Update?

Tomorrow morning Elizabeth and I are off on our adventure. Not sure when I'll get to update on the road but here's the plan:

Wednesday 2- leave at 8:35 in the morning to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Spend the night there.
Thursday 3- spend the day in Kuala Lumpur and take the overnight train to Singapore
Friday 4- spend the day in Singapore and take the overnight train back to Kuala Lumpur
Saturday 5- spend the day and night in Kuala Lumpur
Sunday 6- fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand and spend the night there with our Gap Adventures tour
Monday 7-Wednesday 9- trek around the northern hilltribes of Thailand with the Gap Adventures tour, staying in huts, riding elephants, rafting on bamboo floats, etc.
Thursday 10- Spend the day in Chiang Mai and take the overnight train to Bangkok, Thailand
Friday 11- spend the day in Bangkok and fly out at midnight
Saturday 12- fly from Bangkok->Nagoya, Nagoya->Detroit, Detroit->ATLANTA!

Hopefully I'll get to update in between times but if not, you all know where I am and what I'm up to! Bid me farewell!

Impact around the world

One of the things that has amazed me about traveling so much is the people that don't leave.

In Costa Rica there were people that went to the cloud forest to study for a semester or even a summer and just never left. They ended up staying for a year or so just cause they liked it. In Morocco I met a guy that went to China for 3 weeks and ended up traveling all over Asia and north Africa for over a year. There were people that stayed to teach English and one guy that moved there for 20 years.

While I love to travel and see things around the world, I love coming home. I've seen Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and Central America...and I like home best.

Something about coming up the escalator at Hartsfield-Jackson brings warm and fuzzies to my soul; and the idea of Bob's pancakes before church with all my friends makes me feel nestled in.

Andrea and Brandon Ross are the people that own the bed and breakfast here. They moved here from California 7 years ago and now have a 4 year old daughter and a 3 year old son. Now that grandkids are involved they take trips back to the US every summer to see the grandparents.

Many years ago Brandon and Andrea wanted to take a trip abroad. Brandon wanted to do Africa, Andrea wanted to do Europe. So they came to Cambodia as a compromise.

They saw all the poverty and disease and decided that Cambodia needed their help. So they moved here. Indefinitely.

Now, next to the bed and breakfast, is Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC). It's the philanthropy the Rosses have started to help out in Siem Reap. Their slogan is, "See a problem, fix a problem." And they live up to it.

The work they do includes:
- scholarship funds to send Cambodians to college
- a clean water initiative where they have put numerous wells in the surrounding villages so that the people can have access to clean water, decreasing disease
- art classes for children- creativity in kids isn't encouraged here at all compared to in America so they do this class for free every Sunday to give the kids a creative outlet
- massage classes- they have free massage training for poor women so that they can have a career
- sewing classes- same as the massage training but to train people to sew and maybe be tailors one day
*the suicide rate at the women's prison was really high so Andrea thought it would be a good idea to start free sewing lessons there, too. It not only decreased the suicide rate but other NGO's saw the impact and have started teaching other kinds of classes to the women, too.
- microfinance program where they give small loans to the people so that they can afford to build a better house or buy something that will help them start a business

I'm sure I'm missing some things but that's pretty impressive in itself.

The point is, some people can do it. They can move away from home and leave the life they knew for the good of other people. The Rosses are changing and saving lives over here and no one even knows their names back in America. It's incredible how selfless they are to sacrifice that nestled-in, top-of-the-escalator feeling to impact a community halfway around the world.

So here's to Andrea and Brandon. I am duly impressed.

Little Orphan Lisa

These past few days have been pretty lazy because we don't have any planned adventures so today five of us decided to visit an orphanage. Andrea, the woman who owns the B&B, said there is one out in the country that is very welcoming to visitors if they donate at the end of the tour so we went to that one.

Little did we know how into the country it was.

Our driver had no idea how to get to the orphanage which was pretty apparent when he pulled off the road twice in the first 5 minutes to call someone. We got lost multiple times and luckily found a couple from the Netherlands down here volunteering out in the country to direct us the right way.

It is amazing how much Cambodians depend on NGO's and volunteerism. We have met so many people here for months at a time volunteering and there are hundreds of wells in remote villages just because people have reached out with the clean water initiative. Sometimes I'm skeptical about where "18 cents to support a child" or "donate here for the poor people in...." all goes to but now I know. Cambodia is so much healthier and more educated because of volunteers and NGO's.

Anyways, we finally got to the orphanage and it wasn't half bad. The man that gave us the tour was the guy that started the orphanage/school three years ago, completely on his own. He was 21 when he started it and funded it by himself the first year before he started getting funding and volunteers from abroad, mostly from Australia and the Netherlands. Now he runs it with his family and has volunteers as the teachers.

