White Water

Day 271- It was our first day of rafting and it started with a super fast safety briefing. This was followed by sending all the rafts down the bank then cueing us up into two boat teams. Then we were in the water, just like that. We were all beyond excited and a little scared to begin our day on the Tamur River.

Apparently the river had changed a lot since the earthquake one year prior so we needed to scout out some of the sections before we could go through. Not 90 seconds after we had pushed off the river's edge we were crashing through some gigantic rapids! (The biggest rapids of the trip actually!) It was crazy, we hadn't even practiced our rowing commands. Luckly, we had an amazing team on our boat and we figured out a great system for communicating the commands to one another while smashing through the rapids. We called ourselves the Bonnie Beavers, the perfect name for a boat full of Canadians and one Scot! 

We stopped for lunch. And so the killing begins! Mike was one of the first to get blood on his hands when he killed Colin with a cup, by the rivers edge. Also, we just about had a real fatality when Ceri almost laughed to death at the sight of me trying to skip rocks! Needless to say it was an interesting lunch break. Also, as if my poor rock skipping skills were not enough embarrassment for one day, I stepped off of a sand bank and discovered that it was not the golden sand I had expected. Instead, it was a giant drop off into the river!  My head went under the water and it gave me quite the shock. Mike laughed hysterically. 

After another 40min on the river we pulled over to make camp. We had the whole afternoon to relax and take it all in at the campsite. We had our tents set up overlooking the fast paced river and the clean mountain air tickled our noses. The best part... we had 5 more days of this. We were all quite happy with our current situation in life. 

Our crew made us the most delicious treats... POPCORN! Mike was in heaven. 

We played some more euchre with Victoria, Eric, Colin, Cody and Christine.  Even though no one really said it out loud, Mike and I were obviously the up and coming duo to look out for. All we had to do was remember the rules... and play the right cards... and not mess up.  

Mike was itching to get physical and the crew had a volleyball so they engaged in an intense game of volleyball before dinner. They were smashing the ball super hard and the guides were really good. 

We were in the most perfectly peaceful environment to enjoy a hot delicious meal by the river. 

Unfortunately, it was my time to go and Will was the one to take my life, at dinner, with a cup* but Mike was still alive and well, not to mention he had notched himself two more kills since lunch. All in a days work for a mass murderer like Mike. 

The crew put out candles at each of our tents to help us find our way and it set the mood for a chill night on the river. 

Day 272- We all packed up our gear and prepped for another day on the water. At breakfast, many of us watched in horror, as Rowen holding an 8ft stick, started walking straight for Mike. 'Miiiiiiiiiiike, look Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!'. His time had come, it was time for him to die. By this point Rowen was becoming quite the serial killer and her spree was just beginning. 

We had a wild ride on the rapids after hitting some class 3 and 4+ sized rapids and we even lost one of our teammates in the shallow water. No, not to the murderous hands of Rowen, although I'm sure if a paddle had been one of the games weapons she wouldn't have hesitated to push Jeff under the waves. Instead, it was a giant rock that jarred the boat and sent Jeff into the fast moving shallow water. It was a bad place to loose a rafter because the water wasn't deep enought to swim but was too deep and powerful to stand up. It could have caused way more damage to Jeff's ankle had it not been for the quick reactions of our guide Surya. After Surya ripped him back in the raft, Jeff was back in position ready to row us throught the next set of rapids, without complaint. His ankle had a big bruise but nothing he couldn't forget about with the excitement of the rapids to come.

Watching how the crew navigated the heavy gear boats down the river was incredible. With only two large oars, they easily moved about the rapids.  

After lunch the wind picked up and our strength was put to the test. We had to paddle against the wind for what seemed like forever. Once we finally found a place to make camp for the night, everyone was exhausted. Some napped while Rowan, Ceri and I tried to find a way to get our hands on some rum to take away the sting of the blowing sand. It was so windy and there was no shelter from the sparkly aggressive sand that covered everything. It looks quite serene in the photo below but those waves of sand were created by the blasting wind and our mettle was being tested, big time!

