Category Archives: cambodia

September 27, 2012 · 10:53 am

favorite travel spots – food for thought

Email, RSS Follow

dear fellow traveler – THANK YOU!

as i rushed from my late-arriving airplane from Barcelona to Zürich on Tuesday, i met a fellow traveler who was attempting to make the same ridiculously tight connection back to Boston. it was easy for him to discover we were in the same predicament when i started freaking out on the plane upon arrival in Switzerland. YES! i was one of ‘those people’ who jumped up before we even got to the gate and barraged the flight attendant with “will i make this connection?” “will they hold the plane?” she was all, “no big deal, you spaz!” WHATEVER. if my plane-mate and i hadn’t sprinted from the farthest terminal of A to E through the Zürich airport, i’m quite sure we wouldn’t have made our flight.

in any case, our race against each other on who’d get to the boarding gate first bonded us to an extent. then, when we arrived and as they were full on boarding the plane (no time for a bathroom break or to buy any coveted Swiss chocolates for us) we were then each individually given the ole “you’ve been pre-selected for extra screening”. READ you and your bags will now be molested. at least they had to deal with my sweaty self from my marathon sprint. HA – serves them right! this little incident made us laugh as the two of us, while we might be troublemakers, are far from sketchy looking terrorists.

so, after our half-day return flight from Europe to Boston, now the joke was whether our bags made the tight connection. my plane-mate, Adam, got his bag immediately – lucky bastard. but he kindly waited to see if i’d have the same luck. as we waited we chatted a bit and he asked me “what’s your favorite travel spots you’ve visited to so far?” SUCH A GREAT YET TOUGH QUESTION!!! i really appreciate him asking me this. it got me thinking and made me discover something new about myself. well, sort of.

i said to him that is difficult to answer and it depends on the type of travel experience you’re looking for. i know you all recognize i am a self-professed POSHAHOLIC. so my go-to answer is typically “heaven on earth is St. Barts.” it’s like the perfect place in my mind. AND while i do adore it and dream about it all the time, the question made me realize it’s not my favorite place anymore.

my favorite travel spots are the places that i know the least about and have no expectation of. like Budapest, Curacao and Cambodia to name a few. it’s NO SECRET that i love to travel. but i realized through answering Adam’s simple question that what makes me love a place is being pleasantly surprised in the unknown. the adventure of taking it all in and discovering it from my perspective.

i had already decided after my Cambodia trip that i need to travel at least once a year to somewhere i’ve never been. it’s good for learning and pushing myself and, let’s face it, i don’t have a lifetime of travel ahead so i gotta take advantage of the years i do have to discover all the wonderful places in the world that will touch me. BUT i didn’t recognize is HOW important this is to me. HOW i actually might love it more than the incredibly perfect and posh St. Barts. MY FAVORITE PLACE is quite possibly a place i haven’t been!

the takeaway?

1) this princess might not be so prissy after all since some of my favorite places are quite rough around the edges

2) it has to be top priority to seek this kind of travel out to keep me growing

3) i hope that Adam reads my blog as promised & comments because i’d like to say thank you for asking such a simple yet thought-provoking question

4) and THANKS for waiting with me until i FINALLY got my enormous bag off the luggage belt – phew

XO – lola

32 Comments

Filed under budapest, cambodia, curacao, travel

Tagged as

September 19, 2012 · 8:15 am

phenomenal Phnom Penh food – Cambodia

Email, RSS Follow

lola didn’t go starving

enjoying the good life in Phnom Penh

i’m sure you are wondering what the food scene was like in Cambodia. i’ll admit, i wasn’t sure what i was going to make of it. i’d either love it or hate it, i figured. i was also nervous that my stomach might not approve. well, i’m pleased to report that the local cuisine was delicious and if you got tired of Khmer or Thai food you could certainly find alternatives in the way of Western food. thank goodness i was physically working hard in Cambodia’s capital city or i might have ended up as big as the house i was building!

during the first half of my stay in Cambodia, when i was in Phnom Penh for the Habitat for Humanity house build, our breakfast was included in the price of our hotel accommodations. while i’ve never been one for an all-exclusive, it was nice to have the simple breakfast option right there on property each morning. we were expected to be up and at em and raring to go build by 7:30am each day. a decent breakfast was pretty much essential to our success.

