Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Hello again from the last leg of the journey! As many of you know, a few years ago I was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a some time to get my English teaching certification. I really enjoyed it there and last January I learned that my high school girlfriend Katherine was now living there! Of course I couldn’t stay away...

Katherine picked me up at the airport when I arrived and we went straight to have our nails done and then to dinner at her co-workers apartment. The next morning Kat took me to work with her, where I got a tour of the whole facility and hung out in her air-conditioned office while she was a busy busy bee.

Katherine has a very interesting job with an organization called AIM. In a nutshell, AIM rescues and rehabilitates trafficked women and children in what used to be Phnom Penh’s primary child prostitution zone, Svay Pak. After their rescue, some of the girls are taught seamstress skills and employed in AIM’s garment factory, where they receive a living wage, child care, holidays, a daily meal, language skills and basically just treated like human beings. Kat is in charge of product design and order fulfillment for this garment factory and it is really a wonder to see her in action. It’s a handful for sure, but she deals with it like champ!

AIM conducts many other activities in Svay Pak in the name of breaking the trafficking cycle all the way from a kids club to a boxing club for the community’s male population, to a school up to 5^th grade and much more. Although the founders are American, much of the organization is now fully Khmer run.  In the last 13 years AIM has seen all child brothels in the area shut down (that they are aware of), converting the buildings into offices, class rooms, sewing rooms and halfway houses. I must say I was very much in awe of the whole operation and of the people who run it. What an experience. You guys are truly inspiring! If you’re interested in knowing more, here is the website with more detail of all the cool stuff AIM does!

Over the weekend we played tourist and ran all over the city doing errands and exploring the city’s markets, which of course I loved! We tried fried banana, fried sweet potato, fried rice and few other snacks (all fried!). I must admit, for as much as I appreciate Cambodia, its cuisine is something to be desired for the most part. Vegetarianism is a rough go and most dishes involve a lot of rice...and grease...

On Saturday, I go to meet up with this guy for lunch! Matt and I took the teaching training course together back in the day. After I left to teach in China, Matt found himself a job at an English school here in Phnom Penh, where he has stayed ever since. It was great to catch up and chat about what has been going on in life the last few years. Congrats on the “new” job Matt! I wish you the very best in everything and hope to keep in touch! :D

On Monday I accompanied Kat back to work, which turned out to be quite a hectic day (as sometimes all work can be), exacerbated by a torrential down pour which stranded us at the garment factory for a few hours while water filled the back kitchen and bathrooms. It was hectic for a while, but no real damage was done and when it let up enough to drive, Kat and I bailed out to finish up some deliveries before dark. What a day!!

On my last day in Phnom Penh, Kat and I had lunch in the city and took another visit to Independence Monument as there was one more thing on my to do list. I wanted to leave some of Neil’s ashes on the promenade there. I know that perhaps this seems like an odd place to leave a bit of Spud (certainly not as beautiful as Australia or New Zealand), but allow me to explain. This was my selfish spread. Previously I have left his ashes in places I believed he would have loved, but this time Phnom Penh’s Independence Boulevard is someplace I love. It is not quiet or peaceful or even that lovely. Rather it is a tumultuous place constantly surrounded by traffic and chaos; however, you just can’t beat the view of the monument at the end of the boulevard. It sits in the heart of the capital city of one of the heartiest and perseverant country’s I can name. Cambodia has come a long way since its dark history with the Khmer Rouge. It has even come a long way since I visited 4 years ago! So from now on, in his spare time, Neil can watch a country, so different from his own, rebuild and hopefully thrive, because I want him to witness something as amazing as that. Cheers Spud and let me know how it's going over there. ;)

Thanks Kat for having me and allowing me to invade your little slice of paradise this week! Thanks for driving me around on your cute little moto and letting me see the world through your eyes. I am so proud of you girl for what you do and how you do it and just for being you! Keep it up. You amaze me. Like for reals. A big thanks also to Avery and Rachel for welcoming in a stranger and making me feel so at home! It was so fun getting to know you girls and I hope to see you again at some point!

The next morning I caught a tuk tuk to the airport where I began my journey back to The Netherlands and to these two adorable guys! 

I decided while siting in the Bangkok airport on my layover that traveling is really the best and worst thing a person can do. Some places make you home sick and pleased as punch to when you walk into the departures terminal on your way out. Places where you double and triple check that all your travel documents are in order because heaven forbid you are trapped there another moment! China left me with this feeling. 

Other places captivate and draw you into some enchanting dream making you want to lap up every second of your stay there. It is these places where you dread the thought of leaving and wrack your brain over and over again how you could possibly manage to prolong your stay. The Netherlands is like this for me. 

Still some countries are neutral, leaving you glad you came but also glad to go with little pull either way. Many places are like this.

