Previously ‘Room For Adventure’
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
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Introduce Yourself (Example Post)
I’ve left this here for the time being because I thought it was good advice for those who may be in the process of starting their own blog..
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
What is Kuta, Lombok, Trying To Be?
I first came to Kuta, Lombok, Indonesia about seven years ago. It was wonderful! I was able to eat all the local Indonesian delicacies from Nasi Campur to Bakso in warung like operations and feel immersed in Indonesia ways, style, language and culture. I was close to a number of lovely beaches and had no fear of feeling cold physically or emotionally.
It’s over a year since I have been to Kuta, Lombok and I feel the confusion continues to gather pace. That wonderful experience I enjoyed seven years ago gives way ever more submissively to western food and fashion clothing outlets promoted by young Indonesian males calling me ‘boss’ with an Australian accent and forever ready with a disparaging word once I admit it’s not really what I am looking for.
Mia Mia’s Kitchen, see photo, however does feel it’s putting up a fight. A menu displaying a mix of traditional Indonesian dishes and simpler western favorites at realistic prices and providing service with a genuine warmth, it’s clearly become a favorite with the more discerning visitors, including me!! Bintang available.
Phnom Penh To Kampot By Train
The 3pm departure from Phnom Penh was punctual but snail like. Snail like for at least the first forty mins which saw the train crawl through the Phnom Penh suburbs allowing passengers to witness the curious phenomena of life close to a railway line being either attractive or imperative for swathes of what appear to be normal people in the first instance.
The heavily streamlined engine unit pulled two covered, air conditioned carriages and several goods wagons. The carriage’s centre aisled, padded, un-ergonomic, bench style seats held the uncanny ability to prevent sleep beyond the first fifteen minutes of the five hour journey to Kampot. As if in evil collusion the deceptively mild looking air con units produced an icy awakeness in the carriage to seemingly endorse the seats no sleep regime.
The engine driver had clearly been cautioned over admittance of freeloading, hop on, hop off passengers in response to which he was well advanced in cleverly creating a pretense of enormous speed through use of the powerful air horn to mimick the fast moving emergency vehicle passing you with it’s siren blaring effect.
I was often struck by the extent of the flat open space we passed through that was either non arable or supported a crop that left little evidence of it’s presence after harvesting. There was the occasional house visible often with tethered white ox type cattle in the fields nearby. Were the proceeds from sale of the cattle their main means of income? I tried to imagine the life style of families living in these remote areas.
At around the half way mark the train pulled up at Takeo station where we were invited to alight and purchase refreshments from the locals. Apart from eggs fish and chicken most of the remaining offerings were unfamiliar to us and purchased out of intrigue, I felt. I gauged the reaction in the carriage to the taste of the unfamiliar foods as pleasant surprise but it could have simply been the joy of temporary distraction from the seat and air con torture.
The pen-ultimate hour or so of the journey saw the sun go down on the starboard side of the train that I translated as a sort of re-assurance that time was indeed passing and in theory at least our destination approaching.
Our arrival at around 8pm in Kampot was met by the noisy, inquisitive but friendly sprinkling of Tuk Tuk drivers. I paid $5 to get away from the railway and into town.
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| Takeo Station |
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| Goods wagons |
Golden Noura Villa, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
For the last four nights I have enjoyed my stay at Golden Noura Villa, Street 178, Phnom Penh. The staff are great, friendly and helpful. I have stayed on the fourth floor. There are no lifts and I think I have improved my fitness with the two or three ascents a day to my room.
Everything works in the room although the aircon was a little noisy and not greatly efficient, but adequate. The wifi was good enough to give me trouble free access to BBC world program or Spotify. See the speed check result here. The mattress was firm foam I believe. I slept well each night. Cleanliness was good throughout. The bathroom provided a hot water shower which fluctuated in flow and temperature as other rooms nearby used water (I assume).
Dark, rich, robust wood figured heavily in the decor and style which produces a feeling of satisfied well being in me. There was enough space in the room for me to have no excuse not to pursue my prison workout.
