TravelStream™ news feed for member camille on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/camille en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 25 May 2009 08:09:04 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241778109/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241778109/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241778109/tpod.html Mon, 25 May 2009 08:09:04 -0400 Cam2

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Siem Reap, KH.16, Cambodia

The subject of such speculation over the past few years. Where shall I spend my 30th birthday?It started on the shitterI had brought with me the wrong medication. I'd brought the shit stoppers, not the shit starters. My body decided to torture me and refuse to play the usual toilet game, so I woke up on my birthday with a pain in my kidney. This was soon (ie at 4:45am) followed by a dash to the dunny to discover that my planned day at the ruined temples could very well be spent in the hotel room. Not the most appealing start to a new decade.The Angkor Wat sunriseI don't very often see the sun rise above the horizon. I prefer to get out of bed and be greeted by daylight streaming through my window. It was a rather big deal to plan a sunrise session at the temples on my birthday. But then again, this is a major attraction in Cambodia. And a big deal all on its own. So we did it, and it wasn't so hard after all given that my body clock is refusing to acknowledge Cambodian time and is sending me to bed straight after tea and waking me up around 5am. No partying for this self-confessed nana.We had booked a tuk-tuk driver for the day to get us from temple to temple and as we drove around the misty moat to the entry to Angkor Wat, I was filled with a sense of excitement and accomplishment. I was about to tick a box and schnap the photo to prove it. Angkor Wat, you're going down on my list of "done thats".The sun rising just to the left of the main spires cast a coral coloured glow which became lovely lighting for some photos on the moat wall with the entry gate behind us. It's rather misleading as you kind of think that this is all there is to Angkor Wat. Then you cross the ancient cobbled bridge, go through the gateway and enter on to Angkor Wat's massive front yard. There were people everywhere trying to get the best spot for a sunrise photo.We walked down the 475m cobbled and raised avenue towards the temple, pausing for a few minutes in different places to watch the sun peek over the spires. The avenue was beautiful and very majestic in the morning, but when we came back on the second day for a final look, we were baked by the midday heat.My patience didn't hold out for the complete sunrise, so we started wandering through the complex, taking photo after photo of the restored temple. There are zillions of ornate doorways that beg you to pose in them and lots of little shrines to Buddha.We spent a bit of time hanging out around the spire without scaffolding around it, looking up at its lichen encrusted peak. We then went out the back door to walk around the verandah. On each side of Angkor Wat there are carved frescoes that were added around 400 years after the temple was built. The frescoes would cover more than 300m and were very impressive, if a little repetitive (the same scene was carved over and over again, like a chain of paper dolls).And that was Angkor Wat. Much more tolerable in the cool of the morning than the baking midday sun. It also wasn't as busy as the crowds watching the sunrise would lead you to believe.The Angkor Thom ComplexThis was a bizarre experience where we went from barely being able to move on the impressive Bayon temple to being the only ones at Preah Palilay only 200m away.Bayon looks like a pile of disorganises rocks from afar, but as you get closer, you see all the fabulous detail in the carved pillars and walls. The Lonely Planet tells me that there are 216 carved faces of a god that was made to look like the kind of the time. Rather narcissistic, but hey, we're still paying attention!There were Japanese tourists to the max here, and some other far more annoying tourists that feel that every forbidden peak should be climbed, in this case, scaling a spire for a photo with his machete. All this aside, I liked the atmosphere and watching other people make their way around the ruin.There were plenty of other amazing ruins there, which we nearly didn't see because we hadn't consulted the guidebook. We went back to Prous, our tuk-tuk driver who then pointed out that we had to walk to the other ruins in the vicinity.So we saw more cobbled boulevards, elephants carved into stone, stone wall carvings, ancient walls covered with lichen, huge jungle trees, countless photogenic doorways and more piles of rocks. It was fun!More TemplesAfter Angkor Thom we saw Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Ta Keo, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. More than enough to whet Shaun's appetite for ruined temples.Ta Keo was interesting for the insanely steep staircases that have a step deep enough for a cicada. Shaun was far more adventurous than I as he climbed up the steps, ladder style. The bricks were hot to touch, so I opted for a lower level. As it turned out, there were less steep steps further around the temple.Ta Prohm is the other famous temple. Made famous by Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. It was reclaimed by the jungle and has many massive trees growing from walls and other brickwork. It looks very cool, and is cool because of the shade they provide.Preah Khan was apparently an actual city that people lived in. The guidebook mislead me into thinking that it was well restored, however there were so many tumbled down walls and ceilings that a number of paths through the ruin were blocked. This caused us grief after taking off down a passage to get away from an over-zealous wannabe guide/give me a tip guy. He said that another path was more interesting, but I fobbed him off. Sadly, he was right as my choice to go down this passage only meant we had to double back and step up and over to get through the many doorways.An experience that really suckedI had read about these places where you could have the dead skin sucked off your feet by garra rufa fish, and I wanted to give it a go. There is a place at the night market where you can get it done, 15 minutes for US$3, so we got out dosh out.First they wash your feet and inspect for any cuts or scabs which they cover up with a bandaid. You are then given the signal to put your feet in the bath. Shaun had already put his feet in and had swarms of little fish around his feet. I say swarmed deliberately as they looked more like angry bees than a shoal (or school if you prefer) of fish.I was not prepared for the strange sensation of having my feet attacked by tiny fish sucking, or at times it felt like biting. I put on a wild display of thrashing my body about, unsure about wrenching my feet out of the water for fear of sending some fish flying into nearby stalls. Eventually I calmed down and started laughing and showing curiosity at what the fish were doing.Some other travellers were watching my display and asked us what it felt like. It really did feel as though I'd put my feet in a box of wiggling worms. It felt gross at first, but you then become accustomed to itWe watched other people put their feet in and the fish zoom towards the fresh skin, and their subsequent reactions. I was fascinated by a flap of skin that the fish were trying to suck off my foot. They had found the beginnings of a blister and thought it was pay day.Afterwards, my feet felt very smooth, although there was still a callous or two that they probably needed to spend some more time with!After dinner, we dropped in for a Thai massage and had a couple of Cambodian girls walk along our backs and pummel us to a pulp. Relaxing though, and cheap!30 and one dayDay two in Siem Reap, and feeling better, we attacked some more temples. With our camera that was. We nearly didn't though, because Shaun was not happy about the overnight increase in Prous' tuk-tuk fee. He did manage to bargain him down which appeased him somewhat.We decided to start at Phnom Bok, a little visited temple. Even Prous hadn't been there. It soon became apparent that few people go there because there is a rather difficult 200m climb to get there. Given the heat, which I maintain was at least 38 degrees and definitely more than the day before, we struggled up the concrete steps taking numerous breaks for water and rest.Eventually we got to the top and the people who live there gave us a tour and chatted away to us in Khmer, telling us where to look. There were some frangipani trees in flower, shooting out the top of a couple of spires, and then another heap of rubble. We weren't allowed to go back down without checking out a kind of well that was obviously important enough to have a roof built over it.My favourite temple was Banteay Samre as it was so beautifully restored and complete with green grass. It was a lovely spot.Further temples were the elephant and dragon lion encrusted Eastern Mebon, Ta Som and the ancient swimming pools of Preah Neak Pean. Our temple viewing was almost at an end, but we had to have one last look at Angkor Wat just to make sure we remembered which one it was!Camille learns to bargainShaun sent me out alone to shop as he had almost strangled me with frustration in earlier experiences. He kept telling me to "walk away", "it shouldn't be so hard" and my least favorite "we don't need it". I went to the Central Market, looking for a carved wooden apsara to bring home. That was my number one souvenier. I started in a little shop stall on the perimeter where she didn't have a wooden apsara but had a soapstone one and a resin one. She was begging me to buy something as she said she hadn't had a customer and needed "to pay the rent, the electricity..."I moved on in search of my apsara and she said "Promise me you'll come back". I didn't promise, but after scoring my apsara elsewhere, I decided to go back for a tablecloth. She was happy to see me again and we spent around 20 - 30 minutes bargaining. When we would get to a stalemate I would suggest that I wanted something else, like a scarf, and then we'd start bargaining again. It was quite a lot of fun and I'm glad Shaun stayed at the hotel because he wouldn't have had the patience for that sort of thing!What was funnyAt Angkor Wat some young girls asked if Shaun was my father. I rolled around with laughter and said that he was my boyfriend. Shaun, whose ear for accents is not good, thought they had said 'partner' so when I told him what they had said, his expression and subsequent reaction was priceless!Things I Learned* My photography skills are superior to Shaun's. I took one perfect shot of him in front of Angkor Wat and he had to take 5 to get the framing right for my picture. Whoops, your bag's in the shots, whoops, you are on an angle, whoops!* The bread in Cambodia is delicious. Nothing like Thailand. The French left a few good things behind, including crusty bread.* The operators go to a lot of effort to stop you from transferring your ticket. They even print your photo on your ticket.* Imodium AND laxatives are important additions to your travel first aid kit.The Relationship VerdictAfter some very different opinions on buying souveniers, gifts and other things, we did manage to get through it okay. Shaun humoured my desire to see more temples on the second day and also to be a piker and go to bed early. Whilst I compromised big time on the shopping (and was perhaps a bit cranky about it), I think Shaun is also compromising quite a lot. We are still together.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241521080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241521080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241521080/tpod.html Mon, 18 May 2009 07:27:20 -0400 Cam2

