Kampong Thom City

Capital City

Kampong Thom Province

Cambodia

January 26, 2019

Less than an hour’s drive from Kampong Thom in Central Cambodia lies the UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Temple Zone Sambor Prei Kuk, Archeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura.

I visited the site with my friend Howard.  We strolled among the temples for several hours.

I have two distinct impressions of this site.

First is the age of this site. 

Archeologists agree that the temples were built in the late Sixth to early Seventh Centuries.  This complex is at least two hundred years older than the first temples at Angkor Wat, one of the most famous sites in Southeast Asia.

My second impression is the detail. 

I look closely at the decorations on the temples, the 1300-year-old decorations!   UNESCO calls the sculptures and reliefs “true masterpieces.”

Phnom Vor Village School

Phnom Vor

Kep Province

Cambodia

January 24, 2019

Who can resist the charm of the schoolchildren in the rural community of Phnom Vor Village?

Attentive, curious, serious and ever so friendly, the young girls and boys are totally delightful.

In the early and late afternoon, the children of all ages attend English classes that are taught by the local teachers.

The Vine Retreat

Phnom Vor Village

Kep, Cambodia

January 22, 2019

Hello,

About a year ago, my Bangkok friend Robert invested his considerable talents in the ten-room guest house, spa and adjoining farm and gardens called The Vine Retreat.

Robert, a native of Quebec Province, Canada is a Certified Accountant.  But somehow, he has morphed into a civil engineer, electrician and carpenter as he repaired, renovated and rebuilt the long-neglected site in the jungle uplands of Kep Province in southern Cambodia.

ZhanaOtel

Aktau

Mangystau

Kazakhstan

October 24, 2018

Out west, in the Mangystau Region, a herd of camels in the desert is a common sight, especially for my driver.  But I insist we stop at a watering station. 

I introduce myself to the camel herder and his sons.  They are most welcoming and certainly curious about me.  I watch in fascination as their tall and thirsty animals slurp, shake and swallow big gulps. (Camels can drink 30 gallons of water or 113 liters in just 13 minutes.)

My driver Vladimir suggests we visit one of his secret places.  Of course, I agree.  Our “secret place” is a long, white, crenelated valley that can easily be missed from the road.  We are alone above the valley as we observe the blindingly bright white, deeply gouged formation.  

 Finally, along yet another one of the countless dirt tracks that crisscross the unbounded Mangystau Plateau, we cruise along the edge of yet another seductive site.  My instinct (and my backside) cry out, “Vladimir, let’s take a break.”  Vladimir agrees.  Here in the middle of nowhere, at the base of this grotesque geologic outcrop, the appropriate action of the Independent Traveler is simply to stop.  And sit on a rock.

After a week together, Vladimir understands my predilections and idiosyncrasies as a traveler.  Vlad is a mature and experienced guide; he modifies his plans to accommodate my travel style.

My travel style?

I think of myself as an Independent Traveler.  But on my visit to Kazakhstan and its remote areas with barely a living soul in sight, I seek the advice of the professionals and defer to their recommendations.  But even in these restricted circumstances, I am not always passive. 

I may see things that the local guide may not see, so we slow down.  I may feel attracted to what seems mundane to the guide, so we detour.  On occasion I may feel creative and feel confident to change the itinerary, so we discuss.

Am I a Dependent Traveler?  Across the Steppe?  Across the desert?  Yes. yes and yes.

Am I an Independent Traveler even on a tour?  On a walkabout in town?  At a camel halt?  Yes, yes and yes.

Either way or both, I am traveling.  

Traveling.  Now that’s the feeling of Freedom.  That’s the assertion of Independence.

Hotel Aigai Kum

Bashi Village

Altyn Emil National Park

Almaty Region

Republic of Kazakhstan

October 11, 2018                                 

                                         Nyet! and Da!

"Nyet!”

I refuse to drive the 50 kilometers (31miles) to the “Singing Sand Dunes.”    I anticipate the “road” will be uncomfortable, uneven and rough.  In addition to my back brace, I will need a dental mouth guard.

I am thinking, “How many sand dunes do I need to see?   I have already climbed the dunes in seven countries.  I don’t recall if any of them ‘sang’ or even ‘whistled.’   Regardless, enough is enough.”

“Ali,” I suggest to my driver, “Please take the afternoon off.”

Boszhira Valley

Mangystau Region

Kazakhstan

October 18, 2018

I couldn’t find the appropriate words to describe my visit to Boszhira.  My only reaction was, “This is another planet.”

Here are excerpts from aboutkazakhstan.com:

Many people think that Kazakhstan is one huge flat steppe.  But there are places in the country that are true natural wonders.

One example is the tract of Boszhira, a mountain range located on the Ustyurt Plateau on the Mangyshiak Peninsula in the Mangystau Region in south-western Kazakhstan.  It is one of the most beautiful places in Kazakhstan

 Boszhira is little known and inaccessible to tourists. Everything is white here – canyons, peaks, mountains.  The canyon is the bottom of a dried sea and covers a huge area. 

This is an area where nature has given full freedom to its imagination and created an amazing landscape. The hallmark of Boszhira are two limestone peaks called “Fangs.”

The distance from Zhanaozen to Boszhira is about 148 km, from Aktau, 298 km.