Frequently Asked Questions about our Trip
Dr. Dave answers all your questions!
Leaving in late August 08 and returning in July 09, we travelled west around the globe, logging over 30,000 miles and visiting 15 countries. This latest post aims to answer the most commonly asked questions around our year of travel and serve as a sort of summary now that we have been back in Canada for several months. Dave has done the writing with some editing by Heather (our usual and most efficient arrangement!).
How long did you plan this? We turned the dream into a decision to go for it about two years in advance, thinking that we might actually try for August, 2007 but a few key factors weren’t coming together so we readjusted our timeline and waited for God’s cue. For the last eight months, Dave drove Heather around the bend with project manager’s charts and weekly progress meetings but eventually on August 27, 2008 we climbed on Air New Zealand and headed for Auckland.
How did you travel? There was a rumour that we were sailing around the world, probably because people know we are sailors but no, we went in jets mostly, with Star Alliance network of airlines, on round the world (RTW) tickets. RTW tickets allow for changes to schedule without penalty as long as you travel within a year and don’t change your destinations. It took some convincing with a few airlines when we made schedule changes (they did not know the RTW rules) but this was largely a great way to go and catch this, we took over 25 flights and did not lose one piece of luggage – that must be a world record or something, at least for Air Canada (although we only had 4 flights with them).
The question of luggage! After a rigorous search for the perfect travel luggage and a fully boiled down packing list we managed to squeeze all our gear into one 40 L wheeled backpack-type bag and one 20 L daypack each. This required jettisoning some of Heather’s shoes, a DVD player of Ben’s and several pairs of Ben’s extra underwear (it seemed like the right thing to do since he never changed it anyways). Even Heather agreed that it was quite adequate; besides, who needs to change clothes…just change cities!
So out of the hundreds of countries on the globe, how do you decide where to go? We started by mounting a world map and each put pins on our top choices and eventually we arrived at the list of countries on the following map, with Vanuatu in the South Pacific being our first stop. Unfortunately, one of Dave’s top 3 was Brazil which we just couldn’t fit in (this time!).
Click here for Route map
Why Vanuatu? Well, Ben did a project in Grade 6 French on Vanuatu and when we found out we could get there on the RTW tickets, that was it. Vanuatu, a group of 83 islands formerly known as the New Hebrides became independent in 1980 from British and French rule. We have friends with relatives there who arranged for us to stay on a remote island called Ambrym and live with the locals for a few days (see the August 2008 archive for details). Vanuatu has beautiful remote beaches, volcanoes, snorkelling and the happiest people on earth according to a recent poll.
How did we afford this and how much does it cost for a family of three? This is a common question we got along the way and also now. Well, a family of three staying in 3 star accommodations (or less) can travel by various means for between $5000-6500 per month. In some countries you can live cheaper than in Canada and it was strange to calculate that we at times were spending less than living at home. We rented our house to a terrific university professor from New York State which covered all our home expenses. This was all made possible in the first place, however, by Heather’s amazing Aunt Pat, a lover of travel and a licensed pilot, who left an unexpected inheritance to Heather when she died a few years ago. We used it as seed money and then started saving Heather’s salary and any windfall cash that came along. God provided and the rest is history.
How did we get the time off? Dave has worked for his engineering company for over 15 years, is a part owner, and was managing 2 work sectors. His boss is a spectacular guy and recognized to keep Dave they would have to make it work. Two of Dave’s workmates stepped up (of course it took two to replace him!) and after loads of planning with staff and clients, Dave unplugged himself. Thanks to God for such a great employer. Heather was self-employed and on contract with a BC Government program and was able to step away from that (or retire as she likes to say). I remind her, however, that retirement usually comes with a pension.
Pool school
What about Ben’s school? It is hard for truant officers to find you when you stay on the move! Seriously, though, again we were blessed. Ben’s middle school (grades 6-8) was very flexible in allowing us to design our own ‘Travel School” program which consisted of self guided math (after he fired us) and writing assignments on the different countries and adventures we had. This was no cake walk and Ben struggled with discipline (us too) but it wasn’t until returning to grade 8 and a heavy homework load that he admitted it was a darn good deal. Without the competitive factor, motivation was an issue but in retrospect, we should have lightened-up a little on him as there is so much he learned about the world that you can never learn from a book or in class. What to wear in a Hindu temple or how to bargain for a Tuk Tuk in Thailand just don’t seem to be offered in your typical school curriculum.
