Thursday 26th October

Another taxi ride... another flight, this time to Chiang Mai our base for 4 days of the World Interhash. Bankok Airways certainly try to please and they were very good with Tracy whisking her and us around quickly. Tim even managed to find time to buy a camera in the airport.

Our time was short when we arrived so we checked into our (highly recommended!) guest house (the Minicost), changed into red dresses and headed out to the center of old town for that hash ritual, the charity "Red Dress Run".



This consisted of somewhat more than 2000 people running around the city in Red Dresses, winding through the streets of the narrow old city for several miles and ending at a big park for a party. Tracy did a pretty good job keeping up with the crowd (there may have been running at the front but there was only walking (or jumping on the local transportation for those tired of walking!) where we were. Judging by the amusement the spectacle provided for the staff of our guest house as the "run" passed their door the whole city must think the foreigners are nuts.

The party in the park was fun with plenty of beer and lots of good local snack food if you could put up with the queue (at least until supply caught up with demand right before things began to run out). As with our entire stay the evenings proved to be balmy and entirely bug free. Once the party was done soon after nightfall we headed home to change, shower and unpack before finding a good local restaurant nearby.

Wednesday 25th October

We were not flying to Bangkok till late so after some internet time Don, Cindy, John and I boarded a tuk-tuk again leaving Tracy to the attentions of the hotel spa on her aches and pains from the previous day's exertions.

This time we had a set plan to fill some of the gaps in what we'd seen yesterday, but with a swift downpour we started with lunch while Cindy purchased some clothes to make up a "Red Dress" outfit (see Thursday). Don and I split off from John and Cindy and we began with Bayon as Don has missed it and I wanted to see some more. Then we basically walked north through Angkor Thom passing by the massive rebuilding of Baphuon which was built on sand and had largely collapsed by this century. Much of the stone was removed and cataloged but records were lost during the Khmer Rouge takeover and only one standing wall gives clues for putting together the "world's biggest jigsaw puzzle".

Next we walked over to Phimeanakas which is almost Inca in appearance and dates from the 10th century. Climbing this gave a good view and there are some fine structures on top where we had peace and quiet for a while (other than Angkor Wat the complex was quiet the whole day). Then we descended and continued across the Royal Palace grounds to the Elephant Terrace where we met up with the rest of the group. It was getting late so we headed back, detouring for a better look at the amzingly well preserved and high quality bas reliefs at Angkor Wat.

If anyone wants to follow more about the Angkor complex try reading The Angkor Guide.

We regretfully said goodbye to our beautiful hotel and headed for the airport, a flight to Bangkok and a high speed late night taxi to a downtown hotel. Tim, Don and John had enough energy to go looking for nightlife which was going strong at midnight with a large street market, raucus bars and lots of touts happy to tell us about their "clubs". Finally spotting a peaceful street we settled down for a beer, only noticing later that the waiters around were all male, young and effeminate. Poptop would have loved it!

Tuesday 24th October

We were up early for a splendid buffet breakfast before we found a tuk-tuk to take us the 7 miles to Angkor Wat. The Angkor complex is spread over a wide area and was built over 400-500 years. Some of the temples are in their natural overgrown state, others are being renovated, rebuilt or cataloged and Angkor Wat itself was never really allowed to fall into disrepair and has been well restored. For more details about the complex click here.

We spent several hours in the morning checking out the extensive formations and Tracy manfully hopped up and down steps and over stones. The temple was not really laid out in a crutch friendly manner! There are impressive statues, fantastic wall carvings and fascinating structures to check out with fine views from the topmost parts. It is busy but not overrun and one day they may limit what you can climb on but for now you can try your luck on any staircase no matter how steep or worn. There are also a couple of stairs with "real" concrete steps and a hand rail installed but these are still steep. I'd recommend anyone to visit.

Our crew at Angkor Wat

From here we went into one of the slightly newer parts of the complex Ankor Thom. This was built over a long period and while less cohesive than Ankor Wat contains some even more impressive individual structures. Today we just looked around Bayon, the central state temple which while outwardly described (correctly) as looking like a pile of rocks is a fascinating place inside. More wall carvings, enormous faces looking down at you from all directions and a warren of rooms and open areas. The quality of stone appears lower than that of Angkor Wat and there is still much restoration to be done in some areas but it's quite a place.

Bayon

Next for the day was a trip to Ta Prohm, a temple which was left for many years in the state it the jungle had left it in. Large amounts of stabilization have been carried out to stop it all falling on the tourists and some restoration is going on now but it stll has some of the feel of a place you've just stumbled out of the jungle and discovered. By the way it is a sign of the times when the guides are quicker to tell you the areas that were used to film "Tomb Raider" than point out the glories of their forebears! Tracy still managed to make her way through this challenge but was intent on heading home as we got the tuk-tuk to drop us at the long run starting point.

