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travel tales & silly stories

My travel adventures have resulted in some incredible travel stories over the years. Some are uplifting tales of the best of people, some are an overview of our biggest challenges in this world, but most of all - they are my experiences. Not just of the physical kind, but of the emotional kind. Unforgettable experiences that have been burnt into my psyche.  

7 Tips For making the most of angkor wat

13/10/2018

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Angkor Wat must be one of the most visited sites in South East Asia. Seam Reap's viability is directly related to the tourism to Angkor Wat. Hopefully, these 7 tips to help you make the most of your visit to the park will set you in good stead for yet another  amazing day in Cambodia.

Tip 1 - Get There For The Dawn

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Drag yourself out of bed & get there while its still dark. I know it's still going to be there in the daylight, however seeing the dawn break over one of the most identifiable sites in the world is really worth it.

The colors of the sky, the hum of the crowd (yes you won't be the only one) and the feeling in the air can't be replicated at 9am!

Tip 2 - Let yourself be awed by the scale

It seems like such an obvious thing, however from one of the main courtyards, position yourself right back into a corner, count the columns, see the levels of structure and consider just how large this one temple actually is. It's effectively a village and when you pay close attention the different buildings and courtyards have varying uses and must have held hundreds of people. The scale is daunting.
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Tip 3 - Get Inside The Temple Early

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If you arrive before dawn there is a very real possibility of being inside the temple completely on your own. If you're a mad photographer, sure stay at the reflection pool for the perfect shot, but if you aren't, get a few shots & get your butt inside the temple. We spent at least an hour inside with not another single soul. Something I'll never forget.

Tip 4 - Pay Attention To The Details

The pure number of things to see and photograph is incredible, however don't get so fixated on looking through the lens that you don't pay attention to the details.

This particular carving I was looking at for a few minutes before I realised there were people in it. I thought it was just a filigree type of thing but once I saw them - I saw so much more in everything else for the day.
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Tip 5 - It's not just the buildings....

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Its hard not to get overwhelmed with the scale and quality of the structures, but what will really blow your mind is the vegetation. From luminescent water lilies to encroaching strangler figs, the fact that the site is slowly being turned back into jungle is one of the most impressive things you will see.

It feels a little reassuring actually. If the jungle can overtake this level of construction, maybe there is hope for us all...

Tip 6 - Its More Than Angkor Wat

I was quite surprised to learn that a lot of people don't realise there is more than just the Angkor Wat temple in the park. Ta Phrom is another amazing location, but that's not the only one. You can easily spend the entire day in the park. Be sure to check with your tuk-tuk driver before you commit as the best ones know the best times of day for which locations.

Our driver took us to Ta Phrom at exactly the right time for us to see the sunlight streaming through a break in the trees and honestly - I felt like I could have been Lara Croft!
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Tip 7 - Brand Your Driver

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I don't mean literally of course but leave something really identifiable on your tuk-tuk because trust me when you come out at 9am and there are a hundred tuk-tuk's waiting, you will be mightily glad you did. I accidentally dropped my scarf going into the temple and our driver tied it on the top of the tuk-tuk to dry. Thank goodness because I couldn't have picked out tuk-tuk out of a line up when we came out but my scarf was front and centre like a beacon guiding us home!

Other Posts You Might Like

All the posts I've done about Cambodia
Angkor Wat - Our Day In The Park

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varanasi - india's holy city

4/9/2018

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Sunset over the river Ganges at Varanasi
Sunset over the Ganges at Varanasi
It was with baited breath that I approached Varanasi. I knew it was India's holiest city and while I was very keen to experience it I also had heard about how heartbreakingly poor it is. What no-one had told me however was the reason of its spiritual importance. 

Varanasi is on the Ganges which is Hindu's sacred river. According to The Smithsonian, Hindu legend, Lord Shiva unleashed the Ganges from the knot of his hair. Over 2.5 million people make their way to Varanasi to bathe in the Ganges. What is now a polluted, smelly, infected river would once have been a pure serene waterway. The current can be strong which is Varanasi's saving grace. With the rubbish that goes into it, a slower current would mean much much MUCH worse pollution.

