This week's photo: Spying in Cambodia

This was taken from outside my hotel room in Phnom Penh. It was my first night in Cambodia and I was about to go to bed when I heard what sounded like two men arguing very loudly. I came out and didn't see anything but when I looked down, saw the front desk guy watching TV on the ground floor. The man was still in his chair, asleep, when I went down for breakfast the next morning at 7am.

Flat feet, bad back

I have flat feet, which means two things. I cannot wear high heels for too long, neither can I walk for too long. Because my feet have no arches, they get tired and start to hurt way before all the other perfect feet around me do.

My feet started hurting when I was 13, which is also when I realised that I was the only one in my class who didn't play any sports. I couldn't run to save my life because running hurt too much after a while. That was me in school, completely unsporty and boring. And I still can't run. I haven't run 'properly' in years; even on the treadmill, I only brisk walk.

Now, as if that weren't enough, I also have a bad lower back. I'm sure it was the dodgy feet which came first because I only started getting back pain in 2002. When the pain got unbearable, my doctor arranged for an X-ray and when we got the results, I saw it. There was a curve in my spine, bending to the left and straight back again when it should have been straight all the way. I've got scoliosis- a curvature of the spine. It's not serious but I have it, and it hurts sometimes.

It's when I travel that I'm most reminded of my feet and my back, particularly because of the kind of travel that I enjoy. I carry a rucksack and I enjoy walking, so eventually my back, my knees and and my ankles will start to hurt. And that's when I need these. 

Those who have flat feet (also known as pes planus, or 'fallen arches') should do what I do:

1- Use orthotic foot arch inserts 

These are placed inside your shoes so when your feet is resting on them, a false arch is created. These really work for me, especially when I'm walking a lot. There are many types but the best (and most expensive) are those which are custom-made for you based on a plaster cast of your feet. Please, please look after your custom-made inserts because if you lose them, you'll need to make another pair. 

2- Don't walk for too long

Take a break from walking every half hour or so, your feet need to rest. If I'm wearing inserts and a good pair of shoes, I can normally go on for a hour, but 30 minutes is usually just right for me.

3- Use good shoes 

This may sound uppity, but I cannot wear 'cheap' shoes. If you have flat feet, you can still get by without orthotic inserts if you at least have shoes with a cushioned arch, which the more expensive brands tend to have. These really make a difference.

If you suffer from back pain, this is for you:

1- Don't sit for too long

When you sit, especially when you don't change position, what you're actually doing is putting pressure on your back. For a person with a normal back, that's no big deal, but when you have a back problem, that's not good news. Get up and walk around every 20 minutes. It doesn't matter what you do- go to the bathroom or grab a cookie from the kitchen, just make sure that you get out of your chair for five minutes. This may be difficult on long flights and train and bus rides, but you need to try.

2- Don’t carry rucksacks which are too heavy

This is my biggest headache of all because I enjoy backpacking. Over the years, I've learnt to limit the weight of my rucksack to 10kgs. Unfortunately I can't always keep it this low, what with the souvenirs and other stuff that I collect on my trips. When this happens, I divide the contents between my rucksack and daysack, which I carry in my hands.

3- Always use the hip buckle on your rucksack

There's a reason why the hip buckle is there -it's to anchor the weight of your rucksack to your body. Try this: fill up a rucksack and put it on your shoulders and walk around without securing the hip buckle. Now, secure the buckle and walk for a bit. You'll feel a distinct difference in the weight of the rucksack the second time around - it's much easier to carry with the hip buckle fastened, which means it's better for your back.

4- When you carry your rucksack, make sure it rests against your back

There should be no space, no air between the rucksack and your body when you're carrying it on your shoulders. Look in the mirror to check. If the rucksack doesn't rest flat against your back, tighten the straps so that it does. When your pack isn't close to your body, that means it's sagging and pulling you down, adding pressure on your back. If your rucksack is snug against you, it 'becomes' a part of you. 

Have a good trip!

Falling asleep

It was one of those days.

I'd already seen the man in the waiting lounge, his bright red shirt impossible to miss. His eyes were staring at me, watching my every move. I checked my watch; he was looking. I yawned; he was still looking. Please don't let him sit anywhere near me. I'm not in the mood and I don't want anyone creepy next to me, I thought.

When I got to my seat on the plane, I saw him sitting next to mine. He in the bright crimson shirt. Waiting Lounge Guy. He flashed me a big smile as he watched me sit down, running his eyes over my body.

I was on a flight from London to Kuala Lumpur. I couldn't figure out the man, whom I estimated to be about 10 years older. He looked Asian and had light brown skin, but then he had blue eyes. 

