Where's the bear?

Kampot and Pnom pen

claire-winder — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:40:00 GMT

Kampot was wonderful, it was a small town in the countryside, the people were lovely, we stayed in a wonderful old villa run by an australian couple who were really nice. We went into the town, got massages from some blind people, which was incredible! The rain was non stop though, erveryday it poured, I mean POURED with rain, but it was quite nice, we spent one day just watching films in the "movie room." One day we asked a Tuk Tuk driver to take us ANYWHERE and he took us to some little villages where we sat with Kahmear people, laughed ate fruit and couldn't understand one word of what they were saying, the woman kept prodding us and touching our skin and laughing, so we prodded them and touched thier skin and laughed back at them and it was all hilarious! We then headed to Kep for the day where we saw some amazing caves, little kids took us around with torches, they were very sweet but then didn't let us go until we gave them money!

No we are in Pnom Pen, the capital of Cambodia, it's very crazy. Yesterday we went to a small school to help teach English, the class ranged from ages 4 to 15! The kids were so sweet. Later on we were taken to the slums which was unbelieveable, rubbish everywhere, it was dirty, smelly, rats, maggots, poo, I thought I was going to be sick. About 10 people sleep in one tiny dirty rotting wooden room, and they just go on and on. Some of the kids we met were sent out onto the streets every night by thier family to work, in brothels, or selling things, it's all very sad. So today we bought lots and LOTS of milk to go and give to the young girls who have babies in the slums.

Today we went to "s21" Which was the prison from 1975 to 1979 of the Kahmear Rouge. It was quite upsetting, we then went to the killing fields which was also very horrible, we finished the day by going to the royal palace, which was stunning.

So far Cambodia has been a bit wierd, it's such a corrupt counrty, none of it seems to make much sense. The people are lovely though, bearing in mind thier past.

We're now off to watch the football match.

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Cambodia...Crossing the boarder at Koh Kong

claire-winder — Thu, 8 May 2008 21:37:00 GMT

..6 Buses and alot of hours later I arrived in Hat Lei which is the boarder for Cambodia from Thailand, it was very starnge and being on my own was a bit scary, I had to get my visa...I took one step over a painted line in the middle of the street and I weas In Cambodia, very scared I got my phone out ot try and call Jessie but it didn't work and I wasn't allowed back over the step, suddenly I had people swarming around me begging, limbless people, I was the only white girl, a man took my bag put it in my taxi and then begged me to give him money but I refused and closed the door to which he took my bag out of the boot and started running with it, so I ran after him screaming and shouting and eventually got it back, I had about 10 little children begging at the car doors, but I told the taxi man to drive and off we went...I had no idea where I was going and I don't even really know if my taxi driver was a taxi driver. Anyway, eventually I ended up at my guesthouse and it was such a relief to see the girls!

The next day we got on three motorbikes and went to a waterfall and swam and then it started to pur down with rain so we got back on our motorbikes and went back, it was very scary and the rain was very strong and there were no helmetsn and the bike I was on kept breaking down and we had to go through rivers and very dangerous roads on them...we all got back in one piece though.

We went to a desterted island the next day, it was about an hour away from the town, we went on a very tiny little boat, the waves were very VERY big and scary, our boat man was MAD, we crashed once, but again..we got back in one piece!!

We are now in Sihanuok ville, it's a bit touristy here, we are staying in an English run guest house, met some people there who I know through other people and so on, had a full English breaky this morning which was AMAZING!! Just went to a nice beach, the waves were massive.

It rains everyday here, which is quite refreshing after being in such intense heat for two months...but it's still very humid.

Next week we are going to teach art in a school for a week or two, volunteering and living with Cambodian poeple.

It's wierd being in a place like this again, like in India. We have to start being really careful about everything, like water and meat and washing our hands and all that...but I can wear wierd clothes again, so thats good! :)

Lots of love.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The rest of South Thailand...

claire-winder — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:22:00 GMT

The full Moon party was a blast..buckets buckets and more buckets, thousands of people dancing along the beach, thumping music, fires, the sun rising, it was alot of fun!! We chilled in Ko Phangan for a few days afterwards before we headed to Ko Tao, also known as turtle Island, we managed to find a lovely little beach with huts, not very many people, it was lovely, apart from when we returned back to our hut to go to bed, switched on the light only to find a few rats running over our beds and bags...so we moved to a nicer hut. Unfortunately it rained and rained for the few days we were there BUT I quite liked it, I got to wear socks and my jumper which was sooo nice! We very nearly got washed away at sea when the storms began, I was so scared, Lily and Jessie found it quite fun, but I was begging the taxi boat man to "TURN BACK PLEAAASEE" and he did because the waves were too dangerous and our little boat was about to capsise..phew! The storm cleared and off to Bangkok to meet my sister, I spent the night on my own, which was strange, I walked up and down the busy roads, wondering what to do with myself and eventually decided that I should go to bed so I could wake up bright and early to go to the airport...

