Bookends

My first day in Bangkok I went to the big, giant, crazy mall (to get my cell phone switched over), had pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple at Hemlock for dinner, and got a massage.

My last day in Bangkok, I went to the big, giant, crazy mall (to see Harry Potter), had pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple at Hemlock for dinner, and got a massage.

In the 5 weeks in between, I experienced a world of firsts – took a sleeper train, rode an elephant, took a Thai cooking class, traipsed around the temples of Angkor Wat, sat in on a war crime tribunal, and relaxed on the beaches of Cambodia and Thailand. I learned enough Thai to haggle with tuk tuk drivers over the fare and bargain in the markets, and to let waiters know that I wanted my food with just a little bit of spice (“peht nin noi”), or, as I was recovering from my bout with Bangkok belly, no spice (“mai peht”). I pampered myself with massages (8), a facial (1), and manicures/pedicures (3). I tried Thai beer, Cambodian beer, Laotian beer and Vietnamese beer, and found that I preferred a mango smoothie over any of them.

I also met people from around the world and next door, learning again what I already knew – that traveling solo does not mean traveling alone. In 5 weeks, there was barely a day that I didn’t meet someone to share a meal, a drink, or a tour a temple with.

But now the trip is over, and I’m back to reality. I can cross off two more countries in my atlas, and check off Angkor Wat in my copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. And, of course, start thinking about where I want to go next…

Changing plans, changing directions

The great part about independent travel (as opposed to tour groups) is that you're free to change your mind, turn around on a dime, and head in the opposite direction if the whim strikes. On Friday, I took a morning ferry and bus from Ko Chang to return to Bangkok. My loose plans for the last week of this trip - hit the weekend market, see a few other sites around Bangkok and maybe take a side trip a few hours west of Bangkok for a few days.

Well, I went to the weekend market, and took a side trip. But instead of taking a 2 hour bus ride west, I hopped on a plane Saturday afternoon for a 2 hour flight south to Thailand's southern penninsula. My destination - Railay Beach, a small inlet outside the town of Krabi, accessible only by boat. By the time the airport shuttle bus reached the "dock" it was dark and raining. I was with 2 other travelers from Holland. I use the word "dock" loosely. The dock is the beach. Our transport, a wooden longtail boat, pulled up as far as it could towards the beach, lowered a ladder, and we waded out into thigh deep water in the pitch black to climb into the boat as it pitched back and forth in the surf. Our boat ride took about 25 minutes in semi-rough waters, rocking the boat just enough to get a little nervous but not overly worried. The "dock" on the other end was the same - the beach. Again, climbing down the ladder, getting soaked thigh high as the waves came up. But we were there - Railay Beach.

Arriving at night doesn't do Railay justice. Once I stepped out on my balcony in the morning, I saw what this place is all about - amazing steep cliffs jutting out of both the land and sea all over the place. While I wasn't going to be scaling any cliffs (Railay is a popular rockclimbing site) I was hoping to take a canoe or kayak trip through some mangroves, or just enjoy the beaches. Unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn't cooperating, and the rain continued into the morning and almost all through the day.

While the weather wasn't the best, the company was - my new Dutch friends, Els and Elmer, and Greg from NYC. When the rain stopped we went out for dinner (I had coconut rice actually served in a coconut!), then to a bar at the end of the beach, aptly called "Last Bar", for drinks. We also caught a bit of a fire show - some Thai guy with a 5-6 foot long pole set on fire at both ends, twirling it around and throwing it in the air like a high school majorette.

I had only planned a quick trip, with my return flight to Bangkok on Monday. Of course, that's when the weather cleared up. I really can't complain. I am, after all, travelling in the "rainy season", and this is the first time I've seen rain that has lasted for more than an hour or so.

