Matt Hobbs

Back-kok

In the backstreets of Khao San road, Bangkok once again and after Cambodia everything just seems so sedate and un-unnerving that I can’t believe I felt a bit edgy when I first arrived in Bangkok! Funny how things change isn’t it?

The last few days in Siem Reap were pretty chilled out. By chilled out I mean we didn’t spend the whole day running around temples like Indiana Jones (or Lara Croft in Dom’s case {;) – instead hanging out in town and getting drunk on the local cocktails. Khmer spirit is not to be recommended unfortunately tasting something like lighter fluid, or at least what I imagine lighter fluid tastes like, but with no kick at all. Yashka’s 26th birthday was much reason for merriment and all had a splendid night eating at Dead Fish again and feeding the crocodiles. Then onto Angkor What? where stayed up late chatting with Kate about everything and anything and finding out that Angelina Jolie’s Cambodian pad is only a mere 4 hours by road, but 20 minutes by helicopter, from Siem Raep (thanks to Max for that).

One thing I found out as a side effect of that late night was that Siem Reap is busiest with locals at dawn. Everyone seems to be up and about, with the light lovely for photos and everyone bustling around happily. The boats on the river in the morning mist were stunning.

Next day had to get up early for the bump-tastic ride back to Poi Pet in a van that was nowhere near as plush (or empty – especially with the rugsacs wedged all around me) as the one we arrived in, but made up for that with a manic speed that got us to the border in half the time of the journey down. I suspect the driver’s horn was wired directly to his accelerator, indicator and possibly side mirror adjustment lever though – as it was keeping us accompaniment the whole way back. Cambodian national anthem maybe?

So now back in Bangkok – and it feels very tame compared to Cambodia. Can’t say I’m missing the acrid sting and small of the nightly burn of all rubbish though, but apart from that I am missing everything else – the smiling people, saying ‘Oour kuhm chiran’, the manic street ‘rules’ for cars and just the sheer visceral impact of it all. Oh, except that drinks are now B10 instead of 50 centsplus and the rooms here are dirt cheap – so my budget has suddenly extended out for months more. Huzah! Getting some films developed now for about 50p each.. sweet.

Off to breakfast now… then finalising plans for next stage of trip. Ko Tao is looking to be the next port of call then onto the other islands on that side of Thailand for more diving, sun and chilled times. Looking forward to lying on a beach immensely – but a hammock will do me as the sun sets over the sea. Bliss.

Wat ho!

Cambodia has come a long way in the last 25 years (it was the 25th anniversary of the end of the killing fields the other day) – as witnessed by the fact I’m now sitting in an Internet cafe in Siem Reap. It’s now been a week since I landed in Asia, a few fun, hectic pat thai filled days in Bangkok and then a crazy day of travelling across the Cambodian border and now I’ve been in Siem Reap, near to the awesome Angkor Wat temple ruins, for four days.

First up, the border crossing… Intense and vaguely stressful is probably the best way to describe it – an ‘experience’. Running en masse through the grey muddy marketplace that surrounds the Thai border with small thieving kids watching your every pocket is great fun. The gateway to the Kingdom of Cambodia is highly impressive, but once through you are surrounded by madness – normaly riding a motorbike (or with up to 5 people riding one motorbike). The whole town square is surrounded by motorbikes and people who just watch you all the time which is slightly unnerving. Then one of the guys on our coach to Siem reap got scammed in a most obvious way, but then the threat was ‘if you don’t pay, we leave you in Poi Pet’ – not an attractive prospect so he paid up, be warned! As for the ride, well… bumpy is a bit of an understatement to say the least – but watching the local countryside unfold, complete with ‘danger mines’ signs was awesome.

Briefly now – Angkor Wat… Wow! This is an amazing sight indeed. Such a mix of temple types and all stunning in their own ways. Precipitous steps, overgrown walls with tree roots pushing blocks out, and small children constantly asking you to buy everything for ‘one dollar! one dollar mistah!’. Took so many photos, in fact all of us did… expensive hobby this travelling malarky.

OK – back out into the madness of Siem Reap now. More laterer…

A great first full day in Bangkok later and feeling a lot more settled. So much to see and do but in fact we jump in a bus to Cambodia tomorrow hence going to see the Grand Palace today and the reclining Buddha for a bit of culture.

So as I’m being lazy.. here’s a quick list of high points from yesterday: getting adopted by a cute temple cat with a stumpy tail, watching multi-coloured teams of school kids chanting happily at their school games day, temples temples and temples with wonderful gilt windows and be-robed monks and nuns, my first thai massage (with possible request if I’d like ‘extras’ or me mishearing a simple Thai phrase badly!), lots of little kids selling flowers, cheap knock off sandles and way too much cheap and lush pat thai…

Sawa Dee

Or however it’s spelt… It means ‘welcome’ or ‘hello’ here in Thailand and you here it all the time along with the strangers wai greeting – hands clasped together as if in prayer below your chin and a slight bow.

