Sa Wat Dii Kha Chiang Mai!

Hello Chiang Mai!!! Mick and I are SO thankful to be out of busy, boozey Bangkok!! The 12 hour train ride wasn't as painful as I thought it was gonna be....we passed the time playing cards, chatting, snacking, and watching a movie. Our full car cleared out because the aircon was broken- but we stayed. The fans were working fine, it was plenty cool, and we both hate aircon anyways. First up: snacking on pastries we picked up @ the train station. Then a few heated matches of ShitHead, a Dutch card game! I was smoking Micks ass the first two rounds...bent out of shape about losing at his own game, he challenged me to another round. Cocky- I complied. He beat me. Okay, okay- go again! Damnit, he beat me again. Now we were tied. The final round JUST slipped through my fingertips, giving up the World Domination ShitHead title to the Dutchman. To ease the competitive tension, we threw on a movie - the animated movie Over The Hedge. It was super cute and it was nice to pass some time. Mick went to sleep shortly after the movie, and me- Miss Insomnia, opted for a book instead. I finished SHANTARAM, and I pray to god that there is a sequel coming out!!! There are so many more details that this nosey girl wants to know! Still not tired, I tossed and turned, eventually settling into the uncomfortable seats. I was in and out of sleep for a few hours, admiring (or shall I say envying) Micks deep sleep. He moved around to every available seat in the car, somewhere different each time I woke up. He said that he did this to keep his back from cramping. Ha. Arrived in Chiang Mai 30minutes early- hooray! Made our way to our guesthouse, which was still closed, and had some coffee next door. Let the Chiang Mai adventures begin.

Lazy Girls Luxury for Less.

I am lazy when it comes to beauty maintenance. To scrub, buff, polish, moisturize, shave...it is just too much for this gal. A few months before setting out for Asia I discovered the beauty of WAXING! Get this done once every 3 weeks and there is no need to ever use a razor again!! Hooray!! In the beginning I just waxed my bikini line, but once in Cambodia I started doing my underarms. Amazing. Everytime I shave my armpits they have 5oclock shadow about 30minutes later. Wax em and they are golden for weeks!! I went in today to get them done ($3) and figured that for $2 I would get my eyebrows done as well. They didn't seem too bad to me- but I'd never had them done, and I hadn't touched a pair of tweezers in atleast a month. Well goddamn! I look like a new woman! For $5 I got underarms and eyebrows, and was in the chair for a full half hour. This wasn't a wham, bam job....there was alot of TLC that went into it! Next addition to the wax card is my LEGS, cause lord knows that I don't shave them that often either. I followed up my wax sess with a Deeeelicious plate of fresh pad Thai. For $1 I got a sprin roll with some epic vegetarian pad Thai with egg. Yum!

I'm smiling from ear to ear now as I'm typing this up in the cab (on my way to the Indonesian Embassy), and I gotta admit- I have a really good life.

No Sleep Til Chiang Mai.

