Around Cambodia

Today we took a 7-hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Saigon, ending our time in Cambodia. And we have to say, Cambodia surprised us. In a good way.

We had a great time with our outstanding host, Jo, in Phnom Penh, where we got a good sense of Cambodian culture and food. We also got a taste of the ex-pat life, which is a strange and wonderful thing. All these talented people living and working in a foreign place, for their various causes and self-interests (you can live pretty well in Cambodia on $2k/month). It's a small community, and not a day went by without running into someone with a shared connection or interest. We even had dinner one night with the former dean of Brook's law school, who happened to be teaching in Cambodia for a week. It's the most undeveloped country we've ever been to, and the sort of place where there's a lot to look forward to. There's also a lot of corruption, a real lack of education, and some infrastructure problems to work on. Here's a view of Jo's street in a monsoon downpour: 

Phnom Penh itself epitomizes organized chaos. A city of two million people with no sidewalks or traffic laws, construction everywhere, and old-fashioned Khmer culture smashing into western influence and money. Filled with Buddhist temples and enclaves, the sumptuous royal palace, busy streets, and packed markets, it's a great place to spend a week exploring. Here's a few shots we took in our wanderings: https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6039933397389647825

We also took four days to travel down to Kampot, a lovely spot on the river near the coast. Good for a little R&R, Kampot is also an old French settlement and famous for its pepper plantations (which we visited). Nearby Kep has a bustling crab and seafood market, and the burned out remnants of French seaside homes, which were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.  It was a fun, relaxing few days with some new friends made and a lot of good seafood consumed. Our river view is below, and more photos from our excursion are here: https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6039929041353533553

We enjoyed the sights, sounds, and food of Cambodia, but the people were the highlight.  Friendly tuk tuk drivers, helpful locals, sweet older folks, and not too much crass tourism (yet).  We're glad we visited, and would definitely consider going back when it's not the rainy season.  But for now, it's three weeks for our south-to-north journey through Vietnam, monsoons and all. 

Exploring Angkor Wat

A few days ago we took a trip to Angkor Wat, which is almost obligatory if you're anywhere nearby.  Rising from the jungle, the ruins of the Angkor temples are the remnants of a great empire that once spanned Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and most of the Malaysian peninsula. Angkor Wat is really just one of many, many temples in the area, but perhaps the largest and best preserved. Built over the period from about 800-1300, the different temple complexes (spread over a huge area, some nearly 100km from others) reflect different religions and political power dynamics. First built as Hindu temples (mostly to Shiva) they were repurposed centuries later as Buddhist temples, with according modifications but very little defacement. Not "discovered" by the west until the early 1900s, the French did significant early conservation work, but the dark days of the Khmer Rouge saw the temples looted and abandoned. Restoration work has restarted at some of the grandest temples, but other ruins still lie covered in dark jungle and beg for exploration.

We spent three days exploring the temples, two with our tuk-tuk driver and one on some pretty suspect bicycles (we had to find a local to help repair Erin's bike after the handlebars just about fell off).  Some areas, like the town of Siem Reap itself - the base for temple exploring - are nearly overrun with tourists. But other areas are quiet, and the walled city of Bayon and the temple complex of Angkor Wat itself remain impressive and are so big you can easily lose the crowds.

It was a little overwhelming, and by the end we had temple fatigue, but it was also a good reminder of how civilizations rise and ebb.  Here is a link to our photo gallery: https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6038068012853737569

A Taxonomy of Travel FOMO

We recently attended "nerd night" in Phnom Penh: An aptly named expat event during which folks drink beer and listen to PowerPoint presentations on topics ranging from Teddy Roosevelt to video games as art. It was good fun and we learned something important from one presenter: During this year, we have been plagued by FOMO.

FOMO is defined by the Oxford dictionary as "anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website." We've learned that traveling can put you in an almost constant state of FOMO. Below we outline a brief taxonomy of travel-related FOMO:

Home FOMO: Yes, we're traveling to awesome, exotic places, but we also think about what we're missing back at home. Summer in New England, weddings, births, nieces and nephews growing up, and careers...your Facebook posts inspire FOMO, too!

Weather FOMO: While we were stuck for a week in rainy, windy weather fueled by a cyclone off the west coast of New Zealand, the east coast enjoyed pleasant, sunny weather. Weather FOMO quickly set in. Symptoms include obsessively checking the weather in multiple places on multiple weather websites.

Location FOMO: Closely related to other forms of FOMO, but distinct.  Commonly occurs when we think a place will be dodgy, or expensive, or potentially dull, so we plan just a few days there only to discover we love it but already paid for a bus or flight out two days later. Or when you're biking down a wet dirt road wondering why you're not hiking under sunny skies in Montana. 

