"No Money, No Honey"

LUANG PRABANG, Laos // On our last night in Luang Prabang, we volunteered to speak English at a book publisher called Big Brother Mouse. Every night from 5-7 PM locals come to practice their English here. There were around 30 people ages 15-26 including monks who showed up, and probably 5 volunteers some of which English was their second language. I sat with 5 boys in high school // “Her, as in not him but her" he says, or if it helps his friends call him "Lady Man" // “Kong” as in King Kong he tells me // and “Jo” rhymes with bow. I sadly can’t remember the other names, and it was a lesson to me that giving a little extra with your name helps you remember it. I should say my name is Jenny, like from Forest Gump.

They all go to a boarding school with over 90 students, and come from large families with over 6 brothers and sisters each. They have never left Laos, been on a plane, and some have never even left the city. Their homes are as close as 30 minutes away, and some as far as 13 hours by bus towards the Chinese boarder. They wake up at 5 am and make breakfast and study. Class begins at 8 am and runs a morning session until 11 am, and then an afternoon session from 1 - 4 PM. They study 13 subjects including information technology, chemistry, physics, English, and math. Her informs me that math is “not his cup of tea.” It is a co-ed school, but based on the pictures they show me on their smart phones, there are way more boys than girls. None of them have girlfriends. As Her tells me with a huge grin, “No money, no honey.” They all want to get married after they secure good jobs. The dream is to get a scholarship to university abroad in either Vietnam or Japan. Some just want to go to university near the airport and teach English like Chancim, the monk we met a few days ago. 

I tell them I am from New York City, and Jo says, “Oh, the big apple.” How do they know these things? Then Her adds, “You must be busy as a bee” with another all teeth smile. I laugh. It turns out he loves idioms, and at this exact moment I can’t think of any. He then tells me his pick up lines he has learned. “Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven?” and “Your eyes are blue like the ocean, and baby I’m lost at sea.” I can’t stop laughing. They are great. I try to teach them, “How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice,” but that gets lost in translation. It turns out, they have never seen snow or a polar bear, and the phrase “break the ice” is an idiom for meeting new people that I have to explain. I also teach them “above and beyond” as well as “I love you to the moon and back,” though I think both will be tough to put into a conversation. 

We talk about marriage, and he says some people in the country get married at 14 because there is no school in the farmlands. They get bored, marry, and start having kids. They only want a few kids each so they can take care of them and give them a good education. Maybe 4 is a good number. To get married they must pay the girls family a dowery of 1,000,000 Lao Kip, equivalent to $125 USD, bring a pig, some Beer Lao, and Cokes to her house, and have a party. He informs me that girls only want to marry guys with money. I let him know this happens all over the world, especially in New York City.

Adams group is discussing the difference between the words "comforted" and "confronted" as they all try to pronounce both. He is also giving an example of the word "unless" which seems rather difficult. He also is asking them about travel and where they would like to travel if able to go anywhere in the world. The girl says the beaches in Thailand, and the guy says the USA to a city with big buildings. 

Just like Chancim, I think we get more out of the conversations than they do. They are teaching us. I tell Adam at dinner about my groups conversations and we can’t stop coming up with idioms. We end up writing the attached note to Her, Kong, and Jo, and slipping it under the door at Big Brother Mouse with a few of the idioms we came up with. Still to this day we catch ourselves saying idioms and smile at each other. The following were some of the best ones that we came up with at dinner:

• "Don't count your chickens before they hatch"
• "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite"
• "Burning the candle at both ends"
• "Birds of a feather flock together"
• "It's raining cats and dogs"
• "Three sheets to the wind"
• "A horse of a different color"
• "The early bird gets the worm"
• "Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered"
• "It's not over till the fat lady sings"
• "Stuck between a rock and a hard place"
• "It's water under the bridge"
• "Not the sharpest knife in the drawer"
• "Nice try, but no cigar"
• "Don't shoot the messenger"
• "The calm before the storm"
• "One more fish to fry"
• "The straw that broke the camels back"

Coffee Shop Tour of the World

LUANG PRABANG, Laos // While traveling for the past year we had plans to do specific things in certain parts of the world. There have also been other random adventures that we have taken an impromptu interest in doing, that kind of just came up with no rhyme or reason.

