May – BKK/Thailand & PP&SR/Cambodia
Monday, June 5th, 2006
Bangkok (1 week in May)
Howie finally got to see a bit of Bangkok. We got back to Sam’s and were treated to some of the best meals of the trip. The food in Thailand is special. For a few days we moved out of Sam’s and stayed on Soi 2 off Sukhumvit, down in the heart of the city.
We were fortunate to know (from my Bangkok high school days) Charles, the owner of the Atlanta Hotel. That place was special. I would recommend it to anyone lucky enough to find an opening. The place is beautiful. And I forgot to take photos of the pool area. It was the first hotel pool in the city, I believe.
We got together with the friendly folks we met on our trek, Gretchen and Vikrom. Gretchen’s place was fabulous. We got there and all round on the skytrain. Checked out Tanya’s new lunch spot, too. Specialties are hot pots.
The one day dedicated to seeing the palace and temples was when I came down with a bit of a 24 hour flu so Howie went out on his own. Some of the photos he took are shown here.
A Month in Cambodia
Phnom Penh (14 May to 14 June 2006)
Hot, but not as bad as anticipated.
New living arrangements: apart. Howie in Phnom Penh, working locum for SOS Int’l and living in an apartment provided by the company right across the street, replete w/ meals and swimming pool. We already have a handful of friends in the capitol city, so he’ll be all set. Even has his own email account now: birderhowie@gmail.com. Karen in Siem Reap, working for WCS and living in a guesthouse (Shadow of Angkor 855 063 964 774) hoping to find a pool now and then for some exercise and to cool off. Also looking for housing for a year, starting in mid-August 2006.
When we got to PP we met with WCS folks and Brian from Int’l SOS. Howie started working that very same week. He’s found it to be very interesting, especially meeting patients from all over the globe. He’s bought a guitar and is getting his calluses back. His yoga practice is revved up again after he found a yoga practitioner who studied under the same master, Manju, from Puna.
I went down to visit last weekend and spent a lot of the time in the pool at the residence across from the clinic. I was wined and dined. We rode all over PP on bikes. Met some new people and then parted on Monday morning.
Siem Reap (16 May to 9 June)
Siem Reap the third time around. What’s new? I stayed at Kristen’s (with whom I am working) Cambodian house for a few days. I am biking around on a one-speed with basket in front
.
I later moved in w/ the Haas (Berkeley mba students here for a summer project) gang of four, for 3 weeks. We are working on a proposal for a local NGO in this area. It centers around ecotourism and sustainability. More on this later in the year.
Finally bought a mask to keep some of the red dust out of my nose while on the streets (trying to pass for a Khmer). Still getting panhandled, though. The ultimate test is to walk into the ancient temples without having to pay.
Julie & Kristen
Went birding Saturday morning with four other women. First time on the trip to bird without Howie. Blind leading the sighted. Actually, we had a master birder with us, a volunteer from Seattle, Julie, who will work with Kristen and SVC to put together a video about SVC for fundraising purposes.
Jackie, Ismael, Scott and Helen, hard at work at the Blue Pumpkin.
The group is hard working but, as you can see from the photos below, we know how to have fun on the weekends.
Planning our next trip: Datum Valley, Borneo and Mt. Kinabalu. On the 14th of June – Leave for KL, Malaysia; 15th June – Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Those looking to come to the Far East, plan on it this winter. Best season for the birds in the area is Nov through April.
Karen Nielsen