But there is a fourth category (and likely many more I have yet to discover!). The places in this fourth category are like an abusive relationship. They absolutely sweep you off your feet the moment you arrive in them while simultaneously stifling you with outlandish behaviors. They make you curious and defiant and brave and afraid and angry and proud all at the same time, but most of all they make you and crazy. Crazy because no matter how much the heat and humidity and mosquitos and stench and chaos assaults you time and again, you cannot get enough. You cannot leave it alone. You want to be there because it grows on you until the place and you need and become lost in each other. It is these places where missionaries get burnt out and or expats retire to escape “normal” life. Cambodia is like this. India is like this. No matter how uncomfortable I seem to be there, no matter how much I sweat and itch and burn, I know I would return in an instant if the opportunity arose.  Odd how that works…..I guess I should just be thankful they are places not people! 

I won’t go into all the wonders of traveling as they are uttered by many and those who do it already know the drill, but I will say that I never ever feel more alive or more invigorated than when I am headed to the airport. This is undeniable.

Sending love to you all! xoxo

Bali, Indonesia

Bali is an interesting place. That may seem like a very general statement considering the world wide fame of the tiny island, but interesting is the most fitting adjective I can currently come up with. One major quality that leads me to this adjective is something I noticed almost immediately: My kind of tourists go to Bali. By that I mean Bali, (outside the party/surfer scene) attracts people who seem to do their best to be conscious and open-minded, who are spiritual yet not necessarily religious, who like yoga and have serious opinions about their food, who eschew McDonalds or anything that ends in -nugget, who have tattoos, who run on the beach at 6am, who take naps and who are curious about life beyond what they know. I am by no means saying that these tourists are better or cooler or nicer than tourists other places, but what I am saying is that I found myself in many enjoyable conversations this past week about the above topics, which I enjoyed.

While there, the hostess at my villa told me that Bali (and especially central Ubud) has been long known for its spiritual and healing properties. I don’t know about all that. Those properties my be hiding behind the mountains of overpriced tourist trap souvenir stands filled with key chains and coasters, or perhaps under the stacks of surf boards with RENT ME signs; however, it did seem to me that aside from the nice weather, that is indeed what many visitors sought in Bali. Peace. Completion. Patience. Perseverance. Call it what you want, but whatever it is, Bali’s got it and people seek it by the dozens.

                                                  

I stayed the week at a villa run by an Aussie woman called Bliss Sanctuary for Women. The name alone plays into exactly what I’m talking about. Bliss advertises itself as a cozy next to single female travelers. No kids. No men. Just one homey villa with 6 rooms filled with amazing food, fabulous atmosphere, incredible staff and women, as I said, mostly looking for a little sanctuary from the rest of their life. As part of our stay we were invited to join as many yoga classes as we could handle at the nearby Desa Seni studio, which led me to 12 yoga classes in the last 8 days. Maybe I was a little too over excited about it…The classes were usually packed with teachers from all over the world and as we all sat Ohmmm-ing together, I thought, “This is interesting.” 

I thought this because I realized many of these people were like me. Visitors. Passers through to check it out and see what’s up and it occurred to me that the population in Bali is constantly in flux due to its small local numbers and huge tourist industry. These yoga teachers see entirely new faces every few weeks. Each person comes seeking peace and comfort and fun (and hopefully finds it!) and leaves feeling refreshed, but the residents remain. Sadly, because of this, Bali’s rice fields are being bought up by developers at a truly alarming rate and there is much concern over the sustainability of the society in the coming 50 years…but who has time to notice? Most of us stay only for a week or two and between the surf/yoga/cooking lessons, who has time for details of economy and environment. Local people do. The entire population cannot work in tourism and sooner or later it is clear that Bali will run out of open space due to rampant development.

I am not condemning this nor am I advocating the solution that people stop visiting Bali because obviously the local economy depends on it. I am simply stating that this is a situation, and a delicate one at that. I could go on and on about my musings in this area as it is of great interest to me, but I doubt that this blog is the appropriate platform for such discussion. So I will just say, if you’re intending to visit Bali in the future enjoy every moment of it (because there is limitless things to enjoy!) but remember, we are a guests in a precious place. Let's be good to it. :)

Ok I will come off my little soapbox now and tell you about what I was up to! I’m sure you’re all dying to know right?! ;) As I said the place I stayed was lovely. It is surely not the cheapest place in town, but you definitely get what you pay for. Ester and Char, you girls are angels in sarongs and are both superb at your job! Ketut you were my hero on wheels, which I appreciated so very much. Thank you for everything the past week and I hope to see you all again in the future!

To be perfectly honest, the majority of my time in Bali was spent, well…doing whatever I wanted, which coincidentally included lots of relaxing, massages, coloring, reading, floating around the pool and visiting with the other guests. Don’t get me wrong, I got out and about the island plenty, but the villa itself was such a paradise I found it difficult to think of anywhere else I’d rather be!