First, it was birdwatching and trying to identify 100 birds. We go about and do everything we were planning on doing during this year while also having this random side activity going. Another one of these was visiting different coffee shops in all parts of the world. This list started on our road trip across the US and kind of just kept going as we were adding to it. When we were living in New York City, morning coffee / tea / reading / writing // was a nice routine for us, and it is now something that we tend to do anywhere we are. The routine is the same, but the place is different.

This brought us to some interesting locations in cities, and allowed us to see a slice of the local life. Here's the list of some of the cities we visited on our travels, measured in cups of coffee and tea.

1. Highway 61 Coffeehouse // Vicksburg, MS
2. State Street Coffee at The Alcove // Dallas, TX
3. Fourteen Eighteen Coffeehouse // Plano, TX
4. Bergies Coffee Roast House // Mesa, AZ
5. 99 Cups of Coffee // Pacific Beach, CA
6. The French Press // Santa Barbara, CA
7. Handlebar Coffee Roasters // Santa Barbara, CA
8. Joe Coffee // North Hollywood, CA
9. Bright Angels Bicycles & Cafe // Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
10. Iconik Coffee Roasters // Santa Fe, NM
11. Taos Cow // Arroyo Seco, NM
12. Elevation Coffee // Taos, NM
13. Cafe Evoke // Edmond, OK
14. Blue Mountain Bakery & Cafe // Jasper, AK
15. Cups, an Espresso Cafe // Oxford, MS
16. Octane Coffee Company // Birmingham, AL
17. Waking Dead Cafe // Senoia, GA
18. Senoia Coffee & Cafe // Senoia, GA
19. Phoenix Coffee // Cleveland Heights, OH
20. Wailuku Coffee Company // Wailuku, Hawaii
21. Maui Coffee Attic // Wailuku, Hawaii
22. Maui Coffee Roasters // Kahalui, Hawaii
23. Donkey Balls // Kealakekua, Hawaii
24. The Coffee Lounge // Kona, Hawaii
25. Pono Market // Kapaa, Hawaii
26. Paia Bay Coffee // Paia, Hawaii
27. Sip Me // Makawao, Hawaii
28. Coffee Break // Railay, Thailand
29. Andaman Coffee // Phuket, Thailand
30. Doi Chaang Coffee Company // Phuket, Thailand
31. The Missing Socks Laundry Cafe // Siem Reap, Cambodia
32. Brown Coffee and Bakery // Phnom Penh, Cambodia
33. Pappa Pippo // Otres Beach, Cambodia
34. Le Trio Coffee // Vientiane, Laos
35. Cafe de Laos at the Chang Inn // Luang Prabang, Laos
36. Joma Bakery Cafe // Luang Prabang, Laos
37. Saffron Coffee // Luang Prabang, Laos
38. Cafe Ban Vat Sene // Luang Prabang, Laos
39. Indigo Cafe // Luang Prabang, Laos
40. Le Banneton Cafe // Luang Prabang, Laos
41. Giang Cafe // Hanoi, Vietnam
42. Coffee Zone // Hanoi, Vietnam
43. Like Coffee // Cat Ba Town, Vietnam
44. Hoi An Roastery // Hoi An, Vietnam
45. Uy Viet Coffee Bean // Hoi An, Vietnam
46. Enjoy Coffee // Hue, Vietnam
47. Nebula Room // Kuta, Indonesia
