an intermittent travel blog

Not currently blogging

2011-08-21T10:55:00.003-03:00

Life is too busy to blog with any consistency, so I'm taking an indefinite break from the blogosphere. I'll let everyone know if/when I start blogging again.

More Books, and update

2010-08-28T02:35:00.003-04:00

Since making my reading list post, I have picked up a few more novels: "Norweigan Wood" by Haruki Murakami and "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. My next book purchases will be law school books. Joy.

Also, I am sorry for not posting more often about my travels in Vietnam. My laptop is dying, I lost my memory stick, and internet access in Vietnam is less than stellar...so I have no real way of uploading photos to the blog. Without photos, a blog post would just be me rambling, and we all know that no one reads those posts. Since no photo tops this post, perhaps some of you haven't even gotten this far.

Anyway, I might make a few posts once I get back to the States just to round things off. Unless law school immediately consumes my life. Which it likely will.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

2010-08-20T11:02:00.003-04:00

If you like big cities with more than their fair share of ambient noise, filth, and prostitutes, then Saigon is the right city for you.

Ok, so that description does not hold true for all of the city, but it certainly holds true for Pham Ngu Lao, the main backpacker district in downtown Saigon. I got the impression that this area of Saigon hasn't changed all that much since circa 1970, the notable exception being that a hodgepodge of backpackers have now replaced the hodgepodge of American GIs. To be fair, the Dong Khoi area of central Saigon was extremely nice, at several locations even bordering on chic; the top revenue-generating Gucci in all SE Asia is located here (or at least that's what I'm told). Not exactly a tale of two cities -- I imagine that prostitutes can be found in Dong Khoi, though there would probably be a price differential -- but the contrasting areas do give Saigon something of a diverse cityscape.

Notable parts of my stay included a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, soaking up all of the overt propaganda (and I thought Laos was bad...), and hanging out with a fellow Berkeley alum. All conveniently represented in the photos below.

A shot of the vibrant night scene in Pham Ngu Lao.

A shot of the not-so-vibrant dinner scene for the lone traveler.

At the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Chillin' with a bust of Ho Chi Minh at the Cu Chi Tunnels. His face is predictably omnipresent in Vietnam.

One of the many propoganda posters that blanket the city. This one caught my eye because it appears that there is an AK-47 wielding backpacker on the far right. I suppose everyone has their place in the revolution...

Me and Crystal, a friend of a friend and fellow Berkeley grad. She and her dad run a factory that manufactures wooden shutters, and I was stoked to get an offer to tour the factory. As always, it was very good to spend time with Berkeley folk.

Luang Prabang

2010-08-19T09:39:00.006-04:00

Luang Prabang was the second and final stop of my journey through Laos. The central area of town has been selected as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its blend of traditional Lao and colonial French architecture. UNESCO definitely got this one right. The old town is built on a peninsula between the Nham Khan and the Mekong Rivers and is situated in a valley surrounded by verdant, cloud-covered mountains. It may be overrun with tourists -- of the backpacking and the suitcase-ing varieties -- yet the reason why is quite evident: Luang Prabang is stunningly beautiful. Notably, there are about a dozen wats (temples) in the town and the historic streets are all the more mystical for being tread by innumerable saffron-robed Buddhist monks.

Sunset over the Mekong on day #1 in Luang Prabang.

One of the many wats in town.

A group of novice monks crossing the river to reach the peninsula.

Sunset from a hill in central Luang Prabang on day #2. No sunset photo from day #3 because it was pouring down rain.

The town of Luang Prabang is gorgeous, however its attraction as a tourist city goes beyond the century-old wats and colonial facades. It is also the perfect base town to explore the local eco-tourism industry. I booked a tour that included kayaking on the rivers as well as a short elephant ride. Despite a copious amount of rainfall, the experience was nothing short of amazing. It didn't occur to me until later that these were my last moments with the Mekong, the river that has been a staple image throughout my time in SE Asia. I am very happy that I got to have some quality time with the river, cruising around on its muddy brown waters (apparently, in Laos, only that color during the rainy season) and communing with the striking natural beauty that it engenders.

Mountain, river, feet.

Kayaking pose. The helmet was a novel addition, though the life-vest smelled like other people's sweat. Ew.

For our elephant ride I volunteered to be the mahout. Elephants are surprisingly hairy, and the course hairs and rough skin are quite uncomfortable after a short while. Still, riding an elephant is awesome.

Along the Mekong River.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Laos. Everyone had told me to go there because "it won't be the same in 10 years." I tend to agree with their assessment. At the moment Laos is extremely chilled out, but it is only a matter of time before infrastructure is developed and the country begins to resemble its more developed neighbors (probably good for the Lao people, but not so good for the tourist looking for the road less traveled). I wish that I had more than 5 days in Laos, but I suppose that leaving so many places yet unvisited gives me all the more reason to go back. Maybe I'll wait 10 years and see how things will have come along.

Summer Reading List

2010-08-17T21:42:00.003-04:00

One of the things that I have most enjoyed about summer is having the time and energy to read for fun. During law school (and during undergrad, for that matter) I spent so much time reading for classes that the last thing I wanted to do at the end of the day as a means to unwind was open yet another book. Below is a list of what I've managed to get through this summer. As you can see, in addition to my Cambodia reading list, I've started to get into development.

The Civil Law Tradition, by John Henry Merryman &Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo. A quick survey of, you guessed it, the civil law tradition for us common law folks.
The Tragedy of Cambodian History, by David Chandler. An overly detailed account of Cambodian political history from 1945-1980. Notably, Chandler does not believe that the acts committed by the Khmer Rouge are technically genocide.
The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power and Genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, by Ben Kiernan. An overly detailed account of the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, 1975-1979. Kiernan's whole schtick is arguing that the Khmer Rouge committed genocide.
Cambodia: A Political Survey, by Michael Vickery. A political history of Cambodia from 1979-2006. First half is a well-founded critique of the geopolitical forces that caused the UN and US (and most of the rest of the int'l community) to SUPPORT the Khmer Rouge after they were overthrown; the second half uses this critique as a starting point for a misguided apology of the current Cambodian government.
First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung. A readable, first-person account of living through the Khmer Rouge period from the perspective of a small girl. It is basically an autobiography, the author having moved to the US after managing to get out of Cambodia post-79.
Buddhism Explained, by Laurence-Khantipab Mills. A rather un-Enlightening overview of Buddhism with a primary focus on Theravada traditions in Thailand.
Emergency Sex (and other desperate measures), by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thompson. An extremely entertaining series of autobiographical vignettes of 3 UN peacekeepers during the 90s. Starts out in Cambodia during the 1993 UN-sponsored election.
Red Lights & Green Lizards, by Liz Anderson. A mediocre autobiographical account of a 60-something volunteer working in Cambodia during the early 90s.
Globalization and Its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz. A damning analysis of IMF policies and the way that they serve as obstacles rather than aids to development. A very top-down view of economic development focused on international institutions.
The End of Poverty, by Jeffrey Sachs. An appeal for the most developed countries to drastically increase the amount of aid that they give to developing countries. A euphorically positive (simplistic and naive?) view of the relationship between foreign aid and development.
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, by David Landes. A history of economic development, written in a witty style that makes it much more readable than most history books attempting to span 1,000 years.

Vientiane, Laos

2010-08-14T10:33:00.008-04:00

So begin my journeys.

First stop, Vientiane, the capitol of Laos. I stayed for one and half days and mostly cruised around the city, digging everything that I could in the short time that I was there. Of course, being the capital of a tiny, landlocked, economically disadvantaged nation, Vientiane isn't exactly full of "must see" tourist stops. A couple of monuments, some temples, the National Museum, and a big crazy Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe...and that was about it. Word on the backpacker trail is that Vientiane is a "non-destination," a necessary stop-over on your way to more exciting places like Luang Prabang (see upcoming post).

While it wasn't the nicest or most memorable place that I've seen, I disagree with the conventional wisdom (if prevailing opinion among backpackers may even loosely be defined as "wisdom"). I liked Vientiane. It has the same chilled-out, slow-paced atmosphere that was present in Cambodian provincial towns, giving it a quaint backwater vibe that I quite enjoyed. It is a great place to drink a slow cup of morning coffee, read a book, and feel somewhat unobtrusive despite being 10 times taller than everyone. Also, hour-long foot massage for $5? You can't go wrong.

Patuxai monument...French neo-classicism meets SE Asia. In a remarkable display of blunt honestly, the official sign notes that "from a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete." All of the propagandists must have been busy working on the museum (see below)...

At Pha That Luang, a stupa that sits on the site of a previous stupa which, according to legend, was built by the Indian emperor Ashoka to house a piece of the Buddha's breastbone.

Lao-style wat (temple), slightly different from Cambodian architecture, but mostly the same. As a native to SE Asia would say: "same same but different."

I must admit, before arriving to Laos (read: before digging into the Lonely Planet section on Laos), I had no idea that it was a one-Party, authoritarian "communist" state like China and Vietnam. It is. As if there was any doubt, these two jokers are featured prominently in the National Museum. Because Marx and Lenin are Lao.

It's a little tough to read, but this sign in the National Museum, which introduces one small section on the second floor, states that the exhibits show "the fighting to liberate the country against the American imperialists and their puppet soldiers from 1954-63."

Tons of Buddha statues line the wall of this wat.

Another one of the wats I visited, after the clouds had mostly cleared a bit of blue sky crept out.

Lea Hai, Kampuchea!

2010-08-10T07:14:00.003-04:00

"Good-bye, Cambodia!"

That's right, my internship at the ECCC, and hence my time in Cambodia, has come to a close. The past three months have been amazing. I learned a lot in the course of my work, I met some great friends and mentors, and I got to explore some of the beauty that is Cambodia. All in all, a very successful and enjoyable adventure.

But the adventure is not over yet.

Before going back to Cambridge at the end of August, I will spend the next three weeks traveling around Laos and Vietnam. I am very excited to once again return to life on the road in a manner more akin to my previous travels.

Stay tuned for postings and pictures!

This is what I think of when I think of Cambodia...

2010-08-07T00:13:00.003-04:00

A photo from my first week in Cambodia, taken at the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh.

Angkor Wat

2010-08-05T12:30:00.010-04:00

A few weekends ago I finally made a weekend trip to the tourist Mecca of Cambodia: Angkor Wat. I intentionally saved this trip to be my last within Cambodia, employing the tried and true "save the best for last" rationale. I am glad that I did.

Angkor Wat is merely one of many temple complexes in a large area near the city of Siem Reap. We spent two days exploring the area, and I easily could have spent another week there to deepen my appreciation of the main temple complexes and also visit some of the more distant ruins. Here are just a few of the hundreds of photos that I took:

The highlight of the trip was watching sunrise over Angkor Wat.

One of the more spectacular sunrises that I have seen.

In front of the east gate of Angkor Wat.

The Bayon temple complex.

The jungle has reclaimed parts the temples.

Beautiful stone relief carvings everywhere.

This tree is now known universally as the "Tomb Raider Tree" as a result of being featured in Angelina Jolie's film. It is obligatory to pose like this for a photo.

Our crew in front of another exhibit of man v. jungle.

I heart Angkor Wat.

Duch Verdict: Huffington Post Article

2010-08-04T07:48:00.004-04:00

I saw this article in the Huffington Post, titled "The Khmer Rouge Tribunal: Caught Between Multiple Masters?" I think that the article aptly identifies and describes one of the fundamental issues in the field of transitional justice (and in the field of development more generally): that the competing interests resulting from the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the accompanying (and often diverging) variety of expectations that each holds, makes it difficult for international interventions to please everyone. This passage from the article sums it up:

"The court -- like other international war crimes tribunals -- is thus caught between several constituencies: On one hand, it seeks to uphold rule-of-law norms, provide defendants with adequate legal resources and procedural safeguards, and ensure a modicum of judicial independence from both the Cambodian government and populist sentiment. On another, it must serve the international community that both funds and staffs it and sees in international tribunals a mechanism to spread legal and humanitarian norms. Finally, and most importantly, it must appease the Cambodian people, the true source of the tribunal's legitimacy."

I do not take an official position on the verdict (I am working at the tribunal, after all). I am also not entirely sure whether the final "constituency" mentioned in the quoted passage really is the "most important." It is the fact that there are multiple and potentially conflicting constituencies that is important here. While I acknowledge and respect the anger/frustration/disappointment that many victims have expressed with regard to the verdict, I feel that the article's recognition that victims are not the only stakeholders in this process (though they certainly are an important one) adds a much needed and more nuanced perspective to the public dialogue about the ECCC -- a perspective that has been remarkably absent from the international media coverage of the verdict.

Random Photos

2010-08-03T18:52:00.004-04:00

In front of the trial chambers of the ECCC.

On the balcony at a friend's apt, in front of the National Museum.

Kampong Thom and Sambor Prei Kuk

2010-07-27T10:57:00.009-04:00

A view Kampong Thom over the Stung Sen river.

After spending 4th of July weekend in Phnom Penh, I decided to take weekend trip #5 with my friend Nono to the town of Kampong Thom. Kampong Thom is yet another sleepy provincial capital, but unlike most of the other towns that I have visited, this one was altogether bereft of tourists. To a large extent this was simply due to the fact that we visited during low season, when there are much fewer tourists tromping around Cambodia. But given the apparent lack of tourist infrastructure (there was only 1 fancy hotel, no bus station to speak of, perhaps 1 or 2 Westernized restaurants, etc.), I get the feeling that Kampong Thom doesn't see many visitors during the high tourist season either. Nono and I only saw another 3-4 barangs ("foreigners") during out stay. It was nice to get away, and it was also great to get the chance to practice my Khmei. We stayed at an empty, random little hotel and got beers at an empty, random little restaurant. It was great fun.

This was my first time trying Angkor stout. Angkor is essentially the Cambodian national beer, and is notorious among the foreigners for being rather watery and lackluster. The stout, however, was actually quite good.

Nono chose the classic Angkor.

Though the Angkor stout was nice, the main reason that we choose to go to Kampong Thom was to visit the nearby archaeological site Sambor Prei Kuk. The site is home to a collection of 7th century, pre-Angkor temples from the Chenla culture. As a fanatic of religious history, I was completely enthralled by the site. Many of the temples were quite modest in size, but it was my first time seeing an entire temple complex built in the Brahmanical/Hindu tradition. I was fascinated by everything, though when our local guide explained many of the religious motifs I realized how much I had forgotten of my undergraduate studies. I appreciated being reminded of my former life as a religious historian, and I appreciated the beauty of Sambor Prei Kuk.

The archaeological site is a 1-hour motorcycle ride outside of Kampong Thom. We brought our helmets specifically for this little adventure.

