Happy new year to all of you

Last day of the year: late breakfast, shopping (in a huge (western-like) mall), national museum of arts (which sucked), dinner with "banking Peter", back to hotel. At twelve there were like two firework-booms and that was it. New year is not a big thing over here, so...
Plans for today: get my ticket for Shanukville (finally some beaches), boattrip and movie.

See ya, Jan.

The killing fields

Yesterday ended with a nice conversation in my hotel with two (fat!!) Aussies. Nice blokes though. And today i visited the killing fields. First the monument (where a tower of skulls reminds you of the terrible things Pol Pot did (and was ignored for such a long time by the rest of the world), then to a former prison, where people were tortured. One expression for that: Oh my God!!! There is enough to be found about it on the web, so... but i had a hard time digesting it all. OMG!!
Came back, had a beer with Peter (a banker from London), shower, pizza, and now... hotel and a book: "Stay alive my son". Read it!!

Laterz, Jan.

Phnom Penh, here we are

Last day in Siem reap was relaxed and slowly preparing for PP (Phnom Penh). I had to change guest houses due to a misplanning, but found myself in a really comfortable guesthouse for the same price, so.. not a bad deal after all.
Today (29-12) the trip to PP: 6.50 am up, pretty comfortable bus, a 6 hour trip through the rural parts of Cambodia, which was really beautiful. Arrived at 2.30 PM, got a 10$ hotel room (thanks to Samath, the guy sitting next to me in the bus, who turned out to be a very friendly man and who took me in a tuktuk and got me there). Installed myself and now i'm exploring this (relative expensive) part of town. Already found the things i need, so... time for an update and an Anchor Draft (beer that is)...

Laterz, Jan.

PS: The people, begging here are even more pitiful than in Siem Reap. Little children without limbs (mines), Blind people, and so on. And all of them so dirty. It's really hard to hide ones tears and i'm not exaggerating, saying that. It makes me realize once more how rich we all are in the west.

Busy day (well, for a traveler that is)

Saturday night: premier legue football on a big screen with Frank (from Ireland), home (hotel that is): watched some dutch TV (de nieuwe Andre van Duin revue, ja hoor, daar istie weer, nou nou...) on BVN.
Sunday: busy day. Visited the silkfarm, which was impressive and very nice indeed, the war museum (depressing as it should be) and a craftman educationcenter for the disabled. A good government initiative, since people learn to start their own little companies and so can stop begging. And now: an icecold shower!!

Jan.

Siem Reap and liking it

Marry Xmas everybody. For me there hardly was an Xmas-feeling since i visited the bigest bhuddist temple imaginable, Anchor Wat. Actually we must speak about the village of Anchor Thom, an old civilazation, that suddenly disappeared somewhere in the 18h century whitout any aparent reason. However it was impressive. I took the one day ticket, but should have taken the two days version. Google it and be amazed. Live it's even better. I was driven around in a tuktuk by Dara, a very friendly cambodian guy. They wanted me to pay US$ 50 for the trip, but i managed to negociate that down to US$15. Of course i tipped Dara well.
End of the day took a shower, got some 50 cents beers (US$ cents that is), had a great meal (don't tell parina, but i think Cambodian food is even better than Thai food), stroled around Siem Reap and spend the last hour in frontof the TV.
Today (26-12): moved to another guethouse (Palmgarden Lodge, a true paradise: cheap, free internet, free coffee and tea, very friendly people and even BVN on TV, haha). Spend the rest of the day updating, walking, reading and relaxing. About to see the park, arange a smal trip for tomorrow, and dinner after that.

See you, Jan.

PS: the results of the landmines here is still to be seen in a horrible way: many people (lots of children too) here with missing limbs. All of them begging, since there is no social healthcare in Cambodia. Who put all those (still over 4 million!!) mines there in the first place? And what do they do about it today? It makes me F*&^%king mad!