My sleeping schedule is so out of whack right now. This town never sleeps, and the music is bumping til about 4:30 in the morning. At 1am, our hostels courtyard is full of all it's tenants: on the Internet, drinking beers, or heading out for a meal on the streets. We don't even Head Out for dinner until 10pm! Usually I'd have been asleep for almost an hour! Not in Bangkok. We left for dinner around 10pm, to Ethos...an adorable vegetarian/vegan restaurant that we'd discovered on a back alley earlier in the day. Mick had Panang Curry with brown rice and a mixed fruit shake. I had traditional Arab mint and lemon iced tea, a big green salad, and a side of hummus. So delicious!! We were there for just under three hours...a lovely, leisurely dinner. I'm so grateful to have Mick as a travel partner. He is so easy to just...BE with. I feel completely relaxed and able to be myself. The conversation flows effortlessly, as does the laughter. We got home and I decided to do some yoga. At 1am I rolled out my mat in the dark foyer of the building next door. I has Bonobo BLARING through my headphones- drowning out the 10 different songs that were bumping from surrounding bars. It was raining outside and there were spurts of lightening. It was hot, and the humidity was weighing down on me like a heavy winter blanket. I began with a 20minute meditation. When I was finished I had a thick coat of sweat all over my body. Then- it began. An hour and a half of intense, flowing, dedicated YOGA. The sweat was pouuurrring off of me by the bucketful. I ended with viparita karani (legs up the wall), savasana, and then a refreshing headstand (which in getting pretty damn good at!). It was 3am when I jumped into the shower to rinse off, and about 315 when I crawled into bed. Mick was fast asleep, and I was hoping that a deep sleep was in my near future as well. No such luck. BEEP: Micks watch letting me know it was 4am. BEEP: Micks watch letting me know it was 5am. Fuck. BEEP: Micks watch letting me know it was 6am. Fucking christ- you're KIDDING me!!!???!!! Im tired. I want sleep. It's hot. I'm sweaty. My pillow is uncomfortable. Pillow on the bed, pillow off the bed. Sleeping on my right side. Roll over- left side. On my back, on my stomach....covered in sweat. Fell asleep sometime before 7, had a vivid disturbing nightmare and then was up by 915am. Great. Surrendered to the insomnia and came downstairs to Skype my parents and Julia. Had a cup of tea. Had an iced coffee. Headed out now for some chai and espresso. When I crash, I'm gonna crash hard.

6pm...catch the 13hr night train to Chiang Mai. Oh yeah, waited too long to buy a ticket and missed out on one of the beds. Sleeping in a seat. Brilliant.

Sightseeing in Bangkok.

Decided to mix it up a bit, stray from the two streets that we know intimately- and venture out for some good old fashioned, touristy SIGHTSEEING. We crossed town and caught the Orange Express. For 14 baht (50cents) we took the crowded boat a few stops to Wat Pho...or atleast that's where we hoped to be headed. We ate a delicious lunch in the market, got lost, ended up taking a ferry to Wat Arun, then took in the sights of the beautiful temple. Its not actually that HOT in Thailand, but it's so goddamn humid that you infinitely feel as if you've just stepped out of a hot steamy shower. We both agrees that sightseeing isn't really our thing- yeah, it's nice- but we both agreed to head back home after this temple. Got back and just took a LONG nap. Glorious. Next adventure: Dinner!

Night Yoga, Late Night.

Meesh set off in the morning to pack her bags and prepare herself for her flight to Bali. Mick and I spent the day lounging around. He had my iPod in his ears, and I kept him on a steady rotation of good music while he worked on a video project. I read SHANTARAM (almost finished!) and made a few Skype calls. The Internet connection here in the morning is perfect, so I was able to video chat with my parents for quite awhile. Also had a long time on the phone catching up with my Auntie D. She insists that I turn this lifestyle of mine into a career: reality tv travel show or some kind of travel writer. I FULLY agree- so if there's any of you out there with ideas of how to do this, or have connections to do so- let me know! Anywho- lazy day. Again. Meesh returned around 730 and we all decided to do some yoga. Our place has a small open space in the apartments next door, so we snuck over. The day before I'd done yoga on our roof- but the space was small and the fall was pretty far down. It was a beautiful view though looking out over Bangkok so I skipped a flowy practice and opted for a restorative one. So, the 3 of us had a great session in a dark room next door. Mick is new to yoga and Meesh has only taken a few classes- so I was TOTALLY blown away when they were flowing through my class like seasoned veterans. Brilliant. Mick was not as flexible- but he has incredible strength and he listens really well. Michele is a bit more flexible, with the most open hips that I've ever come across. We worked up a Good sweat, enjoyed a long savasana and then cooled down with a shower.