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom may be a contraction of phenomenal, but Phnom Penh, to me, didn't live up to that hope.Where's the River?Phnom Penh is located at the convergence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Fancy Guesthouse was near the Tonle Sap riverside so we thought we'd take a walk along the river and Sisowath Quay. Many restaurants are on Sisowath Quay I had thought that they would be taking advantage of the river views and be quite lovely and character filled.Ha ha ha ha.The promenade between the road and the river had a giant fence-like billboard that went for quite a few blocks. Instead of looking out over a murky brown rice lifeline, you got to see ads for a litter free Cambodia (aptly demonstrated by an Apsara gracefully putting a paper in some receptacle that surely wouldn't be collected by the garbage collectors anyway). * An Apsara is a graceful dancer, many carvings are in the Angkor temples.We walked along, mostly on the road because of terrible footpaths, parked luxury 4WDs and obstructing tuk-tuks whose drivers continuously yelled "you want tuk-tuk". We passed many tourist targetting restaurants that would seem so much more interesting if there were views of the river.When we got to the end, where the billboard fence met the docks, we took a photo with the ornate balustrade and turned around to walk back. I had wanted to go on a sunset river cruise, but it just looked too hard to get a ticket and the river didn't really look all that enticing.Shaun wanted to check out the market around the corner from our guesthouse, thinking it would sell some interesting things to buy. It did sell some interesting things, but not that I wanted to buy. The interesting things consisted of cooked cockroaches, hunks of meat, salted snails in their shells and even had free meat, like freshly squashed rat.Barely containing an appetite after that encounter, we went to the Foreign Correspondents Club as recommended to Shaun by Nikolai. We enjoyed the view over the river as the restaurant was on the 2nd floor and a nice Khmer curry.Still not having adjusted to the time difference, I was tired after eating, so we retired for the evening. Not tired enough though that I could sleep through the boom from a nightclub that didn't appear to be that close.What was FunnyShaun kept looking at all the older, single, white and male travellers thinking "sex tourist". What I Learned* Don't look at the tuk tuk drivers and don't engage in conversation with them or they will follow you and keep pestering* People like to do aerobics on the promenade, and it looks like it's straight out of the 80's but minus g-string leotards.Relationship VerdictSo far, so good. Shaun's taking care of most of the bargaining with tuk tuk drivers and paying for their services. Temperature control is another issue all together. Shaun is the king of saying that I need to learn to regulate my body temperature so that I'm not always rugging up when it gets slightly cool. He just doesn't understand what most women will agree, and that's that men run hotter than women. Anyways, whilst his internal regulator was also on holiday, I froze during the night with the aircon on.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241432400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241432400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241432400/tpod.html Mon, 18 May 2009 06:55:36 -0400 Cam2