Siem Reap, almost Xmas

Tuesday: last day before trip. The day started as usual: explore an new part of town by boat, updating myself on the web, and a nice cup of cappuccino. Met Kevin and Jane there and made an appointment for a goodbye diner and some beers at 7.30 at the gecko bar (the place where Kevin and i also met some 3 weeks ago). Jane turned out to be just such a great person as Kevin is and so we had a great night (again) that went as the blink of an eye. I'll miss them, but i got a good feeling that we'll see each other again, if not during this trip then sometime in Europe. Anyway: farewell my friends and do good.
Wednesday: long and tiring trip to Cambodia (Siem Reap): up at about 6 pm, waiting for ages, finally picked up and passing my own guesthouse at 8 pm. (Yes, "f*&^%ck" is indeed what i thought). Trip to the border by minibus (flat tire on the way). Some nice German people on the bus too, who became friends directly (there's Axel, Dagmar and Nalan). It took several hours to pass both borders and to fill out all the forms and receive all the stamps in my passport. By bus and taxi to our hotel in Siem Reap, negotiate about prices for two more days, find an ATM and then: a cold beer, some nice food (Cambodian food is OK), a quick look at the night market and a long, long night sleep.
Thursday: the first exploration of this town and making up my mind how to go to the temples (got the idea of going my myself, since prices for organized trips are pretty high). We'll see what the Germans have to say about it, because they went today (organized).

Laterz, Jan.

Last weekend in BKK (for the time being)

Saturday: Kevin came back from a diving course, so.. we had some catching up to do, meaning: it became late again and the tables at our favorite restaurant looked like a meeting of the united nations. Time went so fast... so it must have been good.

Sunday: went to ocean world with Kevin in he posh part of town. Expensive, but a nice experience. See for your self what it's like:

http://siamoceanworld.co.th/

The evening was chatted through in a blink of an eye and for the 3rd time in a row it became late. Very late. Again, so.. tonight its going to be early especially since i have to get up early on Wednesday (6am) when i leave for Siem Reap. Back to normal hours.

Laterzzz, Jan.

BKK, the expensive part of town

On Friday, 18th of December, started as any other day. Usual routine: by boat to a certain part of town and take a look there. Meanwhile some food and drinks. I met Neil around 5 pm and we decided to go to the movies. To a bus to this really rich part of BKK. Hard to believe that this also was BKK. It had great resemblance with Singapore. And the movie: "Avatar" in 3D imax. You will not believe your eyes (literally). You're IN the movie. What an experience. Try it!! Back to our district we took the wrong bus... 12 pm, no more buses and 10 km away from Koh San Road. Taxi! Over here around 1 am, some food and then... ran into a big group of friends (and making new ones: England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, France, Holland and Thailand of course (mainly women, desperately looking for white husbands to be)). It became late, very late (5pm), but we had good talks and laughs. A night to remember.
Today: sleeping in and recovering. Last preparations for Cambodia.

BKK, preparing for Cambodja

Tusedaynight: took the nightbus from Kalasin to Bkk. Nothing special. Arrived early on...
Wednesday: No cheap rooms available, so... room with tv, own bathroom for the ridiculous expensive price of 300 Bahts (6 Euro, lol). Strolled Bkk once again, met Neil again (who also had no idea where Kemer went... hmm, i'm a bit worried).
Thursday: moving to cheaper room and start preparing for leave to Cambodja (visa, bustrip to border, trip from border to Siemreap).

Laterz, Jan.

Still in Kalasin, but about to return to BKK

Saturday: To Mukdahan, near the Lao border, at the Mekong river. Great views from a high tower, nice markets but what a traffic! So dangerous: we "only" had two near accidents (and then to consider that our driver was a vicar, lol). Long talks in the evening on the balcony.
Sunday: slept in, went to church (smallest church ever, but were received in the most hospitable way), made music there too, food afterwards in a big, big mall, where of course i had to stroll around afterwards.
In the evening had dinner with Helmar (a german fallang (very nice man) and Ulf. All went well until Mr. Ulf decided to get as drunk as possible. Helmar and i left, frustrated about so much anti-social behavior. Had a long talk on the balcony with Parina afterwards.
Monday: Visited several classes of the university and had a tour round the biological faculty with Juan (Molecular biologist here and a very, very nice guy indeed): interesting!! Afterwards: shower and food on the big foodmarket with Parina (Ulf is ignoring me as if he's afraid of any confrontation (which he really is i guess)). Talk on the balcony and an early night.
Tuesday: Early rise, book, meditations, walks, breakfast, walks, books, passing the day and preparing for the trip back to BKK. Still have to talk with one of the teachers here, before Juan brings me to the bus station with Parina.

Talk to you again in BKK probably,
Jan.

Btw: Health is going really well (No coughing!!) Thank God!

