7/14/10 - 7/17/10 (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville

The last leg of our exploration in Cambodia was the southern beaches along the Gulf of Thailand. We had spoken to many people and this area came highly recommended. Annie and I had an early departure from our hotel in Phnom Penh on the Paramount bus. This ride was four hours and filled with some of my favorite Cambodian karaoke. We had arranged to stay at the Reef Resort in Sihanoukville based on Paul’s recommendation and after speaking to the manager, I had a strategy to handle the frenzied tuk tuk drivers upon arrival. We hoped off the bus to a swarm of drivers and I grabbed the luggage and had the drivers gather around. I assertively told them I wanted to ride in a tuk tuk to the Reef Resort and would pay only five dollars. I took the bull by the horns, I think Annie liked it. After a little haggling, we were on our way. 

Sihanoukville is a laid back beach town lined with white sand beaches and undeveloped coastal islands. Things were beginning to pick up for this once sleepy village and it is starting to resemble the neighboring beach towns in southern Thailand. Everyone was selling a tour to the nearby islands and things were geared toward western lifestyle. It is kind of sad to see in a way, the gringo trail influenced by Lonely Planet. Then again, I guess we were contributing to it. 

The Reef Resort turned out to be located right in the center of the main street. After unpacking, Annie and I stepped out to do a little exploring. We walked down to Serendipity Beach. The beach was lined with nearly empty restaurants offering cheap beer and fresh seafood. The sand was white and the water warm. It was th rainy season as wass many of the other destinations we have visited and things were pretty quiet as a result. This town definitely had a party feel and it was the most backpackers we had seen since leaving Krabi in Thailand. 

Did I mention it was rainy season? We arrived in Sihanoukville with a week left in Cambodia and then we would return to Bangkok to resume our exploration of Thailand. When we came to the beaches we were hoping for a little sun and some relaxation on the beach. Instead over the next four days, it rained heavy and often. As a result, we haven’t had an opportunity to explore the area as much as we hoped. Instead, we did experience a multitude of dining opportunities with a heavy emphasis on Mexican being the house restaurant at the Reef Resort. The rain gave us an opportunity to catch up on the blogging. We extended for several days hoping for just one sunny day but unfortunately each day rained harder. On the final day Annie and I decided to book a ticket back to Phnom Penh. We would be staying at Paul’s place for our final few days to hang out with our friends at Cafe Metro. Like much of our trip, when the extended rain comes, it is time for us to move on and Sihanoukville was no exception.

7/13/10 (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh

I’ve talked a lot about Jon’s addiction to TV shows while denying my own addiction…noodle soups. There I have said it to the world. Everywhere we go I am in search of noodle soups. Jon wonders how I don’t get tired of eating them but I explain that every place makes them different. Now that Paul showed me where the noodle soup shop was located I decided to venture on my own this morning to get some for breakfast. I hoped they remembered me from the day before so I could have the same thing as the day before. As soon as they saw me coming I sensed that they started to look busy or away so that they didn't have to figure out what I wanted to order. I was stubborn in my quest and took no offense at all. They don’t get many tourists and I don’t speak Khmer at all. After a few finger pointing and hand gestures they understood I wanted the beef noodle soup and iced coffee with condensed milk. I’m quite happy with my accomplishment and brought the food back to Metro to show Jon. Jon was more than happy to have breakfast at Metro while I chowed down my soup.

Last night Paul’s other guest showed up while we were having dinner. The challenge was that we were staying in his room. After some quick maneuvering by Paul he got the guest situated at the hotel across the street. We felt terrible about the situation since Paul wasn’t really expecting us to stay with him. We booked a room for tonight at a boutique hotel not too far away.

We originally planned on a road trip with Paul to Kratie to check out the rare freshwater dolphins but after talking to a few people we realized it was too far of a drive for one day. Instead we decided to take the ferry across the river to silk island. We were going off the Lonely Planet grid since I couldn’t find the island in the guidebook. A lot of the silk is made on the island, hence the name. The staff at Metro said we would get a chance to see “real Cambodians.”

