Arrival
Hours before my flight schedule, I was trully excited and ecstatic that the day has finally arrived... I was finally jumping on a plane to escape reality. However as I was checking into the Airport and waiting for boarding, it suddenly felt weird that I was going away by myself and leaving my family and friends back home in Australia, the excitement just sort of died.
As I took my first step outside the plane, I expected a dense humid gust to overwelm me, like my previous trips to Cambodia, but instead I was greeted with a surprisingly fairly cool, semi warm breeze. The airport experience is like no other in the world, Airport officials continually keeps and eye out for Khmers living abroad, and target them like its a matter of life and death. They'll come up to you and ask if your Khmer and then once you say yes they'll be straight forward and ask for your passport, so they can assist you and scam $5US from you. However I was able to escape this fiasco and played dumb most of the way being quiet and just walking to the counter and nodding. So I was lucky this time around and got away scott free. The experience was yet again compromised with more frustration and waiting, as the officials at the customs counter were obviously not familiar with their new computer system.
The drive to my uncles house was an absolute bitch, with cars weaving in and out causing a major traffic jam. For the rest of the day I just had a quiet night to recover from the plane trip as I didn't any sleep on the plane. There isn't much else to write for my first day, I e-mailed a few of you guys when I arrived in Singapore, but I guess I will keep everyone posted in the near future. Hope everyones having a well deserved break, as I know I will be making the most of this trip and will try to travel around as much as I can. So for now Bye and Goodnight.
-allan-
P.S. Damn the cold shower was a struggle, as it's my first cold shower in 3 years haha.... ahaha
As I took my first step outside the plane, I expected a dense humid gust to overwelm me, like my previous trips to Cambodia, but instead I was greeted with a surprisingly fairly cool, semi warm breeze. The airport experience is like no other in the world, Airport officials continually keeps and eye out for Khmers living abroad, and target them like its a matter of life and death. They'll come up to you and ask if your Khmer and then once you say yes they'll be straight forward and ask for your passport, so they can assist you and scam $5US from you. However I was able to escape this fiasco and played dumb most of the way being quiet and just walking to the counter and nodding. So I was lucky this time around and got away scott free. The experience was yet again compromised with more frustration and waiting, as the officials at the customs counter were obviously not familiar with their new computer system.
The drive to my uncles house was an absolute bitch, with cars weaving in and out causing a major traffic jam. For the rest of the day I just had a quiet night to recover from the plane trip as I didn't any sleep on the plane. There isn't much else to write for my first day, I e-mailed a few of you guys when I arrived in Singapore, but I guess I will keep everyone posted in the near future. Hope everyones having a well deserved break, as I know I will be making the most of this trip and will try to travel around as much as I can. So for now Bye and Goodnight.
-allan-
P.S. Damn the cold shower was a struggle, as it's my first cold shower in 3 years haha.... ahaha
posted by - allan - at
11:14 PM
4 Comments:
dude, will u be having a longer stopover in singapore on your flight home?
beep me on 97105839 and maybe we can meet up?
By
erlyna, at 23 November, 2005 02:21
ey allannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,
YAY..!!!! your finally there!!!! damme we (tuan n me) wished you were still in aust this morning as i needed a place to run to after staying over!! n your place is usually the closest... but you had to be on holidays!! (sheeze... ! we always use ur room as a little stakeout joint..!) does that make sense? ..OH weoz, u noe wot i mean..
newaiz itz good to see u arrived safe and well... hope ur having heaps of fun n remember to keep us posted!!
take kare dude!
(and stay away fromthose CHICKENS... just in case!)
By
tiddy n tuan (we used our real names this tym!!), at 23 November, 2005 12:47
Hey Allan, I stumbled across your blog via soc.culture.cambodia this morning and have to say that I think you're doing an amazing thing. I was there for a couple of weeks earlier this year and the whole experience, from Tuol Sleng and Cheoung Ek to Angkor Wat, has stayed with me. In fact, for a while now I've wanted to return to Cambodia not as a tourist, but as a helper. I will be following your blog eagerly to see how it all unfolds for you.
Best of luck!
- Paul C
By
Paul Carson, at 23 November, 2005 14:53
recuperate yet? if so, holla at big bro. ez. -P-
By
-P-, at 23 November, 2005 19:42
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