Cambodia; first impressions.

So I left Bangkok, I left Thailand to travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, one of its neighbour countries.

I was still up in the air, the aircraft was doing its approximation to the runway and I could verify something that one can read in any travel guide talking about Cambodia: it's a rural country, about the 80% of its population life in the countryside. It was easy to see from the window of the aircraft, as only fields and narrow roads could be seen.

I don't want to be missunderstood, but I felt that I was landing into a poor country. But, what does poverty mean? Is poor something bad? According to the IMF, Cambodia is on the 143rd place out of 181 according to its GDP. What should I expect? No idea, honestly.

I am at the terminal, but it's not done yet: I need a visa, so I pay $25, and right after a few minutes of no idea what was going on, I get my passport back, as the authorities had taken it out my hands to check it out and stamp my visa on it, but with no explanations. A passport is just a few sheets of paper, but it's my life if I am out of Europe.

So I get out of the terminal, I exchange some dollars. In Cambodia you can pay in American dollars, Riels (national currency), or you can mix them if you consider that $1 = 4000 riels.

I take a taxi to the city. I guess that the $8 flat fare I paid made the taxi driver happy, as for just $2 you can get a really decent meal in a local restaurant. Anyway, I want to get out of the airport.

I was soon "attacked" by the driver's questions. A nice way to start is asking about my home country, and that's what he did. Obviously, but when he knew I am from Barcelona he declared himself a Spanish national football team supporter. I said I was a fan too. What was I supposed to tell him, that I am Catalan and I speak a different language? That I declare myself Spanish just because that is what my passport says? I'd love it, but it was not a good idea.

On the way to the city I noticed that the motorbike is the right means of transport... there were hundreds of them around me! I saw up to four people on a motorbike, helmet is just an option, and the sit either looking forward or sideway. If there is any child, always in-between the adults. 

We drove along a wide avenue,  people were walking back home and children had just finished their school day. I was surprised by the amount of people and the way they drive... you can do anything! 

In the traffic lights, the motorbike riders next to my taxi looked at me. By far, there are much fewer tourists than in Thailand. If I smile to them, they smile back to me. They look gorgeous, they are what we would call "exotic", Southeast Asia is an historical meeting point of the Indian and Asian cultures.

The driver was soon interested on what I would be doing tomorrow... He offered me to go anywhere, he would drive me. In other words, he gave me a piece of paper, with his name, telephone number and "best friends" written on it. 

During the 20 minutes ride I found what I was looking for: the excitement of a new place, with new people and new culture to discover. I liked it.

Once I left my luggage I went for a walk, it's easy to walk around because the streets follow a gird pattern, just like Manhattan. 

During my stay in Phnom Penh I noticed that the tuk-tuk drivers are really persistent... they used to follow me with their vehicle at the same speed I was walking, trying to drive me anywhere I wanted to go, they even waited for me to get out of any temple to keep insisting on driving me! And one more thing I noticed, specially in Siem Reap: they have no idea about the place you want to go... They just tell you to get on the tuk-tuk, how much they want for the ride, and then they are as lost as I am in a city I have never been before. 

A couple of tips: ONE -->for a short ride in the city I would never pay more than $1 (and I guess is still expensive, but... I'm a foreigner). TWO --> show the driver a receipt, lets say, of a restaurant, claiming that it is the address where you wanna go, if he says that he know the place... Up to you!!

As it happens in most of Asian countries, you eat in the street unless you wanna go to a tourist restaurant where you will pay five times what you will pay in a local place. So, as a tourist you have the chance to eat in a decent restaurant, with a selection on western and asian food, and you will pay +10$. But if you feel you are a traveler instead of a tourist, I would recommend to eat in a local restaurant. These are the details that make the trip unforgettable and worth: you will find food stalls where you take away your meal, but if you decide to seat down, you will probably find yourself in a "street restaurant", with plastic tables and chairs, some of them in the streets, some others indoors. Tables are usually big and you can seat anywhere, so don't be surprised if a local seats next to you, maybe you will even have the wonderful experience of getting to know a local. On the table you will share spicy sauces, green tea and the napkins. Under the table, a huge litter basket is used to throw away the used napkins. 

