The Journey is the Reward

India Trip

2011-09-26T08:57:00.000+07:00

India has been a dream travel destination for me for several years. After months of planning, Marcy (a wonderful friend from CDC who has shared the same dream of a trip to India) and I spent 15 incredible days there. I can’t possibly relay all of the amazing details here, but I’ll at least post our itinerary. It was certainly a life-changing experience. If you ever want more info, please email me – I’d love to talk with you about it! Photos are also posted here. My most favorite parts of the trip are bolded.

Saturday 9/3
Arrived in Delhi late
Overnight at On the House Guesthouse

Sunday 9/4
Old Delhi: Jama Masjid Mosque, Red Fort
New Delhi: India Gate, Presidential Estate, Gurduvara Bangla Sahib Temple, Raj Ghat, Humayan’s Tomb
First Indian meal
Indian clothes shopping

Monday 9/5
Took train to Haridwar and drove to Rishikesh (~5 hours)
Checked in at Himalayan Hideaway (through 9/8)
Ayuverdic massage

Tuesday 9/6
6 am yoga class at Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh
Guided walking tour through Rishikesh: Lakshman Jhula, multiple temples within Swarg Ashram, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram (Beatles), Ganga aarti (sunset candlelight ceremony on the Ganges)

Wednesday 9/7
Some much needed R&R
Guided trek in Himalayas and through Sirasu village

Thursday 9/8
Drove to Haridwar
Visited India Temple
Guided walking tour of Haridwar and Chandi Devi Temple
Took train to Delhi
Overnight at On the House Guesthouse

Friday 9/9
5-hour drive to Agra
Checked in at Grand Imperial Hotel
Toured Agra Fort

Saturday 9/10
Sunrise visit to Taj Mahal
8-hour drive to Samode
Toured Fatehpur Sikri
Checked in at Samode Palace

Sunday 9/11
Guided walking tour of Samode village
1.5-hour drive to Jaipur
Checked in at Tordi Haveli
Toured Mantar Janta and City Palace
Ayuverdic massage

Monday 9/12
Tour Amber Fort
Saw Palace of the Winds and Water Palace
Palm reading with an Indian astrologer

Tuesday 9/13
½ day drive to Deogarh
Checked in at Deogarh Mahal
R&R

Wednesday 9/14
½ day drive to Udaipur
Toured Chittaurgarh Fort
Checked in at Ram Pratak Palace
Rooftop sunset dinner with view of Lake Pichola

Thursday 9/15
Toured City Palace
Boat ride on Lake Pichola to Jagmandir Island
4-hour cooking class in an Indian home

Friday 9/16
Early flight to Mumbai
Ferry ride to Elephanta Caves
Brief city tour by car

Saturday 9/17
2 am flight to Paris
Very brief walking tour of Paris
8 pm flight to Atlanta

Safari weekend

2011-07-11T01:53:00.009+07:00

I've recently been thinking about writing in this blog again, just haven't gotten around to it. So I figure my trip to Kenya is a perfect reason to get it back up and running! More on why I'm here in Kenya later. I’d rather write today about my incredible trip last weekend. (Sorry no photos here - internet isn't cooperating; you can check out my photos in Picasa though.) I'm really fortunate to have a few fellow CDC colleagues/friends here too. Anu did a lot of the trip planning before Allison and I even arrived in the country – we were super fortunate for this as our first work-week here was very hectic and didn’t lend itself to much of anything else.

Around 6:30 Saturday morning, our cab driver met the three of us at our hotel. We had arranged for him to stay with us the whole weekend, which took a lot of pressure off of organizing transportation throughout. Lake Nakuru National Park is southeast of Kisumu, an approximately 3.5 hour drive. The road quality varied: some sections were very new and in great condition (despite often not being lined) while others were...not. I slept quite a bit on the mostly bumpy ride, but did happen to wake up for one absolutely gorgeous stretch of land in the Kericho District. The hilly area is where a lot of the best Kenyan tea (including the famous Ketepa brand) is grown. The air was cool there and it felt calm and quiet compared to the more urban Kisumu.

We met our park guide in Nakuru town, stopped to pick up groceries, and headed to the park in a safari-outfitted van. This thing was awesome – the top opened up so that you could stand up, with cover, to view the park. Not only is the higher view better, but there is no window glass separating you from the outside. Luckily there are also bars and handles for hanging on over the often rough terrain. Lake Nakuru National Park is about 46,000 acres of protected land that houses numerous animal species. When you first enter the park you get a striking view of Lake Nakuru, absolutely covered with birds and with a beautiful mountainous backdrop. We spent about six hours driving all through the park on Saturday. It is almost impossible to describe how amazing it was to see so many different animals co-habitating, sometimes three or four groups of different species intermixed in one small area. The park was serene and stunning and (as usual) the photos don't do it justice. We saw a black rhino (rare - one of only 25 or so in the park), zebras (a new favorite for me), four lionesses sleeping in trees, Rothschild giraffes (endangered - only a few hundred are still in the wild), white rhinos, waterbucks, water buffalo, jackals, impalas, gazelles, numerous bird species, baboons, and others. The lake was literally covered with thousands of pink flamingos and Great White Pelicans. It was breathtaking.

We had a packed lunch at an area named Baboon Cliff – aptly named because a) baboons were everywhere (sadly they were both aggressive and reliant upon humans), and b) the cliff provided an amazing vantage point to see the park and the massive numbers of birds on the lake. They looked like tiny specks. One of my favorite moments of the day occurred later that afternoon - we came upon a grassy field bordered by forested land and witnessed a large group of impalas running and kicking their back legs up super high. Our guide explained that the mothers were teaching their young how to run from predators. Young impalas were "practicing" in the field – zipping back and forth mimicking the adults! So incredibly cute.

Saturday night we stayed in a guesthouse located within the park – very basic accommodations that were great. After a delicious dinner prepared by the cook, I crashed pretty early. We were told we might hear lions roaring during the night, but unfortunately there were storms and we missed out on that. We were up early Sunday for breakfast and a few more hours in the park. It was cold and very misty, but quiet and absolutely beautiful. Another favorite moment was when we encountered a group of Rothschild giraffes having their breakfast of leaves from the tops of some tall trees. They were VERY close and seemed just as curious about us as we were about them. We watched for about 10 minutes before they moved on.

We left the park and met our cab driver in Nakuru a little before lunchtime. From there we traveled further south to Naivasha, about 1.5 hours away. We had heard stories about Hell's Gate National Park and were really excited to be able to fit it into our weekend. After meeting our guide at the park entrance, we took off on mountain bikes down a dusty, gravel road that wound its way through the park about five miles to the entrance of Hell's Gate Gorge. I can't explain how cool it was to be on a bike surrounded by wide plains with zebras and buffalo, all encircled by giant cliffs. It honestly didn't feel real! On the way to the gorge, we passed several areas known for rock climbing – perfect reason to return one day :)

There is a lot of evidence of the geothermal activity that has and continues to go on in the area - two distinct volcanic plugs stand tall in the park (Fischer's Tower and Central Tower), obsidian pieces litter the ground, water flowing into the gorge is warm to very hot ("hot enough to cook an egg!" according to our guide), and the first geothermal power station in Africa is located here. We explored a smaller side gorge before venturing down into the larger Hell's Gate Gorge. It actually was a little dangerous (=fun) – steep, rocky, and slippery climbing and scrambling, not to mention the lack of medical care anywhere nearby – but we all made it down safely. After we arrived at the lowest point of the gorge, we then climbed super steep terrain and ended up at a lookout that viewed across the entire park. It was a clear and beautiful view. On the trail back to the bikes, we passed some Maasi men and women who had jewelry for sale. I am so intrigued by their culture and was excited to buy one of their pieces.

We hiked back to our bikes and then headed to the park entrance. There was a terrifying, yet somehow hilarious, moment when two adult water buffalo and their baby were staring us down and approaching in a not-so-nice manner. Our guide yelled for us to “PEDAL FAST!” I had been off of my bike taking photos of them (haha), Allison was beside me waving at some other park visitors who were actually warning us to get away from the buffalo, and Anu was in back leisurely pedaling along. Luckily no stampeding occurred. It started pouring just as we arrived back at the entrance and met our taxi driver for the return to Kisumu.

So, definitely one of the best weekends I've ever had. I could seriously get used to being here.

Some Random Stuff

2009-05-26T22:10:00.009+07:00

This is a random post meant to explain a bunch of new pictures that I have put up on my picasa site (under Random Photos).

The “New” Flat
Although I am about five months late with these, I’ve put up photos of the flat I moved into after Christmas. I met my new roommates Mary and Heather through Erin (Mary and Erin have a mutual friend – small world) and they actually happened to live in the little “neighborhood” of my previous flat. I could probably jump from the balcony of flat #1 onto the balcony of flat #2 – they are that close. I really love the new flat and roommates (although Heather has since moved to the Philippines - we miss her very much – and Jobien has moved in). My room is huge, with big windows and a balcony. It’s been so nice to stay in the same location, which is very close to pretty much all of the places I go to on an average day.

The Gym
Speaking of an average day, I also included some photos of my trusty bicycle and my gym. V.I.P. gym is very unlike any other gym I’ve ever seen. It sits above an open-air parking garage and is one big room with treadmills, free weights, and weight machines. There is no A/C (makes exercise INTENSE in the hot season) – just many open windows, some of which look out over tennis courts. I love all of the little birds that hang out in there while I'm working out. I’m pretty sure that the floor will one day collapse – it shakes violently underneath us if there are people on treadmills. The gym also contains three fat-jiggling machines, which are in very frequent use (?!). While there are a few Westerners at the gym, the vast majority of patrons are Khmers. Within this group, most of the women present walk at a snail’s pace on treadmills, many times in dresses and heels. It’s a pretty interesting place and I love it.

School Visit with RDI
Several months ago I went out on a school trip with the RDI education group. They visit schools several times a week, using puppets, activities, and games to teach school children about hand-washing and safe water. They also provide ceramic water filters for each classroom and to each teacher (for home use) and give a training course to the teachers on proper use of the filters. Although everything was in Khmer, I really enjoyed seeing the children and how great RDI staff are with them. It also showed me the grim reality of schools in Cambodia – overcrowded classrooms, extremely underpaid teachers, and lack of safe water and basic sanitation in schools.

Khmer Wedding
My roommate Mary is a swim coach for the Cambodian National Swim Team and was recently invited to a wedding of another coach’s son. When asked if she would bring a guest, she invited me! I was thrilled – I have heard a lot of stories about traditional Khmer weddings and couldn’t wait to check one out! Weddings here are taken very seriously and have many interesting traditions. First, guests get VERY dressed up. And by this I mean…sequins and inch-thick makeup. Mary and I didn’t take it that far, but we did get our hair done at a Khmer beauty shop. The wedding took place on this road lined with wedding banquet halls. There were at least six other weddings going on at the same time, each with hundreds of people. I can’t go into all of the details about Khmer weddings - I really have no idea because everything going on is in Khmer. However, I can note a few general observations:

-When you arrive you greet the groom and members of the family and are then escorted to a table.
-Once your table is full, servers start bringing food and drinks. Tables are all at various courses in the meal and food is continuously provided. This goes on for hours.
-Women usually don’t drink alcohol, but men do. And apparently, Western women are highly encouraged to drink – they just KEPT bringing drinks to us. At one point Mary and I each had five unopened beers in front of us. The men at the table kept offering cheers, in attempt to make us drink. Thank goodness they drink beer with ice in it – the constantly melting ice diluted the drinks and provided a nice stall tactic.
-There is a least one table of naughty, rowdy, drunk Khmer boys.
-The bride and groom are actually married in a separate, private ceremony. The reception pretty much involves them appearing several times in different and extremely accessorized outfits.
-There is very loud karaoke and a live band.
-The bride and groom walk down a red carpet during which guests through flower petals at them, then spray them down with silly string.
-Hours of Khmer dancing takes place around and around the center table.