Guidebook FOMO: This FOMO predates the internet age, but has only become more treacherous with the proliferation of travel blogs and travel review websites. Symptoms include paralyzing indecision when booking hotel rooms (you must read every review before booking!) and doing way too much (everything looks awesome, we have to do it all!).

Backpacker FOMO: This FOMO is not inspired by social media, but by actually talking to people. It comes in various forms: worrying that other travelers had a better experience than you, learning that someone found an even better hotel (despite having read every single review), and the general sense that you're somehow doing it all wrong. But this FOMO can be helpful,too, by inspiring you to change plans, visit somewhere not mentioned in the guidebook, and generally learn from other travelers.

As they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. We've taken that step, and are doing better.  Eleven more to go.

Tumada

There's a Khmer word, tumada (pronounced ta-ma-da) that Cambodians use when something a little crazy happens. It roughly translates to "normal". Five family members riding on one motor scooter? Tumada. Double passing into oncoming traffic in a tuk-tuk? Tumada.

Since landing in Cambodia, we've been trying to adjust to a new sense of normal (with a lot of help from Jo, our gracious host in Phnom Penh). This is the first truly developing country we have visited and the most "foreign" feeling place we've been so far, which is both enthralling and nerve wracking.

We recently arrived in Siem Reap after seven hours on a bus (the fancy westerner bus, for $14), passing rice paddies, houses on stilts, and seeing just about anything possible being carried on a scooter. It was fascinating and we spent the entire ride just watching Cambodia operate.

Here's are a few quick video clips of one part of our ride. It doesn't do it justice, for that you'll just have to visit and get a real sense of tumada.

Clip 1: http://youtu.be/T6Tp6UCo644

Clip 2: http://youtu.be/VB4IrjbYWg8

Clip 3: http://youtu.be/lPonrrlpqOU

Clip 4: http://youtu.be/lwiZ-WvwCcI

PJ

Right now we're sitting in the Kuala Lumpur airport en route to Cambodia. Over the past week, we've felt a little malaise, as the novelty of being on the road wears off. Faced with booking ten hotels, two flights, five or six trains, four bus trips, and a few boats for the next 7 weeks in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, travel began to feel a bit like work, and planning began to distract us from where we were at the moment. Being present isn't always easy.

That made it a perfect time to stay put for a little while. We did some touring in Malaysia (see our last post), but mostly enjoyed staying with our good friend Inger and getting a feel for her neighborhood in Petaling Jaya (aka "PJ"), a Kuala Lumpur suburb (but busy, with high-rises and government buildings).  Inger has a great little bungalow with a spare room, which was fantastic. Here it is from the outside:

We enjoyed swimming at the local pool, eating at neighborhood food stalls, and having a little down time. Here's the place we got Chinese chicken-rice frequently:

And here's the pool:

We also enjoyed meeting people from Inger's church.  Last night, one family had us over for dinner and we feasted on great Malaysian food, got an impromptu piano concert, and made some new friends.

As we've said before, people can make travel special. We'll try to remember that as we cope with a busy itinerary these next several weeks, and remain in the moment as best we can. With fond memories of PJ. 

Plus, we had Baxter to send us off:

Meandering Malaysia

We arrived in Malaysia without a real plan, but knowing we had about 12 days before our flight to Cambodia. Relying on tips from our host, Inger, and from fellow travelers, we threw together a quick one-week trip to two of Malaysia's top spots: the Cameron Highlands and Penang.

The Cameron Highlands, as the name implies, are high.  Tucked into the north-central part of the country, the highlands were originally "settled" by the British as a tea-growing area. Several peaks rise above 6,000 feet, with high valleys strung between. When it's over 100 degrees in Kuala Lumpur, it's probably in the low 80s in the highlands - cool for Malaysia. As a result, the main valley is a local tourist hot-spot as well as an important tea, vegetable and fruit growing area. There's also some decent jungle hiking, tea plantations to visit, and a cool botanical garden.  We spent three nights there, getting in two good hikes, one accompanied by a friendly local dog - they apparently follow white people because we're suckers and feed them (all we had for the little guy was water, though). We also visited a tea plantation, the local botanical garden / agricultural research center, and feasted daily at the night market and good local resturaunts.  