Paradise Found (again)

This morning I sat on the beach and ate a breakfast of mangosteen, rambutan and bananas, watching Thai fishermen set their nets while the Gulf of Thailand nipped at my toes. Just an hour ago, I sat at a table on the beach at a waterfront restaurant, sandals off, toes in the sand, and ate a bowlful of the most delicious mussels while watching the sun set over the horizon. In between I hiked to a waterfall and swam in a cool pool of water at it's base, sipped on a mango lassi while hanging in a hammock and played with a bunch of puppies. I don't think I have ever been so relaxed and blissed out anywhere.

While Kep is Cambodia's little piece of paradise, Thailand has it's own chunk in the island of Ko Chang (Elephant Island). The island is a national park and is taken up mostly by undeveloped forests and parkland. The main development is the west side of the island. There are about 6 main beaches, each with their own personality. I chose Klong Prao, which is becoming the new haven for upscale resorts. Being the off-season, though, it is very reasonable yet still secluded.

At the Blue Lagoon Resort, I have my own private bungalow - a 2 story unit with a large bedroom on the 2nd floor and an open patio below. Fresh fruit appears in my room every day. Sometimes a cat comes with it (but she usually hangs out at the bungalow one over). Klong Prao beach is a 2 minute walk away. The sand is so fine it feels like silk under your feet. The distance to the water depends on the tide - that can make a difference of almost 200 feet. The water is warm, almost bath water and stays shallow for quite a while. For the last 2 days I haven't had more than 10 people in my sight line on this beach.

You wouldn't know it's the rainy season. There has been no rain today, and yesterday I lounged on my balcony for about an hour (reading Frankenstein) during an hour long gentle rain. Then went back out to the beach for a swim before dinner.

I am returning to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok tomorrow. After the last week in Kep and Ko Chang, this is going to be a harsh impact on the senses. But, the weekend market is calling me - there is shopping to do before this trip ends, after all.

Paradise Found

Three nights ago, I arrived in the small seaside town of Kep, Cambodia. I knew within an hour that this was paradise. Vanna Bungalows sits on a hillside looking over the Gulf of Cambodia. I have my own spacious (by Cambodian standards) bungalow, balcony and hammock. All with a view of the sea, islands and the occasional fishing boat. I have spent the last three days essentially doing nothing, which was the plan.

Kep is the definition of sleepy little town. It has only had electricity service for 2 years, and there are still only a few street lights. Perfect for star-gazing at night. I have seen less than 20 cars in 3 days. Mostly motorbikes, the occasional tourist tuk-tuk, and bicycles. I have rented a bike for 3 days now, and just pedal from beach to beach, then coming back to the bungalow to hang out in the hammock for a while with a pineapple shake in hand. On Friday, I was at the main beach and came across a bunch of monks out for a weekend picnic. Next, they were on the beach, stripping off multiple layers of orange monk robes, down to their orange monk shorts, and frolicking in the water. (I am really amused by monks outside their normal habitats.)

The main (ok, only) industry in Kep is seafood. I have taken full advantage of this. I had crab Thursday night, shrimp Friday for lunch, squid on Saturday, and a big 'ol fried fish (head, tail, spine and all) for lunch today. There is a row of crab shacks right on the water, where I have watched the women wade out into the water to tend to their traps, bringing the catch straight to the restaurants just a few feet away. I don't think you can find fresher seafood than this.

The only non-idyllic part about Kep is it's obvious past. There are shells of once glorious estate homes on every road, burnt out by the Khmer Rouge in the 70's. Either nature or squatters (or sometimes both) have taken over the ruins. But there are also signs of up-coming development - new hotels being built by the beach, restaurants a few notches up from the sea-side crab shacks coming in. This place will not be the same in 5 years. Maybe still paradise, but not the same.

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Today I did something different. Really different. Something that relatively few people get the opportunity to do, as there have been few of these occurrences over the last few generations. And that's a good thing.

Today I attended a war crime tribunal.

