Part V: ATVing across the Cambodian Countryside

1/7/10
After a full day of walking around Angkor Wat, our bodies needed some rest. It’s our vacation, after all, and we deserve to sleep in every so often. And so we did not leave our hotel until 11:30 am as we headed out to KFC for brunch. As usual, Jenn, the adventurous foodie, decided to get some strange macaroni and chicken thing from the Colonel. I got mashed potatoes, cold slaw, a biscuit and chicken. As I was deprived of a traditional Thanksgiving this year, it was pleasant to have such a dish today. Shortly thereafter we were off to the ATV place.

The Atving was freaking awesome. We got to cruise around the Cambodian countryisde on four wheel motorbikes. The various landscapes ranging from dirt roads, wooded areas and open plains made the trip all the more exciting. Children waved to us all throughout our trip. There were even the occassional naked child who decided to run out of their homes to pay us a visit. In many ways it reminded me of my trip to Tibet 2 years ago. During my trip, I would be driving hours without seeing a person in site; however, the moment we stopped the vehicle, tens of children would come out of the mountains just to say hi. Children are the same across in the world. Initially, it was difficult gaining full control over the vehicle; however, in no time, I was jetting down the country road without a care in the world. Our caravan was led by this French man by the name of Max. When I brought up my ties to San Francisco, he quickly opened up as he shared his own experiences in what he described as “one of the most beautiful cities in the world”. I couldn’t agree more. He told me about the 49ers and how they used to be good. I’m always ready to talk football. Other people in our caravan included a huge Australian family (2 parents, 5 children) and a couple of Cambodians who were working for Max. We had seen the Australian family at the Market Motel in Aranyapraphet so it was a surprise to see them. After the Atving, they told us of their dairy farm and how the drought in their town had forced them to give up the business.

As for the ride, it was absolutely amazing. I felt so alive, zooming down the countryside. I loved slowly going into a turn and accelerating out of them. With that statement I am reminded of my mother who used to compare the sharp turns down O'shaughnessy to downhill skiing. The bumpy terrain and dust that kicked up made it even more fun. By the end of it, I was VERY dusty but it was alright. In fact, I was very happy to be dirt because the whiff of the dust gave me an invaluable sense of nostaligia. Back to my time in Tibet. When I made my journey to Mt. Kailash on jeeps the roads were very dusty. In fact, dust would seap into our cars constantly. The dust reminded me of the wild trip to Tibet. That’s what I love about the sense of smell, it triggers a sense of nostalia unmatched by the other four senses. It’s immediate and short lived but the memory is made distinct. Music is similar but the sense of smell is even more powerful.

And so our Atving lasted 2 1/4 hours. We visited an orphanage where we met a wonderful boy with a mastery of the English language. Apparently they wake up at 4 am every day and study English AND Japanese. Incredible. Saw some Westerners playing with the kids…I think they might be Peace Corps volunteers or the equivalent. We also witnessed a funeral procession for a membe of the village. The Quad adventure was a resounding success. Afterwards, Jenn and I went back to the Kazna to get some fruit drinks and play some pool. That moment on the roof, the sun gently shinning in, the tasty drink in hand , the city at our skyline, and the great company- nothing could be better. At that moment, I was truly living a life that all hedonists aspire to. I felt completely relaxed, happy with everything. This trip has been what I needed and some.

We then had a quick dinner at the “Lucky Mall” and ate pizza and burgers. The burger reminded me of In n Out and the pizza of CPK. Felt like I was back in Los Angeles. Also the type of people at the mall were quite different from the tuk tuk drivers and merchants of our neighborhood. This bourgeois community provided helpful insight into another social class in Cambodian society. Fascinating. Well, I grow wearily so I will end it here.