The moto ride provided us with a scenic passage through isolated farming villages, surrounded by seemingly endless rice fields that stretched all the way to the horizon.

For the first time, I saw many people working in the rice fields. Some of the activity appeared to be part of the mid-year harvest. At other times, the workers seemed to be engaged in the intermediary step of transplanting young rice shoots to new fields.

Nono and I in front of a temple that has been reclaimed by the jungle.

This is one of the largest temples in the complex.

Me posing with a well-preserved lion statute. Cambodia is full of lion imagery, which is amusing given that there are no lions here. Apparently the imagery was imported from South Asia...though as far as I know, there are no lions there either.

You can get a sense of the scale of the temples...imposing, but not grandiose.

One of the Brahmanical/Hindu statutes inside a temple.

This gateway has also been reclaimed by the jungle. For the most part, the trees pose a great threat to the structures, as the root systems push apart and destabilize the stones. Here, the rest of the gateway seems to have been destroyed, but the tree is actually supporting the main arch.

One final point to note about Sambor Prei Kuk. At various locations around the complex are large, house-sized depressions in the ground. These are craters left from the American bombing campaign in Cambodia during and shortly after the Vietnam War. Our guide told us that one of the most well-preserved temples had its top blown off by an American bomb. In addition to the countless lives lost during the conflict (American, Vietnamese, Cambodian, etc.), the hostilities also caused significant "collateral damage," merely one form of which is damage to cultural heritage sites like Sambor Prei Kuk. These things are worth remembering.

Cambodia Tidbit #3: Fried Tarantula

2010-07-27T10:34:00.006-04:00

I have yet to fulfill my vow to eat fried crickets off the streets of Phnom Penh. However, in spite of my emphatic refusal to eat the fried tarantulas, I have actually done so.

The tarantulas are lightly fried, but not battered or breaded. They simply look like enormous, disgusting spiders. The legs are crispy. The body has a thin, crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. The spider itself didn't have a strong taste, but then again, I bathed the whole thing in a quintessentially Cambodian salt/pepper/chili/lime sauce, which dominated the flavor.

At this point, I am not sure whether I will even try and eat the crickets. Seems like it might be sort of anti-climactic after sinking my teeth into a big, hairy tarantula.

Here is the photo sequence to prove it:

ECCC Issues First Judgment: Duch Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes

2010-07-26T08:37:00.005-04:00

The Trial Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia issued the first judgment of the tribunal earlier today. In short, the Trial Chamber found Kaing Geuk Eav (alias Duch) guilt of the international offenses of crimes against humanity and war crimes (violations of the Geneva Conventions), sentencing him to serve an additional 19 years imprisonment (35 year sentence less 5 years for the violation of his rights via a previous illegal imprisonment less another 10 years for time already served).

Here are excerpts from the ECCC press release:

"KAING Guek Eav, the first person to stand trial before the ECCC, served as Deputy and then Chairman of S-21, a security centre tasked with interrogating and executing persons perceived as enemies of Democratic Kampuchea by the Communist Party of Kampuchea. S-21 was operational between 1975 and 1979. The Chamber found that every individual detained within S-21 was destined for execution in accordance with the Communist Party of Kampuchea policy to “smash” all enemies. In addition to mass executions, many detainees died as a result of torture and their conditions of detention. Although finding a minimum of 12,272 individuals to have been detained and executed at S-21 on the basis of prisoner lists, the Chamber indicated that the actual number of detainees is likely to have been considerably greater.

********

KAING Guek Eav was convicted of crimes against humanity (persecution on political grounds) (incorporating various other crimes against humanity, including extermination, imprisonment and torture), as well as numerous grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, for which, by a majority, the Chamber imposed a single, consolidated sentence of 35 (thirty-five) years of imprisonment.

********

The Chamber decided that there are significant mitigating factors that mandated the imposition of a finite term of imprisonment rather than one of life imprisonment. These factors include cooperation with the Chamber, admission of responsibility, limited expressions of remorse, the coercive environment in Democratic Kampuchea, and the potential for rehabilitation.

Following an earlier decision of the Chamber of 15 June 2009, the Chamber considered that a reduction in the above sentence of 5 (five) years was appropriate given the violation of KAING Guek Eav’s rights occasioned by his illegal detention by the Cambodian Military Court between 10 May 1999 and 30 July 2007. KAING Guek Eav is further entitled to credit for time already spent in detention, under the authority both of the Cambodian Military Court and the ECCC.

In its judgement, the Trial Chamber declared 66 Civil Parties either to have established their claim to be immediate victims of S-21 or S-24, or to have proved the existence of immediate victims of S-21 or S-24 and close kinship or particular bonds of affection or dependency in relation to them. They have further shown that the death of these victims caused demonstrable injury and that this harm was a direct consequence of KAING Guek Eav’s offending. The Chamber granted the request of these Civil Parties that their names be included in the judgement. The Chamber rejected all Civil Party claims on the grounds of lack of specificity, or as being beyond the scope of available reparations before the ECCC. However, it ordered the compilation and publication of all statements of apology made by the Accused during the trial."

Next step: the appeal. This is isn't yet, folks.

News Wrap Up:

NY Times - Khmer Rouge Figure Is Found Guilty of War Crimes
Washington Post - Khmer Rouge's Chief Jailer Guilt of War Crimes
BBC - Khmer Rouge Prison Chief Duch Found Guilty
CNN - War Crimes Tribunal Finds Duch Guilty In Khmer Rouge Genocide
AP - Khmer Rouge Jailer Faces 19 Years for 16,000 Dead

Chilean Catholic Church Seeks Pardon for Military Criminals

2010-07-25T10:41:00.004-04:00

I know that my new adventure is in Cambodia, but I am compelled to share this BBC article about the scene of my last adventure: Chile. Apparently a group of Chilean bishops have written a letter to Sebastian Piñera, the new Chilean president, asking him to grant clemency to certain groups of people, including former members of the military convicted for crimes committed during Pinochet's dictatorship...so long as they show repentance.

I don't have time enough to comment on this in any depth, but check out this post by Lillie from Memory in Latin America, which expresses some of my own sentiments.

***UPDATE*** : Piñera has rejected the proposed pardon.

Cambodia Tidbit #2: Genocide Jokes(?)

2010-07-23T07:39:00.004-04:00

In addition to teaching us language skills, our Khmei teacher also sometimes throws in small cultural lessons. At times he is able to incorporate those into the lesson (I know how to say "Pol Pot killed many people" in Khmei), but other times he makes other comments during a quick aside. He LOVES jokes and is always telling us bad puns and then laughing hysterically at his own wit. We love it. (Dad, you would too!)

The other day he had us reciting sentences once again about Pol Pot killing many people. Then he stopped and told us that there was a saying that everyone in Cambodia knows. We were expecting a joke. This is what we got:

Q: Who was worse, Pol Pot or Hitler?
A: Pol Pot, because he killed his own people.

No laughter, no joking. It's clearly not something to be joking about, we thought, and we were all sort of stunned after he dropped that bomb in the middle of class. Then he told us that he had another "saying." We braced ourselves.

Q: If you had a gun with two bullets and had both Pol Pot and Hitler standing in front of you, who would you shoot first?
A: Shoot Pol Pot twice!

Of course, after letting this bomb drop our teacher started cracking up and could barely contain his giggles. Talk about some dark humor. The whole thing reminded me of a book that we had to read during an Intro to Cultural Anthropology class that I took freshman year during college. It is very interesting to see the ways that Cambodian society is (and is not) dealing with the legacy of the Khmer Rouge, and our teacher's "sayings" stand out in my mind as some poignant examples of the way Cambodia's tragic history is worked out in popular culture. I'll let you all think over whether you would shoot Pol Pot or Hitler first...

Kampot

2010-07-13T09:59:00.010-04:00

A view of Bokor Mountain from our hotel in Kampot.

A few weeks ago I took weekend trip #4 along with some friends from the court, heading over to the old port city of Kampot. Once the deep-water port at Sihanoukville was discovered, Kampot transformed from a thriving port town to yet another (wonderful) sleepy provincial capital. In many ways the town itself reminded me of my previous weekend trip to Kratie, though Kampot has more of a coastal flavor than Mekong-dominated Kratie.

The main reason that we decided to go to Kampot was to hike up Bokor Mountain. The coastal mountaintop is well-known for its unusually (for Cambodia) cool weather, and so during the colonial era the French built an enormous casino/hotel on the summit to serve as a vacation get-a-way for the rich French colonialists. Over time other buildings were added -- such as a post-office, a few smaller houses, a petite Catholic Church, etc. -- and so the mountain hosted a small settlement. When they Khmer Rouge took power they targeted the hilltop casino as a symbol of the bourgeois imperialism that they so detested, bombing out the building and leaving it gutted. During the war with Vietnam, the hill was violently fought over given its strategic value. Nowadays the casino is an abandoned modern ruin that tourists can visit by hiking up the mountain and then tromping around the cloud covered ruins.

A quick note: if you are interested in going, act fast. The Chinese bought the mountain (yes, these things are for sale in Cambodia) and have already started building their own casino resort that is sure to drastically alter the character of the mountain. Our guide also told us that they are thinking about restoring the old French casino...so in about 10 years time, it will certainly not be the same.

Our guide's nickname was "Mr. Tree," which should not be surprising based on this photo. What is shocking is his story. He grew up living in the forest as a small child, but during the Khmer Rouge years he was forced to work in the rice fields like everyone else. One day his family was taken away to be killed, their wrists tied together in a line. After watching the soldiers kill his entire family, he somehow managed to escape and ran into the jungle. He survived alone in the jungle for the next two years, constantly roaming around to avoid detection. He later fought with the Vietnamese against the Khmer Rouge, had his leg injured by a landmine, and then later became a tour guide.

Our first view of the casino. We ate lunch on those steps. Very eerie.

More of the casino during the rain.

The interior was hollowed out and creepy, especially with the wind and the rain blowing in through the busted windows.

Close-up of a busted window.

On Sunday morning I took a morning trip out to visit some natural caves which harbor a 7th century Hindu shrine to Shiva. The tuk tuk ride out to the site led us through fields of bucolic rice patties and small farming villages. The cave was impressive as well, and it was the FIRST TIME that I ever saw a real life ancient Hindu shrine after having focused my undergrad studies on South Asian religions. Not to mention we met some cool local kids along the way.

Traditional Cambodian house in a farming village on the way to the cave.

The entrance to the cave, set in a small hill.

Me and Alex, with the lovely Cambodian countryside in the background.

2nd cave entrance, near the Shaivite shrine.

The shrine to Shiva, made from red-bricks. The stalactites hanging over it had descended over the millennium to cover the top of the shrine. On the inside of the shrine, a stalagmite served as the linga (a phallic stone representing Shiva).

Me and some of the kids who walked around with us.

On our way back to Phnom Penh we stopped in Kep to eat some of the famous crab. Last time I have been in Kep I had stomach problems and couldn't try the crabs, and I was excited to so this time. They tasted fine, but it was WAY too much work to get out WAY too little meat. I am glad to have tried it once, but I doubt that I will be wasting my energy trying to pick apart tiny pieces of crab in the near future. Still, a quick stop by the ocean is always a good way to end any weekend trip.

The crabs are caught right off the coast in a large market area. I think that when you order crab, they literally wade out to the traps, grab out a few handfuls, and then bring them in to cook for you fresh. Pretty cool.

BBQ squid, which I also tried. Not too shabby.

My plate full of crab and green Kampot pepper sauce. Yummy, but not worth the effort in my estimation.

Kratie

2010-07-04T19:03:00.009-04:00

The view from the boardwalk in Kratie, overlooking the Mekong River.

A few weekends ago I headed off for weekend trip #3, to what Lonely Planet described as a "lively riverside town." I think that they got the last two words right, but I might replace the first with "sleepy" instead. Anyway, I was looking to get away from the liveliness of Phnom Penh and dig the slow and easy life while exploring some of Cambodia's interior. Kratie was the right place to do it.

Our weekend consisted of two main activities. First, we hopped on a local ferry boat over to a nearby island in the Mekong. There we rented some rusty bicycles and took a leisurely ride around the island. The island is great because it is essentially an isolated rural farming village yet easily accessible from Kratie town, enabling the adventurous tourist to take a bucolic glimpse into the daily lives of Cambodia's farming communities, which make up the vast bulk of the population. I loved it.

Second, we made the obligatory trip up the river to go out and see the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins. According to Wikipedia, there are only about 7,000 in the world, and a mere 70 or so remain in the Mekong River. During our hour on the river we saw approx. 15-20 of the slow-moving and rather unexciting dolphins. That means in a single hour we saw about 20-30% of the entire Mekong population of Irrawaddy dolphins. It would be really cool if it weren't so sad. Unfortunately, the government doesn't seem to be very interested in protecting them, and it appears likely that they will disappear from the Mekong within a few decades.

Aside from being sad for the dolphins, it was a great weekend trip. Here are the photos:

Bamboo walkway leading from the landing area of the ferry up to the populated part of the island.

Me and my sweet ride.

The interior of the island is entirely cultivated farmland, surrounded by a thin ring of trees.

My bicycle crew, posing in front of the main wat on the island.

Another view of the wat.

After a few easy hours of pedaling we made it to the southern tip of the isle, where the two halves of the Mekong reconnect after straddling the tiny island.

These signs are everywhere (in Cambodia, not just Kratie).

Typical Cambodian houses...we assume that they are raised to avoid flooding during the rainy season (which we are in right now).

On our boat trying to catch of a glimpse of the river dolphins.

There's one! That's about as good as a photo as we could get. They didn't do exciting tricks like the ones at Sea World (or even jump around much like the ones back home in FL).

Beautiful sunset over the Mekong River.

Genocide Tourism

2010-07-03T03:17:00.010-04:00

For nearly every foreigner who passes through Cambodia, a visit to the major sites dedicated to preserving the memory of the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime is something of a touristic imperative. The two most famous sites are Tuol Sleng Prison (commonly referred to as S-21, the name given to it by the Khmer Rouge) and the Killing Fields.

S-21 is located in downtown Phnom Penh, and used to be a school. It was the main detention center for all enemies of the Khmer Rouge, and the main torture facility. The head of S-21, Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch), has sat trial at the ECCC and his verdict will be announced on July 26.

The central grounds of S-21.

Some of the barbed wire was never removed.

The "Rules" that prisoners were supposed to follow while being held and tortured here.

Just a few of the many photos of the victims detained at S-21. Old and young alike were forced to endure imprisonment.

These boxes were kept in some of the larger cells.

View of a cell looking through a small opening in the door.

Bloodstains in a holding cell.