At one point, Mary and I were ushered to the head table, where we were again encouraged to eat and drink. It was kind of strange to be treated as honored guests at the wedding (we were the only Westerners present), especially because I had never met any of them before, but was also really fun. After the bride and groom cut the cake and drank champagne, they began their first dance together. As if in some strange movie, Mary was asked to dance by the groom’s brother alongside the bride and groom. A few minutes in, and I was set-up with a dance partner by the bride’s mother. For a veerrrryyy long couple of minutes, it was just the six of us up there while hundreds watched.

Laos #4

2009-05-26T21:30:00.003+07:00

[Wow, it's kind of ridiculous that it took me almost a month to post this...]

Day 2 of the trek began with walking through landscape that started out much like the day before, but then transitioned into more mountainous and jungle-like terrain. We followed a new local guide for about 13 kilometers, winding through the jungle for a few hours. At one point we came upon a large tree with a couple of local people sitting below it. Turns out it was a mango tree, but the mangos were unlike any I’ve seen before–very small, round, and with a green rind. I assumed the fruit would be sour based on size and color, but it was the sweetest and most delicious fruit ever! One of the kids expertly climbed the tree and shook down a bunch more for us to enjoy. Bliss!

We made a stop at a village called Ban Na Kuh. Before lunch we took a tractor ride to another swimming hole. The tractor was…well I’m not sure how to describe it, but was bascially a large wooden cart pulled by a motor with two long handles for the operator (see my photos). The bumpy and dusty ride landed us at Kun Kong Lang also known as The Blue Lagoon. Wow, was I ever shocked. Tucked into the mountains, this little lake was the most striking turquoise blue and clear I have ever seen. It was almost mystical. The water was exhilaratingly cold and it was one of the best swims I’ve had in a long time (it is incredibly hot in Laos this time of year, so after hours of hiking, it didn’t get much better than this for cooling off). Afterwards, the tractor took us back to the village where we had lunch and rested a bit before the last leg of the trek.

I must interject here that I ate some ants. On purpose. At one point along the trail, we came upon a nest of huge red ants. They were literally swarming all over the leaves of this particular plant (not sure of the name). The guide stopped, grabbed a handful, and popped them in his mouth. Apparently they are a popular snack among locals. I was intrigued so I tried some too. It was weird – I could feel them moving in my mouth – lots of little legs – and they were crunchy and oddly bitter. A few escapees bit me on the arm, but I guess I can’t blame them.

After a few more hours we ended up at a river crossing and took a little wooden rowboat across. A small village of houses with tidy gardens lined the river and large mountains protected and secluded the area. It was such a peaceful environment—the air felt clean and there was just the sound of the flowing water. As I watched families bathing and washing clothes in the river, I tried to imagine their lives. Different perception of the world, different needs, wants, priorities. I found it to be a very significant time to reflect.

After a long tuk tuk ride along a very bumpy, scarcely traveled dirt road that cut through the flat scenic countryside, we emerged onto a paved road. A little over an hour later, we were back in “civilization” in Tha Khaek and they dropped us off at the Travel Lodge. I had dinner with Sandra in the Tha Khaek city square before turning in for the night.

The next morning, I met Nadia, a French-Canadian girl staying in the dorm room with me. We had a great conversation over breakfast at the Travel Lodge and since we were both heading to Vientiane that day, decided to travel together. After the local bus trip (about 5 hours this time) back to Vientiane, we checked into the Mixay Guesthouse and had lunch at a great little French café. Afterwards, we set out on foot to explore the city a little and eventually caught a tuk tuk over to Wat Sok Pa Luang, a temple famous for its herbal saunas and massage. The sauna room was on the second floor of a small wooden structure on the temple grounds. The heat was generated by a furnace below the room and was emitted upwards as steam mixed with a secret combination of herbs that smelled amazing. It was unbelievably hot (more so than any other sauna I’ve been in) and we could only take it in there for so long. Following the sauna, we had tea and a one-hour massage on cushions arranged on the covered deck. It was incredibly relaxing and I felt a bit spoiled when I handed over my $5 for the whole experience.

At the spa, Nadia and I met four Irish guys traveling together around SE Asia. We ended up having dinner with them, did a little bar-hopping, and ended up at a bowling alley, of all places, into the wee hours of the morning. It was a fantastic time, despite the fact that I will forever suck at bowling, and made especially great by the Lao people celebrating New Year all around us. I can’t tell you how many times I got powdered in the face and hair – a traditional Lao New Year’s ritual – and toasted random Lao people dancing around the bowling alley. After very few hours of sleep, I had a luxurious, sugary breakfast at the Scandanavian bakery (I’d heard from the Danish girls that the bakery was actually authentic and good) and caught a tuk tuk to the airport for my return to Phnom Penh.

Laos is one of the two least developed countries in SE Asia (Myamar is the other) and one of the poorest countries in the world. And it wasn’t until the 1990s that it actually opened its doors to the outside world. So I feel very fortunate that I was able to spend some time there. I’ve now reached the end of the Lao posts, and like any other travel experience, I can only explain what I did there, and not really how it actually felt. But it’s safe to say that overall, the trip was pretty incredible. I got to see and do a lot of things that I had wanted (although I could have used a few more weeks for Luang Prabang in the north and 4000 Islands and Bolaven Plateau in the south) and it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Laos post #3

2009-04-29T20:21:00.004+07:00

A tuk tuk arrived at the Travel Lodge early Friday morning for Ida and Laura (two great girls from Denmark) and me. We then picked up the other two members of our group (Sandra from Ireland and Jean-Baptiste from France) and our trip began. Our two-day trek into the Phu Hin Bun National Protected Area (NPA) was run by the Khammouane provincial tourism authority and led by an English-speaking Lao guide named Me. These trekking trips are slowly developing an ecotourism focus, with most of our costs going to local guides and for village homestays.

After a lengthy tuk tuk ride, we set off on foot. I knew immediately that this was going to be an amazing experience. The scenery was so stunning that I’m not sure I can even explain it. Day 1 of the trek involved making our way deep into the NPA via dirt paths that wound their way through and around dry rice fields. Jagged limestone mountains, initially in the distance, gradually began to surround us. It was definitely rugged landscape that was completely untouched by outsiders. Most of the ground we covered was flat. Only rarely were other humans in sight, however small wooden shelters (used for lunch and afternoon naps by rice farmers during the growing season) spotted the landscape and served as remnants of a busier time. The villagers who live within the NPA are largely self-sufficient – growing rice, fruit and vegetables, and raising water buffalo, pigs, chickens, and cows.

We also had a local guide for this portion of the trip, who led the way and occasionally stopped to show us a plant or a temple and whose words were then translated into English by Me. We stopped at a series of four caves called the “Chicken Egg Caves.” This name has something to do with mango pits that look like eggs, but we couldn’t really get a clear explanation on that. We stopped for lunch at a large cave with a nice swimming hole (Kun Nam Doon). While we swam and paddled a boat around the swimming hole and into the cave, two of the guides prepared our lunch. I was a little hesitant about the food at first, but it took just one taste of the fresh Mekong catfish grilled over an open fire to quickly change my mind. It was the most delicious fish I have ever had (and I rarely like fish!). The guides also prepared sticky rice, bamboo shoots, a spicy noodle dish with eggplant, and sticky rice with sweet coconut sauce for dessert. Amazing lunch!

After a few more hours of trekking, we crossed through a long, dark cave called the Cave of the Sandalwood Buddha. Right before emerging from the cave, we climbed a steep wooden staircase to a rock ledge with a huge Buddha statue. The altar was surrounded with all kinds of colorful ornamentation and hundreds of small Buddha statues carved out of sandalwood. The guide explained that local villagers used this area of the cave not only for praying, but also for gatherings and parties.

A little more walking and we then entered Ban Poon Tong, the village where we stayed the night. The tiny, isolated village was tucked in between large mountains and made up of a few dozen homes. The few things I immediately noticed were that the village was very tidy, almost everything was made out of wood, and there were tons of animals (including adorable baby pigs) freely roaming around. The villagers were very curious and welcoming. Although they often host foreigners on these ecotourism trips, I think we are still a bit mysterious and strange to them. Our ecolodge was basically a large room on stilts with a big wooden deck. After a quick ladel shower, we hung out on the deck for a few hours. The guides and some villagers prepared our dinner (sticky rice and veggies for me) and we enjoyed eating on the deck as the sun began to set.

After dinner, the villagers set things up for a baasii ceremony. As special guests, we sat around a pha khwan. I’m not sure how to explain this exactly, but check out the photo above. It is a cone-shaped arrangement of banana leaves and flowers. White cotton strings hang from a flower stem and the cone is surrounded by special foods (ours were cookies, bananas, and an egg). A village elder performed the ceremony on each of us, one at a time. As you hold the food in your right hand and place your left hand to your left ear, the elder delivers a series of blessings (translated by Me) while tying one of the white strings around your wrist. The string is meant to bind guardian spirits to you as you travel, start a new project, or are ill and you are supposed to keep it on for at least three days. This was followed by a shot of lao-lao (intensely strong home-brewed liquor). After each receiving a blessing from a second elder, we then performed the ritual onto villagers present at the ceremony. We weren’t completely sure about the blessings (each of us were wished a long life of 6 – 12 million years), but we wished them long lives, good rice harvest, and healthy family. After the ceremony we ate the snacks and turned in under our mosquito bednet-covered floor mats for a good night’s rest.

My attempt to condense the trip into three entries has apparently failed:) I will add a fourth and final entry just as soon as I finish it…

Laos post #2

2009-04-21T21:36:00.005+07:00

Wednesday started off with a huge, delicious breakfast at the Luang Prabang Bakery before heading to Adam’s Climbing shop at 9 am. The manager at my guesthouse recommended this climbing company over the larger, more advertised one and I am so glad that I took her advice. There were just two of us climbing for the day – me and a girl named Gerlinde from Austria. We took a tuk tuk about 15 minutes outside of Vang Vieng and down a rocky dirt road. From there, we boarded a small boat and paddled across the Nam Song (we ended at the very last bar available to the intertubing crowd). Sleeping Wall, our first climbing spot, was past the bar and tucked behind a steep mountain. The narrow corridor contained at least 10 different climbing routes ranging from very easy to very hard. Adam lead-climbed to set the ropes up for each of the routes we did and Gerlinde and I took turns climbing. We got in 3-4 climbs before lunch. We took a long midday break, mostly hanging out on the deck of the empty bar, which was actually really nice because it had great views of the river and the tubing crew for the afternoon had not yet arrived. After lunch we did a few more climbs at Sleeping Wall and I then attempted an insanely difficult climb at the nearby Sleeping Roof. I finished up with a really challenging and fun climb at Sleeping Roof before we called it a day. I was exhausted. When we made it back across the river, Gerlinde and I made plans to meet back up that evening.

An hour later, Gerlinde and I walked around the streets of Vang Vieng just as the sun was setting, and wow, it was breathtaking over the dramatic limestone mountain backdrop. After a drink at a restaurant with a fantastic mountain view, we decided to go for a Lao massage. The place we went to looked a little shady, but I’m pretty sure they all looked that way. Lao massage is very similar to Thai massage – a lot of stretching and pushing on muscles and not entirely relaxing. But it certainly felt great on my tired body after climbing. I grabbed a quick bite to eat and got back to my bungalow to pack up and get ready for my early-morning departure the next day.

