Well today I did my first up “Big Bertha Training Trek” as I’m a nervous 2 weeks out from doing the trip most people can only dream of. I don’t why I’m worthy of such a trip however, it makes it even more special when I can take one of my children with me. A strapping 35 yr old son (eldest Scott). Apart from his dream trek he will also hopefully carry me up the mountains & volcanoes.

When the rain stopped today at 10am I headed out walking to my training trek climb some 5.8klms away. I avoided the bad suburban cars (drivers never at fault), banked up water, slippery footpaths, jungle barking dogs (fenced off!! whew!!). The last suburban street is approx. 1.1klms long & very steep. My trek ‘road’ at the end of it is pure nature, rocky quarry road & within the 2klm walk/ climb you rise 257.5m which surprisingly is a bit of a workout. Usually you have to dodge the 4wd vehicles & trailbikes. The rain picked up but I walked through it after fitting the rain sleeve to my backpack for its protection. Clothes wet of course but this kept me cooler. Walking trip to bitumen street end was 1hr 10mins (5.8klms).
Started on trek climb. very wet, gullies, ‘waterfalls’ & extreme humidity (90%) & even walking through misty low cloud cover. Finally made it to the top, then headed straight back to home to avoid the blackening clouds above.
Almost home without stopping & then weather turned bad. Sheltered for 12mins then hit the road again just when it eased a bit (not much). I was wet anyway. Arrived home totally beyond soaked & legs almost disowning me. Then immediately into action doing bustling house detailing as we had prospective buyers landing in 2 hours to view our house for sale.
No lunch of course .. but a fat pizza for dinner. Still I managed to complete my training on some 15.6klms today straight up!!! Similar to Peru with the rain & humidity too … but I know here I can get a long hot shower after. Woo Hoo!!!
Totally confirmed how fantastic my Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid Hiking Boots are. Truly amazing.
#SalomonXUltra3MidHikingBoots
#Trekking
#bushclimb
#trekfitness

I travelled the main locations extensively last year and I thought I would post one of my blogs I did outlining a wonderful paradise that is fast losing its paradise status. I have wonderful memories, mainly of my challenges & the absolutely fantastic people of different countries I met there including the beautiful Cambodian people. The following blog is what I experienced then. My opinion of the Chinese has not changed & I am not a racist .. however, one could say I’m severely challenged on this.

Sihanoukville was the place founded by the Cambodian King for his holiday seaside retreat and later by Prince Sihanouk. Over the years the French started with major buildings and then the Russians came with their infrastructure and over some considerable time Sihanoukville became a leisurely paradise for all to enjoy.

It became a backpacker’s paradise on a more respectful level than what is experienced in say Bali. Everyone accepted and bonded together doing what is normally done at a seaside. There was good, cheap accommodation, hotels with bars, pool tables and live music. Transport was on foot and with scooters & tut tuts mostly. Cars and trucks were around but in small numbers to the other transport available.

The activities ranged from swimming, snorkelling, diving, fishing and all these in any place one could find. There were so many options and at night some hotels came together for the friendly pub crawl run which kept all players contributing equally and supporting each facility. There was the creation of Pub Street which mirrored on a lesser scale to that at Siem Reap. Night markets evolved along the beach front at Serendipity Beach. This location also catered for the slow boats to take those wanting an island experience to mainly Koh Rong and Koh Rong Soloem. There are scores of other islands which are totally secluded for the more adventurous types and speaking of which an Englishman has set up an amazing diving, snorkelling, fishing, hiking, jungle type trekking and custom adventure activities called Adventure Adam on Koh Rong Soloem. Highly experienced and recommended.

Adventure Adam www.adventureadam.org Koh Touich village 1, Koh Rong 18000 · +855 10 354 002

As the word spread throughout the world the tourists started coming in many forms and everyone accepted the constant ease of growth both financially, infrastructure, redevelopment and such.

Today in 2018 and for the last few years there has been an escalation beyond any understanding in regards to demolition, renovation and building on a major scale. I personally call it an invasion.

