Day 140 of the project,
Koh Lanta, Thailand
"More on your right foot. No, your other right. Now push and REACH for it! Good! Now move your left hand into the hole."
"What hole? There is no....oh wait, there it is."
After two days of sweat, swearing, scrapes and bruises, I was finally getting the hang of it. No pun intended.
One of the goals for the 30th Year Project was to get outside of my comfort zone. Sand boarding and high-altitude hiking aside, I had not really challenged myself physically. With only seven weeks to go, I decided the rock climbing mecca of Railay would be the perfect place to test my limits.
November 22, 2014
November 20, 2014
Ghosts of the past
Day 138 of the project,
Krabi, Thailand
When someone brings up Cambodia, the first image that comes to mind is of the Angkor ruins. And rightfully so, as the sites in Angkor National Park are some of the most stunning in the ancient world. Angkor Wat is the most famous, but each site is distinct. My personal favorite was Banteay Srey. Translated to the Citadel of Women, the intricate carvings and pinkish-brown sandstone are absolutely sublime in the late afternoon sunlight.
However, Cambodia's more recent history is darker; its second claim to fame is genocide. Pol Pot came to power in 1975 with the aim of creating a perfect agrarian society. The Khmer Rouge drove everyone into extreme farming labor. Any intellectual--defined as anything from being a professional to wearing glasses--or opponent was arrested, tortured and killed. His regime was eventually pushed out in 1979 after war with the newly established Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It is worth mentioning the US government (along with the UN) recognized and supported the Khmer Rouge because of its opposition to the Vietnamese.
This darkness is clear in present-day Cambodia. There are over 300 sites of torture or mass graves in the country. In Phnom Penh, the most famous is known as the killing fields. No detail is left out in the audio guide. At the end, a memorial with glass walls reveals the bones of 8,000 people executed on site. The collection grows each year after the annual floods unearth new fragments. The experience is graphic, nauseating, enraging and heart-breaking. It must be seen and heard, though comprehension is virtually impossible.
Krabi, Thailand
When someone brings up Cambodia, the first image that comes to mind is of the Angkor ruins. And rightfully so, as the sites in Angkor National Park are some of the most stunning in the ancient world. Angkor Wat is the most famous, but each site is distinct. My personal favorite was Banteay Srey. Translated to the Citadel of Women, the intricate carvings and pinkish-brown sandstone are absolutely sublime in the late afternoon sunlight.
However, Cambodia's more recent history is darker; its second claim to fame is genocide. Pol Pot came to power in 1975 with the aim of creating a perfect agrarian society. The Khmer Rouge drove everyone into extreme farming labor. Any intellectual--defined as anything from being a professional to wearing glasses--or opponent was arrested, tortured and killed. His regime was eventually pushed out in 1979 after war with the newly established Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It is worth mentioning the US government (along with the UN) recognized and supported the Khmer Rouge because of its opposition to the Vietnamese.
This darkness is clear in present-day Cambodia. There are over 300 sites of torture or mass graves in the country. In Phnom Penh, the most famous is known as the killing fields. No detail is left out in the audio guide. At the end, a memorial with glass walls reveals the bones of 8,000 people executed on site. The collection grows each year after the annual floods unearth new fragments. The experience is graphic, nauseating, enraging and heart-breaking. It must be seen and heard, though comprehension is virtually impossible.
November 4, 2014
Foodie report #4 - Southern Africa
Day 120 of the project,
Heathrow airport, England
Aside from bunny chow and pinotage, I had little knowledge about and no expectations for cuisine in Southern Africa. I was not surprised by the high meat consumption but by the obsession of dried meats and jerky. South Africa's colonial legacy and physical location on the Indian trade route could be tasted in the various curries. In contrast, the German influence did not extend as far as anticipated in the Namibian beers. In short, meals were generally high protein and fat and washed down with mediocre light beers. There were some highlights:
Heathrow airport, England
Aside from bunny chow and pinotage, I had little knowledge about and no expectations for cuisine in Southern Africa. I was not surprised by the high meat consumption but by the obsession of dried meats and jerky. South Africa's colonial legacy and physical location on the Indian trade route could be tasted in the various curries. In contrast, the German influence did not extend as far as anticipated in the Namibian beers. In short, meals were generally high protein and fat and washed down with mediocre light beers. There were some highlights:
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