Any variety of rice or noodles is available, and even if you order "chicken with green curry", you will get plain rice with it. On the other hand, if you order "rice with chicken and green curry" you will get it mixed. 

Cambodians get up early, but they also go to bed earlier... and don't make too much distinction between day weeks and weekends. I felt that looking at your watch constantly is useless, time is a much more relative concept, and I loved it.

Cambodia is a great place to visit; great heritage spots, really decent food and nice people.

Two years later.

That is the list of a hundred things about me that I wrote about two years ago. Today, two years later, I made some modifications in red color... do people really change over the years?

1. My full name is Marc Piñol Rovira.
2. I was born in 1985.
3. I have a brother and a sister.
4. I was born in Vic. I live in Barcelona since I was 21. LEFT BARCELONA LAST YEAR.
5. I studied Translation & Conference Interpreting. Then a master's degree on East Asian studies.
6. I took my second year of college in England.
7. I started studying English when I was ten.
8. I’m in a good mood when I wake up.
9. I’m a F.C Barcelona supporter, but even more anti R. Madrid.
10. Though I’m an Arts graduate, I studied Science at high school.
11. I use contact lenses.
12. I like dressing in dark colors. BUT I TRY NOT TO DO SO AS MUCH AS I DID.
13. I have my left ear pierced twice.
14. I have a tattoo on my right leg.
15. I prefere white wine rather than red wine.
16. I love anything related to Asia.
17. I love Japanese food and trying new and unknown restaurants.
18. When I was seven I broke my left arm when I pretended to be Superman on a slide.
19. When I first traveled alone I went to Hong Kong and Japan.
20. I love big cities.
21. The European city I’d move in right now would be London. NOT SO SURE RIGHT NOW, BUT STILL  LONDON IS CRAZY AMAZING.
22. The feature I love the most among Asians, besides their eyes, is their nose. THERE ARE LOTS OF ASIANS NOW IN MY CIRCLE, AND I GOT TO KNOW THEM BETTER, JUST LOVE TO KNOW THEIR POV ON WHAT I THOUGHT THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES.
23. I admire solo travelers.
24. I’m not a religious person, but I don’t refuse the existence of “something else”. MAYBE I'M RELIGIOUS, ACTUALLY I'D SAY I'M, BUT I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE INSTITUTIONS INVOLVING RELIGION.
25. I love American black humour, such as Family Guy. 
26. The cartoons I remember the most are Dragon Ball and Musculman.
27. The most distant memory... Bombing attack at a police station in Vic (my town), 1991.
28. I love driving.
29. I love rainy weather. I LIKE WHEN IT RAINS AND I'M HOME, AND I LOVE DRIVING UNDER THE RAIN.
30. Good luck only depends only on yourself. ONLY... NOT ONLY, BUT MOST OF THE TIMES IT DOES.
31. I hate unpunctuality.
32. I always arrive five minutes earlier everywhere.
33. I love going to bed with the radio on.
34. I hold a scuba diving license that allows me to dive 40 metres deep.
35. I had my worst journey on a Thai taxi.
36. Sometimes I think my life’s been too easy so far. IN SOME WAYS.
37. Lonelyness is the worst feeling on Earth.
38. I like sleeping, but if I have to wake up early it’s OK.
39. In my life I’ve experience real freedom only once. 
40. The best advice I’ve ever had: you’ll count true friend with one hand, and it’ll be too much. + YOU NEED TO BE NERVOUS BEFORE DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A BIT, BUT YOU NEED TO BE. 
41. I love how ground smells when it starts to rain and recently cutted grass.
42. I need music for every single moment in my life.
43. The most horrific city I’ve ever visited is Bucharest.
44. I love shoes and watches.
45. “Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more.” is totally true.
46. I like food served on aircrafts. I MEAN I DON'T CARE EATING IT.
47. I’d like to study in college again. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW.
48. The fist time I slept at classe was at English language lecture, 2nd year at college.
49. I could spend hours looking at a nice city skyline.
50. I need a coffe every morning, not for having caffeine, but for being ten peaceful minutes with myself.
51. If I were an animal I’d like to be a cow or a duck. IF I WERE A DUCK, I'D LIVE IN GIRONA.
52. When I sleep I don’t move myself.
53. Improvised conversations at an improvised place are the best ones.
54. I love curry rice. LET'S SAY IT: JAPANESE CURRY.
55. When I drink from a glass, cup, etc. I can’t finish the last sip.
56. I’m right handed, but I perform certain actions, such as playing golf or baseball like left handed people.
57. I take a fancy “on something” really quick.
58. I don’t like fiction novels, I prefer traveling literature.
59. I hate pepper. NOT SO MUCH NOW.
60. If I can, I travel during night.
61. I get cold easily.
62. I got my driving license when I was 18.
63. My foot size is 43-44. A 9 IN THE UK.
64. It find SO disgusting when the doctor examines my throat and he has to hold my tonge...
65. Before going to bed I check too many times if I set the alarm clock.
66. I prefer to give somebody a present than being given one.
67. I’d love to spend a period of time in an orphenate of an Asian country. DONE IT A YEAR AGO IN CAMBODIA.
68. Thinking in the death of my loved ones scares me, even more that in my own death.
69. Electricity has been the best human invention.
70. I can’t imagine my future because I still have too much to do. I CAN'T IMAGINE IT BECAUSE SOMEHOW IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE DOING IT. 
71. True love doesn’t happen so often; it’s all about a habit to each other.
72. I feel envy of elder couples who, after years, are still happily together.
73. I like being home alone when I wake up.
74. Death doesn’t scare me; suffering does.
75. I like family meetings.
76. When I was a child I used to love Christmas time, now I see that it’s not what I used to think that it was.
77. I like looking at other people.
78. It makes me feel sich when I think that some day I could be intubated.
79. I never have a cold shower.
80. I don’t like to see the radio talk hosts, I want to imagine how they look like.
81. At school I was great at line drawing, but really bad at artistic drawing.
82. I consider myself an inaccessible person. AT FIRST.
83. I’m good at doing something wrong and then act innocently.
84. I’d love to write down which has been the worst day of my life, but that's too personal.
85. I used to love money, now I just like money.
86. My hands and feet are usually cold.
87. I love English style houses. I LIVE IN ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE COOL.
88. Monday to Friday jobs, from 8am to 3pm with holidays in August scare me. MAYBE I'LL END UP DOING IT.
89. Many people mix racism with“protecting what’s yours”.
90. I feel impotent when I travel aborad and when I get there, I feel I’ve been there before. HAPPENED TO ME IN NEW YORK.
91. Hugs are powerful.
92. I love world maps.
93. You don’t need a reason to give somebody a present.
94. Great actions must be done anonymously.
95. I love women more clever than I am (and I don't mean that I am that clever!!).
96. I don’t like staying a long time at the same place without moving myself.
97. In general terms, the world is unfair.
98. I’ve always had a kind of complex of inferiority.
99. Salted better that sweet.
100. A nice smile can change your mood. TOTALY.

