“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

It is officially fall back home and I can’t help but imagine a pair of snazzy brown leggings paired with a ridiculous pair of boots, and a light sweater dress complemented just perfectly by one of many of my beanies or head scarves. Brisk mornings, changing leaves, streets covered in leaf litter (conveniently hiding the litter of my brothers and sisters that neglect to respect Our Mother) an oven nurturing an aromatic spiced pie and good o’l bike rides. I’m thinking about my mom and knowing she’s been splurging on new Halloween decorations; I’m imagining the kids too scared to approach her front door on Halloween evening; and feeling nostalgia for the holiday cheer of her annual pumpkin carving party—always enough liquor to keep the adults smiling while finishing off the couple dozen pumpkins the kids started and abandoned.

And then there’s the hot tub -- a place where friends can gather from October-February. Trips home from Santa Cruz may or may not have been inspired by this big tub of hot water.

But…about Bangkok.

As much as I have thought about home, I’ve yet to feel homesick. I know that everything and everyone I love will be there when I return =)

So three weeks is a lot of updating, especially when those three weeks encompass a trip down to Koh Chang (an island SE of Bangkok) and a weekend in Cambodia! However, as I mentioned in my last blog, updating under time constraints is probably a good strategy. I’m in the midst of preparing for midterms and writing papers, so in having less time, I’ll test your patience less ferociously.

On Thursday September 8, Jake arrived for a visit from Santa Cruz. I had my English instruction interview on Thursday morning and an afternoon class, so we didn’t do much visiting until Thursday night. Friday morning we woke and caught a flight over to Koh Chang, which is a wonderfully beautiful island not too far from Bangkok. This island is dense in forests and steep mountains….and beaches! Incredible. I thought Santa Cruz was fortunate in its composite of redwood forests and coastal sublimity, but on Koh Chang it’s seriously one unit. I’m starting to think the 7-mile drive from beach front living to hiking in the redwoods was a bit arduous!

Despite the rain (another wet vacation on an island) we had a stunning time. Luckily rainy season is wrapping up now, and hopefully I’ll be able to get some real beach time in while everyone in California packs on the layers (well….layers in that California kind of way). We spent a lot of time chatting, napping, reading, eating, and drinking so the rain wasn’t much of a damper.

AND…dun dun dun….

We met the coolest baboon ever. We named him Bamboo (admittedly because I was struggling to remember the word baboon and kept slipping up with Bamboo) and were able to feed him fruit from our fingertips right outside our guesthouse. Apparently a troop of them reigns in the trees that hung over our rooftops and this brave soldier has discovered the ease of survival when in cahoots with the kind human; and, despite the generosity of our lodge owners, Bamboo still found it worthwhile to steal from the Buddhist shrines. Jake snapped a fantastic shot of Bamboo in action; in the photos (available on Facebook) the little dude is in midflight, fruit in hand. A nimble feller who presumably has some experience with this sort of illicit behavior. No wonder you hear stories about thieves and monkeys, they’re really good.

Our guesthouse was nothing less than perfect. With cold running water, a squat toilet, a slanting floor and an unobstructed view of the gulf, one couldn’t ask for more.

Sadly Jake’s visit was cut short because of a full schedule and he caught a flight back to California at around 5am Wednesday morning. We both woke around 3, him to prepare for his flight, and me to prepare for my first Thai language quiz. How’d it go you might wonder? Let’s just say FARANGs (fer-ay-ng, meaning foreigners) don’t seem to hear tones. It’s baffling; the professor goes over and over these tones, laughs because the distinctions are “so obvious” and yet we all blurt out a medley of answers: high tone, low tone, rising….and then she announces it was mid tone. Ayyyy, accepting defeat is tough. However, on Wednesday I get another chance. Our Thai midterm starts promptly at 9am, and were expected to give a short presentation in Thai, be able to perceive tones, write the Thai characters, and conjugate sentences correctly. Whew.

Despite all of the Thai language’s efforts to sour my morning, I remained optimistic. Students from California universities have the best advisor ever, and he planned for us a super swanky dinner in the commercial district of Bangkok. Many floors up, and many bottles of wine later, we all left totally satisfied. The dinner taunted our tongues with artichokes, cheese, chocolate, bread, and olives. I’m going to rethink luxuries when I return home.

So the quiz and dinner were on Wednesday, meaning Thursday would be dedicated to class and laundry because after loitering around Bangkok for forty-eight hours, it was time to get out of town. Cambodia and I had a date.

Traveling once again with Margit, Shannon and Camille, the three of us caught a 5:55 train out of Bangkok to the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet. Luckily we had done our research and managed to avoid the slew of scams that have gained notoriety on these seemingly lawless lands. Passing through Thailand to Cambodia was actually quite easy and we spent nothing more than we should have on our Cambodian Visas. What an accomplishment!  

