This goes out to all of my friend who hate original versions of korean movies and prefer german dubs (how could they).
Pippi Långstrump intro in japanese [her name should be pronounced as "naga kutsu shita no pippi"]
Pippi Långstrump episode in korean
So there you have it.
Hai guys,
After Siem Reap, I went to Phnom Penh. I heard much about this city and was really eager to see it. After spending a few days here, I am not sure if I love ( + ) or if I hate ( – ) this city.
( – ) TukTuk Drivers: hundreds, no thousands, the most annoying ones I ever met.
( + ) The guy from my guesthouse. He just opend a few months ago and is currently building his restaurant. He was a blast. Took us (3 US guys and me) around in his car, to karaoke and beer, cooked an ate dinner with us… Props, Ruti!
( – ) Hookers. At least as many as TukTuk Drivers. And in low season not enough (male) tourists around.
( — ) Western expats. Mostly in close connection to the hookers. It is just disgusting.
( + ) Nightlife (except hookers). Great bars, clubs and restaurants.
( + ) History and Culture. With the Killing Fields and the former S-21 Prison (now a genocide museum) Phnom Penh is a must, if you want to know more about the Khmer Rouge and their brutality. The S-21 Prison is comparable to a visit to the Nazi Concentration Camps Dachau or Auschwitz. It is really a sad and disturbing place. A place, where a primary school was turned into a prison, where the inmates were tortured and raped before they were driven to the nearby Killing Fields and beaten to death to safe ammunition..
( + ) The city itself. Not as smelly and dirty as expected, great french houses in some parts, little alleys, wooden houses on the lake, lots of construction going on.
( – ) Various tourist attractions like Shooting a M-60 machine gun. I have to admit that I also went to one of those shooting ranges. I didnt shoot, but the guys I chartered the TukTuk that day wanted to.. You can pick a weapon (submachine guns up to an M60) and shout some rounds. I never heared gunfire before. It is really really loud. You can even pick a chicken from a cage and shoot that. I also heard that you can shoot a cow with a rocket launcher for a 1000 bucks. And I believe it.
Well, I could go on… in the end I was happy, in a way, to get out. And still there were some great moments.
Right now, I am back in Thailand. I flew from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, took a bus to Chiang Mai and continued directly to Pai… More about that soon!
xoxo,
leMikeh
Ok, there are the temples of course. But what else is there in Siem Reap?
Well, it is mainly the temples, to be honest. The city of Siem Reap is very touristy and I wouldnt say it is a very cambodian town. Lots of hotels, guesthouses, (western) restaurants and bars. But I spend a day walking and driving through this small town and I there are some places here that are really worth a visit: the market, the “ghettos” around the river, the Wats with their attached schools, the Artisans Workshop and side-alleys..
xoxo,
MikeTheReaper
Hey folks.
Its been a long time, I sat down and wrote a few lines.. and much has happend for sure!
The ruins of Angkor Wat are really a must see if you are in this area, but Cambodia is much more.
I was at the ruins for four days. two sunrises and two sunsets – really stunning, special moments. I was driving trough the temple area every day, passing rice paddies and people working there.. So I developed more interest for the daily life of the poor, common people in the villages of Cambodia.
There is a place in Siem Reap which offers responsible tourism: their guided tours help Cambodian people directly. Their culture and way of life is not exploited for money like it is happening with many trekking tours to hill tribes in nothern Thailand. The money earned with these tours helps building wells, bying food and securing education. After seeing most of my dollars I spent in Cambodia wandering in the pockets of some rich westerner, I decided to go on one of these tours – despite the fact that I normally dont like guided, pre-arranged tourist tours.
I did a tour where we (2 girls from London and me) lived for a day with a local family and helped them do their daily work. I must say, that was really an experience.
We had a really good Khmer guide who told us a lot of stuff about life in the villages in Cambodia: hard work, strict social and family rules, poverty and hunger, the constant threat of land mines in remoter areas..
The family we worked with on this day (a women and her four childs, the father is a construction worker and gone all day) was building a little kitchen hut besides their one-room-living hut. The framework already stood, so we helped weaving the banana-leaf roof. At first we didnt really well, I think. But nevertheless we were the great attraction for the kids around. They couldnt stop laughing at us – we who are to stupid to even make some simple banana leaf roofs :)
After a couple of hours of “hard” work (I think if we were on a rice field this day, it would have been much worse), we began to prepare lunch. We bought the food from this family: rice, a chicken, vegetables and started to cook under the instructions of our guide. The chicken had to be killed and chopped into pices for the chicken soup, vegetables had be cut.. in the meantime the kids were sent out to collect a handfull of red ants. We cooked a Khmer delicacy this day: fermented fish with chillies and red ants.you just chopp everything up really small – I did the ants and felt like a mass-murderer :) – put it in a banana leaf and over the fire for some time..