Oh what a joy it is to be bossed around by my sister again, seriously, I have missed it, I think that she is very suprised that I am actually alive, which is nice. Jessie and Lily are on their way to meet us in Ko Samet, which is beachy and nice.

Off to Cambodia on a very long bus on sunday, I must leave Thailand before my visa runs out and I get put in prison...that wouldn't be very good, so I'm going back to Bangkok with my sister and doing the long and tedious journey on my own, to counrty number three, I'm very excited, I love South Thailand, the people are wonderful and the beaches are beautiful but I'm looking forward to getting back to some less touristy place.

Love love love.xxxx

South Thailand..Blue sea and white sand

claire-winder — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:08:00 GMT

...As I said, internet is very expensive so I musn't be too long...We've been in Ko Phangnan for 1 day with Amaya and Sally, awaiting the full moon party so we can dance on the beach with 30,000 other people! We arrived from Railay where we snorkelled in caves, found a deserted beach, sunbathed and celebrated the Thai new year with water guns and paint...everyone goes mad!

It's raining today! I'm off to learn some poi on the beach and then maybe go on a banana boat. woooo.

Bye.xxxxx

Thailand...BANGKOK..Buckets, Lady boys and Buddhas..

claire-winder — Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:21:00 GMT

Saddwadi Ka/kap friends and Family...

we arrived in Bangkok on sunday morning after spending one day in Sri-Lanka where we met LILY!! Bangkok is VERY different to India, it's so much more high-tech, the people are wonderful and we don't get as many stares as we did in India, which is really nice. On our first day we slept until about 5pm and then went out to the Ko Sahn Road which is where all the backpackers hang out...it was a very fun night, buckets buckets loads of buckets, the red bull is lethal!!

We were told by group of people from Dulwich to go to a Thai Ping pong show because it's a real experience...we thought it would be a funny type of Thai sport or something quite civilized but..well..it wasn't that at all..still an experience which I won't go into to much detail over..

So we left and went back to the Ko Sahn Road where we met some lovely Thai girls call Lin and Beer who showed us around Bankok, all of the Thai girls here want English boyfriends, you see alot of old men walking around with tiny young Thai girls...it's a bit weird...anyway. The next day, despite feeling a bit worse for wear we went to see the Reclining Buddah, the biggest Buddah in Thailand...it was very impressive, we then went onto Pak Pong market in the Red light district, it was quite mad!!

Yesterday we went to the golden temple, it was so beautiful, there were loads of Buddhist monks walking around in thier orange robes and then we went onto the cinema to see a funny Thai film about a group of High school kids and thier love issues. Made us all laugh :)

Todaay we are getting on a bus and heading towards Krabi and then to Railay to see some pretty beaches...it's so hot here.

Photos are up on my Facebook now..so go and have a looky.

IU'm off to eat some noodle soup now, it's so yummy!

I think I'm really going to love Thailand alot.

Lots of Love.xxx (sorry about all the spelling mistakes..Internet is slightly more expensive here so I have to be quicker!!)

Kerala..Fort Cochin, Kumli, The Backwaters and Varkala...

claire-winder — Tue, 1 Apr 2008 21:57:00 GMT

...we arrived in Fort Cochin after 24 hours of being on a very bumpy overnight bus AND a train, it was pouring down with rain solidly for about 2 days, so it was a bit dull and tiring but eventually we arrived at 2.30 in the morning, found a room and woke up on easter day and had the BIGGEST breakfast ever. Fort Cochin was quite snazzy, with lots of expensive hotels and restaurants, we decided to treat ourselves as it was easter day and there are no easter eggs in India so we had a very nice meal at a hotel, I had chicken which was exciting as I haven't had meat for a while! We cruised around Fort Cochin, saw a Kathakali performance in the evening which was HILARIOUS, performed by a group of chubby Indian men, the story was about a man who forced himself upon a girl and then he got murdered by the young girls father...very original!!