Ta Prohm

Unfortunately the plans had changed twice since we'd left in the morning and we were in the wrong place but finally word got through to us and we jumped on the back of motos to rush back to the east of Angkor Wat and trail. The run took us through the bush around Angkor Wat (a fair long way) and over to the south gate of Angkor Thom for a beer/ water break. Then we climbed up Phnom Bakheng, a temple on an artificial hill for a view before descending back to the paddies and drains for some sqelching through the mud and water.

I had managed to get well ahead of the pack by now and was running alone when the trail started to get more difficult to follow. Soon some "short runners" (who had taken a shorter route since the stop) came up behind and with a few pairs of eyes (plus a helpful local boy with eagle eyes) we continued to spot flour dots till we came upon a check near the main gate of Angkor Wat. This means we have to look for trail continuing in any direction and look we did as the pack of runners swelled. A series of flour marks led to nothing and finally a car sent by the trail layers appeared to tell us we were well out of the way and a long way from the end. A few lucky ones grabbed a ride, others of us were fit enough to run several miles as the light failed and made it back in good time. However people were still coming in for some long time. A bit of a screw up but a nice run otherwise.

The organizers soon redeemed themselves once we'd showered and boarded buses for a final party. A big restaurant accomodated us with ease and the food and drink just kept on coming with a great selection of local dishes. Tracy wowed the locals with her one legged crutch waving dancing and a fun time was had by all.

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Monday 23rd October

Today we get back on the bus cavalcade heading north to an old temple complex pre-dating the Angkor empire, then west to Siem Riep home of Angkor Wat one of the man made marvels of the world.

The plan was to have two options enroute, either to climb the 809 steps to a temple complex or to continue to an intervening town with time for lunch. Unsurprisingly Tim took the stair climbing option while Tracy went with lunch. The complex proved to be very impressive with a rocky outcrop affording extensive views over the flat fields for miles around. Even more impressive were the large carved reclining Buddhas carved in the sides of the outcrop, each with its own shrine. Lunch was a little less organized as the town was not well able to cope with the crowd. With time moving on many of the less adventurous in the group wanted to just head to Siem Riep (Tracy and Willy took this option) while two bus loads elected to continue along a bumpy dirt road for a trail.

Tracy enjoys a tasty local snack (teryaki spider)

It rapidly became aparent that the road was worse than when scouted a few weeks before and the buses made very slow progress. Finally after a few miles one driver got too close to the edge to miss a pot hole and (as Tim looked down out the window thinking "that looks marshy") dropped a wheel off the road. He compounded it by revving for a while before we decided to evacuate the bus... to find that the outward opening door was blocked by the mud. We all hopped out the emergency exit with more or less ease and found ourselves on an isolated stretch of road between rice paddies next wo five local wood houses built out on stilts - those people certainly got a show - and with a bus that was clearly sunk down to the chassis.

Things looked up a little when the beer truck for after the run appeared so it was with water and beer supplies that we tackled the job of getting unstuck. First a passing truck was enlisted but that just broke our tow rope and his chain. Then the other bus appeared and we hooked it up with the guys pushing (more for show than effect) and that failed. By this time some of the party had resigned themselves to a long night but to our great luck a big army truck appeared carrying an enormous earth moving machine. They hooked up a serious town rope and the truck made light work of hauling our bus out to great cheers.

A failed attempt at towing

At this point the bus needed to turn so we could abot the journey north and it was clear to all but the bus driver that this could be done at a driveway 50 yards ahead. He elected to do a K/3 point turn right there and... dropped another wheel off the road. Once again he then revved and dug deeper as a bus load screamed at him to stop, but luckily not so deep that the other bus could not do the hauling out honors this time. And we were finally on our way back towards Siem Riep after a short in distance but afternoon consuming short cut.

Willy and Tracy had got us all booked in to the very impressive luxury hotel in the town (our orgnizers must be able to cut a sweet deal) by the time we arrived so we soon headed into town for food before some continued partying while we got some sleep in before a busy day ahead.

Why Cambodia?

Now revealed, the real reason I have always wanted to travel in Cambodia. One of the great punk/ new wave songs: "Holiday in Cambodia" by the Dead Kennedy's dating from when the country was bottom of the list of the world's tourist destinations.

So you been to school
For a year or two
And you know you've seen it all
In daddy's car
Thinkin' you'll go far
Back east your type dont crawl

Play ethnicky jazz
To parade your snazz
On your five grand stereo
Braggin' that you know
How the niggers feel cold
And the slums got so much soul

Its time to taste what you most fear
Rightguard will not help you here
Brace yourself, my dear

Its a holiday in Cambodia
Its tough, kid, but its life
Its a holiday in Cambodia
Dont forget to pack a wife

Youre a star-belly sneech
You suck like a leach
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss ass while you bitch
So you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you

Well you'll work harder
With a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers
Till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake

Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son.