As soon as we crossed over to the island we entered another world. Luckily, Paul drove his Land Cruiser because the dirt roads were treacherous with lots of potholes. It was quiet with very few cars and only some people on bikes and motorbikes. Many of the houses were built on stilts to protect the people from flooding during the monsoon season. We stopped at a temple with two large lobster statues. The entire temple was painted in a lobster orange color. There were some kids playing kickball with a shoe. We later realized it was a cemetery. Not sure why there were lobsters at the front gates. We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant where they didn’t speak any English. Good thing Paul brought along a Cambodian friend who ordered for us. It was one of the more authentic Khmer restaurants we had been to in all of our time in Cambodia. Jon was a trooper and tried every dish. We later stopped at a café for some iced coffee and coke.

It was starting to get kind of late so we decided to turn around and head back to the ferry. As the ferry was taking off a huge storm came our way. Paul dropped us at our hotel. We relaxed a bit and grabbed at snack at the hotel café. The café served lots of fruit juices and had a lot of organic food for sale. I felt like we were back in San Francisco.

Over dinner Paul introduced us to a friend who works for a travel agency. Paul has been great introducing us to his friends and it has allowed us to talk to Cambodians and learn from them. His friend has done extensive traveling around the world but the US Embassy in Cambodia still refuses to give her a visa to visit the states. What is ironic is that the staff at the US Embassy seeks her out to make their travel arrangements. Their reason for denial is that she is single and they are concerned she will try to stay in the states rather than return home to Cambodia. I joked with her that she can come visit us after she's married.

We had to say our final good-byes to Paul as we were leaving for Sihanoukville the next day and he was leaving for the states and Vancouver on Friday. We had a great time with him and who would’ve guessed that two people who were born in Alpena, Michigan would meet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Paul…thank you for your generous hospitality. I know you don’t like big fusses but we just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our adventure with you. You have opened our eyes and mind to a beautiful country we otherwise knew very little about before coming. We hope to see you in Aspen or San Francisco.

7/12/10 (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh

We joined Paul for a traditional Cambodian breakfast consisting of beef noodle soup and iced coffee with condensed milk at a local Khmer food stall. I don’t usually have noodle soup in the morning but I wasn’t complaining. It was one of the best soups I’ve had while in Asia and I loved it. I think it was a little too early in the morning for Jon especially since he watched a few more episodes after I had gone to bed. At some point Paul and I realize that he was eating the noodles with one chopstick.

By 9am it was already unbearably humid and figured it would be a good day to visit museums. We got a bit lazy after breakfast and lounged around till lunch. For lunch we decided to venture out and try another restaurant. We had lunch at the FCC, which is where all the journalists usually go. It was also located along the river and had a Cuban vibe about it. We felt as if we were cheating on the staff at the Metro. After lunch we arranged to meet On Prum’s brother at the Metro for a tour of the museums. Just as we got into his tuk tuk there was a sudden downpour of rain. Perfect day to be indoors at the museum.

Our first stop was the National Museum, which held an extensive collection of Khmer sculptures. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any photos of the displays. I know it may sound uncultured but Jon and I just aren’t museum people. The museum wasn’t that big but we walked through it in about fifteen minutes. The rain hadn’t let up but luckily all the tuk tuks have protective shades that keep us dry while sitting inside. Our next stop was the Tuol Seng Museum, which was a high school the Khmer Rouge converted into a prison called Security Prison 21 (S-21). We originally were supposed to come here during our first tour of PP but after visiting the killing fields it was too much for us. The S-21 was the largest detention and torture prison. The high school is now a museum with wall-to-wall pictures of prisoners who came through S-21. Some of the classrooms still have relics from the imprisonment. It was a very sobering and chilling experience. And the thing about it is that it only happened 32 years ago.

