For the Thai/Khmer New Years festival we decided to take a little excursion out to Bangkok Thailand to celebrate. In Thailand it is called the Sankran Festival and consists of worlds largest water fight and lasts for five days. Needless to say, it was the most fun that we’d all had in a long time. After five days of getting sprayed with super soaker’s and having buckets of ice water dumped on our heads we were ready to be dry for a few days. Unfortunately, the day after the festival ended the sky opened up and decided to start the monsoon season a little early.

Here is a short video of the festivities:

It doesnt take long in Phnom Penh to realize that the locals, both young and old, have a great appreciation for the oldies. The songs seem to be played just about anywhere and have lead to more than a few song a long with the local bar staff. I think everyone likes to be a little nostalgic now and then and remember better times in the past and thats part of what oldies music is all about. Maybe that nostalgia factor is little bit strong here in Cambodia when the music came from before the war and all the pain that came with it.

Here is a song that I have heard many times and always enjoy.

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With much fan-fare, the first KFC just opened up here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We were a bit skeptical at first as the chicken here in Cambodia has a tenancy to be quite chewy and have very little meat on the bone. A quick glance at the emaciated chickens picking through dirt on the side of the road makes it rather obvious why. To out surprise, the chicken at KFC was meaty and just as one would expect back home. From the looks of things KFC is quite popular with the locals as well, those that can afford it at least. The only downfall is the confused looks on the faces of the locals when they are told that no, KFC does not server white rice with the chicken.

A friend once took me offroading back home in the desert near Las Vegas. His fully loaded Land Rover climbed hills we would be unable to walk up and clung to boulders without sliding an inch. I thought that was a bumpy ride. The two-or-so hour ride out to Takeo from Phnom Penh in the back of a pickup truck quickly changed that point of view. Takeo Province, being the rich farming country that it is, floods during the rainy season and then drys out when spring arrives. While it may produce fertile land for growing rice, it doesn’t make for a very smooth dirt roads. It was a long and bumpy ride sitting in the back of a hard metal and quite unforgiving pickup truck. Despite the obstacles, we made to the relatives house shaken, stirred, and slightly tenderized.

In Cambodia it is always customary to bring a small gift when visiting friends or relatives. Food or drinks are always a favorite and in the country side where resources are scarce, it is appreciated all that much more. Wanting to be gracious guests, we brought three cases of Leo Beer along for the trip. As you might imagine, we were well received and it seemed every distant cousin and virtually all who lived in the village stopped by to have a drink. Maybe next time we will bring four cases.

The slow pace of Takeo is a nice break from hustle, bustle, and smog of Phnom Penh. It was a fun little trip but I can only stay so long where a shower comes in the form of a bucket of water and the light bulbs are run off of car batteries.

Here are a few videos from our Takeo excursion:

Of all the infamous things that Cambodia is known for, none is more obvious than the intense traffic and chaotic roadways. Getting from point “a” to point “b” can be quite an adventure at times. The whole city has only a hand full of traffic lights leaving every other intersection to be a near free-for-all. Accidents and fatalities on the roads are a daily occurrence but it doesn’t seem to dissuade anyone from hoping on to the back of a moto and zooming off into the distance. Organized chaos might be a good term for the roadways here, I’ll just leave it at that.

Here are a few videos of us getting out and about in Phnom Penh.

No trip to Cambodia is complete without a stop at the notorious Tuol Sleng genocide museum, formerly known by the Khmer Rouge as S-21. For those that don’t know, S-21 was a high school converted into a prison and torture facility by the Khmer Rouge. Throughout their rein, thousands of prisoners were tortured and killed at S-21 for their perceived opposition to the revolution. It is a truly sickening place and a testament to the brutality and cruelty that humans are capable of. Most haunting about the place is not the still erected gallows or bed frames with shackles, but the hundreds upon hundreds of photographs that the Khmer Rouge used to document their victims. Their stairs inflict more words than I care to write.

Despite its disturbing nature, it is important to keep the doors of Toul Sleng open so future generations can learn of its dark history and hopefully never allow it to repeat itself, anywhere.

Here is a well done video of Tuol Sleng I came across

What’s up guys?!  After a total of about 17 hours in the sky, we finally touched down in Phnom Penh yesterday.  I meant to write a blog about our trip before I got here, but things have been pretty hectic the last month, so I’ll try to cram in my thoughts leading up to this trip, the flight, and our arrival.

