3 High 5 Low equation for positive living

The highs and the lows...seems like every single bus ride is fraught with a myriad of lows, but in the spirit of glass half full mentalities, we have created a 3 high 5 low breakdown of the bus ride from Laos to Cambodia. To start, our last day in Vientiane, Laos was a wonderful one in which we visited a museum/rehabilitation centre called COPE which works primarily with those impacted (or destroyed really) by cluster bombs. Laos is the most heavily bombed country in history...260 million sub-munitions from cluster bombs were dropped on Laos from 1964-1973 and millions of them never detonated leaving them live laying in fields, farmlands, rural areas where there are families and children. So, even though the war ended in 1975, Laos was left littered with millions of un-detonated bombs each causing death and destruction when the do eventually explode...some explode because people think they can extract various bits from the bomb to sell, as poverty is rife throughout Laos while others explode while people are living their daily lives, not knowing that they have live munitions directly underneath their stove fire in their home...for example. All the victims are civilians, mostly poor children and their families, and these "accidents" render them paralyzed, blind, without limbs or dead. This museum was filled with personal stories and various prosthetic limbs that are created in the centre and fitted for those involved in these disasters, as well as other accidents. Today, we visited the Land Mine Museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia and it was a similar story. This museum was created by a man named Aki Ra who was spent his childhood as a soldier in Khmer Rouge laying these bombs and his adulthood removing them one by one. He has dedicated his life to the removal of mines and UXOs and working with children effected by these bombs. The museum is also a grounds where many children live and learn how to live with prosthetic limbs, as well as receive training and jobs for their futures. Both were very insightful and interesting exhibits showing the underbelly of war and the aftermath that survives and still thrives long after the "enemy" has left. There were bombs from China, Russia, Vietnam, America...everywhere. Not exactly the most uplifting way to spend the morning before a gruelling 28 hour bus ride, but very informative and it is so good to know that there is great work being done to support people. I imagine that there will be museums and rehabilitation centres like this all over the middle east in 30 years to come when this war is finished. After this visit, we prepared ourselves, as we always do with a few errands before setting off to the bus station. Firstly, we must ensure that we have packed leggings and cardigans, as it freezing on all bus rides we have endured and we have learned to prepare accordingly. Also, we make sure that all Ipods, Nintendo DSs and everything else is fully charged and ready to go...books are packed as well, due to the fact that there may be a non-curvy road respite bit where reading is possible. Snacks is the next hurdle and we have both learned that we will share 1 large bottle of water throughout the journey due to limited toileting access and the best snacks to pack are crackers and apples...possibly oranges, but they are a bit messy to peel and bananas just never make the journey. The local grocery store is always a great place to try and find some travel-friendly snacks. This leads me now to the 3 Highs and 5 Lows of our journey from Laos to Cambodia:



I will begin with the Highs, as Social Workers like to begin things with a list of the positives.

3 Highs

1) Posh Sleeper Bus - This is the mac-daddy of all buses and we have never seen such glory as the night that massive bus pulled up in the parking lot and we were told that it was our bus. The joy I felt has almost been unmatched during this entire trip...and there have been some highs during our trip so far! The bus is made up a small sleeper compartments with a twin sized mattress, blankets and pillows where two people sleep (not so good for those travelling alone). The beds are quite cozy, but you actually get to lay down and sleep is possible. Did I mention you also get a snack and water and there is a toilet on board as well...glorious!

2) Janet and Lee - Our two guardian angels, honestly. A lovely Australian couple (they have a son who is a dancer so we knew they were good people from the onset) and we met them briefly in one of the 8 modes of transportation we took getting across the border. Luckily, we met them right before getting to the border, as we were not informed that it would cost $10 to cross the border due to some various hidden "fees" that are thrown your way from time to time and they will only take American Dollars. Well, we did not have that and you basically get left there in the middle of nowhere or you have to make a deal with the driver in which he lends you the cash and when over the border, he takes you to an ATM and you have to pay him back plus extra for helping you. Tricky. Well, Janet and Lee were able to lend us $6 without any hidden extra fees for their generosity and they even gave us some bananas for a snack...we were blessed and cannot thank them...getting the other $4 is part of the Lows list so stay tuned.

3) Despite it all, time passed quickly - It may sound crazy, but the entire trip took us over 30 hours and quite honestly, we did not really notice it too much. I think it had to do with the fact that we had that lush sleeper bus at the beginning which offered us a few important hours of sleep so we had more strength to endure the following day from hell. Overall, despite the challenges, it went quickly and we were not hungry or too put out by the whole experience. Then again, maybe we have just been travelling for 6 months and have gotten used to some truly excruciating transport experiences...maybe a bit of both.



5 Lows

1) 8 Modes of Transport - I may be old fashioned, but I can accept that when travelling from one country to another by bus, you may have to change buses 2, even 3 times, but 8 times is a bit ridiculous even for locals. We literally got picked up in a tuk tuk from Laos and brought to the bus station where we caught the overnight sleeper bus. Then, once we arrived further down the Laos border, we changed to another minivan that took us 5 minutes up the road to another minivan. Then, we took that one to the border...had our border experience (see number 2 in the 5 Lows section)...and then boarded another larger "VIP" bus (what made this one VIP were the curtains in a most horrific pattern and the TV, which became my own personal hell). We arrived at another random place where they take you to buy food and other things you don't need where we got on another minibus, which took us about 30 minutes until we switched again and finally arrived only to escorted to another tuk tuk to get to the city centre in Siem Reap...8! Never has that happened to us before and it made a 26 hour journey (though we were told 20, but we added 6 for our own mental health) into a 30 hour journey, but we made it! It is important to note that while we were on our second large "VIP" bus, the driver made a bit of extra money on the side by picking up locals all along the way and sat them on baby plastic chairs throughout the aisle...very safe.