A Place To Die

Holding such spiritual importance has turned Varanasi into a "gods waiting room" situation. Being cremated on the Ganges is the ultimate in Hindu spirituality. The belief that having your ashes laid in the Ganges at Varanasi will allow your soul to go direct to heaven is indisputable. Referred to Moksha this concept says that the holier the location of your cremation the better your chances are of going straight to heaven and avoiding being reincarnated as a cockroach or a cow in the next life. This belief is responsible for the number of people thronging to Varanasi, however death rights and customs dictate that burials must happen within a very truncated timetable, ideally before the next dawn or dusk. The result is many terminally ill people coming to Varanasi to die. Being as close to the river as possible ensures your cremation in this one of the most important Hindu locations. What this has meant in reality is that the Ghats and immediate area's around the river have had an influx of hospice type facilities sprout up. Sadly that doesn't mean the same thing in India that it does here. Some are just huge rooms with cots and stretchers that dying people pay an exorbitant fee for just to be this close to their gods when they pass. So in one of the poorest countries on earth slum lords still rule.
Cremations At Varanasi
Cremations on the ghats in Varanasi

Refreshing Attitude To Death

The cremation ghat which operates 24/7 initially seems to be grossly devoid of respect. Rubbish is cast into the river (which I will never understand), men mill around smoking and chatting and seem to be completely ignoring the actual ritual. What I came to know however was that the Hindu attitude to death is in my opinion much  healthier than ours. Sure they seem to be totally without compassion for this loved ones remains, however their religion tells them that this person is either on their way to heaven or will come back in a reincarnated form. This is simply the shell and the process is focused on turning this vessel back to the gods as it is just no longer required. There is mourning and there is sadness but that is tempered with a quiet knowledge that this is not the end. 

In a western society where we rarely even see a loved one after they are deceased, it seems refreshingly open and after watching maybe 3 or 4 cremations I could really appreciate it.

A Ghat Is Not A Ghat, Is Not A Ghat

Walking along the Ghats especially at sundown is something everyone visiting Varanasi should do. While they do seem all the same, they have very different purposes. Some are kind of like hostels where visiting academics might stay, some are palaces, some are residential area's and some are dedicated to simply one festival for the year. I can't begin to tell you names and purposes but that's what Wikipedia is for right?
Brad laying prayer candles on the river
The colorful ghats
Evening prayer on the Ganges at Varanasi
Sunrise over one of the ghats Varanasi
Man selling his wares on the ghats of Varanasi
Man in orange robes on the colourful steps of a ghat Varanasi
Colorful boats on the Ganges river at Varanasi
A spiritual sunset, Varanasi India
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checking if the carpet matches the drapes with the Mersi Tribe in Ethiopia

10/6/2018

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Setting The Scene:

We were visiting the Mursi tribe in the Omo Valley area of Ethiopia. The trip out to the tribe from Jinka was an hour and 45 minutes in a little bongo van and the tribe usually gets only one van visit per day. They are cattle farmers so most of the men are not in the village during the day, or for days on end for that matter. So when you get there it is primarily women and children.

We had a local guy take us out and he had told us that to take pictures it was 5 Birr which is around 20c (USD). So we all had some change (some of us more than others) and were keen to hear about the tribe and their stories. 

On Arrival:

When we get there we are taken to one families hut and the guide tells us that the villagers know that we want to learn about their culture and look around first and then we will be taking photos. So he proceeds to tell us all about this family and the tribes customs and practices.

While we are listening this little woman sidles up next to me and looking me up and down, smiles and pats my boob. Like "is that real?" kind of pat. Not a grope, definitely a pat. Pete one of the guys was next to me and while Pete's not exactly led a sheltered life he looks decidedly uncomfortable. I've got around 20 years on Pete and he's quite Southern for want of a better word so I can understand that it makes him a bit unsettled to have a local woman handling my breasts.

I am trying not to giggle and when I look at her she has the cheekiest face and is grinning back at me and nodding like she is very chuffed with herself. We keep learning about the village and while we are wandering around she pops back and while chatting to one of her "Housewives Of The Mursi" cohorts smiles and again pats my boobs. She's escalated to patting both now and is clearly intrigued. They are roaring with laughter and I'm not really bothered so Julia and I are also both having a giggle.

Learning time ends and photo time starts and its frigging bedlam. They all come out in their finery with lip plates and peircings, head dress and feathers, paint and beads adorning every neck, head and chest. I took about 10 photo's mostly becuase I never cope very well with you buy you buy, and in this case its you take photo, you take photo and I'm a bit put off to tell you the truth. 

Everyone else is taking their shots and paying their 5 birr to each model and we are all having fun. Julia, Tom and I move over to the shade of a tree and Ms Cheeky and a few other women and their children follow us. They soon figure out that we aren't going to take any more photo's so they start trying in earnest to communicate with us. Particularly Julia and me. I think mostly as Julia is a full Ginga and my color has faded out with the African sun and cheap shampoo to be pretty orange as well. 