Big money has come into Cambodia from the Chinese for the national highway upgrade and the rail line to eventually connect into Thailand from Phnom Pehn. That is well and good but to see what is happening in Sihanoukville leaves me speechless. I am not a racist, far from it, but to see the constant mayhem happening each day is beyond comprehension.

To put it roughly, over the past decade there was a steady escalation towards the construction and operation of casinos to reach approx. 40 casinos of small to medium construction size. In 2018 there are currently approx. 32 casinos (large scale) under construction 7 days a week. Some of these are so large you can see them from the islands. There are approx. another 15 casinos yet to be started so in total there will be approx. 87 casinos in operation in a population of around 1 million people regionally. A significant number of these construction sites are now located from Victory Beach down to Independence Beach and near Ochheuteal Beach which is a large seashore run. When these large developments are in operation they will secure that section of beach therefore restricting non-tenants/ occupiers from accessing the “public” beach. The construction sites show very little safety towards street users and pedestrians let alone workplace safety.

Otres Beach a 10minute walk from Serendipity Beach (Main Ferry terminal) remains virtually intact and provides a welcome relief from the main city centre however this area won’t be too far away from future development.

I wanted to stay longer and use Sihanoukville as a base however I could not stand the ongoing mayhem. My hotel was disturbed by constant power losses and one day next door behind us was demolished and excavation started with jackhammers and excavators and pile drivers, etc from 6.30am each day. I soon found out the hotel owners have now sold their location to a Chinese developer. Almost every shop & hotel facility now has a standby generator so you can imagine the noise levels when they are all switched on (most of these are on the ‘footpath’ or shop front area).

Back to the activities and night life where now there are basically just a few places for live bands, with The Big Easy at Serendipity Beach, as the main one. Several like minded facilities have now been bulldozed and only one comes to mind for a renovation which is opposite to the Big Easy. The night market spot next to the Main Ferry terminal has been bulldozed for over a year now with no construction yet underway so it is left as a waste land with rubbish strewn over it. This land is approx. 300m (prime beach front) x 60m.

Slowly & methodically the Cambodians are being squeezed out … they are enjoying the quick cash at the moment but that may soon subside once the Chinese/ Casinos cement their operational requirements. There seems to be no long-term plan for the local people and their community and very little infrastructure unless directly tied to a particular casino.

While there is the convenience of an international airport and now a 3-times per week passenger train (7 hours for $8/ ticket linking Kampot & Phnom Pehn) and travellers wishing to enjoy what is left of the previous lay back Cambodia experience one must consider only staying at Otres Beach 1 & 2 and look at staying the extended time on the two main islands listed above as the main areas of less disturbance.

A large number of ex-pats owning businesses have and are now considering relocation to the nearby township of Kampot to keep within the region. Unfortunately, the location is inland and the beach is an awkward trip but it is expected an improved road system will be open to the beachside to keep with the tourism demand.

With the Cambodian Government elections in late July this year (2018) there appears to be less certainties as to what will be on offer in regards to future Visas and any non-Chinese operations and activities. A traveller will need to keep abreast to the up to the minute notifications as things could change with little warning. There is a strong feeling the Cambodia Government has sold its soul in dealing with the escalation of the Chinese investments and ownership, albeit on 99year lease agreements.

Within a short period of time much of the accommodation in Sihanoukville will be priced above the traveller’s market so it is best to seek out Otres Beaches first and then plan your island getaway.

For Sihanoukville I believe it is best if you stay away from the Casinos and stick to good hotels particularly in the Otres Beach area. If you are lucky Adam may still be at The Big Easy & he will be most helpful. Haha .. he might even still remember me. I did an interview on him as well.