What was your favourite country or place? This often gets asked and, of course, differs for each member of the family. Ben’s favourites are New Zealand, Scotland, and Greece. This is primarily related to 1. Shooting things, 2. Temperature and 3. Western culture. Heather’s favourites are Greece and India. Greece for her 50th birthday was her dream and after all she is a Goddess. India is a strange attraction that neither Ben or Dave can explain (you don’t vacation there, that’s for sure). Dave’s favourites are Australia and Greece, with southern Thailand a close 3rd. The boy likes beaches, surf, sand and roast lamb (not necessarily in that order). So the common denominator has to be Greece; it could be the fact that we stayed a month in one place and really immersed ourselves in the culture, or it could be the old world European small town simplicity, but I think we will be back.
What is our least favourite country or place? We spent time in some very marginalized places during our travels but Ben and I have to agree that India is not a place to holiday; you visit intently and that is just that. If you ask Ben to describe India he would say adjectives such as dirty, smelly, stinky, noisy, dusty…yet somehow India does grow on you and has a mystique that is hard to describe. Travelling India is simply an intense experience. Heather would not agree with our assessment because Heather always manages to see through the muck of life and observe good in things. The women in their bright saris, the small children watching out for one and another, and the sights and smells are different for Heather. There is one thing, however, that will make Heather see reality and that is if she has to try and cook a meal in a disgusting kitchen… more about that later.
Scariest place or experience? There were several situations where we knew we were a little exposed being the only western whites around but, thankfully, we were kept safe and never threatened, mistreated or robbed. We had a system in place where we kept just enough cash for the day in the daily wallet so that if we were robbed we would give it over and simply let the thief run off. We stored backup credit cards away from the wallet. Fortunately the system was never tested. Some of the scariest places were Chennai and parts of Agra, India. People would call out to you as you walked down the street as we were noticeably different from everyone else. Downtown Jakarta, Indonesia is also a place to be feared but we did not feel threatened at the time. As mentioned earlier, the scariest place for Heather was the kitchen available to us in Puduchittaram, southern India while living in volunteer quarters. The dirt floor, cracked counters, built-up grime, intermittent generator failures, and the rat scampering around made you glad to have a bottle of bleach at your disposal. We quickly realized why our fellow volunteer from Holland ate a diet of instant noodles.
Where did we volunteer? We had volunteer stints in two locations: in northern Thailand near Chaing Mai and with an organization called Bless in southern India. In Thailand, we worked with the Elephant Nature Park which is a sanctuary for abused and sick elephants. They have 30-40 elephants between 3 and 50 years old. Volunteers do a number of chores from preparing food and feeding them, bathing them in the river, cleaning their shelters, and repairing fences. All three of us learned a great deal about elephant behaviour and the plight of the elephant in northern Thailand which is quite grim. In 1900 there were more than 100,000 elephants in Thailand, and now there are fewer than 3000. The Elephant Nature Park works to find a better world for elephants in Thailand through education and tourism. Unfortunately, the right to use and abuse elephants is deeply embedded in Thai culture so things don’t look good in the near future. It will take political will to change the plight of the Thai elephant.
Hygiene lesson at St. Mary's High School
In southern India we worked with Bless who are doing sanitation projects for the villages and schools of the area. They began their work in relief of the 2004 Tsunami. Much of this work is complete and they now are focusing on installing composting toilets throughout the poorest communities in the area. Since over 800 million Indians live rurally and there is only one toilet for 1500 people, most people do their business in the woods and fields. When the winter monsoon rains come you can imagine what this does to transport pathogens and disease into water supplies. We worked with Bless in two different locations in Tamil Nadu state, one near Pondicherry and the other in Puduchittaram. Much of the work involves constructing the toilets next to schools. They have found the best way to teach the parents is through their children (often the case!). Dave went out to inspect and install toilets while Heather went into two schools to observe and make recommendations to their hygiene education team based on her environmental ed experience. There was not alot for Ben to do and it was hard on him. He had some outings with Dad but eventually we saw that the best thing for all of us was to give Bless a donation and move on. They are doing such great work and it seemed that money was what they needed more than physical assistance.