Earlier this year, after many years of waiting by the Cambodian people, the leaders of the Khmer Rouge were finally put on trial for the execution of tens of thousands of people in the late '70's. A special court was created in a joint effort between the Cambodian government and the U.N. and a new courthouse (about 1/2 hour outside downtown Phnom Penh) was built. They are currently hearing the case of Kaing Guek Eav (aka Duch), a senior Khmer Rouge official who personally oversaw the murder of over 15,000 people at the infamous Security Prison 21. Duch testified a few months ago, but the last week has brought the beginning of testimony by the few people who survived imprisonment at S-21. (Seriously few - 7.) The proceedings are open to the public - something I just learned yesterday, and quickly made the necessary arrangements.

The courtroom was designed specifically for observation. It looks almost like an aquarium display - the courtroom itself is enclosed on one side by a glass wall. The 7 judges (Cambodian and foreign) face the galley, which holds around 300 spectators. It was around 85% full this morning. I was among a handfull of westerners - maybe 20 or so from what I could see. Duch and the defense team sit to the right, the dozen or so prosecuting attorneys sit on the right. The witness chair is front and center, facing the bench. Closed circuit cameras and four large screen tv's allow the galley to see the witness's face while testifying. Headphones are provided for translation. The translation was instantaneous - maybe at most a 2 second delay.

Bou Meng was the third survivor to provide testimony before the tribunal. The presiding judge (the President of the Trial Chamber) allowed Mr. Meng to give a narrative testimony. Several times, Meng had to pause to compose himself as he described how his life as a fine arts teacher ended when he and his wife were forced to relocate to the countryside and labor in the fields, digging canals and building dams. They were taken away from that one day, under the promise of being given a teaching position. This was not to be. Instead, they were taken to S-21, bound and blindfolded, photographed and imprisoned. To this day, he has never been informed of any crime he committed against the Khmer Rouge. Few prisoners were. Meng was held prisoner under squalid conditions, nearing starvation. After 5-6 months, the torture began. He was taken twice a day, for 3-4 hours each time, to a room where he was beaten with sticks, whips, canes or subject to electrocution, being ordered each time to tell the Khmer Rouge when he joined the CIA, who other agents were, how he spied for the CIA. Meng said he did not even know what the CIA was, but they just continued to beat him.

The only reason Meng survived is because of his art skills. He was put to work painting portraits of Pol Pot and the other leaders. He last saw his wife the day they arrived at S-21. He does not know what ever happened to her. The only photo he has left of her is the prisoner photo taken of her on that day.

After Meng told his story, the presiding judge began questioning Meng. I could tell his purpose was to get specific details down for the record. Was Meng held in a common room or solo cell (both, depending on the time); what was the exact method the prisoners were shackled; how much food and water did they receive (a few grams per day); how often could they bathe (once every 2 weeks, hosed down through a window); what were the specific methods of torture used; was Meng ever given a trial for his alleged crimes against the Khmer Rouge (of course not). During the entire time, I had a direct line of sight to Duch, the defendant. He was expressionless, and at times just looked bored with the whole proceeding. It was hard to hear Meng's testimony - many people in the galley cried, or just held their heads. From what I've read in the papers, yesterday's witness testimony was even more gruesome - his toenails were pulled off by pliers, and he removed his shoes to show the judges.

Meng described the scars on his back from the torture. Just as he was getting ready to remove his shirt to show the court, his civil attorney requested a break. At that time, my time was up as my tuk tuk had returned to take me back to Phnom Penh. I was a bit glad to have this self-imposed time restriction.

I will admit, I knew very little of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge before this trip. I had the big picture, but not the details. My biggest education actually came yesterday, when I toured S-21, which was almost immediately made into a museum documenting the lives and deaths of the prisoners there. Photographs are displayed, the cells have been maintained, and the methods and instruments of torture have their own room for display. S-21 was once a primary and high school campus. The metal fence and barbed wire installed by the Khmer Rouge still stand as it was the day they were defeated in 1979. I also toured the killing fields - the site of execution for most of the Khmer Rouge's victims. Over 150 mass graves stand on this site, about 2/3 of them excavated and the rest untouched. A memorial stands at the entrance - a tall stupa with a glass core filled with the skulls, bones and clothing of the excavated remains.

I can't say the last 2 days have been "fun", but necessary as a visitor to this country.