Below are the guides waiting out the wind like the rest of us. Nothing to do when the wind is blowing that hard.

After the sun disappeared behind the mountains, so did the wind and it was time to set up camp. Everyone was still pretty low from the long day so I put on some Bob Marley. He gave us the boost we needed to raise our spirits as well as our tents. 

Suddenly, all the craziness from the day was behind us and we had the whole night in front of us to enjoy our surroundings. 

The candles lit up our campsite once again and we all settled in around our mini campfire (candle) to listen to music and take in the calmness of the night. This also gave Rowan the location she needed to perform the last and final murder of the game. Christine sensed the cold chill that pre-cursed the murdurous deed but she had no where to go! With the world as a witness, Rowan killed Christine with a diabolical laugh that pierced into the nights air! I've never seen someone so happy to kill so many people!! Then she said 'she'd won!'... oh dear... she was sick with power. Although we were told by the guides on night number one to to watch out for bandits who might steal our stuff, we found ourselves watching Rowans tent instead of the surrounding tree line. 

Day 273- We woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another day of rafting. This time, Rowan and I took a turn up at the front of the boat. 

We did quite well at the front and we channelled our woman strength to get us through the big rapids. We may have been tossed around a bit but we had fun with it and we took our job very seriously. 

The two kayakers below were there for both our safety and our entertainment. They would ride the rapids like a surfer would ride a wave and they always had smiles on their faces. 

We stopped at a farm on the side of the river for a pee break and to buy some meat for dinner. The family didn't have any chickens but they did have a pig. One single pig. Our guides bought it and we were all excited to eat some fresh pork for dinner. We paddled on a little further until we found a beach to rest for the night. The wind was crazy again and the sun was insanely hot. As the sun began to set, the wind subsided and everyones energy returned for another great night on the river. We set up camp, showered in the river and watched as our guides prepared the pig for dinner. 

WARNING...if you don't want to see the pig being butchered, please scroll past the next photo. Pass the second dotted line and you are good to keep reading. 

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We had the task of building a wind wall to keep the fire from being blown out so we got to work on that and collected as much fire wood as we could find on our river bank. As you can see below, we took our job seriously and the fire went up like a giant tourch. 

                         

The air in Nepal is even dryer than Calgary, so one match is all it would take. While the guys barbecued up a storm, we settled in for some more euchre. 

It was a bit of a controversial start to this strategic game because everyone kept fighting over who would get to play with Mike and I. Like I said before, Mike and I were quickly establishing ourselves as regular sharks and it became pretty clear that their years of experience playing the game was no match for our raw talent. Okay Colin... you can be my partner this time.... I'll give Will a rest from all this winning. 

We all stayed up pretty late, allowing the amazing pork feast to digest in our tummies. This also gave everyone a chance to have a turn playing on Mike and I's team, so that was a nice bonus for them. 

Day 274- I woke up early and had the pleasure of watching the sun rise over the mountains. 

Our incredible crew working hard to prepare us another delicious breakfast.

Everyone seemed pretty tired and there's a good chance the meat was the cause. Our bodies were working hard to digest the delicious meat. Mike and I were both fighting off a bit of a cold and although we were excited to get back on the river, we knew we had a lot of ground to cover to make up for the previous windy days. 

It was great to paddle past the little villages and wave to the villagers that were just excited to see us as we were to see them. I have a lot of respect for our guides and their interactions with the locals. On several occasions I saw them giving food to the locals as well as playing with the kids at the rivers edge. I'm sure that many of the kids we passed looked up to the guides and I later found out that we were only one of very few rafting trips that would go down the Tamur river, given its remote location in Nepal. No wonder they seemed so excited to see us. 

                  

We played a few of Surya's raft games which resulted in us(me) falling into the cold refreshing water, a lot. 

I captured the photo below with our water proof camera so the quality is lacking but I was happy to get a look at one of these beautiful Kingfisher birds that lived in the area. 

