The people I have learned to most be concerned about and feel nervous when they are near me are the police, soldiers and
consulate officials. Here a only a few examples (There are more):
1. Laotian Embassy - The website for Laotian Embassy states that I only have to pay $42 for a visa. The consulate official told me I had to pay $47.
2. Laotian border - The website for the Laotian Embassy expressed no border fees. But, the Cambodian border patrol charged $1 to pass.
The Laotian border patrol charged me $2 to pass.
3. Cambodian soldier in broad daylight- touched me in a sexual manner and asked if I had any drugs. There were 2 police there.
4. Police in Xaysomboune, Laos - Took me to the police station for questioning. They said foreigners were not allowed there. They
had poor English. So, I only understood a few things they said and they understood only a few things I said. Of note: there are
multiple guesthouses there. I passed by the 2 police buildings more than once and even talked to one of them the day before. I bought
food and medicine at the village market. I passed multiple checkpoints from Vientiane to Xaysomboune (checkpoints are a common occurence
in Asia). Every patrolman let me pass. NO ONE told me foreigners were not allowed there. At the police station, there were three police officers.
One of them flipped through my passport for 10 minutes. Then, the second one wrote information from my passport in a ledger. The third police
officer just stood there. The other thing about this experience that worried me is that I was told that foreigners were not allowed there
because the roads are not so good. Of course, locals were on the roads walking and riding in vehicles. And all the roads that I have
come across in Laos are not good. So, why did the police officer lie to me? What are they hiding?
These are only a FEW of my experiences with government workers. They are the ones I worry about..not the civilians. There is one law in
southeast Asia when you meet a soldier, police officer, consulate official - their law. Not the government's law. It is wiser to do as they
say than to argue with them. And you say..well, it's safer to travel with other people. When I was taken to the police station for questioning,
3 other people who were travelling together, were brought to the station as well.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Laos - Jour 43-47 - Banlung à Luang Prabang 2010
Laos - Jour (Day) 43-47 - Banlung à (to) Luang Prabang 2010
Well plans are only plans are only plans are only plans....I had planned to bicycle from Xaysomboune to Phonsavan, Laos.
But, I hurt my knee bicycling in the mountains north of Xaysomboune and had to stop. I had worked very hard
on my bicycle to get as far as I did and I was discouraged and frustrated. I have found that most of the "roads"
in the Laotian mountains are mild to very steep. And most are dirt roads so they are bumpy and rocky. I even have to
walk my bicycle up some of the roads because it is too hard to ride up them. Yes, I stay far from the
edge of the roads so I am safe. After waling a short distance, I came across a little village. They spoke no English.
I do not speak enough Laotion. After some time of miming and using hand gestures, I assertained that there
was no bus heading north to Phonsavan. It is 100km from this village to Phonsavan. So, I took a ride in a "local bus"
heading south back to Xaysomboune that passed a few hours later. Then, I took another "local" bus to Vientiane, then
to Luang Prabang. Here, I will rest my knee...medication, Ace wrap, elevation, ice...blah blah blah. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Well plans are only plans are only plans are only plans....I had planned to bicycle from Xaysomboune to Phonsavan, Laos.
But, I hurt my knee bicycling in the mountains north of Xaysomboune and had to stop. I had worked very hard
on my bicycle to get as far as I did and I was discouraged and frustrated. I have found that most of the "roads"
in the Laotian mountains are mild to very steep. And most are dirt roads so they are bumpy and rocky. I even have to
walk my bicycle up some of the roads because it is too hard to ride up them. Yes, I stay far from the
edge of the roads so I am safe. After waling a short distance, I came across a little village. They spoke no English.
I do not speak enough Laotion. After some time of miming and using hand gestures, I assertained that there
was no bus heading north to Phonsavan. It is 100km from this village to Phonsavan. So, I took a ride in a "local bus"
heading south back to Xaysomboune that passed a few hours later. Then, I took another "local" bus to Vientiane, then
to Luang Prabang. Here, I will rest my knee...medication, Ace wrap, elevation, ice...blah blah blah. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Cambodge - Plus - Kep à Banlung 2010
Aujourd'hui, j'ai eu vais de Phnom Penh à Banlung dans le Province de Ratinikirri, Cambodge cars mon
visa finit 28 Fev 2010. Je prefere à aller à vélo. :( Le plus que je vais à vélo, le plus que je
me voyage à vélo. En le van, une femme m'a donné du nourriture. C'était un morceau du bois avec
du gazon à chaque bout. Lorsque "peeled off" le bois, il y a quelque chose que se semble du riz.