On the list of firsts, I tried Kundalini yoga for the first time. I know many people swear by it, but I must admit I am just not so crazy about it. Perhaps I am just not ready to wear white and feel completely ridiculous in a crowd of people yet…? I'll give it a go when I am more "enlightened".

I also visited one of the more famous Hindu temples Tanah Lot, which is right on the ocean. The view was incredible although it is somewhat a small area and with so many visitors I wasn’t able to get superb photos to do it justice. 

  

But you’ll just have to take my word for it. It’s lovely ;) Later that evening some of the girls and I went to La Laguna beach club which is an adorable little beach bar/café for cocktails at sunset.

I also took a bike ride around the area, which was a bit frightening as the roads are so narrow that the cars feel practically on top of you! Helmets? What are those?! After sweating to death in heat I stopped to try liquid nitrogen ice cream. I approve.

I did a bit of shopping in Seminyak although the crowds and heat drove me back to the pool fairly quickly, but I did manage to get my bargaining skills on before that! I also managed to squeeze in plenty of sunrise beach runs throughout the week, which although I never took my phone for photos, may have been one of my favorite things about the trip.

A few days before I left, I met up with this guy for the day! This is Marten, the boyfriend of a good friend of mine back in Groningen. We didn’t know each other too well, but he happened to be on Bali at the same time, so we met in Ubud for a hike through the rice paddies. It was so incredibly hot and humid that we were melting in our shoes, but it was well worth the views. Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with some pool time before parting. Thanks for the company Marten! It was nice getting to know you a bit better and I hope to see you again at some point! Enjoy the Philippines!

My last day in Bali consisted of all my favorite things, a class with my favorite yoga teacher, my favorite lunch (fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce!), a run in my favorite part of the beach and my favorite massage (foot rub!) and then finally off to the airport!

I had an over night layover in Kuala Lumpur where I took full (over) advantage of the breakfast buffet and then was soon Cambodia bound where Miss. Katherine Swick was awaiting me! :D

I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to seeing many of you this summer! Take care and big hugs from me! Xoxo

Sydney, Australia

Friends and family please prepare yourselves for a lively blog (and excuse the overload of photos! There were just too many great ones to choose from!). My flight from Queenstown brought me directly to Sydney, Australia where I was collected by this guy! Matthew and I met about a year and a half ago in Vilnius, Lithuania. I had just arrived for school and he was traveling though when we met on a city tour which quickly turned into a friendship. We kept in good touch and when he moved back to his hometown down under, I decided stopping by was simply a must!

We didn’t waste any time as Matthew had quite a list of exciting things to do. After ditching my belongings at the house, we headed straight into the city center for noodles in Chinatown. It also happened to be the queen’s birthday weekend AND the VIVID light festival in Sydney. The whole center was bustling with people, bumping with music and lit up with color. Honestly, it was a spectacular light show the likes of which I have never seen. Although the photos of the Opera House that night didn’t come out well believe me, it was super! We spent the evening strolling around and eating ice cream before heading home far too late to pass out.

The next morning we were up before dawn to catch the sunrise over the city. I just want to take a moment to say that, not only is Matthew a FABULOUS tour guide, but he also is a photographer in the making. His photos are wonderful and I mostly left it up to him to document our adventures. Thanks you! I couldn’t have captured it without you! After the sun was fully up we shot over to Bondi Beach and then to breakfast at a half local market half restaurant called The Grounds of Alexandria, where we were joined by this lovely lady!

Don’t recognize her?! I don’t blame you haha Anna was my partner in crime back in 2010 when we studied together in Chengdu, China. I hadn’t seen her since, but found out she happened to be working/living a few hours outside the city. The three of us played tourist all day around the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge and even took the ferry back and forth to Manly Beach on the other side of the Circular Quay. When we were totally exhausted, we had hot Pho soup with basil and said our good byes.

It was so great to chat and relive our misguided Chinese adventures (and MISadventures). You still got it girl! Thanks so much for diving up to visit and I hope I don’t have to wait another 6 years until our next rendezvous! Good luck with helicopter mechanic training! :D

The following day was no different than the last as Matt and I were up early and on the road to Featherdale Wildlife Park where we saw all these adorable creatures 

and I nearly fainted with joy as I got to pet a koala bear.

When sufficiently overloaded with cuteness, we continued on to the Blue Mountains where we had a great view of well, everything it seemed. We ended the day slightly father up the road at Wentworth Falls where, although the temperature was much cooler, the sights were no less breathtaking. That night we swapped photos of the day over our favorite Friends episodes and again slept like rocks without a spare ounce of energy.  