We stopped at a village to buy some fresh veggies and beer before paddling to our campsite for the night. The evening continued like many others, a river shower, delicious dinner and euchre. Colin, who was my main partner, was actually getting a little frustrated with me. I think because I was making so many sweet moves in a row that we weren't giving the other teams a sporting chance. It's cool, I can recognize when I am too good for my own good. 

Day 275- Our last real day on the river began with a beautiful sunrise. 

The day was filled with white water, after white water and we were all pumped to get in some awesome rapids on our last day. At one point we hit a big dip and our guide Surya fell out. All I heard was 'HELP HELP, SOMEONE SAVE ME', without hesitation, I mustered up my Portuguese strength, grabbed Surya's life jacket with one hand, continued to paddle with the other, pulled him out of the water and tossed him back into position at the stern of the boat. Thanks to my quick reaction, we didn't even miss a stroke.  Oh ya and unfortunately everyone else in the boat was so focused on paddling that no one saw it go down... darn that's too bad. 

This day on the river was the ultimate rafting experience. It was non stop action and we were sad when it was all over. We parked up on a beautiful beach for the remainder of the day and enjoyed our last moments in the sun with our incredible group, and goats. 

Below, the gracious ladies... and Alex.

Mike and a few others played with the locals kids who came over to observe us. 

Below are five of the lovely souls we had the pleasure of rafting, playing euchre and camping with. 

As we settled in for our last night on the river we enjoyed some great conversation while we surrounded Ceri in a circle of healing. Each person sacrificed something to bring positive vibes her way. (This included a 5 rupee note, some hair, a candy, maybe just the candy wrapper and some toe nails) Late night, the crew came over and taught us some games using sticks as the main component and we all had a blast trying to crack their tricky riddles. 

The sun fell and we noticed a red light up on the top of the mountian across the river. No more than an hour later, Mike woke me up to see what had become a full blown forest fire! 

We knew by morning the whole side of the mountain would be burned up and it was sad to think about the villages and animals who would be affected. 

Day 276- Another early morning to start off the day. 

The crew cooking our last breakfast before we hit the water. 

Our amazing team before our last paddle of the trip!

Oh boy did the Bonnie Beavers love a good paddle high five!!! YEA!

Knowing that our river adventure was coming to an end was leaving me with a sad heart. I knew it meant we were closer to the end of our own adventure and I wasn't ready. I'm still not ready. 

                        

On the way to our drop off point we stopped off at a small temple in a village. 

                        

 

                        

The temple is well known for the large piece of copper you see in the photo below. The metal was discovered years ago and it was said that only those with a good heart will be able to lift the stone. As a part of the myth that surrounds the rock, we all put four fingers on the rock and lifted together. Good news! Our hearts are as solid as that stone. 

                      

We headed back to the river to see this smart little guy burried in a nook on the beach. 

On the way to the pick up location we hit our last and final rapid. A rapid that took us all by surprise and shook us so aggressively that we were all stunned and slightly injured. Rowan punched herself in the face and bit her own hand, Mike fell into the boat, Jeff fell into Eric whose head jerked downward hitting me in the back and Victoria got thrown around at the back of the boat. At least we can say it was a memorable way to end an amazing experience with the best group of people. 

We got dropped off at the pick up point and watched as our crew meticulously packed up the all of the gear. We enjoyed one last dal baht meal together and said our goodbyes to most of the group who were flying home. Myself, Mike, Alex and Ceri opted for the cheaper option and enjoyed the 15 hour bus ride back to Thamel, Kathmandu. 

Day 277- We arrived back into Thamel in the early morning and checked back into our beautiful home. We ran into Ceri for breakfast at Revolution and met up with the whole group for dinner. Hopefully we cross paths with everyone some day in the future, in our country or another. I know for a fact that Colin, Will and Cody can't wait to meet up with us again to learn from the best euchre players they have ever had the pleasure of working with. But don't fret boys, when you are ready, your time will come. 

Paddle Nepal did an amazing job creating an action packed excursion and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for some adventure in Nepal.

