This Kingdom of Cambodia

From the moment we crossed the border we realized, very immediately and intensly, that we were indeed in a new and foreign country. From minute one we were hustled for money, for 'help' that later turned out to be not of goodwill but for an expensive 'tip.' No one likes to feel taken advantage of, especially if you go out of your way to be compassionate and kind to every person in your path. Charlie was, in this instance, a very calming presence in it all.

Cambodia is just emerging as a tourist destination in the last decade. In the seventies a repressive regime, known as the Khmer Rouge, dominated Cambodia with violent and unthinkable practices. Cambodia is the most heavily landmined country, leaving many thousands of men, women and children without limbs, or without thier lives. Even still the effect of these bombs are seen everywhere you walk. Between 1975 and 1979 hundreds of thousands of people were brutally executed for being educated, speaking a foriegn language, wearing glasses, begging for much needed food or, in some reported cases, just crying over lost loved ones. The brutality of this regime went beyond the actual acts of unthinkable violence, the people in this country starved by the thousands each day and an estimation made by the CIA reported 1.3 million died in those four years of disease and malnutrition on top of the estimated 50,000 to 100,000 that were executed during that time. The Communist Party of Vietnam finally drove out the Khmere Rouge, lead by Pol Pot, in 1979 and took control of the country for fourteen years. During this time aid was allowed into the country. The UN soon passed a settlement instigating free elections in Cambodia, and in May of 1993 the first democratic elections were held, with 90 percent of the Cambodian population voting.
This marked the beginning of Cambodia's move toward democracy. With a growing number of tourists coming to Cambodia every year, the locals clearly see this as an opportunity to make whatever money they can, however they can. Having read about all this awful history before coming into Cambodia didn't quite prepare me for the intensity of the hustle here.
Despite the initial chaos of the border town, Cambodia is still full of beautiful and friendly people. We are becoming more savvy everyday we travel, and are continuously seeking the balance between getting a good price and being fair. We are also trying to keep our compassion alive and find ways to be open to the strife that Cambodia has been through. We are guests in this country and are determined to be kind and discover the beauty it beholds. We feel safe and are keeping our wits about us. From what we hear this is the intermediary step before going to Vietnam, where they are a bit more abrupt and aggressive. We will keep you updated on what we learn.
For now we are staying in Sihanoukville, on the southern coast. Our 'budget accommodation' consists of a dorm room in a shack on the beach, a hip and happening backpacker hangout called 'Chiva Shack.' There are many other foreigners staying in this low-key beach scene and we have made many friends already. We plan on staying here a few days (it is only $2 a night for our room) and then take a boat to Bamboo Island off the coast and rent a low-key bungalow for a while. It is hot, but we are keeping our spirits up and continuing to enjoy our experiences.
Much Love.

Elephant Island

We are still on Ko Chang, and today we saw why this is truly Elephant Island. My sister, Charlie, Jamas and I went on a two hour elephant trek through the jungle (and a rubber tree plantation, which was also and interesting sight to see). We were able to ride bareback, Charlie and I on our own elephant, for most of the way. We were also able to swim, wash and play with these lovely, calm and enormous creatures. I was truly amazed by thier grace and agility for being such a tremendously large animal. 'Our' elephant, named Rambo, was a 34 year old youth with a knack for getting destracted by tasty leaves and bushes along the way. His trainer kept him in line with a series of pokes, prods and nudges with his feet, random sticks and a large steel hammer- which he didn't need, thankfully, on our ride. Rambo was very playful when we took off the huge, carnival-like saddle and climbed on bareback as he lumbered into a freshwater swimming hole. We tried our best to stay on his back as he rolled, submerging himself in the cool water. He kept sucking up water in his trunk and spraying himself, and us, to cool down. Once we got over the initial intimidation of such a massive creature, and realized that elephants - and ours in particular - have such a mellow energy about them, we became more comfortable with swimming in such close proximity of multiple elephants. Luckly the trekking company we used seemed to feed their elephants well and take care of them, so they were healthy looking and had friendly behavioral habits. It was amazing. Neither Charlie or I have ever been so close to an Asian Elephant, let alone been able to ride one. I was just as excited as my eight-year-old nephew was about the whole experience.
Tomorrow we leave to Cambodia. We will post some more pictures soon, when we get around some computers with the right connections.
Much Love.