48. Kitchenette // Kuta, Indonesia
49. Anomali Coffee // Ubud, Indonesia
50. Lumbung Sari House of Luwak Coffee // Sukawati, Indonesia
51. Freak Coffee // Ubud, Indonesia
52. Seniman Coffee Studio // Ubud, Indonesia
53. Catur'z Coffee Club // Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
54. Lokl Coffee Co. // Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
55. The Alley // Georgetown, Malaysia
56. Macallum Connoisseurs Coffee Company // Penang, Malaysia
57. Wheeler's Coffee // Georgetown, Malaysia
58. Mugshot Cafe // Georgetown, Malaysia
59. Just Want Coffee // Singapore
60. The Populus Coffee and Food Co. // Singapore
61. Jewel Coffee // Singapore
62. Free the Robot // Singapore
63. Blue Bottle Coffee // Tokyo, Japan
64. Gorilla Coffee // Tokyo, Japan
65. Coffee Salon // Fujiyoshida, Japan
66. Verve Coffee // Tokyo, Japan
67. W.C Clarke's // State College, PA
68. Saint's Cafe // State College, PA
69. Joe the Art of Coffee // New York, NY
70. Re Cafe // New Delhi, India
71. Cafe Coffee Day // Jaipur, India
72. Cafe Edelweiss // Udaipur, India
73. Jaiwana Bistro Lounge // Udaipur, India
74. Grasswood Cafe // Udaipur, India
75. Devraj Coffee Corner // Laxman Jhula, India
76. Pure Soul Cafe // Tapovan, India
77. Holly Bolly Cafe // Rishikesh, India
78. Honey Hut RIshikesh // Rishikesh, India
79. Moonpeak Espresso // Mcleodganj, India
80. Illiterati // Mcleodganj, India
81. Tibetan Mandala Cafe // Mcleodganj, India
82. Himalayan Java // Kathmandu, Nepal
83. Thorong Phedi Base Camp Lodge // Thorong Phedi, Nepal
84. The Civil Coffee Society // Male, Maldives
85. The Coffee Club // Male, Maldives
86. Coffee Island // Lefkada, Greece
87. The Underdog // Athens, Greece
88. Tailor Made // Athens Greece
89. Cafe Taf // Athens, Greece
90. Eighteenscreen Microroastery // Piraeus, Greece
91. Coffee Lab // Piraeus, Greece
92. Kross Coffee Works // Chania, Greece
93. Espressaki // Chania, Greece
94. Leaf and Bean Newnan // Newnan, Georgia
95. Trade and Lore Coffee // Asheville, North Carolina
96. High Five Coffee Bar // Asheville, North Carolina
97. Cafe Grumpy // New York, New York
98. Red Eye Cafe // Montclair, New Jersey
99. Mission Coffee Co. // Columbus, Ohio
100. One Line Coffee Short North // Columbus, Ohio
101. Chicory Cafe // South Bend, Indiana
102. Beansmith Coffee Roasters // Omaha, Nebraska
103. Aromas Coffeehouse // Omaha, Nebraska
104. Archetype Coffee // Omaha, Nebraska
105. Boxcar Coffee Roasters // Boulder, Colorado
106. Ozo Coffee Co. // Boulder, Colorado
107. Coal Creek Coffee // Laramie, Wyoming
108. The Perch Coffee House // Dubois, Wyoming
109. Jackson Hole Coffee Roasters // Jackson, Wyoming
110. Rockford Coffee // Bozeman, Montana
111. Zocalo Coffee House // Bozeman, Montana
112. Zootown Brew // Missoula, Montana