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Kep, Cambodia

Armchair and laptop planning may seem like a good idea at the time, but generally your body will tell you something else that is far more important.Kep DowntimeArriving in Kep after the horror bus trip that seemed to drag on for years and years, my body just shut down and said "You're on holiday, there is a hammock outside your bungalow and you need to finish that book." Who am I to argue with my being?Kep is apparently quite famous for crab. It also has a nude statue of a fisherman's wife. In my Lonely Planet, I had flagged (as I love to do when planning a trip) the things I'd like to do on our day in Kep. A trip to Rabbit Island was one option, and the other was checking out some limestone caves nearby.On our first night Shaun cast his vote for the caves, which was good as it was my preference also. However, waking up under a very romantic looking mosquito net and with some relaxing options of swinging in the hammock or resting at the bar, I backed out of all sightseeing. A small compromise with the far more energetic Shaun was that later in the morning we would go for a walk around Kep. Around TownKep is tiny. The guidebook says a population of 4,000 but my calculations (based purely on my usual Australian town size calculator) said far fewer.We walked down the hill from our verdant Veranda Resort and at the main road were accosted with what would be a catch-cry "you want tuk-tuk". It seemed to me that no one would believe that we wanted to walk. But walk we did, down to the seaside where a long row of side-by-side restaurants, more like kiosks, with plastic chairs and tablecloths served up dishes of Kep's crab. Small children called out hello in loud voices, but we mostly passed unnoticed. Directly across the road mouldy buildings continued their decay into decrepitude. Their once luxurious days as mansions had ended long ago and now their bare bones and crumbling exteriors were homes to families and their dogs who picked their way amongst the ruins.We continued along the promenade beside the sea and around the corner to where the beach was. Apparently the sand on Kep beach was imported from Cambodia's beach capital, Sihanoukville. This gave the locals a small strip of sand to swim from, and we sat under some shady trees looking out over people swimming and playing in the sea.When we had gotten off the bus the night before, I had seen a row of terraced houses that I thought might be a shopping strip, but it turned out that they were still being completed, and there wasn't a shop in sight, just a few roadside stalls. Definitely no internet!Just a hundred or two hundred metres in from the beach is a roundabout with a statue of a four armed god in the middle. Beside the roundabout was a delightful little outdoor cafe, Led Zep, that had some comfy chairs under a canopy of trees and ferns. We had a drink, but no lunch from the limited menu, and watched lizards darting about.We were half tempted to get a tuk-tuk back to the guesthouse, but decided to attempt the walk only to discover that it was a mere 10 - 15 minute walk and definitely not worth the $3 we had been charged the previous night to get there in a taxi. He had even taken us the long way around to try and give us the impression that we'd gotten our money's worth.What was FunnyMe running flat knacker down the hill in thongs with my backpack on thinking that the truck I could hear was our bus.What I Learned* The sun sinks VERY quickly in the tropics* Even if you don't have the experience personally, you can get a souvenier and pretend
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241347800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241347800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241347800/tpod.html Wed, 06 May 2009 07:15:05 -0400 Cam2