 

Following our usual pattern, on Monday we drove south to Hyams Beach and worked our way back to the city stopping at the Kiama Blowhole and Stanwell Tops for photos and snacks. That evening, in one of my personal favorite moments of the trip, I got a lesson in how to make my favorite Chinese dumplings. They may not have been the prettiest ones I’ve ever seen, but after being deprived for a few years, my goodness were they yummy! Life skills right there. Life skills.

On my last full day in Sydney, we ditched the car and took a train then a ferry to a place called Bundeena, where Royal National Park slinks down to the coastline and offers some of the most beautiful scenery around. We took a long hike soaking in the perfect weather, and it was here, again, along this trail, that I spread some more of Neil’s ashes. It was peaceful, beautiful, open and inviting with enormous rock faces stretching down to the waterline. As I listened to the waves smash into them below I thought, “Yeah, this is a crispy beat. “ So I left a little bit of a very dear someone who would have loved it too.

That evening after showers, laundry and packing Matt and I spent our last evening eating dim sum (Seriously, the Asian cuisine in Sydney insanely good!) at a nearby vegetarian restaurant and swapping stories about places we had been and where we plan to travel in the future. Somewhere between the turnip cakes and the hot & sour soup I thought, “How perfectly lovely to find kindred spirits half a world away. What a special kind of luck.” Thank you so very much Matt for having me and to Julie & Jason for welcoming a stranger into your homes. It really was fabulously unforgettable trip! Good luck in Russia next month and I’m sure to see you soon! :)

Whew!!! Did we really fit all that into four and a half days?! Fact! Now that is my kind of fun… cheers mate ;)

 P.S. In case any of you are wondering how Charlie is doing back in The Netherlands, I received this mischievous looking photo from Gerben a few days ago along with word that the two of them were sharing steak and basmati rice together for dinner…so yeah…I think he’s fine… ;) Thanks Geb for keeping an eye on the little guy!! xo

New Zealand: Invercargill & Queenstown

To quote Lonely Planet, Invercargill is a “flat and lifeless town” and “a good pit-stop on the way to somewhere else”, however I find that it is the people who make or break a trip. Flat and lifeless as it may be, the people waiting there for me were anything but. Seeing Maiyan again after so much time was lovely beyond measure and it was so much fun getting to know Chris better. Thanks for everything you two! I had such a lovely time and miss you guys already!

While in Invercargill, Maiyan and I mostly chatted and caught up over the last 7 years of our lives! We did some shopping and I squeezed in few lovely jogs, and then more chatting and more gossiping and reminiscing.

This carried on for a few days and included a wine and cheese evening with movies, a grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner and an afternoon batch of banana bread. After we had exhausted all of what Invercargill had to offer, we packed up and drove north to Queenstown where we stayed at Chris’ parents second home. The apartment is in the heart of the city with one of the loveliest views ever! What an amazing experience! Unimaginable!

The following morning as the sun came up, we were privy to one of the most breathtaking sunrises probably in existence. Chris made pancakes and after eating far too many, Maiyan and I took a hike up Queenstown Hill Walkway. It was so beautiful I decided it was a suitable location to spread some of Neil’s ashes. I think he would approve. :) 

After our hike we went into explore the adorable downtown. We spent the day chatting and shopping and I even got a hair trim (TRIM…not like last time!). After such an eventful day we were quite tired and decided jammies and a movie was better than a night out on the town. On Friday (my last day in New Zealand already!! OMG :0) we took a short trip to the nearby town of Arrowtown where I finally tried a famous kiwi “meat pie”, although it was slightly underwhelming as there were only veggies and cheese in there.

Chris and Maiyan drove me to the airport and as I gave them big hugs goodbye I said a little prayer that I was so lucky as to have such special people in my life. Until next time you two!! I cannot wait to do it again! :D

So to wrap it up here are my personal plus and delta* (and only slightly less famous than Lonely Planet’s) points of New Zealand:

+

Δ

·      Roads (Aside from being on the left, they are easy to drive, well marked and well kept. AKA minimal car-consuming pot holes…) ·      Crumpets (Is it a pancake? A scone? A biscuit? All three in one?!) ·      Casual clothing style (Casual= Bring on the public display of sweatpants!) ·      Hotels give you free milk and butter cookies for your tea or coffee upon check in! Brilliant!

·      New Zealanders are literally too nice (I can’t cut off conversations with strangers without feeling rude because they just keep smiling and chatting! So lovely. Come to think of it, maybe this should go on the + side…) ·      Coffee (It just really isn’t any good…) ·      It is far from everywhere…literally EVERYWHERE! ·      Architecture (Kiwi buildings are mostly square, some varying shade of grey or brown and boring with the occasional gem.)

* I say delta rather than “minus” because flat-out saying something sucks about someone else’s home is insulting. Let’s be civilized here. ;)

Love and miss you all! Next stop, Sydney, Australia. Catch you then! :D