Then onto Kumli to see some wildlife...we rented a house that slept about 10 people, just the two of us, and it only cost 1.50 each, it even had a loo, that you could sit on, which was very exciting, felt a bit weird at first though. We woke bright and early, went on an Elephant, which was amazing, she was massive, and we got to feed her afterwards and watch her have a bath, then we rented bycicles to cycle around the national park, mine had no breaks which I only discovered after flying down a very steep hill, having to swerve past wild bore and monkeys, and nearly being knocked off by a crazy bus driver coming up the hill, it was quite scary...we then went on a boat ride, to spot some tigers, but no such luck..all we saw was a deer type thing...it was quite boring. Friday night was spent in a posh hotel where we had a glass of wine, which was terribly exciting because alcohol is strictly prohibited in Kerala because it's "Gods own counrty!"

Onto Allapay, we got on a local bus with our massive rucksacks which was deffinatley an experience, the locals taking photos of us with thier phones, alot of people just staring at us! We felt we were on a rollercoaster as we flew past the western ghats and tea plantations which was very beautiful.

When we got to Allapay we decided to get a small rowing boat to do the backwaters, rather than a big motor boat, this allowed us to go down the tiny little canals and stop off at villages...this was the best day in India so far, our rowing man/guide was called Thankachan, he was very weedy and spoke no English and had loads of teeth missing but he was very very sweet and took us to his home, gave us coconut milk then showed us his village where little children ran up to us giving us flowers, people invited us into thier little houses, people flung chai at us form all directions, we saw people harvesting the rice, this was real India, no cars or electricty, the people just living off the land.

I was helping Thankachan row through the backwaters all day whilst Jessie sat back and relaxed so I had very achey arms the next day!!

We are now in Varkala which is our last stop in India...I can't believe it!!

Varkala is very beachy and sunny and lovely...I'm going to get all my clothes washed before thailand which is so exciting!

Lots of love EVERYONEE!! I miss you all alot.xxxx

Hampi..the holy town.

claire-winder — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:09:00 GMT

We're in Hampi at the moment, in the state of Karnataka. Hampi has over 3000 temples, everywhere you look there are temple ruins and carvings of the Gods. It's so hot here, and there is no sea nearby to jump into, only a river, but we haven't sen ANY women in it. We really have to cover ourselves here because it's offensive to show our sholders and stuff...which makes it all a bit hotter. Yesterday we woke up at 5 o'clock and went to the top of a hill to watch the sunrise which was amazing...then we went on a tour around all of the temples which was really interesting and there were loads of Monkeys in fig trees just chucking figs at us. Because Hampi is a holy town there is NO alcohol, it's illegal, so if you want a drink you have to get a boat to the otherside of the river but there is no elctricity on that side so the drinks are just really hot! Today we are getting an overnight bus to Mangalore and then another bus to Ko Chin in Kerala, which I'm really excited about. Tomorrow is "Holi" which is a festival that celebrates the first day of spring...apparently it's mad and everyone chucks powder paint around, so all the markets on the streets at the moment are selling loads of diferent colours! And we've also heard that the locals like to attack the tourists with colour and water guns...which should be fun!

Lots of love.xxx

Onwards and upwards....

claire-winder — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:56:00 GMT

we came back to Baga...in Goa yesterday, to collect our rucksacks, have a wash and sort out our lives.

On the train we were hit by a massive tropical storm, it was scary, the lightening lit up the sky and we were stuck on the train for a long time. When we arrived in Margoa the whole station was flooded...we got a taxi, back to Jay Jays appartment with a Korean girl who didn't speak English and needed somewhere to stay. She was very funny.

It was very weird to see cars and people again having been in such deserted paradise for far longer than we had intended to be.

Tomorrow we are moving on...Hampi, to see some Temple ruins and some Monkeys, apparently it's unbearably hot there!! Can't wait!!

