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Kirsti Mathiasen

Kirsti Mathiasen

Based out of BC and WA. Exploring the world. Leia mais
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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Angkor Wat Sunrise

      28 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      I got up at the ungodly hour of 4:30am today... I wasn't planning on going with the group to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat but when Kayla's alarm went off and I heard she was sick so wasn't going I decided I would go in her place. It was pretty cool I guess! But kind of overrated if you want my personal opinion. Others in the group would disagree though. We arrived about an hour before sunrise and good thing too. Eric took us to a spot he knows and we got front row seats, by the time the sun actually started coming up there were hundreds of people in our little spot. I'm sure there were thousands of people in the vicinity as a whole it was crazy. The colours were pretty too that's for sure, but my camera saw more colours than my eyes did, hence the underwhelmed feeling even though the pictures turned out great.

      After the sun came up myself and a few of the other girls decided to stay a while longer before heading back to the hotel while the remainder went back via tuk tuk. We went back into Angkor Wat to climb up to the top of the temple! The tip part that had a two hour wait when we were there the other day. This time is was only 20 minutes. The view from the top was pretty great! You could see the jungle, a few other Temples, and the entry walk to this temple. The structure and building a style itself was very similar to the rest of the temple we saw before, nothing too special there. The steps up to the top were incredibly steep! My knee was protesting but I made it. I'd say it was worth the 20 minute wait, but not the 2 hour wait.

      After exploring the top we wandered around a bit longer and saw a few new areas we missed the previous day. Which I'm glad of because I had felt a little shorted on time before. I found my favourite part of the temple, a quiet courtyard with very few people there and a ledge about 2 metres wide and 15 metres above the ground that we sat on and just relaxed for a bit.

      We had intended on exploring a few more Temples while in Angkor but I think we were all just too tires. So after eating a fresh mango from a street vendor we decided to head back instead. At the time I was desperate to get home but also really sad not to have been able to see a few more. My body thanked me though after a long nap. I can't keep running off of no sleep!      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Koulen Restaurant and Show

      27 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      After the Landmine Museum we went back to the hotel to relax for a while before heading to the Koulen Restaurant which was a buffet and had traditional Cambodian dancers. The buffet itself was ok, there were lots of different Asian foods to try which was cool and lots of soups which I filled up on! Love the soups here, definitely my style.

      The dancing started after most people had finished eating and was pretty cool! There were maybe 6 different songs being danced to, some as solos some with only women, and some with men and women. They wore very fancy, colourful clothing and had headdresses covered in gold and jewels, I imagine they're very heavy! Their movements were very slow and precise for the most part. Each movement was deliberate, their steps and hand movements very thought out. Very different than the quick moving and vibrant dancing of the Nepali, but just as beautiful and graceful.

      After the show finished most of us went back to the hotel. Everyone was exhausted from the night before... I walked back with two girls and we made a quick detour into the night market since it's apparently our last chance to see it before we leave Siem Reap. The night market is quite extensive, far larger than I thought it would be! Most shops Carey the same items of course, ranging from shirts/pants/dresses to shawls to artwork to Souvenirs to jewellery, etc. I saw a painting that I loved and picked it up to add to my collection. For a home i don't yet own lol. But when I do I'll have an interesting mix of artwork for it ;)      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Landmine Museum

      27 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      We hopped back into our tuk tuks and took a ride to the Landmine Museum which is slightly out of the city but 1000% worth the time. They're more than just a museum too, they also give disadvantaged kids a home and access to education, a true Cambodian NGO. I think our guide said that there are 18 kids there now? When the centre first opened it was in the city, but in 2006 the police got involved and shut down the program. Canada stepped in and defended the landmine centre to the Cambodian government and the centre was moved and reopened. Canada is apparently the largest benefactor of the landmine relief efforts in Cambodia which I didn't know. And to show their appreciation flag flies at the entrance to the building! Pretty neat :) there are also other major benefactors like American and Australia who have a flag flying outside the centre. To get a flag out there you need to have donated at least $100,000 a year for three years straight.

      Our guide is an American Vietnam War Vet who got involved with the centre a number of years ago and he moved to Cambodia permanently with his wife 8 years ago. He's the reason that the centre is still operational. When the founder, a Cambodian named Aki Ra who dedicates his life to landmine deactivation and disposal, was told by the government he needed to cease his work or get licensed legally to do the work or be arrested, our guide stepped in to help. The founder didn't have the financial resources to obtain the license or proper equipment, he was using plyers and risking his own life everyday to remove Landmines he's found. So our guide funded the legal matters, apparently about $300 USD and started to get more involved. Now he runs the legal side of the centre from obtaining funding to helping with legal matters like the 2006 police incident.