I'm not a Backpacker

LUANG PRABANG, Laos // Though I carry a backpack I'm discovering I'm not a backpacker. We don't party. We don't do drugs. We drink but are never drunk. Im not in search of my next hook up or looking for my next cliff to jump off of. We aren't hungover and we don't stay up late. I go to bed when I'm tired and wake up without an alarm clock feeling refreshed. I sleep well in a private room. I am not dirty. I shower once a day and brush my teeth twice a day. The more 20 something year old backpackers I meet the less I want to meet them. I am willing to pay up for a good meal and clean accommodations. 

When we decided to fly to Luang Prabang instead of take the overnight bus there were no backpackers on the plane. We had moved into another generation of retired travelers. It was an interesting transition that made me realize; I'm happy this is the time of my life when we decided to travel. This trip at age 20, and this trip at age 65, both would have looked entirely different than what we are experiencing now. Not that it's a better time, but just a different time. We are at a point where we have worked for 8 years and can appreciate our year of "vacation days." We are paying for our own trip so we value everything we spend. I don't know what to call myself, but I know "Backpacker" does not define who I am.

From the Mouth of a Monk

LUANG PRABANG, Laos // Sometimes having a plan is a good thing, but sometimes wandering aimlessly allows for the universe to align // where moments of magic happen that touch your being and alter the way you live your daily life.

We have seen several monks throughout our travels. We watched hundreds of monks during Morning Alms. We went to a meditation exhibit in a temple, and paid to enter the oldest temple in Luang Prabang. We have passed monks walking the street but we have never dreamed of speaking with a monk. They always seem stoic and reserved.

But then the universe sent us Chancim. We were wandering down from the temple on Mount Phousi, unsure if we were going the right way, when we came face to face to a monk with a big smile and an immediate greeting, “hello". A little taken back as none of the other monks have ever spoken to us, we returned the hello but did not venture into further dialogue. The monk stood his ground. In the middle of our path still beaming his bright smile, "Where are you from?" he says in almost perfect English as he gestures for us to enter a terrace off the path near a sign that says "footprint of Buddha" and an arrow pointing down towards the cement floor. It turns out NYC is his favorite city in the USA. I can tell he is practicing English with us as he enunciates each word and we nod with approval. He says he only speaks a little English but he is completely conversational.

He has been in Luang Prabang since 2013. He explained that he chose to become a monk because his parents had passed away and he didn’t understand why or what was happening. It was cheaper to be educated as a monk than in his village schools. With two younger brothers there was no way to afford an education so he chose to become a monk. He has an older sister who is married and has one child, his nephew, which makes him an uncle. He has two younger brothers as well one who just joined him here at his temple as a novice last July. He’s enjoyed having him around though he is naughty. He is strong at mathematics. 

He is a novice monk who is in the middle of school exams this week. English is his favorite subject and he has an hour final exam tomorrow. He asks us to define “fairly” which is harder than you would think to define. Then to our amusement he asks us to define “good nightlife” which is even harder as we mimic dancing and partying for him in the temple. He laughs as we try to explain. 

His big smile never ceases. He has the traditional buzzed hair cut and orange robes over his left shoulder kept together with a cloth belt. He carries only one small simple tan bag with his notebook in it which he brings out to show us, and is covered with an image of Big Hero III and doodlings like I used to make on my biology book from high school. We ask how he learned English, and he said textbooks were difficult, but watching television and movies was the best. It turns out they have a TV in their temple that they watch together. He is also allowed to use computers to help learn. 

He plans on taking off the robes when he graduates monk school next year. You get to choose to enter and you choose to leave, or if you want or stay in the temples the rest of your life. He wants to go to university near the airport in Luang Prabang and then become an English teacher in his hometown 13 miles north near the Chinese border. 

He asks me what time it is pointing at my watch. 5:10 I answer. We have been talking for 40 minutes. He has to be back at his temple by 5:30. They pray to buddha everyday from 5:30-6:30. If he is late he will be disciplined and probably have to clean the restrooms which he does 2 times a month as part of his chores anyways. We tell him not to be late on our accord and he smiles and says 10 more minutes. I smile thinking that a monk has a stricter schedule and I do right now. He is young and human. You can tell he is not perfect nor does he have everything figured out. Its refreshing to know even monks, who I thought had it all figured out, are just as human as I am. 

I don’t know if Chancim does this everyday with everyone, and we are just one drop in his vast memory of speaking with foreigners, but our meeting has ingrained itself in my mind. Everyday I need to smile more and say hello. If it only takes a monk 20 minutes of meditation each day I can commit to that too. I can be human and strive to be kind. Perhaps that chance encounter was the entire reason we came to Luang Prabang. Though the coffee is exceptional and the waterfalls are beyond beautiful, Chancim is what I will remember. His big smile will stay with me.

Unexpected Vientiane

VIENTIANE, Laos // We have been traveling by bus everywhere for the past few weeks. The trip from Thakhek to Vientiane was only about 7 hours, short compared with our previous rides. Since we had no internet in Thakhek, it was our first time landing in a city without anywhere to go. We took a tuk tuk with a group of other backpackers that dropped us off in the city center and wandered around for a few minutes before going down one of the side streets and getting a room. It was easy and fun without having a plan and just spontaneously picking a random place to stay. It turned out to be perfect, and we have come to realize that location is what matters most to us in a city.