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where youll kiss ass or crack

Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, etc.

And its a holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll do what you're told
A holiday in Cambodia
Where the slums got so much soul......
Pol Pot!

Latest News

I'll keep doing detailed posts with pictures but I thought you'd like to know we've survived the partying in Chiang Mai, Thailand and made it to Hanoi in Vietnam with our friends John and Cindy. It's a bustling city but not at all touristy. This can make getting food without meat a challenge (the other 3 had sidewalk food last night with meat and noodles perched on tiny plastic chairs) but we'll be heading for the more foreiger friendly places tonight. The plan is to tour Halong Bay (spectacular seaside scenery) in the next couple of days... but a typhoon might make for a change.

By the way if you have time leave me a comment, so I know someone is reading these posts!

Sunday 22nd October

Today we had free time in Phnom Penh to do a bit of tourism and all decided to become more familiar with the dark side of recent Cambodian history. Don and Willy travelled out to the "Killing Fields" to the mass grave sites of many of those killed in the city while John, Cindy, Tracy and I stayed in the city and went to the genocide museum. This is housed in S-21, a school converted to a prison where many of the more significant prisoners were interogated and tortured before the one way trip to the Killing Fields.


The museum is very well done with much of it left as it would have looked in 1979. The Khmer Rouge documented the people they rounded up in picture and by written confession (one assumes to prove their single minded diligence and loyalty in rooting out spies and other anti-revolutionary elements to the higher ups: many of those who had positions in the Khmer Rouge were later imprisoned and killed) so many pictures are displayed to show the enormity of the crimes. I personally found it more moving than Auswitz, probably because it happened within my memory.


From here we took in one of the positive features of Cambodia by visiting one of the main Pagodas, Wat Phnom. Here people make offerings to Buddha and there was a lively trade in incense, sticks of flowers and lotus blossom outside to leave as offerings. You could also buy a bird (or several) to carry your prayers up to heaven.

Offerings in the Pagoda

From here we returned to the hotel to board a bus once more for a short journey to our run site out in the rice fields. Rice fields right now (early season) are a panorama of paddies filled with short bright green plants broken up by palm trees and open areas with cattle grazing. The fields are deep in water so the running trail is a zig-zag of dry and squelchy trail between them.


The run was very enjoyable and the pack were led back and forth so we all kept together. Unfortunately towards the end I ended up on the wrong side of a paddy and followed two others down a field divide under a food of water. I saw where they slipped and went carefully there but all of a sudden I slipped and went up to my neck in water, camera too. Pleasantly cooling but that was the end of that machine.

After the run and a few beers we all headed home for a much needed shower and then took off for an organized event at a local bar. It was a mellow affair but I had the chance to talk with a couple of New Zealanders and find our more about Wanganui where we'll be working next year.

Saturday 21st October

A lazier morning this time with a few hours on the beach before a long journey back to Phnom Penh via Kampot. The beach was very pleasant although the vendors are pretty persistent. Tracy availed herself of a massage and we were all relaxed by the time we hit the road.

While most of southern Cambodia is very flat the coastal area is hilly and as our bus convoy headed down the last steep hill near disaster struck. One bus ahead of us hit the brakes and the next swerved into traffic to avoid it, hitting a truck coming the opposite way. The bus skidded into the ditch one way, the truck the other but luckily all other vehicles missed the crash and noone around was hit. Tracy hobbled over to help the locals on the truck (everyone in the bus was OK other than the driver who hurt his foot - subsequently we learned he was OK too) but two nurses in our group who could move faster already had the situation in hand. Other than acertaining that there was nothing much to be done other than keep them still and shaded and call an ambulance (we were close to Sihanoukville which has facilities and in theory basic health care is free) there was nothing critical to do.

Leaving people from the bus company there we got our extra bus load aboard other buses (though they soon sent a replacement) and rolled off again in soberer mood. Kampot is a ways around the coast on a good dirt road and we made reasonably good time. However when we arrived at the town there was a problem... the bridge is weak and it was not certain we'd be allowed to pass (previously our organizers has seen this as a potential hitch but had assurances that buses could pass with the passengers walking).

The buses finally cross

We hung around and injected large amounts of cash into the local economy in cold drinks and street food before doing a short trail around the town to take a look at it's faded French architecture. The place reminded me of Nsanje in Malawi as a port town that had seen much better days. While we relaxed one of the Cambodian organizers used his persuasion skills (or the color of his money) to work with the mayor's office and open the bridge. A really long journey back had shortened somewhat but we were still not "home" till 11pm.

A basic rum cocktail!