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Kep, Cambodia

It's been a long time since I was in Asia last (three years) and I don't think I had prepared myself for the sensory assault of arriving in a sweaty, dusty, filthy, crowded place.Central MarketWe got a taxi directly to the bus station to catch a bus to Kep, the seaside town we had booked accommodation in. The next bus left in a couple of hours, so we decided to kill time by wandering through the Central Market that was right next to the Phnom Penh Sorya Bus Station.We started in the fashion section where row after cramped row of polyester Asian creations were hung on display in cramped confines. Exiting those halls, we came across the flower section where beautiful roses, lilies, orchids and waterlilys were being transformed into tacky arrangements.The market is currently undergoing some renovations, so we walked around the perimeter on the edge of the road, and Shaun was relieved to have not been relieved of his backpack.There is a central dome, that is quite impressive, although loses some of it's marvel by the rip off watch and sunglass merchants under it's central peak. Seeing the butchery section down one wing, we exited out another and were assailed by street food smells, piquant and gross. We ended up in the seafood section at another edge and we walked along the covered drain where a bucket of prawns had been tipped on the concrete floor and were being resorted back onto ice in another container. So much for food hygiene!I had decided I needed a cheap watch as I'd left my good one at home, so we had to go back to the dome, this time through the butchery wing.... I tried to hold my breath and not look at any of the fly covered lumps of meat sitting on the tiles, but something long and tapered caught my eye. It was a tail of meat, skinned and ready for sale, although I was too horrified to look further to find out what variety of tail it was.Our Cambodian InvestmentWandering through the market everyone had a fan, but none were for sale. We eventually found one for sale and purchased a lovely dried palm frond that does wonders at circulating air. This was to be my saviour over the next four hours.The Second Worst Bus Trip Of My LifeFirst goes to one from Chiclayo, Peru to the Ecuador border (see my round the world travelpod). But this was almost as bad.We got on a dodgy bus with a puncture wound in the ceiling, which later turned out to be above my head. There was no air con, there was no fan. Solely an open door and a couple of roof vents to let steam out of the sauna on wheels. Waiting for departure was like waiting to see the answer to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It was a long drawn out process and finally, we were underway.Thankfully Shaun and I were relatively calm about the process and just kept fanning our fan. This turned out to save me from four hours of feeling myself being driven insane.Bizarre Observations on the Bus Trip* Seeing two dead, gutted pigs, four trotters in the air riding on the top of a ute carrying live pigs underneath.* A billboard for a brand of cigarettes with a couple about to embrace saying "The Taste of France". Smokers breath, that's hardly synonymous with perfume, patisseries or French food.* Numerous weddings in pink and gold marquees with pictures of the happy couple in Western wedding dress framed and at the entrance.* Families of ducks swimming in thick, stagnant green water.* Waterlilys adorning cesspools* Transportation of corrugated iron panels by motorbike* Roadside barber shops, for when you suddenly decide you want your head shaved.What Was Funny* Many of the things above gave us a giggle..What I Learned* Patience can get you through a tough time.* Don't believe the guidebook all the time.* I look like a lamb ready for it's first fleecing.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241259720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241259720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1241259720/tpod.html Wed, 06 May 2009 06:49:28 -0400 Cam2

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Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Does a delayed Malaysian Airlines flight from Adelaide, a brief snooze in an airport hotel and a couple of hours in KLIA count as a Malaysian experience? Probably not, but I"m going to!The Delayed FlightIt's interesting to see all the different responses to a delayed flight. In this one, I managed to keep my cool but Shaun just got frustrated and thought it portentous for our entire trip. We were on board ready to start flying and get some of the delicious smelling food when we were told there was a problem with the water pressure. This ended up taking three hours to fix and we disembarked into the closed Adelaide international waiting area. The Adelaide International Airport is so tiny, that ours was the only plane there in that 3 - 4 hour period, and when we had boarded the first time, they closed the two shops there. Not a fun place to be stuck for a plane.What Was FunnyI got my heels run over by people with a trolley in the cue behind me, and then by a pusher.What I Learned* Adelaide International Airport pales in comparison to Melbourne. Give me the big silver doors at MEL anyday.* When you need to call your hotel because you missed the last free shuttle by 5 minutes, it pays to miss it with someone who is travelling with a mobile phone. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1240047900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1240047900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/5/1240047900/tpod.html Sat, 18 Apr 2009 06:08:54 -0400 Cam2

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Mildura, Victoria, Australia

It's been a year in the planning pipeline. That is, since my last birthday atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge where I decided that the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia would be the venue for my 30th birthday celebrations.Everywhere I look, people are coming back from Cambodia and I want that to be me. Travels with the boyfriendShaun, my boyfriend of two years, had no real say in the destination. He's not a huge fan of tropical climes on account of the humidity. In the end, if he wanted to spend my birthday with me, he'd have to rearrange his studies to make the 10 day trip in mid-semester. Thankfully he decided to come!We are both very curious at how we'll travel together in foreign countries. We have different styles, different interests and different energy levels. We've travelled locally in Tasmania and Northern Territory together, which has gone well, but I'm sure it's going to be a whole different kettle of fish in a place where neither of us speak the language and we don't know where we're going. It's a challenge I'm looking forward to.70% of the excitement is planningThe planning is always an exciting part of any trip. Researching the destination, filling the pages of my guidebook with post-it notes and dreaming about what I'm going to do is all a huge part of my travel process. I love to be across it all before I go and have a rough itinerary and list of must-sees all worked out. With two weeks to go, we've sorted out the itinerary for our brief visit to Cambodia, worked out some rough costs, booked our accommodation and started a packing list. The countdown has started!What's funnyShaun and I have matching OnePlanet backpacks. This was not even deliberate as they are older than our relationship. We're going to look so naff walking the streets as a pigeon pair, or maybe we'll pull off the elusive "we are so into each other" look. What I've learned* Shaun doesn't care so much for researching destinations. He'd prefer to keep an eagle eye on flight prices, currency rates and accommodation deals.* Travel's not always about a long trip. You can see some great stuff in a short trip, but you may just travel differently than if it is a multi-month journey.* I want to go to a place where the fish eat the dead skin off my feet, they could really do with a pedicure.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1035171180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1035171180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1035171180/tpod.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:03:04 -0400 My First International Experience

