Battambang day 2

We moved to different hotel because they had a pool. Did I mention how hot it is? 100 or so with high humidity. But the old hotel gave us a gift upon leaving, a silk scarf for each. Yes, it did make us feel a little guilty. We found the veggie restaurant we had been looking for and had an Asian version of an egg McMuffin.... Three slices of bread, with a mushroom patty and a fried egg. Another shake. Coffee is amazing here.

The pool was so inviting, so we lazed around trying to cool our bodies off. Difficult when the pool water is about the same as the ambient temperature. But it was nice to sit still for a few hours. You can only go at full speed for so long. We still had an afternoon adventure planned. We met up with our driver Chin Chin to drive out to an old temple from the 11th century. On the way we stopped at some small villages. The first village specialized in Bamboo sticky rice. They mix up rice, coconut water, beans and maybe something for sweetness, pack it into a hollowed bamboo tube about 10 inches long, and then place the tubes in a trough of charcoal. Once it cools, you peel back the bamboo and eat the sticky rice. It was so smooth and sweet, but with a woodsmoke flavor.

Next stop was the fish paste village. Full disclosure, I did not try any. They start with piles of deboned medium sized fish. Yes, the pile gettting ready for the next batch was sitting in the sun covered with flies. Then they throw all these fish pieces into huge clay pots with lots of salt. They have large paddles for mixing it all up. It sits in these pots for months, fermenting away. Covered, no flies at this point. Once it is ready, they package it into little plastic rolls, about the size of your finger, or small plastic pyramids for a single serving. I'm Sure we've been eating it I almost every dish we've had.

Our last village made rice paper for spring rolls. Today's production was mostly gone, but what was left was laid out on the grassy strip beside the road, awaiting the dew to soften it up.

We visited the 11th century temple ruins and beside it there was a large wat. Apparently this was a special Buddhist holiday so the wat was filled with chanting monks and townspeople. I was allowed to sit on the floor near the back with the other women and listen to the monks for half an hour. Just when I thought I might leave, they came and brought plastic cups of sugarcane juice to everyone... Their version of an energy drink. I finished most of that and headed out the back door only to be invited to sit down next to an old woman. Finished my juice with her and she was very intent on comparing our skin. Personally I thought her even bronze tone was much more beautiful than my freckled, wrinkly version.

On the way back to town I realized that every house had one or two huge urns filled with water out front. Many people were having sponge baths at the end of the steamy day. There was also some sort of secret code, because little kids came flying out of every nook and cranny to yell "hello!" . If you say hello back, the kids are so excited.

We walked down to the food stalls along the river for dinner. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which vendor served which area. We sat down, and the one English menu was brought out. The food was excellent as it has been everywhere. We did stop for one more milkshake on the way home. Mango this time..

 

Battambang day 1

With only two weeks in the country, I want to see as much as I can, even if some towns are not typical tourist destinations. Although I could spend another few days visiting temples, we packed a lot into two long days. Today we are taking a bus around the west side of Tonle Sap area and over to the city of Battambang, which means Lost Stick. This is a photo of the monument to the guy who stole the stick? Still waiting for confirmation.

We decided to go with one of the cheaper bus companies. The AC is just as good on those filled with Westerners. And, fortunately there is no Fast and Furious or Battle of the Planet of the Apes video blaring the entire time. However, communication is lacking a little. We stopped in Bantam Meanchey, with no word how long a stop it might be. Half the people hopped off the bus, including Erin and Nick. Two minutes later the bus takes off and winds around through town. Evan rushed to find what was going on. Well, the driver wanted to stop somewhere else to eat. We could have gotten off if we had wanted. Evan walked back to the first stop while I sat on the bus with our belongings. I don't think I would have wanted to be Erin, walking out of the bathroom without her bag and seeing that the bus had disappeared.

Low season in a sparsely tourist end area meant that we were assaulted by tuk tuk drivers when the bus stopped, not a common occurrence here. But we found our way to a hotel, and quickly set out on some sightseeing as Nick was heading back to Siem Reap the next day.