A fractured skull in one of the museum sections of S-21.

An artist's rendition of a soldier killing a baby by banging it against a tree.

Nearly all of the detainees at S-21 were eventually trucked over to the fields at Choeung Ek (now commonly referred to as the "Killing Fields"). They would never leave.

The Genocide Memorial at the killing fields. The holes in foreground are exhumed mass graves.

One of the largest mass graves.

Nothing more to say.

There are teeth and bones that still litter the ground in some places. A small shrine was built over these teeth.

The Genocide Memorial tower houses the remains of many bodies exhumed from the mass graves. The different types of bones are placed on different levels of the tower. The skulls take up about 7 rows, all of the ones at eye-level.

I wrote a few thoughts of reflection after my visit to the memorial sites. For those that are interested, here they are:

Along with so many other foreigners, I recently visited S-21 and the Killing Fields. I think of this phenomenon as “genocide tourism.” The juxtaposition of these two words is, and is meant to be, unnerving. On the one hand, I appreciate the importance of preserving historical memory in an effort to make the act of remembrance instructive as a method to try to ensure that “ never again” should such horrendous acts plague humanity. However, on the other hand, I have the impression that the genocide tourism industry that has developed around sites like Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields is more than a product of memory politics. I get the sense that these sites are not only preserved so that Cambodians and foreigners alike can learn about and hope to prevent the repetition of the tragic history of this country. That is certainly a part of it, but there is something else. Why do people travel from half a world away to oogle over bloodstained floors and take photos of fractured skull bones?

I can’t shake the thought that there is something perverse surfacing in each of us who feels drawn to these sites. What compels us to go to the sites themselves rather than just read about them in books, which would give an account of the facts as well as some context? Perhaps it’s a twisted fascination with the darker side of humanity? Maybe a festishized sympathy for the unimaginable suffering experienced on these grounds? A latent curiosity as to the scope of the human capacity to inflict pain and suffering upon each other? While laying in bed after my day of genocide tourism, two more questions kept repeating themselves in my head: how could any person (much less so many people) do this to other human beings?, and why did I and so many others feel the need to go and see it for ourselves? As I fitfully drifted in and out of sleep, the questions spun around in my head and eventually blurred together into a new one: does my compulsion to go and “see the genocide” bear any relationship to the capacity of other humans to commit such atrocities in the first place?

I am not really sure what to do with these questions. I can’t tell if it’s all an existential contemplation of human nature, if it’s another formulation of the “how would I have reacted under the same circumstances?” question, or if its just a wave of pessimism churned up by the depressing scenes I was exposed to all day. At the least, I suppose it’s a good thing that the memorial sites have provoked all this thinking and have helped to transport the happenings of 1975-79 from the abstract realm of history into something immediate enough that it would ruin my night’s sleep. I’ll risk being cliché and say that perhaps sites like these are better able to inspire questions rather than provide any answers.

So with that goal in mind (bringing history to life, not losing a night’s sleep), I share these thoughts and these photos with you all. Bloodstained floors and fractured skulls and everything.

Cambodia Tidbit: Street Food

2010-07-02T10:26:00.004-04:00

One of the most common street food items in Phnom Penh is fried cricket. I have not yet tried them, but I have made a vow to give them a taste before I leave.

Another local delicacy is fried tarantula. In all likelihood, I will NOT be trying those.

Transitional Justice v. Development

2010-06-30T12:43:00.004-04:00

This is a good opportunity to remind everyone that this blog in no way represents the policy, opinion, or any position whatsoever of the UN or the ECCC. In fact, the degree to which it accurately represents my own views is questionable.

Now that I got that out of the way...

Below is a news article published in a local English-language newspaper here in Phnom Penh. I reckon it brings to the surface the underlying tension that can exist between the goals and methodologies of transitional justice and development work. Some food for thought.

Money spent on KR Tribunal worth it, or better spent elsewhere?

Cambodia Daily, 30 June 2010, page 34, by Kiin Minea

Monday's article "Back Pay Coming in 2 Weeks, KR Tribunal Staff Told" (p. 27), reminded me to break out my silent thoughts on whether the millions of dollars used for the Khmer Rouge tribunal would be better spent on developing the country.

Should the money currently being used to bring the leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime go towards helping boost the government budget, reconstructing infrastructure, education, and improving public services in public institutions?

As an educated Cambodian in his late 20s, and having been informed about the Khmer Rouge regime by my mother, who survived the regime, I think we should not only look at the bitter past but to the future.

The Khmer Rouge regime is obviously guilty enough to teach the national and international communities that it was the definition of genocide. We have Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields for evidence. More than that the government has put much effort in revealing the wrongdoing of these past Khmer Rouge politicians through the education system.

Will justice for the victims be distributed by the imprisonment of these top members of the Khmer Rouge regime? Legally, these people must be imprisoned.

However, should the Khmer Rouge tribunal, for which money has been extravagantly spent, be used as a tool to get justice from them? Or should the continuous development of the country be the way to reconcile the past wrongdoings of political ideologists?

Khmei Language Tidbit #2

2010-06-21T10:12:00.004-04:00

On my first day of Khmei class 3 weeks ago we learned the verb "to like," which is chole chet in Khmei. Today, I learned the literal meaning of the phrase:

chole = to enter
chet = emotional heart (as opposed to physical/biological heart)

So to like something literally means "to enter the heart." I have yet to work out whether it means that the thing you like enters your heart, if you are meant to enter the liked thing's heart, or something else that I am not even thinking of.

But whatever it turns out to be, khnyom chole chet wea ("I like it").

Beach Trip #2: Kep

2010-06-17T18:56:00.009-04:00

A few weekends ago I made a trip with some friends to a sleepy little beach town in southern Cambodia near the Vietnamese coast: Kep. It was my second trip to the beach in as many weeks, and needless to say, I was quite excited about having the ability to spend another few days on a warm tropical ocean after having recently survived my first northeastern winter. I will let the photos below do the rest of the talking.

The beach on Rabbit Island, a quick 20 minute boat ride away from Kep.

Paradisical view of Rabbit Island.

Afternoon sietsa in a hammock. Could life get any better than this?

Rustic arrival scene on Rabbit Island.

The weekend crew, á la family portrait pose.

The pool (and view of the Pacific) from our lodge in Kep.

The lodge names every cabin after a local fruit, and we got "Durian." Durians are known as being one of the foulest smelling and disgusting fruits on the planet, and Cambodians love them. Great namesake for a cabin.

The Phnom Penthouse #2

2010-06-13T10:28:00.004-04:00

Earlier I made a post about my sweet apartment, from whence the current name of my blog is derived. But as I mentioned then, if anything can properly be deemed the Phnom Penthouse, it is the nearby luxury building owned by our landlady's brother in law. This weekend I finally managed to hang out up there during the day and snap off some photos. Sadly the pool had been drained, so I couldn't get any good shots of the pool with the infinity effect. Nevertheless, the place is pretty posh, and hopefully the pictures help to convey the extravagance that exists nearby my living arrangements here.

View of the pool looking down from the 2nd floor of the roof deck, with the Cambodian Parliament in the background.

View of the pool and lounge chairs from the first floor of the roof deck.

View of the park and the Vietnam Friendship Monument, looking north.

View of the Independence monument (left) and Prime Minister Hun Sen's House (the big one to the right). The fact that Hun Sen's house is visible from the roof-top is an issue, and for security reasons the owner can't commercially rent out the gym/pool on top. It is exclusive, and I am part of the club.

Straight chilling on a Sunday afternoon.

My New Haircut

2010-06-13T10:10:00.003-04:00

It is hot and humid in Cambodia. Very hot and humid. All the more so with my increasingly bushy head of hair, and therefore it was time for a drastic trimming. Above you see the results.

The best part of the experience was that after the haircut was seemingly over, the barber got out one of those crazy barber shaving knives like in the movies. I had never seen one of these things in real life. And ever since my knife-to-the-throat/kidnapping mishap in Nicaragua, I have not been a big fan of knives. Squirming, I was just about to plead with the man that I didn't need a shave when, instead of coming for my face, he gently takes hold of my ears and gives the lobes and the outside a proper shave. I mean really, who shaves his ears?

Beach Trip #1: Sihanoukville

2010-06-12T07:28:00.010-04:00

A few weekends ago I made my first trip to the beach, to a town called Sihanoukville. Our beach crew consisted of 10 people, mostly other interns from the court but also a few other folks whom we had befriended in our first weeks here. It is always important to me that I have a good group of friends wherever I may be (“my people,” as Prof. Rubenstein would say), and it’s nice to already have a great crew here in Cambodia.

Sihanoukville is the main beach town in Cambodia. It is both the weekend getaway for the wealthy Khmei city-dwellers as well as the prime party town for foreigners (mostly backpackers). The advent of the rainy season (which is due to start any time now) corresponds to the decline of tourist season, so Sihanoukville was actually rather quiet during our trip. Not much partying, but honestly, my motivation for the beach trip was entirely related to getting some good R&R in the sun and sand rather than partying. As you can see, it was a very successful trip.

Enjoying some R&R in the sun and the sand.

The crew, on Bamboo Island taking shelter during an intense rain storm

My breakfast view every morning, just a few steps down from the beach bungalow that we were staying at.

Beautiful secluded beach.

A small lagoon on the shore of Bamboo Island.

Massive thunderstorm on Bamboo Island.

I love the English mistranslations here. These little fish-foot massages are all over the place, and this sign is pretty hilarious. Favorite part: "Dr. fish could release your exhaustion and feel confused matter of you."

1 hour and 48 minutes, and 2 hours and 36 minutes…

2010-06-08T11:22:00.009-04:00

…is how long it took me to get to work earlier this week, and how long it took me to get home from work tonight, respectively. Very long bus rides. And my trip home tonight even included a 30 minute motorcycle ride when I got fed up with staring out the bus window while sitting in traffic for 2 hours.

Background: In the Law establishing the ECCC, Article 43 (new) requires that the location of the court be in Phnom Penh, the metropolitan Mecca of Cambodia. One of the often-cited benefits of the hybrid tribunals is that they are better able to bring justice to the victims and affected communities given their location in-country

Contrast this with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former-Yugoslavia (ICTY). Although all of the atrocities that constitute the subject matter of the cases took place in the Balkans, the court is located on the other side of the continent in the Hague. This clearly has effects on the accessibility of the court, in relation to victims as well as local media outlets who could keep the relevant communities aware of the tribunal's activities.

Shift back to the ECCC and the requirement that the court be located in Phnom Penh. In light of the early lessons learned from the ICTY, such a requirement makes sense. Nevertheless, although it is technically located within the city limits of Phnom Penh, the court is actually located on the far outskirts of town, a world away from the hustle and bustle of central Phnom Penh. On a good day, my morning commute takes 1-1.25 hours. Double that for my total commute time to and from work. On market days, the one-way commute can easily last 2 hours. I can’t even imagine how long it will take when the rainy season sets in and the roads become flooded

It is probably worth considering how this location affects the accessibility of justice meted out by the tribunal, though there are certainly other factors that would need to be taken into consideration as well (how many Cambodians are actually interested in the activities of the court anyway, how successful the outreach efforts of the court are, etc.). I will leave those considerations to my readers. I'll restrict myself to simply griping about how much of my time in this amazing and fascinating country I have to spend staring out of a bus window.

Khnyom rien pea saa khmei.

2010-06-03T09:31:00.002-04:00

"I am learning Khmei."

This past week I started taking Khmei lessons (though most foreigners call the language in Cambodia "khmer," the pronunciation in the language itself is "khmei" and hence I will use that form from here on out). Just a few quick notes about the language:

The Good
1. No conjugations. In Khmei, verbs are not conjugated. Ever. This is awesome.
2. No distinction between singular/plural.
3. No characterization of nouns as masculine or feminine. An advantage of Khmei over Spanish (and all other romance languages).
4. No distinction between subject and object pronouns. The word for "I" is the same as the word for "me."

The Difficult
1. Pronunciation. Honestly, my mouth simply cannot make some of the sounds in Khmei.
2. Vocabulary. No English cognates here (a major disadvantage compared with Spanish).

The Fun
In Khmei, the pronoun for "it" = "wea." For those of you who don't know Chilean slang, "wea" is a favorite of the chilenos and roughly translates to "fucking thing."

The Phnom Penthouse

2010-06-01T10:44:00.009-04:00

I am finally getting around to posting some photos of my new apartment. As you will see, it is extremely nice. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 balconies, laundry machine in unit, air conditioning, etc. It is in a very modern building in central Phnom Penh, within a 5-10 minute walk from nearly all of the interesting attractions in the city (the Royal Palace, the National Museum, the main tourist restaurant/bar area, the Parliament building, the riverside, etc.). My roomate's name is Scott, and he also just started an internship at the ECCC, though he just graduated from law school at UC Berkeley. Go bears!

One of the best parts of the apartment is that the brother-in-law of our landlady owns a nearby, luxury apartment building. It is a 10-story building with a commanding view of the entire city-scape (Phnom Penh is not yet crowned by a mass of skyscrapers like the other major cities of Southeast and East Asia). Oh yeah, and I should mention that the building has a private gym and -- wait for it -- an INFINITY POOL that abuts the glass railing on one side of the building. Naturally, we have access to the building.

From whence the new name of the blog: Phnom Penthouse. Credit goes to my Uncle Barry for coining the name after hearing a description of the new apartment from my parents. What good is a blog without a provocative name?

The following are photos of the now-fabled Phnom Penthouse. I haven't managed to take any photos from the 10th floor luxury resort on the top of the other building, but I'll post some photos in due time.

Living room, with the main balcony in the background.

Living room from the opposite angle, looking at the front door.

Close up of the Royal Chair. Surprisingly, it's probably the most comfortable piece of furniture in the entire apartment.

Dining room, kitchen, and full-sized fridge.

My bedroom.

My enormous closet.

Night view of Phnom Penh from the nearby building.

Cambodian Criminal Procedure: Witness' Oath

2010-05-27T08:39:00.003-04:00

A friend at the ECCC forwarded this to me, and I simply had to share it with everyone. The following is enshrined in Cambodian criminal procedure as the oath that must be sworn by a witness before appearing in court. And I quote:

Before beginning the oath, the person taking the oath shall light a candle and incense sticks in worship of the sacred object upon with that oath is to be taken. Next, the Greffier shall clearly read aloud the Introductory Statement for the person taking the oath, and then read The Oath for the person taking the oath to repeat...