 

 

The Secret Garden

Day 70- Mike and I arrived at the Bangkok train station!! Yes, a real live train station. We were going from Thailand to Cambodia and after a lot of research, we determined the train was the best cost effective option. For $1.50 each, we managed to get from Bangkok to the Thai/Cambodian border on this third class only train, plus a short tuk tuk.

It was so much fun and the scenery was beautiful. We passed through many local villages in the countryside.

The washrooms were clean and I didn't have to miss out on the view while in there.

All in all the journey took around 9 hours from start to finish. During our research we read about the many scams that take place at the border. Rumors that said people would be pulling us in all directions trying to scam us, needless to say, when we arrived we were ready for battle. The whole process went smoothly, almost to our disappointment, and we had no issues crossing the boarder... Nothing that we read about came true and it was a pleasant experience. I would highly recommend this transportation option to other travellers in the future. 

We showed up at Cashew Nut hostel hoping they had open rooms and luckily they were able to accomodate us. It was a great location and the rooms were clean. They also served a great breakfast in the morning that was well priced. 

Day 71/72- We woke up late and enjoyed a lazy morning at the hostel. We figured out a game plan for our stay in Siem Reap, then made our way to Kompong Phluk to see a floating village on the Tonlep Sap lake. The drive through the country to the village was absolutely beautiful and it offered sights that were different from anything we'd seen thus far. The floating villages were much larger than we expected and they offered a real look into the daily life of the rural Cambodians that lived there. We were literally motoring down their front "streets", observing life on the food plains. 

A little herb garden on the lake of course. 

If you look closely, you can see a little doggy coming our way.

The local fisherman counting their daily catch. 

A secondary school right on the water, I would love to visit this classroom.

Two girls singing their hearts off, accompanied by a little dance routine.

Mike and I enjoying the adventure as we exit the flood plains and enter the open lake.

                        

This floating village has approximately 3000 inhabitants and most of the people who live there earn their living from the lake in some form or another. During the dry season when the water dries up, they build temporary homes on the lake and live in them until the rainy season returns. Most of the villagers were quite welcoming as we rowed through their front yards, smiling and waving as we passed by. 

We left the floating village just as sun began to sink behind the horizon and we captured some pretty awesome photos of the sunset.

We got our tuk tuk driver to drop us off at pub street for some dinner then back home for a nap before a really long and eventful night! I'm guessing for anyone who has been to Cambodia in the last 10 years or so, pub street is a newer addition. Though tourism creates unauthentic environments like the one seen on pub street, it is very clear by the new infrastructure that tourism in Cambodia is an important piece of this war torn country's ecconomy. There is construction everywhere and things like electrical poles and roads that have recently been updated. 

We went to sleep as soon as we got home until Mike woke up at midnight to watch the opening weekend of the NFL. I joined him at 3 am to watch one of the games and eat breakfast before we left at 4 am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. It is important to get there early as thousands brave the morning to try and witness natures curtain being pulled back on one of the 7 wonders of the world. The pond on the left hand side gives the best view point for a photo of the sunrise, as it restricts people from getting in front of you. The gates open at 5am to buy tickets and we bought the 3 day pass for $40 each. 

It was a cloudy few days in Cambodia so the sky gave us an assorment of blues and silvers for our photo.

Mike shot a sweet time lapse video of the sun rising over the Angkor Wat temple.

                          

After the sun rises most people go into Angkor Wat to beat the crowd but we had something more important to do. We raced home to witness Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys "rise" in there own way, over the New York Giants... again. Quite a few different shades of blue and silver to start our day. 

After a quick nap and some dinner we were off to the Circus! Cambodia has many programs put in place for troubled youth, to teach them the skills necessary to provide for themselves. These programs aim to keep kids off the streets as well as build a strong sense of self worth. The circus is one of those programs and it is called Phare Circus Cambodia. Any of the tickets sold go directly to the students and the program. The show we attended was called Eclipse and it was a suspense filled spectacular spectacle. There were acrobatics, to the most amazing juggling I have ever seen, to fire dancing (yes, Chudi they were wayyy better than you) and strength balancing, it was an impressive show. 