How has this experienced changed us? A year on the road has an effect on you that only those who have done it will understand. By far the biggest change is the chance at 50 to take to time to evaluate where you have been in your life to date, to branch out and see parts of the rest of the world, to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone and then ask yourself what to do with the rest of your life. Are we doing all we can to make a difference in the world or just living our nice North American lifestyle? Will we continue just as we left off or do something different? Your RRSPs may have tanked but you can’t take them with you, they won’t be your legacy, so what will? These are good questions to ask in midlife and we are still answering them.
So how the Murray family will make a difference in the world is firmly on our radar. Dave is getting more involved in our community through his family’s tradition of Rotary, while Heather has returned to her volunteer shift at a drop-in centre for street kids. God has a plan but has not totally revealed it yet; all we know is we have grown in many ways. Ben, of course, is growing up and very fast it seems at times. He has absorbed more than he lets on; it lurks below the surface and it is exciting to wait and see where it comes up. Friends comment that they have had some fascinating conversations with him!
Welcome home cake
What was it like getting back to normal life? Well, we leave the toughest question for last. In some ways, getting back into our old life in Victoria was easy and in others extremely difficult. The easy part was getting reacquainted with friends, family and neighbours. They have been so welcoming and we suspect they even missed us. Getting back into school mode was tough for Ben. Besides the social aspects of grade 8, there was the mountain of homework and developing a system for completing it. There are a couple of bright-light teachers at his school who helped out at critical times and in the end, his December report card made us all proud. He has thrown himself back into hockey (literally since he can now check legally) and drumming with or without a drum kit.
Dave went back to work gradually, starting one day a week and adding a day. This allowed a slow steady return to reality and avoided a nervous breakdown. His company has been patient and generous and he is fitting back in but with a slightly different role. The office that he built in Victoria continues to be managed by his work colleague and old friend, Rob, while Dave is heading the company’s Water Resources Engineering Sector based mainly in Vancouver. He takes 3-4 trips back and forth per month by float plane/skytrain with a commute time of one and a half hours (better than many in-city commutes!). This travelling is a snap relative to last year so life is good. While Dave is back, it is with a new focus that leaves room for community and volunteer efforts, something that consulting does not often allow for.
While we are back to “normal life”, we don’t feel it inside, and know that God blessed our journey as a family in ways we still don’t fully see. We encourage you to pursue your own travel fantasies and would be pleased to provide more “how to” information on a one to one basis.
Happy trails,
Dave, Heather, and Ben
Home Sweet Home
On July 3rd we arrived home in Victoria after just over 10 months of travelling. Ben was overjoyed and kissed the floor of the airport. Dave’s Dad and Sister were there to greet us. Our cat Sammy did not quite know what to make of us thinking he had been abandoned and not expecting to see us ever again. It was Dave’s Birthday (the big 50) on July 5th. This was celebrated with a traditional Gardner porridge fight on the beach in front of Dave’s parents house.
Now we are readjusting to life in Victoria and sifting through the many memories and thousands of photographs. The summer will be a mixture of sailboat excursions, hockey camps and just plain messing around with the house and garden. Then in the Fall Dave has to face up to going back to work at Kerr Wood Leidal (I almost miss it, well almost.)
Thanks to all who followed this Blog and our travels. This is likely the final entry (except India if Heather ever posts it). The time has flown (except India, sorry Heather). We give thanks to God for this trip, for the many prayers of friends that kept us safe throughout the journey. Over 25 flights without any lost luggage, no stolen wallets or credit cards, no serious illnesses, we were truly watched over and forever blessed on our journey.
Bye for now, Dave, Heather and Ben
Dave and Heather enjoy a welcome home cake with friends.
Back in Canada
Ben at dawn overlooking the Minas Basin at Wolfville.
Well, Ben did not kiss the ground when we arrived in Halifax May 24 but it was close. We flew from London to Halifax after a couple of weeks in England and Scotland. We took up residence with Heather’s parents Ralph and Jean and it has been great to be back in Canada after many months out of the country. It has been so nice to understand when people talk to you, to understand the money and after working on the Euro and British Pound, Canada sure seems inexpensive.