We were in a pretty somber mood for dinner but Raksmey, the head wait staff at Metro, who joined us for dinner lightened our mood with her charismatic personality and funny jokes. Paul suggested we try another restaurant for dinner but we were all feeling pretty comfortable at Metro so decided to stay. By this time we were very familiar with the menu and had tasted about half of the menu. You know the food is good if we’ve eaten there almost everyday and find new things to try on the menu while ordering a few of our favorite dishes. We have become fans of the Sauvignon Blanc from Sileni and order it almost at every meal. By the end of our meal we all had some great laughs and a few drinks.

Since it was pretty late in the evening we gave Raksmey a lift back to her house. On our way back Paul made a detour. I had no idea where we were going when we got out of the car. Before I knew it we were walking into the Heart of Darkness, a nightclub. I don’t know where Jon had heard about the place and he had mentioned it to Paul. I felt a bit out of place with my sundress and flip-flops but no one seemed to mind. Not before long Jon and I were dancing alongside young Cambodians. Just another Cambodian night with Paul.

7/11/10 (battambang)

Battambang – Phnom Penh

We were not looking forward to another long bus ride but it was the only way for us to get around in Cambodia. Luckily I had Dexter to keep me entertained for a few hours before my computer died on me. When we got back to PP we headed to Café Metro to meet up with Paul. We hadn’t made arrangements to stay with him and didn’t know if he had other people staying in his guest room. When the restaurant security guards saw us they escorted us upstairs assuming we would be staying there for the night. Fortunately, the room was available but Paul mentioned that someone might be coming to stay sometime in the next few days. Paul had been very accommodating and we were more than happy to book a room nearby if needed.

Bus rides wear us out so after lunch we relaxed in our room. Jon watched a few more episodes of Breaking Bad but couldn’t watch the last ten minutes of the final episode of season two because there was something wrong with the disc. He went back to the DVD store to exchange it and was told to come back later in the evening. The good news was that they would also have season three for him. They didn’t realize they were the supplier fueling Jon’s addiction.

During our first time in PP we had gotten to know the Metro staff very well. It has become our own “Cheers” place since everyone greets us with a familiar smile as we walk in. The staff is extremely friendly and always asking what places we have seen and making suggestions. We have even learned some Cambodian jokes from Mr. Dan, the bartender.

As creatures of habit, we meet Paul for drinks at Metro. And before we know it there were plates and plates of food in front of us. One of the dishes is beef with red ants. Even though I am pretty adventurous with my food I draw the line at insects (and reptiles). Paul was chomping down on the beef and said it’s one of his favorites dishes. Well, what the heck. We gave it a try. It wasn’t so bad and the dish has a nice flavor to it. Some of the ants are really big and Paul says the ones with eggs are even tastier. I’ll take his word for it. I think Chef McDang will be proud of us.

Over dinner we discussed our favorite parts of Breaking Bad and Jon shared with Paul his frustration in missing the last few minutes of the second season. Paul had all the episodes so after dinner we went up to his place to watch the end of season two and a few more episodes. Just can’t shake the addiction.

7/9/10 – 7/10/10 (siem reap)

Siem Reap – Battambang

We were a little sad to leave Matt and the River Village. It was one of our longest stays in a single location. We headed to Battambang, a 4-hour bus ride west of Siem Reap. When we arrived we hadn’t heard from our hotel on whether our reservation was confirmed and of course that meant that we didn’t have a tuk tuk driver lined up. We were the only foreigners on the bus so when we stepped off the bus we were prime targets. There were about twenty drivers surrounding us each of them vying for our attention. We ducked into the bus company’s store for some reprieve since they weren’t allowed inside. We contacted the hotel to confirm our reservation and they contacted a driver to meet us at the bus stop. Coincidentally one of the drivers clamoring over us earlier was the hotel’s designated driver. We were a bit skeptical since we have heard of stories where the driver will take you to another hotel saying that the reserved hotel is very dirty or full. After confirming with the hotel again that we had the correct driver we hopped into his tuk tuk. We quickly checked into our hotel and were relieved to be away from all the chaos. The power had gone out in the city so we decided to stay in.