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Koh Pha-Ngan, Thailand

Friday was our travelling day. We spent the whole day in transit to Koh Pha-Ngan - the party capital of Thailand - or so it seems. On the ferry we were approached by some Poms who were selling two tickets through to Koh Pha-Ngan. At first they were selling the 660B tickets for 350B but we were unsure about it and they came back just before the boat docked and had dropped the price to 200B. We said okay and ended up on a bus to Surat Thani, ready to get a ferry straight to Koh Pha-Ngan. The bus stopped in Surat Thani for an hour and we met Shay from Israel who showed us a few card tricks. The bus then took us to the dock at Nam Tok where we collected our packs in the rain. We were all wearing blue stickers indicating that we were headed for Koh Pha-Ngan. The stickers were swapped for ferry tickets by the conductor and we boarded the ferry. It was a vehicle ferry bound for Thong Sala and we sat up front. I was totally unaware when we left as it was so smooth and quiet. On the ferry we were approached by numerous touts with photo albums of their bungalows. We ended up deciding to stay at Sunsea Resort and when we arrived at the dock, Eddie, the owner, herded us towards the songthaew that was to take us there. Shay had also elected to stay at the same place and in the darkness in the back of the songthaew we met two Canadians, Matt and Alan, and Noel an Irish bloke who were also staying at Sunsea. The ride to our accommodation was very interesting and jerky, up, down and around the hills and bends. It instilled a little fear in me. When we got to the bungalows they were large, right on the beach and were very clean. The bathroom was the cleanest we'd seen so far, although it doesn't take long to get a bathroom full of sand. It is so fine and sticky that after scrubbing myself under the shower for an hour, I was still caked in sand. We had dinner and watched some of Urban Legends which was on the TV. After tea all six of us took a ride into Hat Rin to check out the nightlife. We took a terrorising 30B songthaew driven by the crazy driver at Sunsea. The road, although paved with concrete, was a bit potholey in places. It was very hilly, winding and it felt as though we were being driven by the devil himself. We clung to the rails for dear life and I started to feel quite queasy, even though I usually have a strong stomach that handles show rides with ease. We finally got to Hat Rin alive although quite shaken. We weren't quite sure which way the beach was so Alan asked this old hippie with purple happy pants and long curly blonde hair with pink streaks in it which way the beach was and he pointed down the trail. Noel then committed a great crime and asked him which was a good spot to go. The hippie proceeded to look down at his feet and said with a strange paranoid drawl and a wave of his arm towards the beach "You've got a bit of soul, a bit of pop, some other bullshit man, then there's some trance further down," shrugged his shoulders and continued to muse about the music. I have subsequently seen the hippie twice wandering along the beach and down the street carrying a wooden electric shaped guitar that looked very battered and was minus strings. The third time I saw him he was being followed by another hippie we had seen at the ferry terminus wearing a dress and with neon bobbles holding two pigtails. This time he was sans dress but still wearing neon yellow hair ties. On the beach we found some chairs around a table in front of Mahoney Mart's. The music was a mixture of pop and pop rock. We heard both the Land Down Under and Holly Valance in the one sitting. Neon lights flashed all around the beach and different types of music played from along the beach. It wasn't very crowded yet - there were still plenty of chairs unoccupied. Numerous bars fronted along the beach selling all types of drinks and cocktails. We watched as the beach began to fill with party goers ready to drink long and hard in the lead up to the Full Moon Party. Watching other people was very interesting. There was a girl in her togs dancing very sexily to her group of friends. She was probably a belly dancer. She had such rhythm and movement about her that it was fascinating to watch her because she had the whole dance down to a smooth roll. We stayed on the beach talking and watching the crowd until 12:30am when we walked through the streets of Hat Rin, past massage parlours and shops that were still open, to a taxi for which we were charged 50B each for another hair raising ride back to the bungalow. We hung around the little beach by our bungalow for a bit, soaking up the atmosphere and serenity of our little beach hideaway. The Canadians loved our accents and Matt was even bold enough to ask on the beach at Hat Rin which of us cute Aussies was single so he knew who he could hit on, although this was just a joke as they both had girlfriends back home.  Nicole and I woke up around 7ish and I washed my clothes which dried properly for the first time in the warm breeze and not so humid temperature. We then decided to walk to Hat Rin and check out the road first hand before attempting another taxi ride. The walk up and down the hilly, windy road was very exhausting. The road was quite narrow and we played chicken with the locals on motorbikes as they refused to move over to pass us. Due to the tough hike up, down and around, we stopped halfway and at the top of each hill and saw some spectacular views of the bay and beaches. We finally arrived in Hat Rin covered in sunscreeny sweat. Nicole went and paddled in the sea while I headed straight for an airconditioned internet cafe to check my emails and send out another update. Mum had sent me an email saying I should check in with the Australian Embassy so Nicole and I both filled in a form on dfat.gov.au to make the parents happy. We then wandered around the shops and I bought a few things including a top that is a bit see through and you can see my nipples through it! - although I didn't realise it at the time. Nicole wanted to get her hair braided so I went and did some sunbathing on the beach which was more like I would imagine a beach in Rio. Brown people were lying all over the beach and it was quite crowded. I couldn't believe the number of women sunbaking topless, I saw at least five around me. People were parasailing further down the beach, water taxis departed from in front of us and beach sellers plied their wares along the strip. The beach vendors were fully protected from the sun with long sleeves, pants, broad brimmed straw hats and scarves wrapped around their necks and faces. They sold all sorts of things from sarongs to jewellery and fruit and were quite bold in coming up to people even though they were feigning sleep, so I put my hat over my face to discourage them from approaching me. After two hours I was quite sandy and in need of a drink and swim. I couldn't go for a swim and leave my stuff on the beach as I just cashed a travellers cheque that morning and so I started to get very restless and agitated. I had agreed to meet Nicole on the beach and thought she wouldn't be far away so I continued to wait, the sun moving the shadows closer to me, until a small shower came out. I went to the nearby cafe for a drink and watched the beach clear of people. A Brazilian guy, Carlos, came and talked to me about his travels, Brazil and Goa where he lives. I got sick of Carlos' monologue and giggle quite quickly. He had been in Koh Pha-Ngan for two months and seemed to know stacks of people there, he would call out to someone he knew and hold out his fleshy hand in greeting, his pockmarked face lighting up. By this stage I was past ready to go back to the bungalow and making my excuses to Carlos I went in search of Nicole. After a circuit of the main street and beach I went down another street and saw her in the window of a hairdresser with her hair in braids. She was 15 minutes away from being ready so I had a look in some more shops and found a Collingwood Football Club cap for sale. Earlier in the day I had seen another one. I couldn't believe that I saw two Collingwood hats in two different shops, especially since there were no other football team hats of any sort. It took Nicole four hours to get her hair braided and grumpy Camille finally got back to the bungalow for a bit of cool down time. Noel asked us if we wanted to go into Hat Rin where he was meeting an old travel buddy he had run into. We went with him and met Paul from South Africa and Arne from Germany. I spoke to Arne for quite awhile and he is going to be in Australia for four months so we swapped email addresses in case we don't see each other again - although I'm sure that despite the five-plus thousand people we will cross paths again. Noel had been in town during the day and had found out that the Full Moon Party wasn't going to be on Monday night during full moon as Buddhists can't drink on Monday's so it was to be postponed till Tuesday 11am. Nicole and I decided to change our flight to Bangkok for Wednesday. We couldn't come to Koh Pha-Ngan for the Full Moon Party and miss it. The ride home from Hat Rin that night was the worst. We were piled into the back of a songthaew which didn't have any awning so there was nothing to hang onto and we were all quite scared. We got talking to a English couple who are on their way to Australia. They will be spending a lot of time in Melbourne staying with a cousin who said they lived in Little Hollywood, which I figure is probably St Kilda. I got woken up at 6am by some drunk people getting home and slamming doors but went back to sleep until 9 when we got up for a lazy day hanging around the bungalow. Nicole called and changed our flights to Bangkok for Wednesday 12:40 which was much easier than I thought it would be. I'm glad to be staying in one spot for awhile - it is so much more relaxing. I'm planning on getting a massage and go to a Muay Thai lesson at Jungle Gym tomorrow, but today will be spent relaxing in the sun and reading. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1034998200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1034998200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/camille/4/1034998200/tpod.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:54:55 -0400 My First International Experience