I caught the 6 am local bus back to Vientiane. It was a pretty non-eventful bus trip - I think I slept for most of it. Back in Vientiane I had almost two hours before the next bus to Tha Khaek, so I had some coffee and a small lunch and organized my trekking for the following day. After some confusion over the validity of my bus ticket at the Southern Bus Station, I finally was directed to a very old, dingy local bus that was scheduled to leave at noon. This bus trip proved to be my only bad experience in Laos, mainly because I had been ripped off into paying $18 for the ticket (should have been more like $5) and it took almost 7.5 hours to get to Tha Khaek due to the numerous stops that it made (should have taken more like 4 hours). To top it all off, NO ONE on the bus would speak to me (I was the only Westerner), despite my obvious frantic appearance as it started getting dark and I was beginning to question whether I had missed my stop. I’m not sure if I just got unlucky with the unfriendly Lao bus riders, as the vast majority of my experiences there were positive ones. I do remember thinking “this would never happen in Cambodia.” I guess I have gotten spoiled living in such an overwhelmingly friendly country.

A humorous occurrence on the bus did provide a little relief from my frustrations. Every so often the bus would slow down and pick up vendors. These vendors carried an assortment of goods for sale, including different types of cooked meat, drinks, books, and gum. They would go up and down the aisle in hopes of appealing to customers (although I’m not sure how they maneuvered as the aisle was packed with passengers on small stools). After a little while on the bus, the bus would slow down and the vendors would exit. This happened a number of times on the way to Tha Khaek. When we finally reached the Tha Khaek bus station I was very relieved and happy. I hired a tuk tuk to take me to Tha Khaek Travel Lodge, a guesthouse that the trekking organizer had suggested earlier that day. Thankfully the guesthouse had plenty of room in their dorm, a great little restaurant, and internet access. I also met with the trekking organizer who just happened to be there briefing two girls who were also going on the trek the next day. After hand-washing a few clothes and packing for the trek, I hit the sack and slept very well in my little dorm bed. In my final post, I'll describe my trekking experience in central Laos – it was something I will never forget.

One final note: I must give thanks to Judy, who gave me a lot of assistance planning my trip (she went to Laos with another friend Chris for 5 weeks last December). First, the trekking trip was phenomenal and second, she gave the great advice to only take a small pack. I packed very lightly for my 7 days in Laos – 3 shirts and two pairs of light pants, one pair of shorts, a bathing suit, small towel, a few personal items, and that’s about it! The pack I took was around the size of an average school backpack. It was SO nice not having to lug around a crazy heavy backpack all week – very liberating!

*All of my Laos photos are posted on picasa, which you can access in the upper right hand corner under "My Photos"

Laos post #1

2009-04-20T20:28:00.006+07:00

Being in between jobs recently afforded me the luxury to do a bit of traveling! I had heard many good things about Laos and decided it was a perfect time to check it out. I will split my Laos travels into three posts – I have a lot to say about this amazing country. On the afternoon of Monday April 4 I flew from Phnom Penh to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. I shared a taxi into the city with two other travelers and immediately noticed how modest and quiet it was - not at all like the other capital cities I have visited in the region. After securing a dorm bed in the very clean and well-situated Mixay Guesthouse and booking the next day’s bus to Vang Vieng, I ventured out to one of the main streets for dinner at DaoFa Restaurant. There I had a veggie sandwich and my first Beerlao, a tasty beer that the Lao people are very proud (and fond) of. I can’t say that I was very adventurous with my eating choices – a lot of the Lao diet consists of meat, so unfortunately I ended up sticking with Western food for most of the trip. After dinner, I headed back to the guesthouse and turned in early for the evening in preparation for the following days.

Early Tuesday morning I had a delicious bagel and coffee at JoMa, a well-known bakery/café in the city. I had some time to spare before my bus departure, so decided to wander around a bit. I made my way down to the Mekong riverfront and toward the Presidential Palace. Initial impressions: the Mekong was seriously dry – I mean, almost non-existent. We are in the peak of dry/hot season right now, so it makes sense, but I was still surprised at how low it was! I really enjoyed walking along the small, pleasant streets lined with shops, restaurants, and tons of guesthouses (I was in the tourist area of the city) and definitely appreciated not having to risk my life while crossing the streets, as I have become so accustomed to in Phnom Penh. Back at Mixay, a tuk-tuk picked several of us up before heading to the Talat Sao Bus Station. I should explain Lao bus travel a little. There are a two options available: air-conditioned, fast(er), luxury buses or non-A/C, slow, local buses. The difference in price is only a few dollars, but I preferred the local buses, one, because I really don’t like A/C and two, they provide a much more genuine and entertaining experience. The scenery heading to the north was just beautiful, quickly transitioning to dry rice field after dry rice field for several hours, with the occasional small town in between. I really got a feel for just how rustic Laos is, with over 80% of the population living in rural villages.

As we continued north, the roads became more curvy and hilly and a gorgeous backdrop of mountains appeared. By the time we reached Vang Vieng, I think my jaw literally dropped open upon sight of such stunning mountains. I’m not really sure how to describe Vang Vieng, except to paraphrase the Lonely Planet in saying that most people have a love-hate relationship with it. The town is tiny, especially in contrast to the massive limestone peaks that envelope it. The Nam River winds along the edge of the town, cutting out a beautiful river valley. The air is crisp and clean and there is an overall feeling of security and isolation. That is the “love” part. The “hate” part of it (at least for me, and many others share this opinion) is the overwhelming presence of partying backpackers. I am definitely supportive of the vast array of travelers in this region (of course, as I am one myself), but for some reason Vang Vieng has become a hot-spot for the type of traveler of which I am not so fond. The main draw is the river-tubing phenomenon, which involves leisurely floating down the Nam River on a gigantic intertube and stopping at the vast array of bars along the river’s edge to drink and consume other various substances (of which there are many). The travel books describe this as a “right of passage” for traveling in SE Asia, but I find it irritating and pretty disgusting. There are also a number of restaurants in town that serve all kinds of legal and illegal substances and play “Friends” episodes 18 hours a day. Dance parties go on every night, but luckily the nationwide midnight curfew keeps that from disturbing the peace all night long. Anyways, enough of that negativity – there are just as many, if not more, positive things that the area offers!

I wandered around Vang Vieng a bit until coming upon a great little place – the Nam Song Garden Guesthouse. I checked into a rustic bungalow room right on the river’s edge and then decided to visit a local cave before it got too dark. After grabbing a banana-filled crepe and fresh mango shake from some street vendors, I rented a bicycle and rode to the Tham Chang, a large, well-known cave. I walked along the base of the massive mountain a bit before climbing some insanely steep steps to get inside. Electricity had been wired into the cave and it was lit up with some tacky multi-color lights, but regardless, it was pretty cool and had some really great views of the river valley below. Back down at the base of the cave, I went swimming in a perfectly clear blue and very cold swimming hole. You could swim about 20 meters into the cave until daylight ran out. I then swam further into the cave with some German travelers with my headlamp serving as our only light source. It was pitch black without the light (I turned it off to check – um scary) and the water was DEEP – resting involved just hanging onto the cave walls. It was so refreshing! Once back in town, I booked my climbing trip for the next day and some bus tickets before having dinner at the Organic Mulberry Farm Café, owned and supplied by a local farm. I had a most excellent yellow coconut cream Harvest Curry with sweet potatoes and other veggies followed by their specialty – mulberry tea from leaves picked and dried daily.

So in Laos, things are cheap, and I mean CHEAP. The average cost of my guesthouse accommodation was around $5 (usually dorm rooms with multiple beds and shared bathrooms) and meals were around $3. If you are willing to put up with even fewer luxuries, you can do it for less (I have friends that did!). This was great news for me, as it allowed me to spend more on activities! Even including semi-expensive climbing and trekking, my entire 7-day trip was less expensive than the airfare to get there! More on those things next post…

A New Chapter

2009-03-31T09:20:00.006+07:00

Today marks a milestone in my professional and academic career – work on the project for which I came to Cambodia has ended. I have worked with my professor (an incredible scientist and inspiring human being) on and off for almost nine years, so this marks the end of an era in my life. In August of 2000, just a few months after graduating from Emory and Henry College, I began work in his environmental microbiology lab as a Master’s student. After almost two years into the program, I decided to forego the Master’s degree and instead pursue a PhD using and expanding on my already completed laboratory studies and coursework. In April of 2003 I moved to Christchurch, New Zealand to work as a Junior Scientist at ESR performing molecular biology studies and also applying them (in my spare time) to my PhD work. I returned to UNC in mid-2004 to continue with my studies and defended my doctoral dissertation in April 2006 before taking some time off from academics. I once again began work with my professor in September 2006 as a post-doctoral research associate. As a post-doc I have been so fortunate to gain experience and move in a different direction with my scientific career. This position has taught me so many things: experimental design, working with students (I really love the students), disinfection studies, design of a field trial. It also has allowed me to present data at a number of domestic and international scientific conferences and ultimately has sent me here to Cambodia to further my experience.

I am definitely sad that this assignment with UNC is over, but it has been an amazing journey and I’m excited about what’s next. I am in negotiations to do contract work on household water treatment with The World Bank for a few months here in Cambodia until I find work back in the States. Ideally, I’d like to work for the CDC or a large NGO (such as PATH), so please keep your fingers crossed for me! I am very excited to get back on familiar soil, but still have a few things left here in Cambodia that I’d like to accomplish first.

Mickey Sampson

2009-03-21T01:01:00.006+07:00

*Thank you to those of you who have commented. I will pass your messages along to RDI staff.*

I was at RDI yesterday morning when we received the news of Mickey's death. It was one of the worst days I have ever experienced. We are all still numb and in complete disbelief of this tragic loss. I want as many people as possible to know about this amazing man.

The photograph above is taken from an online tribute page dedicated to Mickey. The following was just posted on the RDI-C website:

Bulletin: Death of RDIC founder-director Mickey Sampson

Resource Development International-Cambodia is grieved to report the death of Michael Lynn (“Mickey”) Sampson, RDIC Founder and Country Director.

Sampson, 43, had been experiencing health problems. He flew March 18 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to Bangkok, Thailand, for evaluation by a specialist. His untimely death occurred in the early morning of March 19. His body was found at the Bangkok house where he was staying. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a heart attack.

Arrangements are being made for returning Dr. Sampson’s body to Cambodia for funeral services. He is survived by parents Jimmy and Diane Sampson, one brother James Sampson, his wife, Wendi, and their children, Michal, Madelyn, Isaiah, Zach, and Datelyn, their Khmai daughter.

Resource Development International-Cambodia would not exist without Mickey Sampson’s vision, dedication, and devotion. He lived and worked in Cambodia with his family since 1998, concentrating most of his efforts on improving drinking water and sanitation for the Cambodian people. One in twelve Cambodian children dies before age 5, primarily from diarrheal disease due to contaminated water.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Sampson received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Louisville and taught as an assistant professor of chemistry with the University of Kentucky college system.

He first saw the struggle of Cambodians for clean water in the 1990s while teaching chemistry in Cambodia during a sabbatical year from the University of Kentucky.

One day his wife called Mickey into their bathroom in Cambodia while she was giving their children a bath. The water was only three inches deep, but it was so murky she couldn't see the bottom of the bathtub. “She said, ‘You know, you're a chemist. Can't you do something about this?’” He told a reporter years later, "It was a turning point in my life." Many others also told Mickey that he should use his skills for helping with the water needs of the poor.

