Sun 8th Mar – Vientiane (Laos) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Time to ditch the “CR” prefix to the blog entries as I am well and truly by myself now. Doing the blog together does take away from its introspection. We experienced these events together and talked about them at the time so when posting photos it can err towards being more of a ‘recount’ and a ‘timeline’ than reflections. That’s not bad but it is different.
Travelling alone (and I define travelling alone as travelling without a friend from home, so I include the Intrepid Tour in that category) is also a different experience. People, other tourists and locals alike, are far less likely to talk to a group of two. It is more invasive to say hello to people already grouped. Just in this 24 hours I have noticed how much of a difference being by yourself makes to how you interact with the environment around you. At lunch yesterday I had a long conversation with the waiter. This morning as I was waiting for the lift down at the hotel one of the other guests (Thai, now married to her American consort and looking damn happy with her life) said good morning and we had a five minute chat about why she was in Laos (hubby needs to shuffle out of Thailand to renew visa) and what type of massage parlour she’d like to open (‘elements’ – sometimes your earth, water, fire and air elements get out of whack and it’s important to realign).
Entering into a country by airplane is brutal. Particularly when the flight is so short. 1.5 hours from Vientiane to Phenom Penh. That’s essentially Sydney to Coffs yet so much has changed. I am aghast at how different Cambodia feels and how quickly that impression settles. All countries are different, sure, but Cambodia and Laos share a border and have the same per capita GDP. I expected delineation to be murky. It’s not.
My first impression: Cambodia feels as though the combined industry of each person can and is building to make the city, and that the city will change constantly as a result.
No where in Laos felt like that. Laos is in a hole that gets deeper and deeper every year and as the country sinks it gets harder to see the brightness of the rest of the world from the top. It felt hopeless.
Breakfast local style in Vientiane. Two fried eggs cooked, an onion heavy meatball and half a baguette. When I arrived I couldn’t believe it but the place (just a street cart with a bunch of stools and portable tables) was full – maybe 30 customers. I actually had to wait for a table. It might have been the only food business booming in Laos. The vibes were high. All the locals had just done their weekend exercise and were sitting down for coffee (mocka pot over boiled gas stove) or big pot of tea. Many places we went to were just empty, the gravesite watched over by multiple ghostly staff. To be surrounded by people enjoying themselves was a relief and made this my favourite meal in the city.Phenom Penh airport is massive and brand new. This is my first dose of culture shock. It’s like flying from Newcastle airport and disembarking at Changi airport.The next thing to disturb me is the size of buildings on the outskirts of town. I literally don’t remember seeing one building in Laos of this height. The taxi fare is quoted in USD. Cambodia essentially has two currencies – their local Reil and the USD. I try and pay in 100USD and initially the issue is the bill is too high a denomination for change. The second issue is when I try and change it at the hotel both my bills are deemed too dirty. A bank will accept it as tender but not local businesses (might need my tour guide to explain more on this one…). A security guard takes the note to exchange at a bank (yep, just walks off with my 100usd note – also, why does the low cost hotel need a security guard?) and comes back and says they would exchange but for a 15USD fee. I sense Cambodia has developed more of an elaborate scam economy. Guard and hotel owner alike are upset with the audacity of the charge and we arrange a pay later scheme once I have the local currency. I get the local currency out at a nearby bank using my debit card (can’t be fucked exchanging the USD, guess I’ll just take it home) and accidentally withdraw A$700 not A$70. I got too comfortable being a kip millionaire… A Reulein always settles their debts.After a quick dash back to my hotel to put my overdrawn cash into the safe, I head out to see what I can find out about Phenom Penh before I need to attend a meet and greet with the tour group. I embarked with ill-will after Joseph said he didn’t like it but I think the city is pretty cool. It’s big and lively. I am upset Declan couldn’t see it. He would have been stimulated. I spent the last day downbeat about the final stretch of my holiday. Now I feel renewed and excited about the next two weeks.Renewed optimistic fervour likely due to finding a bookshop. Very interesting collection of non fiction focused on Asia. I buy a book. Who’s going to stop me now? River of Time – Jon Swain. The purchase is made on the back of the compelling blurb from JG Ballard on the back.I skipped lunch because my flight was bang in the middle of the day. I lust after this spit for way too long.Luxury cafe, industrial style. We’re not in Laos anymore.‘View’ from my hotel room. Thankfully I’ve done an Intrepid Tour before so I understand they cheap out on the city accommodation and have reason to believe the situation will improve from here. Let’s all take a moment to imagine my reaction if Declan has booked this room… Our tour is 7 women, 1 of which hadn’t turned up when we did our welcome meeting. It seems like an agreeable group. I don’t foresee any issues which is a massive win. There are four older ladies, me and… another trader lady (32 years old and trades commodities in the UK). She’s on her three month gardening leave – my jealousy was hot and wild, family members may recall teary calls when I learnt I had to work most of mine out – between firms. She is in a state of shock: “I’ve never met another female trader in the wild”. We chat shop a lot but hopefully that is done now. The tour leader is a strict Cambodian who studied at a Buddhist school for eight years. He says in passing they were a hard eight years and involved a lot of carving (I assume that means physical wood carvings for the temple). With a female only tour it’s probably the right balance.