We didn't know much about Vientiane because we never really planned on coming here in the first place. This is the same thing that happened to us with Phnom Penh, which we were really glad we visited as well. When you take busses everywhere in a country, you naturally have to pass through the capital. We found a great cluster of coffee shops and cafes where we ended up hanging out in for two days while we planned our trip north to Luang Prabang. 

This city has a substantial French influence, and was ruled by France in the late 1800s. The area where we stayed around the city center was full of expats, and we spent the mornings at Le Trio Coffee shop as they roasted beans freshly picked from the region of southern Laos where we had come from. In the evening we stopped at a Bavarian beer hall and tried their special Blanche De Namur on draft which was incredible. It's been a while since we've had luxury "pour over" coffee and European draft beer, so this was a pleasant unexpected surprise to find this here. 

As we were discussing travel logistics we realized that over the last few weeks we have done a total of 50 hours of bus trips.

• Siem Reap to Phnom Penh // 8 hours
• Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville // 5 hours
• Sihanoukville back to Phnom Penh // 5 hours
• Phnom Penh to Don Det // 12 hours
• Don Det to Thakhek // 13 hours 
• Thakhek to Vientiane // 7 hours

These trips allowed us to visit parts of Cambodia and Laos that we would normally never see, and well worth it. The trip to northern Laos is up and down mountains and twisting roads. We decided to save ourselves the car sickness and just fly. Instead of another 12 hour bus trip, door to door it took 3 hours by flying. The flight itself took only 50 minutes and was super easy. So far we've heard lots of good things about Luang Prabang from other travelers we've met, and are excited to leisurely explore on our own. We have to get our Vietnam Visa here, and not sure how long that will take, but this will end up dictating our future travel plans for the time being.

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitos?

THAKHEK, Laos // The heat and mosquitos neutralized the amazing rock climbing in Thakhek. The routes and scenery were incredible, but the bugs and humidity made us not even want to be outside. There was no escape either. Green Climbers Home is about 20 minutes from the city center of Thakhek by tuk tuk. This is the only place to stay if you want to climb and not commute to the cliffs every day. 

With almost 300 routes, most within a 5 minute walk of the bungalows, there were climbs of all grades. The routes were perfect distances of 20 to 30 meters, the bolts were in good condition, and the rock wasn’t as polished as it was in Tonsai or Railay.  We did about 8 climbs in the 4 days there. 

There is a sense of community feel to the place that we really enjoyed. The food was a mix of western and Lao, and there is a central space where everyone congregates to eat after the day of climbing is over that was really fun. However, the accommodation is all rustic bungalows. They are well maintained and really unique, but there was no air condition in the incredibly humid Laos countryside. Mosquitos and moths relentlessly attacked you. 

While climbing you had the choice // climb with a shirt on and get completely soaking wet with sweat from the humidity but avoid mosquito bites, or climb shirtless with a tank top and be comfortable but get mosquito bites everywhere. 

Another aspect of the situation was Thakhek is a very small town, with no hospital or medical facility. It took us about 10 hours by bus from Don Det, where we seemed to be stopping every mile or so to pick up people or large bags of food and packages. We were an additional 20 minutes from this town, with no internet service, meaning that if we got injured climbing, there is no one to help you. This had me questioning how much I really wanted to push myself here. I stuck mostly to routes graded well within my comfort level, had a great time, and enjoyed climbing in the jungle. 

Routes completed in Thakhek:

• Trollhohlenweg, 29 meters, 11 bolts, 5b // 5.8
• Dancing Butterflies, 18 meters, 9 bolts, 5c // 5.9
• Full Metal Jacket, 17 meters, 7 bolts, 6a // 5.10a
• Rambo Girl, 15 meters, 6 bolts, 5b // 5.8
• Husband, 23 meters, 9 bolts, 5c // 5.9
• Eight Ball, 15 meters, 6 bolts, 5b // 5.8
• Sissi, 18 meters, 8 bolts, 5b // 5.8
• Priapismus, 23 meters, 7 bolts, 6a // 5.10a

Why Don Det?

