Monday, October 6, 2008
A lot has happened since the last time we updated the blog. Here is a quick update of what we’ve been up to.
We bought a motorbike. It is an automatic, easy to drive and comfortable to ride. It gets us to school in less than half the time it would take in taxis, and saves money. So far, we’ve really enjoyed the freedom it has given us.
For a long weekend, we drove the motorbike to Koh Chang, an island in east Thailand near the border of Cambodia. We thought it would save us money and time, but it did neither. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure, but we got to see much of Thailand from the ground level. Driving in Bangkok and in the rest of Thailand are very different, and it was a great break to experience the open road again.
We took a trip to Cambodia. We rode to the border on a train and then took a cab to Siem Reap. There we explored the temples of Ankor Wat (there are more than you can see in days), which were absolutely amazing. I really think it was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Siem Reap was lovely; the influence from French colonization is very evident: the food is amazing, they sell baguettes everywhere, they have plenty of cheese and coffee, the buildings are reminiscent of 19th century France…
After Siem Reap, we went to the capital, Phenom Phen (pronounced penom pen), where we visited S21, an old high school converted into a torture/prison facility by the Khmer Rouge communist regime. We also went to one of the killing fields, where they executed thousands of their own citizens who they felt were “dangerous”. It was very sad, very similar to the remnants of Nazi persecution.
Thailand has frequented the news lately due to the political unrest here. It has been going on and building for years, and recently a group of protesters took over the house of government. We missed several days of school, but that’s really the most dramatic thing we’ve seen in the city. Bangkok is still pretty much the same, there is no crazy violence in the streets or anything. One day after school we drove by the protest site, and it looked like a ton of tents and not much parking. When we see reports on CNN, it makes the situation look pretty unstable, but nothing has really changed for us.
We have most of the month of October off. The weather has become much more pleasant, and we get a holiday between the two terms. A friend is coming to visit on the 15th, and we are going to Hong Kong and Beijing for about ten days. We are very excited about the trip, and are enjoying a break from school. Before the 15th, we are still working on making plans (we had tried to do India but our visas for China took about a week longer than expected due to a week-long national holiday).
We bought a motorbike. It is an automatic, easy to drive and comfortable to ride. It gets us to school in less than half the time it would take in taxis, and saves money. So far, we’ve really enjoyed the freedom it has given us.
For a long weekend, we drove the motorbike to Koh Chang, an island in east Thailand near the border of Cambodia. We thought it would save us money and time, but it did neither. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure, but we got to see much of Thailand from the ground level. Driving in Bangkok and in the rest of Thailand are very different, and it was a great break to experience the open road again.
We took a trip to Cambodia. We rode to the border on a train and then took a cab to Siem Reap. There we explored the temples of Ankor Wat (there are more than you can see in days), which were absolutely amazing. I really think it was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Siem Reap was lovely; the influence from French colonization is very evident: the food is amazing, they sell baguettes everywhere, they have plenty of cheese and coffee, the buildings are reminiscent of 19th century France…
After Siem Reap, we went to the capital, Phenom Phen (pronounced penom pen), where we visited S21, an old high school converted into a torture/prison facility by the Khmer Rouge communist regime. We also went to one of the killing fields, where they executed thousands of their own citizens who they felt were “dangerous”. It was very sad, very similar to the remnants of Nazi persecution.
Thailand has frequented the news lately due to the political unrest here. It has been going on and building for years, and recently a group of protesters took over the house of government. We missed several days of school, but that’s really the most dramatic thing we’ve seen in the city. Bangkok is still pretty much the same, there is no crazy violence in the streets or anything. One day after school we drove by the protest site, and it looked like a ton of tents and not much parking. When we see reports on CNN, it makes the situation look pretty unstable, but nothing has really changed for us.
We have most of the month of October off. The weather has become much more pleasant, and we get a holiday between the two terms. A friend is coming to visit on the 15th, and we are going to Hong Kong and Beijing for about ten days. We are very excited about the trip, and are enjoying a break from school. Before the 15th, we are still working on making plans (we had tried to do India but our visas for China took about a week longer than expected due to a week-long national holiday).
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