The Sampsons moved to Cambodia permanently in 1998. He worked with other non-governmental organizations to improve water quality. Eventually, however, he started Resource Development International-Cambodia to address Cambodia’s health and development problems in holistic ways. The organization provides education, water testing, water filtration systems, and construction, among other community-development initiatives.

Under Sampson’s leadership, RDIC established a ceramic water filter manufacture and distribution system (manufacturing 25,000 filters in 2008), produced a Cambodian television series for children to promote literacy and healthy living, and worked extensively to alert Cambodians to the risks of drinking arsenic-laden groundwater. RDIC also has developed and implemented agricultural, water, health and educational programs in villages throughout Cambodia.

Mickey believed Cambodian communities would not be transformed for the better without behavioral changes on all levels. The results have shown his methods worked. After two years of using RDIC’s water filtration pots, participating Cambodians were 49 percent less likely to have diarrheal disease than their neighbors without the filters.

Sampson co-authored a number of publications and supported research in partnership with international universities through RDIC's water research laboratory. He also was a member of the technical working group for the Cambodian government concerning how to address the UN’s “Millennium Target” to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.

Mickey was widely known and respected in the international development and academic communities. His work with RDIC has been highlighted by a number of news and media outlets. National Public Radio (NPR) featured his creative campaign to educate Cambodians about unsafe drinking water via karaoke videos in a Jan. 27 profile: Karaoke Videos Teach Safe Water Techniques : NPR

Friends say "Mickey's faith made him compassionate for the peoples he loved and deeply cared. Countless lives have been touched by this expression of love in their lives."

Mickey Sampson will be mourned and deeply missed by his many friends and colleagues, his family – and the thousands of Cambodians who now live healthy lives because of his work.

Chi Phat

2009-03-10T11:39:00.008+07:00

Heather, Kathryn, Laura, Andrew, and I spent the weekend before last in the wilderness within the Cardamom Mountains in southwest Cambodia. We learned from friends about the Wildlife Alliance, a group that has established a community-based ecotourism (CBET) initiative in Chi Phat, a remote village in the Cardamoms. The project, which began in 2008, offers villagers an alternative to logging and hunting endangered wildlife (both now outlawed), thereby protecting the natural resources of the area and providing sustainable income to support education, health care, and other community improvements. Activities CBET offers include single and multi-day trekking, mountain-biking, boat trips, waterfall visits, and wildlife viewing. We had all heard such great things that we decided to check it out.

We left Phnom Penh on Thursday around 8:30 am on a bus headed towards Koh Kong. We’d been instructed to get off the bus when we reached the bridge at Andoung Tuk, about 3 hours outside of Phnom Penh, and to catch a boat below the bridge at noon. Under the bridge, we found a long-tail boat being packed absolutely full of cement, food, and other supplies. We met a backpacker from Israel named Tom, also heading to Chi Phat, who joined our group for the weekend. After waiting over an hour for the supply loading, we were motioned to a second long-tail boat along with a number of local people. We all squeezed onto a small wooden platform at the back of the boat, captained by a few Khmer men and a young boy. After a few failed attempts, we proceeded to successfully pull the supply boat beside us. We traveled up the Preak Phipot River as it wound its way through mangrove forests and past stilted houses just on its edge. Due to the heaviness of the additional boat, the normally 2-hour long trip ending up taking over 3 hours. It was hot and cramped, but the river scenery was just beautiful, so it was worth it.

When we reached the small community of Chi Phat, we were greeted by a number of local children (all very eager to shout out “hello!”) and a slaughtered cow being dismembered on the boat ramp. We made our way to the CBET Office where a manager showed us a huge map of the area and presented options of what to do over the following few days. Our group opted for a rowboat trip, followed by a jungle trek through the Cardamom Mountains to a remote animal watering hole. We would stay overnight in the jungle and finish the loop back to Chi Phat the next day. They showed us to our guesthouse (very basic accommodation) where we unloaded our stuff and then made our way to the local swimming hole where several locals were swimming, bathing, and washing clothes. The water was so refreshing! I had a shower back at the guesthouse (basically a room with a large tank of water and a big ladle) and after dinner, we all headed to bed early in preparation for the following day.

Luckily for us, the village coffee shop was open early the next morning, so we were able to get our caffeine fix before heading out around 6:00 am. It’s amazing how much action goes on in Cambodia as soon as the sun rises! All together there was a large group of us in two motorboats: us 6 tourists, a cook, a porter, and a trail guide, plus a few boat drivers. We made our way back down the Preak Phipot River and eventually turned onto the Pruit River, enjoying a packed breakfast and picking up several rowboats and rowers along the way. The air was cool and the river was stunning that early in the morning, with mist rising off the river as the sun also rose. After about an hour, we transferred to traditional rowboats (2 people plus a rower per boat) and continued on for another hour or so. Unfortunately we didn’t see much wildlife (although did see a few Oriental Darters). The rowboats allowed for a quiet experience along the pristine river surrounded by lush forest, so quiet, in fact, that I actually fell asleep (and it was some of the best sleep I’ve had in ages!).

Around 9:30 am, we made it to a small clearing that was the beginning of our trek. While we each had to carry our own personal items and hammocks provided by CBET, we were fortunate to have a porter who carried all of the food and cooking supplies. I’m not sure how he managed – the three guides were all in sandals and their packs were ridiculously heavy. The trekking was just what I had hoped for – the forest was quite mountainous with a dense, low canopy. Despite the tangling vines, intense humidity, encroaching blisters on the backs of my heels, and leeches (YES, leeches in the forest just dying to climb up our pant legs – luckily I didn’t get preyed upon), it was incredible trekking. We ended up taking quite a few rest breaks, as our guides were all smokers, which I found humorous because they could kick my butt hiking. Around noon, we stopped at a nice flat, rocky river bed where the guides prepared lunch for us (ramen noodles with veggies and duck eggs). We were really hoping to go for a swim here, but the water level was super low and the brown puddles were just not that inviting. After a lengthy lunch break, we continued on and finally made it to our campsite around 4:30.

A very basic structure of tree branches had been constructed for our hammocks. The guides positioned a plastic tarp over the top of the structure and hung up our six hammocks underneath. We were camping on the edge of a natural watering hole right in the middle of the forest where numerous animals have been spotted having a drink in the early morning hours. As the guides cooked our dinner, I enjoyed a quick “bath” in the water. Although the levels were also low and the bottom was a bit murky, the water itself was clear and cold. It felt so great! I must mention here how resourceful and amazing our guides were. They set up camp, a kitchen, and made delicious meals with extreme efficiency. We were also super lucky to have Heather and Andrew, who are fluent in Khmer, to communicate with them, as they spoke zero English. I’m not sure how other groups without translators do it!

It started getting dark (and I mean dark) around 6:30 pm and we realized by 8:00 that we couldn’t really do much else besides go to bed. Our hammocks were US Army hammocks – very thick and sturdy and with a mosquito net that zips over the top. I was pretty excited about sleeping in a hammock, as I love taking naps in them. But I quickly found out that sleeping overnight in one is a totally different experience: a) it was HOT (I eventually just zipped the mosquito net off), and b) I am a side-sleeper, which isn’t easy to do in these things. We all chatted from our hammocks before everyone else but me drifted off to sleep (or so I thought). Between the threat of nearby wild animals (one woman got a snake bite the weekend before and had to be carried out in the night) and the temperature fluctuation (hot, then freezing cold in the early morning hours), and the general discomfort due to being untrained in hammock-sleeping, I found out that everyone had had a rough night’s sleep. I also found out the next morning that Kat and Laura had been awakened in the night by a very loud meowing coming from the watering hole. Our guides managed to explain that is was probably a “spotted cat,” meaning a leopard species common in the area. I can’t believe I missed it!

After a lazy breakfast of rice, veggies, and coffee, we packed up camp and started our 8-mile hike back to Chi Phat. This portion of the trek was much easier – was flat and actually crossed several large open fields (areas heavily logged by the Khmer Rouge years ago). It’s a good thing that this was easier, because I had switched to sandals due to the blisters (although that turned into a big mess too because the sandals then rubbed my feet to death). The last few miles of the trek were a bit rough for me, but I made it. Thank goodness for those smoke breaks so I could rest my poor feet!

When we arrived back in Chi Phat, I was exhausted. A few from the group headed back to the swimming hole, but I opted to shower and take a nap at the guesthouse. Later that evening we had dinner in an open-air restaurant in the village, which also doubled as the local “movie theater.” Oddly, they were showing Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Although the Cambodians present couldn’t understand the language, they found the movie hilarious (Tom Hanks not knowing how to open a coconut, having to survive on his own in the wilderness, etc.). What seems like such a tragic experience to us, seemed silly to them because I guess it closely mirrors their own lifestyle. What a strange clashing of worlds!

The next morning we headed out of Chi Phat on motos (the boats heading back to the bridge left at unpredictable times and we had to ensure we made it back in time for our bus). We each had our own moto and the ride was just incredible! It felt like I was in a dirt-bike racing video! The drivers obviously know these dirt roads like the back of their hands and just took off. They held our packs in front of them and we each held on to our seats for dear life. The countryside was so beautiful – I managed to take a few pictures without falling off to my death. We arrived back at the Andoung Tuk bridge, and after a debacle of finding out that our bus was sold out, we finally arranged transportation back to Phnom Penh in a minitaxi. At one point there were 19 of us in the 8-seater van, including one guy who had tried to sit to the left of the driver (we ended up squeezing him into the backseat with us).

The trip was so much fun and something I would definitely do again. CBET offers a mountain biking component that I would have loved to do. Plus there are nearby waterfalls that are apparently beautiful when the water levels aren’t so low. I’ve posted some pics on Picasa now, but need to get more from the others. I will post again once I get them uploaded.

2008

2009-01-01T14:49:00.003+07:00

A friend who created a list of her top 10 moments of 2008 inspired this post. I tried to narrow my list down to 10, but couldn’t do it. So…here are my top 13 moments of 2008:

1. Trained for and completed my first 5K runs – one with Grace in Chapel Hill (albeit well behind her) and the second with Julie in Asheville.

2. Saw my first opera, Va Pensiero. It was so much fun to dress up and go by myself. I ordered tickets early so was fortunate enough to get a front-row seat.

3. Took my first ever trip to NYC! We stayed in Monica’s fabulous railroad apartment in Brooklyn and visited some pretty amazing restaurants. I also saw my first Broadway show – Spring Awakening.

4. Attended and participated in (!) a vibrant dance performance by a village in rural Ghana. We were visiting to see their use of biosand water filters and after meeting the village leader, the whole village gathered for the performance put on in our honor. They somehow managed to get me up and in the middle of the circle to dance.

5. Saw my sister Lis and her husband Aaron buy and settle into their first home together.

6. Celebrated my 30th birthday! The start of an incredible decade!

7. Went on a fantastic beach weekend to Wrightsville with my 3 best friends – Julie, Jaclyn, and Katie. Our annual trip also doubled as a bachelorette party for Jac, complete with lots of good food, mojitos, and a spa visit.

8. Took a 3-day trip to Angkor Wat and surrounding temples – ancient and absolutely breath-taking.

9. Went rock climbing in Thailand with Erin. Doesn’t get much better than Railay Beach.

10. Started meditation practice at Wat Lanka, a temple very close to my flat in Phnom Penh. There is an English-speaking monk who meets with all first-timers, talks about practice, and gives some great reading material.

11. Visited Chiang Mai, Thailand. I absolutely love this city!

12. Celebrated Obama’s victory! For my “where were you when…?” moment: I was at the Living Room (my favorite coffee shop in PP) refreshing the CNN webpage every 5 seconds. I never imagined I would find such joy in a political event.