Introductory Statement

May all the guardian angels, forest guardians, and powerful sacred spirits of Preah Ang Dang Kae, Preah Ang Krapum Chouk, Preah Ang Svet Chhat, Preah Ang Chek, Preah Ang Cham, Nakta Khlang Moeung, Nakta Khrahamka, Lokta Dambang Dek, Lokta Dambang Kra Nhoung, Lok Yeay Tep, Preah Ang Vihea Suor, Preah Ang Preah Chiviwat Baray and Preah Ang Wat Phnom Khleng come forward to preside over this swearing ceremony, since the parties to this matter are in dispute and have alleged that witnesses personally know, have seen, have heard, and have recalled, and the law required bringing these people to serve as witnesses and to give truthful and accurate testimony.

Should anyone answer untruthfully about what they know, have seen, have heard, and remember, may all the guardian angels, forest guardians, Yeay Tep and powerful sacred spirits utterly and without mercy destroy them, and bestow upon them a miserable and violent death by means of bullets, electricity, lightning, tiger bites, and snake strikes, and in their future reincarnation separate them from their parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren, impoverish them, and subject them to miseries for 500 reincarnations.

Anyone testifying truthfully without evasion, without lying, without bias because of bloodline, without collusion arising from fear, hatred, material greed, or having taken bribes, may all the guardian angels, forest guardians, Yeah Tep and powerful sacred spirits in the world assist them in long life, good health, and abundance of material possessions and having respectful and loving families until future reincarnation, encountering only good deeds, progress, prosperity and flourish, in accordance with their aspirations.

The Oath

I will answer only the truth, in accordance with what I have personally seen, heard, know, and remember.

If I answer falsely on any issue, may all the guardian angels, forest guardians and powerful sacred spirits destroy me, may my material possessions be destroyed, and may I die a miserable and violent death. But, if I answer truthfully, may the sacred spirits assist me in having abundant material possession and living in peace and happiness along with my family and relatives forever, in all my reincarnations.

ECCC in the BBC

2010-05-25T09:23:00.005-04:00

The following BBC article is simply one of many news reports that picked up an ECCC press release yesterday announcing that the verdict for the first trial will be delivered on 26 July (while I'm here!!!).

Verdict date set for Khmer Rouge jailer Duch

Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court has set a date for the verdict in the case of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch.

The verdict, to be announced on 26 July, will be the first from the special court.

Duch, 67, whose full name is Kaing Guek Eav, is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.

He ran Tuol Sleng prison, where as many as 17,000 people believed to be enemies of the Khmer Rouge were killed.

Up to two million people died under the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979.

Many died of starvation and overwork after the Maoist regime sent city-dwellers to work in the fields in an attempt to build an agrarian society. Others were imprisoned and killed.

Duch was the first of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders to face trial at the special court in Phnom Penh, which has taken years to set up.

"Hopefully it (the verdict) will be a turning point for the people of Cambodia who have waited for more than 30 years to see someone from the Khmer Rouge brought to justice," court spokesman Lars Olsen said.

95 degrees...

2010-05-23T19:09:00.002-04:00

...is the forecasted high temperature today in Phnom Penh. Humidity at 70%. High likelihood of thunderstorms.

Bring it on.

A New Adventure: Cambodia

2010-05-23T00:15:00.008-04:00

It seems that once again it is time to revive my blog after leaving it dormant for the past 9 months. New chapter in my life, new round of blog postings...pretty mechanical system by now. But since there might be some new folks reading the blog this time around, (and since I'm shamelessly self-referential), I'll start out with a bit of blog history.

Blog History
I started the blog when I went to study abroad at Oxford University at the beginning of 2006. My early days as a blogger were also my most proficient, and I wrote regularly during the 8 months that I spent studying/traveling/volunteering in Europe. I left the blog untouched during my senior year at Berkeley, and then re-initiated it when I went to volunteer in Chile in September 2007. I posted intermittently during the next year a half. I wrote more consistently during my 3-month "Epic Journey" from Santiago to Mexico City from May-August 2009, but have neglected the blog during my first year of law school.

Anyway, there are few gems buried in the archives, so feel free to check them out. A few of the more memorable ones are: me as a protesting hippie in San Francisco, food poisoning in Italy, me as a protesting hippie in Rome, hard realities with my kids in Santiago, and the kidnapping incident.

New Adventure
While trying to survive my first year of law school, I somehow managed to find the time to apply for and lock down a 14-week summer internship at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (the "ECCC"). The ECCC was established pursuant to an agreement between the United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia in order to bring to justice the senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge) and those most responsible for the crimes committed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge (17 April 1975 – 6 January 1979). The ECCC is a "hybrid" tribunal (like the internationalized tribunals in Sierra Leone and East Timor), and thus it has a large national staff and applies Cambodian law as well as retaining a large contingent of international staff/interns and applying international law. As a consequence of the the French colonial legacy in Cambodia, the ECCC generally functions within a civil law framework rather than the common law system used in Anglo-American jurisdictions.

The ECCC logo.

Also, this seems like a good moment to mention that what is written in this blog in no way represents the official views or opinions of the ECCC, nor of any person associated with the ECCC (except of course, yours truly). I am just an intern; I don't get to make policy decisions, nor am I really privy to the decision-making processes.

I am interning in the Pre-Trial Chamber, working closing with the team of international attorneys and judges. The 2 primary functions of the Pre-Trial Chamber highlight one of the characteristic aspects of criminal procedure in civil law systems as well as the hybrid nature of the tribunal.

First, the Pre-Trial Chamber acts as an appeal chamber for certain decisions issued by the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges. Some civil law jurisdictions use an inquisitorial system (as opposed to an adversarial system) in which judges play an active (or leading) role in investigating the facts of the case. The ECCC has adopted the inquisitorial model and thus early stages of the cases are directed by 2 "investigating judges," who can take investigative actions propio motu or respond to requests from the Prosecution, the Defense, or the Civil Parties (more on the Civil Parties another day...). If the parties take issue with a decision of the Co-Investigating Judges, then they might be able to appeal the decision to the Pre-Trial Chamber, which is where my office takes over.

Second, the Pre-Trial Chamber functions as a dispute resolution mechanism for disagreements between the Co-Prosecutors and Co-Investigating Judges. The history of the ECCC's formation elucidates the context within which such a function would be necessary. Before the ECCC was established, the UN and the Cambodian government were engaged in a long and contentious series of negotiations to determine how the court would operate. The UN wanted an assurance that the court would meet international standards of justice and thus sought a tribunal that would be independent from the national government. The Cambodians were concerned about foreign interference with their domestic affairs and therefore sought to hold the trials within the national judiciary, thereby ensuring that they had sufficient control over the process. A compromise was finally brokered that established the "hybrid" structure of the ECCC. A majority of Cambodian judges sit on each judicial panel (for example, in the Pre-Trial Chamber there are 3 national judges and 2 international judges), and the other offices were split down the middle.; hence, there is a Cambodian Co-Prosecutor and an international Co-Prosecutor, a Cambodian Co-Investigating Judge and an international Co-Investigating Judge, etc. The Internal Rules of the ECCC created procedures through which disputes between national an international officials can be resolved.

Ask me again in 3 months and hopefully I'll have a much more nuanced and articulate story to tell about the ECCC and my role within it. However, for confidentiality reasons, I won't be able to speak much about the actual substance of the work that I will be doing. C'est la vie.

Winter in New England

2009-12-24T00:34:00.003-03:00

Law School library during a blizzard.

This is why beach volleyball courts don't work in the Northeast.

First snowfall in the Berkshires.

The Berkshires covered in snow.

More of the beautiful Berkshires.

Autumn in New England

2009-12-23T23:48:00.003-03:00

A few fall photos from my past semester at Harvard Law:

Harvard Law School in October.

Harvard College

Apple picking in Western Massachusetts

Epic Journey Recap

2009-08-27T10:46:00.003-04:00

When I returned to the US after my Epic Journey through Latin America, many people asked me, "What was your favorite place?" The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that it would be impossible to pick one -- or even three -- "favorite place(s)" given that the locations that I visited and the experiences that I had were so utterly diverse. Yet in the spirit of providing some sort of organized, reflective synthesis after having completed the journey I wanted to list some of the top places/experiences that I encountered during my three months of travels. I have decided to break things down into categories, and the list goes as follows:

Top 3 Pre-Columbian Ruins
1. Tikal, Guatemala
2. Teotihuacan, Mexico
3. Huaca de la Luna, Peru

Top 3 Beaches
T-1. Parque Nacional Tayrona, Colombia
T-1. San Blas Islands, Panama
2. Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
3. Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Top 3 Colonial Cities
1. Cartagena, Colombia
2. Queretaro, Mexico
3. Suchitoto, El Salvador

Top 3 Street Food Items
1. Arepas, Colombia
2. Gorditas, Mexico
3. Empanada de verde, Ecuador

Top 3 Volcanoes
1. Volcán Pacaya, Guatemala
2. Volcán Concepción and Volcán Madera (Isla de Ometepe), Nicaragua
3. Volcán Arenal, Costa Rica

Top 3 Natural Wonders
1. Lago Atitlán, Guatemala
2. Cañon del Sumidero, Mexico
3. Semuc Chapey, Guatemala

The lists could go on and on, but perhaps it's better to just leave off here. When I first started my trip I wrote in my journal that the goal(s) of the journey was/were simple: have a great adventure that would serve as a transition between my work in Chile and my future studies at Harvard, and be sure to arrive (alive) to Mexico City by August 5th without having taken an airplane up to that point. Despite encountering a few challenges along the way, the trip was wildly successful in terms of accomplishing these goals. I am actually getting excited about the thought of law school, which is something that could not be said 3 months ago.

Furthermore, while all of the aforementioned places were breathtaking and for as happy as I am that my conceived goals for the trip were accomplished, I think that the aspect of the trip that I will remember most fondly is rooted in people who I met along the way. New friendships were created and old friendships were strengthened, fueled by the power of shared experience. Additionally, an innumerable number of sporadic interactions with locals and other travelers ensured that the human element of my trip not be lost amidst jungle-covered ruins and endless stretches of open road.

After returning from my first crazy journey through Europe more than 3 years ago, I noted that I hoped it would be the first in a series of "crazy travels and far-off journeys." This most recent trip was certainly those things and I am glad to have continued the tradition. My future travels may be slightly less epic in terms of duration and scope, but I do expect that many more adventures await me in the future.

Colonial Escapades in Central Mexico

2009-08-09T23:56:00.013-04:00

In central Mexico I met with my friend Monica, who is originally from Querétaro and who still has loads of family who lives in the area...which naturally means that much of our time was spent engaged in activities inspired by the relentless hospitality that is so fundamental to Latin American culture (just as everywhere else, this included a copious amount of home-cooked food, along with the special Mexican touch of copious amounts of tequila). Sadly, I don't have any of the "family time" photos, but I do have many pictures of the excursions that Monica and I took to nearby colonial centers. There were three different colonial centers that we visited: Querétaro itself, Guanajuato, and San Miguel de Allende -- all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cathedral of Querétaro

Colonial splendor of historic Querétaro.

Indigenous monument and cathedral in Querétaro.

Evening time lights on a church in Querétaro.

Cathedral in Guanajuato.

Monica and a colonial plaza in Guanajuato.

Theatre in Guanajuato, topped with statues to the Muses.

Monica and I were seriously craving horchata in a bag, and we found a delicious batch of it at this viewpoint above Guanajuato.

View from the central plaza of San Miguel de Allende.

Me and the (unusual) Gothic church in San Miguel.

Colonial alleyway and church in San Miguel.

San Cristóbal y sus alredadores

2009-08-09T23:13:00.020-04:00

Seat of the municipal government in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

Colonial colonnade in the main plaza.

The cathedral in San Cristóbal.

Mudéjar fountain in the central plaza of Chiapa de Corzo.

Colonial church in Chiapa de Corzo.

Cañon del Sumidero. Think of the Grand Canyon, except in the tropics. Lush vegetation, herons & egrets, howler monkeys, and even crocodiles!...all crammed within 1km sheer cliff faces. Definitely should be considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World.

Wow.

"Christmas Tree" waterfall along the side of the canyon.

Christmas Tree waterfall from below.

Crocodile!

One last shot of the canyon.

Church in San Juan Chamula, 20 minutes outside of San Cristóbal. 'Chamula' is a semi-autonomous indigenous community in which a syncretistic blend of Mayan and (seemingly) Catholic traditions play a central function in the politico-social operations of the community.

Cemetary in San Juan Chamula.

"Telar de cinturón" traditional weaving method in Zinacantán, a different indigenous community outside of San Cristóbal.

Home-made "black" tortillas in Zinacantán.

Waterfalls in Chiapas

2009-08-09T22:30:00.012-04:00

Slightly outside of Palenque in eastern Chiapas, along the road towards San Cristóbal de las Casas, I stopped off at several of the natural wonders that seem to be surprisingly numerous in this southern Mexican State. The first stop was the waterfall of Misol-Ha, and the second was a system of limestone pools/waterfalls called Agua Azul, which I found to be strikingly reminiscent of Semuc Champey in Guatemala. Here are the photos:

Misol-Ha waterfall.

Misol-Ha from the side.

Misol-Ha from underneath/behind the falls.

The waterfall and myself!

A characteristic shot of Agua Azul.

Agua Azul as viewed from one of the upper waterfalls.

Agua Azul and the surrounding jungle.

Lovely waterfall.

Palenque

2009-08-09T22:00:00.010-04:00

The unique and characteristic tower in the central palace complex.

The palace as seen from the top of the Temple of the Sun, providing a great view of the jungle surroundings.

A different view from the Temple of the Sun, again capturing the dense jungle which surrounds and permeates the site at Palenque.

Palace, once again.

A restored stucco panel.

More stucco paneling.

Temple of the Inscriptions, which contain(ed) the tomb of Pakal the Great, the most renowned ruler of Palenque (603-883 C.E.).

Jungle overgrowth on a residential complex...notice how small the door is (the Mayans were/are short!).

Interior of the palace complex.

Tulum Ruins

2009-08-09T10:35:00.007-04:00

The Tulum ruins, on the eastern coast of the Yucatan, are not particularly impressive in terms of their archaeological components. An authoritative book that I picked up describes the principle temple as a "miserable structure" and refers to the other buildings as "dwarfish structures" characterized by "strikingly slipshod workmanship." After having seen Tikal and Chichén Itzá, I would have to concur with his analysis.

Nevertheless, Tulum is one of the most amazing Mayan sites that I have seen, not because of the ruins themselves, but rather due to their breathtaking location. Perched atop a sheer cliff-face overlooking the idyllic turquoise shores of the Caribbean, even these "miserable structures" take on the appearance of a magically beautiful lost paradise. As one particularly apt comment that I read states: any Mayan laborer during the late Post-Classic period must have been begging his superiors to get transferred to Tulum.