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Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Yesterday the bus came to pick us up from Jinda Guesthouse. It was a truck set up much the same way as a songthaew except that it also had a bench running down the middle. We piled in and continued around past all the guesthouses and hotels picking up more Phi Phi bound passengers. At the wharf, which was in the estuary of a river, we boarded the Ao Nang Princess, stowed our bags and proceeded to the top front deck where we sat with our feet dangling over the side of the boat. There wasn't a spare bit of railing as everyone was crowding for a spot over the side of the boat. As we moved out of the wharf we passed more fantastic limestone islands and formations. The bay is littered with them. Off the beach at West Hat Rai Leh we stopped and more passengers came out to meet the boat in longtails and got on. During the two hour boat ride we passed some amazing scenery as we motored through indigo coloured water. We arrived at Koh Phi Phi pier and got off, collecting our bags, and started to wander along the beach. We then found a longtail full of people headed for Hat Yao - or Long Beach. We were intending on staying at Paradise Pearl Guesthouse but ended up at Long Beach Guesthouse in a hut facing the sea only 15 metres away. The hut was quite basic, it had wooden slats on the floor and you could see the beach beneath through the gaps. The walls were made of bamboo and the roof of leaves. It had a little verandah and some interesting shells as decorations on the floor of the verandah. We immediately put on our togs and went and lay on the beach to start the tan. I went in for a swim amongst the rocks to find that the water was quite warm and not as refreshing as I had hoped. I stood in the water and a school of fish swam around me, darting through my legs. I didn't realise they were there until I moved my foot and almost stepped on one! I only glanced the side of it but it was enough to give both me and the fish a fright! We spent all day on the beach lying in the sun, swimming and reading. We didn't do any exploring - we were just content to relax. At one point I was quite bored and wanted to get the attention of some boys who were in the cabin behind ours, so I did a standing long jump in the sand: As I leapt into the air, a mangy red dog that had been hanging around rushed at me, and woofed, grazing his teeth against my legs. I was a bit frightened and thoughts like rabies and tetanus ran through my head. The old dog ended up hanging around all day and then decided to sleep under our bungalow that night. We went to the restaurant for a lunchtime snack and there wasn't anything on the menu that really appealed to me and I thought it was all quite pricey so I settled for a lemon shake and cream of corn soup. We watched the longtail captains absolutely engrossed in a Steve Irwin episode that was dubbed in Thai, staring at him as though he was a god. There was nothing to do after dark and our hut didn't have electricity, so we read by torchlight for a bit and went to bed. It was difficult getting to sleep as there were lots of frogs and longtails which made it quite noisy, although probably not as noisy as the previous night in Ao Nang with all the construction work. This morning we got up at 7am again and packed our things ready to get the boat to Krabi at 9am. We got into a longtail again and this time for only 40B we were taken back to the pier. Nicole went to get some money from the ATM and we met our first Australian in the queue - a guy from Albury who was headed to Phuket. We then boarded the ferry and went to sit below deck, where it is a bit fumey and rickety but airconditioned, in a comfy seat as opposed to on the deck. On hindsight now, I think we should have visited Phi Phi Leh where they filmed the Beach. But I suppose there is always another time and another trip to Thailand for that.
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Ao Nang, Thailand