13. Taught a household water treatment course with Erin to a group of about 18 Cambodians at RDI. Teaching makes you learn a subject in a whole new way.

My Christmas

2008-12-26T12:20:00.002+07:00

What, you may ask, did I do for Christmas in Cambodia? Well it certainly was different from any other Christmas I’ve had. The weather here was hot and humid - unlike typical December weather in NC, but not unlike the Christmas weather I had a few years back in New Zealand. However, the holidays in NZ felt like the holidays I am used to, with Christmas trees, parties, presents, etc. Here...not so much. I came to the realization that perhaps this lack of Christmas spirit was for the best though because I didn’t feel quite so homesick. So here’s what I’ve been up to:

Christmas Eve
• Caught the RDI van into Kien Svay to give a test to two students
• Had iced coffee with Sumera, Ashley, and Loreta and caught up with some of the village moms I love so much
• Rode a moto back into town with my friend Rith
• Had lunch at the Living Room (my second home) – thought I would do some work, but decided I should enjoy the afternoon away from the computer
• Went home, read a little, then took a 3-hour nap on the couch – perfect sleeping spot with just the right amount of sunlight and a nice breeze coming in from the open balcony door
• Yoga DVD
• Ate Palak Paneer and garlic naan at one of my favorite Indian restaurants here
• Had an absolutely amazing 1-hour massage at Amret Spa
• Came home and talked to my loved ones online before bed

Christmas Day
• Slept late
• Ran errands before taking a motodop out to RDI; although the kids were off from school, everyday life was going on pretty much as usual here in Phnom Penh
• Ate delicious crepes with chocolate sauce and coconut sauce and lots of fresh fruit prepared by Loreta, Sumera, and Ashley
• Played with my favorite kids here – Dola and Daniel
• Went to Andrew’s house where we watched Elf while Andrew and others prepared Christmas lunch
• Had yummy cooked potatoes and salad
• Watched two episodes of The Office while a few people napped
• Played Phase 10 on Andrew’s front porch
• Took a terrifying motodop ride home to Phnom Penh – the roads get exponentially scarier here after the sun sets, so I probably won’t be doing that again
• Watched a few bad Christmas movies on TV while instant messaged / talked on Skype to my loved ones before bed

So that’s my Christmas! Nothing like one I would have had at home, but pretty fun nonetheless. I am lucky to have some really great friends here to have spent it with. I must admit though, I am already excited about next year’s Christmas– Christmas Eve at Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Pat’s house, mom’s amazing Christmas breakfast, good old fashioned Christmas dinner, and just hanging out with my awesome family. Even though holidays can be stressful and hectic, it's easy to realize just how special they are when you are far away from home.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a great New Year!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

2008-12-09T21:39:00.008+07:00

Chiang Mai Highlights

The city and surroundings
Chiang Mai is a beautiful city. It has a relaxed, but modern feel to it and is rich with culture. I expected it to seem more like a big city (considering it has a population of over 200,000), so was surprised that is felt as small as it did. I must admit though, we spent most of our time in one small area of the city, so I’m sure my view is a bit skewed. The old city is surrounded by a moat and remnants of a very old wall (original boundary of the city that was built 700 years ago). From there, Chiang Mai has spread out in each direction. The streets felt different than those in Bangkok – much smaller and with fewer traffic jams (although the traffic is still much faster than we are used to in Phnom Penh). The streets we visited were lined with coffee shops, restaurants, quirky used-book stores, and small boutiques. Chiang Mai is surrounded by mountains and because of its elevation, the air this time of year was very cool (actually cold in the mornings). While it can be extremely touristy (hill tribe trekking, whitewater rafting, elephant treks are advertised everywhere – more on that in a minute), I am sure there are tons of outdoor activities and unadvertised sites in the outer reaches of the city. While we were in Chiang Mai for only a few days, it was long enough for me to know that I LOVE it and really want to visit again when I can devote more time to exploring it.

Hill Tribes
The hill tribes are ethnic minorities, often semi-nomadic, who live in the mountainous regions of northern Thailand. Each has its own language, customs, dress, and religious beliefs. Although they come from various regions in SE Asia, they do not officially belong to any one nation and are in a continuous migrant state. Some estimates suggest that between 10 and 20 of these groups exist today. They stick to very traditional customs and many specialize in a particular handicraft, such as weaving, woodcarving, metalwork, or silver jewelry. As I mentioned above, hill tribe trekking has become the tourist trap of the century in Chiang Mai. Groups advertise an authentic experience of hiking up to and visiting these mystical tribes. From what I have read on numerous internet forums, this experience is anything but authentic. You arrive to a rehearsed song-and-dance, where tons of previous tourists have been herded through. Really, the tribes have become dependent on the tourists, who often bring a negative influence (drugs, litter, disrespect, etc.) into their culture. It makes me sad that these last few untouched cultures in SE Asia are being so exploited.

Shopping
The Night Bazaar is one of the most well-known shopping experiences in the city and we visited it both nights of our stay in Chiang Mai. The Bazaar opens at sunset and stays open until midnight every night of the year. It consists of rows of street vendor booths, roofed areas, and indoor shops that line several of the main streets in the city. Vendors sell anything and everything, mostly catering to tourists (so clothing, crafts, jewelry, etc). There are a number of other shopping areas, such as the Walking Streets, that we didn’t even get to.

Handicraft shopping is abundant in Chiang Mai. You maybe have heard me talk about Thailand’s hill tribe silver jewelry while back home. I have been pretty much obsessed with it for years and it is extremely difficult to find in the US. So I was in heaven while in Chiang Mai, especially when we discovered a store FULL of it! I got a great stockpile of new jewelry and definitely had a few moments of considering a career change.

Thai Massage
I had never had a Thai massage prior to coming to Thailand (although you can get them pretty much everywhere). But since I was in Thailand, I figured I should take advantage of getting the “real thing.” I had two of these massages while there, one in Railay and another in Chiang Mai. It really isn’t a relaxing event, but more like someone performing yoga ON you. The massage is meant to promote health by manipulating your body so energy evenly distributes throughout. It is also a Thai social event, so massages take place in group settings (you stay fully clothed for the massage) and the masseuses often chat with each other through the entire thing. Definitely a cool experience, but I think I’ll stick to my regular massages.

Festivals
We were lucky enough to show up in Chiang Mai on the day of not one, but two festivals going on at the same time! Loi Krathong is an annual celebration that takes place throughout Thailand. “Loi” means “to float” and “krathong” is a small handmade raft usually made of a banana tree trunk (or more modernly, styrofoam) and elaborately decorated with flowers, candles, etc. On the night of the full moon, people release the small raft onto a river to float away bad fortunes. The Loy Krathong ceremony in Chiang Mai is considered to be one of the largest and most colorful in Thailand and it also coincides with the Lanna Yi Peng Festival. This festival involves the launching of thousands of large lantern-like hot air balloons as an offering to Buddha and to also cast away bad fortunes. The celebrations also include boat races, a beauty contest, a parade, fireworks, and cultural performances.

Erin and I had no idea what we were walking into. A giant gold-colored float being moved down the street on Friday afternoon was the first indication. As the day progressed, we saw stands set-up all along the streets selling krathongs and the roads were beginning to be shut down. Later than evening, we found ourselves in a perfect location to view the parade of extremely elaborate floats (we only watched a small portion of what ended up being about four hours of float after float). Launching of hot air balloons was also going on into the early hours of the morning. The lanterns are made of bamboo hoops coated with very thin paper. A fuel-coated wick at the base is lit and the hot air fills the tubular lantern sending it upwards. Despite the fire-hazard aspect, hundreds of these fill the sky at any one time all night long. It was really quite beautiful.

Railay Beach, Thailand

2008-11-23T21:37:00.005+07:00

Erin and I took a 10-day trip to Thailand, and it was quite incredible. The Water Festival was going on in Phnom Penh from November 11 – 13 and RDI was essentially closed for the entire week. While staying here for that seemed exciting, we heard it was actually not that much fun – people from all over Cambodia come to the capital to watch boat races and crowd the city streets. We left Phnom Penh on Thursday November 6 for a short flight to Bangkok. After a 90-minute bus ride (serious traffic in Bangkok) we arrived in the Sukhumvit area of the city. Immediately we noticed the differences between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, namely many more cars, clean streets, tall buildings, and a seemingly faster-paced life. We stayed in Bangkok in a crazy backpacker guesthouse called Suk 11, which was a giant maze-like structure with wooden planks as hallways and cute little rooms. After a filling Tex-Mex dinner, we headed to the Night Market for a few hours. We took a Thai-style tuk-tuk back to the guesthouse – these tuk-tuks are SO much faster and scarier than the ones in Cambodia! Friday included a flight to Krabi, a bus trip to Ao Nang, and finally a long-tail boat ride to Railay Beach. Railay is a diverse little peninsula. The East side is full of very cheap accommodation, trash, and all-night parties. The West side is much nicer, but with that comes prices for accommodation that were out of our budget ($50 per night and up). There is also another area on the peninsula that has a 5-star resort where prices start at $3000 per night. The backpacker guesthouse we originally wanted to stay in on East Railay was full, which turned out to be a blessing because it was really filthy. So we ended up in a more expensive place for the first night called the Diamond Private Resort. Not as glamorous as it sounds – we weren’t sure if the room had (ever) been cleaned prior to our arrival. The next day we found a new place called Railay Highland Resort (funny how they name pretty much anything a “resort”) in between the East and West beaches where we stayed for the rest of our time in Railay. On Wednesday the 12th we flew back to Bangkok and made our way to the train station. Apparently, they do not accept reservations for trains, despite the fact that I made reservations on the Thai Railways website, and the train we had planned to take was booked. Instead we took an overnight double-decker bus to Chiang Mai (6 pm to 4:30 am the next morning). Thank god for Dramamine – I was able to sleep the whole way. When we arrived in Chiang Mai it was still dark out and FREEZING. A tuk-tuk driver took us to our guesthouse, the Na Inn, which has fantastic rooms with hot water and A/C (two things we missed dearly while in Railay), a nice view of the mountains, and is in a really great location in the city. We were in Chiang Mai until Saturday the 15th, when we flew back to Bangkok and then finally to Phnom Penh. The ten days were packed full of activities. Writing about it all may be a little much, so I am going to just write about the highlights from Railay Beach and Chiang Mai in two separate posts.

Railay Beach Highlights

Scenery
One of the most obvious highlights about Railay is the scenery. Despite having mostly overcast weather until the last day, it was still stunning. The peninsula is very small, only accessible by boat, full of beaches, and surrounded by islands and coral beds. The peninsula itself and offshore areas are composed of gigantic limestone rocks surrounded by beautiful emerald waters (the Andaman Sea). Unfortunately, the recent surge in popularity has been quite devastating on the environment, especially in East Railay. The natural state of this side of the peninsula is muddy mangrove forests and no beaches. Cheap structures, built quickly and likely without proper sanitation considerations, were everywhere. Piles of trash and the constant smell of sewage kept Erin and I away from this side of the peninsula as much as possible. West Railay (about a 10-minute walk on concrete sidewalks across the middle of the peninsula) has a great beach and is well known for incredible sunsets. It is much cleaner and quieter on this side and we found it much more pleasant. Our guesthouse was directly in between the two sides, tucked away in the mountains. Although not as convenient in terms of location to restaurants and beaches, it lacked loud partiers and was within our price range. Phranang Beach is located at the bottom of the peninsula. This beach is where the Anyavee Resort is located and has been voted as one of the top beaches in the world. Luckily the beach portion is open to us mere peasants so we were able to spend some time there. Words cannot express the beauty of this beach, so just have a look at my photos. There is so much natural geological beauty on the peninsula. Gigantic limestone faces make it a rock climber’s paradise. And even if you don’t climb, the limestone outcroppings are magnificent. There is quite a bit of hiking and even a mountain top lagoon (which we unfortunately didn’t make it up to).

