Siem Reap, July 30, 2012

It is   day  3 in Siem Reap and its been great. The city is unlike any other city in Cambodia, full of nice restaurants, spas and a million ways to make tourist spend their money. The first day we did not do much, just walked around and discovered the city. That is been one of the great things about traveling for a long time, one realizes that doing "nothing"is as much fun as seeing a million things. When there is no rush to go over a checklist, the trip becomes more of a personal relationship with the place..it us fun.

Of course, seeing things is important, is just the sense of urgency that changes.

The second day we went to see the temples and they are incredible. Really incredible, I am not much of a temple person, but seeing those structures, the figures, the stone work and the size one can only say wooaaaahhh

The first day we hired a tuk tuk for what they call the small tour. About 12 kilometers. We saw Angkor wat and Bayon.

The second day we hired bikes and did the big tour, about 5 kilometers and a numbers of temples. Each one nicer than the other. I have to be honest, at the end i was a bit temple tired..specially after having seen so many temples in the region over the last 4 months.

Tomorrowwe are still deciding what to do..Alma wants more temples..we wil see..I guess we will see more temples.

On Wednesday my time in Cambodia ends and w are heading to BK to meet Pin for her birthday.then back to HK for a few days before continuing the trip.

It is very funny, the country i had plan to spend the less time and I ended up spending almost a month here. Its been a good journey and i have met incredible people..but it is time to see something different.

Encuentros maravillosos

Van ya casi 4 meses de mi viaje. He visto y conocido 4 paises, un sin numero de personas interesantes, no se cuantos hostales, dormitorios, buses, trenes y botes. He comido arroz en todas sus posibles variaciones y sorprendentemente no me han picado los mosquitos. Tambien me he enfermado una vez y he logrado creo, perfeccionar el arte de empacar la maleta y de cuanto hay que cargar.

Lo mejor ha sido la gente, alemanes, ingleses, mexicanos, argentinos, franceses, escoceces, isrealitas etc etc..todos como yo, haciendo un cambio ya sea temporal o permanente en sus vidas, algunos vijando por 1 mes, otros por 1 anio. El promedio es 7 meses y pocos paises.

Que que he aprendido hasta el momento..la verdad no lo se, creo que he entendido que viajar no es un checklist de cosas para ver o hacer, viajar es ver como se comporta uno y como se ve uno mismo en situaciones distintas.. es poder sentarse en laos y verse a uno mismo en un lugar distinto, analizar su vida y darse cuenta del sin numero de formas alternas de vivir.

cada vez me doy cuenta que de verdad me gusta mi trabajo (ex trabajo) mi equipo, sin embargo tambien me doy cuenta que solo cuando uno esta afuera y puede ver es que uno se da cuenta de que hay tanto por hacer y por ver..

En la ultima semana y lo tomo como un signo de la buena suerte me he encontrado con 5 personas que he conocido en paises y situaciones distintas. En la calle, saliendo de comprar agua me encontre con Herman, un aleman con quien viaje por 5 dias en Thailandia.

Luego en un bus hacia Kampot, con una gringa que conoci cerca a la frontera con Laos. Al mismo tiempo, me re encontre con una escocesa con quien estuve 3 dias en Kratie, y luego con un grupo de franceses que conoci en Laos y que luego me los encontre de nuevo en Banglung.

Claro, es el gringo route y todos pasan por ahi, igual es maravilloso encontrase con gente como uno que va haciendo su propio camino y que tiene su vida en sus paises de origen. Me queda una semana en esta region y siento que estos ultimos dias fueron una despedida increible.

Kampot & Kep, July 23, 2012

After a few days in Sinakville, where i spent most of my time sick, i decided to head towards Kampot and Kep. Two small and nice towns famous for the pepper and their crabs. In Kampot i found a nice little hostel for 4 dollars, rented a motorbike and went around to see the river and the pepper plantations. I have to be honest, i did not know what good pepper was until i tried the pper from Kampot. It is incredible, so flavorful and strong. During the Pol Pot time, pepper was pretty much forgotten and it is only now that a few well connected entrepreneurs are starting to produce it again with wonderful results, in terms of quality and in terms of economic returns.

After a couple of days in Kampot I head towards Kep. The crab town and my base to explore the islands around it. I took a boat to rabbit island and i arrived to a place that had more than one surprise for me. Firts, it is incredible beautiful and underdeveloped, a few huts along the beach, each one for 5 dollars and with holes in the roof, Khemer toilet and wonderful vistas. What was going to be one day became 4.

The other surprise was that in Rabbit island, for some weird reason 5 people I had met during my trip in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia all ended up being together, none of us knew about the unexpected reunion, but all of us were happy to meet once again to share stories and to say bye once again.


 

July 20,2012. Sihanokville

Desde que llegue a Cambodia he escuchado de las maravillosas playas e islas de este pais. Segun todos los viajeros que conoci son mas lindas y menos desarrolladas que las playas en Thailandia. Despues de escuchar esto decidi venir al sur. Sihanokville es una ciudad a 250 kilometors de Phnon Phen. La ciudad es bonita, nada del otro mundo, el ambiente de los backpackers es bien fuerte, en cierta forma he revivido (no muy gratamente) momentos de Vang Viegn.

