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Photoby Mark Z.                
 Some rights reserved                   

Angkor Wat: 

Considered by many as the eighth wonder of the world.

Eight people in one motor bike:  

A new record!

Photo courtesy of @Insolly

 RT @Insolly: #onlyincambodia nothing is impossible http://twitpic.com/3ixmr8

Tour Company

Photography by Ed-meister  

 Some rights reserved

I’m very skeptical of tour companies that work as middle-men; who create tour itineraries and then hire outside vendors to actually produce the tours.  They scare me in their ability to (1) shield travelers from seeing the actual location they came to see and (2) bastardize the local community into a tourist trap—diluting local customs and way of life.  

I got a text message late on Tuesday night: Hi Andres and Michele, how are you doing so far?  We hope you are doing well. Anyways, we have something would like to discuss with you.  If you don’t mind please let us know when we could meet.  Thanks.

They wanted to start a tour company in a town where supply of tourism services is far greater than the current demand—and they wanted our advice.  Our fist question: well, how are you going to be different than all of the other companies?  As the night went on and we continued to throw ideas around I was jealous of the great opportunity they have.  Two twenty-something men from the country side, who came to Siem Reap for a university education, and now having a day job wanted to start their own business from the corner of their desk.  Not only that, but they have the scale, and local knowledge to actually provide meaningful, locally sensitive, and interesting experiences to travelers.  

By the end of the night, they were suggesting different ways to bring authenticity of experience in a culturally sustainable manner—and allowing travelers to interact with the location and its beautiful people, as opposed to just observe them through a tour bus window.  Tour operators aren’t all bad.

Bangkok

Photo by: antwerpenR

After almost 7 months in Cambodia, Bangkok was a breath of fresh air when we first visited in April.  The live music, malls, cafes, restaurants, sky train, the food, it all seemed as the perfect blend of modernization and true localized flavor.  This was an astonishing contrast to our current home of Siem Reap, a mere 5 hours away by car.

People say that borders are imaginary lines.  That could be true; however, seeing the contrast between these 2 neighboring countries reminded me of how, through history and development, humans have made these borders real, and clearly visible.  In a few steps, as you cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia, you are faced with the differences.

About a month later we returned to Bangkok—2 weeks after the Red Shirts began their protests.  We continued to discover and enjoy the city; from Chinatown to the glitzy Thonglor—and its Belgium beer houses.  One day before leaving, grenades were fired at the Sala Daeng Station, the same day we were going to take that station to a sushi restaurant.  

Last Saturday we returned as political tensions rose.  Taking some common sense precautions (read: avoiding the protest zone as tempting as it was to get a photo op with the soldiers in the barricades) it was an enjoyable trip.  This time we left Wednesday early afternoon as a cloud of smoke erupted from the city—the result of the Army entering the Red-Shirts’ encampment and the looting/burning that ensued as protesters (and surely others) cased havoc throughout the city.  This conflict highlights the toll of this country’s development, where it seems no side is completely in the right, nor the wrong.  

Travel allowed me to see this, to try to make sense—and not so much—of history.  Today the city awakens in need of rebuilding in more than its burned buildings—thousands injured, many more out of a job as a result of the many hotel, bank, and shop closures.

I am looking forward to returning soon, hopefully in two weeks.  Please don’t avoid places in this or similar situations.  Take common sense with you, stay safe, but stay traveling.