Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chasing phantoms
It's been two and a half years since my friends left.
I remember the day the three set out on what was slated to be a year-long trip that would take them from east to west, beginning in Singapore and ending with the quintessential Australian pilgrimage to the U.K.
The trip was some twelve months in the making and Mik, Jim and Eli were raring to go. We celebrated their departure at the Sydney airport with an embarrassing display of custom-designed boxer shorts, which each bore a little inside joke to remind them of uni days.
As the rest of us Sydneysiders left the airport, a seemingly pessimistic Joel jokingly bet that of the fresh-faced trio only two, at best, would find their way back home.
Well. Eli made it as far as Cambodia -- 7 weeks -- before deciding to turn back and set up shop in Chiang Mai for good.
Not two months later, Mik too threw in the towel. The outlandishly tall Casanova embarked on a new life as an English teacher first in Cambodia, then Thailand.
It seems the allure of South East Asia, and especially Thailand, is no secret to our travellers' nation, with Thailand ranking alongside the U.S., U.K., Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as one of the top ten destinations for Australian emigrants in recent times.
The Australian dollar can go a long way in the region, and attractions abound -- ranging from the pristine beaches of Phi Phi island to the ancient Angkor Wat, to the delectable array of sweet, spicy, and plain old tasty.
But there's a dark side of South East Asian tourism too. Human rights groups have long battled the abuse of women and children brought about by a rampant sex industry in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Cambodia is facing increasing international pressure to combat an illegal drug industry, and has even sought U.S. assistance in a collaborative 'war on drugs'.
So there's the good, the bad, and the ugly -- as any tired backpacker setting foot among a swarm of tuktuk touts will attest. But what could have possessed two recent university graduates on the start of a round-the-world trip to scrap all plans, collect their worldly belongings, and call a previously unknown country their home?
With Joel, Viren, Max and SEA veteran Jim in tow, I'm heading to South East Asia to find out.
I remember the day the three set out on what was slated to be a year-long trip that would take them from east to west, beginning in Singapore and ending with the quintessential Australian pilgrimage to the U.K.
The trip was some twelve months in the making and Mik, Jim and Eli were raring to go. We celebrated their departure at the Sydney airport with an embarrassing display of custom-designed boxer shorts, which each bore a little inside joke to remind them of uni days.
As the rest of us Sydneysiders left the airport, a seemingly pessimistic Joel jokingly bet that of the fresh-faced trio only two, at best, would find their way back home.
Well. Eli made it as far as Cambodia -- 7 weeks -- before deciding to turn back and set up shop in Chiang Mai for good.
Not two months later, Mik too threw in the towel. The outlandishly tall Casanova embarked on a new life as an English teacher first in Cambodia, then Thailand.
It seems the allure of South East Asia, and especially Thailand, is no secret to our travellers' nation, with Thailand ranking alongside the U.S., U.K., Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as one of the top ten destinations for Australian emigrants in recent times.
The Australian dollar can go a long way in the region, and attractions abound -- ranging from the pristine beaches of Phi Phi island to the ancient Angkor Wat, to the delectable array of sweet, spicy, and plain old tasty.
But there's a dark side of South East Asian tourism too. Human rights groups have long battled the abuse of women and children brought about by a rampant sex industry in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Cambodia is facing increasing international pressure to combat an illegal drug industry, and has even sought U.S. assistance in a collaborative 'war on drugs'.
So there's the good, the bad, and the ugly -- as any tired backpacker setting foot among a swarm of tuktuk touts will attest. But what could have possessed two recent university graduates on the start of a round-the-world trip to scrap all plans, collect their worldly belongings, and call a previously unknown country their home?
With Joel, Viren, Max and SEA veteran Jim in tow, I'm heading to South East Asia to find out.
Labels: Plans
