somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
~eecummings
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[postscript]
I am supposed to write an article but I could not figure out where and how to begin. I am reading Random House’s Guide to Good Writing and it’s doing me no good, at least in making me want to start to write. i need my muse.
I know I’ve told you how I love the “rain”.
Just because it makes the surrounding quite refreshing and subdue; the grass greener than ever and the air, cooler. But experiencing a tropical storm or a typhoon for that matter is another thing.
I am shying away from the television these days. The images of the Ondoy aftermath are just disheartening. I knew people who lost their homes because of this terrible natural disaster. There was not much of wind…but a whole-day pouring of huge, painful drops of rain that never seemed to end. That’s how it was.
Now, Metro Manila is like a vast Mekong Delta River minus the huge, cargo ships...
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[Sidestory]
(one which I should have posted some weeks ago....)
I have this friend who wanted that I go out and meet “people” so that I could “widen my horizon” for other prospects. She said that my biological clock could be running out and that given my innate love for children and my plan to have at (least) a kid (preferably a boy) soon…she said, I am such a sluggish moron for not taking this “destiny bullshit” into the next level.
The word “thirty-ish” can be an upsetting resound for singles. Yes, definitely. But not if most of your friends are single too and who are seem to be enjoying their time. Oh well, that is what I thought too. As the great A used to tell me... "everything comes with a good end. you just have to know how to explain it to yourself!"
And then I met this “new friend” a week ago. She’s my age but she’s engaged to be married this month. Hell yea. I find her really pretty and so sure of herself. She has a beautiful face coupled with an amazing wit. In short, she’s both beauty and brain. She met her fiance through Friendster, who she knew through a friend's friend.
While we were inside the car and trying to pass by the horrendous traffic in EDSA, surprisingly, she turned her head to me and asked: “How about you Rayts, how many boyfriends have you had?”
I nearly fell on my seat. I wasn't surprised by the question, but the attention. There were five of us in the car and all of them were waiting for my answer. A few minutes passed and wished that someone kidnapped me from the car. (Nak ng teteng. Bakit naman ako ang napagdiskitahan ng mga ‘to!). I thought that the question was rather off and wanted to paraphrase it. But instead I said: “Jesus, I need to pee!”
I guess they knew what my answer was. or Not?
On our way to Nam Dinh Province we passed by this long and narrow road. We were riding a coaster that must pass through this one way road to get through to the next village. Along the way we passed by several roadblocks. Our Vietnamese driver kept on pressing the horn because a woman carrying 4 sacks of rice on her bicycle was blocking our way. Then she looked at us with the kind of expression that says something like: "What do you want me to do?" Good thing there was an extended road on the next corner so she was able to maneuver her bike. Not far ahead, we encounter another roadblock.
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I should have been a better storyteller highlighting only those that my reader would be interested of (say, the most bizarre things that happened, meeting interesting people, eating a cockroach or whatever that is worth telling), but being a chronological writer and a habitual for that matter, I usually start everything with airports.
I never told you but I love airports (or at least the idea of it). Some would have to disagree with me because they find it as one of the most depressing places to be in especially if you’re leaving a loved one from that place/country. I love it for the simple reason that it means I’d be away for awhile and I get to places (whatever the circumstance is) and the chance of coming back (the easiest possible) is always bright.
NAIA from the window of our boarding gate. I like the way the Thais pronounce the name, "Ninoy Aquino" when I am onboard.
The flight attendant will always make you choose: "Pasta or rice?". I am a rice eater (never a pasta lover) so I never had to think twice.
The Suvarnabhumi Airport is perhaps one of the biggest airports I've seen so far. It took us quite awhile from the tarmac to the immigration to get our passports stamped.
