Tioman-Singapore

This last weekend I was on Tioman Island on the east coast of Malaysia. Nice beach to lay in a hammock in and read. On Sunday I went on a snorkel trip with a bunch of Malaysians from KL... a group of motivational speakers.................... um yeah you can imagine how that went down. Let's just say that was a cultural experience. Anyways, the Island was really chill I met a couple of musicians from London and we traveled to Singapore together. Unfortunetly, we and a shit load of Singaporeans were making our way back at the same time. This weekend was a vacation for most, due to Singapore's National Day (45 years ago they got their freedom from Brittan) so that means masses of people needing to get through immigration from Malaysia. I wish I would have had film to take picts it was def a sight to behold. The funny thing was no one seemed upset everyone was chill even though it was hotter than hot and the ques for the buses were ginormous (once you go through immigration you cant hire a taxi for some reason). We started chatting to some Singaporeans behind us in line and they were soooo friendly! Everyone in line on the Malaysia side was smacking gum like it was going out of style before they got to Singapore because gum is illegal here! HAha yes its true, really! So is J-walking. There is something about Singapore though the second I got here I just wanted to follow the rules! haah

In&Around Malacca

Wondering around the streets in the Chinatown section of Malacca I stumbled on some fun curious sites. Had some good food of course and met some crazy-ass locals! I first ventured out looking for a famed pineapple pastry but no one would sell me just one. They only came in boxes of 10 and me being the proper lady I am would never dare eat a whole box of cookies!!!!!! so I just had to go without... and sample all the free pieces instead! (Budget traveler lesson #1)

Then I went to a Buddhist temple that is most famous for prayers for the deceased. They have these little tablets where people write the name of the person who died some attach a photo and they come by and make offerings or burn intents. Some of the photos looked like they had been there for quite a while and I wanted to know about these people. SOme old some young. In some of the photos their faces were so angelic, like the thought of them ever dying could never apply to them. Really moving seeing their photos. It was a beautiful temple with dark lacquered wood carvings intricately covering the entire building. Built back to the early 1600's, right after the Dutch conquered Malacca, it's the oldest Buddhist temple in the city.

Then I stumbled upon a cobbler who has been around for a looooooooooong time and was famous for making the bound shoes that the Chinese women would wear to be in fashion. Strange thing to be proud of I thought but hey I took some picts anyway. They also had some normal sized antique shoes which was cool.

Had some tea at a Chinese tea house hung out with the family for lunch (Bugdet Traveler tip number 2 go to family owned shops around lunch time and get free food! haha).

Food GLOREous FOOD

The top one is where I had chicken rice balls with a spicy hot suace for dinner.

Middle is a famous desert here in Melaka (or Malacca) called Cendol I had a bomb one the other day but forgot to take a photo. crushed ice, kidney beans, condensed milk, jackfruit, avocado, green something... and rose water to make it sweeter!Its a great pick me up in the middle of a hot day. Trying to find a place to serve them at night is a challenge.... I just hope they have these decadent deserts in Tioman!

Bottom is a donut at one of the big malls in KL. Avocado and Chocolate... mmm i think this needs to be put into a popsicle when I get home!

Where Malay, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese, Dutch, and English Collide

Phnom Penh-

After Siem Reap I took the bus to PP. I was already stoked because I was meeting up with my neighbors' nephew who is from PP and was going to show me around the city. I also had dinner plans with the Australian couple who I met in Pakse so that would be fun too! The first night Mr. Sithuel picked me up and we went to a hole in the wall restaurant where his friends were waiting. I was glad to find out that they had a couple of friends who had a pretty good grasp of English because my Cambodian consists of "hi how are you" and my favorite kind of fish dish called "amuk"(fish doused in coconut and baked in banana leaves, yummy). It was a cool environment because kids would come in selling things and then the owner of the place who was these guys' friend would cook it up adding whatever spices or things we wanted. Most kids had fruit, chickens etc. till one came in with crickets! Yes i ate two crickets fried up with peppers and spices mmmmmmmhhmmm. I took more pictures but on film only. The picture above is when we went to lunch the next day at one of the friends' house where chickens, frogs, cockles, and rice of course! I also ate some leaves wrapped around a sliced piece of cucumber and dipped in a fish soup.... as soon as the food touched my mouth i knew it was going to be bad but there was no turning back now............ the leaves were extremely bitter and the soup was some kind of fishy blah! Why did I take such a big bite??!?! The Cambodians just laughed I guess they know that its not popular with Westerners but they wanted to see my reaction anyway. I did not disappoint. Later that night after running around town all day to different museums and etc. I finally got to meet up with the Aussies at the FCC (Foreign Correspondants Club), a really nice bar on the riverfront. The bar couldn't have been a more different place than where I was the previous night but it was still cool. Then we walked down a little further and had some Lak Lok beef which is really tender steak in a savory sauce served with rice and cucumbers.

