G'day/Sawadeeka/Susadai/Salamm!!!!

So far.... 15 days and 4 countries! How to describe??

Well I will start with the long version, and finish with the short version.. a list of the things i have learnt whilst on the road.

I began the journey in Bangkok, city of the backpacker it seemed. I quickly hopped, skipped and jumped across the border to Cambodia - one of my favourite places. Navigating with the immigration officials in Cambodia is always fun, and I think their surprise at my (very few) terrible words of Khmer persuaded them not to double the offical visa price.
I landed in Battambang, in the north west of Cambodia, famous for being the rice bowl region of Cambodia. Coincidentally my Cambodia mother Sokhany was also in Battambang for work, so I joined her and a representative for Caritas Canada. They were touring around rural communes in Cambodia to asses the decentralisation of the democratisation process (yes jargon gallore!). I eventually understood we were visiting with the equivalent of shire councils, who were working on getting all in their commune (shire) to vote and have a democratic voice. I was able to visit 7 provinces (states of Cambodia) in three days with Sokhany. After this I stayed in Phnom Penh for three nights - catching up with friends from previous visits and eating delicious food.
I did not enjoy the visit to Cambodia as much as I thought I would, I think I would rather live there than visit again on a short trip. One possible plan for the future is to go back and work/volunteer as a teacher after getting my Dip Ed. (Start saving for a Cambodia trip people!

After a looooong (13 hours + vomit + tiny mini bus) trip back to Bangkok I was ready for some exercise. Bangkok on a bike here I come!!!
I did the Amazing Bangkok Cycle Tour, 4 hours, Bangkok traffic, tiny tiny tiny alleyways of Chinatown, boat ride and narrow concrete paths through verdant jungle. So so good, the sore bottom was totally worth it. Would highly recommend it! There was only 6 of us on the tour, and we were able to go through the tiniest of alleyways, essentially cycling on the doorstep of people's houses.

The bike ride was a great precursor to the 9 hour plane ride to Amman, Jordan. I have been in the MIddle East since the 20th of Oct and am absolutely loving it. Jordan and Syria have been the easiest and most welcoming places I have ever travelled. It feels completely safe here, even at night and even by myself. The respect for women is evident everywhere I go. I have however puzzled many people who cannot understand how and why I am travelling by myself. A common question is what do my parents think of me travelling and how could they allow me to go by myself. I think people feel sorry for me, having such a cruel and heartless family who do not care about me!!!!

I had heard many good stories of Arab hospitality, but it has to be experienced to be believed! I heard over and over "Welcome to Jordan" and knew it was a genuine comment. Some examples;
Story One
the gentleman who stopped and offered to help me, when he saw I was struggling to read a map with a puzzled look on my face, He did not speak English, but called his friend who did. After a three way conversation I was delivered to the door of something by the very proud gentleman. I have no idea what the place was, so another phone call was made and a second attempt. This time the correct street was found, which had a restaurant I was looking for. When the gentleman heard (via me miming) that I was looking for somewhere to eat breakfast, he took me to a cafe and insisted on shouting me a fruit shake (which is so yummy like nothing I have ever had before). We managed to have an interetsing conversation via my basic Arabic and his basic English. Soon out came the mobile phone again and I was asked if I would like to be shown around Damascus, the museum and the souq(market). I refused with regret as I had to check out of my hotel. In parting he gave me a beautiful pen, and as we were walking back to the elusive street he ducked into a building which was actually the Ministry for Toursim and presented me with maps of Damascus in English!!!! This gentleman was completely genuinely helping me and making sure I had a pleasant time in his country.
Story Two
I was looking for souvenirs in Amman, Jordan and stopped at a tiny stall which had just enough room inside for a desk chair. THe guy who owned the stall invited me inside, and offered tea. Tea and the MIddle East go hand in hand, everywhere you go you are offered tea with lots and lots of sugar. I sat and chatted with him for about 45 minutes, about his family, his business and where he is from. He has a wife but they cannot have children, and have gone through IVF a couple of times but with no luck. They had another appointment the following day, which I gathered would maybe be the last try as it is very expensive for them. (Imagine this conversation mainly delivered in sign language).
It was an amazing experience to spend time with someone, with no thought for selling me things. When I eventually and regretfully went to pay and leave, he gave me the most outrageous discount - essentially giving me many items for free. I wish so much that he and his wife are blessed with children, and felt very saddened that such a lovely man was not a father.
Story Three
Just down the road from the hotel I am staying at in Damascus an older man makes golzeme (a Turkish style pita bread that is smothered with yummy pesto). I stopped here for breakfast, and he refused to take money from me. His shop is essentially a "hole in the wall" with just enough space for him and a bench and a stone hotplate. Again I stopped for breakfast, and again he refused to let me pay. This time I gave him all the change I had (about $2.50) and quickly walked away, as he was waving the money back to me and shouting in Arabic that I had given him too much and trying to pass coins back to me!!!!
I am embarrassed to admit in a region where the wages are a lot lower than Australia I have been given free food and discounts often. In a restaurant in Petra (south of JOrdan where one of the new seven wonders of the world is) the absolutely gorgeous waiter refused to give me the bill. So I had to visit the following night again and again had the same gorgeous waiter! You might think it a ploy to get a return visit, but these gifts are genuinely the Arabic hospitality coming out.