This is my third time in Thailand. The first one was official, the second one was a stopover on our way to Cambodia, the third one is (again) official. I had to accompany three senior researchers to a study tour. Sounds fun, isn’t? Everything will be paid for from the airlines down to the accommodations and other expenses. I get to take photos too. Well, some things look beautiful on the surface. I still want my budget trips and backpacking adventures if you asked me. Don't get me wrong, official trips are good too. It's just that everything has to be fed to you.
It was raining when we arrive in Bangkok.
When we arrived in The Land of the Smiles, it was raining. I asked our driver if it’s been raining in Bangkok the whole week and he said “only now” (while pointing down his fingers and nodding more than twice). He barely speaks English so I had to mime all the time. He survived my frantic act out. I am good with charades. :-)
Facade of the hotel
The comfty bed
After 30 minutes or so, we finally got to our destination. The host of this trip booked us to a three star business and tourist hotel in Soi Sukhumvit 22, Klongtoey. I got to the reception holding our passports for the registration. My companions were waiting for me as I tried talking to the lady in silk dress. She got us registration forms and our keys. She spelled my name wrong (which happens all the time, considering it's short and easy to remember). They always write my name with an “L” instead of “R”. Geez. Sometimes, “dele” instead of “dela”.
We were booked at the 21st floor which has a good spot of the cityscape at night.
Nothing beats Manila traffic. Bangkok is simply a walk in the park. I was trying to get used to Thai's right hand drive and opted to sit beside our very friendly driver/host, Vitchu who will take us to our hotel at Rachadaphisek. I noticed how he tried to throw some glimpses at my enthusiam to take home some souvenir photos of their city.
But while I could take the Bangkok traffic at an ease, crossing the street in Hanoi is like a suicide (well, almost). These motos drive me crazy. The rule is...the motorcycle drivers will adjust to the pedestrians and not the other way around. This shot was taken in one of the hustling streets of Hanoi on our way to Vinh Phuc Province.
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I will try to post 'a little of everything' about this trip in the next few weeks. The trip lasted for a week but it felt like 'forever'. Hehehe.
If you resist reading what you disagree with, how will you ever acquire deeper insights into what you believe? The things most worth reading are precisely those that challenge our convictions.
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I thought I knew you. But I guess it's easier to see what we want than to look for the truth. You think you know me but you don't. And that means you don't know what I can do. You see me as someone popular and has all the answers but that's not true. I may not always know what I'm doing but I'll try to make things better. And when I make a mistake, because face it, we all do, I promise I'll ask for your help. I can't do this alone, but if you'll take a chance on me, we can do great things together. I promise if you believe in me, I'll find the courage to reach for your every dream.
~ quote from "One Tree Hill"
You guess it right. I've been watching too much of this series lately. Not so much for the plot and the characters but mostly because of the "music and the quotes".
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When we were in Lake Bulusan in Sorsogon, I have taken the time to observe this boy whom I caught fishing from afar. Being alone on a raft caught my attention, his skills in fishing made me decide to watch and observe. He caught a few fishes I think, but he was just too far from my place to count. There's not much people around, mostly local kids and this man catching shrimps from a shallow part of the lake. The other tourists who were with us have already left. Honestly, the vastness of the lake and its color scared me. Not this boy.
Motos or motorcycles are the main mode of transportation in the Ho Chi Minh because it’s faster, and easy to maneuver and squeeze in between traffic. But is it safe? You can ask a child on that.
In as much as I like running, I enjoy walking. But walking in this busy streets is perhaps the most dangerous way of getting around. While there are crosswalks, motos and cars will beat you to it. And they come from all sorts of directions so that even if you want to take every precautionary measure, it would be useless. These motos rarely honk by the way. They just whiz away, veer around you, and cross the street in full speed.
Everyone rides the motos and in all types of weather. A family of four can fit on one tightly squeezed moto. When the weather is hot, riders try to cover every exposed skin as much as they could. This comes from wearing a hat, face cover, mask, arm warmer, gloves or wearing long sleeves. When it rains, they usually wear a poncho and a hat.
