Siem Reap, Cambodia (March 3, 2011) -- Anton was bored almost as soon as the boat left the dock.
He was already complaining about how the seven-hour boat ride to Phnom Penh was going to be too long.
There wasn't much to see along the shore of the Mekong River, besides the house on stilts hanging over the water and people washing themselves in the river. Interesting at first, sure, but a bit repetitive after a while.
So even though it was 10 or so in the morning, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a plastic bag containing two flask-sized bottles of Wall Street whiskey. He had tried various other kinds of Vietnamese whiskey and declared that this brand was the best of the bunch.
Off came the caps and down went the spirits.
Before I had left Paris two weeks ago I bought some Cuban cigars for this very moment in the journey and so he and I moved all the way to the back of the 20-person boat and fired up the stogies.
That was the start of strange and fun day of travel.
I had met Anton and his two travel companions, Johnny and Rob, at the bar across from my hotel in Saigon. The bar also offered hotel rooms and they were staying a few floors above. The three of them are Swedish, in the their early 20s and traveling around the region for several months.
So Anton and I finished the first bottle without much effort and then he cracked the second bottle shortly after.
"This will be a story to tell the grand kids," he said. "The time I drank whiskey and smoked a cigar while floating down the Mekong."
After a few hours we reached the Cambodian border. The tour group, which was made up mostly of young backpackers, had lunch while our fixer arranged for the visas. I was a problem member of the group since my passport is nearly full and so there wasn't much room to glue in the full-page visa that Cambodia sells to travelers. I have to get more pages inserted sometime very soon.
But the fixer pulled some strings and I got in eventually.
Our boat for the second half of the voyage was larger, with a small concession stand and a sturdy wooden roof. The bathroom on the boat was in the back and had no roof. It didn't take me long to realize that we could to step on the back of the toilet and climb up on the top for a better breeze and a better view. So that was how we spent the final trip of the cruise.
It sure was better than a bus, even if it did take a bit longer.
In addition to Anton and his friends, I've met dozens of other travelers and spoken with them for anywhere between one minute to an hour depending on the circumstances.
After a few days everyone over here for an extended time period seems to have their life story and what they're doing down to an easily delivered and swallowed soundbite.
The standard rundown goes like this...
"Where are you from?" (My answer usually draws something to the effect of... "Kentucky...is that in the middle?"
"Yeah, it's south of Chicago and north of Nashville. Muhammad Ali is from Louisville." I throw that second part in just because I think it's cool.)
"How long are you traveling for?'' (This is the question that seperates the "serious" travelers from the amateurs. My three weeks is nothing compared to some people who have answered ten months or, even more impressive, have no real set timeline at all.)
''Where have you been?'' (This is where travelers are trying to glean information and tips from each other. It's really useful.)
"Where are you going next?" (And this is where the traveler asking the question tries to help the other traveler if they can.)
Very rarely, in my experience, does work or family come up unless it's a very long conversation. It's kind of nice to have some kind of structure and checklist in the interaction with like-minded strangers. And it was cool to have some friends to hang with for a few days since solo traveling can be a bit tedious after a while.
But I'm back on my own now and I'm cool with it. I took a six-hour bus ride today from Phnom Pehn to this city near the temple complex of Ankgor Wat which I'm off to see tomorrow and maybe again the next day.
And then it's back to Phnom Pehn (possibly by boat since I do have one Cuban cigar left, afterall) and then to Hanoi and then to Paris.
I was thinking today about whether this was the best trip I've ever been on. Despite the minor bad luck at the beginning, I think it might be. It's a fascinating part of the world.
I hope all is well with everyone.
Take care,
Brett