      At the centre itself there are actually no power lines or internet, they run off of solar power. When the centre first opened all of the children they housed were landmine victims, but as time has gone on there have been fewer and fewer victims and most of the children here now are actually polio victims. All the kids go to public school and are given a scholarship for university or trades school. Of the first students the centre ever helped one is in law school, some are barbers, and all are doing well for themselves. Opportunities that they'd never had if not for this place. They likely would have otherwise ended up as beggars, prostitutes, or involved in drugs and gangs.

      So anyway, back to Landmines. They are a part of why the Cambodian population is so young. Survivors suffer from PTSD but aren't able to get help because they won't talk to foreigners and the genocide eliminated all the professional physchatrists.. And there are still a ton of Landmines in the country today. No one really knows how many.. But most of the known fields are marked now. Occasionally, random ones are discovered in rural areas though. There are 4000 people employed to clear Landmines and they're out everyday working... That is intense. I had no idea about that before coming here.. The majority of the funding for this work comes from international governments or individuals. Unfortunately funding has been cut recently by many countries. They're actually putting all efforts on hold right now waiting to see what Trump is going to do.. Because they worry they won't receive funding for a while.. Sad. Especially because part of their program also involves building schools in the rural areas they visit to clear landmines. The positive thing is that only 3 countries are still using Landmines today so hopefully once they're cleared the people can stop worrying...

      There's a complicated history of where all the landmines came from. They are predominately from the Vietnam war, but there are Landmines from all over the world... The museum had all the different types on display, there are so many! Another fun fact I didn't know is that landmines are designed to maim, not to kill. Because taking care of a wounded soldier is expensive and slows down an army.... Vicious.

      This organization now has 3 bomb squads and offers bomb education as well as medical treatment to the villages they visit. Apparently it can take up to 2 years for a bomb squad to get out to a village after a bomb is reported because of finding cuts.. I guess they just mark the location and hope that nothing happens? Terrifying. When the bomb squad does get out there they set up a grid system and clear about 50m a day. They basically go bush wacking in the dense jungle with a bomb and metal detector slowly and carefully... They've had no deaths on their team from bombs going off though which is great!      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      War Museum

      27 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      Today was a very busy day, but also very good! We started out by visiting the War Museum. And took a tuk Tuk to get there! My first ever tuk Tuk ride :) and because we took multiple tuk Tuks we played a game of "tuk tuk tag" which was fun but also slightly terrifying. Terrifying because one girl almost fell out while trying to make another group "it". So we'll have to make sure we're careful ;) The tuk Tuks are fine though, not overly scary since they go so slowly. Though when they turn too sharply it does feel like you're riding on two wheels. But, nothing like driving in a taxi in Kathmandu!

      So anyway, the War Museum was pretty powerful to see. We had a local man who was actually once a child soldier give us a tour of the museum. His entire family was killed during the war and genocide and he still has many pieces of shrapnel and ball bearings in his body. He let us touch them, and they move around. I guess when it gets cold it's quite uncomfortable for him too.. It's intense. He also lost one leg to a landmine and when it exploded a piece of his bone embedded itself in an eye. He was blinded by the explosion and I think he said 6 years later he was taken by the UN to receive a surgery that restored vision to one of his eyes. And yet he's still so happy and energetic. Just happy to be alive I suppose. Oh, and he's only 48. It's tough to realize just how recent this history is for them, that only recently the entire country was in war and turmoil, while we were all enjoying a quiet and peaceful childhood. I think they said it was in 1991 that things started to settle down? He also told us that there are many birth defects due to high uranium levels Fr bombs. And also that there were approximately 2.5 Landmines per person at one time..

      There were so many different types of guns and tanks on display in the museum, as well as photo of victims and other former soldiers. Very powerful. One of the tanks had a bunch of damage from a bomb and they left everything in it that was found with the tank. Including a shoe and a tibia bone from a passenger.. That in particular made things real. To see someone's actual bone in the situation in which it would have been discovered really made it hit home. We are so incredibly lucky to live in a country like Canada where we haven't had any true problems in a long time. Really brings a new meaning to the phrase "first world problems"

      The museum wasn't all that big but was still worth the visit. While I was there I was wishing we could stay a bit longer but the next stop, the landmine Museum, was well worth the time!      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Evening Out in Siam Reap

      26 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

      After visiting the Temples we returned to the hotel and almost everyone jumped into the pool. It was a much needed respite from the heat! Scorching hot. I drank 3 litres of water while walking around, gotta fight that dehydration.