Girls in skirts and dresses and high heels find no problem sitting with their legs still in poise as they zoom off at their destinations.
Since motos do not have trunks, everything must be held in either on the passenger’s lap, tied at the back, or hand held from the side of the moto (takes a lot of 'great' skill). This scene is so similar in Cambodia. Tiny motos carrying huge items from a refrigerator or television set to a stacks of sacks or lumber.
Even the nuns ride the motos. Nuns in a hurry. Perhaps they are on a mission.
Riders on their way to the office. Easy to wear long sleeves and coat (and all the dust of the earth comes with it).
They are not twins, are they? Actually, the shirt is bought on a buy-one-take-one basis.
"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences."
~Chris McCandless, Into the Wild ~
I should have given up on this travelogue as they are piling up in my desktop but I know I promise someone I would post our
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I love going somewhere with my backpack. That is the truth.
If I could do what Chris McCandless a.k.a Alexander Supertramp did in the movie, Into the Wild…I would. Although, I can't promise I would also burn my money so as not to make people cautious. I know that money can make people cautious but at least I have something to be cautious about, say, buying my own meal? I don't like to die because I got poisoned eating weeds. :-/
Anyway, the next morning, we decided to embark on a new adventure. Our next stop?
This time, we chose to ride the Mekong Express bus and forego on experimenting for other rides like the GST Bus, Capitol GH or Angkor Express. We wanted the most recommended bus line. A little expensive than others but at least we're getting what we paid for. We purchase our tickets ($12 each) a day before from the lobby of our guesthouse in Phnom Penh so on the day of our departure, we’re all set.
This is the Mekong Express station. The woman is one of the couple we met inside the coaster who were with us all the way to Mocbai border. They seem to be a nice couple but we never chat, just little gestures. I also noticed that they brought their own food so that they don't have to buy anything during stopovers.
A few minutes after seven in the morning, a coaster fetched us from the guesthouse and brought us to the station. Inside the coaster was a White couple who gave us a smile and a nod. I was sure they meant to say "Good morning!" but since we look like Cambodians and they had probably enough of the looking locals, they forgotten to say what's on their minds. Okay that was just me and my wild interpretation of things.
I had my heavy backpack getting on my nerves (it usually does as the travel progresses) and managed to smile back. There were just the four of us inside the coaster and we got to the bus station before
Inside the bus. That is our little, skinny and able English-speaking lady attendant on the microphone informing us that we will be departing soon.
I like riding the Angkor Express but Mekong Express is better. It’s not as new as the first bus we rode on the way to Phnom Penh but at least there’s this lady attendant who was always right on the dot telling us everything we needed to know. Like, where are we now, when is the next stop over, how many minutes we have stay before the bus leaves, even tidbits of history about the place. These information are crucial I think, it helped us in so many ways.
Our attendant is a little, skinny lady who seems to know her craft. She speaks in English with thick accent but we understood her. She talked fast and I had this feeling that she had everything memorized. She looked at the ceiling every now and then and said the magic “ahhh” and "ohh" everytime she gets lost with her words (which I find cute). She reminded me of someone (before when I still lived in the province).
Locals looking at the bus while our bus board on the cargo ship.
Going to the Ho Chi Minh City, our bus boarded into a huge boat so that we could cross the Cambodian boarder. The idea was like a ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) but it was for a short time only. Then we traveled again by land.
As usual, we had stopovers for eating, drinking, pissing or just hanging out and feeling the land on your feet once again. The whole travel would take eight hours so I really appreciated these stopovers because it also gave me the opportunity to step down on the bus, look around, chat with the locals and take photos. The most important of all things, yes, taking photos otherwise, I'll have nothing to share with you and everything would just be a nonsense blabber.
This is the stopover.
We got to this one stopover. It has a huge eatery shop with a bunch of fruit vendors on one side and a little resto on the other. People were flocked into the huge eatery shop that I went there myself to get something (I dunno what). Oki was somewhere buying herself some food, I believe.