Ben has enjoyed his reentry too and has been watching the hockey playoffs, roller blading and watching Star Wars movies. We are now on a run through New Brunswick and Ben is getting some much needed kid time.
We head for Ontario on June 19 and will be visiting relatives and friends. Then it is Canada Day in Ottawa which will be extra special for us this year and back to Victoria July 3rd. We are looking forward to seeing many of you once again!
My Big Fat Greek Love Affair
The Happy Hiker
OK, so I’m in love with a Greek…island. Welcome to Sifnos, a lesser known island in the famous Cyclades that includes Santorini and Mykonos to the southwest of Athens. We arrived here by a five and a half hour ferry ride on March 24, having selected it after an internet search for the perfect Greek retreat for us at this time in our trip. It hasn’t let us down… within a day of settling in to the Hotel Stavros in the small port town of Kamares, Ben had made a friend in 9 year old Markos, the son of the owners who speaks excellent English thanks to his Mom being from the UK. Markos is now on 2 weeks Easter school holidays so we hope to see him a fair bit.
CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW OF SIFNOS
Painting over the lines
English is not widely spoken here and we are several weeks ahead of the main tourist wave, which is quite lovely in that we get to see the towns waking up after the winter slumber. Many local business owners winter on the mainland and are arriving back daily to whitewash walls and repaint the white lines between the flagstones on their patios which is a trademark of the islands. As we’re doing most of our own cooking, the limited number of tavernas and cafes open is not a problem. The weather varies between cool showers and scorching sun which has brought the wildflowers popping out in a brilliant display.
We hiked out to the farthest point
We stayed in a 2 bedroom flat with kitchenette at the hotel in Kamares for the first week, enjoying the seaside location, port activity, and little supermarket next door which against the odds, did in fact stock Bombay gin, limes and tonic water for the master. Dave and I went on a rocky 3 hour hike out to the point north of the harbour, accompanied by goats and a few sheep.
Our Apollonia cottage
We have since moved up into the hills to the main town of Apollonia, which is larger, more central, and offered a one-bedroom cottage with more space and a knockout view past the tiny church next door across the valley to the sea beyond. Stone footpaths connect it to nearby towns, following centuries-old terraces that divide the hills into olive groves and vineyards. We get the morning sun so have been enjoying our breakfast on the patio.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday in Canada but the Greek Orthodox church celebrates it next Sunday, April 19th, which also happens to be my 50th birthday. From what we have been able to discern, there will be processions, a midnight resurrection mass, feasting and maybe fireworks. Sounds wonderful. According to the travel books, there are 365 churches and small chapels on Sifnos, although most of them only come to life once a year for their saint’s namesake day. We will go scout out a “mainstream” one tomorrow to prepare ourselves for next weekend.
To be continued….
Heather
A Week in Istanbul
Dave the Turk
We arrived in Istanbul Turkey on March 24th after a 6 ½ hour flight from Delhi, India. A last minute bout of the flu meant Dave barely made it on the airplane but a seat adjacent to the bathroom made it doable and Dave quickly obtained status as the bathroom attendant. After smelly, dirty, noisy India (not that I have an opinion or anything!), Istanbul was a collective breath of fresh air.
CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW ON ISTANBUL
Clean streets, cooler temperatures, organized traffic where people obey traffic laws and stunning architecture are just a few of Istanbul’s strong points. Shortly after arriving, the other two members of the family came down with the flu so we checked into a 4 star hotel with good service and locked ourselves in the room except to venture out to the pharmacy for various remedies. While it took a week to fully recover from the “Dark Death of India”, we did start to venture out to some of the impressive historical buildings and sights after a couple of days.
Inside the Hagia Sofia
The Hagia Sophia, first constructed between 324-337 AD by Constantine and reconstructed in the 4th and 5th centuries before being converted to a Mosque during the Ottoman period is one monstrous building with extremely high ceilings (over 40 m). There are incredible tile mosaic pictures of Christ and Mother Mary and massive buttressed domes that go on and on. It was a church for about 900 years and then a mosque for over 480 years.
