1/28/02 - Angkor What?
It's my final night in town, and how could I spend at any other place other than Angkor What? - my favorite dive bar in town. This time I was solo instead of being accompanied by my cadre of women and my goal was to leave at 10 PM for my 6 AM bus departure. Unfortunately, I met a very interesting British ex-pat who's traveled the world as a nurse, working for, among others, the Saudi royal family (he was in Riyadh on 9/11 and was disgusted by the behaviour of the Saudi literati) and the Sultan of Brunei (owner of a Ferrarri station wagon for his polo gear). The electricity kept popping off, but through that, and perhaps because of my constant assistance with relighting the candles, the owner sort of offered me a job. Whew! The possibilities ranged afore me, but in the end I felt partial to my plan of beaching my last 2 week. I was in bed around 1.
1/29/02 - Battam Bang!
And of course I overslept through my alarm but I caught the boat to Battambang anyway and luckily it was too dark in the shuttle to the ferry for me to see the eyes of the people that I thought may be peaved at me. It turned out that there was one other late riser that held everyone up and he was the only one on the shuttle that was on my ferry. And he liked Tom Waits and John Zorn!
I'm not sure whether it is my own perception that's changed or whether Battambang is indeed the grumpiest town in Cambodia. Maybe I've developed a bit of an anti-motobike-driver stare, and it certainly isn't fair to contrast it with the country folks of the East or maybe I just don't find little kids waving at me as cute as I used to, but I found the people there a tad lame. Perhaps there is validity to the statement, however, because of Battambang's proximity to the Thai border.
The town was nice looking, regardless; like a bigger version of French-colonial riverside Kratie, and the hotel was a great value. $5 for a nice clean single with real bathroom (flush toilet), cable and a nice roof balcony.
1/30/02 - Last Day in Cambodia
I didn't do to much today, in effort to catch up from my sleepless Siem Reap nights. I did manage to play a few games of pool at the local pool hall where the kids crowded around the table to watch our pathetic display. Then I went for a $4 massage as my shoulder seems to have found itself a pinched nerve. The nerve is still pinching but the massage was decent.
At night we found a bar which always deadly for me, and I was tempted to stay out late, and even a few more days, but my visa expired soon and to make matters more complicated, the national election is this Sunday. (Do they know they scheduled it for Superbowl Sunday? How rude.) It's actually been exciting to be here in the run up to the election and it gives an interesting incite into Democracy. I am planning on writing a few big section on politics, travel and backpacker culture when I get back and can sit and reflect, but the fervor of the election has been growing. The lack of TVs mean that the 3 political parties take to the streets with big megaphones mounted on tractors, trucks or cars, plowing through city streets.
1/31/02 - Motors
If you had asked me, before I left:
"Marc, how many engine blocks will you sit on during your trip through Asia?"
I probably would have said zero. Potentially I would have said Maybe one. Well, today's Daiwoo 6 cylinder has brought the vacation total to 2. Another Cambodian trip, another pickup ride. This one was thankfully only 3 hours, but I did spend it perched in the back of the truck on an engine being traansported to Sisophon, the midway point between Battambang and my destination, Poipet. Today was all travel for as soon as I reached Poipet (but not before the truck driver tried to scam me - I knew better this time), I crossed the border on foot into Thailand, then motobiked to the bus station, then borded the bus to Bangkok.
The border crossing made me reflect onhow great of a time I've had in Cambodia. It's a multi-layered, multi-textured, multi-faceted country that's in the midst of significant transition. The regional differences give the country a deeper flavor and there's never a shortage of people worth talking to or things to do. I am going to miss Cambodia and though I've said it about every country I've visited, I truly hope to come back soon.
And so, here I am, in Bangkok, for the third time with but 2 weeks of time left on my trip.
I think I'll spend it on the beach to even out my sandle tan.
It's my final night in town, and how could I spend at any other place other than Angkor What? - my favorite dive bar in town. This time I was solo instead of being accompanied by my cadre of women and my goal was to leave at 10 PM for my 6 AM bus departure. Unfortunately, I met a very interesting British ex-pat who's traveled the world as a nurse, working for, among others, the Saudi royal family (he was in Riyadh on 9/11 and was disgusted by the behaviour of the Saudi literati) and the Sultan of Brunei (owner of a Ferrarri station wagon for his polo gear). The electricity kept popping off, but through that, and perhaps because of my constant assistance with relighting the candles, the owner sort of offered me a job. Whew! The possibilities ranged afore me, but in the end I felt partial to my plan of beaching my last 2 week. I was in bed around 1.
1/29/02 - Battam Bang!
And of course I overslept through my alarm but I caught the boat to Battambang anyway and luckily it was too dark in the shuttle to the ferry for me to see the eyes of the people that I thought may be peaved at me. It turned out that there was one other late riser that held everyone up and he was the only one on the shuttle that was on my ferry. And he liked Tom Waits and John Zorn!
I'm not sure whether it is my own perception that's changed or whether Battambang is indeed the grumpiest town in Cambodia. Maybe I've developed a bit of an anti-motobike-driver stare, and it certainly isn't fair to contrast it with the country folks of the East or maybe I just don't find little kids waving at me as cute as I used to, but I found the people there a tad lame. Perhaps there is validity to the statement, however, because of Battambang's proximity to the Thai border.
The town was nice looking, regardless; like a bigger version of French-colonial riverside Kratie, and the hotel was a great value. $5 for a nice clean single with real bathroom (flush toilet), cable and a nice roof balcony.
1/30/02 - Last Day in Cambodia
I didn't do to much today, in effort to catch up from my sleepless Siem Reap nights. I did manage to play a few games of pool at the local pool hall where the kids crowded around the table to watch our pathetic display. Then I went for a $4 massage as my shoulder seems to have found itself a pinched nerve. The nerve is still pinching but the massage was decent.
At night we found a bar which always deadly for me, and I was tempted to stay out late, and even a few more days, but my visa expired soon and to make matters more complicated, the national election is this Sunday. (Do they know they scheduled it for Superbowl Sunday? How rude.) It's actually been exciting to be here in the run up to the election and it gives an interesting incite into Democracy. I am planning on writing a few big section on politics, travel and backpacker culture when I get back and can sit and reflect, but the fervor of the election has been growing. The lack of TVs mean that the 3 political parties take to the streets with big megaphones mounted on tractors, trucks or cars, plowing through city streets.
1/31/02 - Motors
If you had asked me, before I left:
"Marc, how many engine blocks will you sit on during your trip through Asia?"
I probably would have said zero. Potentially I would have said Maybe one. Well, today's Daiwoo 6 cylinder has brought the vacation total to 2. Another Cambodian trip, another pickup ride. This one was thankfully only 3 hours, but I did spend it perched in the back of the truck on an engine being traansported to Sisophon, the midway point between Battambang and my destination, Poipet. Today was all travel for as soon as I reached Poipet (but not before the truck driver tried to scam me - I knew better this time), I crossed the border on foot into Thailand, then motobiked to the bus station, then borded the bus to Bangkok.
The border crossing made me reflect onhow great of a time I've had in Cambodia. It's a multi-layered, multi-textured, multi-faceted country that's in the midst of significant transition. The regional differences give the country a deeper flavor and there's never a shortage of people worth talking to or things to do. I am going to miss Cambodia and though I've said it about every country I've visited, I truly hope to come back soon.
And so, here I am, in Bangkok, for the third time with but 2 weeks of time left on my trip.
I think I'll spend it on the beach to even out my sandle tan.