Monday, January 19, 2009
Phnom Penh
There are always plenty of things in Asia that just astound me and keep me entertained, such as when parents ride with their kids on motor bikes the kids have no helmets but the parents do. But there is also things that surprise you such as when I walked by this hairdressing salon today I asked if they could cut my hair? They said no its only for girls. So I moved on and just by chance saw another salon and asked the same question. They giggled for a bit then said ok. I asked them how much? they said $1.40 (5000 Riel which is the local currency ). Anyway I sit down and the young Cambodian girl places me in the chair and I start to tell her in a fashion, what I want with my haircut. The next thing I know there are 3 other girls gathered around, not just standing but sitting down in chairs like a small audience. If that wasn’t enough, one of the girl hands me a mobile phone and I naturally say “Hello” . Now I don’t know anyone in this city so I find myself talking to this Cambodian guy who speaks English (sort of) and he was asking me what sort of haircut I want. So it’s kind of like haircut by Correspondence. I explain I want a “Same Same” haircut but just shorter. He then spent about 5 mins explaining to girl what I wanted. I’m sure the phone call was more expensive than the haircut. Next thing I know, the guy rolls up on a motor bike to meet me in person and to see if the haircut was satisfactory.
The People Smuggling
Leaving Laos
Although it was hard to leave Gilligan’s Island, and especially as travel friends Mark and Jo from Sydney had made a mammoth 2 solid days of bus rides to have the band back together, I think it was time to go. I purchased a bus ticket from Don Det in Southern Laos to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The cost was $26 and we had all heard stories of getting held up at the border and having to pay money to the Police to get across. This guy who sold me the ticket said “No Problems- Guaranteed.” It was then I started to get worried. I took a boat and as it happens some great Canadians – Lindsey and Owen were with me on the same boat. They told us at this point that we were to say to anyone who looked remotely official that we were only going to the first town over the border and never under any circumstances, show your ticket for the bus. That gave me a lot of confidence. We then got into a minivan to the Lao/Cambodian border. We were stamped out of Lao, put into a second car and proceeded to Cambodia to get Visas. At this point we started to realise that the Police were not happy with our drivers taking us over the border so they called a meeting. They went to a shady tree and had it out and there was alot of yelling and screaming. The problem was that all the money to get us across was going to mainly Lao people who pay some money to Cambodians for the majority of the 13 hr trip. The police want the bulk of it to go to services in Cambodia. Anyway without becoming too political I arrived in Phnom Penh at 9pm after switching minivans another 3 times. Now, I’m all for a good tour but I had basically being part of a people smuggling service across the border. It has the word dodgy written all over this one.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
This is Gilliagns Island
After my sleeping bus episode, I was bussed out as I have covered nearly half of Laos by bus in 24 hrs. I ne
There are two weddings here today and the music is incredibly loud, and heaps of the local “Beerlao” is being consumed.
Last night I got up at about 2 am to go to the toilet and went down the stairs with my eyes barely opened and just turned on my torch and there not more than half a metre away was this water buffalo. I quickly woke up and the water buffalo must of got a fright seeing me (no comment please) so he took off leaving dust in his wake.
This place is not for the faint-hearted. There is no hot water, squat toilets, no electricity and the shower water comes straight out of the Mekong. They have generators from 6pm to 10pm so you have lights for 4 hrs only. If you need to recharge something like your phone or camera, then you bring it to the restaurant and it charges while you eat. And girls, sorry no hairdryers, unless you want to literally stand in the middle of a restaurant and dry your hair anytime during 6pm and 10pm.
Southern Laos
I arrived back in the capital of Vientiane, and although I just got off a four and a half hour bus ride, I heard you could get down to the south of Laos by and overnight bus with beds on it. So I made some enqu
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Laos just after Christmas
Vientiane is the Capitol of Laos and situated right on the Mekong river. When you