C'était trés délicieuse. J'ai me pensé, "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Je porte "a facemask" lorsque que je
vais à vélo cars l'autoroute est trés devoir.
(today, I had to get from Phnom Penh to Banlung in Ratinikirri Province, Cambodia by van because my
visa ends on 28 February. I wanted to ride my bicycle there. The more I ride my bicycle, the more I want
to ride it. I have to use a facemask on the unsealed roads as they are too dusty. So, you will
see me wearing one in the video. On the van I had a "galome" (this is how the word sounded to me).
It was like a piece of bamboo-looking word with grass at the end. On the inside there was what
looked like rice. The whole thing was cooked before we peeled the wood off and took out the grasssy ends.
It was soooo tasty and sweet. I think it was a sweetened rice. not sure though. A woman on the van to
Banlung gave me it too eat)
visa finit 28 Fev 2010. Je prefere à aller à vélo. :( Le plus que je vais à vélo, le plus que je
me voyage à vélo. En le van, une femme m'a donné du nourriture. C'était un morceau du bois avec
du gazon à chaque bout. Lorsque "peeled off" le bois, il y a quelque chose que se semble du riz.
C'était trés délicieuse. J'ai me pensé, "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Je porte "a facemask" lorsque que je
vais à vélo cars l'autoroute est trés devoir.
(today, I had to get from Phnom Penh to Banlung in Ratinikirri Province, Cambodia by van because my
visa ends on 28 February. I wanted to ride my bicycle there. The more I ride my bicycle, the more I want
to ride it. I have to use a facemask on the unsealed roads as they are too dusty. So, you will
see me wearing one in the video. On the van I had a "galome" (this is how the word sounded to me).
It was like a piece of bamboo-looking word with grass at the end. On the inside there was what
looked like rice. The whole thing was cooked before we peeled the wood off and took out the grasssy ends.
It was soooo tasty and sweet. I think it was a sweetened rice. not sure though. A woman on the van to
Banlung gave me it too eat)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Cambodge - Jour 32-42 - Kep à Banlung 2010
Aujourd'hui, j'ai eu vais de Phnom Penh à Banlung dans le Province de Ratinikirri, Cambodge cars mon
visa finit 28 Fev 2010. Je prefere à aller à vélo. :( Le plus que je vais à vélo, le plus que je
me voyage à vélo. En le van, une femme m'a donné du nourriture. C'était un morceau du bois avec
du gazon à chaque bout. Lorsque "peeled off" le bois, il y a quelque chose que se semble du riz.
C'était trés délicieuse. J'ai me pensé, "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Je porte "a facemask" lorsque que je
vais à vélo cars l'autoroute est trés devoir.
(today, I had to get from Phnom Penh to Banlung in Ratinikirri Province, Cambodia by van because my
visa ends on 28 February. I wanted to ride my bicycle there. The more I ride my bicycle, the more I want
to ride it. I have to use a facemask on the unsealed roads as they are too dusty. So, you will
see me wearing one in the video. On the van I had a "galome" (this is how the word sounded to me).
It was like a piece of bamboo-looking word with grass at the end. On the inside there was what
looked like rice. The whole thing was cooked before we peeled the wood off and took out the grasssy ends.
It was soooo tasty and sweet. I think it was a sweetened rice. not sure though. A woman on the van to
Banlung gave me it too eat)
visa finit 28 Fev 2010. Je prefere à aller à vélo. :( Le plus que je vais à vélo, le plus que je
me voyage à vélo. En le van, une femme m'a donné du nourriture. C'était un morceau du bois avec
du gazon à chaque bout. Lorsque "peeled off" le bois, il y a quelque chose que se semble du riz.
C'était trés délicieuse. J'ai me pensé, "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Je porte "a facemask" lorsque que je
vais à vélo cars l'autoroute est trés devoir.
(today, I had to get from Phnom Penh to Banlung in Ratinikirri Province, Cambodia by van because my
visa ends on 28 February. I wanted to ride my bicycle there. The more I ride my bicycle, the more I want
to ride it. I have to use a facemask on the unsealed roads as they are too dusty. So, you will
see me wearing one in the video. On the van I had a "galome" (this is how the word sounded to me).
It was like a piece of bamboo-looking word with grass at the end. On the inside there was what
looked like rice. The whole thing was cooked before we peeled the wood off and took out the grasssy ends.