Ms Cheeky is still fixated on my boobs and Julia suggests its because I'm older than her and she can't quite figure out how I might have had 4 children, be my age and have boobs that aren't tickling my toes. That's exactly what she says by the way!  I hadn't thought about it but it makes sense so I pull my bra strap out of the top of my TShirt and show Ms Cheeky my bra strap. I think she will realise that my boobs are being supported and leave it at that. Nope - that didn't work, so I raise my TShirt to show her the bra. Quick as a rattler she moves in and grabs my bra and janks it up, screams in delight and gives my nipple the biggest squeeze! OMG. I yelp, Julia snorts water out her nose, Ms Cheeky wails and the balance of her possy scream with what can only be interpreted as "white boob hysteria". Tom the poor guy bolts and doesn't know quite where to look.

Julia and I are in hysterics, so much so that our guide comes over to see what's going on. I'm pretty sure Ms Cheeky tells him some load of bullshit as he seems non plussed and walks back to the other group.

We have now made firm friends with Ms Cheeky and the Cheekettes. It is so cool that despite language, cultural and geographical differences here we are in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia with other women laughing about boobs. We think that will be the delight of the day and are grinning like fools.

Gaining in Confidence:

Now that she's clearly being exactly who she is, Ms Cheeky has gained confidence and starts to chat to her posy. They are looking at Julia and talking and at exactly the same time Julia and I look at each other and realise that she is wondering if the carpet matches the drapes! It is so clear that is what she is thinking so Julia gives her the head nod and turning around (we're being discreet here - well we are trying) pulls her pants out and shows her. The look on her face was priceless! She is open mouthed, then screams, then smacks Julia on the arm and turns and launches into what we can only surmise is a vivid description of Julia's nether regions. OMG we are in stitches, they are in stitches, the guide comes over and separates us (what are we 12?) and all the boys wander back wondering what in the hell is going on. 

I've always said that if you want to, really want to, you can communicate with anyone. Turns out you can do it to the extent of showcasing to a group of Mursi women that yes, us Mzungu's can have hair color diversity and more so - yes we can all laugh about it. Humour breaks the ice in so many situations but you know I don't think I've ever felt closer to people I met less than an hour before than on that day. We all completely discarded our modesty and had fun doing it. 

Goodness help the next van load of people the following day!

Mursi Tribe Gallery

Gorgeous Mursi Girls posing for photos, Omo Valley, Ethiopia
This young lady was considered one of the most beautiful because her mutilation was from birth. How very cool is that! Omo Valley Ethiopia.
These people are stunningly beautiful inside and out. Mursi Tribe, Omo Valley Ethiopia.
I love the character on this womans face. Mursi Tribe, Ethiopia
Pete handing out his 5 Birr notes like a BOSS! He got some amazing photos.
Drying hides in the sun. Plenty of that in Ethiopia
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Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump

11/4/2016

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Head-Smashed-In is pretty much exactly as it sounds. Its a first nation site about 175 km's south of Calgary just north of Fort Macleod. Its a few hours drive but 100% worth it. The drive is mostly just through plains and grasslands however I did it mid April and the weather, while cool, was nice, the skies clear and I got to plug in my Spotify and sing as loud as I wanted. So I guess I kind of killed two birds so to speak. I got to see Head-Smashed-In but I also got to drive and play my own music without fear of disturbing others. Good deal really.
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump
Entry to Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump

The name is not what you think:

Like me I'm sure your first instinct is that the name comes from the buffalo being crushed at the bottom of the cliff, but it doesn't. Apparently at one point the tribe was driving buffalo over the cliff and a young brave wanted to see it up close. He wedged himself in under a ledge to see the buffalo falling but misjudged and was crushed in the process. When they found him they named in Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump as sadly his skull was crushed from the buffalo carcasses.

Mr Little Leaf - you are a living legend!

You know that sometimes asking questions is well received and other times its not? Of course I want to understand everything so I'm always asking something. Today - my questions got me directed to Mr Little Leaf, a first nation elder (sorry using the Australian term there as not sure what the Canadian first nation term is) who is of course local to the area and a pure Blackfoot. It was just after opening and he was free as a bird as he put it. He very kindly walked me through the entire facility, telling me stories not just about the jump but his own family and the history of the local Blackfoot.

What a score!

While the facility itself is amazing, having my very own guide and hearing first hand so many amazing stories made my experience truly spectacular.