Scuba diving - Koh Tao, Thailand.

South East Asia offers a lot to do, but a must do activity is diving. Where to go? The Philippines and Thailand are probably the best countries to do so.

If you chose Thailand, there are basically two options: the Andaman Sea, west coast and the Gulf of Thailand, on the Pacific side.

Today we will focus on the east coast, the Gulf of Thailand, and more specifically, on Koh Tao: in Thai, koh refers to island, and tao to turtle. It is the smallest (21km2)of three islands, only reachable by ferri from:

• Any of the other two islands: Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan.
• The peninsula: Surat Thani and Chumphon.

You can consider flying to Samui International Airport or take an overnight train from Bangkok.

Sairee Beach, Koh Tao.

The main activity of the island is DIVING, so no problem if you have to look for a school because there are plenty of them, and the best of all: same prices everywhere.

So, if you want to get the Open Water (the first level) and dive up to 18m deep, you will pay 9,800B.

A good choice is SCUBA JUNCTION, on Sairee Beach: great location, all the diving spots within a short trip by boat, small groups and great diving gear.

In my case, I did the Open Water there only with a friend, so two students and one instructor for us!!

Address:
	Sairee Beach
	Koh Tao
	Suratthani
	84360
	Thailand

Telephone:	+66 (0)77 456 164
Fax:	+66 (0)77 456 013

Information:

We are open every day from 6.30am - 7.30pm.

