Feb 07

I stopped in the city for the day and ventured out to the Choeung Ek Genocide Center, a museum to consecrate the 3 million lives slaughtered under Pol Pot and his Communist Khmer Rouge regime in 1975-1979. The memorial itself is at the site where the Killing Fields once were, so as you can imagine, it's quite overwhelming to know you're standing right beside the actual mass graves. There was no need for fancy exhibits...the remaining evidence spoke volumes on its own.

I also visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which was the former prison used by the Khmer Rouge for the interrogation and extermination of those who opposed them...and not just Cambodians, or just adults. The photos and artifacts left behind were shocking. (Some displays I couldn't even look at, so those of you with weak stomachs can still handle the photos.) Sorry for the not-so-cheerful entry today, but I think it's something everyone should know about.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/thetravelingdancer/album/576460762392078235#page1

Well, I had finally had to flee the country, but not for the same reasons you may be thinking (don’t worry Dad, I haven’t had to use your get-out-of-jail-free connection yet). I needed to renew my Thai visa and therefore had the perfect excuse to pop on over to Cambodia for 5 days…where my name has been replaced with “lady!” by all the locals (and yes, the exclamation mark is intentional). Not only did I simply enjoy escaping the city smog of Bangkok, but relished the opportunity to visit another one of the Seven Wonders of the World…Angkor Wat. Just when you thought I had photographed enough temple ruins, I found more to dramatically increase my photo developing expenses when I return home. Mmm, pretty spectacular though…kinda worth it. I spent 2 full days traveling around Siem Reap with my Cambodian guide on his motorbike, and it was worth every ounce of sweat you’ll see in the photos.

Some of my favorite moments...my tuk-tuk (similar to a rickshaw) driver crashing into a bicycle just after my arrival, my guide burping loudly during meals, the massive hoards of Koreans in front of my camera at all times, the little boy suckering me into buying his postcards by knowing the capital of Oregon (when many Americans couldn't even point to the state on a map), and of course...the monk flirting with me at Angkor Wat. They're all too good, I can't decide.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/thetravelingdancer/album/576460762392078235#page1

I never thought the idea of staying in one place would excite me so much...

For the next month I'll be living in the city and teaching English at a women's house called Beginnings, aimed at women who are currently or have been previously involved in prostitution. The house was started by an American couple named Roy & Bonita, and is being helped run by a Thai woman named Ann (and her adorable 7 year-old daughter Bebe), who speaks very good English and is a delight to have as our housemom. There are English classes every morning for any women in the community who want to learn, but they also have the opportunity to live here as permanent residents and start a new way of life if they choose. Right now there are 3 residents, but also about 10 additional women of all ages who attend class. And it's only been a week, but I'm already getting such a kick out of them. Remember when I talked about the constant giggling I always encountered on the streets? Well, it's in my classroom as well. Apparently I am funny everywhere here.

Last weekend the women of the house (I'm going to call them the WOTH) and I traveled south to visit an orphanage in Pattaya, a city widely known for its sex industry. We took about 40 kids to a Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, taught them how to make Tiger balm, had an art project, and cooked up a huge BBQ with chicken skewers and prawns for them. The food was amazing for them, but I gotta admit, the kids were a bit more ecstatic to have a strange token blonde to play with and hang all over. The 3 women and I also went for a dip in the ocean (which I think they rarely get to do), and were obsessed with the game I started of standing up on an inner tube. Ah yes, the range of my talents.

Oh, and Valentine's Day in the Red Light District? Eye-opener.

On my own again, I rented a bike for the equivalent of about 57 cents and rode all over this small town, traversing the ancient wat ruins from the original capital of the first Thai kingdom (that's really the extent of my historical knowledge). Extremely impressive though! Could I take any more photos?

Oh yes, and there are more...
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/thetravelingdancer/albums

Fact: We're funny in Thailand.

Without fail, we have at least a handful of humorous encounters per day...whether it's a stranger giggling at us on the streets or 3 Thai women sitting on our backs attempting to massage us amidst the uncontrollable laughter on both sides. We find ourselves asking, "Are they laughing for the same reason we're laughing?" Maybe the Thai people simply have a great sense of humor and we're fuel for the fire, who knows? Oh Thailand.

But we had a great time in Chiang Mai...visiting an orchid & butterfly farm, laughing at a surprisingly fantastic elephant show (they could kick soccer balls, dunk a basketball, play instruments, paint, and even dance!), riding elephants through the jungle, meandering down the river on a bamboo raft, visiting a Karen hill village, wandering the endless night bazaars, and watching Brett & Emily frantically buy their last-chance Asian souvenirs. It was a sad day when the 3 of us had to say our goodbyes and part ways. We had just begun to get used to the strange looks we got when checking into hotels as a threesome.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/thetravelingdancer/albums

Oh wow! Just when we thought our sketchy transportation adventures were over...

Brett, Emily, and I took what we thought would be a carefree ferry ride from the island to the mainland. What we didn't know is that our boat would be pencil-thin, a storm was brewing in the Gulf of Thailand, and that it would be a 3-hour ride of terror. The trip began with all of us passengers lounging in the sun on the top deck with our legs dangling over the edge, and ended with our life jackets secured as tight as possible and clinging to one another in a drenched and salty mess. At one point, the 3 of us had an intricate evacuation plan for when the boat was sure to be broadsided by a tidal wave. Land has never felt sweeter! And then, we had to race to the railway station to catch our overnight train to Bangkok, which was a whole other story.

The good news is we made it to the city in one piece, and met up with some wonderful Thai people here (friends of friends back home) who took care of us for the night and made us feel like we now have family in Thailand. Tomorrow we're on the road again, this time in a plane, and hopefully there are no hurricanes.

A popular phrase used by the Thai here has already become ingrained into our vocabulary: "Same same" with our addition of "...but different." This has become the simplest way to explain the small cultural differences we encounter along the way, from ways of making desserts to modes of transportation. For example, an ice cream sundae in the States would have your basic banana, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Oh but here in Krabi...it's chocolate & coconut ice cream, bread crumbs, lychee (chunks of this clear fruit that tastes like gelatin), and CORN. Same same...but different. But that was only the beginning. We decided to be brave and take an overnight ferry to Ko Tao Island, where our sleeping quarters consisted of 50 mattresses side-by-side along the floor and we slept on our bags to prevent any pickpocketing. Oh, and did I mention the cages of wild pigs on the same deck as us? Same same...but different.

Yet all was forgiven as we cruised up to the tranquil island of Ko Tao at sunrise and discovered our hotel room was a spectacular hillside bungalow overlooking the ocean! It was a rough 2 days...jumping off huge boulders into the crystal-clear water and getting a Thai oil massage on the beach.