I am approaching four months of travel and I have also entered a slightly cooler climate. Now I wear jeans and my light dresses stay in my bag. My gear is holding up but starting to show the wear of travel. My white clothes have a grey/brown undertone, even when they are fresh from the wash. I am planning…
Category: Cambodia
BeTreed Adventures in Ta Bos Village 11.22.16
Sitting in Siem Reap reading about potential next destinations on Trip Advisor, I found Be Treed Adventures. After a quick series of emails and a few phone calls with one of the owners, Sharyn, my transit to and lodging in this rural piece of Cambodian forest was confirmed. Ben, the other owner of this destination, is…
Eating Well: Cambodia 11.21.16
It has been a whirlwind week! I am in India now and had a spectacular, incredible experience as a guest at my first Indian wedding. The three day affair was better than anything I could imagine. Photos and updates to come. Using the restaurant tips from the ex-pat friends I made in Siem Reap,…
Siem Reap 11.14.16
The CIA’s World Factbook provides this economic summary of Cambodia: Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by endemic corruption, limited human resources, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. As of 2012, approximately 2.66 million people live on less than $1.20 per day, and 37% of…
Battambang 11.10.16
Daily life traveling is usually more complicated than life lived in one place. These complications are humorous and something I expect. Even so, I still shake my head in wonder and amusement when these moments occur. I arrived in Battambang from the islands. My clothes were dirtier than I could manage hand washing. I asked at the hostel front desk…
Koh Rong Sanloem 11.7.16
At each destination I tell myself I will have the opportunity to return if I wish. With this attitude I avoid the sense of worry brought on when the goal is “to see everything.” My visit to the island Koh Rong Sanloem about 16 miles from mainland Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand was the first time I felt I might never see a place like…
Kampot & Kep 11.4.16
Serendipity. Fate. Good luck. Coincidence. However you label it, chance encounters setting off a chain of positive events are a wonderful part of travel. Some examples: I met Sophie, in my hostel in Hue, Vietnam. Two days later, we happened to take the same tour from Hue to Hoi An, Vietnam. A day after arriving in…
Phnom Penh 10.31.16
Currencies continue to be a learning opportunity for me each time I enter a new country. In Cambodia, I was surprised when the first hostel I booked (while still in Vietnam) sent an email indicating only dollars would be accepted for payment. Immediately, I thought, “Oh no, I do not have enough emergency USD for…
Eating Well: Vietnam & Cambodia 10.29.16
I am not sure the cause, but the food I am eating in Cambodia is mostly western style. It is not pictured, but in Phnom Penh I could not pass up a stop at both Krispy Kreme and Domino’s Pizza. Super tasty! Curries are common Khmer food and two well-known dishes are amok and luk…
The Year of Sarah Joy 