The Brown Machine Will Make It
Posted: April 9, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 1978, 1982, America, bad weather, bronco, camper, canada, denver, driving, ford, Montana, road trip, travel, truck, USA, wind, worry Leave a comment »I’ve never chosen to cease driving because of 20 km/h winds before but three minutes of wobbly bobbin on the Trans-Canada highway in the 1978 Ford truck underneath a massive camper with the words “you suck” scrawled over the horse logo made stopping the only option. We might as well have attached a sail to the top and taken it out on the lake. Every cross-wind gust just about tipped the ol’ girl into the ditch.
Some might think that choosing to drive for 1000′s of km’s in a $500 camper/truck set is a tad foolish. Perhaps, but it’s better than not doing it when it’s an option. What would be better? I’ve already awoken-worked-worked out-hung out-slept-repeat for years while thinking of my next safe-ish vacation. The two-tone brown unit represents a plunge into the unknown.
Aside from a bewildered look from a border guard and a nasty knock in the engine in Montana that was cured by adding oil instead of turning up the music (who knew), the freedom cruiser rolled along like the ocean liner it is. There is a letter that needs to be written to the city of Denver however, stating that the roads through that high city are not brown-boat friendly and need to be flattened. The Bronco just about fell over on a few unsuspecting motorists.
Hopefully this is just the beginning of many more kilometers for the ’78. Not knowing if we are going to make it to the next gas station or town is a test in patience and faith that there may be something else pushing us along. What is there to worry about? Probably nothing.
Hawaii On My Mind
Posted: January 15, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: big island, calgary, chinook, hawaii, kona, Mauna Kea, slush, surf, travel, westjet, Winter 1 Comment »When I looked down at my feet today and saw what salt and melting snow can do to dress shoes it reminded me of what my t-shirt looks like after it has been dipped in the ocean and left to dry in the sun.
That was a fleeting thought. I was jumping puddles and avoiding the splash of a Hummer’s tire as it sped through the slush beside me the rest of afternoon. A Calgary chinook is a blessing albeit a messy one.
The salt stayed on my shoe and the allure of the Hawaiian ocean stayed on my mind: the breeze, the smell, the pace. I can picture it now…
I will step off the plane on the Big Island into an open-air airport and perfectly humid air that makes me feel like I can grow my hair back. The Hawaiians won’t bat an eye when I hitchhike to Kona. The two shirts and two shorts I will pack will suffice for the high of 25C and the low of 24C. I will surf at Pine Trees, I will climb the Mauna Kea, I will kayak to Captain Cook.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Puking to Phuket
Posted: September 14, 2012 Filed under: Adventure, Beaches, Places, Travel | Tags: adventure, backpacker, beaches, boat, ferry, koh phi phi, phuket, puke, puking, seasick, seasickness, taxi, thailand, travel, vomit, waves Leave a comment »The ferry ride from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket, Thailand was a puke fest. Before we set off, one of the workers walked down the aisle offering vomit bags but not very many took them. What would we need them for? It was calm in the harbour.
After meeting another boat after departure to pick up 5 girls who got on the wrong one we set off. 10 minutes in I saw why he was handing out bags. It was rough! After hearing the “Oooh’s” and “Aaah’s” of the passengers the worker came down again; this time people took bags. We crashed and tilted about as though we were being driven too fast on the road from Port Alberni BC to Tofino BC with our eyes closed and no seatbelts on. I thought I was going to be sick.
I cranked my music so I couldn’t hear the heaving and moaning but some folks overrode and sounded like they were trying to sing background vocals to Dave Peters of Throwdown. After a while I felt asleep. Maybe the trick is to just take it like a baby in a cradle?
When we arrived in Phuket after 2 hours and filed off we could see dozens of bags of puke tied up neatly under the seats. I’d estimate there were around 300 people on board and that at least 100 left some of their mornings eggs and noodles behind.
I was hungry when I left the boat.
Don Dhet. Come for 1, Stay for 6.
Posted: August 27, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adam's, August, backpacker, Backpacking, Blues, Bungalow, dolphin, Don Det, don dhet, Don Khon, Don Khong, Guitar, Happy, Happy Cookie, Hut, Irrawaddy, Island, kayak, Kip, Laid back, laos, Mekong, Mekong River, Paradise, southeast asia, travel, vacation Leave a comment »
Don Dhet wrapped her loving arms around me and wouldn’t let me leave (I imagine Don spelled Dawn because most Don’s I’ve seen are dudes that, although a loving embrace would be welcome, I wouldn’t want to stay in it for too long).
I didn’t fight too hard to go to be honest and when Mr B’s wife told me I had been here 6 nights I just said, “Sounds about right.”
The little island on the Mekong in Laos brings the term “laid back” to a new level. Like granpy’s rocking chair when the last notch breaks and he doesn’t bother to fix it.