Thirty minutes in the air, I became aware that he was staring at me. It made me very uncomfortable so I pretended to fall asleep because that was the only thing I could do. 

When I 'woke up' half an hour later, I found him grinning at me. "You are looking very beautiful while you are sleeping," he enunciated with care, his blue eyes looking deep into mine. WHY did I take this plane? Once again, I didn't know what else to do so I pretended to fall asleep again. 

This time I slept for real. I must have dozed off for a few hours because when I opened my eyes, stewardesses were pushing food trolleys and pouring out drinks. "Chicken or beef?" I heard one of them ask the woman behind me. I turned around. "Can I have fish?" the woman asked brightly. There's going to be a slight problem there.

I had the beef stew. It was served with rice, some steamed carrots, potatoes and a salad. Dessert was a square of custard pudding. Nothing much, but it was all right.

I ignored Waiting Lounge Guy throughout the meal, pretending to listen to music on my earphones and be totally engrossed in my salad. I saw him looking my way from time to time, which I thought was just too weird.

"Are you marriage?" he asked suddenly.

"Sorry?"

"Marriage, you know, marriage. Are you marriage."

I wasn't marriage, but I wasn't about to tell him that. 

"No, but I will be soon." You liar, Anis. 

The man smiled, and this time it was a nice sincere smile, almost kind. "He is very lucky." 

I immediately felt bad and regretted that I had lied. "That's very nice of you. Thank you."

Then he shattered the moment and said,"But you are very beautiful while you are sleeping." He grinned, raised his eyebrows and suddenly turned back into creepy Waiting Lounge Guy. 

What else could I do but turn away and go back to sleep.

Antarctica, anyone?

I don't know if it's because it's that time of the year, but I've noticed a lot of tours to Antarctica lately. And you know what? Apparently it's not as cold as you think. 

About 10 years ago, cruises to Alaska started becoming fashionable. Now, Antarctica is the place to go. One company which organises trips to Antarctica is G Adventures, which has been around since 1990. Their Antarctica Classic tour from Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula promises sightings of orca, humpback and minke whales, leopard seals and Adélie penguins...that's right, just like The Amigos in 'Happy Feet' .

Roux Wikimedia Commons

Tours are conducted in the summer months from November to March. The temperature on the Antarctic Peninsula at that time of year is in the region of  2°C, which actually isn't too bad if you think about it. Yes, of course it's cold but it's not something that can't be sorted out with proper attire.  

G Adventures recommends the following for the trip: a warm winter jacket, waterproof pants, tall Wellington boots, hats and mitts. There an option to rent outerwear in Ushuaia but the company doesn't recommend it as there's no guarantee that these items will be available when you need them.

I've always preferred cold weather to hot. I don't sweat as much, my skin isn't so oily and my hair behaves better as well. (Yes, I sound very superficial but there you go). There's also something beautiful about a snow-covered  landscape - the world looks clean and new and ready for anything. I can almost smell the freshness in the air in these photos: 

Andrew Mandemaker

Vincent van Zeijst, Wikimedia Commons

Jan Will

So who's up for Antarctica this year? If you are, click here for some amazing photographs. If you don't like looking at photos of snow, at least go there for the penguins :)

What gets you going?

It's wonderful when you're given the chance to talk about something you love. 

A few weeks ago I was contacted by journalist Audrey Vijaindren from the New Sunday Times. She was writing a story on Malaysians who travel alone, and my name sort of came up. I love travel and everything about it; I love the freedom it gives me, I love being able to see how other people live and when I travel alone, I really do get that 'silence in my head' that I told her about. 

You can read the interview here on the New Sunday Times website.

Photo essay: Hanoi

If you've ever tried crossing the road in Hanoi, you'll probably say that the words 'peace' and 'quiet' don't apply to the Vietnamese capital.

But Hanoi isn't all that bad- the city has some lovely spots where you can take a breather and enjoy a quiet moment.

The Vietnamese are early risers- you'll wake up to the sound of cars honking by 6am, maybe even earlier. Not a problem - get yourself out of bed, head for the nearest bakery and enjoy a nice warm baguette by Hoan Kiem Lake. It's a great place to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

Hanoi has some lovely pagodas. This is the One Pillar Pagoda, so named because it stands on one pillar. The original was built in 1049 (what's there now is a replica) under the orders of Emperor Ly Thai Tong after his wife gave birth to a son. 