This is when the addiction started. For the next twelve hours straight Jon and I laid in bed watching our pirated DVDs. If it wasn’t bad enough we were watching different TV shows on our individual laptops with headphones. While Jon was watching Breaking Bad I was getting caught up on Dexter since he had seen season one and two already. Every so often he would update me on Breaking Bad so I didn’t fall behind on another show. We only had one computer charger so we had to take turns charging our computers. Luckily, the hotel had room service so we ordered in for lunch and dinner. I can only imagine what the hotel staff must have thought of us. Here is a couple who checks into the room at 11am, doesn’t leave the room all day, and orders room service for both lunch and dinner. Oh wait. We did take a five-minute break to go downstairs to coordinate a tour for the next day. I take it back we did exercise some control over our addiction.

The next day after a marathon day of TV shows, we cleaned ourselves up for a day of sightseeing. Battambang is a sleepy town with not a lot of tourists. What drew me to Battambang was the bamboo train. The train is a simple device comprised of a four-wheel rig with a 4’ x 6’ bamboo slate on top of it and a small motor in the back. There are no walls and doors, you simply sit on the bamboo slate as it rolls down the railway. The locals use it to transport things from one town to another. We got on the train and were told to hang out to our things. We must have been speeding down the tracks at about 25-30km/hour with wind blowing in our hair. Our driver seemed to have only one speed and that was to go fast. The best part is that there is only one track so if there’s another train coming down the opposite direction one of the trains has to disassemble to let the other pass. The train with the most people/things has the right of way. As we were rolling along the track we came across opposing traffic but luckily there were two other trains with tourists behind us so we had the right of way. Everyone came to a halt and the opposing train’s driver took off the motor first, then the bamboo slate, and finally the wheel rig off the track. There isn’t much room on either side of the track so sometimes you have to crowd around the bushes to let the other train pass you by. It was a hilarious scene to witness but it was just another typical day for the locals.

After the bamboo train our tuk tuk driver took us to the only winery in Cambodia where they make rose, brandy, and some reds. They only had reds for us to try, which wasn’t bad but a bit expensive to purchase at $15/bottle. Wine in Cambodia is extremely cheap and you can get pretty good imported wine at $10/bottle. As we were heading to a dragon fruit farm we passed by a tree full of fruit bats. There must have been hundreds of them hanging upside down on the tree. It was in the middle of the day so they were all sleeping but flapping their wings to keep themselves cool. It made me itchy just looking at them.

While in Asia we’ve had the chance to try many tropical fruits and one of our favorites is the dragon fruit. It’s about the size of a mango and there are two types of dragon fruit. One is white on the inside while the other one is the color of pomegranates, which is the sweeter of the two. For some reason they use a rubber tire to guide the growth of the plant.  The plant looks like a big cactus flower growing out of the rubber tire with the dragon fruit at the tip of each leaf.

Our last stop was the Phnom Banan, a temple the locals claim to have served as the inspiration for Angkor Wat. To get to the temple you have to climb 358 steps and let me just say that it wasn’t easy. The humidity makes any type of exercise almost unbearable but I’m happy to report that we made it to the top. The temple is a lot smaller than the Angkor temples but it does provide a nice view of Battambang. After the strenuous climb we were ready to head back into town for a late lunch at Gecko Café.

We resumed our DVD addiction for a few hours before heading out to dinner. The hotel staff recommended White Rose, which seemed to be the most popular restaurant in town. Jon ordered his go-to dish…vegetables with cashew and rice while I had a delicious bowl of noodle soup.

Cambodia Bamboo Train from Annie Lin on Vimeo.