      Afterwards a few of us went out for dinner at the Red Piano Restaurant on Pub Street. Turns out there wasn't much in the way of Cambodian Food here and I ordered a spicy penne pasta that was not spicy at all. I had to douse it in hot sauce.. I'm starting to think that I developed an even higher tolerance for spice while in Nepal though because there are things here that everyone is calling spicy that I can't even taste the spice in. My measure of this theory will be when I get back to Canada and have a much missed Caesar ;) Because there was a group of about 10 of us we left a tip which is not customary in Cambodia. I think we only left about 5% but the staff were so grateful they looked close to tears, it was a good reminder about how much even a dollar helps people here.

      After dinner we went to the night market and watched an amateur Lady Boys show! While receiving an hour long foot rub for only$6. It was fantastic. The shows were so funny, the ladies really got into it once they realized that there was a large group watching and cheering and genuinely enjoying themselves. They sang, danced, and acted a small skit out as well. So great. I'm sure the pros would be more skilled but I kind of enjoyed watching these folk do it for the pure enjoyment of it, not as a way to make money. Did I mention that it's a free show?

      After the show we walked to nearby Pub Street and had a very fun, very crazy, very alcohol filled evening! There was dancing in the bars of course but also on the streets. There was this local woman too selling bracelets that the group leaders know very well who just decided to dance with us for a good portion of the night. It was good fun :)      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Angkor Temples - Angkor Wat

      26 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      After lunch we went to Angkor Wat, the main attraction. I wish we had seen it first because at that point I was tired and grumpy and didn't really want to be there anymore. I couldn't even tell you why I was grumpy.. I think from all the rushing around we've been doing, I prefer a more relaxed itinerary I think. I hope the rest of the trip isn't going to be this fast paced and busy. I'm sure it won't!

      But anyway, I understand why we went to the other Temples first, because after seeing Angkor Wat the other ones aren't as awe inspiring. Still incredible and worth visiting but not as big or grand. All were equally busy though, which was probably contributing to my grumpiness, I really don't like crowds that leave no room for personal space.

      There are only two gates giving access to the Temple, one at the east and one at the west. The temple is lined up perfectly too which is impressive, we used a compass to check! The east west orientation is partly to do with Chinese Fung Shui (how the heck do you spell that?) and also to do with the sun rising and setting. I guess on June 21 the sun is aligned perfectly with the top of the tower. We entered through the smaller, secondary gate and approached the temple from the back. There was a long walk to the temple and it offered some good views! The temple is definitely massive and showing signs of wear and tear. There are multiple courtyards inside and vast, tall walls. Pretty cool place! I really wanted to stay longer and just sit and soak in the peaceful feeling I was getting from being there. Surprisingly the temple seemed quiet even though there were TONS of tourists there. There were also a few monks scattered throughout doing their thing independent of the tourists wandering around. Was pretty cool :) We didn't wait in the two hour line to climb the steps to go to the upper, most holy portion of the temple though. Speaking of steps, the thing that amazed me the most about Angkor Wat was the incredibly steep stairs! Imagining people climbing those every day is crazy. My knees would not like that one little bit. I also really enjoyed all the little carvings scattered throughout the temple, and the wide variation in colouring of the stone. I know that the lighter coloured stones are more recent and come from restoration work, but the dark greys, blacks, and oranges are pretty cool! Definitely glad to have seen it.      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Angkor Temples - Ta Prohm

      26 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      The second temple we visited is best known because Tomb Raider was filmed there. On the way there we learned that all the green spaces in between the various Temples would have been where common folk lived in wooden structures. The main temple is apparently in the shape of a lotus, but I didn't see that personally. To be honest I wasn't really paying too close of attention, just following the quick moving guide and trying not to fall behind too much. This temple is incredibly complicated and I definitely almost got lost a few times.. Too busy taking photos and observing things!

      This temple is less "touched" than the others, it's been allowed to remain a bit overgrown and there are trees and other plants growing out from between rocks where you wouldn't even think they could survive. It's a pretty neat temple! Definitely my favourite of the three we saw today, but of course my favourite places always seem to be ones that don't photograph all that well. Places you have to see for yourself I guess ;) I just can only imagine what these Temples must have looked like back in the day when they were still covered with gold and gems. One room we saw had a bunch of holes in the walls that apparently would have once housed gems like sapphires. The light in there would have been incredible! I wonder if anyone has ever done a virtual reconstruction. I'd love to see it.