The bamboo train was our first adventure. Apparently there were only two train lines ever built in Cambodia, one from Phnom Penh up to the Thai border and one from Phnom Penh to the south. Both were built in french Colonial times but fell into disrepair and all traffic was stopped. However some intrepid locals came up with an idea to us the tracks for their own transportation purposes. Using two axles that fit the rails, a rubber belt, a small engine, and a bamboo platform, they roll along the rails to distant villages. If there is an oncoming bamboo train, someone stops, one train is carried off the track in pieces, the other rolls by, then stops to get the first one all put together.

The track is so bad that you are bumping and jumping and pounding the whole way. Occasionally we crawled ahead at a a snails pace to avoid bouncing off the rails.we stopped at a small village, had an incredible cold coconut, and some interesting conversation. My friend here has several children, one a doctor and the other a teacher. She was 56. Same same.

 

From there we went to a mountain outside of town. It is famous for several things. First, its caves are home to more than 5 million bats. As we drove towards the mountain, our Tuk Tuk driver, Chin Chim, pointed out these smudges in the sky each was a swirl of bats. As we got closer, the smudges were taking over the sky until we came to the mouth of the cave where it was a constant outpouring of bats. He told us it takes more than an hour for the bats to all leave the cave. Twice a month they go in at night to collect the guano,,

We took a jeep to the top of the mountain to see the sunset over Battambang. There are some hills in the distance, but the city itself is in the same flat plain we have been in all over Cambodia. Rice fields as far as the eye can see. Flame trees are in bloom right now, creating a spectacular sight.

There is a pagoda on top of the mountain that was reflecting the last rays of the sun. On the other side a full moon was rising.

The most important thing about the mountain was its use as another of the killing fields. There are limestone caves throughout this mountain. They would bring those to be killed to the top of the mountain where there was an opening to the cave far below, and send them to their deaths. There is a shrine to those killed and a buddha watching over their bones in the cave.

 

 

Angkor Wat

This area is so much more than I expected. The evidence of thriving civilizations starting in the 900's. Not just one temple, but a succession of the highest expression of their art. Rivaling the cathedrals, the Mayan ruins, Machu Pichu, and then multiply it all by 100. Some completely restored, others in ruins, some in the process of being reclaimed by the forest. And then think of the Khmer Rouge decimating the country in the mid '70s. We are so lucky to have this.

Almost every inch of every temple is carved or decorated in some way. In addition to the unique architecture, it is all adorned. Where the restoration is complete at Angor Wat, the bas relief sculptures that surround the building are monumental in their length. Other temples might be surrounded by piles of carved rubble, a 3d jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put back together.

While the overall scope is hard to comprehend, the details could drive you to stay here for months. Intricate lintels, turned ballisters, arches and passages. I was In one small hallway by myself when I felt I was no longer alone, I looked over my right shoulder and a fullsize Buddha relief was smiling sere my in my direction

 

Phnom Penh

The excitement I feel when throwing a backpack on my back is tangible. Whether it's to lead a flower hike, climb to a summit, or fish at a lake, there is always the anticipation of an adventure. But today I am hoisting my backpack for a new destination. Cambodia.

Traveling halfway around the world is so easy. The connections were perfect, the food was wonderful (always order vegetarian for a special meal), and suddenly I was there in Phnom Penh airport. In 5 minutes I was out in the sultry air, flagging down a tuk tuk to the hotel, the only part of this trip that had been arranged. My mind was still in Colorado, but my body was bumping along the road, smiling at how all the different forms of transportation could thread their way between each other with no stop lights or stop signs, and rules that were difficult to comprehend.

Erin and Evan were waiting at the hotel, enjoying the mom-sponsored luxury of a pool. After a dip to try to forestall the jet lag, we walked out into the fray. Street food, a walk through the royal palace, and wandering through the city. Absorbing the sites such as spider webs of electric cables wrapped around poles at each street corner, motorbikes parked by the hundreds along every street, tuk tuks to transport you wherever you might not want to walk, ladies sitting sidesaddle on the back of a motorbike, families of four all riding on a motorcycle, hello kitty bike helmets.

The Royal Palace was beautiful and ornate, across from a large parade ground and just off the Tonle river and it's junction with the Mekong.

 

Day 2

 

The second day we visited two of the sites that are dedicated to remembering the time of the Khmer Rouge. The first was S21, a school in the center of town where people were imprisoned and tortured. Of the 14,000 people known to have been imprisoned there, only 7 survived. The rest were sent to one of the killing fields. It seems incongruous to find this in the middle of a city until you realize that the Khmer Rouge emptied the city of all inhabitants the first week they were in power.

