Gauntlet - Episode 1: Pailin

Cambodia, Pailin province - Jun 24-26, 2014 - And so, we embarked on our first travelling trip together. It was to be an emancipatory journey of mutual discovery. However, I have now dubbed it "Gauntlet" because of poorly-planned, nerve-wracking hassle it sometimes ended up being. Luckily, I will endeavour to present the more interesting things I managed to capture on our three week gauntlet through Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, instead of boring you with any less-than-humorous details of logistical fuckups and whatnot elses. Pailin is a very small province located on the Cambodian-Thai border, wedged in between the Cardomom Mountains in the South and the rice fields of Battambang to the North. Once one of Pol Pot's most infamous strongholds, it's now mainly farmland, as well as an attraction for scientists who are researching a medicine-resistant strain of malaria that has cropped up round there. It is very peaceful and calm in the hills.

Matt's selected readings (Brunner, Lewis, Hesse, Lao-English/English-Lao Dictionary).

Neng's selected readings (Shakespeare, Rousseau, world history, important names of science).

Memoria Palace is a beautiful, quaint little place nestled at the foot of the mountains. At $35 per night in low season, I'd highly recommend it.

There are plenty of geese running around.

And other things.

There is not a whole lot to do in Pailin, but go to fruit farms. These are saomao (rambutan) trees.

Turain (durian).

Delicious lychee-like fruit called ________________ in Khmer. English name unknown.

One of the main crops of Pailin is doh-loang (cassava).

A spot of earth where they dig gems out of. Unfortunately, the machine was not present that rainy day.

See the rest of the our Cambodia/Thailand/Burma/Laos trip:
Episode 2: Bangkok, Thailand
Episode 3: Mae Sot, Thailand
Episode 4: Yangon, Myanmar
Episode 5: Bagan, Myanmar
Episode 6: Mandalay, Myanmar
Episode 7: Vientiane and Vang Vieng, Laos
Coda: Sihanoukville, Cambodia