Angkor What?

After enjoying the laidback pace of Siem Reap for 2 days I thought it was about time to check out what everybody visits for; the Angkor Wat archeological park. I'd thoroughly visited the day-markets, and knew most bars by name on Pub-Street... Its temple time!

Like almost every morning this far, my day starts with some quality negotiation. After arriving on a price I was happy with, I had a driver and TukTuk to take me around the park for the day. Getting an early start, I didn't plan on eating lunch at a tourist restaurant in the park, so I packed along a few healthy snacks to boost my energy when I was feeling templed out: 1 mars bar, 1 roll of pb/choco swirl Oreos, and 1 water. Health-conscious, check.

We started out with some smaller temples, using alternate gates to avoid the tour-bus crammed main entrances. This technique worked great as I could hustle to the site, relax, take it all in, snap photos, and be gone by the time the crowds sauntered up. Most temples have been preserved and/or brought back to their previous glory, except for one that stood out to me (insert name here) where trees have grown through the giant bricks and foundations. To see the strength of the roots push entire walls aside and rearrange boulders makes one appreciate the length of time they have been around.

This sneaky approach was working well and we seemed to be staying one step ahead of the main crowds until we hit Angkor Thom. I was feeling thoroughly templed-out, and the hordes of tourists did not do anything to help the cause. I reminded myself 'you're only here once,' dug into the roll of Oreos (breakfast of champions) and started dissecting the massive complex of Angkor Thom.

Two benefits of being a solo traveler surrounded by tour groups: listening in on their tour guides is awfully easy, and the pack mentality often prevents them from branching out and exploring the harder to reach sights. It was this second fact that gave me the entire top of a temple to myself. Except for the Khmer woman offering prayers and incense for small donations. This video shows the blessing that I asked to be sent around the world to those friends needing it at the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9HBRZikOQQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I wrapped my day with the piece de resistance, the main attraction, Angkor Wat. It's clear to see why this attraction is #(?) on the worlds wonders, and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The sheer size of the estate, the massive man-made moat, and the intricate details within all combine into a place where one can wander in awe for a long time. See the photo attached for an example of the wall carving detail.

One factor that does take away from the overall experience are the school aged children that sell tourist goods in the park. They are incessant in their approach, counting off their postcards, bracelets, etc 1 to 10... All for one dollar. Buying doesn't help their cause, but it sure is a guilt trip walking away as well.

Alex from England took a different approach and brought candy to the park to hand out instead of cash. This is what happens when you give 1 child a piece...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm9SjY7Td_0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

A Hop, a skip, and a jump

To sum up my 3 connecting flights from Vancouver to Bangkok, they were excellent. After being dropped off and bid Bon voyage by dad, I said goodbye to my shiny new MEC backpack and shuffled my way through customs.

I thoroughly enjoyed one final TimHortons before a quick 50 minute flight to Seattle. This flight was delayed 15 minutes bit with 1.5hr+ connection windows, I wasn't the least bit concerned. Little did I know, my bag wasn't ready to go yet...

Boarding the 11hour flight to Narita, Japan, I thought to myself 'Where are all the Japanese people at?" Honestly, this plane looked like a commuter flight from Regina to Pheonix. It's a tiny world we live in when a few days' pay can bring you halfway around the globe overnight.

Delayed baggage Karma must have been paying off early for me, (more on this in the next post) because I scored 4 seats to myself for the entire flight. 11 hours is pretty casual when you can lounge across an entire bench. A couple movies and a nap later, I touched down in Japan.

More than halfway there.

Even with a neighbour, a 6hr flight was going to fly by, even if it was now 5pm local, but 2am in my head. Luckily my seat mate was pretty small, and fittingly, her name was Minnie. "Like the mouse you know?" her words, not mine.

A local Thai girl, she was heading home to family and was more than helpful and patient in answering all my questions. Minnie, if you're reading this, go explore your part of the world!

At 11:15 local time, we touched down at Suvatneram (spelling) international. A place where I would call home for a little longer than I would have hoped...

2 Days 'til launch, turn your speakers to 11

With 2 full days left in Canada, I'm down to the short strokes and doing my best to figure out what I've forgotten... In reality, I won't remember what that 'important' thing was until I'm on the plane.  At which point, the trip will really have begun, and adaptation will be the norm.

OMG WE FORGOT KEVIN!

By the sounds of reports from Thailand, there is some issues with flooding around Bangkok, and in Northern provinces en route to Chiang Mai.  I've been in touch with some very helpful people on the ground there, and am ready to land in a giant puddle, I'll update everyone at home on how bad the situation really is once I arrive.

Until then, I'm spending more time updating my music collection than anything actually relevant to the trip..

Turn your speakers up loud, this one is a gem:

The Essentials

6 days to go, ready to launch, getting together the essentials.

I'm doing my best to minimize what I bring on this trip as per many peoples recommendations, as well as my own experiences.  Plus, I can buy anything I really need once I arrive.  A few clothes, a small towel, some toiletries, and these 3 essentials I wouldn't travel without:

My swiss army knife
Point and shoot camera
and my Petzel headlamp.


What are your essentials?

My Essentials

The thin red line, with arrows!

SO, I'm thinking I will do the well-worn backpacker trail heading clockwise.  Weather in the  different regions being the biggest factor in when I'm visiting different spots - trying to see places in their prime.  Even if thousands of other backpackers have the same idea...

I've gotten a TON of great tips from friends who have been here before me, and all of these ideas are tucked away somewhere in my memory.  More relevant, a lot of them have been taken down in an online travel (google)doc that I'll be referring to as I go.

Check out the map, the artistically drawn red line route (with arrows!), and a few things I plan on doing.

If you've been, I would love to hear from you with your advice in the comment box below, or get ahold of me any other way. Facebook, email, or if you'd like to re-live your adventure I'm in Van until the 17th!

(I'm landing in Bangkok)

My very tentative route

Ticket hunting

In my search for the best deal on flights to Bangkok, I approached 3 separate travel agents working for 3 separate businesses.  They came up with offers ranging from the mid $900's for a one way flight, up to the $1,200's for a return trip.  So I did what I had been expecting to do the entire time; I went online and hunted down a much better deal by myself.  I realize travel agencies provide a very valuable and legitimate service for certain demographics such as busy working types, but, for anybody with a bit of web-savvy, the number of deal aggregation websites out there like Expedia or Kayak provide the tools to easily find the deals yourself.

If you do choose to use an agency, I urge you to keep them honest and do your homework and check the prices yourself.  Odds are good you can beat the agency 9 times out of 10.

After hitting the confirm purchase button on Expedia, it dawned on me, I'm flying to Bangkok on October 17th!

And to think, my ticket was paid for with cherries and big sticks of rock...

Cherries, cherries, cherries.  Picked with care, Winfield, BC, Aug 2011

Stack of core-samples from my diamond drilling job.  Vanderhoof, BC, Feb. 2011

Ready to roll

In the fall of 2011 I will be departing on a long awaited trip through South East Asia. Some legs of this trip will be solo, some will be with old friends, and many with new ones met along the way.

To keep in touch with family and friends, I will be using this blog to share updates during my trip.

I can always be reached through my email, but comments and notes on here are also a great way to say hi!

I am currently in the middle of prepping, packing, and am looking forward to my departure in mid-October.