[Story from when I was living in Cambodia. No idea why it didn't get published but here you go.]
MOUSE OR RAT?
Thinking that I am well use to Asia.
Picked up my shirt and a mouse or rat (I don't know vermin) scurried out from under it and ran off.
Didn't flinch or yell, just started 'old man grumbling', shook out shirt then put it on. Then, remembered the whole 'black death' thing, took it back off. Got clean shirt. More grumbling.
Went down to desk, told them about vermin.
You can really tell when the whole language barrier thing kicks in. Once you get off the well trodden paths, it's all barbed wire and thorns. Googled a picture of a mouse and said 'in room now'. Googled a picture of a mouse trap. "Need!"
I have no idea what he said after that. With things off of the West Germanic or Latin language trees there is a chance. With Khmer, no chance unless they are saying 'thank you'.
No - I have no idea what language tree Khmer is from. The one I found seems a bit more euro-centric.
Anyway, after I'd left, the desk guy went into my room and put a plate with some cheese surrounded by sticky stuff. Apparently it works really well as the mouse was caught by the time I'd returned from my walk.
If things like mice, cockroaches, poisoned water (I've managed not to get conjunctivitis so far by treating the water as partial poison) etc bother someone, I do not recommend traveling on a budget to Asia.
Heck, even those who are traveling on a lot more money might get sick as I found out from my buddy Carolyn.
Note - I personally still think it is worth it (traveling to Asia) and I'm looking forward to reading Carolyn's thoughts on it when she gets those down.
But I wanted to warn the more...mmmm.... discerning.
ONCE IN ENGLAND
It was time for me to do some research on my next jump. I had decided on Ukraine.
There is a little city named Uzhhorod in the far west of the country that looked like it might bear some hanging out in. And it is somewhat close to Lviv.
The problem is that airports like to put you back from whence you were. I deeply suspect that the people are a bit anal retentive and rock back and forth violently if people don't do things in the normal fashion.
I wanted to fly into Lviv then take a train to Uzhhorod however I discovered there was no USA consulate there. Only in Kiev. Seven hours away. Super. So I would have to fly in to Kiev then take a seven hour train to Lviv then further transport west to Uzhhorod.
I could either spend close to double for my plane ticket to fly into Kiev then out through Lviv or I could just suck up a couple days transport and go into and out of Kiev.
What a pain in the ass.
I would like to get my passport updated however.
Yes, I know I could go back to Tblisi (Georgia - the country not the state) and get it done there however after spending close to a year there I think with the exception of perhaps visiting some friends briefly in the future I would instead want to explore other parts of Georgia when I go back. I do like that country.
So it looks like I will be stuck on a lot of trains and such.
Speaking of that, after the 1980's, the cost of trains in Europe (western Europe) became stupidly high. For short scenic trips, probably great. Looking at the travel time (a few hours vs over a day of travel) I'd rather go by air anyway.
I think I'll get enough train travel in Ukraine.
More when I figure out more!
MOUSE OR RAT?
Thinking that I am well use to Asia.
Picked up my shirt and a mouse or rat (I don't know vermin) scurried out from under it and ran off.
Didn't flinch or yell, just started 'old man grumbling', shook out shirt then put it on. Then, remembered the whole 'black death' thing, took it back off. Got clean shirt. More grumbling.
Went down to desk, told them about vermin.
You can really tell when the whole language barrier thing kicks in. Once you get off the well trodden paths, it's all barbed wire and thorns. Googled a picture of a mouse and said 'in room now'. Googled a picture of a mouse trap. "Need!"
I have no idea what he said after that. With things off of the West Germanic or Latin language trees there is a chance. With Khmer, no chance unless they are saying 'thank you'.
No - I have no idea what language tree Khmer is from. The one I found seems a bit more euro-centric.
Anyway, after I'd left, the desk guy went into my room and put a plate with some cheese surrounded by sticky stuff. Apparently it works really well as the mouse was caught by the time I'd returned from my walk.
If things like mice, cockroaches, poisoned water (I've managed not to get conjunctivitis so far by treating the water as partial poison) etc bother someone, I do not recommend traveling on a budget to Asia.
Heck, even those who are traveling on a lot more money might get sick as I found out from my buddy Carolyn.
Note - I personally still think it is worth it (traveling to Asia) and I'm looking forward to reading Carolyn's thoughts on it when she gets those down.
But I wanted to warn the more...mmmm.... discerning.
ONCE IN ENGLAND
It was time for me to do some research on my next jump. I had decided on Ukraine.
There is a little city named Uzhhorod in the far west of the country that looked like it might bear some hanging out in. And it is somewhat close to Lviv.
The problem is that airports like to put you back from whence you were. I deeply suspect that the people are a bit anal retentive and rock back and forth violently if people don't do things in the normal fashion.
I wanted to fly into Lviv then take a train to Uzhhorod however I discovered there was no USA consulate there. Only in Kiev. Seven hours away. Super. So I would have to fly in to Kiev then take a seven hour train to Lviv then further transport west to Uzhhorod.
I could either spend close to double for my plane ticket to fly into Kiev then out through Lviv or I could just suck up a couple days transport and go into and out of Kiev.
What a pain in the ass.
I would like to get my passport updated however.
Yes, I know I could go back to Tblisi (Georgia - the country not the state) and get it done there however after spending close to a year there I think with the exception of perhaps visiting some friends briefly in the future I would instead want to explore other parts of Georgia when I go back. I do like that country.
So it looks like I will be stuck on a lot of trains and such.
Speaking of that, after the 1980's, the cost of trains in Europe (western Europe) became stupidly high. For short scenic trips, probably great. Looking at the travel time (a few hours vs over a day of travel) I'd rather go by air anyway.
I think I'll get enough train travel in Ukraine.
More when I figure out more!
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