Well I just got back to Phnom Penh after a whirlwind tour of
Southeast Asia. Through a series of events I was able to join the BYU interns
on their trip through Thailand and Laos. The journey began Thursday morning
(6/27) at 6 AM when our bus departed from Phnom Penh. The bus made a few stops
for bathroom breaks but no stops for food. Found out later it’s actually odd
for the buses NOT to stop for meal breaks. I was starving by the time we got to
Bangkok but we’re not to that part of the story yet.
Pics from the bus
Love the curtain fabric!
Saying goodbye to Cambodia
After trekking across
Cambodia we crossed the border into Thailand on foot and got into a mini van
destined for Bangkok. Boy … let me tell ya. Those drivers in Thailand have lead
feet. I don’t think I’ve ever gone so fast in a car in my life! It was intense
being in the back seat and getting air of the little bumps. Quite the
experience. Upon arrival in Bangkok the minivan just dropped in the middle of
the city so we hailed a taxi (a combo between an Indian rickshaw and a
Cambodian tuk tuk. Think fast and small) and attempted to find our hotel which
supposedly was close to the bus station. Almost an hour later we fell out of
the taxi practically kissing the ground because we had been driving around in
the taxi for so long! The taxi drivers had missed the place like three times so
we just kept driving around in circles. I don’t know that I’ve ever been
happier in my life to step out of taxi onto solid ground. When we got there we
were all starving and fortunately the restaurant at the hotel stayed open to
feed us some delicious red curry, rice and an Ovaltine shake (They love their
ovaltine here. Anybody heard of Milo? So big in SEA. J) All of it was delicious! We
heard on the minivan about Thai hospitality. They really are the nicest people
you will meet. They go out of their way to give you directions, make sure
you’re fed, etc. We definitely appreciated them feeding us at 11 o’ clock at
night.
The next morning Codie and I headed out to get some baht
(Thai money). Part of why we were so starving the day before is when the minivan
made some stops in Thailand we were starving but had no baht to purchase
anything. A nice Thai man could tell we were confused and led us right to the
bank. After that we stopped at Au Bon Pain (Thailand has so many more western
shops. Especially 7-11. They’re practically on every corner!) where I picked up
an egg and cheese croissant sandwich. It’s the first time I’ve had cheese in
months! Our bus from Bangkok left for Chiangmai at noon. We basically just
chilled at the station for a few hours. When we boarded the bus we were
astounded at the luxury. It was like a business class international flight. The
seats were so roomy and could practically recline all the way. There was a TV
for the long 9 hour bus ride and they fed us full on meals! And the funny thing
is it cost the same amount as our bus from Phnom Penh. Only $20. Livin’ the
high life. J
This one of the first things I saw after getting into the minivan and feeling like I was in a speed race. Welcome to Thailand!
Bangkok
Bus station
Thailand scenery. So green!
The scenery of Thailand is drastically different from
Cambodia. Cambodia has a few sparse trees but Thailand is very green and lush.
I found it so interesting considering they both get monsoon rains. At Chiangmai
I ate Kho soi Mai (a traditional northern Thai dish) and a mango smoothie. I
don’t know if you can tell, but this trip was defined by food. From that moment
on I enjoyed a shake with practically every meal and never once felt guilty
about it. We spent Saturday in Chiangmai where we mediated at a Buddhist
resort, jumped off cliffs, and rode elephants. A very full and fun day.
Instead of tuk tuks they use red trucks in Chiangmai. This is us hanging out the back of one on the first night. :)
Probably one of my most favorite pictures I have ever taken purely because of the subject matter. :)
Why yes, I did bathe an elephant.
And almost got mowed down by a baby elephant. :)
Buddhist resort
Very peaceful
Cliff jumping!
Love me some elephants!
Yes that is Predator outside the Silver wat on our way to Laos. It had some funky things going on inside it too. I'm pretty sure it was purely for tourist reasons.
Breakfast on Sunday was a banana pancake and
shake. I definitely have a new appreciation for pancakes and waffles after my
trip through Southeast Asia. It’s one of the things I enjoy just as much here
if not more so. Especially Cambodian waffles. I’ll be happy to make them for
anybody when I get home. J
After that it was back on the road headed for the Laos border where we would
then catch a boat and float down the Mekong River. We spent two days on the
river before getting off in Luang Prabang. Let me just tell you that Laos has
beautiful scenery as well. It also was my first time being in a communist
country and it wasn’t much different except for a few pictures of the hammer
and sickle and poster of Che guevara.
Hmong village we stopped in on our way down the river to Luang Prabang.
Yes they have power and satellite. :)
Gorgeous!
Celebrating the 4th of July in a communist country was a different experience. I spent the day feeding the monks at dawn, sampling a waffle in the morning market (I've now tried one in ever SEA country. The on in Laos tasted like Cap'n Crunch!), biking around the city and at the national museum. It was interesting learning more about Laos before the revolution at the museum. Also no celebration of the 4th would be complete without a healthy dose of baked goods (haha). I had my share of lemon bars, brownies, and other delectable eats. Every year my family makes trifle for the 4th and while I didn’t get any this year I did have taro ice cream, something we don’t really have stateside. J I also was able to get some of the best deals at the night market. My advice, go when they’re closing up shop. They give you their absolute best price! They’d rather have another sale then leave with more items.
Instead of taking a 55 hour bus ride home from Laos we
stayed an extra day in Luang Prabang and then took the overnight bus to the
capital city of Vientiane where we flew out to Phnom Penh. Hallelujah! I don’t
think I could’ve spent any more time on a mode of transportation without wings!
With the extra day in Luang Prabang we were able to go bike riding up the
mountain, ride bareback on an elephant, AND go kayaking. Talk about a day!
Kayaking was definitely one of my favorite parts. The scenery was so stunning!
I just kept thinking to myself “I’m kayaking down the namkang river in Laos …
what?!?!” ;) I also of course loved riding elephants. They’ll always have a
soft spot in my heart.
Sleeper bus from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. What you can't see are the Asian men that showed up and slept in the aisle. Closest I've ever slept to a stranger in my life ...
Now that I’m back in good ‘ol Phnom Penh there’s just a
little over a month left of my internship. It’s going to wiz by. I’m ready to
buckle down and make the most of my remaining time.
To explain the title of this post. “same same but different”
is a common phrase heard in Laos (trust me, you can find it on multiple
tshirts. If that doesn’t make it a slogan, I don’t know what can) but it is
especially applicable to all of Southeast Asia. Same same but different!