Alas, I was ready to leave Cambodia and the 3rd world for that matter. Sick of no soap or tp in the bathrooms. Tired of using a squat toilet and pouring water down after inorder to flush. Sick of flies and ants onh me and in my food. Tired of muddy/dusty streets. I know I know it sounds like I am done with traveling... and honestly there were a few times (like on those bus rides from hell )when I thought about getting on the next plane home. I was really being tested I can attest to that. I am glad I didn't though because now I am in Malaysia and its been really great so far. I thought the food was great where I had already been but I hadn't even tipped the top of the iceburg on food till I got to Malaysia...

Siem Reap home of the $5 massage, Dr. Fish, and bomb food!

Siem Reap is a great city I stayed near the Old Market and could walk to cheap shopping, massages, food, travel agents etc. Oh yeah there are some temples that are over a 1,000 years old too! haha

This is a picture of me getting my dead skin eaten off by some fish and enjoying some Cambodian beer.. which beer you may be wondering well Angkor of course!

The top picture is at this place called the Blue Pumpkin which had the most amazing food in a really nicely minimalist designed cafe in the center of town. I went here twice during my stay it was amazing!

Cambodia here I come!

Well the bus ride from Pakse to 4,000 made the one I previously described seem like a walk in the park. There were about 30 of us crammed into the bed of a pick up truck! Luckily I had some friends to laugh with on the ride. Pictures to0 come I cannot begin to describe the craziness of that trip! Fast Forward now to Cambodia. I arrived in Karatie Tuesday the 27th of July. When the bus pulled up there were several tuk-tuk drivers fighting for the chance to pick up the people who were getting off the bus. They approached me with little business cards of local Guesthouses giving me their 30 second spiel then one guy busted through the group and said, "Right now the city is experiencing a power outage the only hotel that has electricity is..." I said", "SOld!" Hahaha I thought I was going to "rough it" on this trip but then I got out here and actually felt the HEAT and humidity!hahaha ; )

My moto driver introduced himself as Ben and after I checked in to the hotel he took me to see the famous fresh water Irrawaddy Dolphins which the city is famous for. There I took a boat to the middle of the Mekong River and saw the illusive dolphins (only 70 left in the world and 45 of them in this section of the Mekong). It was very zen like being out there on the water patiently waiting for a glimpse of these precious creatures really really special. Then I got back and Ben drove me around town pointing out areas of interest and places to stay away from! He was a great guide whom I could ask about Cambodian life. He was one of the few Cambodians who I met that spoke really good English. Then next day he picked me up from the hotel and we zoomed around town getting batteries and taking pictures before I had to catch my bus at 8:00 am. He also introduced me to a new favorite food. Sticky rice steamed in a sugar cane and then corked with coconut leaves! awesome snack AND Eco friendly packaging! I was really impressed with the resourcefulness of the businesses here.

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat here I ...... ooops
I thought I was going to Siem Reap but apparently me and some other travelers got hoodwinked into staying the night in Phnom Penh. We were supposed to get off the bus before PP and get on another bus but the stop never came and we had to stay the night in PP because no other buses from PP were going out that afternoon. It wasnt a total loss though, I met some friendly Parisians and one Brit and we got the cheapest guesthouse possible $4/night and then went out for some street food infront of the King's Palace. PP is a lively city with tons of motos tuk tuks and cars zooming past. The riverfront is very cosmopolitan but one block in you encounter "lady bars"pretty much brothels teeming with sex and drugs. Not good. we also saw a ton of land mine victims some of which actually having to be carted around to beg for money. I was surprised at how many Lexus and Mercedes' I saw around town. I know a weird thing to notice but coming from Laos and Vietnam you rarely see a car besides a luxury one, and this city seemed to have some VERY wealthy people in it.

The next day we got up super early to catch the bus to Siem Reap to explore the religious temples of Angkor Wat..... more on that later!

ta ta for now!