Stuck in the Middle

Once again a lot has happened since my last dispatch. Not only have there been memorable experiences but also some developments regarding my future plans (which may include you, should you so choose); this vision quest may never end! (More on this later!) For now, I'll do what I came here to do, to let you know what it has been like hangin out in Cambodia for the past 2 weeks. Last we talked, I was in northern Thailand. Erin and I took the sleeper train once again, easily my favorite place to spend a night. The day after arriving in Bangkok, there was an earthquake in the north. Then we took our first flight in 3 months to get to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The following day the Prime Minister of Thailand was ousted and now there is a military coup! I'd say our timing has worked out quite favorably in the last 2 weeks. 

The day after arriving in Phnom Penh, Erin's mother Maggie arrived from Colorado. As a highly qualified traveller, she provided some much needed veteran leadership. The main attractions in PP are a prison and the killing fields, memorials dedicated to some of the 3 million people killed here in the late 70's under the rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The country was torn to shreds about 35 years ago and only stabilized in the early 90's. Maggie had visited SE Asia in the early 80's and for obvious reasons couldn't make it to Cambodia. While the US was focused on the war in Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge flew under the radar of global attention. Several of the drivers we met shared their first hand experience of the attrocities. It really shows how futile our differences are in the US and how appreciative I am to live in a stable society. It's amazing how positive the people of Cambodia are despite the turmoil, especially knowing how defensive reactionary Americans get when people encroach on their "freedom". But, let's not get too far down that road, there is a lot to learn about national identity here and I'd be happy to talk about it in person if you care to ask. 

Next stop, Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat! This is also where we met with Nick again. We hired a tuk-tuk to pick us up at 5:30am and take us to the famous temples for sunrise. It was pretty cool seeing Angkor Wat for the first time silhouetted by the dawn from across the surrounding moat. We took our time exploring the fine details of the temple which was built in the 9th century. While the area is known for, and referred to as Angkor Wat, there are actually more than 20 ancient temples and monuments to explore. So many in fact that we hired our driver for a second day of exploring. Each site is unique and it is definitely worthwhile to see all you can.

However, Maggie had only 2 weeks in Cambodia and Nick was flying to Laos in 2 days. So we booked a bus to the sleepy town of Battambang the following day to see what the countryside is like. We arrived in the early afternoon and were soon on our way to the Bamboo Train; A dilapidated old train track that was now only ridden on rudimentary bamboo platforms powered by a 6hp engine. If you met another cart driving in the opposite direction, the vehicle with less passengers got up and removed their cart from the track, allowing the others to pass. While the ride was scenic, it was also pretty rough. Later, our driver took us to several other landmarks including a bat cave that is home to 3 million bats. After breaking down twice, we reached the mouth of the cave as the sun was setting and watched for a while as the bats funneled out. Our driver Chin-Chin said it takes up to an hour and a half to empty. That's all I've got to say about that.

Our next stop will be one of the most memorable of the trips, there are a lot of details that made it an interesting stop, but I only have time for the most important ones, and even those will take me a while to explain. A day after Nick left for Laos, the three of us moved to Kampong Chhnang. Being a very small town there was only one tuk-tuk driver that greeted us when we got of the bus (and us being the only people that got off in town). He drove us to a hotel and planned to pick us up the following morning for a tour of the pottery villages the province is known for. That evening, we walked around finding the market and dinner. Our driver, Chamrong, passed us several times making sure we didn't need a lift anywhere. He was unassuming and was really helpful even when we wanted to walk. 

The following morning he took us to the river where a woman paddled us around in her tiny boat. For 2 hours we weaved in and out of houses, fisheries, churches and businesses all of which were floating on the Tonle Sap river (the only river in the world that flows in both directions!(check out Wikipedia for an explanation)). Then Chamrong told us we would head to the pottery village. Along the way he stopped, turned around and asked, here is a place where they make very strong pottery (in perfect English) would you like to stop? Of course we did, and were surprised to find a group of young men working the kiln. They were the only place around that glazed their pottery, they showed us the entire process using our driver as a translator. That place was incredible and I took the opportunity to finally buy the perfect coffee mug, something I've been waiting to do for some time. Next we stopped at several other homes. The village makes a majority of it's dry season income on pottery, during the wet season everybody is in the rice fields. So, under each house, all built on stilts, families produce specialized products. One family makes jars, others make pots, stoves and much more, all made by hand before being fired and sold around the country. One place we stopped happened to be the home of one of Chamrong's friend. The whole family was hanging out having lunch and they were happy to share some with us. 