I sense an opening for strata management in Cambodia.
100 us is a lot of money for me so must be huge for locals.
That whole experience was funny and chaotic. I have a feeling things would have been different if Declan was there.
Already missing Declan’s architectural comments about the structure in the roundabout.
A photo of a tidy bookshop immediately followed by bbq meat = Caitlin’s favourite activities.
Was this a ladies only tour or is this just a coincidence.
Funny story about the female trader in the wild. Sounds like if a unicorn walked past another unicorn after living their life thinking they were the only unicorn around.
Happy to report quality of blog hasn’t degraded with Declan’s absence.
Dad: I think that Declan was here I’d be in A LOT of trouble for how I handled the taxi payment event.
I was so so sooo happy to be in the bookshop. At first I thought it was a bit lame because it was just as expensive as Australia but after a few minutes I was very relieved to be flicking around.
Just a coincidence about ladies only trip.
Yay I am glad you’re enjoying it.
Comment of the day: I buy a book. Who’s going to stop me now 🤣🤣🤣
Favourite photo: breakfast you will remember this. So different to our cafes.
Biggest miss of the day: the spit – C’MON activate that second stomach!! Looks so good.
Excited to see how you find your guide and if he can pass on any wisdom. Don’t do a Piper Radcliffe on me!!!
Excellent thoughts delivered on transitioning from Laos to Cambodia. Blog quality well maintained. Love you heaps xx
She gets to go on holiday during her gardening leave?! That is unheard of. Even I’m jealous of that!! If we’re forced to live our our gardening leave period, they put us on crappy projects that are equal parts menial and tough – so you’re working hard right up until the end. I could just imagine how readily you’d trade place with her…
And yes – echoing your parent’s comments. Really enjoying all the posts – although sad to be missing out on you and Dec’s banter with the photo captions :'(
Mum: I needed you there to encourage me with the spit. Now I will die wondering.
Piiiiiiper, noooooo
MGC: If I were her I’d take it without question. But I am not her and I hate her for it!
Glad the blog still chugs along. Wish you’d had one for your six months in Europe xx
Dad: Structure at the roundabout is an independence monument, built in 1953 to commemorate the withdrawal of French colonialists 🙂
I love the guys subtle shirt in the first photo.
I sense an opening for strata management in Cambodia.
100 us is a lot of money for me so must be huge for locals.
That whole experience was funny and chaotic. I have a feeling things would have been different if Declan was there.
Already missing Declan’s architectural comments about the structure in the roundabout.
A photo of a tidy bookshop immediately followed by bbq meat = Caitlin’s favourite activities.
Was this a ladies only tour or is this just a coincidence.
Funny story about the female trader in the wild. Sounds like if a unicorn walked past another unicorn after living their life thinking they were the only unicorn around.
Happy to report quality of blog hasn’t degraded with Declan’s absence.
Dad: I think that Declan was here I’d be in A LOT of trouble for how I handled the taxi payment event.
I was so so sooo happy to be in the bookshop. At first I thought it was a bit lame because it was just as expensive as Australia but after a few minutes I was very relieved to be flicking around.
Just a coincidence about ladies only trip.
Yay I am glad you’re enjoying it.
Comment of the day: I buy a book. Who’s going to stop me now 🤣🤣🤣
Favourite photo: breakfast you will remember this. So different to our cafes.
Biggest miss of the day: the spit – C’MON activate that second stomach!! Looks so good.
Excited to see how you find your guide and if he can pass on any wisdom. Don’t do a Piper Radcliffe on me!!!
Excellent thoughts delivered on transitioning from Laos to Cambodia. Blog quality well maintained. Love you heaps xx
She gets to go on holiday during her gardening leave?! That is unheard of. Even I’m jealous of that!! If we’re forced to live our our gardening leave period, they put us on crappy projects that are equal parts menial and tough – so you’re working hard right up until the end. I could just imagine how readily you’d trade place with her…
And yes – echoing your parent’s comments. Really enjoying all the posts – although sad to be missing out on you and Dec’s banter with the photo captions :'(
Mum: I needed you there to encourage me with the spit. Now I will die wondering.
Piiiiiiper, noooooo
MGC: If I were her I’d take it without question. But I am not her and I hate her for it!
Glad the blog still chugs along. Wish you’d had one for your six months in Europe xx
Dad: Structure at the roundabout is an independence monument, built in 1953 to commemorate the withdrawal of French colonialists 🙂