We left KR Mansion Guesthouse and headed for Phattaya Road to catch a songthaew to Ao Nang. In the Lonely Planet it said 30B but it only cost us 20B, which we were pretty pleased about. As we were heading out of Krabi we passed avenues with beautiful median strips and palm trees which reminded me of Deakin Avenue in Mildura. We passed lots of limestone cliffs on our trip. It only took about half an hour to get to Ao Nang. We picked up a mother and her two daughters, laden with produce and cooking implements. They got off in Ao Nang and set up their little business on the side of the road. We arrived in Ao Nang to lots of construction on the road and footpath. We were dropped off at a cluster of guesthouses but went to check out the Phra Nang Inn which was too expensive so we went back to Jinda House where we got a twin room with shared bathroom for 150B. We quickly dumped our backpacks and headed off down the street intending to go down the street first but we ended up getting a 50B longtail to Hat Tham Phra Nang to check out the Princess Cave. We passed some amazing limestone formations jutting out of the sea and falling as sheer cliff faces into the water. The water was a beautiful turquoise colour, a kind of greeny blue you only ever imagine to find in paradise. The line of longtail boats along Ao Nang rocked against the waves. Their anchors holding the bow facing out to sea. There was no competition for customers - all boats were part of the association of longtail boats and they all wore blue long sleeved t-shirts saying this and displaying a sponsors logo. The longtail boats have a long pointy prow, curving elegantly forward, some have mid sections with canopies for protection from the sun, and a bamboo slatted floor. At the stern there is a platform that the captain stands upon, clasping the tiller for the motor, and the prop shaft was long and resembled a whipper snipper. We were dropped off at Hat Tham Phra Nang away from all the other boats. We walked along the beach which was very quiet, down to the end where we thought the caves were. There was a trail leading around in between the only resort on Hat Tham Phra Nang and the limestone cliffs. This track took us to East Rai Leh beach which had so much construction going on. It was not very pretty and had a mangrove type feel at low tide. This beach was lined with bungalows and had rivers of water eroding gullies into the beach which you had to jump over. We had breakfast at YaYa's - mine was a very lovely heart shaped pancake! - and then headed down the beach to the diamond cave. We first started up a path that was for the Diamond Cave Bungalows. Only when we reached a dead end did we realise that we should have taken the adjacent path. When we got to the entrance of the cave, we looked around the visitor centre and then paid our 20B admission to the cave. We almost got away without paying. There was a sign that said you had to pay, but there was no one to pay it to, so we edged closer to the cave entrance and a guy bounded out from a hut nearby and asked for our 20B which we reluctantly handed over. The Diamond Cave had a walkway built through it. Just inside the entrance was a waterfall which was so perfect that it looked man made. The main cavern wasn't what I expected. I had expected it to be further into the cliff and be longer, with smaller grottoes and caves branching off from the main cave. It had only been recently discovered and I was expecting something much more hidden. As we walked back along the construction zone of East Rai Leh beach we saw a boat anchor and drop tourists off far out into the water. They got out of the boat, strapped their packs to their backs, or lifted their suitcases up and waded through knee deep water in the direction of the beach. There was a concrete path leading them to shore, however I'm sure that they were expecting a slice of paradise, only to find East Rai Leh to be an ugly blotch. All they needed to do was walk around to Hat Tham Phra Nang and they would find a perfect piece of paradise. We walked back along the path through the limestone cliffs trying to find out how to get to the lagoon we had heard about, but it remained hidden so we headed back to Hat Tham Phra Nang where it was much more lively. We climbed some rocks and got a good shot of the beach and cliffs. Some Thai boys were playing in the sea at the very edge of the beach. Their clothes were flung over the rocks and they were playing in the sand and then splaying into the water, their brown bodies squirming and squealing and laughing. As we got into the longtail to head back to Ao Nang, we saw a storm coming over from out at sea. Visibility was decreasing and the boat ride was much choppier - waves were splashing over the boat getting us wet and getting saltwater in our eyes.Our boat anchored with a little difficulty and we jumped out. We started walking along the road towards the shops and we ran into the English couple we had met at O'Malleys who were on a day trip to Ao Nang. We told them about the beach at Hat Tham Phra Nang and they continued on and we continued to the shops. Nicole and I bought a couple of shirts and I bought a new pair of sandals and also a beautiful pair of leather thongs which we were told were handmade by the shop assistant's brother. They had lots of unusual leather sandals, one pair was shaped like a wolf and another like a foot with a hand flapping over it. It started to bucket down with rain so we sought refuge in a cafe. Sipping on lemon shakes we watched the rain set in. We had an excellent view of the storm coming in from sea. When we saw a break in the rain we dashed out, got a copy of the Bangkok Post and went back to our guesthouse to sit on the balcony watching the rain turn to shine. We ventured out again to check out the street our guesthouse was on. There were lots of places to stay and eat and also shops open late. Nicole bought a picture from a deaf stall holder. We spent some time emailing friends and then had dinner at Chanaya's a Thai-Dutch restaurant. I didn't really like my meal so I didn't eat it all. Our waiter was very friendly and he took a bit of a shine to us, saying we were beautiful and asking when we were coming to Ao Nang again. After tea we had a drink at Midnight Bar. Nicole was tired and she tried to leave with her soft drink in a bottle but they called us back as the bottles are all recycled from the place of purchase. It probably explains why the bottles are smaller, because people have to scull them down quickly if they are in a hurry!Back at the guesthouse we booked our tickets to Phi Phi and went upstairs to our room. It was so noisy. Other people were out on the balcony outside our window, across the road workmen were still working on the building site (until well after 10pm) a nightclub seemed to start up nearby but then mysteriously stopped at 10pm and there was road noise from the motorcycles on the road. Let's hope I'm tired enough to sleep through it all!! (I can't believe I'm still hearing the angle grinder on the building site over the road at 10:30pm!!)
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Krabi, Thailand