Chichén Itzá

2009-07-28T18:29:00.012-04:00

Apart from lounging around the beach, Jessica and I decided to make a trip over to see the nearby Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá. Upon arrival, we realized that Chichén Itzá was voted one of the ''New Seven Wonders,'' which was a neat surprise, though I suspect that it also had something to do with the enormous number of tourists and vendors clogging up the archeological site. Of course Jessica and I were smart tourists, so we got to the site right as it opened and we had the whole place nearly all to ourselves for the first 2 hours.

Chichén Itzá was the second major Mayan ruin that I visited on this trip, and it was interesting to have Tikal as a point of reference during our time wandering around Chichén. The site as a whole is smaller than Tikal, but it is also a much later (ie, more modern) city, which I think contributes to the fact that many of its stucco relieves and rock carvings were found in a much better state than those of Tikal. I think that I prefer Tikal, but going to visit Chichén Itzá was undoubedtly an extremely valuable experience in terms of my growing information base about ancient Mayan history and culture.

I'll let the pictures do the rest!!

The Toltec-Maya Palace.

Toltec-inspired columns, which seem to me to be rather unusual in the Mayan world.

Our favorite part of the site, quizzically called ''The Nunnery.''

A close up of what has been named by scholars as the ''Flower Mountain'' motiff. It was originally thought to be the face of some sort of deity, which at least seems plausible given the apparent features. Jessica and I are still rather confused as to precisely how it was determined that this was in fact a representation of a mythical and idyllic land, e.g., the Flower Mountain.

A different representation of the Flower Mountain.

The ball court, the largest in Mesoamerica.

Reptiles, ancient and modern.

The ''Caracol,'' probably the most unique structure in Chichén Itzá. It was apparently used as an ancient observatory...striking how much it resembles modern observatories, isn't it?

Detour in the Yucatan

2009-07-28T17:57:00.009-04:00

From its inception my trip has had very few definite plans, yet I can say that I had vaguely decided to skip the Yucatan in favor of spending more time in Guatemala and Chiapas. Nevertheless, when I heard from my college friend Jessica that she would be volunteering at a biosphere reserve outside of Tulum, I changed my previously vauge plans in order to meet up with her and bop around the peninsula for a few days. It was a very wise decision, as I had an absolute blast. This is a sure testiment to the value of not over-planning the trip and leaving room for some flexibility.

Jessica has the awesome job of being a tortugera (the word just doesn't have a good translation in English, but in this context it would be something like ''turtle caretaker'') in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on the east coast of the Yucatan, volunteering for a non-profit called CESiaK. I had the good fortune of being a guest in their amazing facilities for three nights, accompanying Jessica on her nightly beach patrol to find and catelogue sea turtles as they lay their eggs, or as the eggs hatch and the turtugitas scramble towards to the warm Caribbean waters. Their tiny little stretch of beach, not more than 10 kilometros in length, has already recorded over 300 turtle nests this season!!! Not only did I get to lounge around on an idyllic tropical beach, but I also got to witness the amazing sight of 150-year-old turtles laboring through the process of digging a huge hole, laying a vast quantity of eggs, and covering up the hole before returning to the open ocean. Very cool.

Part of what made the CESiaK location so wonderful is that it combines the pristine Caribbean coastline for which the Yucatan has become so famous with the tranquility that comes with being part of a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. What does this actually mean? Imagine the endless stretches of white-sand beaches at Cancun, except instead of drunken frat boys and monstruous high-rise resorts, the beach is populated by nothing more than iguanas, palm trees, and yourself. Paradise? If it's not, then it sure as hell is pretty close.

View of the beach and the tent/cabanas.

Looks like it should be in a Corona commercial.

I stayed in one of these eco-friendly tent/cabanas, which are nice, but get VERY hot during the daytime.

Some of the wildlife.

One last shot of the beach!

Tikal

2009-07-23T17:58:00.012-04:00

Temple I and the Grand Plaza

Tikal was epic.

It was the first major Mayan ruin that I had visited on my trip, and this was indeed one of the parts of my journey that I was most looking forward to. Tikal did not disappoint...to the contrary, it far surpassed even my most wild expectations.

Just a few notes about Tikal, and then I will let the photos do the rest. First, one of the aspects about Tikal that makes it so worthwhile is that it is located in the middle of thick, tropical jungle. In order to arrive to the park you have to drive for about an hour from the nearest town, and then you have along a jungle path for another 20 mintues to actually reach the archeological site. In the surrounding area and even within the ruins themselves is a huge variety of jungle wildlife, including a vast number of bird species and at least two species of monkeys. It was pretty spectacular to see a spider monkey climbing over 1,200 year-old Mayan ruins.

The highlight of my time in Tikal was during the evening on the first day of my two-day visit. The park officially closes at 6pm, but I managed to scramble up into a palace complex to the south of the main plaza, and as the time ticked by not a single guard came to kick me out. So I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to just chill out and enjoy the sunset in the completely empty site. These places are usually overrun by tourists bused in from all over the country, and therefore to have the ENTIRE site to myself, during a gorgeous tropical sunset nonetheless, was truly a unique experience. I finally left the park at 7:30, and was the very last person to exit. It was something that I will surely never forget.

Me in front of Temple I...my favorite structure in the site.

View of Temple I rising up out of the jungle around it.

The top of Temple III as seen through a hole in the jungle canopy.

View from the top of Temple IV, the tallest structure in Pre-Colombian Mesoameria. From left to right: Temple I, Temple II, and Temple III.

Wildlife!

A partially excavated temple, which clearly demonstrates the tremendous difference that the excavation work makes.

Temple V

Semuc Champey

2009-07-23T17:35:00.009-04:00

I left Xela and the Guatemalan highlands behind, arriving to the jungle-covered interior province of Alta Verapaz. While in this area I took a day trip over to see a few really phenomenal natural structures: Semuc Champey and the Caves of Lanquín. It was absolutely amazing.

Semuc Champey is a large limestone ''bridge'' that covers a part of Cahabón River, upon which a vast number of shallow pools have formed. The crystaline waters range in color from emerald green to a blue-ish turquoise, and everything in between. We went swimming around in the differnet pools, and then climbed down a rope ladder in the middle of a waterfall to catch a glimpse of an impressive cavern where the Cahabón River finally leaves its subterranean route and begins to flow above ground (sadly, given that we were swimming around and climbing through waterfalls, I couldn't bring my camera and don't have photos of the cavern).

The Caves of Lanquín were nearly as impressive, though my new budget camera was not exactly ideal for the low-light conditions, and hence I don't have any good photos. Only 10 km of the caves have actually been explored, and no one knows exactly how far back into the earth the caves extend. It was the first time in my life that I have gone tromping about in a proper cave system, and happily I did not get claustrphobic at all!

Below are some of my photos from Semuc Champey...hope that you enjoy!

There was a trail leading up to a viewpoint, from where this picture was taken.

Another view from up above.

Volcán Pacaya Photos!

2009-07-23T16:33:00.012-04:00

Previously I mentioned that I would post some photos of Volcán Pacaya, outside of Antigua. Here are just a few of them, courtesy of my hiking friend Amy.

Forest, Amy and myself.

Zunil

2009-07-18T21:31:00.012-04:00

While staying in Xela, I took a quick day trip to the nearby village of Zunil. Zunil is an extremely small town almost exclusively populated by Quiché Maya, and it rests in a small valley amid towering mountains and a perfect cone volcano. Life in the town is dominated by agriculture, the principle crop being maiz ( corn), which indeed seems to be the primary activity of most Maya living in Guatemala. My time in Zunil was so enjoyable in part because I was the only tourist walking around the tiny cobbled streets, and I think that it felt like the most ''genuine'' exprience that I have had in this country.

Probably the most emblematic photo that can be taken of Guatemala.

Some local Mayan women and the church.

Farmlands in the foreground, volcano in the background.

Old Mayan man farming his land with the town of Zunil in the background.

One of the main reasons why I chose to go to Zunil is that I heard that the local community reveres an idol of San Simón (or Maximón, as he is commonely referred to in Santiago Atitlán), and I wanted to get second glimpse of the ceremonies conducted in his honor...this time, with a camera!

At this point, I have to admit that I felt a bit strange sitting in this room and watching the ceremonies, just as I did when I was in Santiago Atitlán. Actually, I felt even more weird this time since I did have a camera to take photos. Both in Zunil and in Santiago Atitlán I have been sure to talk with the local people and ask them if it was OK that I be there, stressing that I wanted to be as respectful as possible and in no way meant to offend them or their traditions. But in both of these cases the people told me that it was perfectly alright, and I would even go so far as to say that they were in fact quite welcoming. Given the rather extreme poverty that their communities tend to live under, I imagine that even small donations from tourists can be an important source of additional income.

The ceremonies performed for San Simón were more or less similar to the ones that I saw in Santiago Atitlán, in that the basic structure was that local villagers would approach the idol with offerings (including cigarettes and rum) and ask for favors. There were a few differences as well, the most notable one being the idol of San Simón himself, who was much younger and more stylish here in Zunil than in Santiago (I mean, he had on a red bandana, a cowboy hat, and some seriously dark sunglasses!).

San Simón in all his glory.

Devotees during the ceremony.

Some elderly Mayan women performing a ceremony.

San Simón recieving an offering of rum.

It was a very enriching experience, and I was very glad to continue to have contact with and learn about the existant Mayan culture in the Guatmalan highlands. Definitely a very good morning outing!

Quetzaltenango (Xela)

2009-07-18T20:34:00.007-04:00

I bought my new camera while in Quetzaltenango (another town with a wonderfully fun name...though really it is commonly refered to by a shortened version of its Quiché Mayan name, that is, Xela), and hence my first photos are of that city. Below are just a few of them.

I really enjoyed Xela. It is a beautiful city located in the remote western highlands, and while there were certainly some tourists roaming around the streets, it has nothing of the ''Gringolandia'' feel of Antigua. I found it interesting that the city contained so many neo-classical structures, as I have very rarely seen this sort of monumental style anywhere in Central America, and I was certainly not expecting to see it out here in the predominantely indigenous highlands region. I am very glad that I finally had a camera!!

Monument and ne0-classical administration building

The theatre

Another monument and the administration building

View from my hotel room, with cloud-covered mountains looming above the city.

New Camera!

2009-07-14T19:01:00.003-04:00

After successfully ignoring the depressing fact that I didn't have a camera for about a week, and then spending the following week completely annoyed that I couldn't capture all of the beautiful scenery and amazing experiences that kept coming up, and then agonizing over whether or not to buy a camera, and the agonizing far more over exactly which camera to buy...I finally managed to work up the fortitude and BUY A NEW CAMERA yesterday!

Sadly, I cannot figure out how to download the photos (at least not on this particularly computer in this specific internet cafe), so we are all going to have to wait a bit longer to see the photos that I have exuberantly been snapping off ever since making my new purchase. But I did have to share the good news!

For anyone who is interested, my new camera is standard cheapy: a Samsung ES10. It's clunky, uses AA bateries, and has virtually no features that would be important to me...though I have yet to test out its heralded ''Beauty Shot'' function, which could obviously be the real selling point. Now we wait and see if the thing lasts for the remaining 3 weeks of my trip.

Whoa, I only have 3 weeks left of my trip...

Chichicastenango

2009-07-13T21:48:00.003-04:00

In addition to having an extremely awesome name, the town of Chichicastenango (Chichi, for short) is well renowned for having the largest Mayan market in Guatemala. The market is held every Thursday and Sunday, and since I had been told that the Sunday market is even better than the Thursday one, I organized my travels so that I would be able to arrive to this small town in the Western Highlands on a Sunday.

I have seen a lot of amazing markets (Fez, Morocco; La Vega, Santiago de Chile; The Witches Market, La Paz, Bolivia -- just to name a few), and I can safely say that the market in Chichi could very well be one of the most impressive. There are sections of it that are quite touristy, though the overwhelming display of vibrant colors in traditional Mayan textiles commaned my attention much more than the English/Hebrew speaking tourists gawking at them. Regardless, the true heart of the market is buried deep within the maze of stalls and tables, hidden amist a mass of shucked corn husks and muddy puddles (it is, after all, the rainy season). It is here that families of Quiché Maya from the surrounded villages come to buy, sell, and trade all sorts of goods relevant to their daily lives...not to mention that this is best place to sit down at a plastic table and each a deliciously thrifty lunch dished up by one of the large Quiché women standing over a collection of enormous pots and pans. Yum!

I bought a pair of tejidos (textiles) from two different families, meeting face to face the remarkably talented women who wove them by hand. The two pieces combined only cost me about $20...a deal that I simply could not pass up, even though now I have to carry these things with me all the way to Mexico City. I also ate the best street food that I have had since Cartagena...double yum!

All in all, it was yet another a great day.

Lago de Atitlán

2009-07-12T19:18:00.005-04:00

El Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlán) is an idyllic lake sitting in an enormous volcanic caldera in the Guatemalan highlands. I really wish that I had some of my own photos, but if you really want to know what the place looks like check out some Google images here. It is vaguely similar to Lake Tahoe, but warmer, with volcanoes, and more culturally diverse. I spent three nights in three different towns, and in order to keep this post to a manageable size, I will limit myself to describing one highlight in each town.

San Marcos La Laguna
This small town -- or at least the tourist half of it -- has been completely taken over and developed by throngs of Western, New-Age fanatics who believe that this little patch of land along the lake shore has a high degree of spiritual energy. I have still been a bit shaken up after my kidnapping experience in Nicaragua, so I thought that a tranquil and meditative environment would be good for me. I had heard about this crazy New-Age center called Las Pirámides del Ka, and if you just glance at their website you will have a pretty good idea about the vibe in San Marcos. Highlight of the day: meditating in a pyramid.

Santiago Atitlán
One of the reasons why I wanted to come to Lago Atitlán is that many of the communities here maintain extremely vibrant Mayan culture, especially so in Santiago Atitlán, which is populated predominantly by Tz'utujil Maya. I was most interested in visiting San Simón, or Maximón as he is known to many locals, a sort of saint/god/devil figure still revered by the Tz'utujil community of Santiago. I hired a guide to bring me to the current resting place of the idol (each year it is housed by a different member of the community), and was lucky enough to get there while several ceremonies were taking place. These consisted of a local man kneeling in front of the idol of Maximón and speaking to it in the Tz'utujil Mayan dialect. The idol is a waist-high wood carving, dressed in elaborate clothing and surrounded by offerings of money, cigarettes, and rum. The ceremonies were a textbook example of syncretism, tying together ancient Mayan and Catholic practices: the room contained many statues of Jesus on the cross, and interspersed in the Tz'utujil litany I managed to catch several Spanish words, always related to the Catholic religion; though I doubt that the Pope would like highly upon a cigarette-smoking, rum-drinking saint. It was probably the most interesting cultural experience I have had on my entire trip.