The Sun and the Sand

We are on the beautiful island of Ko Chang, meaning Elephant Island in Thai. It is a huge, mountainous island with a variety of beautiful beaches, monkey's and tropical birds singing in the palm trees. Charlie and I have been 'traveling' with my sister, Wren, and my 8-year-old nephew, Jamas, for about a week now. By 'traveling' I mean that we traveled to one island- Ko Samet- relaxed and played on the white sand beaches for a week and then 'traveled' to the island next door, Ko Chang, where we presently reside. Ko Samet was picture perfect, but small, and having had walked in every direction to the sea, and relaxed on the beach for five or six days we decided to see some new terrain. Here on Ko Chang we are staying in simple, but beautifully crafted bamboo huts with nice sheets, and comfortable pillows- something both Charlie and I have come to realize is quite the luxury. This island has less of a resort feeling about it and more of the reggae-rasta vibe we are so comfortable with. Here people are just living thier lives comfortably, island style. And we fit right in. We have purchased a hammock each, and it has proven to be the best money spent yet. These durable, comfortable contraptions can be taken with you anywhere to create the best scene possible. Charlie, especially, has taken to his. He carts it with him on walks on the beach, just in case there is a perfect spot.

Today we rented Sea Kayak's, for about six U.S dollars, and paddled out and around a few small islands that lay off the shores of Ko Change. We saw some picturesque Asian jungle scenes from our boat- complete with many kinds of blooming, delicate trees sprawled up steep cliffs. The palms, the teak and many other massive, equally stunning and impressive, trees and foliage. Having my sister and nephew with us has inspired us to do more guided activities, as it is 'fun for the whole family.' We might go on an elephant ride- something Jamas did and is itching to do again, or some sort of jugle safari into the interior of the island- which is 75 percent untouched, pristine jungle. We woke up to monkey's playing on the deck of the hut next door and were so awe-struck that we realized not one of us had ever seen a wild monkey- let alone playing outside our door. This made us want to get in to the jungle and observe some more exotic (to us) wildlife.

We only have a few more days left in Thailand, and we are sad to leave, but our days will continue to be full of exotic adventure and relaxation.

Ko Samet - Our White Sand Paradise

So we have traveled all the way across Thailand and found ourselves in heaven. After meeting up with my sister, Wren, and my nephew, Jamas, we have taken a ferry across a small stretch of the Gulf of Thailand to rest, recoup and relax in the sun and sands of Ko Samet. This island is a postcard for paradise. We have found ourselves in a small grass hut with the ocean, literally, right out our front doorstep. Though there are many white sand stretches of resort areas, Charlie put in the extra effort and walked beach after beach until he found a small family-run bungalow operation with a private bay and the biggest, best turquoise waves to body surf and swim in. And we have posted up. Our days consist of playing soccer on the beach and soaking up the very potent rays of sunshine. Time has slowed and we are in island mode- no worries to speak of. We might stay here a few more days, move to an even more secluded island toward Cambodia, Ko Mak, where another
Aunt and Uncle of mine are staying. Then we suppose we will take a boat to Cambodia and move along the beach, slowly, for a while. The waves wash right up to the many dinner cafe's on the beach, and paper lanterns glow softly along the shoreline. This is truly an Asian dream like neither of us have ever experienced.
We are safe and happy, as usual, and we are sending much love to all of you.
Sincerely,
Oriana and Charlie

Caves!

