One of the best days of my life
Last night some friends and I all went to the only club in town, Alaska. When I told a friend I was going, she asked, "Why, to get stabbed by rich kids?"
Went anyway. At the door, we were told we couldn't go in. I asked if they foreigners in and they said yes, but all the tables were already taken. I told him we wanted to dance and were let in. It was packed and expensive. $1 for entry, beers for $3 and liquor only by the bottle.
Drunkenness later and the bladder tells me it is time to hit the bathroom. A sink, 50 gallon garbage can (I've never seen that here!) and four urinals packed into an area the size of two American toilet stalls. The bathroom attendant interrupts me in mid-piss with a back rub (normal in this country). For those who don't know, I was picked on massively during my schooling, and one thing which happened often was kids pushing me into the urinal as I peed. To this day, it is hard for me to piss with people standing next to me; I generally choose a stall. Now, back to the lecture at hand. As I can't pee anymore I decide to enjoy the massage. I pointed at my neck, leaned up against the wall and for five minutes I occupied the stall space so I could have a back rub. He got $1, my friend gave him 12c (but his was shorter). During the course of the night, two young guys approached our group and danced with us. At the end of the night I gave one, Nut, my number and told him to call me tomorrow since he was going to Kep as was I.
Here is where the best day of my life begins. We meet up, I rent a motorbike and we go to Kep. A few friends went ahead of me by an hour and went to Rabbit Island. We drove all around Kep (pop. 7,000) looking for them and then went to the ferry terminal where they said they hadn't noticed any foreigners but it was possible. The boat trip costs $20 per boat and since we had two people we decided to scrap it and see other sites.
We went to see some caves on our own and then I suggested we go to the Chhnork caves because the caves there are quite large. After many false turns, we made it, and for the last kilometer before we arrived we were chased by two or three kids offering their guide services. At some point they hopped on my bike and we arrived, paid the $1 entrance fee, and were promptly told there are 203 steps to the top.
These kids, who are no more than 12, spoke perfect English much like those at Angkor Wat. Their English was very specific however and pertained to the caves. The kids knew '7th Century' and both 'stalagmite' and 'stalactite'. After we entered the cave, the kids began pointing out various rock formations. I saw ones looking like an elephant, a crocodile, Angkor Wat, a turtle, two people embracing, and more. I really wish the children had said, "crocodile rock," but they said, "This rock looks like a crocodile." As the cave deepened and the sunlight disappeared we went to a temple inside (7th century, Hindu) where I burned some incense and prayed for good luck and health with my school, work, and lover, Ms. Eden. At every small temple there is a money box to pay for the upkeep of the temples and pay for the incense. I put in 500r ($0.12) but the rest of the lockboxes I saw had been pried open and robbed. All the children told me that was a very bad thing to do since you are stealing from Cambodia when you do that. Since none of us had a flashlight, the children picked up wax from used candles and melted it onto sticks which burned the same as a candle; as long as you keep waxing them.
7th Century Temple
Later, deeper into the cave, the children shouted, "Look Ryan! Music Rocks!" These were stalactites about five to ten cm in thickness which undulated and looked like the folds of a thick blanket. One child picked up a flat stone and began hitting each 'fold'. Wonderful, beautiful sounds echoed through the chamber and I spent a bit of time picking out notes and trying to play songs. Later they showed me 'rock diamonds' which were very sparkly and glittery stalagmites and then we saw 'drum rocks'. These flat stones were part of the cave floor and when you jumped on them, a solid, resounding tone filled the air.
This whole time I was in flip flops, sweating profusely, and sliding around, not sure of my footing. We reached the bottom of the cave which was filled with water and teaming with small fish and much sunlight. We stepped outside and to my immediate left was the ticket counter. We had gone up about 100 meters, gone down 110, and back up ten. With the three kids on the back of my bike we drove over narrow (40cm in some parts) berms which separate rice paddies and went to another cave.
This cave was much the same, interesting stone formations, pools teaming with fish, and lots of bats. At one point, the cave narrowed to about 30 cm high and maybe 60 cm wide. The kids had no problem scampering through with their small bodies, but it took me some time to get through and was thankful I am not claustrophobic. Soon, there was daylight again and again we found ourselves where we began.
Back on the bikes and the berms the children told me to take them to the pagoda they lived at. They asked for "some small money" for their services so I went to the market, bought water for me and Nut and got change for the kids. When we first started, there were three but at some point between the caves came a fourth child but the other kids said I didn't to pay him as he didn't ask me if I wanted him along or not. I gave the three kids $1 each and they were happy.