San Pedro La Laguna
It is hot down here in Central America, which means that I sweat a lot...and that my clothes get really dirty really fast. I decided to take advantage of a sunny Saturday afternoon to drag my bag of dirty laundry down to the lakeside and do a bit of washing, using a hard, cylindrical bar of detergent and a nice flat rock. Of course, I was joined by dozens of local Mayan woman doing exactly the same thing, and I think that they all got a huge kick out of the crazy gringo bumbling his way through the washing process while standing waist-deep in the lake and wearing a tiny pair of boxer-shorts. Not only did I end the day with clean clothes, but I also got a nice tan while soaking in the amazing view from the shore of the lake...not to mention that I also got a big fat blister on my palm from rolling the soap and my clothes atop the rock. It was a tremendously satisfying experience, and I can't wait until my next lake-side washing event. I even have half a cylinder of soap packed away for when that day eventually arrives.

I had a fantastic time around Lago de Atitlán, and I have to admit that while I couldn't ignore the call of the open road, I was a bit sad to be leaving its shores. Definitely a place to go back to if I ever find myself in Guatemala again.

Volcán Pacaya...photos coming soon!

2009-07-12T16:25:00.003-04:00

On my final day in Antigua, I went on a trip to the nearby Volcán Pacaya...the most active volcano in Guatemala. I had the good luck of getting to know a few fellow travelers during the trip, and they managed to snag some really amazing photos. The will be sending me the photos at some point, and when I have them I will be sure to post them here...the photos will sureley be able to better convey the adventurous and slightly precarious nature of this adventure than any description that I can write. I will just leave with one little tidbit to hold you over: there was lava. Lots and lots of lava.

Antigua, Guatemala

2009-07-10T16:15:00.002-04:00

Antigua is a picture-perfect colonial town, very much in the same style as Granada, Nicaragua: cobbled streets and low adobe buildings with red-tile roofs, feeling more spacious but less awe-inspiring than Cartagena. Yet the most striking characteristic of Antigua is its unavoidable and overwhelming status as a haven for gringo tourists. Every cobblestone street is lined with some combination of hotels, fancy restaurants, coffee shops, tour agencies, gringo bars, Spanish schools, and artisan boutiques. Nearly the only places where locals can even be seen are in the central market or working in one of the many tourist shops. Despite the proliferation of Spanish schools, English is by far the most spoken language. Antigua is the most touristy city that I have ever visited, surpassing even Cuzco and Pucón, largely due to the fact that there are hardly any local Guatemalans in the town center.

Returning to the theme of the Spanish schools, I believe that they are responsible, at least in a large part, for the extent of gringoness that permeates Antigua. Young, Spanish-eager gringos come to Antigua and not only do they visit the sites, but rather they stay for one, two, four weeks. In other extremely touristy towns (Cuzco, Pucón, Cartagena, Granada, etc.) tourists swing through, do their thing, and move on. But in Antigua they come to live -- albeit temporarily. Hence, in addition to transitory gringo travelers who do the normal tourist thing just pass through (such as myself, as I am well aware of the fact that I am a part of this over-gringoified problem), there is also a sedentary gringo population that buys food at the grocery store, that uses their laptops to catch wifi in the coffee shops, and who even work as bartenders in the many gringo-oriented bars. With so many other gringos around, I wonder if any of them actually accomplish their apparent goal: to learn Spanish.

But once you are able to get over the fact that tourism is the new colonialism (it helps to recognize your own role in the issue...cheers, Mariah), you can begin to appreciate the spectacular colonial and natural beauty which is the very reason why Antigua is such a tourist haven in the first place. The fairy-tale beauty of the cobbled streets and Spanish tile roofs is set amidst verdant scenery dominated by three volcanos looming overhead. Utterly spectacular.

I really did very little around Antigua, just taking advantage of its tourist infrastructure to use the internet/Skype in order to get some bureaucratic things taken care of for HLS. (That whole law school thing is coming up quicker than I thought!) I did manage to make my way up an active volcano, but that epic trip deserves a post in and of itself...stay tuned!

El Salvador

2009-07-07T20:19:00.005-04:00

First off, I want to note that since my camera was stolen there will not be many photos on the blog anymore. I'm sorry everyone, it seems that you are stuck with my notorious long-windedness without the periodic picture inserted to break the monotony.

I arrived to San Salvador at night and managed to safely make my way to a hostel, but after the traumatic Nicaraguan experience I was keen to get out of the city for a few days and center myself once again. Of course, there is no better place for me to get centered than the beach, so the following morning I hopped on a mini-bus for the hour-long ride over to the coast at Playa El Tunco. This quiet little surfing town was recommended to me by my friend Elian, who has been volunteering in El Salvador with the Peace Corps for over a year now. She could not have made a better recommendation. While the beach was perhaps not the most gorgeous that I have ever seen, the real attraction of the place is its laid back and mellow surfer atmosphere...not to mention a few good restaurants with great Pacific sunset views and cheap beer. It was a great place to just relax and take it easy, and begin to move on from the craziness and stress of Nicaragua.

The next day I slowly made my way into the hills to the north of the capitol to the adorable town of Suchitoto. Suchitoto is a tranquil little colonial town, which naturally meant that I was enamored with it upon first site. It did not have the grandeur of Cartagena or the tropical draw of Panama City, but what was truly unique about this colonial town is that, like most all of El Salvador, it was almost entirely devoid of tourists. As I strolled down the cobbled streets I caught site of school kids returning home from colegio, elderly grandmothers sweeping the spacious front porches, and squat Salvadorian women kneading dough for pupusas...and I didn't hear English spoke even once. Another extremely relaxing and pleasant visit.

My final two days in El Salvador were spent in the capitol hanging out with essentially every single Peace Corps volunteer in country. My visit happened to coincide with the 4th of July, and the Peace Corps/American Association had organized a few activities, and Elian had invited me along. In the morning we played several very muddy games of ultimate frisbee and soccer, the field being completed saturated with rainwater from the daily thunderstorms. I really enjoyed getting some exercise, and let's be honest, who doesn't love sliding around in the mud trying to track down a slippery soccer ball? In the afternoon we got to lounge in luxury poolside at the nearby Sheraton Hotel, and then later we went out for dinner and a bit of partying.

It was totally awesome to hang out with Elian again, it had been over three years since we had last seen each other while studying together at LMH in Oxford. She is totally kick ass, and it was very kind of her to let me tag along and insert myself in the Peace Corps community. On that note, it was also just pretty wild to get a glimpse of what the Peace Corps community can be like. While working for VEGlobal in Santiago, we were always interested in learning about how things worked in the Peace Corps, given that it sort of sets the mark for international volunteer programs (and also since my brother recently started volunteering with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic). Sadly I didn't get to visit Elian's site to see the actual work that Peace Corps volunteers do, but I think that I got a pretty good sense of how the social community operates, which was naturally of particular interest to me since part of my job with VE could be described as ''onda development.'' Perhaps given that both the Peace Corps and VEGlobal work with young, energetic and idealistic international volunteers, it should come as no surprise that the similarities probably outnumber the differences. That said, I think that, to a certain extent, there are qualitative differences between the sorts of people who choose to work with the Peace Corps as opposed to working for a smaller, independent NGO...and also the sheer difference in size really does engender significant variations in the ways that the communities are shaped. I don't want to say that one model is necessarily ''better'' than the other, but I do believe that these small but significant differences between the programs are what really define the organizations' onda (or using a more business-savvy term, the ''organizational culture''). This might be boring as sin to you folks, but as an NGO/volunteer junkie, I am fascinated by it all.

Two thumbs up for El Salvador, two thumbs up for the Peace Corps, and two big thumbs up for my friend Elian. Next stop: Guatemala!

(not in) Honduras

2009-07-02T10:31:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I finally left Leon, Nicaragua bound for El Salvador. I had decided that given the rather precarious situation in Honduras, now is not the right time to visit, despite my interest in exploring the 2nd largest Central American nation. Nevertheless, the entire northern border of Nicaragua is shared with Honduras and hence in order to continue my trip I did have to briefly pass through Honduras.

I bought a stupidly expensive bus ticket with the most well-known international bus agency in order to ensure that the passage would be an uneventful and safe one, which indeed it was. I was only in Honduran territory for about 2 hours, and the beautiful scenery that I saw from behind the glass bus windows only confirmed that at some point in my life I will need to come and properly explore this country. Other than military soldiers with big guns along the border, everything seemed rather normal to me, though we were no where near the capital nor any other areas of conflict. I arrived to El Salvador last night without incident, exactly as I had hoped.

In case anyone is interested in learning more about the situation in Honduras, academic blogger Greg Weeks at Two Weeks Notice has been closely following the developments and I would highly recommend him as a very readable and reliable source.

Replacement Items

2009-07-01T23:42:00.004-04:00

Given that I was robbed of most all my traveling effects, in order to continue with my journey I had to buy...well, basically everything. I will be traveling with a much lighter load (more rustically, let's say), but I was in desperate need of a few basics. I used my bargaining skills to get a few things on the cheap:

Small duffel bag: $5
Money bag: $2.50
Shoes: $20
Shorts: $6
Heavy (warm) shirt: $3.50
Sweatshirt: $3.25
Socks and underwear: $4
Belt: $1.25
Jeans: $5
4 Shirts: $7.25
Towel: $5
Toiletries/sunscreen/lock/2 undershirts: $30

Total: $92.75

A Close Call

2009-06-28T16:09:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I woke up in Granada, Nicaragua. After eating a bit of breakfast I went to an internet cafe to apply for my student loans for law school. I am going to have a LOT of debt. Having to face the reality of how indebted I will be was not the most agreeable way to start my day. Little did I know that it was only the beginning, and a rather benign one compared to what was to happen a few short hours later.

I packed up my backpacks and headed to the part of town where the buses leave for Managua, as there was no direct bus between Granada and Leon, my final destination. As I began to near the "bus station" (that is, an empty lot where the myriad different bus lines converge), several different buses slowly cruised by with people on each one shouting at me to get on their bus, not on the other bus, that bus over there won't bring you to the right place, etc. Very confusing, very disconcerting. All of this is really quite normal in Central America, but whenever I have my big backpack I always feel more vulnerable and hence the whole situation had me a bit on edge. I wasn't really keen to get on any of these buses. A guy on the street walking in the same direction told me that there was a car service to Managua that was easier than the bus, it was faster, direct, and not much more expensive. I was hesitant, but as I was stalling the car pulled up and several random passer-bys all got in, which strengthened my impression that this could be a legitimate operation. I put my big backpack in the trunk and crammed into the back seat.

As we rolled out of Granada there were 6 of us in the car: the driver, a man and woman in the front seat, and I was in the middle of the back seat with a woman to my left and the guy from the street to my right. Shortly after leaving town we stopped briefly so that the woman in the front could move to the back seat with us, since it was illegal to have two passengers up front. We were cramped, but I repeat that all of this should be considered normal traveling conditions for Nicaragua. Everything seemed quite fine as we drove along the highway chatting about random things and asking each other the normal cultural questions that get asked when gringos and locals are forced to interact.

All of a sudden and without warning, I feel a pressure on both sides of me and the other passengers begin to shout. My first thought is that there must be some sort of problem outside and that we needed to get off this road. But as quickly as this thought sprung into my mind it was dispelled just as fast when I realized that I was being pinned down against the back seat and the two male passengers had each pulled out a hunting knife and directed it towards me. I must have reacted (though I don't remember exactly how), as everyone in the car yelled at me to shut up. One of the guys punched me in the face 2 or 3 times as the others held down my arms and legs and pushed me into the seat.

My nose begins to gush blood and amidst the shouting and the confusion I feel a cold, steady pressure against my neck. It was one of the knives. I ceased to struggle and tried to maintain motionless as the man with the knife against my throat yelled that if I moved he would kill me. I was told to close my eyes or they would kill me, to tell them where my money was or they would kill me, to not lie or they would kill me. With my eyes closed and my arms and legs brusquely being held down, I tried to explain to them where my money was and please would they not cause me any harm. Rough hands entered my pockets, I felt drops of blood coursing down my face and staining my shirt, and my ears where overwhelmed by the shouting. Close your eyes or we'll kill you!...Where is your money!?....Shut up!...Keep your eyes closed!....If you struggle we'll kill you!....Give us your money, gringo! I could feel that they were digging through my small backpack and I tried to maintain the appearance of being calm while explaining to them where the money was. I genuinely feared for my life, and I figured that my best shot at surviving was to cooperate as much as possible and not get them worked up or angry.

I said they could have the money but that they please let me be, and they stated that they were only interested in money, that they wouldn't do anything to me if I gave them everything and didn't resist, but as soon as I tried anything then they would kill me. They found my debit and credit cards and I eventually give them the PIN number to the debit card and tried to explain that the other cards don't have PIN numbers, they are credit cards and don't work that way. Stop lying!....We'll kill you!...What are the PIN numbers?!...If you lie we'll kill you!...Stop lying we want your money! I insist that the other cards don't have PIN numbers, and it quickly becomes apparent that one of the women is going to get dropped off to try and use the debit card in an ATM. I feel the car slow to a halt, a door opens and closes, and then the engine revs and we are moving again.

They continue to drive, my eyes are closed and my captures have my arms and legs held down. They continue to threaten me but repeat that they only want money. I ask if they will let me go once they have the money, and they claim that I will be freed without harm as long as I cooperate. The atmosphere remains tense but reaches a degree of stability, I have not tried to resist and they are no longer shouting so consistently. Interestingly, I begin to detect signs of humanity in them. They state that they only want money, that in Nicaragua there is no work, that they have to feed their children. I begin to try and negotiate. My mouth is dry and I asked for some water, and the woman to my left pours some water into my mouth. I ask that they leave me with my passport and my journal and my belongings that do not have monetary value. They say that I can have all that, they only want money. I only want this to be over.

I try to focus on their claim to let me free, but in my heart I still have my doubts. My eyes are closed but I can feel the cold steel against my neck. Will they really let me go? Or would they keep me alive long enough to get as much money as possible and then dump my body in a ditch somewhere?

I do not know exactly how long I was in the car with my eyes closed, but I think that it must have been several hours. There were problems with the ATM and the woman had to go to 3-4 different machines, each time coming back to the car and claiming I lied about the PIN number, that she could only take out $10 US, threatening to kill me if I didn't stop lying. I try to reason with them, that obviously it was the right PIN or she wouldn't have been able to access my account at all and would not have gotten any money. This scene goes on for long while, but eventually I gather from their conversation that they are giving up on the ATMs and trying to find a place to let me off.

