to see from there and decided to venture into the temple by myself. You have no idea how busy this place gets during the day, but when I went I was the only person in there, and I emphasize only. It was scary climbing the steep steps to get in and then wandering through the gray vacant stone rooms all around the temple. It was one of the more amazing moments of my trip even though I was pissing my pants the whole time. I was sure I would run into the lost soul of some improperly buried monk who would threaten me with an eternal curse if I didn't help him.....but it didn't happen, at least I don't remember it happening.
I don't want to talk to much more about all the temples and our long day wandering around because I've already written a novel (which I'm sorry about....maybe split the reading up into two or something) and because you just need to see it anyways. One final word about it though: Jesse almost got kicked by a horse.....there's a couple just grazing, he decides to feed one at my encouragement he do so, he makes too quick a move, the horse wheels around and throws the back legs at him, but Jesse swiftly maneuvers out of the way with the funniest look on his face.... if those legs had landed, he would not be providing little Jesse Dills to this world....... the moment is forever with me.
So, that was Cambodia. We got into Bangkok a couple days ago after the longest bus trip of our lives. There's no pavement from Siam Reap 6 hours to the border of Thailand. If there had been an earthquake, it would've felt normal. We almost drove into a muddy lake, and we saw an enormous fire burning through a few Cambodian stores in Poi Pet..... that's the story. More to come. Farewell, Adam.
So, there was Cambodia, about 2 weeks, 3 cities, and filled to the brim. I told you a little about Sihanoukville on the coast....beach beach beach. Then Phnom Penh, the dirty crazy capitol. I guess what stands out to us, and what may be of interest to you, was seeing the Killing Fields and the S-21 prison. I don't really want to go into the history of it all, mostly because I don't have the energy to take out the Lonely Planet Guide and copy it word for word, but maybe all you need to know is this: from 1975-79, Pol Pot's regime managed to kill a lot of people indiscriminately and gruesomely. He wanted a classless society, so he tried to eradicate the classes....if you were educated, you were in trouble, so doctors, lawyers, anyone that could speak a foreign language, were rounded up, imprisoned, tortured, and killed. And it goes without saying that any political opposition was met with a heavy hand. If a person was guilty, his/her entire family would be considered so, and not just one's immediate family but cousins, uncles, aunts, and perhaps even more distant relatives were at risk. In effect, the regime took pity on no one. In fact, at the S-21 prison the entire first floor is full of the pictures of prisoners (the mug shots that the regime took for their records), and in whole sections of the walls you find only young faces with scared and confused eyes. We saw children as young as 6 or 7. It was crazy, room after room was full of these mug shots, and it was....I don't know....interesting..... to just run your eyes across them seeing eyes, noses, and ears that you might find on anyone out in the street. People that looked like people we've met. That might seem obvious, but that was the most chilling part of it all.....not the pictures of mangled bodies (which were on display as well), but of normal healthy faces perhaps awaiting their fate.
Before visiting the S-21 Prison, we went to the Killing Fields where thousands were executed and buried in mass graves (I think there were around 120 graves). Just a field that one might mistake for a park, except for the giant stupa in the middle filled with level after level of human skulls, to the point where you have to strain your eyes and neck just to see to the top. It was the first time I've ever seen a human skull and I thinkI got my fill. I wasn't sure really what one does in a situation like this......... I took pictures........ but that seemed inappropriate somehow. They separated the skulls into categories like "juvenile women aged 18-25" or "adult men aged 25-40" ....that seemed strange for some reason.
It was hard to connect all this. Like if there was just one picture of one of my family members at the prison, I would be inconsolable, but somehow we're able to walk through room after room of pictures and stare at hundreds of skulls, and afterwards we can still laugh and eat. Almost every Cambodian had at least one family member--and in many instances 3 or 4--fall victim and I can't imagine what it would be like for them to do the same tour we did....... we saw both in one day.
Ok then, so next was Siam Reap in the north where the famous Angkor Wat ruins are. It was the center of Southeast Asia from the 8th c. to the 14th c. .....I can't tell you much more than that. The ruins are all stone temples. For me, it felt like a playground for big kids.
The place is absolutely enormous. You can buy a 3 day pass, which many people do, because it's impossible to see all in one day. We went for the sunset one night, which is free if you buy a pass for the next day, and then the next morning for the sunrise (I know......). Pretty funny though because there was neither, we'll just call it a set and a rise. In the morning it was storming with thunder, lightning, and heavy rains.....I don't know what compelled us to stick with our plans, but we did. The place to see the sunrise is at the main temple, Angkor Wat (the biggest religious building in the world) and most people stay at the entrance to watch the sun rise over the towers, but I figured there would be nothing to see from there and decided to venture into the temple by myself. You have no idea how busy this place gets during the day, but when I went I was the only person in there, and I emphasize only. It was scary climbing the steep steps to get in and then wandering through the gray vacant stone rooms all around the temple. It was one of the more amazing moments of my trip even though I was pissing my pants the whole time. I was sure I would run into the lost soul of some improperly buried monk who would threaten me with an eternal curse if I didn't help him.....but it didn't happen, at least I don't remember it happening.
I don't want to talk to much more about all the temples and our long day wandering around because I've already written a novel (which I'm sorry about....maybe split the reading up into two or something) and because you just need to see it anyways. One final word about it though: Jesse almost got kicked by a horse.....there's a couple just grazing, he decides to feed one at my encouragement he do so, he makes too quick a move, the horse wheels around and throws the back legs at him, but Jesse swiftly maneuvers out of the way with the funniest look on his face.... if those legs had landed, he would not be providing little Jesse Dills to this world....... the moment is forever with me.
So, that was Cambodia. We got into Bangkok a couple days ago after the longest bus trip of our lives. There's no pavement from Siam Reap 6 hours to the border of Thailand. If there had been an earthquake, it would've felt normal. We almost drove into a muddy lake, and we saw an enormous fire burning through a few Cambodian stores in Poi Pet..... that's the story. More to come. Farewell, Adam.
Heading South
Well, we have just about a month left in our trip. We've done the circle, now it's time we spend some time on the south beaches, and in the sun. This is where the crew splits into two. Me going to Bali for 2 and a half weeks, Jesse and Ryan in southern Thailand and maybe meeting me in Malaysia when I come back. Keep commenting, we enjoy everyone we get. We'll try to keep the photos and the posts coming. I hope this 22 hour train ride to Malaysia doesn't get the best of me.
Angkor Photos
1) Angkor Wat at sunset. 2) Angkor Wat. 3) Bayon. 4) It's the crew! Bayon faces. 5) Somewhere in the Angkor Empire
Cambodia Photos
1) The ghettos of Pnomh aka our guesthouse neighbourhood 2) Sihanoukville. Morning swims, not showers. 3) Skulls from the Killing Fields of Choung Ek. Victims burried in mass graves, and murdered usually with blunt objects to save ammunition. Skulls used in a comemorative stupa. 4) Khmer Rouge Prison S-21 at Tuol Sleng - "Hill of the Poison Tree." Was know as "the place where people go in but never come out," and used for interrogation, torture, and execution (aprox. 17,000 murdered). 5) Ryan sharking at Phnom Penh guesthouse. Way to go Ry, what good form! D=\
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