      We stopped for lunch after this temple at a nearby restaurant and I tried a traditional Cambodian dish of Beef Lok Lak which was amazing. It was beef cooked with green peppers and onions in a semi sweet sauce, then you mixed into it a spicy, sour black pepper sauce and ate with rice. So delicious! One of the best things I've eaten to be honest. I hear that Cambodia is famous for it's black pepper, I'll probably have to bring some home. I also had a fresh lime juice for lunch that was pleasantly sour ;)      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Angkor Temples - Bayon

      26 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      We left first thing in the morning to explore 3 of the Temples at Angkor Wat! We had a local guide for the entire day and two private vans to take us around.

      On the ride over our guide, Potha (spelling?), explained a bit of the history of Cambodia to us. Recently, 8 million people were killed in genocide, and for comparison, there are currently 23 million people living in Cambodia. Our guide himself lost 4 of his family members because they were doctors. The genocide focused on killing all educated people. Presumably so that the population would be easier to control and there would be more labourers to grow food for China. Apparently there's a good movie to watch to learn more called "First they Killed my Father" in partnership with Angeina Jolie. She apparently has a soft spot for Cambodia, and we'll be visiting the temple that tomb raider was filmed in. We also learned that all of these Temples were once covered in gold and jewels but were raided when Thailand defeated Cambodia in a war. The first documentation of the Temples of Angkor Wat were photographs by a French man in 1920.

      We stopped before entering the grounds to obtain our passes which are good for three days. They took our photos and we were good to continue on! The Temples are surrounded by a huge moat and even though the water looked quite disgusting there were children swimming in the water.

      So, the first temple we visited was called Bayon which means magic because of all the faces carved into the towers on the temple. There are four faces which face NSEW and stand for love, compassion, sympathy, and neutrality; the four faces of a good person.

      The temple was big and filled with very steep steps, narrow corridors, and lots of space for praying. Restoration efforts haven't been completed yet and there are still piles of rocks lying around, but the effect is impressive nonetheless. Some of the carved faces have been defaced as the Temple was originally Buddhist, but at one point in history an evil king tried to change all the carvings to represent the Hindu religion. So third eye has been added in many places. All the carvings were done after the stones were placed for construction and you can see in some stones holes that were drilled so that workers could insert sticks into the stones to ease in transportation. The quarry is 55 km away and of course during that time everything would have been walked over on the backs of labourers.. Or floated down the river for a short while. A person would have dedicated their entire life to building one of these Temples.

      For those of you who maybe don't know, Angkor is a "city" filled with Temples, and there is a specific temple in the complex called Angkor Wat, the famous one that some consider a wonder of the world. That was the third temple that we visited.      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Transfer to Siem Reap

      25 de fevereiro de 2017, Camboja ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

      Today we left at 9am to catch a bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia. If my lovely roommate, Jessica, hadn't worken me I would have missed it. I had forgotten to set an alarm! I probably fell asleep with my phone in my hand.. I felt surprisingly good today though :)

      The drive to the Cambodian border took about 4 or 5 hours and we stopped to use the washroom and for lunch. We ate chicken with rice and I had an iced coffee which was lovely. I slept for most of the bus ride, still exhausted from now 3 nights of very little sleep.

      The border crossing was crazy! It seemed so informal to me and had I been alone I'm sure that I would have messed something up somehow. First you leave Thailand, then walk a few hundred metres to the Cambodian Visa office to obtain your visa. The walk wasn't direct though, it was through a little town and didn't have much signage. Makes me wonder how they truly monitor who's entering the country. Anyway, after obtaining our visas we walked to the "entry point" which was just a small office along side a street as you walked into the country.. All very confusing. But of course, the group leaders knew exactly what to do so it went smoothly.

      After officially entering the country we waited at a little shop for a transfer bus to take us to the bigger bus we'd complete our trip in. We all had a beer here! And the bus arrived sooner than expected so we brought them onto the bus with us... All totally normal apparently, the driver didn't even blink. Our laws are so strict at home it's ridiculous.Once onto the big bus we were far more comfortable and the ride went quickly. It feels strange to be driving on the right side of the road again... Toni and Eric delivered their formal welcome speech and ran over a few important things with us. It reminded me of being in school again.. But totally necessary I know, and I don't feel like the rest of the trip will be so formal. They just asked about respect, not to give to child beggars, quality of life is different here, don't expect comforts of home, etc etc. What I found particularly interesting is that the primary currency is USD. And the secondary the Riel. And even more confusing, it that the USD is predominate, but you will receive any change less than a dollar in Riels. So no coins at all. Which will be fun to figure out haha. 1000 Riel is approximately $0.25 USD

      When we arrived at the hotel, Popular Guesthouse, I had so many notifications on my phone it took me almost an hour to go through them all.... Mostly birthday wishes! And that left me a short time to socialize before heading down to the restauarant to meet the group for a "family dinner" and get to know one another a bit better.