Climbing
One of the main reasons we went to Railay is so Erin could go climbing. While I am an inexperienced climber (I climbed a few times inside and twice outside), I was excited about the climbing too, as it is rated among the top places in the world. Erin found a very reputable climbing school (among a number of sketchy ones) that provided private climbing guides. I climbed two half-days (4 hours each) and a total of nine routes, while Erin did a total of three half-days. I really had an amazing time. The climbing guides were extremely familiar with all of the climbing at Railay after many years of experience. While Erin didn’t need much instruction, it was great for me to re-learn some of the basics (tying knots, for example) and get some guidance on technique (although I have a long way to go). The first half-day we went to a famous site called 1-2-3. This area had routes of many difficulty levels and was a good place to start off. The second half-day we went somewhere even more remarkable. We started the morning off climbing at an area right beside Phranang Beach. What followed was a fairly strenuous hike through a huge dark cave within the mountain that separates Phranang and West Railay beaches. The cave exit comes out on a rock face high above West Railay and the view is just incredible. From that point, we abseiled down and then did a few climbs back up. We ended with a climb further down the mountain in a forested area. Erin’s third half-day was back at 1-2-3 on some more challenging routes. One of the things that made the climbing at Railay so fantastic was the setting. In each case, we were climbing with the ocean directly behind us. Each time you’d make it to the top, the view was absolutely breathtaking.

Snorkeling
Erin and I did a half-day boat trip to some of the islands just offshore of Railay. We hired a private long-tail boat (wooden boats with small motors on the back) to take us out on a four-island tour for snorkeling. We visited Ko Poda, Ko Hua Khwan (Chicken Island), Ko Tup, and Ko Taloo. Erin had never been snorkeling before, so this was a great experience for her. The clear and shallow waters made for near-perfect snorkeling conditions. We saw all kinds of beautiful and very odd sea life among vast stretches of coral. The most bizarre and definitely the scariest were these black spiky creatures, ranging from one to three feet in diameter. At the base of the spikes, there were tiny brilliant blue spots and these floating orange eyeball-looking things. Turns out they are sea urchins native to SE Asia! Other creatures we spotted included crabs, fish of all colors and sizes, and many types of vibrant corals.

Coconut Cream Shake
It would be amiss to neglect mentioning the fresh coconut cream shake that I had at Ya Ya Restaurant one night in Railay. It was perhaps the most delicious substance I have ever tasted. I don’t know how they made it, but that is probably best. If I could make these myself, my cholesterol would probably spiral out of control.

Field Visit

2008-10-31T22:46:00.002+07:00

In early September, I tagged along with Erin and her field staff on a routine field-sampling day. The project assesses the health impact of a plastic version of the BioSand filter in Cambodia. Her study is very similar in design to the study we will conduct for One Drop, so I think exposure to all aspects of the project are very beneficial. Plus, I just wanted to check out rural Cambodia ;)

The first village we visited is called Srae Kach. Erin and I accompanied field staff members to two households for their 15-minute interviews on diarrheal disease and filter usage over the previous seven days. Although we weren’t able to understand what was being said, the field staff were able to translate some for us. The main reason Erin needed to attend these two interview sessions was to check out some issues regarding a few of the filters. Having us present seemed to cause quite a stir (one reason that she limits her time in the field) – family members rushed off to find seats for us and neighborhood children gathered around.

The second village we visited is called Boeng Romoas and is quite rural. We traveled for over an hour off of the main paved road on narrow, flood-ravaged dirt roads surrounded by rice fields. The countryside was absolutely gorgeous. It was very quiet and the air felt very clean. I think I even caught a glimpse of an Asian Fairy Bluebird, but didn’t get my camera out in time. It is not clear how the villages are divided, but I know we traveled through a few before finally reaching Boeng Romoas. For this visit, Erin and I decided to not accompany the field staff for interviews. Instead we walked the main road of the village. Again, we caused quite a stir, as the village communities this rural rarely see Westerners. It was scorching hot and once we walked the length of the village (probably a quarter of a mile), we decided to sit down under a covered cement patio. We actually had no idea what this structure was, but it did not appear to belong to anyone in particular, so we decided it was likely a common space for the village.

After about five minutes, a tiny ancient woman made her way over and sat down directly in front of us. She began asking questions in Khmer over and over again. Of course we didn’t have a clue about what she was saying, but she was very gentle and kind. A few minutes later, a shy young child (maybe five years old) came over to us to see what was going on. She too tried to talk to us but to no avail. Eventually the sweet old woman became bored with us and quietly disappeared back into the village. What came next turned out to be a pretty fantastic turn of events.

Suddenly, children started appearing from all around giggling and whispering. At one point there must have been at least twelve of them under the small roof. Their ages varied, from barely walking to one who seemed to be about ten years old. They delighted in playing games to get our attention, including one where a child hopped on one leg trying to tag the others and another that was some strange version of hide-and-seek. Our favorite though was when they created a jump rope by tying together vines they found nearby. One game they played with the jump rope also involved throwing a flip flop, but we never quite figured that one out. Any argument that arose was immediately solved by a round of rock, paper, scissors. We were able to take photos, and I have posted a few of them on Picasa.

After about 45 minutes of this fantastic entertainment, the interviews were complete and it was time to head back to RDI. It was actually hard for both Erin and I to leave. The kids were so incredibly joyous, despite living in what those back home might consider desperate and destitute circumstances. And despite having no ability to verbally communicate, we felt like we had made some new little friends.

Khmer Cooking Course

2008-10-27T20:26:00.003+07:00

Last weekend Erin, Heather (an RDI friend), and I took a Khmer cooking class offered through a local restaurant called Frizz. The three of us had breakfast at a great little café called The Shop before walking over to the restaurant. It was an all day affair that began at 9:00 am. About 12 of us boarded tuk-tuks for a trip to one of the local markets. I think this part of the course was meant to have a “shock” effect on the tourists in the class. We walked up and down the food isles of the market, past lots of raw meat and fish and numerous non-identifiable food items. Heather, Erin, and I have experienced this type of excursion before, so for us, it was mostly just nauseating. Our guide did stop us by one booth to describe a number of herbs and seasonings used in Khmer cooking, so that was interesting.

Once back at the restaurant, we climbed up two flights of stairs to a covered, rooftop outdoor kitchen. Burners, chopping boards, knives, etc were all set up for us on a U-shaped countertop. Our first lesson: spring rolls with sweet and sour dipping sauce. These were surprisingly easy! Shredded taro root, carrots, and peanuts wrapped up in spring roll sheets and sealed with an egg. The rolls are then fried in vegetable oil until they are golden brown. Our teacher made the dipping sauce while we watched. It is a common sauce here made up of garlic, hot chilies, peanuts, and other ingredients.

After polishing off all of the spring rolls, we moved on to the main course. Amok is a very traditional Cambodian curry dish that is steamed. There are two traditional types of amok: one cooked with fish and steamed in banana leaf cups and the other made of snails. Fortunately, we prepared the fish version. The first step in preparing this dish is making the herb paste (kroeung) from fresh ingredients in a mortar and pestle. It has red chilies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves that you pound by hand for a very long time. We then prepared a small cup out of banana leaves. The teacher first cut the thick leaves into circles and then draped them over a flame to make them soft. We then placed two leaves together (undersides touching) and formed them into a cup by pinning with small bamboo sticks. We then mixed the kroeung, coconut milk, egg, and some sliced fresh fish together and used this to fill the cups. This was then steamed for about 20 minutes and we ate it with rice.

The next dish was banana flower salad. This was definitely my least favorite. I do not really like the taste of banana flower – it is sort of bitter and coarse. The salad is a mixture of young banana flower leaves cut in thin slices and mixed with herbs, chili pepper, and lime juice. It is usually served with cooked chicken pieces, but I was provided with mushrooms for mine. The salad is then tossed with sweet and sour sauce (perhaps its only redeeming feature).

Last dish we prepared was dessert, of course! Dessert in Cambodia is not really what I consider dessert. When I think of dessert, I think of something involving chocolate and ice cream. Here, it is often fruit. We made a dish called Sticky Rice and Mango and it was pretty much incredible. We prepared sticky rice (very similar to white rice, but as the name implies, it sticks together and can be molded) and surrounded it with pieces of fresh mango. This was all topped with fresh shredded coconut, palm sugar caramel sauce, and sesame seeds. This is definitely something I will be making again!

It was really fun learning how to make a few of the dishes that we have been eating in Cambodia, and I definitely have a whole new appreciation for how much work goes into preparing curry dishes. Plus we met a few new friends that are living and working in Cambodia. If you want to try any of these recipes, let me know – we got a cookbook for taking the class. And maybe I’ll practice a few so I can make them when I come back home :)

Siem Reap Day 3

2008-10-13T22:21:00.002+07:00

Our third day in Siem Reap began with breakfast at the Red Piano. Was I ever surprised to see pics of Angelina Jolie from her visit to the Red Piano on the wall above our table! Apparently she visited the restaurant while filming the Tomb Raider movies (more on that in a minute). After breakfast we went on a tour of a silk farm, as recommended by our friend Judy. I had really been looking forward to this part of the trip! Les Chantiers Ecoles is a school in Siem Reap that specializes in teaching impoverished youth traditional crafts such as silk-weaving, wood-carving, and stone-carving. The school has a silk farm about ten miles west of Siem Reap and offers free transportation to the facility and a great tour of the farm. This place is incredible! You are able to see all stages of the silk production process – from cultivation of mulberry trees that the silk worms feed on, to all the life stages of the silk worms, to extraction and spooling of silk, to dyeing and weaving. They use very basic tools in the process (one step makes use of old bicycle wheels) and dyes are extracted from natural ingredients. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the workers in action due to the holiday, but we had a great tour guide. Students go through a fairly rigorous training process before becoming master craftspeople. The school is very socially responsible, providing students with fair wages and social and medical benefits (rare here). At the end of the tour, they have a gift shop with all kinds of beautiful silk pieces. I bought a black silk scarf, and probably paid more than I should have, but felt I should contribute to such a worthy cause. If you are interested check out their website.

After returning from the tour and having some lunch, Erin and I headed back to Angkor via a tuk-tuk to visit a few more temples. The first stop was Ta Phrom, a temple well known for being overrun with silk-cotton trees and strangler vines that are slowly destroying it. You should see the roots on these trees! This temple was chosen to be left in its “natural state” to show how most of Angkor looked when “discovered” in the 19th century (they do clear when necessary to prevent major collapse). While the wild condition is quite awe-inspiring, it is sad to see this amazing monument in such a state of decline. In popular culture, the temple is also well known for its role in the Tomb Raider movies. Although I haven’t seen these movies, I do vaguely remember one advertised scene with a small temple doorway completely overtaken by a huge tree. Check out my pics and you’ll see what I mean.

Next we went back to Angkor Wat. Something this gigantic and incredible requires a second (and third and so on) visit. We wanted to focus on the famous bas-reliefs that cover the exterior walls of the third enclosure of the temple, just about ground level. The carved area is immense – almost 2000 feet in total length and 6 ½ feet high. There are eight major sections, most with subject matter telling important Hindu stories. We checked out all of the sections, but mainly focused on ones portraying heavens and hell (graphic description of the judging of the good and evil), the epic Churning of the Sea of Milk (battle between the gods and demons), and the Battle of Lanka (exquisite carvings of a battle scene involving scary monkeys). The bas-reliefs were a lot of fun to admire, especially with the guidebook's description of interesting details to search for.

