I arrived here on Sunday night local time (early Sunday AM for most of you), after a grueling 61 hours of total travel time, if you count the drive to the airport in the snow, the layovers in San Francisco in Taipei and Bangkok, and the drive to the house here. The weather in Denver was in the 20's when I left, with heavy snow, San Fran was in the 70's and Phnom Penh was in the humid 90's. I like the weather in Cambodia best. :)
Two highlights from San Francisco:
1) I got my first (and perhaps only) 4x4 at In n Out and finished the whole thing. Google "In n Out secret menu", if you're unsure of what that is. It was nice to eat while relaxing on the water, looking the Golden Gate bridge.
2) An old asian woman offered me a homemade "treat" of some sort while I was in SFO. It appeared to be a sweet root paste wrapped in a leaf. I think she could tell I was torqued off while I was on the phone and wanted me to have abetter day. As nice as she was, I just couldn't take homemade, foreign food from a stranger in an airport, as safe as I'm sure it was. I told her I was full from breakfast and thanked her many, many times before I left to get on the BART train. I think she was cool with it, and she did make me a little happier just by offering it to me.
Taipei is a fine enough airport, but it is always musty and is in various states of remodel. Some being very old school communist feeling, and other being not unlike DIA.
Bangkok reminds me of the Honolulu airport from when I was a kid. Very open, with a tropical feel. They are definitely used to westerners in Bangkok. Lots of english speakers, and very easy to navigate the large, sprawling airport. And, they let me hang out in the preferred travelers lounge during my layover. Tang, digestive biscuits and popcorn never had a more enthusiastic fan than I, that day.
The missionaries were long gone before I got here due to my delayed travels, so I was not able to hear from them the rules they have for the house. They did leave me a very detailed binder, complete with dossiers of each boy and instructions for just about everything, so I felt prepared.
The boys are mostly teens now, and are pretty much in their own heads, for the most part. About half of them are kind of new to me because they were in the provinces on missionary trips for most of the time when I was here last. But there are 5 kids and one college age kid from the last time I was here and we picked it up from last time no problem. They have severe trust/abandonment issues (for good reason-if you knew there stories) so I just give them their space and am there when they need something.
Today I jumped on the back of a moto (kind of like a scooter) with the college kid and went to the russian market. They call it the russian market because it had a lot of russian crap back in the day, and the russians who were here on aid missions throughout the 80's shopped there. The russian market is a labyrinth of narrow, dark, incredibly hot, cramped hallways. You really have to be mindful of your stuff and all the merchants barking "you buy, you buy, sir, you like this silk shirt, you like tablecloth, you buy, you buy, just small profit for you sir". I actually think it's fun, but I'm not sure how many of you would. If you like the chaos of TJ Maxx on Black Friday x 10 and in a different language, and over 100 degrees, and smelling like live poultry, then this is your place. I bought a couple of things that I had promised the kids, a few things for Windy and some chopsticks for myself. Pashmina scarves=$4
Michael had to stop off at the school on the way back, so I dropped him off and drove the rest of the way home. It was only three blocks, but if you knew what it's like driving here, you'd be impressed. PLus, I drove around a little extra in the neighborhood just to test my skills. It wasn't a problem. Just kind of like being a bike messenger-kind of fun, really. The biggest thing from keeping me from venturing out on my is the fact that the streets are pretty confusing and they all look the same. Maybe tomorrow I'll go out on my own.
That's it for now. Dinner time soon-beef like product with curry.
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9 comments:
Oh, yeah. I've always wanted to find a place where I could get heatstroke and a migraine while smelling like live poultry. Wait, no I haven't. But it IS exellent to have a husband who can thrive on the energy and bring me gifts!
I am still freaking about you driving alone of the moto, though. Seriously, I am picturing you throwing me, Cade, and Heath on the sides and back of your bike and taking us all to church on the wrong side of the road on Easter. Cultural Assimilation, baby!
Ahhhhhh! What memories - what excitement! Glad you are doing so well after a long, long trip. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. mb
So glad to see this Post. Glad to know you're there and well. However you have to post tomorrow so we know you got home from your solo moto trip and are not meandering around Phom Phen forever like the guy on the MTSl. Did I get that right?
IF someone came with me (like a BIG male), I'd take on that marketplace "just because"! - IMAGINE the bargains! :-)
Once "waaay back when", Mira Mesa neighbor Anne Morris & I went to TJ, but made the mistake of going down an uninhabited lane in a clean looking marketplace Lets just say Anne was ready to bop him over the head with her (substantial) "bag"
when the merchant, seemingly innocently, took my arm in his! We left pronto! mc
TJ can be rough, especially now, for a host of reasons, but I think that this market tops it, if only due to the heat. You are absolutely drenched in sweat within 3 minutes of going in.
I miss typed-pashmina scarves are $3, but I did have to pay $4 for one that was "extreemry high qurarity-just small profit, for you sir".
:)
Windy-I have seen you in TJ Maxx and in Lithuania. You'd be fine, once you saw the clothes. You'd probably even feel pretty cool. I'll try to get a video of the place today, but I won't be able to post it until I get back because the internet is just too slow and intermittent.
I am going to follow Michael on his moto today. You people really are too funny. I know what I can do, and what I cant do. I don't do things I can't. Worry not, little ones.
Mom or Dad, I believe it was the MTA. At least it was in the kingston Trio song.
yea - Dad corrected me - it was the MTA.
I wasn't really worried Kyle, just enjoyed the image and the song popped into my mind so had to say it. HHMMM ..."Riding forever on my lil moto - til it sputtered and ran out of fuel, leaving me lost in the maze of Phonm Phen, forever to wonder where." (Sorry - gotta go make the bed so the lyrics are weak)
Yes, poor ole Charley still rides the MTA beneath the streets in Boston - thank you Kingston Trio. mb
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