Cambodia 2019

Cambodia was my 27th country.

I wish I could have spent more time in the land of wonders. I spent about fifteen days enjoying the lovely country of Cambodia. I started off by taking a bus from Ho Chi Min City to Phenom Phen. Crossing the boarded was pretty easy. Literally too easy. I gave my passport to the bus driver with a passport picture and thirty-five bucks. Then there was a lot of get on the bus, wait, get off the bus, wait, eat something, wait. Then, FINALLY, we were allowed to enter Cambodia. I rode the bus with this young guy named Sam. Sam was from England and about 22. When I first met Sam, he straight up told me that he was not going to be too chatty because he was super hungover. In time, Sam became more and more chatty with his thick, enigmatic British accent. He asked for two dollars, which quickly became 4 dollars for some food. I instantly became a sugar momma.

Phnom Phen: In Phenom Phen I stayed at Mad Monkey and I only booked 1 night. When I was showed to my room, this wonderful looking French P.E.. teacher started talking to me to practice his English. He then proceeds to tell me that if I hear any strange noises that it will be him doing the “sport”. Ha. He was working out. So hot. So many strange noises. After a quick shower and gawking at the French man, I met up with Sam and Zoe, a British girl from the bus, and went to dinner. Sam found an amazing Khmer place. We had some really good vegetarian food then heading to the bar on the top of Mad Monkey. The bar was cute, nothing special. I had a few beers and headed to bed. Later that night, I tossing and turning and I saw a sight that fills me with fear. It was horrible. I found bed bugs. I hate bed bugs. I once had them in Budapest. So I couldn’t sleep, I went and spent most of the night outside in the hallway. Now, I know that bed bugs are everywhere, but it In the morning we had a tour at S21 and the killing fields.

S21 was one of the saddest experiences I have ever had. It was an audio tour of a prison type death camp. People were taken there because they were believed to be conspiring against the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge was a militant group that took over Cambodia to form a new, back to basics, society. They believed that everyone was to benefit from a new Cambodia, everyone was to denounce all western ideas and concepts along with all material property. Everything belonged to the country. People were driven out of Phenom Phen and made to migrate to different parts of the country to work. Many people were killed because they wore glasses, were educated, had soft hands, spoke more than one language, if they were too influenced by western culture, and if they could potentially be a threat to the Khmer Rouge. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, artists, government workers, foreigners and others were all made to confess and killed along with their families. S21 was used as a high school prior to the Khmer Rouge. The rooms still had chalkboards hung on the walls. People were held without reason and tortured in order to get a forced, and often times fake, confessions of their crimes or the crimes that were committed by family members. Many prisoners created stories of their offenses to have the torture stop, but ultimately, they were still killed after they gave their confession. The ramifications are still being felt to this day by the generations that followed the Khmer Rouge. Education and health care are some of the the areas most effected by the genocidal dictatorship that caused so much pain.

Kampot: After just one day in Phenom Phen, Sam and I decided to go to Kampot. We took a van that was supposed to take only a few hours, but in total it took about 6. The road was long and for the majority it was also unpaved, which made it a very rough road. I listened to podcasts and tried hard to keep myself preoccupied. I tried to sleep, moving around, but I found no comfort. At last we arrived to a small sleepy looking town. It was dark, we didn't have service, so we decided to just walk to our hostel. We walked for a little more than a mile, along the river. We walked past mobile kitchens, starving but wanting to just get to our place. We arrived, checked in and headed upstairs to the patio, lounge, bar area at the top of the building. The building was a house converted into a hostel. It was such a cool place. We ended up ordering pizza, drink beer, smoking a splif, and playing connect four. It was a great way to end the night.

The next morning, Sam and I rented some motorbikes and rode up to the top of the mountain outside of town. The mountain was rumored to hold this creepy Chinese Hotel that was used only for money laundering. The hotel was completely empty except for the workers. We wondered around looking at all the beautiful things inside. They even had a small casino in the hotel, in which I won 9 dollars! Wooh Wooh! We walked all around the hotel, into rooms, down hallways, to the roof, and a strange feeling of being in the twilight zone never left my body. If shit were to hit the fan, no one would find Sam and I. Such a weird place.

We continued and found some more amazingly abandoned houses with art, a hike through the jungle to see a waterfall, great views, an old catholic church, and a monkey. Throughout the whole trip it felt as though Sam and I were the last few people in the world. Not sure if it was the consistent fog that lurked around, or the lack of people. Although we were not scavenging for food or shelter, I wondered if that reality could truly ever come to fruition.

That night we had Mexican food at this taco place in town, We had made plans to kayak in the morning, but the weather had other plans. in the morning, while it was still raining, I woke and had breakfast upstairs. Read a bit and enjoyed my coffee. Sam had decided to leave for the islands and I spontaneously decided to do the same and meet up with Flo.