It was a circus out there!!!

Day 73- Woke up early for a day of temple touring and our trusty tuk tuk driver Sokean was waiting for us. I did a lot of research on whether or not to get a guide for the trip and most people recommended that it was worth the money, so we went ahead with it. We paid $35 US for the full day but unfortunately, our guide was not as qualified as we had hoped. Communication was very difficult and we were unable to get many of our questions answered, not to mention that some of his facts were inaccurate. For other travellers considering the same question, I would suggest getting a guide who speaks your language well. Though the scripted information received from our guide was interesting we were unable to get the more in depth understanding of the temples that we were hoping for. We had purchased a guide book on the Angkor temples that would have sufficed had we known better before hand but we made sure to use it on our next visit to the temples, the following day. 

Our first stop was the ancient city of Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple. The Bayon temple is famous for the 4 stone faces that look north, south, east and west as a means of protection. They symbolize one of the states of buddhism, leading the way to enlightenment. It is speculated that the face is of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is meant to embody the compassion of Buddha. 

                      

Mike got a special kiss from the famous Buddha.

Reclining Buddha depicts Buddha before his death, just before reaching nirvana.

                         

Next we walked to Phimeanakas temple.

Terrace of Elephants was a terrace used by the king to welcome his victorious army as they returned from battle. 

Ta Keo temple.  This temple represents Mount Meru, which Hindu mythology considered to be a mountain at the center of the world. I wasn't feeling well so Mike walked to the top of the very steep steps to see the view.

                           

As we walked through the jungle I saw something familiar in the trees....I could see it from a mile away... or should I say, smelt it? See the ressemblance? Teresa how did they get a replica of our famous Pinto nose?

                                 

Finally we were going to the temple that has been on my bucket list for some time now.. it is famous for it's role in Tomb Raider and although I had never seen the movie (until this trip), I had seen photos on National Geographic and I swore I would see it one day. Ta Prohm shows how much time has passed since it was built in the 1100's, as the jungle has slowly consumed the stone. This temple has been left in in it's natural state with only restoration being done to keep doorways and walls from collapsing. 

                               

                             

Every corner offered another view worth capturing. 

                               

Look out for spiders in there Mike! What a wimp.

                              

Ta Prohm makes you believe in magic, as little pieces of ancient history "peak through" the vines of the jungle wall. Can you see it? She can see you. 

                        

                                

                                

Are you wondering how the trees grow on top of the temple? This is actually the result of birds. They drop seeds as they fly over the temple and the seeds grow in place. As the roots mature, they push through the boulders and stones until they reach the earth. Sometimes they don't even reach the ground and they continue to grow on the rock. In many cases, the trees actually support the temples and strengthen their structure but this has become an issue with these famous trees. When the trees die, they collapse and bring the temple, who has become a part of them, down with them. 

Moss and greenery paint many surfaces of the stone temple.

After a pit stop for lunch, we went to Angkor Wat. This is the biggest religious temple in the world. Like many of the temples of Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat was also built originally as a hindu temple. The temples were places of worship and were dedicated to the Gods Shiva and Vishnu. At the time of their construction, in the 12th century, the king in power as well as most of the population were hindu. As time passed and a new king who worshiped Buddhism came to power, the temples were converted to buddhist temples. All of the dedications to Shiva and Vishnu remain, although Buddhist symbols were added. It was a little confusing to see the temples with momuments to both Hindu and Buddist religions all under one roof. After many questions and research, the best we could understand is that society, for the most part, was tolerant of both religions and allowed them to coexist. 

As we arrived at Angkor Wat the rain began to pour, luckily we had a huge temple to take shelter in. 

Four pools on the inside of the temple. One of which was dedicated to the king for bathing. 

                           

A carving on the walls of the gallery depicts the king riding on his elephant. 

Out of all the temples from our day, Angkor Wat was my least favorite. I didn't find the architecture as interesting and the detail on the stone was not as intricate and beautiful as some of the others. 