7/3/10 - 7/8/10 (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh - Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the big draw in Cambodia. After spending a handful of days in Phnom Penh, we were ready to venture outward and check out this tourist friendly city to the north. Siem Reap is five hours from PP and the trip fell in line with our past bus adventures. The bus can be a little crazy and this one provided five solid hours of Cambodian karaoke. Good times! Annie and I are getting smarter and now try to book accommodations in advance so we aren’t scrambling upon arrival. When you step off the bus it tends to be a feeding frenzy among the tuk tuk drivers with everyone jockeying for clients. These tuk tuk drivers are out to make a buck and tend to overcharge as well as take you to the hotel that pays the biggest commission. Needless to say we try to avoid the chaos and have a plan in advance. We decided to go with the River Village Manor due to favorable reviews in Trip Advisor and Matt the owner/manager had arranged for a driver the moment we stepped off the bus. We were quickly whisked away for the five minute trip to our home stay. 

The River Village was a little off the beaten path and would become our home for the next several days. We have a tendency to book for two days and then extend as we see fit. We extended at the River Village for another four. Matt the manager was an Australian who was a little tired of Australian bureaucracy and came up to what he termed the “wild west,” that is otherwise known as Siem Reap. Over the next several days Annie and I got a chance to chat with Matt often about various topics including Cambodia, Australia, and Charlie and Coco. Charlie and Coco were to the two 6-month old parrots Matt kept at the River Village. He even took them out on occasion and they immediately made a b-line for the top of my head and provided some wonderful white decoration on my shorts. Matt turned out to be a very interesting character and was incredibly accommodating during our time at the River Village. 

The big draw in Siem Reap are the temples of Angkor. This area is the heart and soul of Cambodia. The temples were constructed during a 600 year period between AD 802 - 1432 when the Khmer empire was one of the biggest and most powerful in the world. Each God-King would try to outbuild one another and it ultimately led to the crown jewel known as Angkor Wat. The region boasted a population of over 1 million at its peak and covered an area the size of the five boroughs of Manhattan. The temples rival the remains of Machu Picchu and the Egyptian pyramids in scope and scale and take multiple days to explore and appreciate. 

Annie and I purchased a three day pass to the temples and over the next several days we explored this exotic location channeling our inner Indiana Jones. We grabbed a guide our first day to catch a sunrise and see the some of the major sites. Our guides name was Kerry and she was the youngest guide at the temples. She was a very informative and eager Cambodian girl with an incredible story of inspiration that is true of many people from this country.  Annie and I spent the two following days on our own checking out some of the more remote locations. The temples were like nothing I have seen or experienced before. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see this area thrive at its peak and it makes me wonder what people will think as they explore areas like Manhattan thousands of years from now. 

On the final day I also had an opportunity to visit the land mine museum. Cambodia has a violent history when it comes to land mines due to the occupation of the Khmer Rouge who planted millions throughout the countryside. You see the day to day effects while exploring the major Cambodian cities as many of the beggars in the streets are missing limbs. It is thought that up to three million mines still occupy the Cambodian countryside and many have shifted position due to heavy rains over the years. The land mine museum was started by Aki Ra, who from a young age planted mines for the Khmer Rouge. He has spent his adult life working to rectify this in adulthood in an attempt to “make my country safe for my people.” Ra has defused some 50,000 mines and bombs over the years. It was heartbreaking to learn more about the devastating effects of the weapons and the impact it has had on the Cambodian people. If you are looking for a worthwhile cause to support, the Cambodian Land Mine Museum Relief Fund would more than qualify. 

Siem Reap allowed us to spend several days getting a better understanding of what Cambodia is all about, the amazing temples that are the pride of a nation, the devastation of the Khmer Rouge, and the resiliency and warmth of the people. It allowed for some amazing photo opportunities and wonderful culinary experiences. We met some interesting people including an Australian family stationed in Vietnam we plan to visit in the near future. Siem Reap lived up to its billing and gave us a better appreciation for Cambodia. 

We highly recommend Kerry as a guide and can't say enough good things about her. She is very knowledgeable and studied under a veteran guide. You can reach her at (+855) 92-49-56-99, (+855) 97-98-66-848, or kerry1402f4@hotmail.com. If you stay with Matt, he can arrange for Kerry to be your guide. Any tuk-tuk driver Matt recommends is a good choice as he personally scrutinizes them before working with them.