You will get the Open Water in just 3 to 4 days, and that’s it: ready to dive anywhere worldwide.

Cool staff in Scuba Junction, as they were the ones who invited us to join them along with other divers for some beers the last day of the course.

They also offer accommodation at a good price right next to the school. Worth consider this option!

Scuba Junction can be the first step of a fascinating world.

Samui International Airport

Airports can be large, small, funny, boring, a place to spend the whole day, a place that seems to belong to nobody, a place where you will find what you can find nowhere else, or... a different place. That’s what  Samui Airport, eastern Thailand, is: a different airport.

If you travel from Koh Tao or from any of the other islands around, you just need to take the ferry bound for Koh Samui (and you will probably be offered paying for the transportation to the airport: GREAT!!)

Once the ferry arrives at Samui island, a van waits at the pier. First you will drive along major roads, but then you will find yourself driving for several miles along very secondary roads. Are we going to the airport or... Where the hell I'm going? Hey, dudes, this is Thailand, get used to it. Few months ago I took a taxi to Phuket airport, and we took very hidden roads in the countryside as a shortcut. I must admit that I thought the worst, but everything is OK if you can save some time and gas!

Samui International Airport, here we are, but... is this the airport or a resort? There are no indoor areas, except for a restaurant and some stores. Buildings? Huge straw shelters! The van drops you off and in a few metres you reach the check-in desks, its employees protect themselves with a beach umbrella.

Get out of the shelter and walk along the commercial street till you reach another “straw shelter”, which seems to be the security checkpoint. As you will be aproaching the boarding gates, the area is surrounded by a small lake and a wall, so people can’t gain accest into it.

Boarding gates? Huge straw shelters! Each one is a “gate” that provides passengers with sofas, Internet access, WiFi, several TV screens, and free drinks, snacks and papers! And the best, it is a huge area protecting us from the sun huge fans.

A train will approach you to the aircraft. There’s only one runway, and planes get into it as we do it with our car when we find a “give way” sign: have a look on both sides, no aircraft approaching, move to one of the extrems of the runway and... take off.

It is the smallest aiport I have ever been at, but one of the best ones. There are only four airlines operating, and Bangkok Airways is the major, operating almos all of the flights. About 1,400,000 passengers arrive or depart from this airport each year, while a huge aiport, such as Singapore Changi had 43 milion passenger movements in 2010.

It is an aiport with a very high friendly atmosphere.

Public transportation in Bangkok.

The city of angels: BANGKOK, the Thai bustling capital where you can wake up next to a peaceful buddhist temple, then move to the newest shopping mall and finally end up in a narrow street in Chinatown trying the most amazing dish you've ever tried for dinner (including insects, not to be missed).

If you wanna do so, you need to move around the city. How to describe traffic in Bangkok? CHAOTIC and HEAVY.

Here you are the options if you need to take public transportation in Bangkok:

TAXI: easy and cheap compared to other European and American cities. Before getting in, make sure he will use the meter, if not, just walk away and look for another taxi. 

As a tourist, the taxi driver will probably take a longer route to get where you wanna go and will drive really fast if he can, specially at night, when there's not that much heavy traffic.

If you take a taxi from the airport to the city, again, make sure he will use the taxi meter, as he will probably try to negotiate the fare with you. Just to have an idea: a ride from BKK airport to Silom area costs around 300-350B + tolls, and I was offered to pay 500B with no meter!! You can also take the train to get to the airport, much cheaper.

TUK-TUK: funny and great means of transportation. They are everywhere waiting for the tourist. You have to negotiate the fare before the ride, and they will probably stop along the way to visit a gems store, a tailor, a souvenir store... Just tell them you are not interested. If you are a guy (or group) they will also offer you as many women as you wish.

Tuk-tuk in Bangkok

By the way: if you are in the outside a temple and they tell you it is closed, do not believe them!! They are trying  to get you in their tuk-tuk and go somewhere else.

BUS: Personally, I've never tried them, but I wanna do so. Expect them to be slow because you have to deal with heavy traffic. There are buses with air co, and without it. 