Ben and I have been talking about this trip for about a year now, and now we’re finally here.  When we bought our ticket two months ago, it seemed like forever before we would get on that plane, I really couldn’t wait.  But just days before takeoff, it seemed like I needed more time to say goodbye to my family and friends, and to rest up.  The last month has been exhausting.  My to-do list was about a mile long, and there were just things that I kept coming up that I had to take care of.  Everything is taken cared of now, and my mind is free and clear of everything that I was attached to in the states.  I paid my bills, I said my goodbyes, and all I have to think of is all of the goals that I want to accomplish in the next three months.

We flew Cathay Pacific Airlines from LAX to Hong Kong, then Dragon Air from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh.  We were both a little sick all week, and it really didn’t help that we drank massive amounts of alcohol the night before takeoff.  For the peeps that showed up to the Mai Tai bar in Long Beach on Saturday night to wish us well on our trip, thank you for the headache I woke up with the next morning.  I love you guys.

Anyway, the flight was at midnight and it was about an hour late.  No one let us know what was going on and no one let us know what time we would be boarding.  Bad first impression.  When we finally got on board, and up in the air, we both ate, then popped a Nyquil and tried to go to sleep.  I couldn’t get comfortable, tossing and turning left and right, switching ass cheeks, resting my head forward, backwards, nothing would work.  At one point, while trying to get comfortable, I spilled water all over my crotch and legs.  It looked like I peed on myself.  I was really just too damn tired to do anything about it, so I put a blanket over me, and I finally fell asleep.  Of course I woke up a short time later because I had to pee, but I didn’t want to wake Ben or my other neighbor by getting up, so I just held it in.  The plane was having some sort of problems with the temperature, so it went from being cold to hot and hot to cold for about two hours.  Cold air blasting on my wet pants while I was holding in my pee really sucked.  We finally touched down in Hong Kong after about 15 hours, and we only had about 20 minutes to get to the next plane.  I ran to the bathroom, then ran to the plane, and we made it just in time.  We would now just be two hours away from Phnom Penh.

At that moment, it really didn’t hit me yet what we were doing.  I mean, I knew I was going to be on a plane to Cambodia, but the whole reality of spending three months there didn’t hit me yet.  Today, reality has hit me.  My boxers sticking to me because my butt has been sweating, the mosquito bites, the stench, the noise, the pollution.  Ah yes, I am in Phnom Penh Cambodia.  What the hell did I get myself into?

We took a day trip to Phnom Udong today.  Ill write more about that tomorrow and hopefully ill have some pictures up to go along with it.  Till, then, take care of yourselves.

Peace.

-Tharith

When it comes down to it, change is never easy. Especially when that change entails quitting your job and getting dropped off halfway around with the world with no plan or return date in site.

Like most enjoyable things, giving it all up to travel the world has its share of risk. While quitting your job, vacating your residence, and leaving friends and family behind is difficult, it is easier than you think. Humans have an uncanny ability to find every reason not to do something that is challenging or different. Once you’ve broken that point of view, making the actual jump is a piece of cake.

Ironically, it seems the source of many peoples long term travel desires and road blocks to doing so, are their respective careers and fear of putting them on hold. Some people mold to the corporate world like silly putty, but most of us are left looking for something more out of life. Every bumper to bumper drive to the office and awkward staff meeting just echo the point that there is a more exciting and rewarding life out there beyond the horizon. Sadly, the brick wall blocking most people from realizing their dream is the same cubicle where that dream was born.

As for me, I had a busy but comfortable full time job with many coworkers that I considered friends. Saying goodbye to that life was challenging at first, but once I decided that I wanted more out of life the rest just flowed. I put in notice with my employer and landlord and bought a ticket to Cambodia. Strangely enough, one of the harder parts of quitting my job was deciding what I would write in my farewell email to all my colleagues. I tried searching online to find some advice but only found this letter , which would definitely leave a lasting impression but wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. Eventually I came up with this:

One of our staple computer programs down here in the creative
department is a font manager called suitcase fusion. Every time it
loads a new font it uses an intriguing quote to display the typeface.
That quote reads:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things
that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the
bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time that I have spent here and
appreciate the opportunities I’ve received, I think Mr. Twain may
have a point. When the opportunity for me to live, travel, and train
abroad came by, I couldn’t let it pass. It may seem like a strange
thing to do, but besides mysteriously loosing helvetica condensed
bold during the LA Times campaign, suitcase fusion has never let me
down. I wish you all the utmost success and happiness in all your
future endeavors.

Best Regards

While the fear of being jobless and hence money less, is completely founded, it doesn’t have to hinder your ability to see the world. An ounce of planning and a dash of common sense can go a long way. There are hundreds of books out there on budget long term traveling, so many thats the rules are almost proverbs, but two that really changed my outlook are The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris and Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.

My flight to Phnom Penh via Hong Kong leaves in 4 hours and it’s just about time to leave for the airport. Catch you on the other side.

Questions? Comments? Observations?