2) The Border Crossing - There are moments in life where a rage starts bubbling in your gut and races through your whole body rendering you impotent to stop the anger seeping through your pores. Well, crossing any border via land transport is always a pain in the ass and we know this, but we endeavour to prepare with passport photos and all necessary documentation, but Asian countries have these interesting "fees"and "taxes" that Western countries do not seem to have...or they are already included in the purchase of your ticket. We fell for the whole, "you may or may not be able to get your Visa at the border," so we spent extra money to have our visas sorted before we got there, and we even asked the travel agent if there were any further fees, to which she said no! Well, this was wrong and we were literally stuck at the border with no money to get across. Our gaurdian angels helped us with the first 2 payments we had to make, but were unable to at our last pay post so we had to borrow money from our driver for a $5 fee...this was just foreshadowing events to come in the future of this journey with this driver and the multitude of scams we were about to encounter. Needless to say, we got through and I was immediately escorted to the front of the bus where I stayed until we reached an ATM so could draw money to pay our inflated charge for lending money, which should just be out of the goodness of one's heart.

3) Oh the glory of the scams - We have been spoiled in Thailand and Laos, as we did not come across too many scams...of course there was bartering to be done and haggling as well at the night market, but overall, a price is a price is a price and we like it that way. Cambodia is a different kettle of fish and the rage we felt previously in India started bubbling to the surface once again. Now, I read the Lonely Planet friendly reminders about poverty and why people behave the way they do or try to scam or harass you for money, but honestly, it does really get to you after a while...it is exhausting and it does hit hard to the core when every single person you may come into contact within a country that day is trying to scam you. Our driver was the worst. On the large bus after we got through customs and the border and into Cambodia, most of the travellers were going to Phnom Penh, but there were about 5 of us heading all the way to Siem Reap and we were all sent to the back of the bus to sit. Our driver made his way to the back of the bus about 1 hour into what we thought was the final leg of our journey. He told us that he just got off the phone with his company and that we needed to pay more money so we could be on a VIP bus, as we will be put onto a local bus in an hour or so. We argued that we have already paid for VIP all the way to Siem Reap and he informed me that that was Laos and we are now in Cambodia. We refused and decided to take our chances, but the other girls decided to pay a whopping $20 extra per ticket. Well, when we arrived at the stop, our driver disappeared and the bus left...soon after a new larger and better bus arrived and we all got on. Turns out, our original bus driver just scammed those girls and tried to scam us with that local bus threat...what a shit head! Those girls had only been travelling for a few weeks and I don't think they knew any better and the driver was telling them how local buses break down all of the time and travellers always get robbed...what a load of crap. We have ridden on many local buses and have been just fine. So, the manipulation begins...again...

4) Back in India again - So, once we crossed that border into Cambodia, things started feeling and looking oddly familiar and then it clicked...we were back in India again. The poverty is rife and there were many small villages we drove through where kids were dirty and not wearing nay clothing, running up to the bus begging. Every stop we made, people would rush up and beg or try to sell you post cards or key chains relentlessly and there were many people with missing limbs and disabilities or special needs that have just kind of been left. Additionally, everyone stares...and you will not win a staring contest with them...this is just the way it is! Haggling is also something that we had to get used to again...I hate it!

5) My own version of hell - There is the movie called What Dreams May Come and it is cheesy and whatever, but I like the idea that when we die (should we be going to heaven) we get our own private special heaven that is created out of the most special and amazing things in our lives on earth. For example, Alex's perfect heaven (in my opinion) would be one where she gets to do all sorts of exercise and fitness and when she gets back to her comfy minimalist house with no tat or trinkets to be seem, she goes to her fridge filled with Galaxy Cookie Crumble chocolate bars, Sue's roast dinner warm and waiting and all the Haribo gummy snacks stored in the refrigerator where she could eat it all up without gaining a pound and retire to her couch where she would cuddle her big sporty dog while watching reruns of something having to do with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington. I kind of think that is the same for hell and I found out what my hell would be right on this very bus ride to Cambodia should I die. First of all, I would be sat at the very back of the bus in the corner next to a busted vent, releasing icy cold air directly at my face blowing my uneven haircut all around. Secondly, there would be no toilet or hopes of stopping for a toilet anywhere in the near future. Then, we would drive through a dirt road in which the broken vent would render any blockage of said smoke impossible therefore providing me with a brownish smog to inhale for about 6 miles or so. And finally, the pieces de resistance, they play a DVD of Westlife's greatest video hits for 10 consecutive hours so loudly that even my own personal Ipod could not muffle to sounds. If I hear Flying Without Wings ever again, I may be brought to PTSD tears! I never knew how much I hated them until this bus ride. So should I die and not be allowed into Heaven, you will all now know how my eternity will be spent, while Alex gets to eat crap and never get fat! Just doesn't seem fair!

Honourable Mention - On the way to Siem Reap, when we were on our second to last mode of transport, it was sometime in the middle of the night, not sure what time, but the sky was such a phenomenal site. It was a series of shades of gray like a gray scale and the moon was a perfect half moon blazing brightly above the tree line on the ground below. Only two stars were visible near the smiling moon and it was a very soothing moment to have.

So that is it...the trails and tribulations of yet another journey through Southeast Asia. I think Australia and New Zealand will have few to no harrowing tales of transport...but there's always South America and I don't think it will disappoint!