fab lunch at an open-air restaurant – this says cashew chicken in Khmer

our lunch was also fixed in our costs for the build budget. every day we went to the same great outdoor restaurant on a pond near the build site. our boxed lunches were always prepared and waiting for us. we were able to choose from 20 different options – all local cuisine. i had red & green curry, penang chicken and cashew chicken. it came served with rice wrapped in a banana leaf & it ALL was delicious. we were given an hour and half for lunch each day and inevitably each of us would end up napping in our open-air huts – either on the floor or in a hammock. i could really get used to this ritual that’s for sure.

as for our dinner options, this was self catering holidays style, which is my preference. i really enjoy researching and trying some of the best, new/up & coming or well-known spots when traveling. after all, what better way to immerse yourself in the local culture than through the local cuisine! thankfully Phnom Penh food didn’t let me down.

notable places to mention:

lola sampled the classic Negroni at FCC

FCC (Foreign Correspondent Club) down on the riverfront, this classic joint has a great bar and view of the Mekong River. since 1993, the FCC has been known to serve stiff drinks to anyone from journalists to diplomats to movie stars. who couldn’t love an establishment with such a storied past during the early days of Cambodian peace. TOTALLY lola’s style and one of those places you just “HAVE TO” visit when in Phnon Penh.

delish eats for an important cause at Friends the Restaurant

Friends the Restaurant is a Khmer tapas bar that’s run by a non-governmental organization (NGO) – Mith Samlanh (which means friends in English) – “to support the needs of street children, their families and their community. the projects of Mith Samlanh aim to facilitate the children’s social reintegration into their families, the public school system, the workplace, and their culture. at Friends the Restaurant these street children are learning to become chefs and servers. Mith Samlanh offers food, shelter, medical care, training and educational facilities for over 1,800 homeless, vulnerable or abandoned children each day.” it felt absolutely appropriate to dine a place with such a humanitarian cause PLUS the tapas were outstanding and it was a great value.

authentic Cambodian at Khmer Surin

Khmer Surin is a wonderful authentic Cambodian Khmer restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. the amok is a must-try (fish or chicken steamed in coconut milk curry) at this well-known establishment. YUM! the ambience couldn’t have been prettier. the first floor features gardens, 2nd floor is Cambodian-style seating on cushions on a balcony and the 3rd floor is open-air seating with view of Phnom Penh. it was as beautiful as the food was tasty.

swanky hip French at Elyxir

Cambodia is also known for its French influences and so i was thrilled to try a newer trendy spot, Elyxir, a modern French wine bar. we chose to sample many plates off the menu and after dinner we hung out for post-dinner cocktails by their amazing outdoor pool. another notable luxe hip spot, Topaz, even at over a decade old, was quite trendy. this was an upscale French gastronomic experience and truly to die for. it was a perfect way to finish off our build week and time in Phnom Penh.

from start to finish – everything was parfait at the luxe French Topaz

one place that we patronized that i would not recommend is Titanic. while it’s on the riverfront and has a live Apsara show, it is very touristy and over-priced plus the food and service are ok at best.

at all of the other restaurants mentioned, the food was fantastic for the value and the service was terrific. dinners ranged from less than $20 to $40 for the upmarket Topaz. this ALWAYS included cocktails and/or wine. not too shabby, eh? you can most definitely eat well for not very much money and this is just a small sampling of Phnom Penh food!

14 Comments

Filed under cambodia, phnom penh, travel

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

September 17, 2012 · 9:05 am

surviving Cambodia

Email, RSS Follow

chum reap suor from Cambodia

how this priss-pot made out in the end

i know you’ve been waiting with bated breath to learn how i made out during my first 3rd world experience in Cambodia. i’m sure you are expecting some tales of misadventure & how i was eaten alive by the ravenous mosquitos despite my efforts to keep them at bay.

