Anthony Bourdain
When I was about to turn 21, I bought an airline ticket to Japan. Told my friends and parents I had purchased a one year round-trip ticket. Those were very popular at the time and you could find good deals in small underground magazines. Unbeknownst to any of them, I decided to change it later into a one way. I had $800 to my name, mostly in traveler checks. This journey would take me to working in Japan, getting married in Korea and setting foot in the US for the first time. It was a five year endeavor, an exploration, setting the tone for my life.
Now I’m 71 and over time I have become less reckless and more cautious. Yet the urge to explore and wander has not left me. It’s almost an affliction and if I try to suppress or ignore it, I start to feel unwell.
It would be super easy to make this blog post Instagram ready. Envision doing a fancy yoga pose at sunrise in front of Angkor Wat. Exactly what I desperately want to avoid doing. Enough already!! I would be remiss if I didn’t write about some intense challenges during this latest visit. First and likely foremost: global warming is real, here and now. Admittedly I had chosen a somewhat challenging time. My thinking was to be there during the beginning of the rainy season. I for one absolutely love tropical rain. Better yet with lightning and a bit of thunder! I’m happy to report that I truly enjoyed one such event. It was glorious! Unfortunately, 2 to 3 times a week would’ve been more normal. Then again, a young Cambodian university student told me during an extended conversation: “what is normal these days?
More often than not it felt like it wanted to rain and then it didn’t. Creating a somewhat oppressive, “heavy” atmosphere at times. I’m happy to report that since leaving, it has started to rain more often. The rice fields were waiting for it in this largely agrarian country.
Walking around Phnom Penh, a city of 2 1/2 million people, I was mesmerized by the controlled chaos that somehow works. French colonial architecture, Chinese influences, wet markets and oranged robed monks. Skyscrapers rising in the midst of it all. Neon signs for dental clinics. Entire streets filled with wall to wall pharmacies selling you anything you ask for. No prescription needed! A vibrant café culture where locals and expats alike get their caffeine and social needs met.
Soon I was going to familiar places for my morning coffee, where I was addressed as “Bong”. An interesting feature in the Khmer language is that you address people differently whether they are older or younger than you. When they’re older, you call them “Bong”. It became a familiar refrain. As in: “Hello Bong”, “How are you doing Bong” and so on. This is one of my fondest memories and I miss it a lot! Reminiscing, I realize that I’m still digesting it all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy to be back with Cindy in the fog. A lot to be grateful for!
As an introvert I thrive on being alone. Yet at times, I experienced intense loneliness as well. Producing small vlogs for the online yoga group really helped with that. Sometimes during the trip I had a luxurious yoga practice in a spacious room. At other times my room was so small, the bed would fill most of the space.
It’s easy to rapidly forget my experiences and let the memories evaporate together with the dreaded jet lag. Yet I want to somehow linger and daydream about it. Hopefully more stories will rise to the surface.