There were kids in classrooms age 4-23 that were learning English, Japanese and Chinese. When we walked by the outdoor pavillion classrooms they would stand up and say, "Good afternoon, visitor." I met a little girl named Lisa (in the green shirt) who was tickled at the fact that I had a sister named Lisa too. We played frisbee with some of the kids but mostly just talked to them and let them practice their English with us. There are 665 kids that go to school there and Lord knows how many that are actually orphans.

At the end we each donated some money to the orphanage and I donated $10 so I got a t-shirt. I'm pretty stoked.

Here are some pictures of the day:

Lesson learned, life. Lesson learned.

Today was a writing day so we got to do whatever we wanted. We've gotten pretty close with the staff here and one of the girls, Nari, got a great haircut this morning.

So four of us decided we could go for a $5 haircut too.

Yesterday we got $6 massages and we've all gotten a bit caught up in how cheap salon treatments are here.

Off to the Soy Beauty Salon we went.

Nari met us there to translate. Which should have been our first red flag. If you need a translator around someone with scissors, just pass on the whole thing.

I'm not at all picky about my hair in general and have been known to buy semi-permanent hair dye at 2am at Wal-mart so the whole idea of getting my hair cut in Asia didn't concern me.

With Nari as our translator, I asked to keep it long, angle the front, and cut my bangs a bit...like, uh....hers! (pointing at one of the hair washers with cute, side-swept bangs.)

TERRIBLE IDEA, CINDY. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEA.

Why did I think it was a good idea to get my bangs cut in Asia? We've all seen Asian bangs. No offense, but they don't look stellar on a round faced whitey like me. Hell, usually they don't look all that good on the Asian.

This girl had cute bangs though. And I wanted them. My guess is that he cut mine like he originally cut hers....about 3 months ago.

He only took about 10 minutes on each of us (after our 30 minute head massage and shampooing though) and I'm willing to bet he looked away when he made the first cut of my bangs. I swear the whole salon went silent before the snickering began.

The other girls were sympathetically telling me it doesn't look that bad or that I can probably just pin them back...for a few weeks. Comforting, girls. Thank you.

They don't look too bad blowdried and pushed to the side, but I highly doubt I'll be able to pin back the inch and a half of hair I have left in some places.

Let's have a looksie, shall we?



That's what it looks like when you get your bangs cut in Asia. Don't do it, dear readers. Just say no.

Overgrown

Not much has gone down in the last few days except for the internet. Got a cute stomach bug for a while and wrote like it was nobody's business in order to turn in my first big story. It went really well though and I think I'm catching on to this writing stuff. Last night our dinner wasn't included at the B&B so we all went to a place called Temple (fitting, I know) to watch apsaras dancing while we eat. Apsaras are kind of like angels and they're carved into almost all the temples in Cambodia. They're dancing ladies that used to dance for the gods and today girls train from a really young age to move their hands and backs in the apsara way.



Then today we did more temples. The first one I was really pumped to see. It's called Bang Melea and its completely overgrown with trees and bushes. It was kind of forgotten so it all crumbled and is in shambles but the overgrowth is really cool.





Then we ventured around two more temples that were actually pretty cool. We got lucky that the three we saw today were all really different.

Chasing waterfalls

So yesterday I didn't write because it was pretty uneventful. From a blog stand point, at least.

Yesterday was an interview day. First all morning me and two of the girls went to watch palm sugar being made. It tastes like a mix between pralines and sugar cubes. It has a really low glycemic index and so many more vitamins and minerals than regular cane sugar. We spent about an hour and a half with the family interviewing and talking to them so we got them to take a family picture in front of their house before we left.



Yesterday afternoon we tuk tuked around to two different hospitals to interview doctors for our stories. We're all writing different stories but you have to go with a partner, which is why we did palm sugar and doctors in one day.

Then today we planned a trip to a waterfall to get out of our complex and take a break from writing. We drove an hour and a half on a super bumpy road to get to the stream. We parked at the top of it so at first it just looked like a little, slow moving river but then we got to hike down to the bottom where it was a huge waterfall.

So naturally we ran and jumped and splashed like little kids until we were exhausted. The water was actually cool though which is incredible because our pool and all the lakes we've seen have been like hot tubs. This added to our happiness to be in the water.

For lunch we ordered 3 chickens and they gave us the WHOLE chicken. It was just too reminiscent of A Christmas Story. We got the head and eyes and claws and everything. But we still picked it to the bone.

Here's me and Elizabeth at the waterfall. Just remember, a true sorostitute never turns her back on the skinny arm.

Monk-y business

Today was a day on a mission.

After an early breakfast and class, 7 of the girls took off to the market for some serious shopping.