DON DET, Laos // Today I had my first little "why" breakdown. I'm not sure if it's the length of time we have been away or if it is the physical location we are currently in. Don Det is an island just over the border from Cambodia into Laos. It is one of over 4,000 islands created by the Mekong River. If you google image "Don Det Laos” some scenic photos pop up of happy people jumping off docks, inner tubes drifting in the current, bike rides across quaint bridges, and kayaking to waterfalls which all sound fun and exciting.

To me, the vibe of the island was deflated. Energy was low and some of the travelers seemed dazed perhaps from drugs or partying all night. Even the locals seemed tired of the tourists that support their economy. It was a place devoid of laughter or genuine feelings. There are no major day time activities to consume the hours, though we tried. We biked all over two islands making a day of bird watching with our binoculars, but otherwise people seem to just sit and be. 

I couldn’t figure out why I was in Don Det. Which led to questions like why am I traveling, and even bigger questions like why are any of us here? Was this homesickness? I don’t think so. We technically have no home since we moved out of NYC, though we have family we miss. Instead I think it is a fear that has been nagging at the back of my mind that this chapter of travel in our life was delaying our next chapter. Am I actually living the dream of traveling, or am I just pausing the real life I am supposed to be creating? Perhaps it doesn’t matter why I am in Don Det just that I appreciate everything I have and each day I am alive wherever I may be.

The Wheels on the Bus

DON DET, Laos // A few months ago we drove from New Mexico to Oklahoma City for 8 hours and I thought that was long. The trip from Phnom Penh to the border of Laos was 12 hours. In the end though it wasn’t all that bad. 

We left the hotel in Phnom Penh at 6am and took a tuk tuk for 10 minutes to the city center to find the Sorya Bus Station, the only operator that does the long trip to the border. 

The bus was probably the oldest I’ve ever been on. It made the nasty buses I’ve taken out of Port Authority in New York City seem brand new and luxurious. Every seat had a hole and covered lightly with dust or dirt. The reclining nobs seemed to be stuck in either the up or down position permanently. The side of the wind shield opposite of the driver had a massive crack right in the middle, as if a rock was thrown directly at it. However, the air condition did actually work well. Also, I counted a total of 45 seats, and only 9 were taken, including Jenny and I. We had a lot of room to lay down, spread our stuff out, and relax the whole time. 

We left about 45 minutes late, sometime around 7:30am. We stopped for lunch right outside the city of Kratie around 1pm, then around 4pm to pick up a French couple in the city Stung Treng, the last Cambodian city to the north. It was then about an hour drive through the middle of nowhere. This was really interesting to me to witness the Cambodia that no one sees // just empty land and an old dirt road.

We stopped on the border and there was an arch in font of us. We had to take our passports, Cambodian visa, and Laos entry ticket and walk for about 200 meters. We checked out of Cambodia and then had to process our paperwork for the Laos visa. It took about an hour total. Once through, we got into a tuk tuk truck that drove us 20 minutes to Nakasang pier in Laos. Here we switched onto a boat that took 15 minutes to Don Det, a small island in the middle of the Mekong river. This place is a popular backpacker stop because it is right on the border. We got to the guesthouse right after 6 o’clock. Door to door, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia to Don Det, Laos took exactly 12 hours. We are happy to relax here for a few days before traveling north to Thakhek to see the rock climbing scene. 

Sadness

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia // We arrived back in Phnom Penh after a nice “vacation from a vacation” in Sihanoukville. We tried to book tickets to Laos, but the only bus company that does this trip said that it depends on if the driver wants to make the trip or not, and this is decided the day before. We haven't spent any time in a major Asian city yet, so this was a different landscape which took us some time to get used to. 