On a couple of the menu’s at restaurants on the sporadically paved “strip” it states “If you want fish, order 2 hours before” because they have to go catch one. At most places you have to go looking for a cook to get any food. They may be having a hammock snooze or minding some children but they are always happy to cook a little something. Prepare to be at a restaurant for at least an hour.
I gravitated to two places in particular; Paradise and Adam’s.
Paradise is a 10 minute walk north from the main area but you won’t be able get by it without noticing. A sign hangs there saying, “Ask about our Guest Guitar” and the odds that there will be someone jamming some blues at any time of day are very high. The main reason for all the music is Lance, or “Poppa”, from Nashville who has been staying there for over two years with his wife Donna. They have fully embraced the culture and have made Paradise their home. Any passerby will feel their southern hospitality emanating from the porch.
Adam’s has movies playing all night and a regular night has between 10 and 15 backpackers sprawled out watching flicks after partaking of some Happy Cookies or a Happy Shake. When a movie ends, the Aussie bartender takes a vote on the next one.
Aside from jumping in a kayak, cycling around the islands (there is a bridge to the bigger Don Khon), and taking a trip to see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins there isn’t a whole lot to do. That’s just fine. Don Dhet has a moseying pace and it’s easy to buy in. Lot’s of 20,000 to 30,000 kip per night bungalows and they don’t ask you how long you’re going to stay. The six nights I spent in a shared-bathroom bungalow came to roughly $24.
I can swing that. From my swinging hammock on my front porch.
Everything shuts down by 11pm, even the bars on the “strip” including the popular Raggae bar where locals and backpackers congregate to smoke and chat.
Don Dhet is a good time. A great stop and those who go, want to go back.
Don’t get hurt in Laos!
Posted: August 26, 2012 Filed under: Adventure, Places, Tips, Travel | Tags: accident, crash, hospital, hurt, injury, laos, medical, motorbike, Pakse, travel, tuk tuk Leave a comment »I witnessed a horrific moped-bike crash today in Pakse, Laos. It involved two bikes about 15 feet away from me on the main hostel strip in town. I heard a screech and turned towards the sound to see two bikes begin flipping and throwing their drivers. One drivers’ wipeout ended quickly while the other drivers’ continued about 50 yards down the road.
The image I can’t get out of my head is the motorbike vertical and the driver parallel to it with his helmet-less head about a foot from the pavement. There was one flip flop still on his left foot, his eyes were closed and his hands by his side.
I had been talking to a nursing student from France a few days before this and she had recently volunteered for a month at the hospital in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. She had said that it was good to experience how a medical system SHOULDN’T operate and suggested that if someone were to get hurt in Laos they should just ask to be treated in Thailand. Pretty harsh indictment and I can only take her word for it.
There were people on the scene immediately but nobody did anything. I was about the third person there to see the guy laying unconscious on his back with only the wheel of the motorbike touching his leg. At first it seemed like he wasn’t breathing so I moved closer until I saw his stomach rising and falling. I literally had no idea what to do and felt very useless. No blood was visible and I knew he shouldn’t be moved because he may have a broken neck.
Finally someone made a call so I waited just staring at the guy with about 30 other people until a tuk tuk driver showed up in just over 5 minutes. What did they do? Chucked him in the tuk and drove off towards the hospital.
Have you experienced any medical difficulties in Laos? Or seen anything like this?
Stupid, Stinky Bus Ride
Posted: August 16, 2012 Filed under: Adventure, Cambodia, Doing it Cheap, Tips, Travel | Tags: bus, bus travel, cambodia, paramount angkor express, phnom penh, siem reap, sihanoukville, southeast asia, travel 2 Comments »Normally I can sit for hours in one position and not feel a bit perturbed but today was a different story.
I was travelling from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap in Cambodia by bus and I knew that some of the companies were to be avoided if possible. So I made my choice, checked the times and booked a tuk tuk. I thought I was set to go.
Then things went wrong. I’m going to number these things because I like looking at lists with numbers.
1. The tuk tuk driver drove past the bus station that I thought I was going to and stopped at another one down the road. I said “Is this 
the Capitol bus company?” He said “Yes”. I bought a ticket. Then the bus showed up and it wasn’t Capitol. I asked for a refund and the guy said no refunds, you will be transferred to Capitol in Phnom Penh. I was pretty mad but got on the bus because it was too late to get the other one.
2. I had heard to avoid the Paramount Angkor Express at all costs. In Phnom Penh they put me on a bus to take me to another bus
station. I brought my ticket to the window and the new one said “Paramount Angkor Express”. Poop. These guys are known for driving recklessly (while slower than other bus companies), stopping for no reason, overselling, no air conditioning, breaking down and plain old sucking. I thought “Well, maybe it won’t be that bad?”
