I have been experiencing Laos Withdrawal Syndrome (LWS). Its easy to feel that when the owner of the guesthouse feeds you corn, biscuits, carrot juice throughout the day.
On Don Khong, the biggest island of 4000 islands in Southern Laos, I relaxed, read, biked, ran, ate and slept.
For six days.
Then its time to move on and the island closest to the Cambodian border is Don Det, a party island (if you like partying with lizards and mosquitoes), with 2 hours of electricity every evening.
I like electricity. I like fans, laptops, music. I don’t like lizards! After a sleepless night, I cross over to Cambodia on the “backpacker’s mini bus”- aptly named so because its really "packed" (but it’s a mini-van.)
On the bus, I sit next to Ruth from Israel and, within moments of meeting, we shake hands and decide to travel together in Cambodia. Yet another country where I will end up staying longer than expected- but I'm not complaining at all!
I have been here for a few days now. Every day I have been here, I read in bed, anxious to finish my book so I can exchange it for another one that I saw in a bookshop. I read till it falls flat on my face a few times- it's been quite a few long days.
Come morning, I get dressed quickly (in two of the 8 clothes I have), rested after a good night sleep, have a wholesome breakfast of yogurt/fruit salad/muesli and then venture out to see Phnom Penh as a tourist.
Every day, I pass the tuk-tuk/moto drivers, shouting for business, offering a tuk-tuk/moto/weed/heroine and everything in between, the little girls and boys, tender shoulders crushed under the weight of photocopied books they sell, a rice cake vendor whose wares are to die for, men playing cards on the street, locals chatting up foreigners, giggling schoolgirls playing badminton on the street littered with fragrant frangipani- quietly taking in, and yet ignoring the >chaos that is Cambodia.
Just like India.
Today I get up feeling homesick and want to relive my past. So I get on a moto to a new-age café with the music and brownies and whole wheat bread, and the best bathroom I have seen in SE asia yet and sip on my first latte in two months- on a Friday afternoon of a long weekend.
Just like the Bay Area.
And I feel at home- right here, between the two countries I have called home.
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2 comments:
It's 4th of July, it's a long weekend, you deserve to relax. :)
And, you are afraid of lizards? I had NO idea! I thought geckos were your friends.
:) only not scared of the ones who are super-friendly and who sit on top of people's heads in a songtaew!
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