Day 74- We had another day of exploring the temples before heading to our next destination. We opted out of the tour guide and Mike used the book he purchased at the market to take us around the remaining attractions. This was much better and more information than the guide was able to give us the day before. 

Our first stop, Preah Khan. Built by the same king who constructed Ta Prohm, this 12th century temple was made in honour of the kings father. It has been left in the same condition as Ta Prohm with old stones scattering the ground, leaving a reminder of how grand the temple once was. The trees here have also slowly devoured the temple walls. 

Next to Ta Prohm, this was my favourite. Chambers, doorways and hidden corridors remain in the shell of the building, reminding me of a favorite childhood movie, The Secret Garden. 

Fantastical spiderwebs everywhere we looked. (turns out fantastical is a real word!)

Mike guiding our exploration.

The rain pouring in through what used to be a roof.

The next image shows the old homes of the many buddhas that surrounded the walls of Preah Khan. They were removed during one of the kings reigns, whose name I could not pronounce nor remember, as it was converted back to a Hindu temple after a century long stint as a Buddist temple. (It appears as though it was not uncommon to flip flop the temples like this, from century to century)

What I found exciting was imagining how european explorers must have felt stumbling upon such incredible  ruins. All of the temples spread out to cover more then 400 square km. Though the stone temples are all that remain of the Khmer civilization it is said that they were surrounded by great cities and home to thousands of residents. To play the role of the french explorer as we walked through the temples and think of how incredible it must have been, gave me butterflies.

Next we went to the landmine museum, which came highly reccomended by Mike's cousin Lee who had also visited Cambodia nearly 10 years ago. The museum has changed a lot since Lee and Brie's visit and part of me wishes I could have seen it while it was still in its raw and real state. The museum holds a gallery of disassembled land mines. These thousands of landmines were extracted from the ground by one man and his wife.

Aki Ra has been recognized worldwide for his efforts to remove landmines from the many villages around Cambodia and even surrounding countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. Aki donated his time and efforts for free to remove landmines. He significantly reduced the number of annual landmine victims in Cambodia. He truly is a life saver. Him and his wife also take in children affected by landmines and care for them. His old home, which used to house the thousands of landmines, has since been closed and they now reside in the new facility close to Banteay Srei. He also has a school and home on his property for children who struggle with disabilities. Before he began removing landmines, 1 in 300 Cambodians were directly affected by a landmine, by 2013 only 111 landmine victims were recorded. This was a truly eye opening experience that taught me a lot about Cambodian history. It also gave Mike and I our first exposure to a group of communist extremists named the Khmer Rouge, who ruled Cambodia in the late 1970's. With the country decimated from civil war, the Vietnam war and a lack of reasources, the stage had been set for the extremists to take power. The Khmer Rouge would sacrifice everything, including the lives of the civilians to achieve economic progress and the adoption of their extremist ideals. Neither of these goals would be achieved. The more information we gathered the sadder this story got, involving mass genocide and large scale poverty. The long term effects of this temporary reign can still be felt today as 1 in 4 Cambodian civilians were executed between the years of 1975 to 1979. Cambodia and Cambodians are truly a testament to the resilience of humanity when considering the incredible impact of war, landmines and extremist activity in the area.

On a lighter note, this was a huge furry spider that crawled on Mike's neck while at the museum.

                           

 

After that very eye opening experience, we were off to Banteay Srei. This temple was the only temple not built by a king. Instead, it was built by a monarch and it was quite the controversial monument back in the day because the beauty and detail surpassed that of the other temples built around the same time. There were questions of how the counsellor could afford to build such a work of art. 

Banteay Srei quickly became my third favorite temple of the trip. It easily stands out from the other temples because of its pink color and the intricateness of the carvings. It is best to go in the late afternoon when the crowds are minimal and the sun descends, allowing the pink color to really show.

One of my favorite photos from our visit was of this wall with the various patterns and colors coming together to truly showcase the detail of the temple. 

                                 

Our visit to Siem Reap was truly amazing and it surpassed our expectations of Cambodia. Now off to the Capital city Phnom Penh.