There were so many conditions that had to be right for the jump to work. Wind, temperature, where they were in the season and of course training the younger people of the tribe to contribute. Too early and they often didn't get enough meat and fat off the animals, too late and they risked the buffalo moving on and not getting anything.

They would situate branches stuck into rock piles in the direct of the cliff. These branches would wave in the wind and rustle further spooking the buffalo. Many warriors would line the drive lanes, hidden under grasses and skins just waiting for the run to start. Once directed they would jump up and add to the drama that kept the buffalo on the lane.

A few of the best trackers would slowly creep up on the herd dressed in wolf skins. They weren't trying to scare the beasts, they would keep their actions slow and deliberate until the buffalo's were well and truly in the drive lanes without realizing it. They would play on the buffalo's instinct to protect their young knowing that once the first of the herd started to run - the rest would follow. It was an amazing achievement especially when you know that they used every single part that they could of the beasts.

Meat was cut and dried and then mixed with the fat and juniper berries (which helped to preserve it) into what looks like pulled beef. It was ground down into almost a powder and then stored for the winter. Skins & fur made clothes and equipment. Bones made tools and medicinal remedies. There was pretty much nothing they left behind. No recycling required! The only thing they did tend to leave was the skulls.  No-one could really tell me why but Little Leaf did say he thought it was mostly a time constraint and also to honor the animals. The skulls didn't have long enough bones to be really useful and of course once they had hundreds of dead animals they had limited time to slaughter and store the meat so something had to give. That makes sense too.
Looking out over the buffalo jump
Looking out over the jump
It is estimated in the day that 60-70 million buffalo grazed this area. I couldn't seem to get an accurate square mile estimation, but Little Leaf assured me that the land easily supported that number. This particular jump was last used around 1820 some time. The introduction of guns meant that the Blackfoot didn't have to work as hard to kill the beasts and the practice became obsolete.

If you do the centre, be sure and do the lower trails after you leave the building. Once you have heard the stories its easy to hear the tribe celebrating and the thunder of the hooves. I shit you not - you can feel it. I'm sure its just in your brain but it is almost impossible not to image what it must have been like on those days.

One of the best things I've done and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Keep your mind open, look at all of the exhibits as they all tell stories and put yourself back into that time, in the fall and imagine the excitement that must have been around in the build up to the jump.
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Kyoto - Temples, Truths and Gorgeous Geishas

23/2/2016

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Location: Kyoto Japan
Activity: Walking, Browsing & Geisha Spotting
Acommodation: Len Kyoto Hostel
Rating:        
3 Words: Geisha's Have Patience

A Geisha on the way to her appointment Gion, Kyoto
A Geisha on the way to her appointment Gion, Kyoto

Kyoto - the city that has everything...

I spent a week in Kyoto (which you would know reading my previous posts). I could have added maybe one or two more days but I did make the trip to Osaka and Kobe indepentant of my time here at Kyoto so that would have probably been the difference in days spent here.

From temples to outlying area's, Kyoto has some incredible things to see and do. Its a big city but its incredibly laid back. Everything is very busy but there is no pushy shovey. Well - outside of Gion that is.

Gion is known as "The Geisha District" and while I wasn't fixated on the perfect Geisha photo, I did try very hard to get a behind the scenes look at the preparation process. I really tried to get some kind of inside experience but sadly not to be. I wanted to see the process that was involved in these women coming into the area as their natural selves and leaving the building on their way to a tea service, fully transformed. Unbeknown to me this is a fiercely protected process and I ended up just wandering the area along with thousands of other tourists.

If you know me at all, you know I'm not great with crowds so I wandered off into the more internal area's of the suburb. I was sitting on a stoop, trying to get my camera settings sorted when this gorgeous woman tottered down the street, smiled the most brilliant smile to me and ducked into a tea house. I had a quick "snap" and thought nothing of it until a few days later when I was sorting images and found this. While less than perfect from a photography stand point, I love it.

My very own Geisha portrait.

Unfortunately my experience was dulled slightly by the walk home when no less than 20-30 people harrassed this Geisha walking down the main street. While I know they must be used to it - NOT ACCEPTABLE PEOPLE! Their patience is admirable but they must just want to yell "F Off!" at the top of their voice.
Arishayama station totems
The young girls dress up in traditional outfits to stroll the streets and shop. Its so pretty.
I never found out what these birds were but I was calling them bearded herons. Probably not their name though.
This gorgeous young girl was one of many who dressed to kill during their walk around Kyoto
Ducks following me as I walk along the river.
My morning hike up, up, up through the Tori gates to the fantastic view over Kyoto
A wedding in the temple area in Kyoto
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