We then went out to the Killing Fields, where they executed most of the inmates of S21 and other enemies of the people. Close to 9000 corpses were discovered in the mass graves. There are over 300 killing fields in Cambodia. In less than 4 years, the Khmer Rouge killed over 1 million, about a quarter of the population.

Over 500 skulls are enshrined in the Buddhist stupa, to honor and preserve their memory, and to never forget what happened.

 

That evening, we cruised down the Tonle and Mekong rivers for a tour of the water. It does not appear that the rivers are a source of much commercial traffic, but they do bring the water to saturate this fertile land.

Many small communities were living along the waters edge. One was Vietnamese, the other was Cambodia Muslim.

 

Traveling home

We knew that the hardest parts of this trip would be getting to the border, and coming home. It's only a couple of hours from San Felipe to Mexicali, where we waited an hour and a half to head through US immigration. We never did see a Mexican side, so we still have not turned in our Mexican tourist card or had our passports stamped. Oh well. We were not about to wait in that line a second time.

We drove back through Yuma, Phoenix, and Flagstaff, going from Sonoran desert to mountains and pine trees on another windy day. Yuma on a windy day is my definition of purgatory. I'll take the cold of a Boulder winter day anytime. We spent the night in Tuba City, Arizona, on the edge of the Hopi lands. The Moenkopi hotel was a treasure! Absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Almost as beautiful as the monuments of stone that greeted us the next morning.

Our intermediate destination for the last mini-vacation of the trip was a stop in Moab. Kelly had run the Canyonlands Half and was waiting for us. Fortunately she was not hobbling like she had been after St George marathon, so we were able to hike some of the shorter trails in Arches. Delicate Arch is always a favorite, even though you feel as if you are going to slide off the sandstone.

Before the sun set and we also had a chance to visit Landscape Arch.

We couldn't leave Moab without a trail run. Kelly found us the Jackson Trail along the Colorado River. We didn't climb all the way up to the mesa, but it was a spectacular way to start the day, and begin the final trek back to Boulder.

Muneca and Quixote

Up to San Felipe

Knowing that San Felipe was only a few hours up the road, we took our time driving up the coast. At the start, little dirt tracks headed off down to the water whenever there was a small beach or cove. Gradually the mountains moved farther away from the coast, and a broad coastal desert plane opened up, remnants of the old Colorado River delta.

San Felipe used to be quite the spring break destination before Americans started getting worried about heading to Mexico. There are still lots of restaurants and shops along the malecon, and we had yet another good fish taco.

Pete's Camp, our destination for the night, was several miles north of town. It is a little settlement of vacation houses, and includes a restaurant and a bar. Noisy (and drunk) Americans at the bar, our first TV in two weeks showing Fox News coverage of the missing Malaysian plane - it was all an unfortunate culture shock. But the palapas on the beach were wonderful, and the $2 shower was appreciated. You know it's been awhile when you can't even remember when you had the last one. Loraine and her friends were staying at one of the houses, so we had some hilarious laughs with them for the evening.

Bahia de Gonzaga 2

Muneca found a new friend today - Mr Monkey

Sunrise over our toes looking out the penthouse and across the bay. Each morning I am once again amazed at the beauty and how lucky we are. It does not get old. My definition of the perfect morning is one where the cup of coffee is slowly sipped while the surroundings just take over. No newspaper, no radio, no thinking of what needs to get done in the day.

Richard borrowed a kayak from our neighbors, John and Cindy. John was already up at sunrise fishing far out in the bay. After paddling out to see John, Richard kept on going to the far rock outcrop, a tiny speck on the horizon. The water was completely clear and calm, and the sun was already warm. While Richard was out, I managed to take advantage of the weather to have a few dips in the sea. The water is refreshing, so the breeze has to be down and the sun hot, to make me want to actually swim. It appears you better do your swimming in the morning, before the breezes start.


Today was no exception. Right around 2pm, the cool breeze picked up, not great for swimming, but perfect weather for walking on the beach and hanging out. The weather has been in the low to mid 70's most days. We might have seen 80 down south. We were walking south along the beach into the wind, and looking forward to having the wind at our backs on the return. About 10 minutes after we turned around, it got very warm, and the wind had shifted to hit us from the dessert on the west side. Now we knew why the expensive palapas had slatted coverings on three sides. We were getting sandblasted.