As we relaxed under their house I asked Chamrong where he learned to speak English so well. He explained that when he was six he followed his mother to the Thai border to escape the Khmer Rouge. For 10 years Chamrong lived in resistance camps in the jungle. There, he taught himself English and Thai. When he returned to his home he was reunited with his 3 siblings that hadn't escaped. A few years later he began working as a driver. While we ate, he also ate, but did so quickly by himself. Although he was now about 40 he was unable to break that habit he developed living in fear for so long. He shared his story so matter-of-factly that it made me realize it was not unusual for middle aged people of Cambodia.

After that heavy discussion we walked across the street to a house where the family collected palm sugar and reduced it to a gooey, gritty, molasses that tastes like caramel. Chamrong dressed us up in traditional garb and showed me how to collect the sap. Finally, it was back to our guesthouse. Chamrong told us where to go for the best sunset. Out on a dirt road, past the Methodist church, we watched the sun set before heading to town for dinner. Chamrong passed us once again and stopped to chat. I asked where he lived and he told us we were close. He invited us to come see his home. We were welcomed onto his porch by his entire family where we all sat while his daughter cut up some mangos from their front yard. The darkness set in as Chamrong elaborated on national moral and the unstable history of Cambodia. We sat for over an hour before he gave us a lift to a friends restaurant. We thanked him again and really  tried to communicate our gratitude; nicest guy in Cambodia. 

The following morning we had to catch a bus to get to the coast, a ride that will live in infamy. The connector bus would take us the first 2 hours, unfortunately it was 100 degrees, the air conditioning wasn't working, there were no windows, and the bus was over booked. Didn't really surprise me, but I did sweat through all my clothes. After a second, cooler bus ride we were at the coast. The following day we would catch a boat to the island of Koh Rong. Turned out to be pretty beautiful. The island had just a few bunglows and guesthouses. There was locals cooking up cheap food and our end of the beach was hardly touched. Easily the best beach location of the trip. We took a boat out to do some fishing. We used nothing but fishing line, water bottles for reels and bolts for a weight. Plus our driver grilled all we caught while the sun set behind the island. Otherwise we relaxed, read, played cards, napped in the hammocks, drank Klang and swam. Pretty great lifestyle even for 3 days. 

Next was Kampot. A small river town that has a laid back vibe. We spent our only day exploring the countryside, some caves and a pepper plantation. We ended the day by hanging out by the river in huts and hammocks frequented by locals. We got some durian and swam in the cool water. Then seafood dinner on the river.

Now we are back in Phnom Penh. Maggie flies home tomorrow and Erin and I head north to soak in the Mekong once again. Then Vietnam next week! This post got pretty lenghthy, but there are some very memorable details that have made Cambodia one of the most enjoyable places to visit. 

This Must Be The Place.

In the mid 1850s, gold prospectors in Colorado ventured into current day Boulder valley to stake a claim in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The dream was to strike it rich mining the river that flowed from from the continental divide into the eastern plains. The area was sacred grounds for the natives of the Arapahoe nation, and the arrival of Europeans was met with hostility. However, Chief Niwot, after consulting the dreams of an elder, chose to cooperate and befriend the settlers rather than resist the inevitable demise of the land they cherished. Revered as an ally, he was referred to as Chief Left Hand, the English translation of his Arapahoe name. The town of Niwot, geographic features, city parks, roads and Left Hand Brewing are named in his honor. This story was part of the reason I chose to get a tattoo of a left hand last year. Not only as a memory of the beautiful place I called home for 3 years, but also due to the symbology associated with the left hand in many cultures throughout human history.

While there are many mythologies that reference the right and left hand path, a definitive definition is hard to find. My personal interpretation is based on a the ideas of mythologist Joseph Campbell who compares the different paths we choose to follow in life. In summary "he says the first kind is that of “The Right-Hand Path.”  This is the mythology of the village compound. It is specific to the culture. It helps keep you fixed in the context of your world.  It helps you live as expected, live with dignity, respect, etc.

Then he says, “On the other hand, you may flip out!”  He calls this the mythology of “The Left-Hand Path.”  These stories help you when you have begun to develop a sense of incongruity with the right-hand path.  He says that one moves out into a realm of danger, where there are no rules.  People on this path may live a life of danger and creativity, but perhaps not a “respected” life, according to the culture.  This “left-hand” or “general” mythology is that of the Hero journey (or individuation), that which helps a person fulfill his or her own potentialities." While I have never faced any real danger, I do draw some parallels between these themes and my own life.

For me, Colorado is the location I associate with my own journey down a more left handed path. At a time when college was overwhelming and options seemed limited, an offer to move to Colorado from my brother and good friends felt like the only way to get out of an unhappy lifestyle. It turned out to be exactly what I needed, openning my eyes to the many possibilities and options I was not considering before turning 21 years old. Many people undergo the same transition, my personal journey was so dramatic that I was very aware of how my mentality had changed in just several months. How fitting that my journey down the left handed path started in a place named Left Hand!