So yep – in Bangkok now, just round the corner from the infamous Khao San road (which is now less infamous in behaviour due to a major drug crackdown a few years back and everything closing at 1am rather than 4 or later). It’s warm and sticky here and there’s a slight sulfurous smell which is reminiscent of being in New Zealand! Met up with Vera and Dom after an exhilarating (ie, almost sh*t myself at times) taxi ride from the airport, then out for a few roadside Mai Tais costing all of about 90p. Didn’t quite get up the nerve to have my first roast grasshopper but did have a lush pat thai for B15 (30p).

Favourite things so far (aside from how cheap everything is for staying, eating and drinking): the traffic – the tuk tuks (little three wheeled bike cabs) zipping in and out everywhere and the buses that look like de-comissioned tanks, how smiley everyone is even though they’re dealing every day with a continuing stream of (generally drunken) tourists, the food stalls and seeing Vera and Dom again.

Come fly with me

Another day, another flight.. After all the flights I’ve made in my life to wonderful exotic locations (and Pennsylvania) you’d think I’d be good at flying by now. Ah well. Guess I’m just agitated because it’s my first flight in over six months and I’d gotten very comfortable and happy living in Melbourne. Thailand is going to be awesome though – so excited about going diving again, so it’s definately worth the short term discomfort.

Plus it’s also exciting to be going somewhere the currency is nowhere near parity with UK money. Just changed AU$120 to 3000 Thai Baht. Not quite as silly as Italian Lira used to be pre-Euro but still very confusing. Guess I’m a millionaire now.. almost-ish.

Crikey!

Well, everything’s in boxes now and just have to do a quick run down the Post Office to send off my ‘valuable’ crap back home. Amazing how much random stuff I’d accumulated in such a short time. Been good practice paring it all down as I get ready to head off – but have to give credit to the Chrises for a much more impressive shedding of everything they own, as the house is now bare save for a few suitcases. Amazing.

Still half excited about going and half sad – had a great night out last night, visiting a lot of the regular Brunswick Street haunts. Plus Emma at Bimbos gave me a free pizza – huzah (as if my gut wasn’t already big enough from their pizzas). Feel a bit rough now, but that’s traditional for getting on a long haul flight these days. Anyway, for those of you interested in my route as I travel it’s all going to be on Tripsta, so sign up for that and then invite me along as a friend using ultrahi@yahoo.com as the email address. Simple. Going to be fun trying that site out for real as I travel again….

So, to my Melbourne friends, hope to see you all again somewhen and somewhere soon – enjoy the city for me while I’m away {:)

PFT

Not that long now till I get in a plane for Bangkok, and, as usual, the news is suddenly full of plane crashes, terrorist threats and everything else guaranteed to make me more nervous while I’m flying! Grrr… Ah well, everything will be fine as always but that never seems to stop me getting worked up before I fly.

Meanwhile the packing continues.. It’s amazing how much crap I’ve managed to accumulate in such a short time here. One of the dangers of stopping for a bit while travelling I guess. Now which camera(s) should I take with me….

Monty python’s autobiography. A huge tome of a book written directly from comments by all the Python team. Lots of interesting background, into both what happened and how people felt about it.

I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky

Interesting article on the BBC that talks about how to be lucky [courtesy of MetaFilter]. Will try to apply some of the guidelines for being lucky as I head round Thailand.

Pretty much recovered from New Year’s Eve now – although still seem to be crazily sleepy all the time. Little bit stressed out as I try and get everything packed up and sorted out before leaving on Thursday. I’m quite sad to be leaving Melbourne (although excited about seeing Asia and, eventually, getting home to see my family) – I’ve had a lot of fun here and met some really lovely people. Hard to believe it’s been a year already since I first entered Australia! Although not so hard to believe when I look at my bank balance… ouch.

Happy 2004!

Another year starts to unfold… Just got back from the Falls Festival after a few days of gorgeous sunshine (and consequently sun kissed skin type effect). Been the best weather of any of my trips to the Great Ocean Road so far – totally faultless.

Falls festival was fun – although managed to disgrace myself by popping off for a quick half hour nap pre-midnight and then managing to sleep through the appointed hour! Oops. Felt a lot better for my four hours ‘nap’ though, which somehow saw me sleeping through the banging bass of the dance tent right next to where I was snuggled up in our hire car.

Hope everyone has a splendid year ahead (and beyond).