It subsided a little around dinner time, so we walked down to the hotel for another round of fish tacos. Another large group of riders were there. They were based out of Utah and had broken into different groups and were riding all over the place.After a nightcap with Cindy and John, we attempted to figure out how we were going to sleep in the gale. Unfortunately the palapa wasn't large enough to drive into, but we did consider it. We had parked in front the the palapa to use it as a windbreak, but the tent was higher than the palapa, and was being blasted from the side. We moved the car so the hard side of the tent aced the wind. It was a long few hours until the wind stopped as suddenly as it had started.

Bahia de Gonzaga

As we woke up and saw the bay in the daylight, it was another beautiful spot, although the beach was lined with rocks. We walked up the beach and around the point on the south end of the bay.

Plenty of rocks to climb on at the point, and all of them weathered and eroded.

We hopped over to the next bay south when we saw the white sandy beach and the large palapas. We'll stay for a few more days until we have to start the trek home. The road from San Felipe is now paved this far. I wonder what will start changing now. The palapas are more expensive, but they are well built and can shelter you from the winds. Breakfast was at the little mercado. You get what they are cooking. Huevos y tocino (eggs and bacon), all cooked up with onions and chile sauce. And fresh tortillas for scooping it up. Despite the cook's gruff appearance, he was willing to whip me up some scrambled eggs and skip the bacon.

Another lazy day of walking on the beach, reading and painting. Watching the light change on the water. The island on the edge of the bay was so crisp in the morning light and I though it would fade over the course of the day. It never did. It is so incredibly clear and dry here, things stay in focus forever. Pelicans, osprey, gulls, and grebes ply the water, especially when a fisherman returns and starts filleting the fish. Little Japito, the neighbor dog, is having a great time investigating the newly caught fish, and steering well clear of the pelicans.
On the other side of the bay there is a small camp of houses and a little hotel. Half an hour walk, and we sat on the porch drinking cervezas and eating some wonderful fish tacos, chatting to a motorbike rider from Colorado named Barry. I could see that Richard was anticipating the next trip down here where he could trailer the bike and ride some of the amazing back roads. I would be quite happy to hang here while he rides around. Next spring?

Ojo de Liebre and the Whales

There's whale watching and then there's whale watching. We've been out in Bahia de Banderas a few times, and seen wonderful whales scattered in the huge bay. The lagoons at San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre are huge, warm, high in salinity, and prime nurseries for gray whales. At the height of the season, more than 1200 whales come to give birth. Some had already started the migration back to Alaska, but the lagoon was still full of whales. You can see whales from the sand dunes, shining grey humps on the water, catching a little nap while the water is calm. You can see lazy spouts in every direction, and hear the exhales.

The day before had been hot, so the day dawned foggy. We had heard to be prepared for the boat to leave at any time in the morning, but it was almost 11:30 before we set off with our guide, Sirena, and our lanchero. We didn't need to stop at our first sighting; the whales were everywhere, with their calves swimming playfully beside the mothers. Many were still napping, so after visiting a few, we headed farther out the lagoon to a small shoal.

The tide was moving out, creating a line of small breakers. This was obviously the whale playground, where the mothers were teaching their young to swim against a strong current. There were at least 20 mothers out here. We drifted in the area to see if there were any curious whales out there. Sure enough, one mother and calf came right up to the boat, where we could reach out and pet them. They loved spouting just when we were leaning over them. The baby smelled fresh, but the mother's spout definitely smelled more fishy. The baby nurses all the time in the lagoon, but the mother doesn't have a food source until she starts to head back north.

They stayed with us for about 10 minutes, coming up for a scratch, swimming from side to side, bumping the boat, rolling slightly sideways so they could look us in the eye. When this pair left, several others came near us, but not near enough to pet. They would swim around us, and under us, and spout. Now that was whale watching. 

From there, we wanted to head north and back to the other side again. There's a small dirt road that cuts off Mex1, we had heard that it was rather rough, and we were hoping to get to the other side before dark. Even in the Tacoma, it was slow going. 60 km in 2 hours, on a rocky road. At times there are side roads in the sand adjacent to the main, raised road. These were faster and far more comfortable in places. The road wound through the coastal mountains, and eventually out to Bahia de Gonzaga. White sand, islands, crisp clear water and air.