The best thing about this cooking experience: we bought the food of the family and cooked it for them. Of course we tried a little bit ourself, but it was way more rewarding to see the family sitting in silent and enjoying a propper meal. The ants were pretty tasty by the way. Sour and salty. We had some prepared sandwiches andfruits and brownies, but none of us eat much, instead we gave it to the kids, too.
After lunch we spent some time sitting in the hut and our guide told us a bit more about Cambodia and its recent history. Of course I read about the Pol Pot regime and the brutality of the Khmer Rouge, but hearing it first hand from a person being involved in this shit is something different. His father was killed, bludgeoned to death with a stick when he was four, but even after the brutality of the 3 years, 8 month and 21 days, the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia and killed nearly 2 million of their own people, there was no end. Civil war continued until 1993, since then corruption has replaced the killing. And in the west, nobody cares. Cambodia is just another poor country, no oil, no valuable resources..
All in all, I was really glad I did this day. And I think that everybody visiting Cambodia should take the time to reflect on the recent history and not only go there because of the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, the booze (and sadly very often the women, too).
xoxo,
MikeFarmer
Wow. Just wow!
I left Koh Tao because I had some trouble with my ears and couldnt dive for a few days.. Got back to Bangkok and then by Bus to the border to Cambodia, crossed it by foot (what a chaos) and by taxi to Siem Reap – Angkor Wat.
Cambodia is really nice so far. Well, everybody wants money from you and/or tries to scam you, even the smallest kids, but you get used to it.
Angkor Wat is probably with Machu Picchu the greatest man-made thing I’ve ever seen. It is just incredible.
I already spent two days there, including a sunset and a sunrise today – and took already about 400 pics.. I picked just a few to show you here..
It is really hot. I mean really. And soo humid. During the day you are sweating every single minute. But it is worth the effort. I also gave up my plan to get a bike and cycle around. Instead I have my own TukTuk driver who drives me everywhere I want the whole day. And only for 15$ a day. Cambodia is not really cheap. It is so poor, but so expensive. While everything at the temples usually costs one dollar (postcards, statues, flutes and other crap), food and water, transportation and accommodation is really expensive (Dont forget the 60$ seven-day-entrance fee for Angkor Wat).
I’ll spend the next few days walking around this area for sure! It is the biggest religious monument/area on the world. Every few meters, you basically stumble over a new temple – and other tourists. Man it is fu**** crowded here.
So, I’ll get a beer, you’ll get some pics. Have a look and tell me you are jealous :)
xoxo,
Khmike
Hey guys,
it took me a while to get the time and a decent internet place to get up some more pics.. Also I will tell you what has happened the last few weeks!
For the whole gallery: here you go! (new pics at the end)
Finally I left wonderful Koh Phan Gan, but not without spending a more or less fun night at Haad Rin drinking. We tried to walk through the jungle to get some money out of the ATM, but because of the new built dirt road, nobody uses the jungle trail anymore. After 2 hours getting lost in the jungle (we had to make our way with sticks.. lots of ants, spiders etc.) and no more energy to walk 2,5 hours on the road we got a taxi boat. Lol.
At Haad Rin, some guys had trouble getting money (he didnt call his parent, who manage his account, so they decided to report him missing at Interpol. Wtf? The poor lad had to talk to some Interpol officer on the phone – hey Mom, I am still ok!)
So it was already late and we stayed for a few drinks, the fire show and.. yeah, a few buckets. Jono got really drunk and so we came back to our beach at sunrise. Well, it was fun, I guess.
Two days later I got on a boat to Koh Toa. Scuba Diving!
The Dive Shop Alex and I went with two years ago still exists, but all divemasters changed shop due to some internal management problems. I got this Info the first night on Koh Tao talking to a divemaster trainee, I met along with Rupert & V from Koh Pha Ngan. We had a great night, hehe…
So I went with the new shop, Siam Divers in Sairee Beach. I did an advanced course and some more fun dives – it was really amazing. So much to see and to do underwater. Also diving (and drinking) along: 4 scottish guys – we and divemaster-to-be Sheldon had a real fun time at Lotus Bar & Co :)
Koh Tao is also a really beautiful – and really small – island. I never thought I could spent so much time here..
xoxo,
ScubaMike
Hey guys,
I am still on this beautiful island – well, what can I do? The food is so good, people are nice, they have super shakes :)
But I think about leaving to Koh Tao in the next days.. I want to dive, and Cambodia and Northern Thailand is also waiting for me. These first weeks are gone so quickly.
I managed to get a few more pics online. The thumbnails are a bit off center, tho. Be sure to check out the full sized ones. More written stuff when the internets are cheaaper!
Jo. I made it. I am back on Koh Pha Ngan. Staying at the same place, the Sanctuary.