En fin, llegue, consegui un hostel muy bueno, 5 dolaretes por un cuarto con banio, ventilador y television. Estaba preparando todo para mi viaje a las islas cuando el clima cambio de repente y la lluevia torrencial comenzo. Al mismo tiempo, un jugo de frutas que no entro muy bien, me tumbo..24 horas despues y despues de vomitar hasta el alma logre salir del cuarto..que suerte que me quede en un cuarto solo y no en un domitorio.

En fin, ya una vez recuperado, el clima seguia igual asi que decidi irme a otro pueblo a dos horas de aca, Kampon, se supone es muy lindo y tranquilo..eso es loq ue llevo buscando desde que comenze el viaje, tranquilidad. minimizar el numero de turistas que va y encontrar lugares para leer y pensar.

Y claro, preciso hoy que me voy, el clima esta increible, sol, brisa, en fin, perfecto para las islas...pero bueno..no las logre ver, por algo sera.

Algo que me ha impresionado mucho de Cambodia ha sido el nivel de prostitucion, no se si es que hasta ahora lo veo y que en los otros paises tambien era asi, pero aca es cosa seria, ninos, ninas, jovenes, lady boys..que a proposito me tienen loco, los berracos pasan en las noches y golpean en las puertas de los bungalows como si uno les fuera a abrir la puerta..nada en contra de ellos, pero que no jodan a las 2 de la manana.

En una semana me encutro con alma en Siem Rep, ahi estaremos unos dias y luego vamos a BK a vernos con Pin y de ahi vuelta a HK para arrancar a Mongolia.

El viaje esta llegando a su final y hasta ahora siento que podria hacer un pais mas..y tal vez otro..y tal vez otro....

En fin, tengo que ir a recoger la ropa de la lavanderia, ha sido genial, la cantidad de ropa que traje fue la ideal. 4 camisas, dos shorts, un vestido de banio y ya. ( para los que se preguntan por los calsoncillos, hace un mes decidi que era extra peso asi que ando comando).

July 14, Phnon Phen

Finally in Phnon Phen, It feels so quite and relax compared to Hanoi or Saigon. I found a pretty decent hostel for 4 dollars a night right in the middle of the tourist area. The city is very nice, it has this feeling of sophistication  similar to Luamprabang.

The people are nice, still tying always to  rip you off, but not in the same way that people in Vietnam. They have a very nice and genuine smile and are not as pushy.

I decided to spend three days here. I want to slowly discover the city, go to a few museums and plan where to go next, I still have 2 weeks in Cambodia so i want to make sure I find a place where I can relax for a few days somewhere with no many people.

One thing I had found in the 8 days I have been already here (Cambodia) is that the food is not as good as in  Thailand or Vietnam and that is it a bit more expensive. Maybe the fact that the US dollars is alternatively used with the Riel means that prices unfortunately ended up being inflated.

There are two places I want to see, the killing fields and the S21 museum. Very intense and emotional places where the horrors of the Pol Pot era are best highlighted. It is quite incredible that in only 4 years, Pol pot got rid of 21% of the countries population...

Kratie, July 12, 2012

I arrived to Kratie after an abnormally short trip. A nice little town along the Mekong  with a lively market and a few guesthouses. There is not much to do in Kratie besides going to see the famous dolphins- which i did not go due to my environmental concerns. Anyway, I rented a bike and rode along the region for two days. one of which i got lost for almost 5 hours. It was fun, but at the end it started to get a bit scary. I took the wrong turn and ended up in this beautiful countryside, rice plantations, water buffalos, incredible, 3 hours later, and after only seeing one house the rice plantations started to get bigger and the road ended..then the beautiful landscape became  a worrisome landscape...

I tried to ask the few people i encountered about the river, but either that had never seen the river which is pretty impossible..is the MEKONG, or I just don't know how to communicate..at the end i decided to turn back in the middle of the rain and go to where I had started.

At the end, a pretty interesting day.

Next stop- Phnon Phen

Banlung, July 9, 2012

Finally in Cambodia.. after three weeks in Vietnam it is nice to change countries. I have to be honest, I was super tired of being taken advantage all the time.

I left Hue at 6 Pm in the most uncomfortable and crazy mini bus. 17 seats, 24 people and the guy was driving as if he was Montolla.

At 4Am he dropped me in Pleiku in a corner..what to do..waited there for  30 minutes and then this truck came by and the driver said DUc coc..i said yes and there i went..sitting in the fruit boxes and hoping it was the right place. One hour later I arrived to Duc Coc, and the waiting again for a motorcycle to take me to the border. I knew it was going to be OK and that they were going to ask for a fortune. They started asking for 30 dollars and at the end  we left it in 4.

At the border, a very remote and not very used border the vietnamesse were super nice, as they do not get many tourist they were asking me questions about my trip, colombia, family, they were so bored.