They tell me that they are going to let me out of the car with my small backpack, that I will have to walk forward without looking back for 10 minutes, that if I look back then they will shoot me but if I do as I am told then they will leave my big backpack on the side of the road. Stranger still, they give me the equivalent of $10 US in cash so that I can eventually catch a bus to Leon. Suddenly the car stops and I am pushed out onto a dirt road and told to walk, don't turn around or we'll shoot you, and I just walk forward with my small backpack. As I walk I review what they left me with: my passport and other documents, my journal and Lonely Planet guide book, a few other random items, and oddly enough with my two credit cards (they did take my ATM card). I hear the car speed off behind me and I keep walking for a bit, my hands shaking as I reviewed my backpack. It was finally over.

They never left my big backpack along the side of the road, and hence I have almost nothing at all with me anymore. But they did let me off with the most important thing: my life. Other than having most of my belongings stolen, I somehow managed to walk away from this experience with minimal damage: a bloody t-shirt, a shallow cut on my right temple, and a gnarly black eye. It was a terrifying situation, and looking back on it now I know that I never should have gotten into that car (especially after the experience I had on the Peru/Ecuador border), but there is no sense in tripping about it now. I am currently in Leon, Nicaragua and am trying to focus on the future.

I am determined to keep traveling, but still have to work out how to get money. And I need to buy a few supplies (I surely don't look very respectable walking around town with a nasty black eye and a bloody wife-beater), and some sort of bag to put them in. Oh, and it just so happens that today there was a military coup in Honduras, my next destination. The future seems a bit uncertain, but I just reckon that it's all part of the adventure. It sure has been one hell of an adventure.

Jumping Ahead...

2009-06-28T16:03:00.003-04:00

I will not be making any blog posts about my travels through Costa Rica and the first half of my travels through Nicaragua. Check out the following post and I am sure you will understand why.

A few more photos from San Blas

2009-06-25T23:19:00.008-04:00

One of my fellow shipmates broght his camera onto one of the islands in San Blas (I wasn't able to do so since I did not have a waterproof bag), and he just sent me some amazing photos that I wanted to share.

Me and my Argentinian shipmate, Guido.

Guido and I once again

Guido and a dog...crazy how even on deserted Caribbean islands in Latin America they have street dogs. Or beach dogs, as the case may be.

Azuero Peninsula

2009-06-21T17:25:00.014-04:00

Eric, my Panamanian friend/host/guide, was very insistent that we go to visit his hometown of Chitré in the Azuero Peninsula. According to both Eric and Lonely Planet, ''the interior'' is the true heart of Panama and is the region where traditional culture is most evident. Eric took a few days off work, I took my big blue backpack, and we started our mini road trip westward towards Chitré.

Upon our arrival I was immediately adopted by the entire Burgos family. Eric and I went around house to house and met essentially every living relative in the area, which was no small feat given that 4 generations of Burgos family members can still be found in Chitré. Of course I was extremely well received everywhere that we went, the arrival of the crazy gringo causing a bit of stir in this otherwise quiet, small town. And naturally, in true Latin American style, I was offered some delicious home-cooked food in every household. That is the sort of hospitality that I can very easily get used to! It was really was lovely to meet everyone and they truly did make me feel welcomed and accepted into their homes and lives.

Eric and I went driving up and down the peninsula, stopping off at a handful of the tiny towns that are so characteristic of this region. In addition to Chitré, we managed to check out: Parita, Villa de los Santos, Guararé, Las Tablas and Pedasí. The common themes between all of these places seemed to be their sleepy, small town atmosphere and the modest, white-washed churches in their central plazas. After being in Panama City for 2 days, I was glad to see some of the countryside and soak up bit of the ''campo onda'' for a change.

Cathedral in Chitré

Church in Las Tablas

Church in Pedasí

Just a normal day in the campo...

Campo scenery...with a tropic rainstorm brewing in the background.

And finally, it just so happened that my visit to Azuero coincided with several local festivals and I had the luck of getting to see a few of the traditional celebrations for which Azuero is well known. In Chitré they were celebrating the novenas, or the nine days before the official day of St. John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of the town. One evening there was a presentation of traditional dances, and I was thoroughly amazed by the intricate beauty of the polleras, the dresses worn by the girls. In Villa de los Santos there were some residual celebrations from Corpus Christi. Eric and I managed to see a procession through town by several groups of children dressed up in the costumes used for a series of local dances, and then after the procession we got to see the dances performed. My favorite performance was from the diablicos limpios, whose dance represents the battle between Good and Evil by portraying the drama of St. Michael Archangel defending a soul from the demons.

Dance performance, several lovely polleras.

Close up of one of the polleras.

Diablicos limpios during the procession

Diablicos limpios during the procession in front of the church in Villa Los Santos

Dance of the diablicos limpios

A very awesome cultural experience, and a great way to finish my lightning quick journey through Panama.

Panama City

2009-06-19T15:07:00.022-04:00

After living on a 34' sailboat for 6 days and 5 nights, it was very nice to return to ''civilization.''

It was funny that ''civilization'' looked just like Miami.

While this might be simplifying things a bit, Panama City is well known by Panamanians and foreigners alike for its resemblance to Miami. It is a cosmopolitan hub consisting of pastel-colored skyscrapers and fashion boutiques, set in a tropical climate and populated by beautiful Latin people...as you can imagine, I find it completely understandable that it would be compared to Miami.

There are, of course, many distinguishing factors that set Panama City apart from Miami, and which, in my mind, make it a much more interesting city. In the first place, there is a lovely colonial section of town, and being a lover of colonial architecture (and not so much a lover of skyscrapers, pastel colors or no) I was very happy in this historic area of town. It was not as impressive as Cartagena, yet the flower-covered balconies and cobbled streets certainly made a strong impression.

Naturally, the biggest distinguishing factor of Panama City is: the Panama Canal. Before arriving I was not so thrilled to see the canal, but eventually I figured that it was just one of those things that you have to do when in Panama City and so I went. I am glad that I did. It truly is an engineering marvel, and I sat and watched the boats pass through the system of locks for almost 2 full hours, despite the fact that it had grown dark outside. The port of Miami is not nearly as entertaining.

The Canal administration building.

The Miraflores Locks of the Canal

The photo series of a ship passing through the Canal. Can't visit Panama and not have one of these...

On a cultural note, I have been very struck by the readily apparent ''gringo influence'' in Panama. Given the historical circumstances this makes perfect sense (the US controlled the Canal Zone until 2000!), but nevertheless actually experiencing this permeated Americanness is quite a shock to me, being a gringo traveling through Latin America. The American dollar is the official currency, random street signs and advertising are written only in English, and section of town where the Americans worked and lived seems like a piece of South Florida had been picked up and transported directly to this tiny isthmus. For me, at least, it is a bit strange.

I could not finish this post without giving a huge thanks to Eric, a family friend who really went out of his way to demonstrate true Panamanian hospitality before I ever even set foot on Panamanian soil. The two of us went bopping around together and was a great guide, giving me a comprehensive tour of the entire city in a short 48-hour period. Once again, I have been extremely fortunate to have a local host who is not only willing to take me around and show me the sights, but who was also willing to share his family and culture with me, despite the fact that I was essentially a complete stranger. As I said, a perfect example of the sort of hospitality that seems to be so fundamental in Panamanian, and indeed in many Latin American cultures.

By the by, Eric works with an amazing foundation here in Panama called Fundación Amigos del Niño con Lucemia y Cáncer, which I had the pleasure of visiting during my time in Panama City. They are great organization that provides holistic support to children with cancer here in Panama, and I definitely recommend checking them out!

The Epic Sailboat Voyage

2009-06-19T13:53:00.019-04:00

The Tango, our ship.

The Epic Sailboat Voyage was...AWESOME!

There is really so much that I could write about this trip, but given that I am a bit behind with the blog posts I am going to limit myself to short descriptions and lists of highlights, and then actually let the photos do the rest. As I mentioned in the previous post, this trip had two components: the open sea voyage and the San Blas Islands. Let's start with the first part.

For all the worrying that I was doing before this trip, our time on the open ocean was remarkably calm and tranquil. There was a bit of wind and rain during the first 12 hours or so, but then the following 36 hours were spectacularly uneventful. In fact, our French captain David was a bit upset that there was not more wind, as we had to ''sail'' the entire way with the motor running. While this part of the trip might have been lacking in the sort of high-sea adventures that David so loves and which so terrified me before the start of the trip, it made up for it by affording us some breathtakingly beautiful scenery of unspoiled Caribbean sunrises and sunsets.

A few highlights from the open sea adventure:
1. As I just mentioned, definitely the sunrises and sunsets. Just look at the photos.
2. Taking my turns during the night watch. The captain had to sleep, so the rest of us passengers had to spend several hours each night keeping our eyes on the horizon to be sure that we avoided any potential obstacles, e.g. other boats. The first night I had had watch from 4-7am, and the second night from 12-4am.
3. I am sorry everyone, but I have to mention this: pissing. To conserve our limited water supply, us guys had to go #1 off the side of the boat. This made for some extremely beautiful periods of urination...nothing but me, a yellow stream, and open Caribbean seas for as far as the eye could see. Also, there was a rather eventful moment when I had to go during a brief period of wind/rain at night. The boat was tilted at a 20 degree angle since we were using the sail, and there was quite a bit of movement due to wind gusts. I had to put on a harness, strap myself to the boat, and carefully lean out over the side of the boat. Probably one of the most epic urination adventures I have ever had.

Sunset

The Tango and the sunset

Me, the Tango, and the sunset

Caribbean sunrise

The ocean was so calm and glassy that you could actually see the reflection of the clouds in it!

The Caribbean, where the horizon blurs the distinction between ocean and sky.

Our time spent around the San Blas islands was picturesque and paradisaical. Crystal clear turquoise waters surrounded by coral reefs, sandy islands covered in palm trees, and plenty of rum. I have been to many Caribbean islands before and I can´t really say that San Blas was any more spectacular than the Bahamas or Cayman Islands in and of themselves, but what was indeed very unique is that the archipelago forms a part of Kula Yala, an autonomous region in Panama governed by the Kuna indigenous tribe. Apparently, the Kuna have the highest degree of autonomy of all the indigenous groups in Central America. We visited several inhabited islands and had the chance to speak with some of the folks there as well as learn a bit about their way of life and traditions. It was an extremely enjoyable welcome to Panama.

Highlights from San Blas:
1. Buying 10 freshly caught lobsters for $10 US from a Kuna fisherman upon arriving to El Porvenir, and then having our excellent French chef (i.e., Captain David) cook them right away.
2. On the seafood note, I ate a fried fish prepared by one of our Kuna hosts. First time I have ever eaten a fish that still had its tail, head, and EYES connected. See the picture.
3. SNORKELING! Even though the reefs that we visited were rather badly damaged, it was the first time that I had gone snorkeling in many years and it felt great to put on a mask and snorkel and splash around once again.
4. Chilling out. Honestly, is there a better place in the world than a sun-soaked Caribbean island to hang out and read a good book? Let me know if you find one.

One of the islands

Sunrise over the islands

Kuna hut on one of the islands

Captain David and the lobsters

''My fish has teeth!''...I very much needed the beer in order to get this little guy down.

Our crew, after lunch on the island

La Tango

2009-06-10T11:07:00.005-04:00

Today I will embark upon my high-seas adventure, crossing from Cartagena, Colombia to Isla Grande, Panama. A few key details of the trip:

The Ship

'Tango' - A Hunter 34' sailboat built in 1983
4 beds, 1 toilet
Small, but sea-worthy

The Crew:

Capitain David Lemoine, early 30s Frenchman, married to a Colombian
5 other twenty-something tourists: 3 English girls, 1 German guy, 1 Argentinian guy
Me!
Rum

The Trip:

5-6 days in total
First 48 hours: open sea sailing
Next 48 hours: relaxing, snorkeling, swiming, drinking, bbq-ing in the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama.
Final 24-36 hours: coastal sailing to Isla Grande, Panama. Stay the night in this small, coastal village.
Final leg: take a boat/bus combo to Panama City.

Bon voyage!

Cartagena

2009-06-09T16:17:00.015-04:00

Before ever arriving, I had heard very mixed opiniones about Cartagena. While Lonely Planet raves about Cartagena as being ''South America's most romantic city'' and of having ''jaw-dropping beauty,'' several of my friends told me that it is rather touristy and not that special...basically telling me to not get my hopes up. Given that I had generally been left a bit underwhelmed by other Colombian cities, I was worried that Cartagena might be yet another disapointment.

Very wrong. On the spectrum of opiniones about Cartagena, I find myself much more on the Lonely Planet side. Cartagena is the first city in Colombia that I have enjoyed as a city, and I would contend that it maintains the same magical ambiance that has made me so enchanted with Colombia but which many other cities generally lack.

The center of Cartagena is a perfectly preserved gem of colonial history. Its narrow, cobbled alleys wind through a maze of colorful colonial architecture, with innumerable wooden balconies covered in plants and flowers, mostly bougainvillea. The city center, a veritable timecapsule into the 16th-17th century, is surrounded by the original colonial city walls, almost entirely intact, reinforcing the feeling that some sort of mystical barrier has protected Cartagena from degeneration through the centuries. I have the impression that Cartagena is a city that values and is proud of its history, an impression that is sustained by the extensive preservation/restaration efforts that must be employed to maintain the city in this condition. And to top it all off, this remarkable landscape is infused with a tropical Caribbean rythm that is simply irresistable to my Floridian sensibilities . Cartagena is, in short, spectacular.

Colonial architecture, with balconies and flowers.

Classic Cartagena.

More beauty.

Plaza and plam trees.

View from the city wall, looking inward.

The city wall and the Caribbean Sea...they had to build the wall because of the repetative pirate attacks, the most famous one being that of Sir Francis Drake.

Colonial plaza.

Tropical plaza.

Caribbean dance group performing in the Plaza Bolívar.

While I admit that the historic center of Cartagena is rather touristy, I personally do not feel that the dynamic local culture and identity has been lost at the expense of historical preservation. As I was walking through the center of town yesterday I heard a teenager belting out vallenato melodies on his accordian while sitting on his flower-draped balcony. I passed by a local fisherman walking through the streets with two steel buckets full of the morning's catch and repeatedly screaming ''PESCAO'' in a booming voice that hardly seemed to correspond to his tiny, wiry, sun-tanned body. Finally -- and this is my favorite point -- the variety and quality of street food here is by far the most impressive that I have seen anywhere in South America. Actually, for the past two days I have eaten nothing but street food and apart from water I have drank nothing but fruit juice and smoothies from street venders. Cartagena has conserved its historical beauty, yet paralleling this conservative tendency there runs a rich and vibrant development of local customs and culture as dynamic as the many costeños who call this magnificent city home.