3. I was sitting in no air conditioning beside the seat buddy from hell. He spread out like a crane, dripping sweat all over me. He got off once and got left behind so we had to circle back for 20 mins to get him. He brought the foulest smelling substance with him to dip his apples into with his little stick. I dry heaved twice then put my hat over my nose. It suspect that the reason he took so long at the stop was because he had gone looking for cat feces, sugar and vinegar to make a dipping paste.
4. We stopped for no reason.
5. We got a flat tire.
6. The driver yelled a lot into his cell phone.
7. They had more people than seats so they sat on the floor and it smelled like melting humans.
8. The 6 hour trip took 9 hours.
The bright side is that I learned to just wait for the next bus if I’m not certain. Where have I to go??? Plus I made it. There were a few moments I thought I wouldn’t.
The Lonely Road
Posted: August 15, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: loneliness, lonely, love, phnom penh, siem reap, travel Leave a comment »Canadian artist k-os says “The lonely ones are the only ones who fall in love”.
That may be true, it may not. It is true that traveling alone can be very lonely and makes you want companionship. There are moments when I realize just how far away I am from my friends and family and where I left my heart. But what happens when I stop being lonely?
A lady named Aida Calder wrote a blog called “The Gift of Aloneness” and she talks about how becoming comfortable with yourself and getting to know and accept yourself leads you from loneliness to aloneness. Aloneness, she says, comes after you accept that you are alone, love yourself and give yourself freedom to enjoy life.
Yesterday I almost started traveling together with a Frenchman named Alex. We were on the same shitty bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. He was a good dude and we were going the same places so it would have worked. Then I thought “I have to hang out with him”. I realized that I wasn’t in a place where I could coordinate my times and plan with someone I really didn’t know. I’d rather do it alone. So we parted.
That’s when I stopped whining about it. I chose to travel on my own for this time. No sense in pining about lost love or pondering why me.
This time is for me to ponder my faults, strengths and the things and people I love. Was k-os right? Do I even know what I want? Who is Love?
The Black Keys say “Let’s go to a place where nobody gives their heart away.”
Maybe that place comes after loneliness. Maybe I’ll travel there.
Here is a picture of a kid dancing with some monks.
A Secret.
Posted: August 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: backpack, beaches, cambodia, family travel, secret garden, southeast asia, travel, travel tips Leave a comment »Just found the middle of nowhere at the end of the world and there is a pool there. At the furthest end of Otres Beach in Cambodia (a 30 minute walk by beach) is a place called The Secret Garden. It is quite a bit pricier but if you’re looking to get away from it all, I mean all, go there. If I could afford it on this trip I would. But I’m a cheap Mennonite.
I would’ve taken photos but I thought I would only find cows down there so I just brought a book. Shame!
http://www.secretgardenotres.com
Otres Beach – A Backpacker’s Dream
Posted: August 11, 2012 Filed under: Adventure, Beaches, Cambodia, Doing it Cheap, Places, Tips, Travel | Tags: asia, backpacker, beach, beaches, beachfront restaurants, cambodia, frantic pace, gem, gulf of thailand, hidden spots, otres, sihanoukville, sihanoukville cambodia, southeast asia, sunset, thailand, tourist, travel, vacation 1 Comment »
Otres Beach on the west coast of Cambodia is a pearl. It has a peaceful flow and a friendly vibe with English speaking bartenders who know the difference between a Coke, the soda, and the other whiter kind.
I asked to be taken to this beach when I first got off the bus from Kampong Speu but either the motorcycle driver misunderstood me or he just really wanted to take me to his buddy’s guesthouse on Serendipity beach. I wasn’t sure because I was going blindly with just a name. I booked three nights and the next day realized the error. Turns out Otres is a 45 minute beach walk away and a world away from the dirtier and more frantic pace of the beaches closer to Sihanoukville, Cambodia. A tuk tuk driver will take you to Otres for $3-4 because they have to drive the long way around or you can walk south on the beach until you reach a hill with a guesthouse perched at the top. Once you crest the hill you will see the shacks in the distance.
You’ll feel like you just walked into an Australian/British/German/American commune, complete with pot brownies and cookies on display in the beachfront restaurants. There are still a few sleazy looking pasty-white dudes walking around with underage Cambodian girls but markedly less. There are also fewer Cambodian women and girls with baskets looking to rub your feet or tie you a bracelet. It’s refreshing coming from just up the beach where everyone is trying to rub you.
You have the option of sleeping on a bunch of other people for $5 for 3 nights or spend some serious cash and pay $20 for a beachfront bamboo hut complete with glass doors. Although you could probably barter your way down to $16 or $17 (USD) if you want to save enough to buy your daily big bottles of water. I paid $7 a night for a shack that smells of pee. Dehydrated pee (which is the best kind). Lots of options so shop around.
The time is coming when Otres, like other gems before it in Southeast Asia will be filled with tourists, which brings locals, Tuk Tuks and bracelets. This place is good respite. It’s hot and a great place to feel free and lay where you want with a book covering your face. All for around $10 a day.