Kalasin, december 2009

And here we are: Kalasin, the campus of the technical university, were i feel so welcome. I have my own apartment (again: like the last time i was here (2002)), meet new people everyday, do lots of things and i am being treated so well, that it embarrasses me. With a lot of persuasion i could pay for dinner tonight, but they almost wouldn't let me. Here's a short summary of what i did for the last couple of days:

Tuesday: a rather comfortable night bus from BKK to Kalasin, which i liked a lot (in between sleeping, listen to my MP3-player, and enjoying the nightscene). Arrived early on:

Wednesday: Being picked up by Parina and her friend Was i was brought to a student apartment and after a light breakfast and meeting Parina's husband Ulf (from Sweden) i showered and caught up some sleep. In the afternoon i talked to some of the teachers here and they asked if i could teach them a little English (to be done in September of next year; something to consider seriously as you can imagine). Later that night we had dinner in a huge kind of market place and i enjoyed several Thai dishes i was unfamiliar with until then. Loved it. Had a beer on Parina's balcony afterwards and a chat with Ulf. Slept like a log afterwards.

Thursday: breakfast at 9.00, then to the famous Science/History museum of Kalasin (lots of fossils and dinosaur bones have been found here). The museum was that spectacular, that we wanted to go there the next day again, because we couldn't see it all in one day. The museum is free to enter btw!! Back at the campus Juan (neighbor of Parina, molecular biologist) took us for a great dinner to a fine restaurant (experimenting different types of Thai food again and with success again). Siesta and refresments afterwards and getting ready for the anual students goodbye party (lots of food again and lots of music): an experience to remember. Made quit some movies to be published later.

Friday: early rise (6.15): students rehearsed for getting their certificate (it's a big thing, where some royals are even involved (and the royal family are of tremendous importance over here)) and a big fotosessions, whit all of their family. Breakfast. Michail (good friend of Parina) took us (P, U & me) on tour to: the dinosaur-museum (again), a dam (where a big man made lake is created for both recreational and energy making purposes), a monkey park, siesta, and dinner at a "falang" (Thai word for foreigner) foodplace, where i ate an Wiener Schnitzel (Jawohl, European). They finally let me pay the bill after a lot of persuasion. Updating this weblog now on Parina's computer and probably a beer with Ulf, to finish the day. I will sleep well i think. Tomorrow we go to a big market near the border with Lao. So, early rise again. I love these days!!

Soon more, Jan.

BKK is still being roamed, Siddhartha is finished

4-12: went to Chinatown: busy, busy, busy, the usual conversations at night, some live music too,which was very nice to hear. Got away from the touristic area during the day, which was a relief.

5-12: the Kings birthday: Huge party, great fireworks, enjoyable day. Went to pier 3 by boat: it's an area of craftsmanship. Great to see. Hundreds of old BMW motorbikes, carefully taken apart and reassembled to new old BMW motorbikes. I'm sure my friend Andor would have spend all day there. Also made reservations for the bus to Kalasin. Looking forward to that (going there, not the reservations obviously). In the evening a huge firework. Fantastic!! Crowded roads and literally hundred of thousands of people celebrating.

6-12: Slept like an ox for almost 10 hours. Guess i needed it. By boat to the expensive area of town (Sheraton, Hilton, etc.), bought some clothes (when i was back in the cheap area (u know me)), finished Siddhartha (book by Herman Hesse) which leaves an empty feeling (like: going on without a guide or so; hope that does not sound exaggerated). A usual evening discussing the world over a few Tiger-beers with Kerem and Neil.

7-12: Pier 9 is great: Huge markets, where i spend hours, just seeing ppl gathering their income. Also a nice 2nd hand market. And i went to the Watpho temple. Impressive!! See for yourself: http://www.watpho.com/en/home/index.php

Tomorrow at 6 PM: Night bus to Kalasin. More from me from there. And now... food!!

Excuse the nutshell-like writing style, but you'll have to do with it.

Laterz, Jan.

Still roaming BKK, meeting new ppl

Met a lot of interesting people lately. There's Neil (UK), Jeff (former UK, now living in Thailand), Rakheem (Turkey), John (UK). We all discus politics, books, music, etc. Like some real hippies. Mostly at night over dinner and drinks. Really great way to pass the time. During the day i roam a new piece of BKK every day. I go by boat to a new pier (that is: one i have not been before) and start roaming from there. Meet a lot of locals and that's so much more fun as the touristic area. It's even cheaper as well. Tomorrow a friend from Holland arrives here for 1 night. See if we can meet & greet. Would be nice. I'll let you know in time.