Hope you enjoyed part of my journey? Appreciate any feedback. Inserting photos & texts is not that simple I’ve found so I am happy with my own feedback on this issue 🙂

Travelling alone with only my backpack (Black Wolf Grand Teton 65L which turned out to be an absolute perfect friend for all adventures undertaken) with a very under-utilised Australian Passport. After scoring a fantastic flight deal with Air Asia I arrived at Siem Reap 7.30am 5^th April 2018 from a stopover at Kuala Lumpur. With little confidence in Australia I went the “8 day Best of Cambodia” private tour package provided by Indochinaodyssey  https://www.indochinaodysseytours.com/cambodia.html . They were extremely helpful and responded to all concerns promptly prior to the journey which left me only to concentrate on the flight. Bit of an expense but as you will see below .. money well spent.

Once I was through Siem Reap Customs (I obtained a Business Visa $35US upon entry which enabled me to later obtain an extension with multiple entries) my tour guide Sun (pronounced Soun) quickly identified me after I walked though the double doors with up to 60 Cambodians waving name plaques at me. I thought I was a celebrity and there was no way I would ever see my name in that melee. Sun was very friendly & spoke excellent English. Before I knew it he had loaded my backpack into the car, driven by another Cambodian, Peter who didn’t speak English). The tour rule is the driver does all the driving & Sun handles everything else. They dropped me off at Lotus Blanc Resort, a luxurious hotel (4 stars minimum) provided by the tour package & I was left to my own devices until 8am the next day for the tour to start.

Right on time 8am Sun & Peter were waiting with huge smiles. From there we started on the temple tours. Sun has been doing these tours for some 11 years so he really knows his stuff. Not much he doesn’t know. He knew how to avoid most of the tourists, temple history knowledge, all entry points, fees & even where to stand to take the best viewing and photographs. Sun & I became instant friends with his temperament & manners & now on facebook. He plays soccer still, married & with 2 small children. He even used his name to certify my local SIM card on my phone as I left my passport in the hotel safe for security. A local SIM in Cambodia is unbelievable (40Gig of data, cheap call rates, fantastic coverage & speed & all for $8USD per month).

The temple tour included Ankor Thom, Ankor Wat, Hill Temple, Banteay Srei, Ta Keo & Ta Prohm. The weather was very hot & dry (39C at least). Every time I came back to the car Peter had a cold wet hand towel & face wash ready for me. Even beat me to open the door.  You cannot imagine how that felt after a few hours or so at each temple. Utter relief & soon the air con was working … Yay!!!! A felt sorry for the tourists using tut tut carts, cycles, etc with no relief except the water they carried. Being April & a few months from the wet season the mirror ponds at Ankor Wat for the sunrise, etc was a little disappointing due to the low water level. Still managed a great photo even though this particular day it RAINED!!!! Go figure!!! I could talk for days, just on the temples & photos so I’ll leave it to you to experience what I managed.

My free tour time included hanging out in the amazing pool at the rear of Lotus Blanc Resort … serenity & reflection was gratifying & amazing. When not at Lotus Blanc I ventured into Pub Street (closed to transport each afternoon at 5.30pm so you can walk the streets & do the Aussie “Pub Crawl” & people watch) plus the large local market. What a great experience and many tourists to meet & greet. The food & drinks were insanely cheap and very good.

With a few days at Siem Reap done, Sun & Peter transported me down to the central city of Battambang, some hours away. Stayed at a quirky, yet relaxing well-appointed resort but I think the lettuce of a meal may have given me diarrhea with major dehydration. Lucky I had my medication with me however, it took some 3 days before I got my strength back. One temple near Battambang, Phnom Banan, almost stopped me dead in my tracks. The steps were insane, almost 350-400mm high & 250mm step tread & some 450 of them. I managed to get to Level one I called it (300+ steps high). I had enough energy just to get back to the car. Some tourists made it to the top but they weren’t looking that good after. I walked up with Sun & 2 small boys, 10 & 9. They were carrying a very large block of ice up to Mum’s esky by hand where she sold drinks, etc on Level 1. They do this everyday. Can’t believe they could do this. The other temple was Wat Ek Phnom however before this we stayed until dusk to watch the millions or so of tiny bats that came out of the cave beneath the temple. It takes a good 30mins for all the adult bats to venture out. Such a sight of blackness.