The Blue Mosque is one of the most famous Turkish and Islamic World. It has 6 minarets that make it look like a Disneyland castle. We were not able to see the blue inside however as they were praying at the time we visited. The Theodosius Obelisk is a dramatic monument erected in 390AD. This was quite the engineering feat to get it standing upright. Not sure what will happen in the event of an earthquake as the supports at the bottom don’t look too robust.
The Topkapi Palace, built by one of the Sultans in the 1400s is situated on immense grounds overlooking the Bosphorous. The palace goes on and on, with many examples of tiled buildings dedicated to a particular period or a battle. There are several galleries loaded with gifts from various periods to various Sultans, diamonds, rubies, gold and silver, weapons abound. Also included in a Muslim display of sacred relics are apparently the staff of Moses and the arm of John the Baptist (research by us to determine whether to believe it or not has not yet been done).
The Archeological Museum is stunning with sarcophagi dating back over 2000 years. Turkish history just leaves you spellbound thinking of how many times different empires have ruled this area and how many different religions have dominated over time. Relics from the Persian civilization of Anatolia, Hellenistic-influenced Roman era sculptures and the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great were quite something to see.
Underground in the cistern
And now the engineering part if the tour! Ben and I went to the Basilica Cistern. Istanbul has several underground cisterns beneath the old city. This underground water reservoir was built between 527-565 AD by Justinanus the 1st and was the largest reservoir in the city. The forest of stone columns (336) and brick arches is very impressive even to the non-engineer, in fact even an architect would like this with the soft orange mood lighting and figures of Medusa’s head on a couple of the columns. Water levels fluctuated seasonally and water was distributed through a series of stone on the eastern wall.
Other highlights of Istanbul were the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, cruising the Bosphorous ( which links the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea and is the dividing line between Europe and Asia) and the many Turkish restaurants. Later in the week we did find the opportunity to sample the local food which is quite tasty. The people are friendly and feisty and the hawkers do go away if told to, unlike India where they stick to you like glue for blocks until you yell at them.
Our time in Turkey went fast and due to our health we had to change our plans to venture out of Istanbul to other parts of Turkey. However, we would highly recommend a trip to Turkey for stunning beauty, incredible history and warm hospitality. Next time we would like to travel to places like Gallipoli and Ephesus and really delve into the history and landscapes. We left for Greece, healthy and quite happy that we had for at least a week, experienced Turkey.
Dave a.k.a the bathroom monitor
India Update
It may be sometime before we get an official India post with pictures (very low tech here, and smelly, so this is a temporary post to let those who are interested know we are still alive and kicking. We spent about 2 1/2 weeks in southern India volunteering with an organization called BLESS . We were involved with some sanitation projects there. We are currently on a road trip tour in northern India in Rajasthan and will be flying to Turkey March 24.
Bye for now,
Dave
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
Bathtime in the river
BEN:
We traveled to the park in a small van. Once there, we were assigned rooms. In the park there are 38 elephants. We did all sorts of chores. We shoveled elephant and buffalo poo. We bathed and fed the elephants. Some times we went with a nurse to help give special medicines to the elephants. We do some other things too sometimes, including going up to elephant heaven with some of the elephants. Elephant heaven is another one of their properties that is in the jungle. They take elephants up there so that they can get used the jungle for when they are set free.
DAVE:
We met many people from around the world who were volunteering at the park including Belgium, Australia, England, Germany, USA and quite a number of Canadians. Our neighbours were 2 gals from Montreal. The food was excellent and was buffet style so we had to work hard to keep the pounds off. The staff were quite friendly and fun, some of the volunteers were a bit flaky and didn’t shave their armpits but this is expected at an elephant hugger park. The park also had about 50 dogs of various sizes and breeds who watched over each of the cabin units. Ours also had 2 cats to go with the dogs. The cats tended to visit late at night or in the bathroom. The dogs waited until about 3 am and then decided to have a go at something or each other, earplugs became mandatory. We had a number of different jobs at the park including, fixing the elephant eating deck, repairing fencing, staining cabins etc. It was good to use some carpentry skills and not just poop scoop.