Sihanoukville used to be a backpackers’ beach paradise but it is now the worst city I have ever been to. It was a depressingly trash filled construction sight where most people were Chinese and had build over 140 casinos in one year and had no stop in sight. I was disgusted at all of the trash on the streets. It was overwhelming and the energy was just so negative. I quickly left and jumped on a ferry heading to meet Flo in Koh Rong. Please just avoid Sihanoukville. It in nothing nice. All the people I met that stayed there talked about staying in their hostel or hotel room the whole time, literally NOT leaving their room because it was so bad.

Koh Rong Sanloem is a small island off the coast of Sihanoukville, the island is small and the beaches are great. As I walked of the dock I here in a French accent “Allo, Jazmin!” I looked around and saw Flo sitting, shirtless in a bar by the beach. Flo was with this Canadian guy named, Tim. Tim seemed like a nice guy, a smidge strange but over all a nice dude. We went snorkeling on one side of the island, It was a beautiful spot, but this is where I got scratched all up and down my legs and booty on barnacles and coral. As the sun set and mosquito began to feast, we sat and listened to the waves crash in the rocks below. We ended our night with dinner on the beach while playing Cambio with Tim. The next day we were awake by rain. And the rain did not stop. We had breakfast at this amazing little spot call the Sea Horse or Sea Pony. The rain just seemed to not want to let up. after hours of Cambio and lunch, Tim and I decided to venture out into the island. We were in search of long beach. It was supposed to be a beautiful beach on the other side of the island. The hike took us through beaches, jungle, and all without a trail. We ended up finding the beach after getting stuck in the rain for about an hour. We stumbled across this abandoned tree house hostel, Tim and I loved the atmosphere of the area but the trash and just left behind by the management, the guests and ultimately the looters that seemed to party and or live there. The beach however was untouched and again, almost post-apocalyptic. After a few hours we returned and joined Flo for dinner and drinks the Dragonfly hostel next to ours. We saw the biggest gecko and it pooped a little on Tim. the next day we set off to the neighboring island of Koh Rong.

Koh Rong was pretty much paradise on earth. Flow and I literally drank, ate, tanned, swam, and relaxed for a few days. We talked, met people, and explored the island. We finally had some luck and the sun shone strong while we were there. The beaches were absolutely stunning, the only problem I saw was the trash in some parts of the island. The little town was cute and filled with bars and restaurants and wi-fi. Flo and I stayed in this hostel that was right on the beach, they had different events going on nightly, but because the town was a good 40 minute walk through the beaches and jungle we mostly stayed at the hostel. One night, when we were at dinner, I noticed this angry man looking for a fight with the husky manager of the hostel. It was not a big deal, they had a few pushes and then the man left. Flo missed the whole thing. We started trivia, had some drinks, and we won! Later that night, Flo went to shower and I was relaxing in a hammock when I spotted a man marching toward the hostel. As he came closer, I saw that this guy was not happy and he was holding a machete! He walked right past me and ran into the restaurant and began to smash everything. He was very upset and yelling about being crazy, girls were crying, people were running, but in the end no one was hurt. The man ran off and apologized to everyone as he left. When Flo returned from the bathroom, he was shocked. Again, he missed everything and the next morning Flo was on the same boat as the crazed machete man.

Siem Reap: In Siem Reap you of course have Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a mystical place of worship. Where Buddhism and Hinduism combined to create the largest religious compond in the world. Getting to Angkor Wat was an expensive little trek in comparison to everything in southeast Asia. A one day ticket is about thirty-seven dollars, they also sell multiday passes for more. I purchased the two day pass which set me back sixty-two USD. Oh, and in Cambodia they use USD and the Cambodian Reil. The Cambodian Reil is used as change. So, 100 Riels is about 2 cents, 500 Reils is twelve cents, and 1,000 reils is a whomping twenty-five cents. Yes, it can get confusing.

Anyway back to Siem Reap. I can be expensive as a solo traveler, getting a tuk tuk for a whole day can be roughly, twenty-five dollars, Which we know that sixty dollars a day to see one attraction can be super pricey for a shoestring budget, but if you plan, take some cheap tours or meet some people to slit the cost of transportation it shouldn’t be that pricey.

Entering Angkor Wat can be a smidge daunting due to all of the people. There are so many tourists that it can be ridiculous. I went in July (rainy season) and I was told that it was a really “slow” day. Even with the slow day, the grounds were jammed packed with people doing it for Instagram. The experience was pretty rad. I loved wondering the temples was exciting and nostalgic.

I took a thirteen-dollar tour that picked me up from my hostel and provided a guide. The guide was adorable and tried really hard to project the information for each stop. Unfortunately, his English was not the best and it was pretty hard to keep focused because he just talked and talked and talked. He also repeated himself, while saying “One last thing”, when what he was adding was far from the “last thing”. I was in a group of eleven. A Canadian couple, an Argentinian couple, four Japanese girls, a down on his luck Australian man, and an attractive but arrogant guy from Morocco (who we lost and had to find). Overall I did enjoy the tour, although it ended early because of the downpour that we encountered around four p.m.