Some of the things I got were Christmas gifts but let me just say that I got 24 things for $100. Love the Cambodian marketplace.

We spent 2 hours on a mission before we dropped our bags and picked up our forks for some scrumptious food at the Khmer Kitchen, our favorite Cambodian restaurant. Let's just say you can get 5 fried spring rolls, a heap of cashew nut chicken and a plate of rice for $4.

After all of that we needed some peace. So three of us met up with our favorite guide, Yut, to go to the Buddhist monastery. Yut was a monk for 10 years and did his first 3 months as a novice in a monastery in Siem Reap so we went to that one.

Side note: you'll frequently see children running around with coins and keys on strings around their necks. I asked what that was about and they said that monks will bless the keys and coins and sick children wear them as a blessing of good health. Since I haven't been having the best of luck with my health for the past year I found a tiny jade key at the market place and brought it to the monastery to be blessed for me to wear.

After taking off our shoes and sitting, feet facing behind us, on a mat the monks had lain out for us, we bowed three times to them so that they could begin the blessing. They collected my necklace, some string and some of the other girl's things in a bowl to be blessed and began. We held our hands in front of us in traditional "prayer" form as the monks chanted/sang us two blessings. In this off the beaten path, genuine Buddhist environment where the monks worked, lived and prayed, it was incredibly surreal.

There were saphron robes hanging on clothes pins to be dried outside one of the houses. That's right, monks do laundry too. And if you're dressed conservatively you can look them in the eye, just don't touch. Luckily I was dressed like a boy.

After the blessing they each tied a piece of red string around our wrists. This is a pretty traditional thing for monks to do to those who they bless. I asked if they had any coins with holes in them, which is normal because they bless these a lot for people. One of the monks found a pendant with the Buddha goddess on it and they gave it to me. I think it's copper and has Khmer writing around it. I got a gift from a monk. I almost let out a "YIPPEEE!!!" but figured that wasn't the right time for that kind of reaction.

Now, contrary to popular belief, I actually have to do school work. Off to do interviews tomorrow and research my life away tonight.

Last two days

Two days to update on.

Yesterday we visited a silk factory and saw how silk was made through the entire process. We saw the worms, their cocoons, how they get the silk into thread, how they dye it and eventually weave it. Then we saw a wood/stone carving shop where they were making lots of Buddha heads.

Today we went out on a long boat ride over the Tonle Sap river, a manmade freshwater lake. In the middle of the lake is a floating village. The Vietnamese that came here and have no money can't afford land so they live on the water. Their houses literally float in the lake and they get everywhere by boat. Beggars come up to you in their little boats and grab on to the sides of your boat. There are little children with snakes around their necks to get your attention, too. Then we saw a catfish farm and a crocodile farm on a floating platform. They harvest the fish for food and the crocs for leather.

Sorry this is so quickly written but we just got finished watching The Killing Fields and I'm exhausted.

Bad news bears

There seems to be some disgruntlement between the Yellow Shirts and the Red Shirts in Thailand, provoking strikes and riots and attacks. They were originally in Bangkok but have now spread into the northern regions of Thailand, including Chiang Mai.

Elizabeth and I have planned to be in Chiang Mai on the 6th of June, be on an American tour from the 6-10, take a train to Bangkok and be there for two days before we fly back to America.

This morning the American government issued a travel warning for Thailand, urging Americans to evacuate the country. That's no good.

As of this morning we were still sticking to the plan but we're going to have to wait a while to see if it's worth changing our plans. Hopefully this will calm down in the next few days or a week so that we can stick to our travel plans but if worst comes to worst we'll visit Singapore or somewhere else close to Malaysia and push back our Kuala Lumpur to Chiang Mai flight, hopefully also making it a Kuala Lumpur straight to Bangkok flight so we can fly right out from there.

I'll keep yall updated but hopefully the Yellow and Red meet some kind of Orange soon.

A day in a village

Yesterday was an epic day. A good kind of epic though. Not a sick kind. I felt tons better and that was nice when we had another long day outside. One of the Journeys Within tour guides walked us around his village which was out in the country, a place not seen by tourists so women came up to us to touch our fair skin. Here's a bit of a photo essay to describe the day.

It started with a tuk tuk ride through some pretty potholey roads:




We stopped at the guy's uncle's house who had a wine making place in his backyard:



And then we drank rice wine from a coconut shell. It was EXTREMELY strong and tasted like a straight shot of vodka. I'm down for trying new things though. Not sure why people would want to drink when it's this hot outside.



