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We've been home for a few days now, getting over the jet lag. Both Dave and Jody came home with some sort of intestinal flu that seems to be persistent.
Observations
Cambodians are kind, gentle people, as are the Thai's. I thoroughly enjoyed Cambodia and would recommend it to others. Locals still appreciate the tourist dollar, your money goes farther and there are some interesting sights to see. Food was also good. Religion in Cambodia is 60% Buddhist, 35% Muslim and 5% Christian.
The rubber plantations are actually quite pretty. If you look diagonally down the trees, they are in a straight line. When you look straight down the rows, there are scant branches. Not sure if they grow like that or are pruned in order to increase the rubber production. Part way up the trunk, they grow 2 or 3 branches like the letter Y. At the top of the tree where the leaves are, the branches touch together, making a tunnel like feeling, similar to elm trees. It makes a little more sense now why some wood smells the way it does. Sticking your finger in the rubber sap is not the best idea. It takes quite a few hand washes to rid yourself of that smell. That must be why cedars smell like they do and why oak smells like vomit and birch smells like apples when you are cutting that wood.
Every female at the beach wears a 2 piece bathing suit, no matter what size they are. Speedos are alive and well and selling like crazy in this part of the world.
Street food is the best meal going in Thailand.
Taxi drivers the world over are crooks.
Tuk-Tuk drivers are even bigger crooks.
Thai merchants are pretty good, but you definitely have to shop around. The merchants that are in Thailand from other countries are the con artists.
The Thai people work 9 hours per day, 6 days per week. Some work 12 days and then have 2 days off. Some people live away from home and work 11 months in a row and get 1 month off to go home. The girls that were working in the spa in Phuket actually lived in the basement of the spa. Basic Thai wages are $12 Canadian per DAY and $8 for foreigners.
A massage in a spa in Cambodia is $20 US. In Thailand it's $12 Canadian for an hour. Both massages are pretty similar. Thai massage can be painful, especially if you have a tight muscle. They get right on the bed with you and use their forearms , elbows and feet. They will hang on to one leg and jam their foot into the bum side of your groin and push. While you're laying on your back, they will put their palms in your hip joint in your groin and lean all their weight on you without moving for about one minute. When they slowly release their hands there's a rush of heat into your upper thighs. I think they slow down the blood flow in your arteries and then slowly release so you don't get the pins and needles feeling. Or while you're on your stomach, they will hang on to both of your arms and pull you into a reverse sitting position-uh, I don't really bend that way.....while on your stomach, press one foot over the other and then press your feet onto your butt. Seemed a lot easier when I was 12. When it's all over, you are definitely loosened up.
The vegetable selection in Thailand was not too varied. Morning glory (yes the flower) was the main selection and was also pretty cheap, probably because it's so prolific.
Thailand has a good mix of traditional and new.
Bangkok is a stinky city. Playing "what's that smell" would be exhausting.
There seems to be just as much maintenance to a coastal home in a hot country as there is here.
I learned a little more about drowning. I found the last point particularly interesting. Here is the excerpt from Wikipedia:
It was a great trip! We saw some amazing things and experienced some amazing things together. It doesn't get better than that!
Observations
Cambodians are kind, gentle people, as are the Thai's. I thoroughly enjoyed Cambodia and would recommend it to others. Locals still appreciate the tourist dollar, your money goes farther and there are some interesting sights to see. Food was also good. Religion in Cambodia is 60% Buddhist, 35% Muslim and 5% Christian.
The rubber plantations are actually quite pretty. If you look diagonally down the trees, they are in a straight line. When you look straight down the rows, there are scant branches. Not sure if they grow like that or are pruned in order to increase the rubber production. Part way up the trunk, they grow 2 or 3 branches like the letter Y. At the top of the tree where the leaves are, the branches touch together, making a tunnel like feeling, similar to elm trees. It makes a little more sense now why some wood smells the way it does. Sticking your finger in the rubber sap is not the best idea. It takes quite a few hand washes to rid yourself of that smell. That must be why cedars smell like they do and why oak smells like vomit and birch smells like apples when you are cutting that wood.
Every female at the beach wears a 2 piece bathing suit, no matter what size they are. Speedos are alive and well and selling like crazy in this part of the world.
Street food is the best meal going in Thailand.
Taxi drivers the world over are crooks.
Tuk-Tuk drivers are even bigger crooks.
Thai merchants are pretty good, but you definitely have to shop around. The merchants that are in Thailand from other countries are the con artists.
The Thai people work 9 hours per day, 6 days per week. Some work 12 days and then have 2 days off. Some people live away from home and work 11 months in a row and get 1 month off to go home. The girls that were working in the spa in Phuket actually lived in the basement of the spa. Basic Thai wages are $12 Canadian per DAY and $8 for foreigners.
A massage in a spa in Cambodia is $20 US. In Thailand it's $12 Canadian for an hour. Both massages are pretty similar. Thai massage can be painful, especially if you have a tight muscle. They get right on the bed with you and use their forearms , elbows and feet. They will hang on to one leg and jam their foot into the bum side of your groin and push. While you're laying on your back, they will put their palms in your hip joint in your groin and lean all their weight on you without moving for about one minute. When they slowly release their hands there's a rush of heat into your upper thighs. I think they slow down the blood flow in your arteries and then slowly release so you don't get the pins and needles feeling. Or while you're on your stomach, they will hang on to both of your arms and pull you into a reverse sitting position-uh, I don't really bend that way.....while on your stomach, press one foot over the other and then press your feet onto your butt. Seemed a lot easier when I was 12. When it's all over, you are definitely loosened up.
The vegetable selection in Thailand was not too varied. Morning glory (yes the flower) was the main selection and was also pretty cheap, probably because it's so prolific.
Thailand has a good mix of traditional and new.
Bangkok is a stinky city. Playing "what's that smell" would be exhausting.
There seems to be just as much maintenance to a coastal home in a hot country as there is here.
I learned a little more about drowning. I found the last point particularly interesting. Here is the excerpt from Wikipedia:
- Active drowning can begin within 20 seconds of the person being in distress. An active drowning victim will not be able to call for help.
- While an active drowning victim might still be vertical in the water, they will be unable to move towards help or safety.
- Active drowning victims will not be able to wave for assistance or reach for equipment. Once drowning has begun, the victim cannot voluntarily control his arm movements.
- Active drowning victims typically struggle on the surface for 20-60 seconds before being submerged.
- Research shows that drowning victims almost always drown while facing the shore
- Victims often begin to panic even more if they are turned away from the shore.
- Passive drowning is when water enters your lungs and accumulates at the bottom, reducing breathing function. It can result in serious injury or death, and can occur hours after getting out of the water. This is why Jody was so insistent that the older girl be taken to hospital.
- Active drowning victims will have their heads tilted back so their mouth and nose is above water, this is an instinct.
It was a great trip! We saw some amazing things and experienced some amazing things together. It doesn't get better than that!
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