I could write about my lovely new German friends that encouraged me to relax and eat well.
I could write about waking at dawn and cycling in chase of the sunrise.
About cycling with no destination and stumbling upon just waking villages with the scent of sticky rice in the air
About accidentally cycling to magnificent rapids and waterfalls... Then intentionally seeking waterfalls :)
About the oxen that blocked my path and moved when I rang my bicycle bell
About old French rail ports and craggy rocks shielding Cambodia
About children scaling bamboo rods and tree branches to toss down fruit... And who giggle at a white girl on a bike in their forest
About the Lao woman who told me not to marry young; that when she wants noodle soup, her husband wants rice and he always wins. She plans on getting that more expensive concrete house though no matter what he says!
About tying a tube to the guesthouse dock to float & read because I was too nervous about the Mekong's current
About fresh white fish steamed in bamboo leaves with coconut milk, lemongrass, & tomato (oh God so good).
About swinging in a hammock with a good book and a couple beer Laos
It was possibly a traveler's dream.
Today (while in Phnom Penh) I booked hundreds of dollars worth of four flights to squeeze in all I want to do in my last four weeks. The price tag hurts but the thought of missing Halong Bay or Thailand beaches hurts more! Plus an hour long plane ride sounds much more pleasant than a 14 hour bus ride, and now I know I will definitely make it back to Bangkok in time for my flight home. The rest of my itinerary is pretty much set, as much as I hate feeling so committed.
Next stops:
Battambang
Siem Reap (Angkok Wat)
Phnom Penh to get to Ho Chi Minh City
Da Nang
Hoi An
Hue
Hanoi
Halong Bay
Bangkok to get to Surat Thani (islands)
One full week of precious island/beach/relaxation time, probably on Ko Saumi and Ko Tao
Bangkok to get to Hong Kong to get to LOS ANGELES.
These advance plans were necessary because the New Year Holiday is April 13-15th and everything will be booked, which is why tickets were so expensive. Imagine being a foreigner absolutely needing to fly around Thanksgiving... Yeah, like that. Whoops.
Ok, I'm done pretending like I'm a reporter at the Foreign Correspondent's Club in Phnom Penh. I think they see through me...
Katie all of that sounds so amazing, I'm so proud of you and jealous of your journeys! Glad you are staying safe, making friends, and doing lots of cycling. Miss you but can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!!
ReplyDeleteCambodia is so amazing! All you have to do is get off the beatin' path and the sites and sounds change 180 degrees. I am so glad that you are experiencing both extremes. Ah...so glad you made it to the FCC. Were there geckos hanging out on the walls? (I'll admit that I had a little too much "fun" and perhaps there were more geckos than reality??)
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