Bangkok, Thailand

The end is near. Tonight I'll spend 17 hours in a plane, falling asleep in Asia and waking up in New York. It is bittersweet. I am of course looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but I know I will miss this freedom a great deal. But, like I said when I started blogging, "every new beginning comes from some other's beginning's end". What new beginning comes next for me? I guess I'll find out soon enough...

Ayutthaya, Thailand

I'm here in Ayutthaya to see the ancient ruins of Thailand's former capital. Unfortunately, after seeing Angkor Wat, ruins have to be pretty amazing to impress me! the highlight of my stay here was my journey to the Thai Arts and Crafts center at Bang Sai. according to tourist guide i found here, there's supposed to be a bus running from ayutthaya to bang sai. well...there's not. or maybe there is and my lack of thai language is to blame. but i ended up taking 2 buses, a policeman's motorbike, and a boat to get to the center! i don't think that's how the guide intended for me to get there... it was pretty amusing, because the last bus dropped me off on some highway in the middle of nowhere but the conductor nicely spoke to the local policemen for me, telling them where i wanted to go. then this group of thai policement (who seemed to have very litte work to do!) argued amongst themselves about the best way for me to get to the center and finally one officer offered me a ride on his bike. i've heard that the police here are not averse to bribes, but this group was so nice! the officer who gave me a ride absolutely refused money, saying "No no, i am police! is my job!" the crafter center was pretty cool too and i got back to ayutthaya just as the monsoon rains hit. home in one week!

Kampot, Cambodia

"once you have visited Cambodia, you will never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death"- Anthony Bourdain, correct as always

Bourdain said this because the origins of the Khmer Rouge and horrible genocide and civil war in the late 1970s in Cambodia can be traced directly to Kissinger''s actions as US Secretary of State. Essentially, Kissinger involved the Cambodians in a civil war they didn't want, with the promise of full US backing against Communism and the Khmer Rouge, but then abruptly pulled out, and left Cambodia in the hands of Pol Pot. After Pol Pot and his followers were done decimating all the intellectuals in Cambodia (doctors, teachers, lawyers, even people who wore glasses because it made them look "smart") there was no one left to help rebuild Cambodia's infrastructure. The country has just recently been getting back on its feet thanks to foreign investment and tourism dollars, but I can tell you personally that their health system is STILL suffering the after effects of years of war and killing.

i am sad but hopeful for this country that i have come to love over the past few weeks. you know how some places just feel right? cambodia feels like that to me. i look forward to coming back and hopefully working here in the near future.

also, i am on the coast of Cambodia right now and it is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. it has the added bonus of delicious, cheap seafood.