For those who care (which is probably no one), I incorrectly wrote that we went to Bakheng for the sunset views on Sunday night, when in fact I have just realized it was Monday night. I guess that’s what I get for waiting over two weeks to post about the trip. Anyway, we made it back to Siem Reap and had what was one of the best Indian meals I have ever had. Seriously, it was unreal. I think I could eat that Saag Paneer and garlic naan everyday for the rest of my life.

So that’s the end of my description of the Siem Reap trip. Erin and I caught the 8:30 am bus back to Phnom Penh on Tuesday. I had such a great time on this trip! And never realized how much stuff could be packed into just a few days. I have a few more pictures posted on picasa (check out the link I included at the upper right corner of the blog page) if you are interested.

Siem Reap Day 2

2008-10-12T17:55:00.004+07:00

Sunday was a day of many temples. After breakfast at the guesthouse, we rented bicycles for the day. To give us maximum time at the temples, we carried the bikes on a tuk-tuk to the Angkor entrance gate. From there, we were off on the bikes for exploration. The Angkor Complex is fairly compact, but packed full of temples and monuments in a forested and serene setting. Paved roads lead you from one site to the next, with a larger loop of about 16 miles and a small loop of about ten miles. These loops overlap in some places and each offers its own set of special points of interest. The roads within the complex weren’t terribly crowded and comprised of an even mixture of cars, tuk-tuks, and motos. We saw a few other people biking, but it definitely was not the most common mode of transportation. Erin and I opted to take the larger loop on Sunday and decided to come back Monday by tuk-tuk to visit (or revisit) other areas.

With the help of guidebooks that we picked up the day before, we were able to learn quite a bit about the layout, architecture, and history of the temples as we went through them. Since dozens of books have been written on all of these incredible, historical sites, I will not go into detail re-describing them. Instead, I’m just going to provide a quick list of the places we visited and some of my impressions.

Our first stop was at the granddaddy of temples: Angkor Wat. Its size alone is breathtaking – often described as the largest religious structure in the world (the entire site, including the moat, takes up about 500 acres). The temple was built in the early to mid 1100s in honor of Vishnu and is a microcosm of the Hindu universe (uppermost tower = Mt Meru, the mountain home of the gods; courtyards = continents; moat = mythical oceans; etc.). There are over 3000 apsaras (celestial dancers) carved within the walls of the temple and each one is said to be unique (Erin and I were able to locate the only one that has her teeth showing). I was especially struck by the shear steepness of stairways leading up to the central tower, which is unfortunately closed to the public. Angkor Wat is very famous for its bas-reliefs. We decided to come back the next day to see those.

Next we entered the South Gate to Angkor Thom, one of the largest of the ancient Khmer cities (built in late 12th century). Twenty-six-foot-tall walls encompass about 4 square miles of land, surrounded by a moat, which was over 300 feet in width in its time. The bridge over the moat and leading up to the gates are lined with statues of gods and demons. Gates (there are a total of five) entering the city are an impressive 65 feet tall and contain enormous carvings of faces. At one point in time, many thousands of people lived within the walls of the city. Because their houses were likely made of wood, none of them remain today and forest has taken over. It is so incredible to imagine what this city was like in its day!

Within the walls of Angkor Thom we visited a number of places. The Bayon is a unique and complex temple completely packed full of towers covered on each side (N,S,E, and W) with gigantic faces. It is unusual, and bit creepy actually, but very beautiful. We also checked out the Terrace of Elephants – a long wall with a LOT of elephant carvings. Baphuon, also described as the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzle, was another interesting visit. In the 1960s, about 300,000 stones making up the temple were dismantled and their locations recorded. Unfortunately, this paperwork disappeared during the Khmer Rouge. Much of the temple is off-limits, but you are able to walk the periphery. Such a shame to see this amazing work of art in shambles.

The last temple we toured was Preah Khan. This, along with Bantey Srei, was my favorite of the temples. It is believed that this temple was once a religious university, built in the early 1200s. I’m not sure what made this place so special to me. It was very quiet and secluded and had an air of mystery and a very natural feel to it. Very few visitors were there, which made it even better, as Erin and I were able to explore the vast maze of corridors and rooms. The complex also had a very unusual (for Angkor) two-storied building that has no trace of a stairway.

I was very surprised at how much freedom visitors have within these ancient monuments. While some areas are off-limits, the vast majority of areas are completely non-restricted. I couldn’t help but think how much of this kind of thing in the US would be completely closed to visitors, not only for preservation’s sake, but also for the safety of visitors. Occasionally posted signs requested “no touching” of the carvings, they were few and far between and this was not at all monitored or enforced. A couple of security guards wandered throughout the complexes, but said nothing to those blatantly breaking rules. I made an effort to respect these ancient works of art, but have to admit, loved the freedom we had to wander through corridors with toppled ceilings, doorways, etc.

The last event of the day was a 15-minute hill climb to the Bakheng temple, located at the highest point in the area. It is advertised as having a spectacular view during sunset, but we made it just a little late. Regardless, the views were pretty amazing, despite the climb up the temple itself. I have never been a part of something like that in my life! Crowds of people scrambling up steep staircases that were pretty much at a 70 degree angle and composed of 6-inch wide steps. I was just waiting for the person ahead of me to fall backwards and take every one of us out. Erin and I laughed (of course, afterwards) about the fact that there were absolutely no medical provisions in place in case of an accident.

Biking was really the way to see the temples – the weather was perfect, we got in a full day of exercise, and we were able to see everything at a great pace. Surprisingly, the fact that it was a national public holiday did not add to the amount of foot traffic. We pretty much had a nice, leisurely day of exploration with many opportunities to enjoy areas without any others around.

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Siem Reap Day 1

2008-10-04T10:18:00.009+07:00

The Pchum Ben Festival is a 15-day holiday to pay respects to deceased relatives. To do this, Cambodians throw rice near the temples very early in the mornings in hopes that the ghosts of their ancestors will receive it (this explains the 5 a.m. chanting and music that’s been going on daily for the past few weeks). If you are interested, a good description of the holiday can be found here. The official public holiday for the festival was held from September 28 – 30 this year, which meant a 4-day weekend for us!

Erin and I decided to take a trip to Siem Reap for the holiday. It is just far enough away from Phnom Penh that a regular 2-day weekend would not provide enough time for a visit. There is SO much to do there – a 4-day trip is definitely adequate, but I can see how you could spend a week or more and still not see everything. Siem Reap City is a leaping off point for the temples of Angkor, which are considered by many to be the most magnificent attractions in all of Southeast Asia. Because this was such a trip packed full of sightseeing, I am going to write about the weekend in three separate posts. Pictures from the trip are also separated by day on the picasa site.

We arrived in Siem Reap Friday night after a non-eventful 4.5-hr bus trip. Actually, I take that back - I do remember an extremely abrupt slamming of brakes that caused the entire bus to zig-zag all over the road and caused me to bolt up out of my seat from an otherwise nice nap. I am pretty sure we were dodging someone's herd of cows that had wandered into the road. Once we arrived we checked in to the Mandalay Inn, a nice guesthouse recommended by our friend Maryann. There's a great Mexican restaurant in Siem Reap called Viva, so I was able to get my fix before heading to bed early in preparation for the next day, which was certain to be a long one.

After a lazy breakfast, Erin and I went in search of transportation to Kbal Spean, located about 30 miles north of Siem Reap. Because we are stubborn (and cheap) and wanted to make it there as fast as possible, we decided to take a moto. While a tuk-tuk would have made for a much more enjoyable experience, it would have taken forever and cost quite a bit more. Finding a moto in Siem Reap proved to be difficult - most tourists will not ride them, so tuk-tuks were everywhere. We finally convinced a driver to take both of us (on one moto) for a very reasonable price for a full day of transport. After stopping at the Angkor entrance to purchase a 3-day pass, we were off. The moto ride there was...memorable. I was wedged between the sweaty driver and Erin, and Erin and I both shared one set of foot pedals. But at least the scenery was great - the two places we were visiting that day were far enough away to not receive a lot of tourist traffic. We traveled on wide mostly empty dirt roads lined with stilted houses and passed through areas where nearby hills were covered with ancient temple ruins (we did not visit a number of these places due to time constraints). Eventually we arrived at Kbal Spean safely and in a little over an hour, albeit with leg cramps and covered with a layer of dust.

As I learned throughout the trip, many of the temples have a flurry of make-shift restaurants and stores lined up outside the gates. The workers at these places are INTENSE. The very second they see foreigners arrive, 50 of them are magically right in front of you. I cannot count the number of times I heard "Lady, do you want to buy this hat?" "Lady do you want to buy some water?" "Lady, you hungry? Come eat at my shop." Erin and I did end up having some noodle soup at one of these little restaurants before getting started.

In the upper reaches of the Kbal Spean River (which eventually flows into the Tonle Sap River), images of Hindu gods and other creatures are cut into a 150-meter stretch of sandstone riverbed. This small area is known as "River of a Thousand Lingas," which basically means there are a large number of stubby carvings representing the Hindu god Shiva. There are also several stunning carvings of Vishnu, another Hindu god. Getting up to the riverbed requires a 1-mile hike up a steep rocky path. It was really amazing to see the shear number of lingas carved in the riverbed, visible just below the surface of the water. And the detail in carvings of Vishnu reclining in the riverbed was extraordinary. I cannot imagine the countless hours that were spent on these carvings (mostly likely they were carved in the 11th or 12th centuries). Continuing downstream, there were more small carved treasures, both in the river and along the rocks lining it. Eventually you reach a fairly substantial waterfall. There were many Cambodian teenagers playing in the water at the base of the falls. And no, I did not venture into the water, although it was tempting because of the heat and humidity.

After hiking back down, we got back onto the moto and headed to Banteay Srei (about 40 minutes back toward Siem Reap). Banteay Srei is considered to be Angkor's most beautiful temple and I could not agree more. It is a small temple of soft pink sandstone built in the mid 900s. Most Khmer temples were built of laterite and carvings were done in a plaster coating that was layered onto the stone. In this case however, the temple was faced with pink sandstone and the carvings done into that. The name translates as "Citadel of Women" or "Citadel of Beauty," probably referring to its size and delicacy. Just about every square inch of the temple is covered in astonishingly detailed carvings that are in near perfect condition. The exquisite details, petite size, pink hue, and peaceful and isolated setting made this an extremely memorable experience.

Erin and I spent quite a while exploring Banteay Srei and then decided to head back to Siem Reap and call it a day. Later that evening we went down to the Old Market area of Siem Reap City. I was surprised to see so many foreigners (the most I've seen since being in Cambodia), but I guess it makes sense because this is such a tourist attraction for the country. In the evenings they close down this portion of the city to motorized vehicles, so you can peacefully walk to shops and restaurants without fear of being taken out by a moto. We had dinner on Pub Street at Burgers Without Borders - a great little hamburger shop (with veggie burgers!). After some dessert at a fantastic restaurant called the Blue Pumpkin, we were exhausted and headed back to the guesthouse to get some rest.