I am not very superstitious but I do perceive this coincidence as a sign that I was in the right place at the right time. Now I catogorize many of the choices I make into either the right or left hand path. My current travels definitely qualify as the latter. Sometimes I question these choices and what they bring to my life. Recently in northern Thailand I was doubting myself, wondering if my energy would have a greater impact if focused on something more "right-handed". 

These doubts were quickly cast aside due to a chance encounter with a tuk-tuk driver in Chiang Mai. After seeing no trace of craft beer for months I literally ran into a man wearing a Left Hand Brewing hat. Through limited words I communicated my excitement about his hat. He apparently got it from a friend and had no idea what it said or ment. I showed him my tattoo and repeated "Left hand hat, left hand tattoo, same same, same place!" This omen rassured me that I had made the right choices and was once again moving in the right direction. I didn't have my camera but I caught up with him again 2 weeks later, he remembered me and allowed me to take a photo of him next to his tuk-tuk. 

That coincidence has stuck with me and has comforted me repeatedly. Then, 2 days ago, while standing in a busy intersection of Siem Reap, Cambodia (1000k away from Chiang Mai) I stared in amazement as a tuk-tuk drove by with a fresh coat of paint and a solitary sticker on the side. It was the Left Hand Brewing logo, bouncing down a bumpy road with passengers returning from Angkor Wat. What are the odds that the only brewery being represented throughout my travels happens to be Left Hand? It's an amazing coincidence that I am happy to over interpret.

There are many people who follow the left hand path much more bravely than I, but I'm proud to know that I walk it from time to time. I'm excited to get back to see friends and family, perhaps being more selfless with my time. Those times bring me happiness and a deep sense of contentment, but I do not know if I would be as appreciative of those blessings without wondering down the left hand path and understanding what it's like to live without.

Lane Xang

Well, our week and a half excursion into Laos ended and we made it back to Chiang Mai for a third time! Laos was a whirlwind, and I really enjoyed my time there. The country seems to exude a sense of pride that is infectious. It's a poor country that takes it's heritage very seriously, there were many educational opportunities to learn about politics, culture and history in the region. The beautiful geography is one of the countries biggest resources (used both for sustainable tourism and devastating dam construction). The busses we took wound up huge mountains and jungles. The dramatic views came at the cost of 2 broken busses after endless switchbacks, curves and motion-sickness. The Laos people are very conscious of the impact the travel industry can have, being very open and generous while it hold strong to its roots.

Vang Vieng, however, was one exception. Although it is home to arguably the most dramatic and lush green mountains I have seen, there seems to be minimal development regulation or even consideration. It's a small town where every building is a restaurant/guesthouse/bar/motorbike rental/travel agent. It's interesting to see those places in low season, with so many empty seats around town it felt a bit like a ghost town. The busiest places being the "Friends" bars. Each one indistinguishable from the next, there are about 12 of them, sometime 3-4 in a row that sport low tables and lounge pads. Travelers recline to watch old Friends reruns. Reruns, from morning til night keep customers planted for hours, quite a site in the remote mountains of Laos. There were also some buildings that were only half constructed, waiting for another high season to afford more materials. It'd be great to see these places bustling in all their glory, but then I don't think I would understand the pros and cons to opening your doors/villages to tourism.

We enjoyed a morning cup of coffee an our patio overlooking the mountains, then boarded the bus headed to Vientiane, the capital city. We could only spent 2 nights in town, but quickly recognized its many positive attributes. Similar to Luang Prabang, it is home to many French colonial buildings. It's also one of the cleanest cities we have visited. It was easy to rub elbows with the locals at food carts, with there portable, plastic table seating which lined the Mekong at sunset. We spent one day out on a motorbike as it was too hot to walk comfortably. After visiting the 4 biggest wats/architectural attractions, we made one last stop. After a lot of research, I read a few things about a "cafe" at the BeerLao brewery. Being the only beer producer in the country, owned partially by the government, it boasts a 99% share of the Laos beer market. They were definitely not expecting us, and what transpired was one of the most enjoyably awkward experiences of the trip. Long story short, we got free beer and souvenirs! I'll elaborate later if you care to ask in person.

Then, back to Chiang Mai. We came back early Sunday simply to stock up at the Sunday night market. The following day Nick Sudheimer and Christine Anderson arrived. We spent time exploring town, eating great food, taking motorbikes to temples in the mountains as well as stopping for a hot cup of Joe at the most remote cafe I've ever seen. 2 days, a few Smirnoff ices and rooftop beers later and it was time to say good bye. After they hit the southern beaches, Nick will rejoin us in Cambodia to explore Angkor Wat and continue on from there. Also, Erin's mother arrives in Cambodia next week, it's like I drafted the perfect team of travel companions.