SKYTRAIN: Probably the best option and the fastest. New network and new trains, no traffic and efficient. You pay according to the distance you wanna travel.

BOAT: There are boats sailing along Chao Praya river, the regular service boat has an orange flag and they have several stops along the river, but make sure to have a map or check at what stop you have to get off because from the boat it can be confusing to identify where you are if you are not used to it. Just get on, and then the conductor will charge you a small fare.

Regular service boat at Chao Praya river.

MOTORBIKE: Motorbikes can also be a taxi. If you don't really like motorbikes, don't try them because you will not have a good time, though sometimes it can be the fastest.

Think about it, moving around with public transportation is a great way to discover a city, it makes you feel that you belong to the city. Let's do it!!

Hong Kong Symphony of Lights & Star Ferry.

If you love cities you will love Hong Kong. It’s skyline is one of its major attractions, a place where one can remain for hours just enjoying the view, its lightshow and the numerous boats sailing around Victoria harbour.

HK is nowadays one of the special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China, surprisingly tiny and overpopulated; 7 milion people. It is a 24/7 city, bustling, active and addictive.

This city became a British colony after the first Opium War in 1842. First, they took HK island, but they expanded their power to Kowloon peninsula and to the New Territories. It was under British control untill 1997, when the PRC assumed the sovereignty.

“One country, two systems” defines its panorama: HK has a different political system from mainland China and a high degree of autonomy.

In order to enjoy one the cities most exciting activities, one have to go to the pier and take the Star Ferry, leave the island and cross the harbour to Kowloon. This boat started its service in 1888 and it carries more than 70,000 passengers a day!! Once there, you will be ready to enjoy the Symphony of Lights, a light and music show on both sides of the harbour featuring the buldings that make the city skyline, awarded as the world’s Largest Permanent Light and Music Show, taking place everyday at 8pm.

It is a perfect combination of light and music, both perfectly sychronized to each other. One of the best viewing location is at Tsim Sha Tsui, close to the Avenue of Stars, that honours the celebrities of the HK film industry, such as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.

The view of the island itself is breathtaking, and its the best location to see from the distance the buildings and skycrapers you walk through at daytime. During the Symphony of Lights you will see them alive: HSBC Building, Bank of China Tower or the Bank of America Tower.

Forgot to say that the journey with the Star Ferry is another must do in Hong Kong.

About me.

Hi there!!

Well, first of all let me introduce myself: my name is Marc, and though I am from a small town called Vic, I live in Barcelona, nothern Spain.

I work as a tour leader, so I'm all day taking people all around Barcelona and its sorroundings, and I love it!!

Since a few months ago, I am also studying for a master's degree: East Asian studies.

Ok guys, that's what I do, but who am I?

I consider myself a normal guy who used to be very shy, but years did something great on me: they opened my mind!!

So I went to uni, where I studied conference interpreting for four years, and then I moved to Barcelona where I got my job as a tour leader.

Now I love talking to people, I cannot stay home without doing nothing and my greatest passion is traveling, so:

 TRAVELING & ASIA = MARC

That's it; I feel attraction to anything realated to Asia, so I work hard for nine months a year, so then I can travel around Asia.

But there are many other things I love doing: scuba diving, driving, cooking sushi, dreaming, summer nights and... blogging. Sharing travel experiences is just great, I love cheking out traveler's real experiences before going somewhere.

Enough about me? OK, I understand. Not enough? Keep reading 100 facts about me:

1. My full name is Marc Piñol Rovira.
2. I was born in 1985.
3. I have a brother and a sister.
4. I was born in Vic. I live in Barcelona since I was 21.
5. I studied Translation & Conference Interpreting. Then a master's degree on East Asian studies.
6. I took my second college year in England.
7. I started studying English when I was ten.
8. I’m in a good mood when I wake up.
9. I’m a F.C Barcelona supporter, but even more anti R. Madrid.
10. Though I’m an Arts graduate, I studied Science at high school.
11. I use contact lenses.
12. I like dressing in dark colours.
13. I have my left ear pierced twice.
14. I have a tattoo on my right leg.
15. I prefere white wine rather than red wine.
16. I love anything related to Asia.
17. I love Japanese food and trying new and unknown restaurants.
18. When I was seven I broke my left arm when I pretended to be Superman on a slide.
19. When I first traveled alone I went to Japan.
20. I love big cities.
21. The European city I’d move in right now would be London.
22. The feature I love the most among Asians, besides their eyes, is their nose.
23. I admire solo travelers.
24. I’m not a religious person, but I don’t refuse the existence of “something else”.
25. I love American black humour, such as Family Guy.
26. The cartoons I remember the most are Dragon Ball and Musculman.
27. The most distant memory... Bombing attack at a police station in Vic (my town), 1991.
28. I love driving.
29. I love rainy weather.
30. Good luck only depends only on yourself.
31. I hate unpunctuality.
32. I always arrive five minutes earlier everywhere.
33. I love going to bed with the radio on.
34. I hold a scuba diving license that allows me to dive 40 metres deep.
35. I had my worst journey on a Thai taxi.
36. Sometimes I think my life’s been too easy so far.
37. Lonelyness is the worst feeling on Earth.
38. I like sleeping, but if I have to wake up early it’s OK.
39. In my life I’ve experience real freedom only once.
40. The best advice I’ve ever had: you’ll count true friend with one hand, and it’ll be too much.
41. I love how grund smells when it starts to rain and recently cutted grass.
42. I need music for every single moment in my life.
43. The most horrific city I’ve ever visited is Bucharest.
44. I love shoes and watches.
45. “Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more.” is totally trae.
46. I like food served on aircrafts.
47. I’d like to study in college again.
48. The fist time I slept at classe was at English language, 2nd year at college.
49. I could spend hours looking at a nice city skyline.
50. I need a coffe every morning, not for having caffeine, but for being ten peaceful minutes wiht myself.
51. If I were an animal I’d like to be a cow or a duck.
52. When I sleep I don’t move myself.
53. Improvised conversations at an improvised place are the best ones.
54. I love curry rice.
55. When I drink from a glass, cup, etc. I can’t finish the last sip.
56. I’m right handed, but I perform certain actions, such as playing golf of baseball like left handed people.
57. I take a fancy “on something” really fast.
58. I don’t like fiction novels, I prefer traveling literature.
59. I hate pepper.
60. If I can, I travel at night.
61. I get cold easily.
62. I got my driving license when I was 18.
63. My foot size is 43-44.
64. It find SO disgusting when the doctor examines my throat and he has to hold my tonge...
65. Before going to bed I check too many times if I set the alarm clock.
66. I prefer to give somebody a present than being given one.
67. I’d love to spend a period of time in an orphenate of an Asian country.
68. Thinking in the death of my loved ones scares me, even more that in my own death.
69. Electricity has been the best human invention.
70. I can’t imagine my future because I still have too much to do.
71. True love doesn’t happen so often; it’s all about a habit to each other.
72. I feel envy of elder couples who, after years, are still happily together.
73. I like being home alone when I wake up.
74. Death doesn’t scare me; suffering does.
75. I like family meetings.
76. When I was a child I used to love Christmas time, now I see that it’s not what I used to think it was.
77. I like looking at other people.
78. It makes me feel sich when I think that some day I could be intubated.
79. I never have a cold shower.
80. I don’t like to see the radio talk hosts, I want to imagine how they look like.
81. At school I was great at line drawing, but really bad at artistic drawing.
82. I consider myself an inaccessible person.
83. I’m good at doing something wrong and then act innocently.
84. I’d love to write down which has been the worst day of my life, but this is too personal.
85. I used to love money, now I just like money.
86. My hands and feet are usually cold.
87. I love English style houses.
88. Monday to Friday jobs, from 8am to 3pm with holidays in August scare me.
89. Many people mix racism with“protecting what’s yours”.
90. I feel impotent when I travel aborad and when I get there, I feel I’ve been there before.
91. Hugs are powerful.
92. I love world maps.
93. You don’t need a reason to give somebody a present.
94. Great actions must be done anonymously.
95. I love women more clever that I.
96. I don’t like staying a long time at the same place without moving myself.
97. In general terms, the world is unfair.
98. I’ve always had a kind of inferiority complex.
99. Salted better that sweet.
100. A nice smile can change your mood.