We stayed at Papa Fernandez the first night. Well, it's another one that has seen better days, but the campsite was on the edge of the dunes, and we could listen to the waves lap the shore. We ate dinner at the little restaurant, not even sure if it was open. They were "closing " at 8. It was then 7. So I guess they were opening for us. Fantastic chile rellenos, and photos on the wall of John Wayne and Papa Fernandez from the '60's. Baja in the old days. Yet certainly less changed here than in most every other part of the world.

Driving again - heading to the whales

The time has come to head back north. It feels funny not to be heading further down the peninsula, but we don't have to retrace our steps too much, as we are planning to head up the Sea of Cortez side as much as we can. First stop today was Mulege, ice and beer essentials. We also searched out a breakfast spot and found Mago's. Everything grown in their backyard garden. Fantastic bread with jalapeños baked inside. Sitting street side with all the baked goods enticing us. We also bought a huge "pan de datil", or date bread, more like a scone.

Back up mex1 toward Guerrero Negro, and off through the salt flats to Ojo de Liebre to see the whales. Beautifully desolate, inhabited by about 20 people during whale season. And about 1200 whales.

Bahia Concepcion - El Requeson - Day 2

The wind dropped completely during the night, and it became so silent. The water is still in the cove with barely a murmur. Straight out the front of the tent, the sun rose over the bay, intense and shimmering.

In the early morning quiet, a raucous seagull chased another one with a fish. In hot pursuit was the great blue heron who had caught the fish in the first place. The gulls kept their prize and the heron returned to stalking the shallows.

Behind us, scattered across the hillsides, are the tall cadron cactus. Three turkey vultures arrived to perch on the pinnacles. They slowly turned their backs to the sun and spread their wings, each cactus transformed into a totem pole. The little girl who lives here is already riding her bicycle up and down this short beach. It takes about a minute and I think she must do this about 100 times a day. Well, it is the weekend.

With the wind picking up again, we walked over to the island, and down the other side, where the wind is howling. I didn't realize how protected we are. But the water is so clear, it's Incredible.

After lunch we headed up to the next beach where there is a little restaurant. What a treat, Olivia, from Tijuana, owns the place and has been there for 24 years. She is now married to an American, Mark. His 24 year old son Nathan has joined them here. We split an Amazing fish burger from the yellowtail that Nathan speared yesterday, complete with roasted poblano peppers. Quite possibly the most wonderful thing I have ever tasted.We also met a couple of firefighters from San Diego there. They come down as often as they can. If they cross the border at 4am they can be here by 4 PM. Hmmmm. Not a bad getaway. Well, if you didn't have the first 1000 miles from Colorado.

Bahia Concepcion - El Requeson

We didn't have to travel too far today. Only 12 miles from Mulege, the gorgeous Bahia Concepcion starts. We had heard that it was beautiful, and it lives up to the hype. Numerous beaches for camping line the 20 mile coast of the bay. We pulled into one of the last ones, El Requeson.  A palapa was available to pull alongside and shield us from the breeze. We are right on the edge of the water, maybe 12 feet from clear blue- green agua. The corona commercial, find your beach, did come to mind when we pulled our chairs up to the water, and popped a Pacifico. The water is certainly warmer, and would be fine if the days were a little less windy. Apparently there is a northern cold front arriving. The first of the winter. Oh well. It's still beats snow.

We've spent the day doing very little. I painted for a few hours while Richard wandered over to the little island that is connected at low tide. A short dip in the water that we could enjoy a little more than yesterday. Then we walked south along the beach to the next little campsite where we met a German couple who have been traveling around the world since 2008. We may be a tad envious... Once you head out on the road, you just don't want to stop.

There's a woman who "runs" the little campsite here, Gabriela. Well, she collects the 80 pesos (about $6), but she loves to chat. In nice clear Spanish, so I can understand. She and her family live on this little beach year round. In what looks like a little shack. Yet somehow she had Internet access yesterday and told me that the cold front was coming through. When I told her that we lived in Colorado, she said she had been reading about Colorado and the parks in the mountains. I told her that's where I work in the summer leading hikes, then she pointed to the local mountain and said she had climbed it 4 times. "Very emotional" she said. It looks like pure loose rock from the beach.