There are people everywhere that try to sell you stuff and tuk tuk drivers on every corner asking you if you want a ride. This got annoying pretty fast. Luckily our hotel was right across the street from the night market so both evenings we went and got a chicken noodle bowl with fresh squeezed sugar cane juice for dinner. It was primarily all local Cambodian people with a handful of backpackers and tourists. 

The next day we went to S-21, the Tuol Sleng Prison // Genocide Museum. This was one of the most moving and depressing places we have ever been. It used to be a former high school that was converted into a top secret torture center and prison by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 through 1979. This was just one of over two hundred prisons set up across the country by Pol Pot. Civilians were arrested for unknown reasons, tortured until they admitted to being part of the CIA or other foreign spies, and giving long lists of others who they worked with. One Australian sailor who was captured on his boat and brought to S-21 admitted to working for Colonel Sanders of the Kentucky Fry division. This highlights the paranoia within the Khmer Rouge. By the end, top Khmer Rouge officials and their families were tortured along with torturers themselves becoming prisoners. Once they admitted guilt and signed a full confession, they were allowed to be executed. Everything was meticulously documented as proof of the "success" the regime was having. We couldn't stop staring at the floors we were walking on as we proceeded through the rooms. Real people, men, women and children were killed on the very floors we were walking. Not only was this a museum showing the genocide, but it was being in the physical place where it actually happened that emotionally disturbed us both. 

Over 20,000 people were executed here and there were only 7 survivors, each who had a talent such as artist to draw Pol Pot portraits, or engineer who could fix typewriters that kept them alive. In the courtyard we met one of the survivors selling his memoir book of his time in the prison. We were speechless. There are no words to capture what we want to convey to him. We bought his book and left the area feeling empty inside. His wife was killed here and he lived in hell for 4 years behind these barbed wire walls and now he chooses to sit in the very place synonymous with horror that he probably longed for escape from so many years ago.

We arrived back at the bus station to buy our tickets to Laos tomorrow, then went to the Empire theatre to watch the movie “Killing Fields” about the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. The theatre was great, and we got food and drinks brought to us in the air conditioned theatre. Once again, the movie which is based on a true story, was tough to watch. At the end of the day we just sat in the room and discussed everything we had witnessed today and how fortunate and grateful we are to have family and each other. This day although very depressing, has been very informational and eye opening. It makes us realize how lucky we were to grow up the way we did, and the types of opportunities we had compared to a lot of other people in this world. 

Cambodian Riviera

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia // From Siem Reap it took 8 hours by bus to reach Phnom Penh, the Capitol of Cambodia. We spent the night there and left at 9 o'clock the next morning to go to Sihanoukville and the southern beaches on another mini bus for 4 hours. This area which was once a peaceful beach town has overdeveloped in the past 5 to 10 years. We went as far south as we could to Otres Beach, where there is still lots of solitude and tranquility. 

The thing about Sihanoukville is that we had nothing to actually do or accomplish here. In Tonsai and southern Thailand we wanted to rock climb and sail. In Siem Reap we wanted to explore the famous temples of Angkor Wat. There is not much to do in this quaint little town of Otres Beach except relax. 

We ended up having a routine the last 4 days that became very enjoyable. It consisted of waking up early and having croissants with homemade mango jam at our bungalow restaurant. We would then head to the vast empty beach to play ukulele and build sand castles. Around 12 noon we would walk a quarter mile to Otres town and go to this Italian restaurant / coffee shop / bar. Here we would set up camp on one of their tables on the beach and spend the rest of the day till sundown drinking lattes, eating coconuts, ordering pizza, catching up on our journaling, and reading about Cambodia and the Vietnam War. We have really taken an interest in learning about the history of this country, as neither one of us knew much prior to visiting. We spent time reading a book we got at the War Museum on the biography of one of the guides while he was growing up in war torn Cambodia. 

We really enjoyed our time visiting the Cambodian coast and can see why people tend to get stuck here for weeks or months just enjoying the laid back atmosphere. We saw rooms for $3 a day as well as bungalow rental for $120 a month. It was nice to have creative endeavors to enjoy and keep us busy while relaxing here. We bus back to Phnom Penh and plan on getting organized before making the long trip to Laos in the coming days.