For Meesh's last night we ate our favorite....street food! After mango salad we smoked some apple Shisha and sipped a cocktail. We dipped into a packed, sweaty, smelly bar to listen to a great cover band and drink overpriced beer. By the time we got home it was 2am...and Meesh's shuttle to the airport was leaving in an hour and a half! So I vowed to stay up with her until she left. We chatted and packed and planned our Indonesian surf adventures...I'll be meeting up with her in less than 4 weeks time! Fell asleep a bit after 4am, probably the latest that I've ever gone to bed!! Let's hope I don't make a habit of this....

Party Boy Fan Club

I've just discovered how to earn my early retirement...Party Boy Fan Club. Since posting on the blog and FB, the response from my lady friends has been quite impressive. So, for a generous price of $10 you can join the fan club. You'll get a signed poster upon your payment and then monthly emails with photos, updates and the latest happenings of Party Boy.

Please send cash payment to Cailin@PartyBoyFanClub.com

On The Inside.

Ratha Kong and Michele.

I am having a great time- you can tell that from reading the blog, viewing my pictures, and following my facebook. I have a smile on my face 98% of the time- and on the occasion that I feel anger or sadness, it passes as quickly as it arrives. Any bit of emotions going on Inside of me I have chosen to ignore- though lately they've been surfacing after an intense physical practice followed by a deep meditation. Most people fully accept my smile, but there's been two people who have called me on my bullshit: Ratha Kong and Meesh.

Ratha Kong is a Khmer woman who works at a fancy hotel in Siem Reap. Her and the Borgeious's (my good friends, yoga students and surf buddies) became friends after they stayed at the hotel a few years back. Before I left the states, Eileen sent me with a gift for Ratha. I made my way to the hotel to deliver the package, and after I dropped it off she asked that I return in a few hours. A bit after sunset I headed back to the hotel. Ratha had a thank you note and a gift for me. She sat down with me in the fouer and asked about my trip. Then she said "Are you happy?". Her English isn't that great, so I figured that she was just asking 'how are things?!'. With a huge grin on my face, I replied "Absolutely!!". Afterall, I WAS having a great time, and I WAS happy. She didn't buy it, replying, "No, but are you HAPPY ...on the Inside???". Well fuck, I broke down. Heavy year. And a complete stranger saw right through me.

Last night at dinner, Meesh looked at me and said "Okay Cailin, what the fuck is going on? I read your blog, I know what's going on in your life- but let's be honest. What the fuck is going on? You don't have to be fucking superwoman. As soon as you walked into the hotel the other day I just knew that something was off with you." well- it was a loooooong dinner. We talked and talked. Shawn, Dad, Dad, Dad, feeling lost a bit in this new chapter of life- blah blah blah. "Heavy. Fucking Heavy." ...that was her response.

Both Meesh and Ratha helped me to realize that it's okay to keep smiling through the bad, but you also need to mourn- otherwise (as Meesh would say) "Fuck man, it'll fucking kill you!".
So starting today, I'm going to give some love and attention to what's going on inside....

RUMI: the intellectual

The intellectual is always showing off;
the lover is always getting lost.
The intellectual runs away, afraid of drowning;
the whole business of love is to drown in the sea.
Intellectuals plan their repose;
lovers are ashamed to rest.
The lover is always alone,
even surrounded with people;
like water and oil, he remains apart.
The man who goes to the trouble
of giving advice to a lover
gets nothing. He's mocked by passion.
Love is like a musk. It attracts attention.
Love is a tree, and lovers are it's shade.

Boozey Bangkok.

These two pictures sum up Bangkok. The bottom photo was taken at 830am at my hostel. As i enjoyed tea, two English gentlemen were finishing up their beers and their pack of smokes. As I write this now at 10am, there are 3 of them- and they've collectively consumed nearly a dozen beers. And a pack of Pringles...