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Gokarna...paradise beach

claire-winder — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:19:00 GMT

paradise paradise paradise...we are in Gokarna at the moment with some South London folk, Amaya and co. It is wonderful here, the sand in white and the sea is crystal blue. We found a tiny beach called "half moon" beach, which you can't get to by car, so there are not very many people there at all. We are staying in some mud huts, shared by a few creapy crawlies and lizards and I think there is even a birds nest in a straw roof...which wakes us up. Nature is our lavatory and the sea is where we wash. There is no electricity and the huts are run by a family, the grandmother likes to walk around with her boobs hanging out, with bananas and pinapples on her head saying "banana, banana," apparantly she has NEVER left the beach before. And her husband walks around with something else hanging out...it's all very natural. The sun is setting now so I must make ye haste back through the jungle to get to my mud hut before dark. Photos will be going up soon.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Arombol ...North Goa..

claire-winder — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:22:00 GMT

The 12 hour train Journey wasn't at all bad...we had two little beds and the scenery was just beautiful...I spent the entire time gazing and gasping out of the window...I even stood by the open door and nearly got blown away as the train choo chooed along which was scary but fun.

We arrived in Arombol at about 6pm and met two travellers who shared a taxi with us and we then headed straight for the beach and just stood there, very happy to see some sand and sea after the maddness of Mumbai. A nice man took us to some small bamboo huts just behind the beach called "Galaxy Inns" which is behind a farm so every morning we get woken up AT DAWN by the cockadoodledoo of the cock and the pigs fight alot. The inns are run by the nicest man ever, he's called Carlos and has a heart of pure gold. There are so many westerners here and hardly any Indian people, we lie on the beach tryig to relax but every 5 minutes a lady will come up to you selling anklets or sarongs or cds or something but they are very sweet when you get chatting to them but they always say things like "don't break my small heart..." or "I have such a terrible life.." and the amount of times we've been told "you are soooo pale" even though we thought we were getting a bit of a tan, but obviously not. Yesterday we went for a walk and found another beach with a beautiful lake which we swam in but I thought I found a dead person in the water and got a bit scared so I left quickly and Jessie carried on the swimming! Today we had breakfast in a little shack on the beach called "Dreamcatcher" we had lots to do today but somehow ended up staying there for 6 hours just being filled up with beer and there were loads of hippies who were talking to us and then one of them started playing lots of music so we danced and danced and it was a very nice day. Goa doesn't really feel like India at all...it seems to be the place where all the old time hippies retire to, never to be found again, it's mega chilled out here and we like it alot. I'm getting used to the whole washing in a bucket thing...it's actually quite fun. Had my first cup of English tea this morning...it was BEAUTIFUL. Moving on tomorrow...not sure where to yet but we shall see where the wind blows us.

Hope all is well in London and not too cold...very VERY hot here :) xxxxxxxxx

Mumbai...

claire-winder — Thu, 6 Mar 2008 02:30:00 GMT

Well here I am, happy and safe in the mad city of Mumbai.

The flight was very long and couldn't sleep at all, when we got out of the plane we were welcomed by the smell of India...pollution, spice, sweat, drains..mmm

As soon as we left the airport men started taking our rucksacks to our taxi and then started asking for tips and not leaving us alone so we quickly got into the taxi and drove off. The drive from the airport was strange, we were both speechless as we just looked out of the window, shanty after shanty after shanty, cars driving wherever they want, the continuous sound of beeps for no reason, it was a bit of a culture shock.

Our hotel is nice, a bit crumbly and the Indians idea of air conditiong is just a noisy fan that seems to blow all the hot heat around.

We decided to do some exploring and went to Colaba. People trying to make us buy things, children patting us on the back and then following us and asking for money then crying when we couldn't give them any, althought today a little boy just came up to us and literally took the coconut out of Jessie's hand and happily walked away. We were evn asked to be in a Bollywood film..

There's just so much to see here, so much colour but it is a bit daunting. Crossing the roads takes us about half an hour because cars just don't stop, Indian men like to stare at us alot, there are dogs raoming free all over the place.

Today we went to see Adi who is Jessies uncles old friend, we had a very nice meal with all of his work people and we sat on a table with a group of beautiful young girls who new more about London than we did, we had a delicious curry which was so spicy but I was so hungry I didn't even think about the burning sensation in my mouth.

We are off to Goa tomorrow at 6.45 in the morning and it's a 12 hour journey past the Western Ghats, I'm excited!

I've just had my first shower...which involved one small bucket and some cold water...lovely...

Love to everyone.

x x x x x x x x

Hello...

claire-winder — Sat, 1 Mar 2008 11:45:00 GMT

Welcome family and friends to my travel journal.

First stop....MUMBAI, 'The city of dreams,' the 'razzle dazzle' of India.

Will keep you all updated of the adventures to come.

Take care.

Love to all.x

Gallery: A bit of INDIA so far

claire-winder — Sat, 1 Mar 2008 10:27:00 GMT