well…i’m back from the other side of the globe – NOT dead or dismembered in any way (phew) to tell you that my BIGGEST mishaps were not packing an extra bras for the build days AND losing my favorite lip gloss at the very beginning of my adventure. it’s a wonder i made it through ok! the only injuries i sustained were a finger pinched in a bathroom lock and some broken nails & bruises from bouncing on rocks in the river rapids. HAHAHA

gigantic A380 – LOVE

BUT seriously, let’s talk about some of my concerns. for starters, the flights. i’ve never flown that long on an airplane & dealt with that big of a time change. it really wasn’t so awful. i flew the longest leg on an A380, which is one of those new big-ass fancy planes, and i gotta say it was smooth as silk. AND this princess was in COACH in a MIDDLE SEAT nonetheless! the only issue i encountered was getting cankles on the way home from swelling. jet lag did affect me a bit – still is – but it’s not totally rotten either. thank you ‘no jet lag’ my favorite jet lag remedy 🙂

the passport, e-visa, stapling thing was also super. really the way to go. my stapled e-visa with USED stamped on it inside my passport is now a major source of pride. i went, i saw, i survived, i fell in love with Cambodia! i may just have to go look at it right now & reminisce a bit.

other concerns i had:

the non-accesorizing bit. yeah, that was a BIG overstatement. i wouldn’t have worn jewelry to the build but i certainly could have worn it anywhere else. i never once felt unsafe or like someone was going to take advantage of me. NO ONE was shocked by my boa wearin’ ways either. it was fascinating. here’s a country full of dark-skinned Asians AND then there’s me, a white woman with blonde hair. i kid you not…NOT ONCE did people look at me like i was any different. how lovely.

just a day in the tuk tuk park – Cambodia

AND remember my worries about pointing and greetings and being overly expressive. this was also a silly worry. YES, Cambodians are quiet, peaceful people but they are also accepting, smiley people. i did work hard to remember to remove my shoes when necessary and to bow and say the correct phrase for hello or thank you. the whole keeping my arms to my sides was a massive FAIL but it all worked out fine. as it turns out Cambodians quite like lil ole lola!

Sean our stalker tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap

now the truth about the mosquito situation. i did not get ONE SINGLE BITE at the build. they were in our van every morning on the way to the site but i never saw any at the actual location. i’m sure they were there and perhaps all my precautions taken to treat my clothes helped. i mean we were surrounded by muddy stagnate soil and water. they had to be around. BUT it may also be possible that those Cambodian mosquitos just didn’t like my Western self. even at the river, in the jungle, i had ZERO issues. i received the most bites my last night at the beach near the Thai border.

MY CASE STUDY: Cambodian mosquitos = don’t like lola. Thai mosquitos = do like lola.

OK, now how about all the crap i bought?! the clothesline, the headlamp, the medicines.

our laundry was done EVERY day during the build as part of our room rate. how FAB! and i used a laundry service at the end of my time in Siem Reap so i’d have choices for my last 5 days. BUT i did use my tide & clothes line a few times to wash out my swim suits and undies at the end. this is the roughest ‘roughing it’ lola got 🙂

tissues were a good idea for potty breaks as 9 times out of 10 there was no toilet paper. however, my dehydration & fears of the squat toilets kept me barely going during the day. i probably used the majority of my tissues for wiping away tears!

it’s a hard-knock life for us!

i barely used my bug spray or my hand sanitizer – probably less than 10 times. i did use the electrolytes i brought during the build. like twice a day because we were sweating from the second we started until we returned back to our hotel. it was intense work in the grueling sun. i don’t know if i’ve ever drank that much water or sweat that much in my entire life. the Habitat team had electrolytes for us but i preferred the taste of the tablets i brought along. as far as my meds, i was a good girl and took my malaria pills – just in case the 5 mosquitos that did bite me were infected! i really didn’t need all the rest of the pills i brought.

i did use that most unsexy money belt during the build to keep a few small things on my body, however, never again. like i said before, safety really wasn’t a concern. i NEVER used the headlamp but it would have come in handy a few times. power outages were fairly common & at the most inopportune times. of course, i never had the darn thing on me when i could have used it. honestly, people’s iPhones made great flashlights!

some of my Habitat build team

i’m glad i was prepared but it did seem a bit like over-kill. pharmacies truthfully did have everything you could ever need. at least my over-preparedness made my build team laugh! AND what about my ALL-Australian build team?! how did they take to their only American team member? i guess i should have collected quotes.(feel free to comment gang) i know that many of them thought in advance of meeting me “how on earth is this diva going to survive a house build” especially since many of them had actually done one before. they were pleasantly surprised i think. AND many of my team members are now new life-long friends. a visit to Australia in 2013 is a definite must!

so there you have it. lola surviving the scary unknown of going to Cambodia & doing a Habitat house build for the first time. it couldn’t have been any more of a success for me. AND i can’t wait to share more details of my Cambodian adventures with you!