One sad aspect is the rampant development. As Malaysia gains wealth, more people are looking for holidays and big developments are built in hacked-out parts of the jungle. With few environmental protections, limited enforcement, and widespread corruption, the usual strategy is to occupy and clear land, pay a bribe/fine, then build your thing. But despite that, it remains a beautiful place. Pics here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6034283757512976353

From our Cameron Highlands base in Tanah Rata, we took a 4-hour bus to the island of Penang (with a short ferry for the last bit).  Like the Cameron Highlands, Penang was "settled" by the Brits (around 1802) as a trading hub. But it was already a thriving center for commerce, since it's between Thailand, Indonesia, and the Malay peninsula. Chinese traders were the first, followed by Indians and other groups. As a result, it's a huge melting pot (or mixing bowl?) of cultures, religions, and most importantly... food. Penang is famous for its street food and ethnic cuisine, which varies depending on which part of town you're in. In a single day, you can eat a great dim sum breakfast, amazing Indian food for lunch off a banana leaf, then hit hawker stalls for noodles, samosas, stir fry, or whatever else suits your fancy

for dinner. All for about $10-15, total. We did our best, sampling all kinds of food from Little India, Chinatown, and the various hawker stalls. We also took a great cooking class, where we learned to make a few classic Penang dishes. Because Penang is mostly Chinese, the local "Nyonya" cuisine developed as a Malaysian-Chinese fusion, and it's damned good (and spicy!).

As we've noted in other posts, it's also Ramadan right now. So in addition to the usual food, there was a night market set up to cater to Muslims breaking their fast at sunset. Since most Muslims on Penang are Indian, this market was full of great, cheap Indian favorites, from samosas to curries to sweets. It became a favorite source of snacks while we were there.

And as if the food we're not enough, it was also Penang's heritage festival. The old city, George Town (where we were staying) was declared a World Heritage site some years back, due to the preserved old buildings, mishmash of cultures, and myriad mosques, temples, and other places of worship that have peacefully coexisted for hundreds of years. 

Many of these places open their doors during the festival and we felt like welcome guests in Chinese Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, and Muslim mosques. We were even invited to attend a Ramadan feast at one mosque, and returned later in the evening to a warm welcome. Men and women are segregated, so while Erin ate with the ladies Brook attended sunset prayers, and was later interviewed by the local tv crew (it's fun being the diversity, for a change - there were about 8 white people there out of hundreds). Everyone was very gracious and friendly (one guy even gave Brook his hat) and the food was absolutely outstanding. The

event was attended by the governor and several members of parliament, so they'd pulled out all the stops and hired the best caterer in town. It was an experience to remember, and we ended the evening strolling around with another American couple that had attended as well. Unfortunately, we had no opportunity to take photos at the event, apart from one or two shots early on. But you can see many more Penang photos here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6034287975142723713

Penang also has an emerging arts scene, with some pretty cool street art popping up. Here's a small gallery of a few that we found:

https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6034290757729541889

After some bus snafus and a long day, we made it back to KL yesterday and are spending time here to get organized for Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. We also had a chance to visit the city's flower orchid and hibiscus gardens today, with great views of the city.

We'll miss the food and people of Malaysia, but not the heat...

Ramadan In Malaysia

Last night we arrived in Kuala Lumpur at about 10 pm, shortly after fasting was broken on the first day of Ramadan. Ramadan is the Muslim holy period, usually lasting 30 days but changing dates each year in accordance with the Isamic lunar calendar.  Among other things, Ramadan encourages charity and requires the observant to fast during daylight. This isn't so bad here near the equator, with about twelve hours of light most of the year, but think about Ireland, or northern Maine, or Alaska, when darkness may last only a few scant hours. Hungry times for the devout, intended to help people put aside physical desires and weaknesses and look inward at themselves and their faith. 

After listening to the call to prayer at dawn this morning (and promptly going back to sleep), we visited the National Mosque, where we had a long and interesting chat with a volunteer host about the nature of Ramadan and how Muslim prayer works (for example, she explained to us that male-female segregation in the mosque is not because women are inferior, but for modesty in densely packed spaces where people bow from their knees towards the backside of the person just in front of them). 

We also visited the Islamic Arts Museum, which has a very cool collection of textiles, illuminated Qurans, artifacts, and my personal favorite, "arms and armour," which included some very elaborate firearms from the 17th and 18th centuries.

(Not the greatest photo, but check out these dragon pistols!)

It was a great experience, with some interesting insights into this Muslim nation that is trying very hard to be secular.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the central market, eating great food, and getting a feel for the place. Now the monsoons are rolling in, with a dark horizon, rumbling thunder, and a few heavy drops falling. A great time for a gin and tonic with our host, Inger, and to ponder the history of this place.