For the past 3 days I've woken up feeling like I have a wicked hangover. But- I havent had anything to drink. I think that this hangover is an emotional and physical result of the one intense month of travel in Cambodia...GO, GO, GO! So, I'm in the Booze capital of southeast Asia- Bangkok, and instead of beers I'm sipping on iced coffees and fresh coconuts. It's loud here at night- and my usual "to bed by 9, up before 6" schedule has become "asleep around 1, begin to come back to life around 9!". My days have been trek free and excursionless...but my adventures have been confined to two streets- trying every bit of street food that I can get my hands on before retreating back to our cozy hostel to relax and read. It's been a lazy few days in Bangkok, but I gotta admit- I'm enjoying every minute of it. My ass and thighs continue to grow at a rapid pace- making me eternally grateful to the loose baggy pants that are in style here. I stress about it for a few minutes- but then head out for another plate of fresh delicious Pad Thai ($1usd) and vow to do extra yoga and log extra surf sessions once I arrive in Indonesia. My big plans for the day: eat some papaya salad, ship a package to my parents, get my armpits waxed and read the last bit of SHANTARAM. I hope that your day is as stressful as mine.....

Afternoon Extravaganza in Asia.

The Trio set out for the heart of Bangkok. First stop: Indonesian Embassy. Second stop: Street Food. Third Stop: huge mall, where Mick and I purchased small external hard-drives. Fourth stop: fancy guitar shop in fancy mall. Fifth stop: home for a nap.

Future stop: sneaking into a rooftop pool to cool down....

Marijuana Meesh and Money

Funny sunglasses and goofy gear litter the tourist filled streets of Bangkok. Good times with good people in a random place filled with random individuals. $3 beers? Bah. Bangkok.

Sent from my iPhone

Meesh, Me, Mick and more!

Woke up yesterday and Meesh and I moved our stuff over to where Mick is staying. It's lovely and a bit more relaxed than where we were staying before. We bopped around all day: shopping and eating. I stopped at the embassy to get my Indonesian visa and then we ate and shopped some more. The shopping and lodging here in thailand costs twice as much Cambodia. But the street food is the same price, or even a little cheaper, and it's way better than the street Khmer food! After dinner Meesh wanted to head back to the room to do some work- so Party Boy and I did a lap around town. How he got the name party boy, I don't remember (and it was GIVEN to him by ME)! Probably because hes the Life of the Party wherever he goes.But here's the thing about Mick: he doesn't drink (on the rare occasion maybe a beer or a whiskey and coca cola). He doesn't do drugs, no- not even marijuana. He sips on coca cola or water, and he is the life of the party...purely running on stoke and adrenaline. His idea of a good time is hanging out with friends; surfing, snowboarding, swimming, jumping, hiking...then BBQing and listening to some music. They go out to the bars dancing, but booze free. This past summer I went out dancing and the next morning someone said to me "oh my god, you were so drunk last night- dancing around like a lunatic". But, I wasn't drunk. In fact, I wasn't drinking at all. Only water. The misconception was that most people need to be drunk to have as much fun, and to be as carefree, as I can experience sober. So anyways, I'm walking around town with partyboy- talking about his love for party, and distain for "party". We smoked a little Sashish (flavoured tobacco out of a hookah) in town- a first for me and a favorite pastime of Micks. Some mellow, drugfree fun. Headed back to our place and the three of us laid in bed- relaxing and chatting until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer, and unable to complete a thought or sentence.

I woke up this morning next to Michele, and I just felt happy: inside and out. I was so fortunate to meet her the first time around in Costa Rica all those years ago, but I feel even more gratitude for the bit of time that we have together now in Thailand. There's people: bad people, decent people, people, alright people, good people, great people. And then you have people like Meesh. People that not only are good friends and good people, but that help to bring out and inspire the best in you. She's headed out tomorrow for Indonesia- but I'm thankful for the time we've had and I look forward to the good times we'll be having once I arrive in Indo next month!

JamDeezie and Weezy.

