Khmer weddings and gourmet food

I was invited to my first Khmer wedding last night! I have seen these loud gaudy gatherings before on the streets and always wanted to be a part of it just because it's such a huge spectacle! So, I got into some fancy clothes (only one dress and I needed to wear pants under it for decency sake), which was a nice change from being frumpy all day long, and loaded myself into a crowded car and sped off to Kep (30 minutes away). We drove into these rice fields and ended up in a loud gathering at the main house in the fields.
Already the music was blaring and guests were filtering in. Upon entering the party area, you greet the bride and groom who are wearing really beautiful traditional Khmer dress, and then you pass under a yellow and pink heart. Then, you mill around, go to a random table with your friends and then start eating. The food was really good, many courses, I was quite happy. The music was not making me so happy, we were right next to the speakers and they were turned up pretty high so my ears were ringing by the end of the night. The women are all dressed to the nines, they had on really flashy party dresses, they had so much make up caked on and all of them had their hair done. I looked like quite the dowdy madam with a brown summer dress and flip flops and only blush. The general ambience is not unlike a typical Chinese wedding minus all the loud singing and Khmer traditions. But I definitely don't want either.
Also, this weekend was a gourmet weekend.. I'm treating myself as this is my last weekend, at yummy baby back ribs which are as good as home, really good brie and black forest ham on baguette and garlic/pepper crab fresh from the sea. My tastebuds were in heaven these few days! Spent my last day at Rabbit Island today.. likely won't see that island for a long long time. However, I don't have much luck there, first time I broke my sandals, second time I got a spine of a sea urchin stuck in my foot and today I got stung by a jellyfish which was sooo painful. However, I still love Rabbit Island.

Kampot among other things

Started volunteering at Epic Arts cafe last week after a rushed arrival into Kampot, Cambodia. So far things are excellent, a great change to work with really nice people and with an actual project and goal. Actually I'm mostly helping out in the kitchen which is great, I haven't cooked in 7 months! and doing some brushups on the cafe. But the staff are wonderful and it's a great organization that integrates the disabled and deaf through the arts. A really great concept. Here's their website www.epicarts.org.uk, they are trying to build an accessible arts centre in Kampot, so if you have some extra change please consider donating! During the slow hours, I'm learning some Khmer sign language and I think I'm more conversant in that than in actual Khmer. All in all, I'm very happy staying here for the next month as I know the following months will be just travel travel travel!
After leaving Myanmar, I've been devouring books on the country, political situation and talking to people in the cafe about it. My trip really stirred something in me, the situation is so well hidden that I didn't really sense the horrible situation while travelling there. I knew generally what human rights abuses occurred but when I was there, I was quite afraid of address these issues for fear of causing trouble with the locals. In a way, it's a vicious cycle because the government plants informants throughout but eventually because people are afraid, they start to close themselves off in speaking about these matters... so the government is more effective because of the fear they have instilled. The government has really done a good job at hiding many things from foreign eyes. I hope to return someday and really explore the country off the beaten track and actually talk to some people there about the situation...albeit covertly!

Magnificent Myanmar

Sorry, long time no post. Am ending my 2 week (actually more like 12 day) whirlwind trip in Myanmar/Burma. It's been full of surprises, sore bums, long bus rides but definitely a wonderful time. I didn't really know what to expect coming here, just knew roughly about the political situation, the isolation from the rest of the world. Arriving here, I noticed how antiquated many things were, ie. cars, bridges, helmets, due to the embargos that have been placed on this country. Many of the things they have seem to be hand me downs from western countries from long ago (we saw a war helmet from Nazi Germany, with the swastika and everything).
It was my first time travelling alone but it has been so easy to find people to travel with, I met a Canadian as soon as I got on the plane, and we were travelling together until Mandalay. Our first shocker of an introduction to Yangon, was a crazy Hungarian who decided to jump from the 2nd floor of the guesthouse (Motherland Inn 2) through the plastic roof onto hard concrete. Of course he then collapsed (maybe due to a concussion, possible fractures... he has serious mental issues) and all the people at the guest house just rushed to help him. Madness. Not sure what happened to him, I will find out tonight.
Then headed to Kalaw the next day to start our trek to Inle Lake, endured a 17 hour winding bus ride (in the middle of the night... rivalling the crazy driving before dawn in Tibet).. and was dropped off a 5AM on a quiet street. Good thing there was an enthusiastic lady who greeted us and showed us to a lovely guest house (Eastern Paradise). We did some wandering, ate some Shan noodles which are my favourite here, and then started on our trek the next day with 2 Basques, and the following day 2 others who were at the guesthouse in Yangon, an American and an Aussie. Slept in a village house the first night, really good food and quiet and the next night in a monastery. That was one of the great experiences in Myanmar, young monks chanting us to sleep and then waking us up at 5:30AM. Then we were all blessed by the chief monk and given a bracelet for travel protection.
We finally arrived in Inle Lake which was lovely and refreshing after 3 harsh, hot days in the hills. As soon as we got there we had to plan to leave because of our tight schedules. Found out no buses to Mandalay as it was graduation weekend and all buses were full... then had to hire a shared taxi for the next day. Did manage some sightseeing on Inle Lake but it was quite touristy.
The road to Mandalay was awful and the driver was totally sketchy, he was swerving many times for no reason, hitting random rock piles, chewing betel constantly and had a bottle of rum next to him. I think I fell asleep out of pure fright, I just didnt' want to see him drive anymore. Arrived in Mandalay late at night, tired, windblown and dirty. Mad rush the next day to see Sagaing, Inwa (which was good, except for the scam of the horse carts which didn't stop if you wanted them to) and Amarapura. The U Bein bridge at Amarapura at sunset is easily my top favourite things in my travels. It's as beautiful as they say it is. Ahhhh, it was worth the long trip there.
I then boarded a minibus the next day to Bagan, the ancient city with hundreds of pagodas/shrines. The minibus was a nightmare, so crowded, I was sitting on top of the petrol tanks, people were falling all over my seatmate, a Spaniard photographer. However, arrived safely at the New Heaven Inn, which was really heavenly. Lovely porches, hot water showers, lovely staff. Went for a sunset at the Shwezigon Paya. Met a German guy who was at the Motherland same time as I was. Next day did mad scramble on bikes to see as many pagodas as possible but I was pooped by 1PM.. the heat and sun are unbearable at that time. In the evening picked up Tim, (Aussie) and went to see the sunset by the Irrewady (Ayeyerwaddy) and had tea with monks by the Shwezigon near our hostel. It was really lovely, the monks were so excited to play with our cameras and just to talk to us. And the chief monk was so welcoming. It was a nice change from the money grabbing vendors all over Bagan. Had a wonderful sunrise the next day overlooking many of the major pagodas in Bagan. It is an amazing sight... it rivals Angkor in my opinion. There are just spires and spires and just when you think there aren't any more.. you'll see another in the horizon. Really amazing.
Arrived in Yangon this morning after a 14 hour bus ride from Bagan. A bit more comfortable than the minibus, but I won't be clambering to get on another bus anytime soon. I'm looking forward to doing nothing, no more sightseeing just relaxing. Although that will have to wait after Bangkok.. which is another mad city!
Will need some serious R&R in Kampot.