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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!
This was a great read 🙂 and we missed Lola!! Very interesting about the over-preparing and packing and what was actually available locally. I always think, better safe than sorry!! Look forward to seeing you later this week in Spain!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted…Photos of the week – Windows and Views
i’m going with it’s better to be safe than sorry even if i forgot a couple of items! xx
I am proud of you, Lola! Great post. Isn’t it nice when a country is much better than we expected? Especially when we don’t get harassed! Lovely read indeed 🙂 glad to hear you had fun!
– Maria Alexandra
Nomadic Translator @latinAbroad recently posted…San Juan Puerto Rico nightlife tips: A local weighs in (photos)
amazing. not harassed in the least. I LOVE CAMBODIA
Awesome plug for Habitat for humanity and Lola. Will Lola do another build?
COMPLETELY
This is one of my favorite posts by you. I got a giggle out of all your precautions, but I was just going to let you do your thing. 🙂 I missed you being on my continent and am glad you back. And despite the fact that you weren’t readily available to visit, I know you were doing something great for others and in turn for yourself. Now, don’t ever leave me for that long again!
Leah Travels recently posted…Friends & Foolishness at Fenway (with Video!)
sorry honey, cannot make that promise. i loved my voluntourism SOOOO much #1 it’s completely happening again! #2 cannot be in control of worldwide internet 🙂 cest la vie
Lola, we missed you but reading about your adventures makes it all worth it.
Great to read all about it!
E! you always love me and accept me no matter how crazy the idea may be. thank you!!! this time was worth the investment BUT i missed you every step of the way. you would have LOVED it too!
You rock girl… you were more than I expected and only in a good way. I really hope you can come on another build with me soon. Much love miss xx
it is COMPLETELY going to happen ASAP. love you, miss you, could not have had a better experience with you! lola xxx
After camping my whole life in the Midwest, I found the mosquitoes in Southeast Asia laughable: almost cute. Glad you survived and enjoyed such a wonderful country.
Traveling Ted recently posted…Careful elephant crossing at Angkor Wat
it was like “precious mosquitos”. WTF we have killer ones on the East Coast & PS i’m ready to relocate!
Hey lola. You might look exotic in a boa, but you sure can dig sand. Thanks for your laughs and your company. Judy B
Judy,
NO THANK YOU!
our Cambodia build was amazing – something i could never express completely or would trade for the world.
so glad to know you! LOLA
You seemed really having fun with that scooter ride!
Anyway, your photos are great here!
So lovely.
Wenie Langacre recently posted…New Post has been published on Allkind Joinery & Glass Pty Ltd
thank you for the compliment and thank you for stopping by my blog!
Haha.. exactly what I wanted to hear from your experience in Cambodia. LOVE that you brought the pink boa. Still can’t believe you made it through Coach.. in the middle seat no less. 🙂
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted…Travel Costs: 1 Month in Australia
i’m a first class girl living in a coach world! i’m much tougher than i look or act 😉
Oh Lola. It sounded like you had an incredible time. The pictures are amazing and I LOVE that you brought along your boa. Next time, I think you should make just one little adjustment. BRING US! 😉
i’d love to bring you two everywhere i go! i think we’d make the *best* travel team!
Sounds like you made out just fine…although a middle seat on a flight of that length. Shoot me now..
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted…The Napa Valley Lodge – Yountville
yeah…i know. thank god it was an A380. more spacious!!
love love love the photo of you on the tuk tuk. we missed you!
the lazy travelers recently posted…no travel required
yeah that photo is a definite keeper! i just loved Cambodia!
Hey, what’s overpreparing for one country, is underpreparing in another so better safe than sorry! Glad to read about the experience and VERY glad you got to visit your first developing world country!!!
Raul (@ilivetotravel) recently posted…My Delta Special Service – a Real Treat – and My Friends’ Reactions
thanks, Raul. it was AHHMAZING!! cannot wait to share stories in person.
Glad to hear you made it through with relatively few difficulties. Sounds like an amazing experience. RIP Lipgloss.
John recently posted…Visiting Denver, Colorado: The Local’s Take With Kim Olson
you are too funny, John. i think this comment made me laugh the most. RIP lipgloss is right. AND do you know, when i went to replace it upon return to the states i actually got up-sold to a different, more expensive brand. i ain’t no favorite lipgloss, i tell you. go with what you know!
Glad to hear you survived! Though I never doubted you! So funny that you were the only American on an Australian team – I was the only American on a mainly Australian tour (aside from one Canadian, Kiwi, two Brits, and two Swiss) – haha. Are you still using Aussie lingo, like me? Funny to see what you use and what you don’t use on a trip. I didn’t bring a headlamp to Africa and wound up buying one bc I desperately needed it! 🙂
The World Wanderer recently posted…My Hiking Addiction.
love that you had to buy a headlamp! it is funny to see what you use.
i’m not speaking Aussie but i did love the lingo and now when they say stuff to me on FB i don’t have to ask “what the hell does that mean?” hahaha
can’t wait to hear more about your African trip!
Yay, Lola made it!! I knew you would 🙂 Hey, I’d never laugh at you – or anyone – for taking such precautions. Better safe than sorry, right? So glad you had such a fantastic, meaningful experience. I think I’d really like to do something like this in the future.
Francesca recently posted…Kenosha, Wisconsin: More to it than an outlet mall
you would love it, Francesca. i’m already looking forward to my next build in a foreign land!! it was well worth all the preparing. 🙂
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