HEATHER:
I’m sitting in the doorway of our split bamboo cabin on stilts, looking over at Boon Khun (BK for short), a 60 year old bull elephant currently “in must”, ie on the make and therefore on a 40 m ankle chain to prevent him causing harm to himself or the other animal or human residents of the park. He is the oldest and biggest of the 3 bulls and last year stayed in must for 7 months. Other elephants are free to visit him but breeding is not part of the park’s agenda so if it happens, it’s a bonus. Beyond BK are the dry fields and smoke-hazed hills that give the whole scene an “out of Africa” feel.
That was probably my favourite thing about our week at the park: the peaceful (though not quiet!) natural setting in a river valley with lots of space for the elephants to roam, although they tend to stay in their family groups of 2-3 females with 1-2 youngsters. It is a bit unnerving how similar to humans they are in many ways…their life expectancy, family relationships, and child-rearing. And as one of the staff mentioned, big hips and lots of wrinkles are highly regarded in the elephant world!
It was great to have your day and food pretty much planned for you, a bit like summer camp, which was a welcome break after 5 months on the road. Unlike most summer camps, however, the food was excellent, mostly vegetarian Thai, and there were always French fries at lunch so Ben was happy.
The hike up to “Elephant Heaven” was also a high point…literally. We followed six of the herd up into the hills, to the original park lodge which was rustic to say the least. It has a mud bath pit for the elephants which was a hoot to watch. Dave and Ben chose not to spend the night claiming that they got to do lots of camping out with scouts back home. Not so for me so I toughed it out with the younger crowd who stayed and enjoyed the campfire and conversation; I did pull rank when it came to bunkies and grabbed the only single grass mat.
I didn’t develop a close bond with any one elephant as some of the other volunteers did, but I did come away with a sense of awe at their gentleness, sensitivity (Max would cry when his abcess was being cleaned but wouldn’t budge) and their dexterity, especially their trunks which could retrieve the tiniest banana. Elephants have been revered in Thai culture and spiritual life for centuries so it is shocking to find out how cruelly they are treated in their working environments in logging camps, trekking operations and “begging” on city streets. Their population in Thailand has also plummeted from 100,000 one hundred years ago to about 1500 today.
The petite Thai woman, Lek Chailert, who started the park and its Jumbo Express program to treat sick elephants in outlying villages is a pioneer in alternative elephant care and training methods. She has been recognized outside her country by organizations such as National Geographic and Time Magazine but is only now attracting interest from other elephant camps who often exploit their animals. Her park is a true eco-tourism example that is turning a good profit and hopefully other parks will follow her lead.
Reflections on Cambodia
CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW ON SIEM REAP
CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW ON PHNOM PENH
Cambodia is a country of extremes and beauty. It is very much a country rising from the ashes of its war-torn past. We went to Cambodia as a last-minute decision having to get out and then back into Thailand to extend our visas, however, the experience was rewarding. Cambodia is definitely not for the faint hearted though, it is still quite 3rd-world and dirty and we did not feel as comfortable as we did in other Asian countries.
We started out our journey in Phnom Penh, the capital, finding a hotel along the Tonle Sap River (for the river engineers, they have a large scale dredging operation to allow shipping traffic by removing silt from the Tonle Sap near the confluence with the Mekong River. The river flows toward the Mekong most of the time but in the rainy season it reverses direction and acts as storage for the mighty Mekong River.)
Phnom Penh is a big, crazy, dirty city that can only be properly experienced in a Tuk Tuk (a motorbike with a trailer). The traffic is horrendous going every which way and crossing the street as a pedestrian makes you think of your insurance policy every time. Key places of interest to visit are the King’s Palace, the site of the Killing Fields and the National Museum.
Cambodia has a rich and interesting history up to the time of civil war in the 70s. Angkor Wat, north near Siem Reap has a multitude of outstanding religious temples constructed during the 9-13th Centuries. At one time Angkor controlled a huge area including most of Vietnam, Laos and a good chunk of Thailand but times change and they retreated out of these areas. The massive temples like Angkor Wat remain and are now huge tourist attractions. Angkor Wat (wat just means Temple or Pagoda) is the largest religious building in the world and ranks right up there with the pyramids in Egypt.