      After dinner, most people went to bed as they were exhausted form last nights activities and travelling all day, and probably jet lagged too. Glad I don't have to worry about that one!

      So even though I was exhausted, my new roommate Kayla and I walked the 5 minutes to pub street. We stopped at the Temple Bar because it looked pretty fun and shared two $4 pitchers! The rooftop had a live band, a fountain, and all bean bag chairs. It was pretty great. It was nice to just relax and listen to music from home sung by great voices. When we decided to leave at about 11pm the club downstairs was going strong. I'm sure that we'll be back! When we're not exhausted and have a big day tomorrow exploring the Temples at Angkor Wat!      Leia mais

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    • Kirsti MathiasenKirsti MathiasenAsia-Pacific 2017

      Goodbye Singapore, Hello Bangkok

      24 de fevereiro de 2017, Tailândia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      Morning came way too fast today... Somehow I manged to get out of bed, shower, pack, eat, and checkout all on time. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day though!

      I made it to the airport easily and had a relatively short wait. While I waited I called mom and dad and they also sang me happy birthday :) that was sweet! I have to comment that I saw the strangest way to queue for a toilet today..... Instead of forming one long line and using whichever stall became available next, women were lining up outside of individual stalls... I don't know why that struck me as so strange but I don't like it! How do I know who's going to take the longest?! Or be the quickest?! Anyway, just a fun fact.

      We landed in Bangkok on time after a very turbulent flight. That was annoying and made me a bit dizzy to be honest.. Maybe something to do with the rain in Singapore? The guy sitting next to me was terrified haha always jumping and grabbing the armrests. I don't think that he's flown all that much? But anyway, we landed without any problems and I was able to quickly and easily find my way out, collect my bags, and get a taxi.

      What I noticed immediately was the chaos of the city, even in the airport, compared to Singapore. Compared to Nepal though it was still fairly structured. There is definitely a lack of personal space here too that I was expecting from Asia but didn't notice in Nepal and Singapore. And it's hot. Very Humid as well. To get a taxi from the airport you line up to take a number from a machine and then walk to the appropriate parking stall. I was so exhausted that I ended up dozing on the almost 30 minute ride to the hotel. I tried really hard to stay awake but it just wasn't working for me.. They drive on the left side of the road here in Thailand too, and don't use turn signals at all. The lane markings are more of a guideline here too I notice, but again, not as bad as Nepal!

      When I arrived at the hotel I checked into my room and organized my things into one bag, putting all my items from my carryon into my backpack. My roommate hadn't arrived yet, but there is a Facebook group for all the members on the tour which someone had posted in saying they were down at the bar. So I fought sleep and went down to meet my first new friend! I should mention that the tour company I'm with is Free and Easy Traveller, just in case anyone is interested. Anyway, this fellows name is Josh and we had a few beers and shared some apples while Chatting and observing other people coming in. At some point the group leaders, Toni and Eric, came by and introduced themselves. We were also eventually joined by more travellers from the group.

      We all went out for dinner to a nearby restaurant and I had a red curry soup thing with rice. It was really great! The prices here are so much more reasonable than in Singapore too. I think that dinner and a couple beers was only the equivalent of about $5. It seems like the group is a good mix of people all from different points in their lives. There are first time travellers, experienced travellers, recent high school graduates, and folk well established in their careers. There are about 20 of us all together, should be a good group to spend the next 25 days with!

      From dinner we walked over to Khao San Road, the party street of Bangkok and apparently the place to be. And, I accidentally let it slip to one person that it was my birthday and he told everyone so I had to go out and celebrate with them :p Khao San Road is crazy! You can drink anywhere on the streets and there are buckets of alcohol you can buy for about $10 that contain a ton of alcohol and just get you right done. It wasn't long before things became a bit fuzzy for me.. But the vibe was pretty neat! Tons of people in the streets from all over the world just partying and having fun. There were folk walking around with fried scorpions to eat and lots of men asking if we wanted to see "ping pong shows" luckily my friends from Brazil told me what they are ahead of time. Basically women on stage doing things with ping pong balls and their intimate parts... Not the vibe I'm feeling! Anyway, the night slipped by and was a ton of fun :) Eventually I couldn't fight the sheer exhaustion anymore and walked back to the hotel. The walk seemed to take forever even though we were only a few blocks away... Must have gotten lost ;)

      A fun fact, as I go through my days I make notes before turning those notes into a fully formed blog post and here's one note that I wrote to myself while drinking on the streets of Bangkok:

      "So much party can't handle"

      Was a good start to the trip, we'll see how the rest goes ;)      Leia mais

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