We Took a TukTuk (in Cambodia)

Suostei! 

Mitch here. I opened up with a Khmer/Cambodian greeting because we are in Cambodia already!

Our attempt at the classic Angkor Wat picture.

Last time we posted, we were about to head to the Queens Cabaret on Koh Tao, Thailand. It was a very confusing but entertaining outing and well worth the cost of two outrageously priced drinks. After admiring all of the lady boys lip sync to chart topping tunes, Bryn volunteered me to be a part of the last act... so I’ll add embarrassing to the adjectives describing our experience.

Lady boys!

The following day, I began my level 1 free diving course and Bryn carried on with the yoga and beach routine, trying to win the affection of the golden retriever who made regular appearances near our resort...  I believe his “name” was Ronaldo? She also enjoyed the scooter as our 2 day bike rental quickly turned into half day, which turned to one day scooter which then turned into three more days of scootering around the steep, windy and fun roads of Koh Tao.

Free diving turned out to be an unreal course and I’m strongly considering going back to do my level 2 in May. The instructor was a very accomplished Spaniard who took a lot of time with the three of us and gave us all the right tools to make 20m on one breath easier than I ever thought possible. The trickiest part for me was equalizing and keeping my kicking form. Those who may know me from swimming may recall that I was never a strong kicker... long fins help!

Our last of eight days on the island were very enjoyable and we met a lovely couple from St. Albert (Edmonton area) who were keen to get some spring riding in upon their return to the motherland. They even expressed interest in moving to Nelson, so if you run into a “Princess” Paul and Jenny, they’re a couple of beauties.

Reading at Chalok baan kao bay 

Sunset in Sairee beach

Shark bay (snorkeled with black tip reef sharks!)

In order to get off the island and make tracks towards Phuket, we opted for the unique experience of an overnight boat to Surat Thani and minibus to Phuket.  Bryn wasn’t convinced that it was the right choice and within the first 30 minutes of departure, the swaying of the ship reaffirmed her reluctance. However, we made it with adequate sleep (Gravol induced) and the minibus was arguably the rougher ride of the two legs.

Overnight boat accommodation 

Phuket was one of my favourite places of Thailand but I’m not quite sure why. It had its seedy, touristy areas but also had some wonderful lookouts and beaches. Furthermore, we had our own apartment close to a market so we were able to cook for ourselves rather than eat out for every meal. 

Feeding the troop on Monkey Hill

Because of the size of the island, we rented another scooter for 3 days and checked out some hot spots on our own. The top spot was probably monkey hill, where visitors are encouraged to bring peanuts and/or bananas for the troop(s) of monkeys, remaining diligent to protect your bags, hats, cameras, selfie sticks etc. from being snatched!

Someone lost their selfie stick...

The scooter riding in itself was a tonne of fun for me and though Bryn wouldn’t like to hear this, it was kind of like a wild Mario Kart race the whole time! More scooters meant less beer, which meant feeling better and saving money. 

Promthep viewpoint, Phuket 

Phuket is an excellent access point to the islands of the Andaman Sea, so we made a day trip to Koh Phi Phi (partly so famous from Leonardo Dicaprio’s “The Beach”) for some snorkelling and beach lazing. The boat ride in itself was gorgeous and our route took us past most of the hot sights (Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave) before docking at Ton Sai pier.

Taking in the beauty of Ko Phi Phi

The primary mode of transport is taxi boating, but we opted for the walking since it’s the only real form of exercise we can get regularly (besides a casual set of pushups or Welling-tens).

When we arrived in Cambodia and had our visas taken care of, we took a tuktuk to our lovely accommodation on a quiet street about 1.5km from the centre of Siem Reap. We are here for our fourth and final night. The temples of Angkor were too overwhelming to plan for one FULL day, so we went for the 3 day pass and spent 5-6 hours each day touring the temples. We saw a couple of sunsets and a sunrise amongst Angkor Wat and a few other awesome ruins: Phnom Bakheng, Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei, Srah Srang and Preah Khan Temple. Too much history for this massive collection of Buddhist Temples (and Tombs) to get into but definitely a must visit if in Southeast Asia.

Exploring Angkor Wat

Banteay Srei: the ladies temple dedicated to Shiva

Sunrise at the South Gate of Angkor Thom

No matter how many photos, we just can’t seem to do the awesomeness justice.

Taking our time with the sites of Angkor allowed us to fit in some exploring of the non temple type. We visited the land mine museum which was started by a heroic Cambodian named Aki Ra. Long story short, he was a child soldier (he was given his first gun at age 10) with the Khmer Rouge and as he grew older, realized what terrible things he was a part of.  He defected from the Khmer Rouge and began work as a deminer in 1993. He literally had thousands of deactivated unexploded objects in his house, which then transformed into a museum. 

A glimpse of the landmine museum 

The recent history of Cambodia is fascinating yet very horrifying. For the most part, the people are doing well thinking positive about the future and not dwelling on the past. Siem Reap is unique since it’s so touristy, but there is still clear evidence of the poverty in this country. Prices are inflated in the touristy parts, but it’s still quite cheap if you go to the right places. For example, a beer is $0.50 USD (2000 Cambodian Riel) and a traditional dish is $2.

One thing we’ve both really come to realize on this leg of our journey is how damn lucky we are to be Canadians. I think the best part of travelling is seeing other parts of the world and recognizing that we do in fact come from the best place on earth.

We are taking a night bus tomorrow to Sihanoukville then heading to the island of Koh Rong for 3 or 4 nights, sleeping on the beach in a tent.

Arkoun!

(No, I don’t speak Cambodian. Fortunately they study English in school here, so we’re okay not learning the 33 letter alphabet or anything beyond “hi” “bye” and “thanks”)