7/2/10 (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh

After two months of traveling around Asia I still hadn’t gotten a full body massage, which was a sin, so Paul booked a two-hour massage for me with his masseuse at 10am. Jon was happy to stay home and have a few hours of alone time while I got my massage. As if by fate, On Prum dropped me off at the same massage shop that caught my attention yesterday when we were driving through town. The place was called Seeing Hands Massage and all of the masseuses are blind. I was intrigued by the concept and long and behold I was there for my massage.

I met Nigah, my masseuse, who was absolutely wonderful. She studied massage therapy for several years and had to go through rigorous exams before becoming a professional masseuse. Nigah was very attentive to areas where my muscles were sore from all the traveling we had done. I felt refreshed and relaxed after two hours. While the place doesn’t have all the frills of an upscale massage spa, Nigah was friendly and I would recommend her to anyone looking for a great massage. And what a bargain for $7/hour!

After my massage I met Jon back at Metro for lunch. I wanted to try Khmer food so Paul arranged for me to have the same meal as the staff. It may sound strange that I wouldn’t order something from the menu but I believe if you really want to try local food eat what the restaurant staff is eating. Today they had sour fish soup with morning glory (type of vegetable). I love soup and morning glory so it was right up my alley.

We were planning on visiting the National Museum but then a huge thunderstorm was passing through so we decided to relax back in our apartment. After a few hours it seemed that the storm had died down so I decided to go back to the Russian market to do a little shopping. I hadn’t bought any new clothes and my shirts were looking raggedy after washing it so many times so I figured a few new tops were needed. There’s a serious flooding problem in the city center so it took us awhile to get to the market. By the time we arrived it was an hour before closing but I was still able to get a tank top and T-shirt.

We met Paul for dinner at Metro and had a great meal outside on the patio. One of my favorite dishes is the wok-fried Chinese spareribs, which they put over a bed of cabbage salad with sprinkles of seasoning remnants from the fryer. It’s debatable on what is tastier, the spareribs or the salad. I might have to order it a few more times to decide.

7/1/10 - (phnom penh)

Phnom Penh

This was our first full day in Phnom Penh and Annie and I had decided to take a tour of the capital city of Cambodia to see some of the highlights. We coordinated with On Prum, Paul’s tuk tuk driver to pick us up in the morning. We got an early start on the day and our first stop was a place called the Happy Club. It was a dodgy shooting range run by what looked like teenage Cambodian kids. We pulled up to see an old decommissioned tank parked out front. This was our first trip out of the capital city and a chance to see the “real Cambodia.” The roads were rough and we were driving through a consistent dust cloud. When we arrived to the range, we were escorted to a table and given a menu much like any restaurant but instead of food I had a choice of many rare and destructive weapons. I had just finished the book called The Futurist, which was a James Cameron bio. Cameron is a big gun guy and I think that is what inspired me to this particular adventure. I quickly decided upon flipping through the menu that this wasn’t my cup of tea. I had the choice of an AK-47, M16, grenade launcher, or even a rocket launcher. At this point I was ready to quickly duck out the back door but decided I had come too far to back out now. Channeling my inner Cameron, I chose the reliable AK-47 and was given a clip of 15 bullets. They escorted me to a range and gave me a brief safety lesson, cocked the gun and I was off and running. The target was roughly a hundred yards down in a concrete garage with a target that looked like a Taliban fighter backed by several hundred rubber tires. I fired my first round and the gun slammed back with a loud crack, followed by a cloud of smoke lingering in the hot air. My first thought was “I don’t want to do this.” I could sense Annie’s apprehension and I decided to power through the round. I fired off the next 14 shots and it looked like I had missed the target all together. Feeling a little deflated with my shooting abilities the teenage boy went to retrieve the paper target. Upon return I realized I had pulverized my fictitious paper rival.  Nearly every shot was a fatal head blow. This helped me feel a small sense of pride in an overall uncomfortable experience. 