After a great sleep I was reluctant to get up. Apparently roosters had been crowing and Nicole couldn't sleep. She said that she had been asking me questions and that I was answering her in my sleep. We decided to walk around Krabi and do a spot of shopping for some essentials (ie money purses, thongs and sarongs). Our walk around Krabi continued and continued and continued. We ended up at the morning market and passed whole plucked chickens and geese just sitting on tables with flies gathering round. We also passed anchovies sitting in baskets. Lots of fruit was for sale too. Spending the day in Krabi we decided to check our e-mails and send an update to family and friends. We pulled into Krabi Internet and Computer which was airconditioned and cost 45B for an hour. I had four e-mails waiting for me. Two from Mum, one from Betto and one from Sara. Mum was checking in with me and also sent a second e-mail to say that a bomb had gone off in Bali, killing 180 people, mostly Australians. Our parents were a little worried about us. I sent a group email of some of the things we've seen. Betto sent me the results of Bathurst - which was very disappointing. Sara emailed to say that my manager Pam had gotten engaged to Frank - very unexpected. I got a couple of replies back from Betto and Alison which was nice to get (even though Betto was paying me out for refusing to believe that my sandals were completely wrong!) We left and continued wandering in circles until finally we were thirsty and stopped for a drink and a copy of the Bangkok Post to find out more about the Bali bombing. It was pretty horrible stuff and made us both feel glad to be in Thailand. We then went back to the hotel and went up and sat in the rooftop beer garden a while. The views were great and Nicole was staring at the barman making an offering to the spirits in the spirithouse. He could feel her watching him as he prayed and turned around uncomfortably. We had seen lots of spirithouses in our travels so far, and they fascinated us as we weren't sure exactly what they were for and they looked like mailboxes. We had driven past places where spirithouses were for sale and stacked up in a big pile waiting for a new owner. Apparently the owners have to have a comfortable house for all the spirits to live in so that they don't take over the house. If a family do a renovation to their house, they have to upgrade the spirithouse so that they spirits don't become angry. They offer incense, food, drinks and trinkets for the spirits in their spirithouse on a daily basis to keep them happy. We wandered off down the street for dinner and stopped at O'Malley's Irish Pub so Nicole could get a Guinness. We started talking to an English guy who was in Thailand with his partner and 4 year old daughter. They are spending over 6 months in Thailand! They had also been to lots of other places in the world which was very interesting to hear about. We left to go to dinner and discovered that Nicole's Guinness had cost her 275B, equivalent to $13!! I hope it was worth it. We headed down towards the night market but it started to rain so we had dinner at Sunshine Restaurant and looked at the market after tea. In a moment of homesickness, Nicole bought some grapes but they had mildew on them. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the post office and I made a collect call to home - just to allay Mum's fears, although she wasn't at all worried about us. By the sounds of things, Mrs Shaw was more concerned that she hadn't heard from Nicole.
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