From Bangkok to Cambodia to Vietnam

Too much has gone down on the travelling road since I last blogged. I started my trip in Bangkok, the chaotic and boiling hot Capitol of Thailand. There, I quickly met two good looking bros, Tom and Espen, who took me under their wings. Pool chill and nights in the backpacker district, Khao San. Happy days and awesome fun! 

After Bangkok I met up with a fun group of backpackers from all over the world, some whom I'll be travelling with for a little while. First destination was Siem Reap in Cambodia. First off we visited a school in the slum area. Unfortunately the sex market is a very common thing for the girls to get into, as it enables them to keep their families alive. This school, offering great education and medical aid, therefore made such a huge difference which was great to see. And it was mainly funded by Rotary (yay!). In one of the classrooms they all got up and sang happy birthday to me, then my fellow travelling buddies surprised me with a delicious cake and a card! I was so surprised that I teared up, damnit. 

The next day we went to Angkor Wat the old Hindu temples. I can however not enlighten you much on the temples as there was a tiny retriever puppy present, Bobo, which resulted in a very distracted Mellie. We also went to jungely temple ruins where Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie was filmed, resulting in my childhood wannabe Lara Croft dream being officially ticked off!

A few days later, in the Cambodian Capitol Phnom Penh, we went to the genocide museum and killing fields. It is almost incomprehensible. As late as 1975-79 three million Cambodians (out of 7 mill at the time) where butchered under the regime of Pol Pot, who had gone to Europe and been inspired by communism and tried to enforce it in Cambodia by killing the educated. It was an exhausting day, with a lot of impressions, so Courtney, Rob, Mike, our crazy guide Pooky and I celebrated being alive that night at the local bar. 

After the Capitol visit, the coastal city Sihanoukville was lined up next. The city itself looked a bit shabby and crowded, so Courtney, Rob and I got on a boat and found a little paradise island, Bamboo Island, and chilled out all day long, eating barracuda and soaking up some sun. Beautiful. And I'm so tan!!

Now I'm in Vietnam, where I'll travel up the coast for a few weeks. The other day we stayed in a little village, and it was brilliant! Mix of Forrest Gump and the Junglebook! Life is good. 

Stay hydrated and happy!  

Until next time, 

Merete/Mellie