I don’t know what will I have so I went to the vendor selling all sorts of drinks. On the queue was this French guy who ordered black coffee. I wanted one too but knowing my experience with stopovers, I don’t think I will be able to enjoy my coffee. So I bought a soda instead. I don’t know why I bought it, as I don’t even feel like drinking anything.
Fruit vendors selling pomegranate, orange, banana, etc.
So anyway, I decided to just look around and take photos. I met this woman who asked some money. I told her, “I don’t have money, but I have a Sprite!” and modeled the soda to her like one of those soda commercials. She seemed to like it, (the soda) so I handed it to her. I went to the other side and found two White young couple smoking. I wanted one too but opted not.
She looks like she's irritated in this picture but she's not. In fact, she was happy that I was there butting in her business. She's the recipient of my cold, icy Sprite. The boy could be her child.
Instead, I decided to go inside the bus and found Oki eating
Oki eating the grenade!
To our relief, we arrived in Mocbai, the Cambodia-Vietnam border to have our passports stamped. When we got the border, there was this long queue. Imagine batches of buses full of people coming in and out of the boarder. Our able lady attendant took all our passports and asked us to wait at the other line, which we did. I have imagined the long line of people but hardly I imagined that it would take long to wait. My shoulders were giving up on me. I had troubled enduring the whole seven hours but what’s 45 minutes more? Yea, that long!
We saw batches of passports held by a man passing us by. I asked Oki what’s the deal here because I felt like something fishy is going on. These people going in and out of the line were like pimps going straight in front of the line and to the counter where a man was stamping passports. One of the guys was smoking too. I thought smoking was prohibited inside. Grr.
This is the other part of the couple who was with us from the coaster in Phnom Penh all the way to Mocbai. He looks pissed here. And so am I. The person stooping down in front is Oki. I believe she's also pissed. Ha!
The couple we met in
At the Mocbai where you get your passports stamped. Boy, was I glad to see the outside view.
After the hullabaloos and the long wait, I think that the most important thing to say is that, we arrived in the city. Tired but safe.
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Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights;
it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
- Miriam Beard -
We purchased our bus tickets from the villa. We planned to ride the Mekong Express Bus because it was well-recommended among tourists; instead we opted to try the Angkor Express Bus, a fairly new bus company. We asked how to go to the bus station way ahead of time so we’d know where to go and how to approximate our travel time. It turned out that this bus company picks up their passengers from their hotel and bring them to the bus station. When I heard about this, I said, “Oh wow, what an ease!” They did pick us up on time. At 7:15 in the morning we were already on board.
Passengers and vendors at the bus station
The thing about Angkor Express is that because it’s not yet a well-known bus company among tourists, most of the passengers are locals. Inside the bus, it was just me, Oki and a White guy. And we don’t look like foreigners at all since we blended well with the crowd. The guy who was attending to the passengers would only talk to the White guy in English, never bothering to translate for us.
This is our bus, Angkor Express looking all mighty and tough.
Oki started asking a local girl who was sitting beside her in English. She gave a puzzled look and asked the help of an older guy who was already looking our way. He didn’t seem to understand either so what Oki did was to demonstrate what she was trying to say from which the Cambodians started to laugh. I don’t understand the remarks but I get it as something like, “Oh we thought you are Cambodians, you look like us!” We always get this a lot so we just gave it a shrug.
An inside look of the Angkor Express with a Khmer music video shown on tv
Overall, the ride was okay. Especially, if you are the type who is apathetic about what is going on inside the bus like people talking in gibberish, laughing and you looking like a fool wondering what they were talking about. The White guy seems to be totally listless. He just looked at his window almost all the time.
We get 3 pieces of these Camory cookies and a bottle of water for our snacks.
There was a tv on board which showed nothing but music videos in Khmer. Oki and I recognized some Tagalog songs which they sung into their local tongue. For 6 hours we heard nothing but Khmer songs reverberating in the air that for a second there I was able to pick up some of the tunes and try singing it to myself.