With Battambang dusted we ventured onto the capital Phnom Pehn. It was time to say good bye to Sun & Peter as they dropped me off later in the day to a recently opened Lumiere Hotel – 4 Star ready for my local guides to take me around Phnom Pehn for the next day. Sun & Peter immediately returned to Siem Reap which worried me until around midnight when Sun text me stating he arrived safely. There are no penalty or overtime rates in Cambodia. I gave them a large tip to make up for their wages. I was so glad to have them for the 7 days. Phnom Pehn tour mainly included the S21 Prison & The Killing Fields where it took me another 3 days to come out of the horrific details of this atrocity. A very hard thing to comprehend on what humans can do to other humans (of their own race).  Saw a pagoda and a museum so that concluded the 8 day tour. I highly recommend the Indochinaoddessey “Best of Cambodia” tour and if you can get Sun it would be a great bonus.

I spent several days roaming around Phnom Pehn & staying at the Billabong Hostel which was a great location, a pool and very cheap, yet great accommodation.  For this blog, I’ll end here but this novice traveller managed to gain confidence from this tour and spend a full 2 months in various locations of Cambodia in all sorts of accommodations (-1 stars to 3 stars) so keep tuned if you want to learn more or message me if not. Appreciate all feedback. Many thanks.

A high volume of travellers take the popular choice of applying for their visas upon landing even though Cambodia evisa is available online which is dedicated to the Tourist Visa (30day stay with a once only option to extend a further 30 days). The Tourist Visa is $30US Cash

https://www.cambodiaonlinevisa.org/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&msclkid=2d5aab77c43e14509a5ef0719c22c124&utm_campaign=CM_MMK_en_bmm&utm_term=%2BCambodia%20%2Bvisa&utm_content=Visa%20Cambodia

This physical approach is the best method particularly for the other optional visas namely:

Ordinary/ Business (for the option of extending your visa at a later date to 3, 6 or 12 months through other external agencies in the city where they will take your passport for 10 days to process).  The 6 & 12 months can also achieve multiple entries with the 12-month requiring additional paperwork that needs confirmation of your status and your future intentions. Visa costs $35US cash upon arrival for the 1 month Ordinary/ Business type. For an extended stay through an agency the cost escalates. A 6 mth visa is usually $60US additional to the $35US at the terminal.

Retirement Visas (more paperwork and proof required). New option provided by the Cambodian Government but they have strict requirements including your global income so don’t rush in to this. http://www.movetocambodia.com/practicalities/cambodia-retirement-visa/

It is advisable to have your cash ready preferably in $US and in very good condition for your visa and a selection of varying sized passport photos just to make sure. I’ll explain later.

From my landing experience this is what I encountered and observed.

The plane parks on the tarmac with no shelter and down the airsteps so a brisk walk to the terminal building to pass as many people as possible within reason. You will find another airplane has just landed with you so be quick.

Look for a small well-dressed suited gentleman handing out tourist visa application forms. He can be hard to spot. Have your pen and passport ready and proceed to the high benches to fill out the form correctly and neatly.

Lines are formed of travellers to the processing counter albeit not truly structured.  There are about 5 personnel at the counter processing passports however some travellers can take awhile with communication, wrong or not clear paperwork, not cash ready and/ or not focussed to keeping the line moving.

I found if you go to the 2 lines or closest line to the right hand wall you will process faster as they have a double person operator attending these lines. They certainly move quicker. The counter takes your passport, application form, cash and photos and they chose the photo size different to what was specified by Aust Post back home (hence the several sizes I brought). From there you are directed around to the left and approximately behind the counter area (a bit tricky). Keep focussed as there are approximately 2 operators quietly calling out names in a random fashion with passports stamped. There is no particular order for your passport to be processed and called. Mine was extra fast possibly due to the Ordinary/ Business visa I applied for being less common.