Unfortunately, first the French came in and colonized Cambodia, then Japan had their invasion in WW II and then in the 60s and 70s Cambodia became a pawn in the Cold War between the USA and Soviet Union during and after the Vietnam War. Since the Asian currency crisis back in the 1990’s the US dollar is king and most things are quoted in US currency. The Cambodian Riel is many used in replacement for coins 4000 Riel is roughly equal to 1 US $.
Around Phnom Penh
Nothing can quite prepare you for visiting the site of the Killing Fields a short drive outside of Phnom Penh. Growing up in North America, you learn a lot about WW II and the atrocities that Hitler and the Nazis were responsible for, however, this seems to pale when compared to the millions of people slaughtered by the Khmer Rouge during the 1970s. Estimates are all over the map but between 1 and 3 million people are believed to be buried in mass graves such as the Killing Fields. Touring around the simple site at the Killing Fields with low tech signs such as “This is where they unloaded the prisoners” or
“This is the tree they killed children on” is sobering and makes you wonder how mankind gets so out of control in the name of misguided ideology. In the centre of this site is a large display containing hundreds of human skulls. Ben couldn’t understand why they (USA) didn’t drop in with helicopters and save everybody as the sight is not hard to get to. The answer is a lot more complicated than that but in the end the senseless of it all and the devastation to the Cambodian people is hard to comprehend.
A highlight of Phnom Penh was dinner at the FCC or Foreign Correspondents’ Club over looking the Tonle Sap River. This is where reporters hung out during the Vietnam and Cambodian wars. You could feel the history in the place. The pictures on the wall from that time period gave you a sense of what it was like in the war period.
Siem Reap
We drove to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh which takes about 6 hours by car. Along the way you can see how most Cambodians live many in thatched huts and houses but some in reasonably nice homes. The really poor folks live away from the roads so you need to venture off the main highway to get the true picture. Along the way you see a lot of children living in poverty walking around naked etc. A large portion of kids do not go to school but instead work on the family rice farm. Our driver Sophat worked in the city but is wife and kids lived in his village with his parents tending to the rice crops.
Siem Reap is an up and coming tourist town, capitalizing on Anchor Wat and the temple tourism dollar. There is a lot of foreign money being pumped in here and their airport was put in a year ago. Japanese and Korean tourists abound and the cultural performances and tourist attractions are mainly aimed at them. There is also a large French tourist contingent and the downtown old town area of Siem Reap is French style alleys with shops and restaurants in the alleys.
We had a good look around Angkor Wat with a tour guide who filled our heads with more information with a depth than no one would ever want to know about the Hindu and Buddhist gods. The main Temple took almost 30 years to complete and the King at the time was quite a builder and had a lot of ambition and energy (not to mention dozens of wives).
Another highlight of the stay in Siem Reap was a visit to a local floating church, a ministry of the local Catholic Church. There is a floating village about 30 minutes outside of town that is inhabited primarily by Vietnamese people. So they have a floating church as an outreach to the community. The congregation sits on the floor of this houseboat and the priest sits at an alter near the front while barges and long tail boats whiz past creating wakes of various sizes. The kids were beautiful and Heather stayed after with them to observe Sunday school.
After 5 nights in Siem Reap we flew out of their newly constructed airport back to Bangkok. We were happy to get out of Cambodia but feel for their people and the stories of their corrupt Government. It seems that they can’t seem to shake the cycle of corruption and that eventually this may end in some sort of revolt. Time will tell if they can move to a fair system. The beauty of short memories and the smiling faces of young children that have been born since the war gives a strong sense of hope and that we were grateful to see.
DAVE
Flight of the Gibbons
Here’s a look at the flying Murray family when we went on a “tour” to the Flight of the Gibbons zipline park outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. I’ll try to figure out how to get a video on here next!
Back in Thailand
Just a short post to let everyone know we are back in Thailand. We spend about 9 days in Cambodia (a post to come on this) and then spent a week in Chiang Mai, Thailand before heading to volunteer at an Elephant Nature Park for a week (a post to come from Heather on this). We are now back in Chiang Mai for a couple of days before flying to Chennai (Madras) India on Wednesday Feb 25th. We are busy doing laundry, sending packages home and catching up on showers and sleep. We hope to update our pictures in the next 2 days.
Dave
