A Cambodian Bind

Me and my friend were stranded in the woods of Wetar one day, waiting for help since our car had a flat tire but had no equipment to change it. There was nothing to do, too much has been said, and a nap is all that is left undone. So as I tried to daze off in the passengers seat, I looked up in to the trees and stroke the fresh cool air I saw my bracelet. Click!

This is my Cambodia bracelet. I got it when I was visited Angkor Wat last year. It was tied on to me by a holy man of the temple complex. It’s a bind of prayer after I got my fortuned told. There should be no worries in my fortune, he says, and his prayers were to assure that.

It’s not a Moslem teaching to believe in fortune telling especially from another religion but for some reason, I kept that bracelet on till today. I believed its prayer, a prayer that will help me into a good life.

But there was a time, exactly a year after this bracelet was bind on to me, I wanted to cut it off. I had a low point in my own believes and I though that getting rid of this item would further me of what I didn’t believe in, hoping it would make me closer to what I did believe in. I almost cut it off. But I didn’t.

I came back to the point where I believe all prayers are good, no matter what religion we’re from. I believe it as I believe that a good deed is a good deed no matter what who did it, from whatever religion, or from those with no religion also.  And a little red band would not define what I believe in.

Now, I keep the bracelet for 2 reasons: as a reminder that I’ve been to Angkor Wat, and as a reminder that I should not symbolize things in totems. Hmm a totem reminding of what totems should not be. Sounds pretty twisted hey?

When it Comes to Travelling...

1. I prefer traveling with a small group of people. Friends would be the best but I never reject any opportunity to travel with strangers.  I've traveled solo before and I didn't like it. I also don't like to travel with a lot of people, because the compromise is too much. 

2. I don't like tours. I don't like the limitations of a schedule and the restrictions of venturing beyond, especially when it comes to the money I make and the nagging of my parents that I have to hear eventually because of the trip.

3. I'm a sucker from motorcycles. I love traveling with them. You see everything, you feel the wind in your face, you get burned, you smell everything, and you get wet when it rains, you experience everything. Unfortunately  can't ride them. So when I do travel, I usually choose Ojeg as my main transportation (if I'm alone) or I rent one if my travel mates can drive one. 

4. I dread the 3 day limit. It's not that I hate a place after 3 days, on the contrary, a place grows on me after 3 days. I synchronize with the local frequency after 3 day, and after this point, I usually don't want to go home. 

5. I love local merchandises. But I should always limit myself in buying things. Not because I can't, but because I end up with too much stuff which eventually turn in to junk. I don't like not using my stuff.   

6. I like the revelations I get in my head. I don't remember them all, but I know I have them :) A list that I don't think I can ever finish.

Travel, See, Hear, Speak

People travel for different purposes. Some for business, pleasure, curiosity, or for a certain occasion which sometimes you know you can't categorize as pleasure although it's not business. You know, a friends wedding who you actually secretly hate, family gathering that torture you with question you hate to hear, or some routine obligatory visit you wish yo could avoid.

I sometimes still ask people why they are in a certain place, why they travel, or what are they looking for especially those that are traveling for pleasure, but I don't do it so often anymore. I spare the chance of forcing people explaining the reason if they happen to be on that unpleasant trip. I'm more interested to know what they know, see, and experience during their travels. And so I leave traveling as traveling itself no matter what the reason is.

I don't know why people travel, I myself travel to feed the constant curiosity of seeing knew sightings. I travel to enjoy beauty and to learn about the mailable world. I see things that are breathtaking, mind boggling, and confusing, let it be natural or artificial scenery, or just basic human interest and interactions. I love the surprises I see on the road, the problems and problem solving I have to do, and the unknown for the next second since I don't plan too far on during traveling. Little did I know, I crave for it if I don't get a regular dose of it.

I always thought that people that travel are the wisest. They see more than what other people that don't travel see. But I that isn't the case I guess. I've met the wisest people that never travel and see the most selfish pricks on the way around the world. The wise are the wise, they are blessed with the point where things must turn and they learn from it. And the not... are not.

So where have you been and what have you seen? But we'll leave that to when I see you on the road hey? ;)

Currently...

I'm currently on the road around Jawa. A so called road trip actually. Making a few stops in some of the cities that is on my "to do list". In any typical case, it would be an easy thing to do... but not with Puspita, the VW Combi that me and my friends bought last year. The thing is, it was an old cheap VW to start with. Only about 6 million rups. But we fixed it, and now we're showing her the island. And it's not very fast and there is no air con or sound system either than the engine so... it's a challenge itself.



The thing that I wanted to remind myself about this road trip or any I guess is not primary about what you're going to see or the destination, it really about the trip itself, what you really see about where you are, the small things you realize, for me it's really about knowing what this island is all about, and of course getting to know more about the people you travel with and the the people you meet on the road.

So no stories yet about the trip but... I can tell you right now, this country has never seize to amaze me. Every corner is amusing and even for my friend Sally, which has been here and there in Jawa, there is always something new around the corner.

But then again I'm easily amused.