I was walking around in the markets in Bangkok yesterday with Meesh and Mick (aka party boy)- and I stumbled upon this Tshirt. It made me miss on of my besties, JamieD. She's pretty obsessed with Lil Wayne...if this shirt wasn't a mans XL I would have picked one up for her.... It brought me back to us sitting round the casa in costa rica- sipping iced coffees and dancing around in our sarongs to lil waynes 'lollipop' song:

You better wear a latex,
Cause you don't want that late text,
Uh oh "I think I'm late" text

Party Boy

Mick. Half Indonesian, Half Dutch. A good friend of Michele, and therefore a friend of mine. Somehow he ended up with the nickname "party boy" - and it has stuck. He's far from it though. Looks like a tough guy, but is a kindhearted gentleman. Glad to have him as a part of the trio.

Welcome to Thailand!

A night "sleeper bus" (there's no seats...just beds) from 8pm til 5am. Arrive in Siem Reap and wait. Take a mini bus to a cafe in town. Wait. Take a different minibus for 2 hours to Poipet, the border. Wait in line, wait in another line, pay some money, get a stamp. Load into another minibus and several long hours to Bangkok. And now- I'm here. And it's awesome. On the long journey I met a lovely lively Californian...Danielle. She had LOADS of time to kill in Bangkok before her flight, so I invited her along to eat bop and shop with Meesh and me. Our first stop, street food and iced coffees. 30baht ($1usd) got me a huge plate of freshly made pad Thai, with my noodles of choice, egg and a spring roll. 20baht got me the best iced coffee-- better than any I had in Cambodia. It's busy and touristy here, and if you're not eating street food it's expensive, but I'm glad to be in this new country, with an old friend.... May the good times continue!

Bangkok with Meeeeesssh!

In Bangkok with Misel. So stoked. Blog to come very soon...

Island Life: TROPICAL STORM

Island Life: Home Sweet Home

Island Life: Squid Fishing

There are a few boats here in this fishing village with motors, but most of the "boats" are like the one in this picture. Its made out of 3 pieces of styrafoam, 4 tiny, thin pieces of bamboo, and a tiny bit of string. The paddles are little 6"x6" pieces of styrafoam. The fisherman sits or squats in the middle, and always- they sing as they paddle. They go out for the day to catch squid. Long hours, long distances, and alot of effort. On 3 pieces of styrafoam....

Island Life: Dirty Dogs

There's mama and papa, and their children...Flea Bag 1 & 2 (FB1&FB2 for short). They are so goddamn cute and so very sweet, I cuddle them constantly despite being infested with fleas. This country is FULL of puppies- but every dog and young pup runs from humans. It drives me crazy! So to my delight, when we arrived at the island there were puppies- that ran TO me instead of AWAY. They are absolutely adorable and they all have the sweetest demeanor. Tonight we experienced an insane tropical storm- with horrendous wind, torrential downpour and insane thunder and lightening. Of course, we invited the wet fleabags to take refuge in our bungalow. They are quivering under the beds as I type this up on my iPhone!! Tomorrow they will wake with me, accompany me to the bathroom, then the dock for yoga and then they'll sit at my feet while I enjoy breakfast. I feel really at home on this island. Beautiful sea, fresh fish, lovely people and lovely dogs. What more do you need?!

Island Life: Fishing Kids, Video 1

Sent from my iPhone

Island Life: Fishing Kids

Woke up at 6am today and headed down to the dock to do some sunrise yoga. Well, I made it about 15minutes into my routine, saw the sun rise, and then the dock was taken over by hoardes of small children with beer cans. Wrapped around these empty cans was fishing line, and tied to the end of the fishing line was a small hook. On the hook went a piece of squid, though some were tossed in with nothing at all. These kids started handlining anything that they could catch off of the dock. They worked their lines like seasoned pros, and with complete seriousness. This wasn't for shits and giggles-- this was for food. One of the kids spoke a touch of english, and he posted up next to me and helped explain how it was done. The Queen of the dock was the tiniest girl, who had a handful of small fish at a pile by her feet. Once the small children headed home, one of the older boys headed out and came back with a nice catch. What were YOU doing at 630am when you were 5 years old? I bet that you weren't out catching the days lunch...