You may wonder why I am mentioning men so much (or maybe that is normal for me!!!) but I have found it very difficult to meet any women here. Everywhere you go are crowds of men which can be intimidating. Men are the ones who clean hotels and do all business (even selling womens clothing and even women's underwear and the hajib). My Australian (male) friend who is an archeologist and who has been many times to Syria remarked that it takes ten men to badly run one hotel or restaurant, where if it were a women working there she would be running the restaurant and the hotel by herself and far more effeciently!! I quite agree, watching the men cleaning in the hotels is a painful experience, they are wearing goreous suits and doing such a bad job I want to grab it off them and do it.

I have talked about the people a lot, now onto the sights!!!!!
Well... I have been literally quitre speechless visiting Petra and the Old CIty of Damascus. Petra is a city over 2000 years old (think Jesus's time) which was hewn out of the rock in the desert. There is a complete city with still habitable mansions that was all chipped from rock that is a faint pinkish colour. I will pop photos up but I encourage you to visit here, its absolutely mind blowing. I was lucky enough to visit Petra with my mate the archeologist (Geoff) and his friends from Canberra, (Lana and Robyn) so had real inside knowledge of the site. I spent two days exploring Petra, and could have stayed longer as the city really is that big. I fossicked with Geoff for pottery, it was everywhere under foot. I would pick a piece up and Geoff would say, yep that is Roman from 2000 years ago. Cool stuff, especially for a HIstory but like myself!!!

I am now in Damascus, and am enchanted with this city. It is goregous, the Old CIty (claims to be the oldest city in the world) is surrended by a cosmopolital thriving city where the people are proud of the Arabic heritage whilst embracing modernity. The Old CIty is surrounded by a Stone wall, inside which is an amazing array of twisting alleyways, many churches/mosques and beautiful architecture, with the characteristic striped stone of Damascus. AS you walk through this maze, you can peer through wooden doors into courtyards with a centre fountaina nd climbing greenery. The shopping here is crazy!! There is one alley just lined with gold and sweets (what a combination!). The leather shoes are stunning, and the people wandering through are just as stylish. Damascus is so so so good, if you are planning a holiday then I would say = Syria.

I think I have written enough of a novel for one day, so will leave you with my travel wisdoms from the first fortnight of my trip.

1)If the bag next to you starts moving whilst you are in a taxi travelling over the Thai border to Cambodia, its probably a couple of chickens who are sharing the ride
2)If you wish to dramatically increase your heart rate, ride a pushbike through the Bangkok traffic
3)If you are in a very small mini bus, with no windows, crammed full of people and luggage for the 5 hour trip to Bangkok, someone will vomit
4)Ear plugs are a must for youth hostels, particuarly if you are sharing with a self proclaimed gypsy who reads your fortune, declares you to be a very detremined person, spills her Scotch and coke all over the floor and later prevents you from sleeping ALL NIGHT due to the frieght train snoring
5)It is very tempting when a Kurdish Fine Arts student offers to take you to visit his family in North Iraq, which he proclaims is a beautiful , moutanious place
6)Waking up in Jordan and deciding to travel that day to Syria or Israel is a very hard decision to make(Syria won)
7)If you walk into a chocolate shop run by two older men, you can spend an hour chatting with them and walk out with two new uncles
8) Donkeys do very loud farts, particuarly if they are carrying a fat tourist up a very steep hill (I was not the fat tourist, I was walking behind the donkey!!!)
9) Travelling by yourself is a very expensive and silly thing to do, everywhere you must pay for a double or triple room (Friends... I need friends!!!!)

OKay this is seriously the end now
I am travelling to Lebanon on Wednesday and then will be In Turkey probably on Monday

Hope everyone is well, missing people lots but not Australia (not yet anyway)

LOve T