On a more personal note, for the first time on this trip I have made an effort to hang out more with folks from the hostal and have met a lot of really interesting and awesome people...along with a few assholes. Traveling by myself had been getting to me recently, so to stave off the lonliness I decided to be a bit more social around the hostal. It has been nice to get a proper taste of the normal backpacker experience, and I had almost forgotten how much I can enjoy the open, tolerant and diverse communities that always (temporarily) inhabit these lodgings.

Cartagena is my last stop in Colombia, and I have to say that my experience in this country has been superb. Colombia is without a doubt a country that I will want to come back to and explore more thoroughly, either for travel or study/work (given the rather dismal human rights situation here I reckon that there might be work for an aspiring human rights law student such as I will be in a few short months). Yet with only three weeks of my trip completed, I still have a lot of time to spend and many new places to explore in Central America...perhaps there will be other spots that have an equal or even more enchanting atmosphere. The possibilities are exciting.

The Continuing Saga of the Border Troubles

2009-06-08T18:09:00.004-04:00

Over the past few weeks I have been chatting with other travelers in hostals, and it seems that pretty much everyone who went through the same border crossing between Peru and Ecuador that I did has similar horror stories. I was telling one girl about the charade of the agricultural workers protests, and suddenly she exclaims, ''Let me guess, did they show you a newspaper article?'' Apparently I was the third person who she had talked to with the same scam story. I wonder if there are other scam artists, or if those other poor souls got scammed by the same guys who screwed me.

There were worse stories, actually, which I will refrain from writing here to not scare my parents too much. That said, in all of the crazy stories that I have heard not a single person had any sort of bodily harm done to them, as it seems that the scams are limited to putting tourists in sketchy situations and then extorting money from them.

Swapping stories with folks has been therapuetic, and I am glad to say that the whole thing has been relegated to the 'amusing anecedote' section of my memory. Bring on the next one!

Parque Nacional Tayrona

2009-06-06T20:48:00.022-04:00

Parque Nacional Tayrona ('Tayrona National Park,' of course) covers an incredbly beautiful patch of beaches and mountains along the northeastern coast of Colombia. It is just a short 1 1/2 hours away from Santa Marta, and I made my way over to the park during the morning with the idea of staying there for a few days and doing some very serious relaxing.

The park was, to put it consicely, absolutely amazing. The photos could do most of the speaking for themselves, but I did want to highlight the two main aspects of this park, the combination of which I believe is what makes this place so truely special: unspoiled tropical jungle and pristine Caribbean beaches.

When I entered the park I had to hike for about 2 hours through the jungle in order to finally reach the beach. Additionally, on my second day in the park I hiked up to 'El Pueblito,' an archeological site that was built by the same Tayrona culture that is better known for its 'Cuidad Perdida,' which I was hoping to visit but didn't have the time/money to do. My time wandering around in the jungle, particularly on the hike up to El Pueblito, was quite a novel experience for me (I had done a somewhat similar hike on Ilha Grande, Brazil during my travels last year, but the jungles there are simply not as intense as the ones in Parque Tayrona). As I climbed into the overwhelming greenery and seemingly disappeared undernearth the jungle canopy I managed to catch a glimpse of some endangered monkeys, saw a dozen different species of neon-colored butterflies, and was bit by what must have been every single mosquito in the entire region. The hike was made all the more phenomenal by the fact that I woke up early enough to be the only person on the rather meager jungle pathway, and furthermore I had the entire archeological site to myself upon arrival (literally, there was NO ONE there...not even park rangers or guides or anything). I have to admit, it was a bit eerie to meander through the ruins of this ancient city alone, my only company being the shrieks of unseen monkeys and the scuttling of lizards/iguanas. After this experience, I am a lot less bummed out about not going to Ciudad Perdida.

Some jungle scenery.

More jungle scenery...

Enormous jungle ants that were all over the place, carried everything from leaves to pieces of fallen fruit.

Jungle pathway.

El Pueblito

Me, sweaty and nasty, in El Pueblito.

More of El Pueblito.

Next, the beaches. I mean, wow. It was fantastic, picture perfect (as the photos below should demonstrate): white sand beaches bordered on either side by large boulders shrowded in tropical rainforests that arrived all the way to shore. Not to mention palm trees, a cabana strategically placed ona protruding rock outcropping, and tons of hammocks. It was profoundly relaxing, and it would have been paradise if only there were fewer people and if the weather was a bit better (given that the rainforest begins right along the beach, it should not be hard to believe that a misty cloud was hanging over the whole area during the duration of my stay). That said, I must admit that I very much enjoyed the warm tropical rain whose pitter-patter upon the palm frond roof gently lulled me to sleep as I swung lazily in my hammock one night. I mean, does it really get much better than that?

Gorgeous beach.

Beach of Cabo San Juan del Guía, where I stayed.

View looking the other direction from Cabo San Juan del Guía.

More from Cabo...what a perfectly placed palm tree!

My journal-writing view.

One last shot of Cabo...from the darkness of the photo you can tell that it was rather overcast.

Parque Tayrona is definitely my favorite stop so far.

One final thought: I left the park by taking a little boat along the coast to the tiny fishing village of Taganga. I sort of hurt my toe in the park and didn't want to hike out, so I figured the boat was a good exit strategy. Wrong. Despite the fact that our little boat hugged the shore for the hour-long trip, and despite the fact that we were in the Caribbean Sea (and not the open Atlantic), the waves were surprisingly powerful and our boat (as well as our bums) took quite a beating. I guess I had somehow forgotten another one of my many phobias: fear of deep water, a fear which is magnified a thousandfold when I am in a small boat. So naturally, I am fearing for my life as the continuous streak of waves lifted and then slammed our tiny boat back down...and of course I have an anxiety attack. It ocurred to me that the boat ride that I planned to take to Panama is only going to be worse (farther away from shore, and much longer), and I will admit that in my head I made the decision to reneg on the singular condition of not taking an airplane and just book a flight to Panama.

I was sort of freaking out. Upon arrival to dry land I recognized that I was happy that I had taken that rediculous little boat, as the scenery was spectacular and having completed the journey I was able to look back and view it as a positive experience. So I am once again resolved to take some silly little sail boat to Panama, even if it means that I might be slightly petrified for about...5 straight days. Naturally I will try to make sure that I get a good, safe boat. The bottom line is that I reckon I can't let this tiny little phobia of mine break the one and only requirement that I put on this epic journey. Next stop, Cartagena and the attempt to secure a sail boat to North America...

Santa Marta

2009-06-06T20:45:00.007-04:00

And the strange trend in my Colombian experience continues: I have no love at all for Santa Marta as a city, but I am happy as can be...perhaps because I HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED TO THE CARIBBEAN!

Beach at Santa Marta...not even that pretty of a beach, to be honest...but it is a beach!

Cathedral

My room and my traveling effects.

Bogotá, and onwards

2009-06-03T19:17:00.013-04:00

Of the three Colombian cities that I have seen, Bogotá was the most interesting in and of itself. As the capitol it is more cosmopolitan and diverse, and has also managed to preserve some of its historical character (especially the neighborhood called La Candelaria, which is where my hostel was). I only spent 36 hours in town, but I managed to bop around the center, visit a few museums (the Fernando Botero Museum and the Gold Museum being the two highlights), and eat some delicious street food.

The cathedral, in the Plaza Bolívar

La Candelaria

Monument and park

In the Botero Museum

Medellín, Colombia

2009-05-31T16:50:00.014-04:00

Medellín has been my second stop here in Colombia, though also a rather quick one (about 18 hours). The city is in the northwest of Colombia and sprawls through a valley in the mountains, and I stayed with a friend of a friend who lives here. Yesterday we went out into the surrounding countryside to one of his friends' finca (in Chile they would call this a parcela...basicaly, it's a small, rural plot of land outside the city), enjoying a lovely barbeque, good company, and a mile-high pick-up game of soccer that left me happy and wheezing. It was great to get to hang out with a bunch of paisas (what the residents of this area of Colombia call themsevles) as well and get to know a bit more of what life is about here in Medellín.

The Spanish accent here sounds rather funny to my ears, and it's a bit hard for me to get used to it....though I haven't decided yet whether or not I like it.

Both Cali and Medellín, as cities, are not really my style. They are large, sprawling urban centers with very little historical preservation and not much to do other than the rumba (in Chile this would be called carrete...that is, party). But in spite of my dislike for these cities, I am LOVING Colombia. I am having a difficult time identifying exactly what is so attractive to me about this place (except, of course, for the beautiful Colombian women, who are easily identifiable as attractive), but I think that it must have something to do with the tropical atmosphere, beautiful landscapes and extremely diverse culture. I am very glad that I decided to spend more time in this country than many others, and I am looking forward to seeing more in the upcoming weeks.

A small recreation of a 'pueblo paisa,' which are the many small colonial towns in the hills around the Medellín area.

Downtown Medellín, with the old Cathedral barely visible behind the palms. I love palm trees!

Interesting stone building in front of the Plaza de las Esculturas, a plaza filled with different sculptures from the renowned Colombian artist Fernando Botero. This was my favorite part of Medellín. I first heard about Botero when his controversial series of paintings about the torture in Abu Ghraib was exhibited at UC Berkeley. You can download here the webcast/podcast of the interview between Botero and Poet Laureate/Berkeley professor Robert Hass, which was held on campus before the opening of the exhibition.

Ok, first Arturo Pratt shows up in Guayaquil, Ecuador...and now the famous horse statue in Parque Forestal in Santiago, Chile somehow shows up here in Medellín? What's going on here?? It seems that I really just can't get away from Chile...

Cali, Colombia

2009-05-31T16:41:00.003-04:00

I spent my first 24 non-traveling hours in Colombia in the southwestern city of Cali. To be totally honest, Cali is not that impressive of a city and there is really not much to see or do there...apart from going out dancing. Cali is considered the 'Salsa Capital' of South America, which one might assume would inspire me to go out and get down, if only for a short while.

Not the case.

The last time I went salsa dancing in Santiago, about a month ago, I was dragged onto the dance floor by a friend of mine. During the approximate 3 1/2 mintues that we were dancing together, I managed to: 1) accidentally hit her in the face, and 2) accidentally hit another girl in the face who was dancing right next to us, and thank god that she was a good friend of my dance partner and not some random person.

Yeah, so no salsa in Cali for me. Nothing more than a quick stop over and a chance to stretch my legs.

Ecuador/Colombia border: piece of cake

2009-05-29T18:19:00.006-04:00

After my rather unpleasant experience on the border between Peru and Ecuador, I have to admit that I was a bit worried about crossing from Ecuador into Colombia. Given all of the press attention that this border area receives due to presence of the FARC, paramilitaries and drug traffickers, I figured that this border would be even more skethy than the one between Peru and Ecuador.

Well, that's simply not the case. The operations were run in a surprisingly professional manner, and there was not one single moment in which I feared for my life. Score.

The next border challenge will be finding out how to get from Colombia to Panama...on a boat. The region around the border is apparently rather dangerous and I am not even sure if there are any well-maintained roads that connect the two countries. Once I get to Colombia's Carribean coast I will figure it all out. Until then, I'm just going to dig Colombia.

Quito, Ecuador

2009-05-29T16:57:00.005-04:00

Basically, Quito is awesome.

I was in and around Quito for almost 3 days, which, given my rather intense schedule and nutty travel preferences, is quite a long time for me to stay in one place. It is a beautiful city with a wonderfully preserved/restored historical district, set against a breathtaking backdrop of green Andean peaks and snow-capped volcanos. The city itself has an unusual long and skinny shape due to the fact that it is craddled in a high Andean valley, with the historical center being to the south and the modern 'new' city expanding northwards. I found Quito to maintain a welcomed balance of tranquility and energy -- the first inspired by the cobblestone streets and colonial architecture of the old town whereas the second is infused into city life by the many street venders and colorful indigenous clothing, and magnified by the row upon row of high-rise office and apartment buildings. To me, Quito seemed like the perfect blend between La Paz, Bolivia and Cuzco, Peru.

San Francisco Monestary

Left to right: Cathedral, monument, Presidential Palace

I believe that the highlights of my stay in Quito were the churches. La Compañía de Jesús, a Jesuit church whose construction began in the 17th century, is mostly likely one of the most ornate and ostentatious structures I have ever seen in my life. Baroque, naturally. The interior of the church is covered with gold -- literally, there are about 7 tons of gold leaf that have been put on everyting from the cieling to the altar to the columns. It looks almost as if god ate one of the famous Andean gold mines and threw up all over the church. But who am I kidding, I love ornate and ostentatious. It was awesome, but sadly it is prohibited to take photos inside.

Baroque, anyone?

My personal favorite was the Basilica del Voto Nacional, a much more modern chuch (started in the 1920s) built in the gothic style (my favorite). I think that part of why I became so enamored with this church is because it reminded me so much of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, where I volunteered briefly three years ago. Additionally, it is possible to climb ALL the way to the top of one of the principal bell towers, which, quite frankly, given the complete and utter lack of any sort of security apparatus, should not be allowed. At the pinnacle of the bell tower I was able to actually exit the tower and perch myself on top of small stone that was part of the exterior façade. Once again, should totally NOT be allowed to do this...but the views of the city are INCREDIBLE. Wandering around in the upper rafters, crossing on top of rather precariously placed wooden planks, and generally getting an inside view of the church really did recall many memories of Father Rudi's 'behind the scenes' tours in Antwerp.

i LOVE gothic churches

The bell towers...I went up the one of the left, to the perch above the clockface

Stunning view from the top of the dome. If you zoom in on this photo, you can see some scaffolding in the left tower...the place I climbed to is at the TOP of that section.

Inside the bell tower

Dangeriously perched on the upper façacde of bell tower...below my right hand is a drop of about 70 meters.

Two thumbs way up, Quito.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

2009-05-26T18:21:00.014-04:00

monument in the Parque del Centenario

Cathedral, statue of Simón Bolívar, and an iguana

that's right, in the middle of the city there are tons of iguanas...just chllin'.

monument for the famous meeting between the Liberators Simón Bolívar and San Martín...which randomly, I am totally obessed with.

Guayaquil, city of monuments and office buildings

Along the shore of the Guayas River

Arturo Pratt, what are you doing in Guayaquil??

pleasant colonial street in the Las Peñas neighborhood

view from the lighthouse, atop of Las Peñas

another view from the lighthouse