Some guys in the village shimmied up coconut trees to get coconuts for us to drink the juice. We watched them hack at the fruits to chop off the top and make the bottom flat and then they put straws in and handed us each one:



Next we rode a boat to an island with ruins:




Mom, don't look. We definitely didn't pay $2 to ride 3 people deep on motorbikes from the boat to the ruins:



When we got onto this random island we looked at the ruins and then saw this monk sitting in a little hut. He was 80 years old and tells fortunes. I got him to tell mine and it said, "Wherever you go, you will be ok." So that's nice and settling.



This was the super sturdy dock we stepped off the boat onto. I love this picture but it looks like a scary movie or something:



And right before we went home we ate fried crickets:

Where we at

So since I've spent the weekend chilling in my room with the aircon, I thought I'd fill yall in on what the compound looks like. Here are some pictures in and around my room/complex. It's awesome.

Looking up

7:44am Sunday Cambodia time

So yes, I spent yesterday in bed still feeling like manure. But, thanks to WebMD, I think it was heat exhaustion in which case you just need to rest and be out of the heat for a while.

Last night my fever broke and I just woke up feeling much better so today is going to be a great day of anti-sickness. I can feel it already.

Class blog

Since we are here in SE Asia doing travel writing, our class is keeping a blog. Check out HERE what everyone is writing about their experiences and comment freely.

Hot, hot, hot.

Today was the day of even MORE temples. So, while I'm sure pictures would have you all enthralled, I'm not going to blog about that.

We went to three temples today. We were out in the heat from 9am-3pm. That's a really long time to be trekking around and climbing over ruins.

So at about the second temple the 104 degree heat hit me. Like a brick wall.

Headache, clammy, nauseous, and a hint of dizziness that had me grabbing for any steady structure.

Naturally, I was paired today with the girl who brought the 4 lenses (that she changes out regularly) for her massive camera. She enjoyed stopping every 30 seconds to smell the roses and then take pictures of them. Which is wonderful for photography and life in general. Doesn't fare well when you're reaching for the tuk tuk Sistine Chapel style.

Between the second and third temples we stopped by a little Khmer restaurant to eat lunch. AKA I spent 5 dollars to chug water and stare at a plate of fried rice. Which was spicy. And I can't eat spicy foods, thanks to my darling reflux problems.

Once we were done we climbed back into our tuk tuk, where our driver was no where to be found. We waited 20 minutes for our driver and guide before a random tuk tuk driver asked who we were waiting for. When he retrieved them, we were off to the third temple.

Still feeling like my suffocated spider caught under a cup (remind me to let him out after this), we arrived at the third temple. The Tomb Raider temple where Angelina Jolie herself frolicked about. I was not in the mood to frolic. Zero frolicking, sir. I told the guide I wasn't gonna make it to the temple and if I stepped out of the tuk tuk there was a strong chance I was going to dive face-first into the dirt.

So I waited in the tuk tuk.

For an hour and a half.

Which would have been fine if I would have been able to sit with legs spread, elbows on knees, head hanging between them like I had planned.

INSTEAD, the driver decided to practice English with me. Which he was not very good at. And it would have been fine, I'm all into international conversation classes, had I not felt like manure.

Did we talk about our favorite color? Nope. How about our families? No. How about anything remotely easy to converse about? Au contraire. We talked about democracy.

It was a wee bit painful.

Not only did we discuss the government of Cambodia versus America, but I was told I was wrong multiple times.

It went like this:

Driver:"In Cambodir we has ze people with ze problem. Zeeeee prezident. He don't lizen to ze people. In Amadica, you have ze problem and ze president, he fix the problem."

Me: "Not always. We elect representatives who vote for most stuff FOR the people, but it's impossible to make every person happy."

Driver: "No. That is not how it iz in Amadica."

And with that, I am defeated.


Alas, the hour and a half passes and it is time to head home! The wind through my tuk tuk is magical and I can feel the cold shower running already.

Quite naturally, the roommate with the key was not back yet. So we waited in the heat for another 30 minutes until she came.

Dear Mother,
I'm quite alright now. After a cold shower and a few minutes in the air conditioning this is all a bit funny. Not too funny yet, I need more air conditioning before it's really funny. However, the day didn't go well but I'm going to camp out in my cool room all night to return my body temperature to below boiling. I promise, tomorrow will be a better day.
Love, your darling daughter

PS- Yes, Mom, I drank water. In my defense I had 3000ml of water before/during all this happened.


Let's hope tomorrow something goes right.

Angkor WAT!? Angkor TOHM

Today was Angkor Tohm day and though I'm sure it was quite interesting, our tour guide had very broken English. Here are some pictures from it though.

The adorned Buddha is what they were trying to make the Hindu god look like in Angkor Wat.

PS- please excuse my travel clothes. Indiana Jones, Inc. was having a sale.

For your viewing pleasure...

Elizabeth and I running around Angkor Wat like it's a jungle gym.