36 Comments

Filed under cambodia, travel

Tagged as , , ,

September 13, 2012 · 6:27 am

living life in Cambodia & my unintentional writing hiatus

Email, RSS Follow

I’M BAAAAACK! 

i’m coming home…tell the world, i’m coming home!

i’m making my way back from Cambodia today. i had such good intentions to make time for writing while gone. you know, because i was far away from daily distractions i figured i would be prolific with my writing. i made plenty of notes and have many many stories to share BUT found it difficult to sit at my computer and write.

it was a strange to feel this way. at home, i’m desperate to find time to write but while away all i wanted to do was relax and enjoy. this also brought on feelings of guilt. one thing about running a blog is the need to constantly engage your audience. you need to give them new interesting content all the time or you will fall off the radar. it was a total push and pull in my mind. kind of like when you stop exercising and know you need to get ‘back in the saddle’ but can find almost any excuse not to.

know what was truly silly? i was doing different work for the first half on my adventure. i was physically building something in the world instead of virtually doing that. i was busy living in reality not through my writing. i think i forgot how to do this a bit. i feel it’s an easy trap to fall into as a travel blogger. the pace to keep up or surpass others in audience readership can keep one from looking around themselves for any length of time.

while i struggled with the guilt, in the end, i decided it was better to be really living in the moment than giving those moments up to my computer. it was the first time in months that i read something other than travel blogs. it was the first time in months where i lost track of time. it was the first time in months that sleep was more important than burning the midnight oil due to physical exhaustion, jet lag and general living it up instead of logging hours in front of a glowing screen. AND anyway, part of the point of my journey was to be off the radar for a while.

i hope that upon return to reality i can work on striking a balance between building my travel blog persona & audience and living the life lola should be living.

does this happen to you? do you get off-balance in order to achieve success? do you ever feel guilty about just living?

34 Comments

Filed under cambodia, travel

Tagged as , ,

August 23, 2012 · 6:17 am

Cambodia Countdown – 4-3-2-1-0 BLAST OFF

Email, RSS Follow

New Continent. New Country. Parting Thoughts. Cambodia.

so so excited BUT holy hell, listen to the craziness of this whole adventure. i will leave today at roughly 10AM Eastern Standard and arrive at 10PM Friday, local time, in Phnom Penh. it will be 11AM Friday here. that’s over 24 hours of time. a day of my life gone. sayonara. goodbye. flying home is EVEN WORSE.

what else…crazy visa crap i’ve never dealt with before. turn one copy in on arrival only in these X lines and then one upon departure again and you can staple it into your passport. staples in my precious passport? whaaaaa??? 

then the whole ‘it’s rainy season – malaria – dengue fever threat.’ (READ: THIS ONE I’M ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT) so i’ve pre-treated my build clothes with toxic bug repellant that if in contact with my skin while wet would need the assistance of poison control. ok…that is OUT OF CONTROL.  or, wait, maybe it gets even better.

how about bug repellant lotion a that is for only exposed skin. ok?! but when you apply it you cannot let it touch your clothes because it’ll eat it up. seriously?! so i have bug repellant clothes spray that cannot touch my skin and bug repellant skin lotion that cannot touch my clothes. this combination sounds INSANE.

AND the most recent advice is not to bring/wear any nice jewelry. it calls attention to yourself and this isn’t good. what is going to happen when i pull out my hot pink boa? it IS just feathers but that baby is a definite attention grabber! i don’t know what to think about having NO accessories. this is killing lola.

there’s cultural issues to consider, too. proper greetings and no embracing in public. holding your temper. no pointing fingers. not showing your palms. i’m tremendously demonstrative. i mean, do i look like a subdued person? toning all of this down is going to be a bit of a trick for me. i plan to just keep my arms glued to my sides. you think this will work?

well, that’s all folks. send positive thoughts for a safe journey, few mosquito bites & that i can control myself in public.

XO – lola

39 Comments

Filed under cambodia, travel

Tagged as , , ,