In May 1958, Ho Chi Minh, then President of North Vietnam, moved into this modest stilt house which he stayed in until his death in 1969. It's a nice place to visit if you're interested in seeing where Ho Chi Minh planned his strategies for the Vietnam War and how he apparently lived- his study and bedroom are both sparely furnished.

Attractive shopfronts in Hanoi 

Finally, if you're in need of of a break, do stop by Lam Cafe for some great Vietnamese coffee. Only after leaving it did I find out that it used to be the hangout for Hanoi's painters and artists, which explains the collection of paintings on the walls. This cafe is located in the Old Quarter, on Nguyen Huu Huan near Hoan Kiem Lake. 

How to cross the road in Hanoi

Be brave, be resolute- for that's exactly what's needed for you to get to the other side. If you think that traffic will stop for you to cross like it does everywhere else, you're mistaken. Traffic never stops in Hanoi, it simply avoids you.

I'm not exaggerating- anyone who's ever been to Hanoi is likely to tell you what a crazy experience it is trying to cross the street. Lorries, buses, rickshaws, cars and bicycles will come at you from every direction, and all at once. You've got a truck on your right, a swaying school bus full of children on your left and three motorbikes on the road facing you. 

Road rules? The last time I checked, there didn't seem to be any. Here are my pointers on how to get to the other side:

1- Before you step forward, stand by the roadside and make it clear that you're about to cross. Do this by looking directly at passing motorists, whether they be in a car, bus or rickshaw. This is important because the irony is that motorists in Hanoi will actually look out for pedestrians who are crossing and will swerve to avoid you. They'll swerve, but they won't stop.

2- Look right, left and right again, still making sure you look directly at motorists coming at you. Wait for a lull and get ready to move.

3- Take one step forward, still looking left and right.

4- Walk straight ahead. Do not pause or stop in the middle of the road- the Vietnamese never do this, because if you do, the car or truck nearest to you will brake suddenly and cause those behind to crash into it. I hesitated once while crossing the street and incurred the wrath of a whole group of motorcyclists and it wasn't pretty. Just walk and trust that they will avoid you, which they did every time.

5- Say "Thank You" and look to the heavens when you reach the other side.

6- Repeat as necessary.

Books: The Great Railway Bazaar

I've written about books here and here, but I thought I should go back a little and have a look at those which first inspired me to travel. In short, books which told me to wake up, get off my behind and see the world around me.

Every self-respecting traveller has heard of Paul Theroux and his classic, 'The Great Railway Bazaar' (1975), the book which kick-started a new style of travelling- one that encouraged you to take your time and not be too obsessed about having a final destination or how to get there. Theroux made train travel extremely sexy, in fact, he pretty much made it the only way to travel if you wanted to be taken seriously as a true traveller.

In this book, Theroux takes us through an epic train journey which begins in London's Victoria Station, snakes through Europe and Asia and ends on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Moscow.

Just to give you a rough idea of his route, I'll say that again: He takes a train from London, England to Paris (France), then gets on the famed Orient Express to Venice (Italy)-Belgrade (former Yugoslavia)- Istanbul (Turkey). He then proceeds to Tehran (Iran) to Meshed, then takes a bus and plane to Kabul (Afghanistan). He then jumps on the rails again to Peshawar (Pakistan) on to Amritsar (India)-Delhi-Mumbai-Madras (now Chennai), then hops on a boat to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Galle-Colombo. He goes back to Madras-Calcutta-then on to Rangoon (Burma, now Myanmar) to Maymyo. His next leg is from Vientiane (Laos)-Bangkok (Thailand)-Butterworth (Malaysia)-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, after which he takes a ship to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam)-Hue-Da Nang. This is followed by a ship to Japan bound for Tokyo, after which he moves on to Hakodate-Sapporo-Kyoto, then from Osaka to Yokohama. From Yokohoma, he takes another ship to Nakhoda (Russia), then a train to Khabarovsk from where he rides on the Trans-Siberian to Moscow.

It's impossible to not be inspired, not just by the nature of the journey, but also by the book itself. Paul Theroux is a great traveller in that he's observant and pays attention to the things and people around him, but his ability to put his experiences down on paper and in the process take us there with him, makes him a great travel writer. Not everyone likes him; some find him judgmental and harsh in his observations, but I didn't get that here.

Theroux describes the places he sees in great detail, but what stands out in 'The Great Railway Bazaar' are the people he meets along the way. This was one book which made me realise that travel is not always about the places you go to or even the journey- instead, on most occasions it's about the people you meet. Theroux says it himself on the second page: "I sought trains; I found passengers".

The good news is that while writing this I found my old copy of the 'The Great Railway Bazaar'. I think it's time to give it another read.