Our next stop was the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. If I was feeling any remorse from my AK-47 experience, it was about to be infinitely expanded. During the late 1970’s the Khmer Rouge forcefully took over Cambodia and conducted a genocide n many of the educated Cambodian’s. The killing fields is where 17,000 people were violently executed. Many of the bodies have been exhumed and over 8000 skulls are on display to honor the victims in the memorial stupa. It is a pretty sobering experience and it makes you wonder how people could actually do this to one another. We spent an hour exploring this mass grave site, some of which still has clothing exposed in the soil from past victims. This was a pretty tough visit but helped us put things in perspective and get a better understand of Cambodian history. 

After a quick stop for lunch at a nice little Lebanese restaurant, we were off to the Russian Market. This is where many of the brand name garments made in Cambodia show up at roughly 10% the retail price. Many a bargain can be had within the market for both real and knock off merchandise. After a little shopping and a lot of sweating we were off to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The palace is considered a sacred place so our shoulders and knees had to be covered. A lady wasn't allowed to enter because her shorts were too short. The buildings were beautifully decorated with traditional Khmer architecture. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside any of the buildings.  

When our tour ended we gathered our luggage to stay with Paul. After transferring our bags and settling in above Cafe Metro, we met up with Paul briefly for a snack then got ready for dinner. We went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was very contemporary and for the first time since we arrived in Asia we almost feel like we are back in the states.

Happy Club from Annie Lin on Vimeo.

6/30/10 (bangkok)

Bangkok - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

It was another early morning flight for us at 7:45am to Phnom Penh or otherwise known as PP. Chef McDang’s driver came at 5am to take us to the airport. We were amazed at the scale of the Bangkok airport. It was one of the biggest we had seen in Asia. It was a very short flight to PP. We were barely at our flight altitude for five minutes before the captain announced that we had to get ready for our descend. The flight attendants quickly served us breakfast and drinks before they came to take it away. All in all it was a smooth flight.

Over the last few weeks we had been in touch with a friend’s uncle, Giang, who was from Cambodia. He had given us good tips on places to visit and invited us to stay at his villa, even though he wasn’t there, but we hadn’t sorted out the details. He gave us the name of one of his assistants who would provide us with directions to the house. When we landed we gave the assistant a call but we couldn’t reach him. We waited a bit at the airport and finally got a hold of someone. The taxi driver pulled up to a huge mansion where we were greeted by a security guard and guard dog. The assistant we spoke with wasn’t at home so there was some confusion about who we were but they still invited us in. We were shown to our room and told to make ourselves at home. I have to admit it was all a bit strange. We were in this huge house with a cook, housekeeper, and a few other guys but the owner of the house was in Vietnam. Everyone was very friendly but only one of them spoke English. 

After a quick nap we decided to grab some lunch. The English-speaking staff helped us get a tuk-tuk and directed the driver to take us to the river where we would find plenty of restaurants. He wrote down the address of the house so we could give it to someone when we were ready to return. Like I said...super helpful.

We arrived to what seemed like the center of PP where all the hotels and restaurants were located. Jon knew the name of Paul’s restaurant and that it was located somewhere along the river. We strolled along the river and luckily found the place, which was called Cafe Metro. It was the swankiest restaurant in town and when we walked in it was as if we were transformed back to San Francisco. It looked like any place you would walk into on Chestnut Street. The restaurant is very modernly decorated and the staff were nicely dressed in their uniform. We asked the staff if Paul was around and that we were friends of his. The girl gave us a skeptical look and I don’t really blame her. We were looking a bit scruffy and should’ve gotten cleaned up. She told one of the managers who immediately came over to greet us. He said Paul mentioned there may be two Americans coming in asking for him. Good of Paul to alert the staff since we might not otherwise have been passed the test. Paul joined us while we were eating and we updated him on what we had been up to since we last saw him in Bangkok.

After lunch Paul showed us his place, which was right above the restaurant. He bought the building when he opened Metro and lives on the third floor. He invited us to stay with him as well since a visiting chef who was staying with him had just left. It was very generous of him and probably more convenient for us since it was centrally located. We would have our own room on the second floor. We decided to stay the night at Giang’s since he had been so nice to offer us a place to stay and didn’t want to leave abruptly.

