ENCOUNTERS: Kampuchea Krom

After all these sandwiches over the past few days, I started to miss my beloved Thai Food.

I decided to go to a nice Khmer Restaurant that serves a combination of Khmer and Thai. Delicious papaya salad, sticky rice and Penang Curry, that tasted very different compared to the curry in the US, or at “Schwetty Betty”, my most favorite Thai/Viet restaurant at the Maunakea Marketplace in Honolulu’s Chinatown on Oahu. The food was absolutely amazing and also super hot. I needed beer .. lots of it.

The bill came to 7 bucks with a 1 dollar tip. Great evening. Later on I went for a couple of drinks to the “Heart of Darkness” a famous club in the neighborhood - beautiful design inside .. and good music, good crowd. But before I got in I was padded down and checked for guns. That was funny .. there was also a sign at the door: no guns, no hand granates .. and for some reason ‘No Slippah’s”.

Another great day: I picked up the bike and got my gear in check for tomorrows trip down south. I wanted to keep it minimal, so only the absolute necessary things will be in a small backpack, with a larger plastic bag at hand - because sooner or later the rain will hit, and it will hit hard. Its still the official Raining Season.

Since January of 2009 the rules changed and one has to wear a helmet, which is actually good for safety, but also a rather “schwetty” affair. With my passport on hand there was no more problem with the motor bike rental agent, we haggled about the price and I got a confirmed daily rental rate of $13/day. My bike of choice: 250 Honda Baja with double spotlight in front and electric starter. Everything went well, and after all was settled, I had another special thing on my agenda; something I do on every trip to SouthEast Asia.

I donate blood. It is a very easy thing to do, saves lives, and in a way is also a way of giving back to the people of Cambodia for their kindness and wonderful memories. I initially had a hard time to find the right 37