Once you receive your passport there are more longer waiting lines to undertake for processing. Again, take the far-right line or 2 as they have another 2-person operation in play. Much quicker and believe me the other lines are quite slow.

The above is a great introduction to the workings of Cambodia. Frustration can abound however “smile and the world smiles back”. You will learn this with each day so call it personal development, free of charge.

After this final processing then you can go to the carousel and retrieve your checked baggage and proceed through the large open doorway to Cambodia with the expectation of seeing a large volume of tut-tuts/ taxi operators, tour guides & hotel pickups all with name signs for the 15minute run into Siem Reap. You will feel like a celebrity at a mass function with so many faces but of no resemblance. Usually the tut tut costs about $8-$10US. There are plenty of online booking transfer sites to prebook your transport also. Cars are usually $15US (up to 4 people) and vans $45US for 6-8 people.

One of the best places to stay in Siem Reap is Baby Elephant. Great location and they are excellent & very reasonable rates. Australian on site managed and very eco friendly. Great location. https://babyelephant.asia/

It’s 2019 and I’m finally doing my first introduction post that will start me on my journey of more new beginnings.

I am a mature … yes, really even when the 60s are the new 40s in the greater scheme of things, where life changes in the blink of an eye.

I have worked hard all my life, even with my Dad while still at school .. holiday times were very infrequent. I grew up in a small country city in Nthrn NSW & at the age of 16 was given 3 days to start work in Sydney as an apprentice Carpenter. From there, it was ‘thrown into the fire’ with work. Initially, for my marriage and 4 loving children but as divorce has it, one must continue & work harder for the money to raise my eldest child, a daughter from 13yrs of age and still provide child maintenance to my ex & the 3 boys.

I took my first leap of travelling after getting my first passport at the age of 60 as a form of celebration to an age that came so very fast. Where did I go first? New York of course .. with other stops built around my 7 days there.

Las Vegas, Grand Canyon (4 days) & after New York, Hawaii (4 days). The trip was a blast!!!! I took my younger brother with me to help change/ improve his life. All that expense but little change unfortunately. The trip was amazing & really showed what it was like to have a real holiday and see life differently. The following year, 2017 was a heart year … literally … My youngest brother by 7 years had a cardiac arrest & virtually died instantly. He was fit & healthy & I saw him the night before as he lived 2 doors up with his young family. He helped many people with his organ donation such as he was .. a committed surf lifesaver after work. His death exploded the family dynamics as it would normally with such a tragic outcome. At the same time, I was in love with a beautiful woman much younger than me & she got me through his death. Unfortunately, she imploded simultaneously, as I was the same age as when her Mother passed away & she felt not to be with someone who was a potential ticking timebomb. Weird, but everyone has an escape clause, I guess. To this day, I still think of her often & wonder where & how she is.

This woman changed my life, as did my brother’s passing. She engaged me into undertaking Landmark Forum (life changing outlook). From there, I read The Power of Now & A New Earth to reinforce we all have wings & to accept that things happen & life means we take one step followed by another. The last sentence here enabled me to stop “over thinking” and with a quick draft plan I stopped working, bought a plane ticket to Cambodia, stayed 2months there & then hopped to Hanoi, Vietnam & travelled all over Vietnam down to Ho Chi Min in 2.5months. My family were beyond happy for me and could not believe (including me) that I had done all this totally on my own, backpacking with no real set itinerary for 4.5months. I continue to stop working but that may change at some point .. but it will be MY choice.

Considering, I have been slow on getting a blog site up & running I might (unless I receive negative feedback) do some blogs on my past, but recent travelling experiences & of subjects that hopefully help others. I have a new trip planned soon with my eldest son so stay tuned for this .. it is going to be beyond amazement!!! I can take constructive criticism so I look forward to any feedback or requests to improve my blog site.s

A phrase, & my life theme I came across during my reading stated something like this “If I am not the hero of my life  … then who in the hell could it be?”. From this, keep making steps in your life .. If this oldie can do it so can a lot of you.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton