TravelBio

My southeast Asian trip took a pause for two weeks at the beginning of May.  My dad, aunt, and uncle had planned a trip to Germany to visit my sisters, both of whom are studying abroad there (one in Bonn and one in Wurzburg).  A return flight from Bangkok to Germany was out of my price range so I hadn't anticipated joining them.  As it turned out my dad really wanted me to join - enough to pay for the plane ticket! Needless to say I took him up on the offer.  On the 2nd of May I flew from Bangkok to Dusseldorf via Moscow on Aeroflot.  I've heard bad things about Aeroflot - probably dating back to old Soviet times - but my experience was fine.  The airport in Moscow was nice too, although I managed to buy 22 Euro wallets for my sisters (not realizing how expensive they were - why would they price goods in Euros, not Russian currency?  The price was in Euros on the tag and Rubles on the receipt!). I spent the first night with my sister in Bonn, then two in Wurzburg with

After Phnom Penh it was time to relax a bit.  Mike had left and I decided to spend a few days chilling at the beach.  One of the only significant beach towns in Cambodia is Sihanoukville, named after the Cambodian king.  On the 5 hour bus journey from Phom Penh to the coast I met one German and two Dutch travelers, and we shared a tuk tuk to look for a place to stay. Sihanoukville is in the south along the coast Based on a recommendation from our guidebook we tried a hostel called Mushroom Point.  It was booked up but we found a guesthouse nearby.  That night things were quiet, and the following day we realized that we were actually quite far from the city center.  It was nice to be near a relaxing, chill beach, but there wasn't much going on.  I preferred Serendipity Beach, where most of the hotels, restaurants, and bars were located. The Dutch and German travelers were staying for longer, but after 3 nights I decided to move on.  Not that I didn't like Shinou

Two of the must see spots in Phnom Penh are the Killing Fields and S-21.  The Killing Fields are a short ride outside of town, one of the many sites around the country where countless Cambodians were executed at the hands of the Khmer Rogue.  S-21 is an infamous prison in the city.  Many of its inmates made it to the Killing Fields; only a handful made it out alive. Most Americans don't know the story of what happened in Cambodia under the Khmer Rogue.  Many don't even know who the Khmer Rogue were.  I could just post a link to Wikipedia but I feel like putting up some info that I have picked up through visiting sites and reading on my own. During the Vietnam War North Vietnamese troops used both Lao and Cambodian soil to transport weapons, supplies, and soldiers to the front lines.  In response the US decided to bomb the shit out of Laos and Cambodia.  I mean that - this gives you a better idea of just how much: The United States dropped upwards of 2.7 million to

From Siem Reap we took a 5 hour bus journey to Phnom Penh.  Mike was due to leave SE Asia on the 16th of April, two days after we arrived in the capital.  On the bus trip we met an Australian woman whose parents had grown up in Cambodia.  She was back visiting family and also happened to be leaving the same day from Phnom Penh.  We rode with her to the hotel she had booked; it looked a bit too nice for us (and by nice I mean too expensive), but a double was only $18.  More than the average backpacker crash pad, but hey, it was worth it to pitch in a few extra dollars for a nice place during Mike's last two nights. a typical Cambodian bus, reminds me  of a 1960's or 70's greyhound The first night we went out with the Australian girl for dinner and drinks.  The city was surprisingly quiet.  In Thailand the new year's is celebrated with street parties where participants shoot and dump water at everyone within range.  The Cambodian version is much less raucous.