I only went to Angkor Wat one day, I decided to stay in Siem Reap for about six nights because it was just a pretty chill place. It was my birthday, I met my cousin, an old friend, some new friends, and I even went to a school to help provide some insight on how I teach and promote communication within the classroom. On my birthday, I went to Angkor Wat and had dinner with my cousin and her husband. The next day I just chilled and did some walking around the marketplace and getting lost in the city before seeing my friend Amie. Amie, I met in Portland almost five years ago and when ever we are in the same city we get together. Amie was teaching Yoga at this retreat for the month of July. I met her for Khmer food. She was with some lovely ladies from their retreat. I really connected with another teacher named Sarah. She was teaching Special ed in China and was a Leo. We hit it off and hung out the next four days, getting messages, having drinks, celebrating her birthday, and going to the Cambodian school. At that dinner I also met an actor from LA that just needed a break. We drank and had a little too much fun one night. The last lady I met was this gorgeous middle eastern girl from California, living in Lebanon. I hope to see all of these ladies again.

Over all my whole stay in Siem Reap was peaceful and overall great experience, but the best experience was my bamboo tattoo.

I wanted to get a traditional sak yant tattoo from a monk, but I quickly chickened out because most places when monks give the tattoos and blessings are not as hygienic as I am used to when I get my tattoos. While doing my research, I read that some monks reuse needles and almost all use the same ink for each tattoo they give, some giving hundreds of tattoos a day. Also, the monks take about ten to twenty minutes per tattoo. I knew I wanted one, but I also knew that I wanted a nice one that I would love. Thus, I decided just to go to a tattoo parlor. I knew I wouldn’t be scared of some blood-born pathogen and it would be more professional. I decided on visiting Davin at Bamboo Sak Yant tattoo. He was the owner and explained everything very clearly. After speaking with me and getting to know me a little better he picked out two yantras that would suit me. I liked both but loved one. Davin said that traditionally the yantra that I was getting needed to be above the waist. I decided to get it on my back. The whole tattoo took almost two hours and it was the most painful tattoo that I have. I had to take some breaks and Davin went to buy me a coke because I was a little pale. I tried to make conversation, but Davin was really focused. We talked about music that we liked, family, and how he started in tattooing. Throughout the session, Cambodian popped in and out to chat with Davin and I met some super nice people, even though I had no idea what they were saying. Davin said they were saying good luck to me and safe travels. When the tattoo was over, Davin introduced me to his brother. Davin, his brother (the tuk tuk driver), and I went to his father’s house or father-in-law’s house. The point is that we went to an elders house for my blessing. There I met more of Davin’s family. He led me upstairs in this house that was a good tuk tuk drive away from town.

Upstairs I found a Buddhist shrine. It was beautiful and extremely ornate. As a younger male member of the family was arranging the offerings of cigarettes, fruit, and money an old man covered in Khmer Sak Yant tattoos. His presence was calm but you knew he was not one to mess with. I helped take the pedals off of some lotus flowers and it quickly became time for my blessing.

In the beginning of the blessing I was to face the elder, bow three times, and hand him the offerings. I then sat with my tattoo facing the shrine. I sat cross-legged and with my tattoo showing, eyes closed. Davin told me to relax and to think of my tattoo and the meaning behind it. I then hear the tattooed man start to chant in the ancient Cambodian language. As he chanted and blessed, I felt a liquid touch my back, stinging my tattoo. I thought about the peace, love, trust, and protection that this tattoo was to bring to me. I also thought about how I need to be a little more patient with myself and others. I thought about my life and my trip. How the end of my trip was coming to an end and how I could use my experiences to be a better person in my life back home. As the man kept blessing me and my tattoo, his voice turned into a whisper, which I think I could only hear. I was in a semi-meditated state. All sounds, smells, and touch were heightened. Suddenly, I was being showered with lotus pedals and it was over. I felt incredibly lucky to have been blessed, my body was lighter, and I had just had one of the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life.

After my blessing, Davin was blessed. Then the older man asked, whom spoke not a lick of English, asked me if I wanted to ask him anything. Davin became our translator and he explained to me that the elder was believed to tell the future. Now, I know what you're thinking, and you're right, I really don’t believe in that stuff but one question did arise. I asked about my mother. I asked how much longer she would be struggling with alcoholism. I micro-explained my history with my mother and the man just looked off into the corner as Davin translated. The tattooed covered man then started talking and asking my mother’s age. Davin told me that by my mother’s fifty-eighth birthday the drinking would be better, but still would be a problem and by sixty, she should be down on her drinking, it should drop to about twenty percent of what it is now, but it was still going to be a problem. I then asked him if my students were learning from me. He said that I was doing a good job and that I have and will continue to have a good life.

We said our goodbyes and hopped in Davin’s brother’s tuk tuk and went back into town. During the tuk tuk ride, Davin explained how “proud” he was to have met me and to please share my experience with others to get the name of his tattoo parlor out in the world. My whole experience with Davin and his family was lovely and I will remember it the rest of my life.