And we thought it couldn't get any better. After our lovely trip through the jungle of the Nan Province (NE Thailand) we were excited to move on from Chaing Mai and continue our travels. We made a group of good friends there, so it was bittersweet to leave, but we knew that if we didn't set a date and move on- we might never leave the "Old City." Our river trip was full of exciting whitewater, scenic views and total removal from the bustle of Chaing Mai. Our guide, Jason, has since become a good friend and showed us parts of Thailand we would never have seen otherwise. His fluent Thai took us to a Thai Hip Hop Club, called Channel X, in the small town of Nan where hundreds of Thai locals gathered on a Monday night to drink Sang Som (Thai Rum) and dance to the beats of a live band, DJ and rotating vocal entertainers. As we drank our share of Rum, Charlie - of course - made many friends and, at one point, was offered the microphone by the Thai Hipster singing on stage. We were the only Farangs (foreigners) in the place, and recieved much attention- all positive. The next day, with hangovers and little sleep, we all piled back in the van to make the six hour drive back to Chaing Mai. When we arrived we booked a guesthouse in the heart of the city and relaxed, trying to recover from the entire experience. Our guesthouse, in which we stayed for two nights- the second being New Years, had a beautiful in-ground pool, many beautiful and tropical murals, and best of all, an open roof-top living room complete with a sun-deck, a pool table and couches. We had a mellow New Years Eve. We walked about town with our friend Gora- the Russian Monk- and witnessed the celebrations that were happening all over. Hundreds of paper lanterns were lit, and floated through the sky over the city. Charlie and I both agreed we had never seen a sight quite like that of the sky filled with hundreds- perhaps thousands- of soft lights. To boot, there were fireworks going off everywhere, in the sky and on the ground. We spent the countdown at The Northgate Jazz Co-op, a place we have hung out many times to see Joshwah play music and meet our many new friends. We went to bed shortly before three a.m., as we were planning on traveling early the next day. And so we left Chaing Mai, riding a packed full bus eight hours to the small village of Sappong. By the time we got there, it was dark and approaching eight o'clock. Our lodge - Cave Lodge - where we had reservations had instructed us to get a motorbike taxi the nine km from Sappong to the lodge, but because of the hour there was no taxi in sight. We were just happy to have been dropped off in what looked like an actual town. The bus had stopped a few times before, just on the side of the dark highway, and we were both praying that it wasn't Sappong. When we saw a small market and convenient store, the bus driver turned to us - "Sappong here." We thanked him and were relieved to see people out on the street and a few guesthouses nearby. After negotiating with the clerk behind the counter at the convenient store, Charlie and I hopped in with a local Dad, and for 300 baht rode with him in his truck up, yet another, small, dark and winding road. Signs for Cave Lodge started to appear, and our faith that we were actually going somewhere was restored. The Dad dropped us by the river, near a lighted path to the lodge. As we walked up the stairs, removed our shoes- as is custom when you enter any private building- the scene unfolding before us was reassuring. A large open veranda spread out before us, with hammocks and swings hanging from the tall rafters, and an open fire pit in the center. There were travelers sitting around the fire, reading, writing and talking with one another. All eyes turned to us as we stepped up to the kitchen. The owner, John, an Australian who has lived there on the Thai-Burmese border for 30 years, asked us if we had a reservation, which thankfully I had made earlier in the day. We ordered some much needed food and walked down the stone walkway to our creekside bungalow. It is a lovely place, with many activities around. We have decided to stay there five days, and explore the surrounding villages, mountains and caves. We hitched a ride into Pai this morning - about 50 km away - with a nice Thai family on vacation. We are going to rent a motorbike, so we can be self-sufficient, and carefully explore the surrounding waterfalls that are in this beautiful and rural paradise. One of the cool things about this area, and this time of year, is that there are more Thai tourists than foreign ones. Truckloads of Thai families have pitched tents all along the rivers from Pai to Sappong, as well as up in the mountains where we are staying. The Thai style of camping is much like our own- tents, boomboxes radiating beats, booze and couples looking for romance. They are all very interested in us, and where we are from. They are always snapping pictures of us from the distance- or in some cases not. Yesterday we hiked to the top of a mountain called "The Big Knob." It was only about an hour and a half up, but it was thick forest and steep rocks twined with vines. The last ascent was steep and full of volcanic rocks, that helped us climb the last verticle feet. Once we reached the rocky point- we truly were on the very top of the mountain - we sat and enjoyed the view of the surrounding valleys. There was a bamboo flag pole with a weathered Thai flag, and makeshift benches of wood set on two rocks. As we sat there on the top our little mountain in Thailand we were, yet again, reminded of how blessed and thankful we are for our lives, and each other. As there is no internet at our lodge, don't be alarmed if we don't check in for a few days. Tune in soon- we got all of our pictures from our river adventure on disc and we plan on uploading them soon. Much love to you all, our family and friends.

Chohk dii pi mai - Good luck, happy New Year!
Oriana and Charlie