It was nice to finally feel leaving the place and leaving it with a smile..they could have been a pain, but contrary to what i was expecting they were super nice.

I walked to the Cambodian border and the same reception. Normally Cambodian customs officers are known for overcharging, but in this case I paid the stipulated by law and they even helped getting a car to Banglung.

I arrived to a very small, poor and seemingly uninterested town. After finding a hostel facing the lake, i went for a nice walk to discover the town and to  get some food.

Now Cambodia for three weeks ...still dont know where i am going, wherever it is I am happy to be here

Hue- July 7, 2012

Tome el tren desde Saigon hacia Hue. 22 horas, en un compartimiento para 4 personas, pero claro, bien Vietnam la cosa habian 8 personas, 4 d ellas durmiendo en la misma cama.

Mis vecinos, una familia, dcidieron en mitad de la noche apoderarse de media parte de mi cama asi que cuando abri los ojos tenia en la parte de abajo de mi cama a un nino de 3 anios, que acto seguido prosigio a vomitarse ..d suerte no sobre mi.

Llegue a Hue y me encontre con Juana y Ulf. Ellos venian de la China y habian alargado su viaje un poco para encontrarse conmigo. Fue increible.

Estuvimos 3 dias juntos en los cuales un dia alquilamos moto y el otro una bici para dar un tour por la ciudad.

Nuestro dia de moto fue increible, fuimos a la playa, por callecitas enanas y bien perdidas, por una carretera industrial, en fin, nos dimos una vuelta a Hue digna de un tour de 5 estrellas. He descubierot en los ultimos meses que lo mejor para ver y descubrir estas ciudades y pueblos en por cuenta propia. Los tours lo llevan a uno y le muestran tres cosas y ya, no dan tiempo para descansar ni apreciar nada. Asi que una moto o una bici y libertad total.

Luego conicmos HUe, una ciudad muy linda e historicamente importante ya que fue la base de la monarquia por muchos anios. Una ciudad amurallada construida a principios de siglo le da un caracter mas viejo de loq ue de verdad es.

Nuestro hostal, un poco alejado de la parte turistica asi que nos dio un poco de tranquilidad el no tener que estar siempre en el "gringo route".

Algo curioso que he notado en Vietnam es que no existe o almenos yo no he vivido la misma unidad con los otros turistas, mienstras que en Thailandia y en Laos viajaba en grupos por uno o dos dias, aca por alguna razon siento cada uno va por su lado.... tal vez es eso o los lugares donde he estado...

Saigon July 5,2012

Its been a about a week since last time i wrote. Alma could not fly to Laos because the tickets were too expensive so we decided to meet in Saigon.

What a crazy city. I thought Hanoi was crazy,well, this is a new level, after the peace and tranquility on Laos, to arrive here was like to be dropped in the middle of a motorcycle race. They are everywhere..everywhere. Luckily we  already mastered the art of crossing the streets, but believe me, it is intense.

After spending one day here we headed to the delta of the mekong. What a disappointment. So far we have not done one single organized tour, we just went to the agency, ask about the places and then in our own do it, a much more rewarding experience. Here, for some reason we decided to do it with an agency and it was a bad idea. They took us to super touristy places and the things they promised, while true, were just ridiculous. After 4 hours, we decided to leave the tour and on our own continue the trip.



Because the weather was not the best, we decided to change directions and go north. We took a bus to Mui Ne. A very nice and relaxing beach 5  hours north of Saigon. Beautiful sand dunes, excellent food and more vietname people trying to rip us off every moment made for a very interesting trip.

After that, we went to Dalat, a city in the highlands and the first place in 4 months in which i have to wear a sweater. There we took a motorcycle tour around the region and it was incredible. Alma and i riding along coffee plantations, silk factories and the most beautiful pagoda I have visted so far.

When we arrived, women were doing their daily rituals and it was a magic moment. One of those where one feel that is better to leave it in your memory and not to spoil the moment by trying to take a picture. Also, I have come to realize thatthey are so many pictures being taken that sometimes i ask myself, are these pictures for me or for others...i guess for both..but honestly they should only be for oneself.

We came back to Saigon because Alma had to go back to HK. I am going north again..yes i know..its been crazy the amount of buses and trains i have taken in Vietnam...to meet my sister. Then Cambodia for three weeks and then BK again to make my way to Mongolia.

 It is interesting how I now feel the bug, the desire to keep traveling..I did not understand it before, all the long term travelers i have talked to told me about it and now finally I understand..moving every day, living day by day, always knowing that ahead of you there is something else to discover..something new.

In Mui Ne and this morning I meet people I had met in Thailand and Laos. So fun to see people you shared a meal, a room, an afternoon with in the middle of a street in saigon.

I am looking forward to smaller cities, my entire trip is been along them and it is much nicer. BK, Saigon, they are huge.

Hue is waiting for me. Then I will cross the border to Cambodia through the north. A very sketchy and complicated border cross. The few people i know have done have told me the same thing. Expect longgg delays and overcharging for everything. From visas to transportation. I guess i just have to smile and thats it.

Next time from Hue.