It is almost just like 2 years ago. Nothing has really changed. Prices are still the same (internet still 3 Baht per Minute – so I’ll be brief and post some more pictures the next days.
This place is just special. The first evening I walked into Eden Garden, a restaurant/bar directly at the rocks, King, the owner, remembered me. After 2 years he still knew me. What a great time. He also remembered Alex. So much fun.
It is so peaceful here. I think I’ll stay here for a few weeks.. Probably stay at one of King’s bungalows.
Take care, I’ll post a more detailed write-up with pics the next days..
xoxo,
Chill MacMical
Jo guys!
I am back in South-East-Asia. I arrived on 13th of June after an exhausting flight in Bangkok (we had to switch planes in Abu Dahbi, lots of screaming little children on the plane..).
Bangkok (BKK) itself didnt change that much. Everything is more or less same-same. On Khao San Road (KSR) there are still the same shops, TukTuk drivers still give you a hassle and try to drive you to PingPong shows and the frog-Frauen are froggin around as always.
Beer on KSR is great as always – I had a few after I arrived and thought about you guys (not really…). Alex, you know at which place :) Also I had a haircut, eat some of the best food in the world and bought a guide book for cheap.
Nex day, I went to the MBK shopping center. On the place before, there was some sort of japanese Comic festiva: Lots of Thai Teens dressing as comic heroes and performing on stage. Oh my, I had a good laugh! Thai girls screaming and totally freaking out – good times.
But I also got what I came for: CF cards for my camera: I bought 3 cards each holding 8GB storing space and paid about 90 euros. Thats ok, I think.
BKK is starting to get on my nerves, though. Constant hassle on the street, smog, noisy… Apparently there are only ugly Britains and Aussis around right now. The girls are chicks and the guys just tell me about this Thai woman and that women they had in Indonesia for 4 weeks – wtf? What is wrong with all those people? (I met some nice guys too, but still..)
I have to get out. Kho Phan Gan is my first choice – but there is a Full Moon Party on the 18th. I really dont want to see all the FullMoon-Druffis right now, so I decide to go west to Kanchanburi, near the border to Burma.
Kanchanburi is a little, laid back town on the river Kwai. And yes, there is also the famous Bridge over the River Kwai – although by day this bridge is not that impressing.
I have a little bungalow directly on the river, with a few on the bridge. It is cheap here, and not many people around. Apparently this town is a weekend party town for BKK Thais. I can imagine that, there are more bars than tourists right now.
I also decided to travel on as many public busses as possible- its just so much fun riding a bus on which everyone else is Thai, loud Thai pop music is played all the time and bumpy roads shake you into your slumber. All those “VIP” Minibuses can kiss my a.
I rented a bike to get around town. But you better drive slowly – it is raining season, but that doesnt mean its cold. About 35 C, 80-90 % humidity and mostly cloudy. I get into town to get something to eat, and the old american Vietnam veteran who runs the first (!) bookshop in town recommends a really delicious Massaman Curry across the street.
Later, I stop by for a beer (he also runs a little bar – you have to go with the flow..) and I meet his buddies: apparently all veterans who stayed after the war. Speaking Thai and all they still are super rude to their (Thai) wifes. I drink up and go back to my place.
On the veranda of my bungalow I finally find some peace and time to get rid of all the stress from the last daysweeksmonths.
Today, I drove around town, visited the railway museum, the cemetery, some other museum (they didnt spell the word “railway” right once, but they had at least 10 different ways they tried..).
Esp. the Thai part of town was fun to drive through. I think I didnt met western people for most of the time, as the main sights of this little, dirty town are some waterfalls and stuff outside town. I probably will see some of this stuff tomorrow or.. well I ‘ll see :)
I had a bit of problem to get some pictures on this server, but it should be working now. I’ll try to add more pictures when I find some time and working internet connection.
Check out the gallery!
I am happy to hear from you, just drop me a line or leave a comment.
Oh, and one more thing: The best shower in Thailand is a cold shower!
xoxo,
Pad Thmaichael
Once a week I pass by this asian food shop, and get creative. Once a week I try stuff I’ve never tried before. And it’s about time you got to know about it. So Marc Amton and I got together, invited our inhouse photographer and best mate of all times, coolest guy in the world and lovely chap MICHAEL to come and eat along, and tried the following in combination:
(be careful with the garlic though))Now, concerning the “nachhaltig foltern” (i.e. sustainable torturing), here an idea how to – in times where american presidents with intellects comparable to those of your standard canned eel don’t sign badly needed kyoto protocols we really need to get creative – at least take an ecologically more refined approach at torture: Grow new plants to get information out of people! Greatly reduces CO2 in the atmosphere too!
This matter was brought up after dinner and vividly discussed, also leading to the rat torture and letting other critters run up your arse. If you’re interested in more graphic depictions, check out this south park episode.
This will be all for now, we’ll try to find more unbelievable food next week.