Once in Poi Pet (the Cambodian side of the border) we managed and to snag a taxi  (paying little regard to the fact that the driver had the hood up and was working on it at the time) for less than the bus charged per head. Thailand has trained us well. We grabbed our first local brews, and by we I mean Margit and I—maybe the alcoholics? I think not, we just know how to appreciate the finest parts of life. Plus, we had a two hour ride ahead of us and weren’t totally sure our car was going to make it the two hour stretch through Cambodia into Siem Riep. What better way to prepare for a potential let down? It all worked out though, we only had to pull over once while I driver stuffed his head in the hood of his Camry, the sunset was great, watching kids playing in mud “ponds” (maybe a foot of water) had me grinning, and the Indian sounding Cambodian music our driver grooved to was in fact groovy. We checked into a cool guesthouse where us four ladies split a room for $6 U.S. (Cambodia uses U.S. dollars, the Cambodia Riel ($4200 Riel to $1 U.S), and in some cases the Thai Baht). Their currency isn’t terribly strong and we were advised to use U.S. dollars while traveling...plus, it took me awhile to master the math behind $30 baht to $1 U.S, let alone a messy conversion like $4200!

Our first full day in Cambodia was leisurely. We slept in, rented bikes (it felt so good to roll around town on two wheels), munched on some “happy herb pizza,” (the dough is in fact prepared with marijuana and is considered traditional Khmer food) got tugged on by street kids asking for candy, money, or perfecting their entrepreneurial skills in mostly book and jewelry retail. Many of them were quite young, I wouldn’t suspect over 10, and were out into the wee hours goofing with the other streets kids and trying to earn some money or snag a snack from the overflow of tourists that visit their beautiful city.

The next day, sadly already our final day in Cambodia, we visited Angkor Wat. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat boasts temples that balk at you in their enormity. I’ve yet to watch it, but apparently Tomb Raider was filmed here! A spread of numerous temples, each with own mighty flights of stairs, makes this a worldwide tourist destination. We lucked out too because we got just the slightest of showers, and caught some amazing sunrises and sunsets. The weekend prior some folks had visited Cambodia and spent their few days wading through knee high water due to poor infrastructure. Another guy I chatted with mentioned a man had been bit by an alligator while treading through the flooded streets! Luckily, our roads were dry, and the burnt red soils that contrasted with the bright green vegetation are what post cards were made for.

Overall, I loved Cambodia and did not want to return to Thailand. I cannot wait for my visit to Cambodia in December. I’ll be backpacking through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with a lot more time on my hands.

I’m so intrigued by the history of Cambodia and have been slightly obsessed with learning about this beautiful country’s past. Only recently have they had political stability, and the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide from 1975-1979 dictates the demographics. With most of the population under 30, many of the older Cambodians we saw were victims of landmines. During the Cambodian/Vietnam war the Khmer Rouge (under the financial and political support of the United States) planted landmines throughout Cambodia and did not map where these immoral agents of destruction were planted. Consequently, travelers in Cambodia are warned to stay on the beaten path; in fact, blogs and brochures caution hikers to call for help immediately and remain still if on unfamiliar terrain. Also consequential for Cambodia’s prosperity is the discerning killings of the Khmer Rouge: because the regime hoped to limit Western influence and devise an egalitarian community, all educated members of society were targeted in their genocide. Children at Angkor Wat were selling books that illustrated this history, and I recently finished First They Killed My Father, a novel based on the reflections of an 8 yr old Cambodian girl whose family was murdered and disenfranchised.

The country is currently a recipient of large sums of development aid and this alone is reason to be concerned. Although I understand the need of these nations and their peoples, development aid is always offered with strict stipulations. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are not selfless donors, and these loans are always chalk-full of carrots for the donors. In Latin America the consequences of neoliberal reform are well researched and these nations remain indebted to the U.S. and in shackles. With little room to support social services, the privatization of all sectors breeds gruesome inequity. Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano chronicles this process with great depth and passion if you’re interested.

So I am back in Bangkok and took a weekend off traveling. It is midterms week so were all busier than usual. I have been studying and writing over the last few days and have come to the conclusion that midterms and Thailand do not pair nicely. Buttttttt, they are over on Wednesday and I receive Brandon Rudd & Ivania and Josh Rocha tomorrow night. I’m so excited for their arrival. Brandon will be sharing his birthday with me and I know that we will have some blog-worthy travel experiences while they’re here.

Finally, once again the value of my life and the many opportunities I have been awarded has been put into perspective. Earlier this month a woman of deep strength and deep love for her community passed away at the hands of someone she cared for. May my neighbor’s spirit live on, may her family and friends remain strong, and may the justice she fought for prevail. Celestial Dove Cassman, you are in the hearts and minds of many.

And, so not to close on premature goodbyes, the vegetarian festival officially begins tomorrow and street vendors have begun hanging their yellow flags of meatless goodness around their stands. Vegetarians indulge in real Thailand.

Namaste

CAMBODIA pictures

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.290581194288896.88407.100000110547271&l=36c9ab121b&type=1

KOH CHANG pictures

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.290569227623426.88386.100000110547271&l=39c34d2633&type=1