I got two cute videos of them doing their thing. Going to try and post some on here....

Sinville.

Sinville. Skankville. Sexville. Call it whatever you'd like-- it is simply NOT the place for me. Beautiful Cambodia, the country that I have come to know and love over these past few weeks, should totally disown this town. This town drags em down. Bleh. Within moments of arriving at the overcrowded beaches, we were bombarded- no...ATTACKED, but peddlers. Pushing manicures, threading, hair braiding, bracelets and massages- they wouldn't take no for an answer. We mozied down the beach to attempt to find any spot that was a but more mellow. Just when we thought we'd found a somewhat decent spot to relax, Gillian got up to jump in the ocean- missing a used needle and syringe that was lying in the sand by only a centimeter!! Old fat men with prostitutes scattered the beaches, as did young drunk men looking to get laid. We heard that SnookieVille was bad, by we didn't think that it would live up to the stories we'd heard...

I have only 4 days left- not enough time to venture elsewhere. I'd hate to end my amazing trip to Cambodia on a bad note so I've decided to plan a trip onto one of the outlying islands ASAP. Im going to eat obscene amounts of delicious, fresh, inexpensive seafood- and im going to drink myself silly so that I can laugh and the nonsense of this town.

Just booked 2 nights on an island, "lazy beach", along with 3 days of snorkeling. No Internet, so no updates for a bit. Wish me luck!

Sent from my iPhone

"Break out the champagne"

Received an email from my mom this morning...an email that I have anxiously been anticipating since my Dad got an MRI last week. The worry has really been eating away at me since my arrival here-- guilt for being away, anxiety for the unknown, and sadness for the grim possibilities. I have been having an amazing time- but there was always an underlying stress. Well- now I can continue my travels without such a heavy heart.

My moms email...

Begin forwarded message:

Hey everybody, the tumor, mass, whatever you want to call it, is still there (as it will always be), but when the doctors at the Brain Tumor Conference looked at it the other day, it not only looked the same, it actually looked better. They only call it NON-SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. I call it AWESOME!
Eileen the nurse is my main contact. I love her. She is going to set us up with a neuro-ophthalmologist at Penn. She will make all the calls , which means we will get in there quickly. Paul's main problem right now is his vision.He has almost a double vision when he uses both eyes looking at a distance. He has good vision out of both , as long as he's only using one at a time. If he looks out of both at the same time he gets dizzy. Eventually that leads to a headache. He's been wearing an eye patch and that works , but it also limits him. The doctors were told about this, and they had the results of his Field Vision test that he had down here last month , but they don't see a direct link to the tumor, so now we are going to see the EYE experts and try to solve this problem.Hopefully they can figure this out.
For now we just relax for another 3 months when we will have another MRI. Except for the eye, and the right side numbness, Paul is feeling great. He rarely ever needs naps, he's sharp as a tack, he can focus on reading again, he's getting stronger, he's been helping me dry dogs when I need him. He's taking care of making his veggie juices, he's "kitchen boy " all of which helps me to no end.
Cailin will be able to continue her traveling with no worries. We can continue to live and love every day that God gives us. Please keep us in your prayers, keep the love and good vibes coming our way. Another plus is that Paul is probably going to take early retirement.The company has made a great offer and he's considering it, so if all goes well he will be a farmer, hunter, fisherman, doggie drier, great father, husband, and all the other things he's always been for many years to come.

Sam: this is it.
Frodo: this is what?
Sam: if I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: come on Sam. Remember what bilbo used to say: "it's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet theres no knowing where you might be swept off to."

The Infirmary

I have nicknamed our room the infirmary. Gillian has a chest cold that is wicked, Tom has been battling travelers tummy for a few days, and out of the blue last night I starter vomiting....alot- along with an occasional unwanted poo. What the fuck?! Where did this come from. We got home past midnight last night - Gilly was hacking up a lung, I threw up then had a poo, and Tom was managing to keep it together. We turned of the lights and laid in bed- then Tom declared whoever was the first to have to run to the bathroom was buying drinks the next day. Damn, good times on the regular.