It was soooo tasty and sweet. I think it was a sweetened rice. not sure though. A woman on the van to
Banlung gave me it too eat)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Cambodge - Jour 24-28 - Siem Reap, Battambang, Phnom Penh 2010
Cambodge - Jour 24-28 - Siem Reap, Battambang, Phnom Penh 2010
Angkor Wat and the wats around it are a look into the past. Much of it is in ruin. As I walk through it, I wonder
what these past civilization was like. What were they thinking? What did they do from day to day? There is a strong tie
to boudhism, Hinduism and war.
Angkor Wat and the wats around it are a look into the past. Much of it is in ruin. As I walk through it, I wonder
what these past civilization was like. What were they thinking? What did they do from day to day? There is a strong tie
to boudhism, Hinduism and war.
Cambodge - Jour 29-32 Pnom Penh à Kep 2010
Cambodge - Jour 29-32 Pnom Penh à Kep 2010
I visited Tuol Sleng Prison. This is one of many prisons. These type of places were used to hurt people to get them
to confess to being a traitor, then kill theminterrogation centers used by the Kmer Rouge under Pol Pot, etc. I have never
seen something this disturbing in person.
People come up and look at my bicycle and ask me about it. When I am away from my bicycle, I return to find out that
people have changed my gears. I have had to take my bicycle to a repair shop to get my gears fixed 2 times in Phnom Penh already.
No one means harm. They are simply curious. Most bikes look very different than mine.
When I was bicycling toward Kep, Cambodia I stopped for a drink of water at a roadside stand in Takeo, Cambodia. A Cambodian
man came up to me and we started talking. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to come to his house and have some food and get
out of the sun for a while. I was mid-day. In Vancouver, British Columbia it is about 40 degrees celsius colder than in southeast Asia.
This increase in heat is very hard on me. I easily drink more than 7 liters of fluid per day. And I still feel somewhat dehydrated.
When one adds in the fact that I am cycling around Asia it is even more challenging for me. At his house (Samath) I took a shower
to cool off. A Shower at most Cambodian homes is accomplished by getting water from a cistern with a bowel and pouring it on oneself.
I felt so refreshed afterwards.
Then, I ate frog and mango in fish sauce. Very, very tasty. His family is very kind.
They were teaching me some Cambodian. I find Cambodians to be very giving people. I arrived 17 hours later at Kep from Phnom Penh. Wow!
I visited Tuol Sleng Prison. This is one of many prisons. These type of places were used to hurt people to get them
to confess to being a traitor, then kill theminterrogation centers used by the Kmer Rouge under Pol Pot, etc. I have never
seen something this disturbing in person.
People come up and look at my bicycle and ask me about it. When I am away from my bicycle, I return to find out that
people have changed my gears. I have had to take my bicycle to a repair shop to get my gears fixed 2 times in Phnom Penh already.
No one means harm. They are simply curious. Most bikes look very different than mine.
When I was bicycling toward Kep, Cambodia I stopped for a drink of water at a roadside stand in Takeo, Cambodia. A Cambodian
man came up to me and we started talking. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to come to his house and have some food and get
out of the sun for a while. I was mid-day. In Vancouver, British Columbia it is about 40 degrees celsius colder than in southeast Asia.
This increase in heat is very hard on me. I easily drink more than 7 liters of fluid per day. And I still feel somewhat dehydrated.
When one adds in the fact that I am cycling around Asia it is even more challenging for me. At his house (Samath) I took a shower
to cool off. A Shower at most Cambodian homes is accomplished by getting water from a cistern with a bowel and pouring it on oneself.
I felt so refreshed afterwards.
Then, I ate frog and mango in fish sauce. Very, very tasty. His family is very kind.
They were teaching me some Cambodian. I find Cambodians to be very giving people. I arrived 17 hours later at Kep from Phnom Penh. Wow!
Cambodge - Jour 17-23 - Sisophon à Siem Reap 2010
Cambodge - Jour 17-23 - Sisophon à Siem Reap 2010
This was over a 100 km trip. It is very hot in Cambodia for me. I sweat day and night whether I am on my bicycle or not.
On the way to Siem Reap I stopped at one point and drank 3 Red Bulls and a Coca Cola water. I needed more energy to
finish my bicycle trip to Phnom Penh today. When I pass people, they smile and say hello. I have found the Cambodians
very kind and open to me.
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