We walked around the neighborhood which had a bustling food market and tons of tuk-tuks waiting for passengers. He also showed us the location of his second restaurant, which hopefully will open in a few months. Along the way he suggested we get a foot massage, which only costed $6/hour/person. What a bargain! It was Jon’s first foot massage and he loved it. We stopped in at a store to browse the DVDs. Up to this point we resisted buying knock-off DVDs on principle and thought they would be bad quality. But then we saw all these shows that we wanted to watch and before we knew it we walked out of the store with $40 worth of DVDs. And we had a bag full of them. I blame Paul for his bad influence. 

We agreed to meet Paul for dinner and his tuk-tuk driver, On Prum, took us back to the villa to get changed. We quickly showered and got ready since On Prum was waiting for us downstairs. I wondered what Giang’s staff thought of us since we hadn’t spent much time at the house. We met Paul for drinks at Metro. We were having such a good time that we ended ordering a much of appetizers for dinner. We had a great meal and conversation. A good way for us to start our Cambodian adventure.

6/28/10 – 6/29/10 (bangkok)

Bangkok – Hua Hin – Bangkok

Today we celebrated our three year anniversary. Can't believe it's been three years and how fast time flies. We were wondering what country we would be in by this time. There was no big celebration since our gift to each other was traveling around Asia for six months. Not a bad present. We have been on the road for about four months and have spent practically every day together. Luckily we haven't gotten tired of each other so it must be a sign that's something is going right. Jon gave me a six month travel adventure for our third year...wonder what he's getting me for our fourth year. Hard to top that! 

We were getting a bit too comfortable at the McDang compound so it was good for us to explore other areas. We met Pai in downtown Bangkok late in the afternoon after he got off work. We didn’t realize that Hua Hin was a few hours away but with Pai’s high speed cruising skills we were there within three hours just in time for dinner. We unloaded our stuff at the hotel where we met Chef McDang’s adopted son (aka his nephew) and their TV producer. They arrived earlier in the day to do some filming. Chef McDang decided to add a new segment to his show where his nephew visits the restaurants he has reviewed to present them with the new McDang plaque, similar to the Zagat’s and Michelin guide. Chef McDang critiques five elements of the restaurant based on a five star scale.

For dinner we went to the local night market, which is one of the cleanest ones we had visited. We sampled a variety of local foods. We also visited something like an amusement park. The décor in all the restaurants and shops were from what Hua Hin would’ve looked like back in the 60’s. On the way to Hua Hin Jon and Pai were craving hamburgers and were debating on whether to go to McDonald’s or Burger King. Pai claimed that Burger King was the better one in Thailand so after a full meal all the boys got a late night snack at BK. I opted for a chocolate gelato next door.

The next morning we headed to our first shoot, a restaurant nearby Hua Hin. When we arrived five dishes previously critiqued were brought out. Jon pitched in and also helped with the filming. They were all very impressed with his camera equipped, which came in handy for the shoot. After the shoot we got to enjoy the food, compliments of the restaurant. Pai called it jungle food since the people eat whatever they can find in the jungle. He also ordered a dish with wild boar, which was a first for us. The meat was a bit chewy but pretty tasty.

Before we headed to the next restaurant we visited the biggest monk statue possibly in the world. The statue was erected in honor of the work that the monk had done for the country. It was extremely hot so we had to leave Jon in the hot sun while he did a video time lapse to cool ourselves in the shade.

The second restaurant was by the beach so it was a bit cooler. The most interesting dish they had was called raw horny fish. Supposedly if you eat the fish it makes you horny. The boys all delved in. We had just eaten a few hours ago but after the shoot we continued our eating feast. Needless to say we weren’t hungry for dinner.

After the shoot we drove back to Bangkok. During the car ride we had an engaging conversation with Pai. He’s only twenty-three years old but is a key advisor to Chef McDang. He definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

Thanks boys for showing us Hua Hin. We had a blast!