I might go back tomorrow and bring them all flashlights as they are quite cheap and they have battery-less ones which are even better.
Went anyway. At the door, we were told we couldn't go in. I asked if they foreigners in and they said yes, but all the tables were already taken. I told him we wanted to dance and were let in. It was packed and expensive. $1 for entry, beers for $3 and liquor only by the bottle.
Drunkenness later and the bladder tells me it is time to hit the bathroom. A sink, 50 gallon garbage can (I've never seen that here!) and four urinals packed into an area the size of two American toilet stalls. The bathroom attendant interrupts me in mid-piss with a back rub (normal in this country). For those who don't know, I was picked on massively during my schooling, and one thing which happened often was kids pushing me into the urinal as I peed. To this day, it is hard for me to piss with people standing next to me; I generally choose a stall. Now, back to the lecture at hand. As I can't pee anymore I decide to enjoy the massage. I pointed at my neck, leaned up against the wall and for five minutes I occupied the stall space so I could have a back rub. He got $1, my friend gave him 12c (but his was shorter). During the course of the night, two young guys approached our group and danced with us. At the end of the night I gave one, Nut, my number and told him to call me tomorrow since he was going to Kep as was I.
Here is where the best day of my life begins. We meet up, I rent a motorbike and we go to Kep. A few friends went ahead of me by an hour and went to Rabbit Island. We drove all around Kep (pop. 7,000) looking for them and then went to the ferry terminal where they said they hadn't noticed any foreigners but it was possible. The boat trip costs $20 per boat and since we had two people we decided to scrap it and see other sites.
We went to see some caves on our own and then I suggested we go to the Chhnork caves because the caves there are quite large. After many false turns, we made it, and for the last kilometer before we arrived we were chased by two or three kids offering their guide services. At some point they hopped on my bike and we arrived, paid the $1 entrance fee, and were promptly told there are 203 steps to the top.
These kids, who are no more than 12, spoke perfect English much like those at Angkor Wat. Their English was very specific however and pertained to the caves. The kids knew '7th Century' and both 'stalagmite' and 'stalactite'. After we entered the cave, the kids began pointing out various rock formations. I saw ones looking like an elephant, a crocodile, Angkor Wat, a turtle, two people embracing, and more. I really wish the children had said, "crocodile rock," but they said, "This rock looks like a crocodile." As the cave deepened and the sunlight disappeared we went to a temple inside (7th century, Hindu) where I burned some incense and prayed for good luck and health with my school, work, and lover, Ms. Eden. At every small temple there is a money box to pay for the upkeep of the temples and pay for the incense. I put in 500r ($0.12) but the rest of the lockboxes I saw had been pried open and robbed. All the children told me that was a very bad thing to do since you are stealing from Cambodia when you do that. Since none of us had a flashlight, the children picked up wax from used candles and melted it onto sticks which burned the same as a candle; as long as you keep waxing them.
7th Century Temple
Later, deeper into the cave, the children shouted, "Look Ryan! Music Rocks!" These were stalactites about five to ten cm in thickness which undulated and looked like the folds of a thick blanket. One child picked up a flat stone and began hitting each 'fold'. Wonderful, beautiful sounds echoed through the chamber and I spent a bit of time picking out notes and trying to play songs. Later they showed me 'rock diamonds' which were very sparkly and glittery stalagmites and then we saw 'drum rocks'. These flat stones were part of the cave floor and when you jumped on them, a solid, resounding tone filled the air.
This whole time I was in flip flops, sweating profusely, and sliding around, not sure of my footing. We reached the bottom of the cave which was filled with water and teaming with small fish and much sunlight. We stepped outside and to my immediate left was the ticket counter. We had gone up about 100 meters, gone down 110, and back up ten. With the three kids on the back of my bike we drove over narrow (40cm in some parts) berms which separate rice paddies and went to another cave.
This cave was much the same, interesting stone formations, pools teaming with fish, and lots of bats. At one point, the cave narrowed to about 30 cm high and maybe 60 cm wide. The kids had no problem scampering through with their small bodies, but it took me some time to get through and was thankful I am not claustrophobic. Soon, there was daylight again and again we found ourselves where we began.
Back on the bikes and the berms the children told me to take them to the pagoda they lived at. They asked for "some small money" for their services so I went to the market, bought water for me and Nut and got change for the kids. When we first started, there were three but at some point between the caves came a fourth child but the other kids said I didn't to pay him as he didn't ask me if I wanted him along or not. I gave the three kids $1 each and they were happy.
I might go back tomorrow and bring them all flashlights as they are quite cheap and they have battery-less ones which are even better.