The cost was $15 a night which seemed reasonable value for money based on two other Phnom Penh guest houses I stayed in prior to coming to Golden Noura Villa.
Coffee Today, 178 Street, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Yesterday, I visited Coffee Today (again), 178 Street, Phnom Penh.
Coffee is good taste and value at $1.30 for a medium americano. I find the Pan Au Raisin irresistable!
The location seems to attract the student type with expensive lap top. Interior decor is pleasant, modern, comfortable. Background music. Wifi / internet connection was poor.
Coffee Today, 178 Street, Phnom Penh.. Check out the Speedtest result! How fast is your internet? https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/4643676603
Phnom Penh Railway Station
South bound trains from Phnom Penh in Cambodia run on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and some public holidays) between Phnom Penh Railway Station and Sihanoukville via Kampot.
The Royal Cambodia Railway facebook page has more information on the rail services operating in Cambodia.
The walk from the Phnom Penh Royal Palace area to the Railway Station on 110 street took me almost thirty minutes (propelling my step count into healthy territory)!
I have purchased a ticket for the 3pm train this coming friday to Kampot at $7. The train will arrive in Kampot between 7 and 8pm suggesting a slow journey with variables!
Cafe Soleil, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Cafe Soleil (vegetarian), Phnom Penh, breakfast. $4. Tomato omelette with parmesan cheese and baguette plus good americano coffee. Very pleasant, relaxed surroundings, very fast wifi / internet connection.
Cafe Soleil Speedtest Result
Cafe Soleil, Phnom Penh.. Check out the wifi internet Speedtest result!
https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/4643368290
Manila Costs 2012
I flew in to Clarke with Air Asia. At 12.15am the immigration queue was only an hour long. In the arrival concourse I could see the Philtranco and Victory Liner coach booths were not only shut but folded away. I pondered the situation. I hadn’t booked a room for the night, anticipating a night of coach travel and general faffing around. Now it appeared the faffing around was for certain and the coach travel off the radar.
I overheard a western guy request a taxi of a lady sat in something like a converted wardrobe. I hung some faith on him and explained my predicament. He knew the lie of the land. I needed to get to Dau (pronounced Da-oo). At Dau there was a bus station with regular buses into metro Manila. At the wardrobe I echoed my western experts words, 400 peso, she said, and I received a piece of paper that had a, not accidental, tear in it. There was nothing written or printed on the paper but a least I felt I’d entered a process.
In less than a minute another lady, with a walkie talkie, arrived by my side. She must have spotted my torn paper. Where you going? She asked. Dau bus terminal I said. She beckoned me to follow her. We began in the direction of several taxis but at three paces she was in demand from a man speaking aggravated Tagalog. I ambled on toward the leading taxi. A driver opened the trunk and I heaved my bag in. I took up residence in the front passenger seat. A different driver appeared. Where you going? I told him as if I did this every week. 500 pesos he said. 400 I said. The door slammed and he walked away.
The walkie talkie lady turned up and ushered a couple into the back seat. Another different driver slotted in and we were moving. I’m tired, irritable and irritated. So this is a shared taxi I said into the black night air inside the cab. It brought a grunt of acknowledgement from the driver who was clearly another expert at welcoming new arrivals to his beautiful land, removing any anxieties they may have and cleverly anticipating questions with the content of his friendly chatter. I looked over to see if he had a mouth. How much is my fare? I asked. Two. He said. He had a mouth, on rations.
Ao Nang Beach
The south end of Ao Nang beach holds little interest for me. The massage huts are fronted by female massage touts who always ask ‘massage?’ in a tone that suggests you must be stupid because you don’t seem to have have noticed that this stretch of the beach is given over entirely to massage. The tone holds a ring of surprise too. Surprise, I guess, that a Farang has the audacity to march through this stretch of beach without the slightest interest in massage. That’s why I’m here love, but they’d never understand that.
I used to enjoy a diet coke and an hours read of the latest novel I had on board at ‘The Last Cafe’ but, during my visit in late June / early July this year , ‘The Last Cafe’ didn’t seem to be operational. Either seasonal or a global economy casualty.
The north end of the beach I really like.
Down The Road 