An Irish Wedding ?

I have spent the weekend on the island called Koe Samed for this wedding. My dad’s partner’s cousin decided to get hitched to non other then a Galway lad. They had some level of compromise on the wedding which to their detriment meant having two in one day. A Buddhist one on the beach which lasted something like four hours, then a Catholic one in a near by town on the main land. Which also took hours since the travel delay, then it was... Read More

Dispatches 8: The Most Obnoxious City Award Goes To?

photo credit: jules:g PATTAYA!! congrats. I was going to say that I hate this city but I found a really good veggie restaurant that does all these fake meats. So what I have to say is that the restaurant is unfortunately placed; it would be better in most other places in the world. Its not surprised that I feel this way about this city, I know that this city had a reputation for sex tourism but I had given my dad the benefit of the doubt about... Read More

Dispatches 7: Massages and Land Mines

Two weeks in and my forth massage, damn I’m a spoiled brat. Well its my first massage in Cambodia and after three full days at the temples I was stiff as fuck and we deserved it! The problem here is finding a place that won’t also want to give my dad a blow job along the way. We decided that massage from the blind was the way to go. Its strange but its a really big thing in Cambodia. There are these massage from the blind places everywhere... Read More

Dispatches 6: Dust, Mistakes and Ankor What?

This country is tres dusty, I mean you go out for an hour and the six inches above your shoes all around your leg are the darkest brown. And every time i wipe my face the clothe comes back brown. I ended up buying a dust mask (SARS mask!) to use on the taxis. Mine is great it looks just like my curtains on Bloor St. Orange, yellow and red stripes. I look so super cool! I will bring it back and be the geek of the cycling world. Our guest house has... Read More

Dispatches 5: The Kids

What I have been amazed with here in terms of poverty is not the unpaved roads but the children. I don’t mean people begging with their kids which is prevalent, actually they teach kids as young as one to say “hello”and put there hands out asking for money. What is really obvious is the young kids working. There are the ones that are with their families and begging or helping out with their parents. Then there are the kids who are... Read More

Dispatches 4: Bargaining

I have never been a fan of the bargain your price thing, I know that you can get cheap things that pay but I am just much more comfortable knowing how much something is. I mean I like the idea about getting a cheap price but when you are walking around, I don’t want to get into a whole dialog when I’m just window shopping. I was even talking about this the other day at work in regards to being offered a job, I said that I would take the... Read More

Dispatches 3: Cambodia: Poverty, Bikes and Offense

Phnom Phen is the capital of Cambodia yet you would not know it as you drove into town. I have only been in Bangkok and kanchanaburi in Thailand so far. Bangkok is full of contradictions, high rise buildings, massive shopping centers that put Dundrum to shame lie not far from shacks that are falling into the river. Kanchanaburi is so beautiful and full of tourist attractions that the poverty seems at bay. But Phom Phen, which apparently is only the... Read More

Dispatches 2: First Rides

Elephants: I have ridden on two things in the past few days that I have always wanted to but never had the chance. The first was an elephant – at first I was sitting on the back with my dad with this guy leading the way by the head. Then it was my turn. I had been having reservations about riding the elephant. Although it was the first thing I thought of when I booked this trip, when I mentioned it to my mate she was all animal rights up my... Read More

Thai Dispatches 1: Cultural Differences Of Utmost importance

Toilets: OK this is one of those things that you know about but really are never perpared for. I mean you hear squating, you know and expect squating but when you get there. FUCK I have to squat. I think we are all use to squating, its not like sitting in a clubs toilet is the cleanest thing to do. But these toilets are low and you have to worry about the splash factor. And forget going for a shit. But here is the killer. no toilet paper or flush.... Read More