I <3 Kampot, Cambodia.

I have really enjoyed every bit of Cambodia. I appreciated starting my trip in tourist-friendly Siem Reap- got my feet wet, saw the beautiful temples and enjoyed cheap prices for food, boarding and shopping. Battambang was sleepy, but the boat ride there was beautiful, and I gotta say that I enjoyed visiting the winery!! Next was Kampong Cham- another sleepy town, but on the beautiful Mekong and with a few really yummy restaurants. In Kratie I saw the are Irrawaddy dolphins, relaxed on the docks with my feet in the Mekong and discovered my favorite Cambodian treat: bananas steamed with coconut rice! Ban Lung was cool and peaceful, and or bungalow in the trees was a real oasis. Trekking along the Ho Chi Min trail in the Ratanakiri Province was an adventure, and though it was freezing at night, sleeping outside in a hammock was great! Also a special treat was meeting Chris who took us into very remote, "never seen a tourist before" villages where he was building schools. Playing Proud Mary for 118 Khmer kids was wild, something ill never forget. Phnom Penh showed me a whole new side of Cambodia, the progress that is in the process since the devastating Khmer Rouge. Visiting the killing fields and S21 makes you appreciate the Khmer people even more- because despite their tragic recent past, they always meet you with a smile and kind words. It was great to relax on the seashore at Kep and eat crabs & prawns til near explosion-- it made me feel like I was back at home, picking crabs round the table, washing em down with beers. Now we are in Kampot, which I think is my favorite place in Cambodia. Out of the places I've visited, it is the one where the Khmer Rouges destruction is most visible....black, destroyed buildings, homes that are just a pile of rubble, and skeletons of haunted buildings. But it's also the most beautiful- with the mountains, the river, and the people. The food here is excellent and the pace is just right. The last stop for my stay in Cambodia is Sihanoukville. Every single person that has mentioned this place has nothin but awful things to say about it. Skankville. Sinville. Dirty, crowded, touristy and unsafe. SO: we will be passing up the town for a trip to some of the outlying islands. Then- I'm off to Thailand. Round II of the journey is just round the corner...

Bokor Mountain Lodge Music.

Been playing heaps of music since my arrival in Cambodia. I'm totally blown away by the quantity AND quality of the musicians that are calling this country home. The past two nights I've played music with two fine gentlemen...Shawn (guitar, harmonica) and Eric (I THINK that was his name, on acoustic bass). These two rock- playing a ton of music that speaks to my heart- stuff that my mother sang and played for me. Love it. They started up at 6pm yesterday and we played until it was past midnight!! Its nights like these that really fuel my love and passion for playing music. Thanks guys!

Bunchao Bunchao Bunchaoooo

Today Tom had some business to attend to, so Gilly and I headed off to breakfast @ Epic Arts Cafe. Well surprise surprise, we run into our old traveling partners Marie (France) and Marloes (holland) !!!!!! So exciting! We decided to head out for the salt valley, the Kampot pepper fields and the Phnom Chhnork Cave. It was a full day extravaganza, so to refuel we stopped for our beloved dish, BUNCHAO. Sipping cocktails now by the riverside, watching the sunset- so grateful to be reunited with these two lovely ladies!

Cambodian Thank You

To say "thank you" in Khmer you say...

1. Ah Kuhn (thank you)
2. Ah Kuhn Jaran (thank you very much)
3. Ah Kuhn Tom Tom (big big thank you)

But today I was in a deaf establishment, so I said thank you with ASL (American Sign Language). Turns out, you sign it differently in Khmer! In ASL to say thank you have a flat hand, palm facing you body, fingertips touching your mouth. Then you lower the hand so it's pointing out. In Khmer Sign Language you have your hands in prayer by your face. Then you release the right hand to draw a circle with it (an outward twist of the wrist) and then bring the hands back to prayer!