Going it alone in South East Asia!

So I'm in Cambodia!!

First of all let's zip back to Tuesday when I met my group! There are 14 of us in total. 3 pairs and 8 people on their own. The youngest person is 19 and the eldest are in their late 60's so it's a great mix. it's also an even male/female split! We went out for dinner together as a group where we all got to know each other better. And now 4 days later there are some good friendships forming in the group. It's ace!

We arrived in Siem Reap on the 3rd of June (Wednesday!) and as soon as we arrived I fell in love. The town is just so different from Bangkok. The atmosphere is so laid back and it's just much nicer. I'm already making plans in my head to come back!!

On Thursday the group hired a bus and a guide and we went to the Angkor Temples. WOW! Seeing Angkor Wat after looking at pictures of it for the past 18 months was just incredible. Just the sheer scale of it is immense, and set amongst the sprawling jungle... it's just beautiful!

We also went to the Bayon temple where there are more than 200 faces/hads carves into the stone. We went to Ta Prohm or 'Tomb Raider' temple as part of the movie was filmed there. The locals are very proud of the fact that Angelina Jolie was there! To get to that temple we had to walk through the jungle where we saw monkeys, snakes and tarantulas. I was a little uneasy, but it was incredible to see the animals in the wild!

We went to a smaller temple after Banteary Shrei (I don't have spell check, but google will help!) which a smaller temple with much more intricate carving. While we were there we all started to hear a noise like rain but couldn't see where it was coming from. It started to get louder and eventually become deafening, when we looked to our left we could see the rain moving towards us and we had literally 5 seconds to find shelter, in a ruined temple. Needless to say most of us where soaked to the core!

Afterwards we visited the landmine museum where they are dedicated to clearing the millions of mines from Cambodia and where they also look after children and orphans who have been affected by them. it was a very inspiring place.

In the evening we went out for a group dinner to 'Happy Herb Pizza' where you can have a little added extra (cannabis) on your pizza. Within an hour I had the biggest fit of the giggles I have ever experienced, it was pretty fun! After our 'happy'dinner we went back to the Angkor What? bar for a night of cocktails and chit chat and by 1am we were all pretty worse for wear. Especially Phillip who was sick down the side of a tuk-tuk! Good times had by all!

Right, I need to go now so I will update asap. Homestay tomorrow!!

Missing everyone back home

I'm here!!

I've been in Bangkok for 30hrs now and I've spent 18 of those sleeping. But I am coming back to Bangkok in July for about 5 days so I can see everything then. Right now I'm focussing on getting rid of this awful cold and regaining the hearing in one of my ears. I'm doing everything to encourage this sucker to pop. But so far... nothing. It's very frustrating

What I have seen of Bangkok is Khao San Road. I went there last night and this morning as it is only a short walk from my hotel. If you don't know anything of Bangkok this street is basically backpackers mecca. It's full of shops and stalls selling everything from fish heads to the latest chart cds.

Everywhere you go people shout "taxi" at you, so much so I was beginning to wonder if people thought this was my name.

The streets next to my hotel are lined with food stalls. The smells coming from these are... well something I've never smelled before. That smell will definitely be ingrained in my memory for ever as 'Bangkok'. It's a mix of spices, meats, fish, noodles and something else that smells suspiciously like sweat. I've taken to breathing through my mouth when I was through these stalls!

I've been thoroughly un-backpacker since my arrival here. I've not had a drop of local beer AND I had room service. I know.. terrible! I do plan on remedying this as soon as I get rid of this 'cottage-flu' and earache.

Siem Reap (Cambodia) bound tomorrow!

So finally it is May 2009.

May 2009 - the month I leave for SE Asia. I'm physically prepared, I only have a few more things to buy and everything I already have is already 'packed' in my backpack. When it comes to mental preparation I'm not sure I'm quite there yet!! I've read all sorts of books and blogs on all the areas I'm going to but I just don't think anything is going to fully prepare me. I guess it's a jump in at the deep end kind of thing. No amount of reading/preparing is actually going to make a difference when it comes to getting off that plane in Bangkok.

I can't wait

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous though. I'm going to miss my Mum so much, not a day goes by where I don't speak to her. And my friends... oh God I'm going to be lost without you guys! I'm nervous that I'm going to forget something, or that I'm going to go somewhere on the wrong day and miss a train/bus/boat... but I know all of that is just pre-trip jitters.

Only 3 weeks and 6 days to go. I can't believe I initially started planning this back in January 2008.

The trip is booked. No more changes.

Please ignore the last itinerary!

Flights are booked. The plan is now as follows;

31/05/2009 - London - Bangkok Gulf Air

02/06/2009 - Intrepid Trip Indochina Encompassed

12/07/2009 - Intrepid Trip Siam Sunset

04/08/2009 - Lauren goes it alone from Chumphon to Kuala Lumpur (Via Singapore and the Jungle Railway)

16/05/2009 - Kuala Lumpur - London

So now the countdown begins.

Oh yes!

So it's 9 months and 18 days until D Day! I know it's extremely early to start writing a travel blog, especially when one is not travelling anywhere yet! But I'm extremely excited and though that this was the best way to channel that excitement! In 9 months time when I'm 6200 miles away and people are finally reading this they can laugh at how eager I was way back when!

So the plans are in motion for this super trip to beat all other super trips! The new passport application form is filled in and ready to go, once I've recieved my new passport I can apply to Bunac for the "Volunteer Cambodia" trip. I'll feel much more at ease once that's done at least then I'll know it's organised and set in place. I need to go to London for an interview before they accept me onto the placement... *bites knuckles* how scary!

So as a matter of procedure I'll outline my travel plans, I wonder if in 9 months when my family and friends are finally allowed access to this the plans will have changed or not!

So here goes;

November 17th 2008 - Leave for Siem Reap, Cambodia.

November 19th 2008 - Start placement induction. Siem Reap.

February 13th 2009 - Placement ends.

-- time in between is unplanned at the moment. I'm thinking about travelling overland from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok --

March 3rd 2009 - Intrepid Trip - Indochina Encompassed through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Starting in Bangkok ending in Chiang Mai.

April 11th - Trip ends in Chiang Mai.

April 12th - Travel overland in Thailand before leaving sometime in May.