This is the first stopover. I spotted female monks (in white) heading for the refreshment area.
We had two stopovers, all of which I cannot tell the name of the place since nothing is written in English. The first stopover was a drag. There was nothing much to see in the sense that I feel like I was in one of those stopovers on my way to Baguio.
This is the second stopover wherein I decide to take my lunch.
Fruit vendors in front of the food house
The second stopover is interesting though as I have seen some of the most weird-looking delicacies being sold like a heap of fried spiders, one-day old chicks, etc. It was in this stopover that I decided to take my lunch. I was really hungry that time. I ordered a plate of chicken fried rice (which I have been tirelessly eating since I set foot in Cambodia). Oki bought green mango (crunchy, not sour). I also tried their jackfruit which I didn’t like that much (not sweet, not juicy).
A heap of fried spiders sprinkled with garlic on top (?) Anyone?!
While we were eating, people would come to us to sell all sorts of food. Some of them would not look at me but to the food that I was eating. I know what that means. The owner of the eatery was shooing them away. Half way through my lunch, our bus made a continuous beep, alarming all its passengers to board. I said, “Huwat? Boarding already? I haven’t finished my lunch!” The lady at the eatery offered to wrap it for takeout. Already, there were people waiting for me to give up my food so I said, “No, it’s okay!” Instantly, we made a run for the bus. When I looked back, saw that some of the vendors were asking for the food I left. My heart sunk at that moment. ;-(
Looks familiar? On our way to the main city
The busy street of Phnom Penh
A view of the city traffic
We find no means of sleeping the whole time we were traveling. I never told Oki but the music video is starting to get into my head. For the love of me, I wanted to shut it off. They keep repeating some of the songs that it was starting to irk me.
A few hours more, the scene outside my window changed from a totally village-like sight to a familiar cityscape view. We knew then, that we are in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.
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ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST. Literally speaking, we ate dust passing by this route on our way to visit the Roulos Group. I don't need face powder to retouch, I am all set. Yeba!
Most of the locals in Siem Reap, particularly the women, use bicycles to navigate around. For a faster ride, motorcycles are prefered. Tuk-tuk and Camry taxi are mostly hired by tourists. For larger capacity, the locals make use of motorcycle cart (a cart attached to a motorcycle), pick-up truck, or huge truck.
BICYCLES. Village women riding the bike.
Young girls in uniforms riding the bike on their way to school. They ride with so much ease and poise. I can't even ride the bike for several hours. ;-(
TUK-TUK. Here comes our driver ready to pick us up.
PICKUP TRUCK. The dust becomes a thick mud that sticks to the front, back, and insides of the vehicle. Once in awhile they would stop in a nearby station to clean up.
ELEPHANT. Oh yea, they offer elephant rides too. For US $15 it will save you from the long and exhausting walk on the way to the Phnom Bakhaeng temple.
THREE-WHEELED TRUCK? It looks like the tuk-tuk only it can accomodate more people.
MINI TRUCK. We spotted this truck full of people inside and on the roof. I am so used to this scene and it makes me happy to know that like us, they also like to "maximize" space here.
MOTO. If you like to get around the fastest means possible, taking the moto is the most appropriate ride. You will be surprise, but this formidable transpo can accomodate more than three people including their cargo. Good balance is a key.
BIG BUS. Most buses are found on the national highway. It's like David and Goliath fighting for their space in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
MOTO-CART. Another one of those improvised ride wherein a cart is attached to a moto.
CARRIAGE DRIVEN BY COWS. This looks certainly familiar.
I am sure there are other means of transportation. What I captured here are just some of the usual ride I saw along the way. You’ll get a good idea of what it’s like. We ride the tuk-tuk most of the time we were touring around the temples. It is the most conducive for taking photos from a moving vehicle.
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