Sihanoukville

2008-09-20T15:03:00.004+07:00

Last weekend, I ventured out on my first trip outside of Phnom Penh. Erin and I decided to spend the weekend in Sihanoukville, one of the main coastal towns in Cambodia. We left around 2:30 on Friday for a 4-hour or so bus trip on the Mekong Express. For $8, it's a pretty great deal, if you are willing to put up with the horrible Cambodian karaoke videos they play...and the fact that the buses barrel down the little roads at high speeds, bullying motos and tuk tuks along the way. It was dark when we arrived in Sihanoukville and we were ready to find a place to stay and get some dinner. We ended up at the Markara Guesthouse in Ochheuteal Beach. Downtown Sihanoukville and a number of beaches, including Ochheuteal and Serendipity Beaches, are located on a peninsula that juts out into the Gulf of Thailand (see this map). Ochheuteal is a little more backpacker-focused, with late-night beach parties. So it really wasn't our scene but the rooms at Markara have A/C, decent beds, and hot water. We ate Mexican food (!!!) for dinner--the first I've had here. I had a veggie burrito (sort-of), but sadly, no chips and salsa.

The next morning after breakfast at Markara, we checked out and headed to Serendipity Beach. I really like this small stretch of beach much more than Ochheuteal. Serendipity really is just a tiny extension of beach just north of Ochheuteal, but has nice little beach-front bungalows and open-air restaurants that are much quieter and cleaner than the back-packer areas. We got a great bungalow with an awesome porch (complete with a hammock) that overlooked the water. Although these rooms don't have A/C, you can stay cool with fans and the ocean breeze.

We spent most of the day Saturday in Ream National Park (also known as Preah Sihanouk National Park). Ream National Park is about 21,000 hectares of coastal area including beaches, mangrove forests, an estuary, coral reefs, and two islands. The park has been a protected area since the mid-90s. People already living off of the land then were allowed to remain (with fairly strict land usage rules put in place), however, no new people were able to move into the area. The Park Office offers both guided hiking and boat trips.

An intense thunderstorm followed us over the mountain past the Sihanoukville port on the 18 km (~11 mile) tuk tuk trip from Sihanoukville to the Park Office. Rain continued throughout most of the day, but we were determined to take the boat trip down the Prek Toek Sap River. Lucky for us, two Danish girls, Mette and Leena, were also intent on taking the trip, so we shared the cost of a boat and a tour guide. Despite not seeing as many birds as I had wanted, the trip was fantastic. There were many local fishermen out on the river and the mangroves lining the river were gorgeous. Before turning around and heading back up the river, we climbed a 12 m (40 ft) wooden look-out tower. One the way up we saw a snake jump from the tower into an adjacent tree and from the top we were able to enjoy a great view of the lush forest below.

On Sunday Erin and I took a little walk over to a rocky area of the beach. We climbed over huge rocks and quickly found ourselves in a pretty quiet area. There were lots of interesting shells--some were huge and perfectly whole. I must comment on how disappointed I was with the amount of trash everywhere. It was disgusting. In general, many Cambodian people litter without hesitation. I think they are just so used to seeing trash everywhere that they don't even notice. The beaches we walked on were very short, just wide enough not to get hit by waves when walking. Erin says that they are usually much wider in the dry season. I had planned on swimming, but most of the time it was raining or threatening to. Although it was clear, tropical water, the waves seemed a little rough due to impending storms and the temperature was surprisingly cold. So no swimming this time, but I'll definitely have to try it next time.

We ate really great food all weekend--my very favorite thing being the fresh banana fruit shakes at House of Malibu. All in all, it was a fun and relaxing weekend away from the city and I look forward to heading back to the coast as soon as diving season starts up (November). Check out my pictures on the other site if you are interested.

New Digs

2008-09-06T12:47:00.006+07:00

I know I'm past due for another post...getting settled in and started with work has been a fun, challenging, and time-consuming process. For those who have expressed interest, I thought I would write about where I am living. After deciding against staying in the bungalows at RDI, I decided (for various reasons, including lack of air conditioner and hot water) that I wanted to live in Phnom Penh. Erin has been such a trooper--she has lived in the bungalows for about 8 months, so she welcomed the idea of moving to the city. After meeting with several real estate agents, we finally settled on a great flat. It is a two bedroom, three bathroom flat on the 4th (and top) floor of a building of flats. It is maybe the nicest and cheapest place I have ever lived in. We have air conditioner (seriously necessary, and I never thought I'd say that), hot water, a new washing machine, new furnishings, and an awesome balcony. We've done some rearranging and cleaning and it's finally feeling like home :)

Many Cambodian people actually live above their shops in the city. The most expensive places are obviously free-standing homes (very few of these) and somewhere in-between is our type of place. It is kind of hard to explain the setup, but these flats are literally crammed into every possible space. Our building is right before the intersection of a major road in the central part of the city and road 178, which is the heart of the "arts" district of the city (the F-6 region on this map here) . I am realizing how ideal the location is. We are about a 10-minute walk to where the RDI shuttle picks up and drops off employees (about a 30-minute commute each way), a few blocks from the riverfront area where there are lots of restaurants, close to a large green space where people exercise and play, and near a number of stores and markets for groceries. There is an endless supply of moto and tuk tuk drivers out on the main road, so transportation is never an issue.

I am going to attempt to post photos of the flat on my picasa page. Hopefully the internet will cooperate with me.

Initial Impressions

2008-08-25T09:58:00.009+07:00

This first week in Cambodia has been pretty amazing. The delay in posting is largely due to the fact that I don't have a reliable internet source set up yet, but also to lack of time. Getting set up and organized has been a serious endeavor. Erin (a close friend from UNC who is working at RDI, for those who do not know her) has graciously introduced me to the country. She has lived here for about eight months and has been an absolutely amazing travel companion and kindred spirit.

So where to even begin on my initial impression of life in Cambodia? It is completely different here than anywhere else I have been. Here are just a few of many observations:

Traffic. Rules to the road? No way. Traffic, in theory, drives on the right, but in reality, literally drives wherever it wants. Motos (small motorcycles) dominate the streets, followed by tuk tuks (motos pulling carts), and lastly, cars and cyclos (pedicabs). While absolutely chaotic, it is surprisingly civil and polite on the roads. Road rage does not appear to really exist here. Instead, you often see extreme patience in drivers and near collisions are usually followed by big smiles. It is not that common to see Cambodians walking down the sidewalk--almost everyone is on a moto (much cheaper to catch a ride on than tuk tuks), often with 2 - 3 adults and children piled onto one. Westerners are constantly offered moto and tuk tuk rides. Motos are much cheaper in price, but do have a bit of a danger element associated, especially if you don't have your own helmet (don't worry mom, I am going to get one!).
Food. It is refreshing to not see any Western food chains here (I hear KFC is just starting to infiltrate the country however). Food is ridiculously cheap--often my total bill for a filling dinner will be about $3. Erin and I have already been to a number of restaurants in the city. I have tried some traditional Khmer dishes (Khmer curry with tofu), Thai dishes (Thai hot and sour soup), and even a few American knock-offs (pizza). Cheese is not at all common here (this will get old very fast). Eggs often accompany dishes (yay for non-meat protein). Almost everything is served with white rice, which often burns off quickly, leaving me hungry shortly after eating. Iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk may be my new favorite thing (shout out to G. Kitty). Overall, the food is inexpensive and delicious, but it will definitely take some adjusting to.
Markets. Grocery stores don't really exist here, except for a few very expensive ones meant for Westerners. Cambodians shop at markets. I have only been to a few so far, but have seen enough to get a feel for them. Imagine a giant building, packed full of tiny booths and separated by tiny aisles. The air is thick with humidity. I really don't think I have ever seen so much stuff in one place. Each booth is a tiny store, mostly selling the same type of goods, whether it be shoes, pirated movies, toiletries, or pretty much anything else you can think of. The markets also have large sections of food products--fresh vegetables and raw meat and fish galore. It is a myriad of sights and smells and I already adore it.
Village Life. Really, I have no place writing about this yet, as I have only spent very limited time in Kean Svay (the village in which RDI is located) and have been to no other villages. Kean Svay is about a 30-minute car ride from Phnom Penh. Based on very preliminary understanding, the village is composed of close-knit groups of families. There is a main dirt road (about the width of a car) and a maze of smaller dirt side roads. Most houses are on stilts. Children and animals and the occasional moto are seen throughout. People seem to stick closely to their houses during the day. Everyone I have encountered so far has been extremely friendly and warm. I look very forward to spending more time in the villages over the coming months.

P.S. I have started posting photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/jenmurphy8

Overview of the next nine months

2008-08-19T05:37:00.002+07:00

For those of you that I haven't quite explained this to, I will provide a summary of exactly why I am going to Cambodia. Since September 2006 I have been performing and supervising laboratory studies on a household water disinfectant called One Drop. The disinfectant is a mixture of inorganic metal ions that, when added in small quantities to water, reduces the numbers of microorganisms. We have found promising results in its ability to kill disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The next step, however, is to determine if it can actually reduce diarrheal disease when used in the field.

Resource Development International - Cambodia (www.rdic.org/home.htm) is a non-governmental organization located in Kean Svay (about 1/2 hour outside the capital city Phnom Penh) that specializes in a range of work to promote improved health for the Cambodia people. A few years ago, Dr. Joe Brown (a UNC friend and colleague) initiated a collaboration between our UNC lab and the director of RDI-C to do a study on ceramic water purifiers. We now have a strong connection with RDI and have sent a number of students to Cambodia to conduct research.

For the next four months, I will do preparatory work for the One Drop field study. This includes a number of activities, such as focus groups with villagers, testing One Drop in source waters, and optimizing the laboratory methods we will use. I will also work on a smaller side study to compare low-cost, low-technology methods to detect E. coli (for the UNC SPH-ers out there, this is part of a larger study funded by a Gillings Grant).

In January, a PhD student from the Sobsey lab, named Ashley Hiser, will join me to do a tw0-month pilot study in preparation for the larger eight-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) for One Drop. In theory, an RCT is a study type in which two identical groups of people are given either a treatment (i.e. One Drop) or something other than the treatment (a placebo or nothing at all) and compared over time to see if the treatment has a positive health effect. (There are many ethical considerations when doing this kind of research, which I am sure I will discuss in the coming months.) In practice, RCTs are not as easy as they may seem. Thus, this study will provide me with valuable field and study design experiences that I will be able to apply to future work. Assuming all goes to plan, I will leave sometime in April, after the large-scale study (coordinated by Ashley) is underway, and return to Chapel Hill. There I plan to create a home-base for continued work in this type of water research (more on that later).

So that's it in a nutshell. I am more than thrilled to discuss what I'll be working on with those interested--so please send along questions or comments if you have them!

A long voyage...made even longer

2008-08-18T11:37:00.002+07:00

It is 9:30 pm on Sunday and I am sitting in JFK airport. I've been here since 1:30 this afternoon, and still have a few hours to go before I board the plane to Taipei. I should have been sitting here last Thursday night, however, an unfortunate last-minute cancellation of my flight from Raleigh to New York (they say it was weather-related) forced me to stay in NC for a few extra days. China Airlines only flies from NY to Taipei every 2 - 3 days, so once I missed the flight to NY, everything was completely thrown off. I'm actually glad it happened. It gave me a few extra days to say goodbyes and to take a breath after the previous week of intense preparations to leave.

The next approximately 22 hours of travel includes about six hours to Anchorage, Alaska, a short stop-over there, about 11 hours to Taipei, Taiwan, and finally about two hours to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is so far from home, which is exhilarating, but also a bit scary and definitely difficult in terms of leaving behind everyone I care so much about.

I will try to write often on this blog -- I've always wanted to start one and this is the perfect opportunity to get going. I will also post pictures on another site and will add the address here when I get that set up.

I am excited about the coming months in Cambodia, and other areas in Southeast Asia, where I will work hard and play hard. So stay tuned! I will finish this first entry with one of my favorite quotes, as it seems fitting:

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

-Eleanor Roosevelt