Igor The Troll

Off Road Motorbking

I like going to Cambodia because it is very rustic and the people are very friendly. The most interesting time I had there was when I rented an off road motorbike and drove through the back roads of Cambodia.

I rented the motorbike in Phnom Penh and planned to ride to Sihanoukville via Kampong Speu province back roads. Buying a local map at the market I set out to challenge the dirt roads of Cambodia. I laid out my trajectory, filled the motorbike with gas, picked up some bottled water, and set out for an adventure.

At first the roads where not too bad it was gravel and dry dirt, which I navigated with no problems. But the dirt was blowing in my face, so I picked up some Terminator sunglasses at a local store. The reason I refer to them as Terminator sunglasses because they were huge, sort of like the ones Arnold Schwarzenegger wore in the movie Terminator. They prevented the dirt from coming into my eyes, but at the same time made the desolated dirt roads look surreal, because of lack of light.

I tried to keep my speed around 60 kilometers at times going 80, when the surface was smooth. There were a few isolated houses between one small village and another. I kept the momentum going because I did not know how long it will take me to get to a major town, and did not want to get stuck in some isolated village. A village may not have a hotel. So, where would I sleep? At some points I had to cross small rives and streams. The best way to do it was to pick up speed so you do not get caught in the muddy bottom and slip.

After 5 or 6 hours on the back roads I came to a small village where I tried to ask directions. My reason for asking directions was that the road seemed to end all of a sudden. It became like a small walking path. I stopped by one house and asked a local man if I can go forward. I pointed to the direction that I wanted to go. He waved his hands signifying I cannot ride that way. He pointed in the direction that I just came from and in his limited English advised me to turn back. I was very tired, and it was turning late. I asked him if I could sleep at his wooden shack house. He vehemently objected. I was too exhausted and just plummeted to the ground next to my motorbike. I put my head on the grass and laid down quietly

After a few minutes on the ground a bunch of kids gathered around me. They were saying hello to me, trying to practice their English. I was a bit tired to talk but squeezed out a few friendly words. The kids were wearing school uniforms and looked really cute. In no time, the lady of the house came out of the wooden structure and started waving me to go away. I really did not have power to drive and took out a few dollars from my wallet showing that I am willing to pay for a bed. After a bit of comprehension and discussion with her husband, she invited me into her wooden shack. I was relived.

I moved my motorbike onto the property and walked into the wooden structure. I was surprised that there was no furniture and only a couple of hammocks. I set down on the floor and begin to communicate with my new friends. I learned that they are Khmer Rouge people. You know the ones that caused a revolution in Cambodia with Pol Pot. They did not speak any English and we were talking with our hands. I made a sign to my mouth and then to my stomach saying food. They brought out some dry fish and beef jerky. It was very little but I was grateful to get something to eat. There was one guy there with half a leg blown off by a land mind. He brought some rice wine. I drank some and felt like I was drinking diesel fuel. The stuff was crazy strong.

After my one legged friend had a few drinks of the homemade whisky, he started pointing to my bike and to the directions I wanted to go. He signified that there is a huge hill there with no road and all grass slope, but he can ride it. I knew it was the whiskey talking not the man, even though he did know a few English words. After talking for a few hours the family turned off the lights to get ready for sleep. They gave me a bamboo met to lie on.

In the morning I got up and decided to challenge the big hill. I gave a few dollars to my hosts, got my motorbike back onto the small path, and I was gone. The road was really a walking path, so I had to weave and zigzag in and out from one side to another trying to avoid rain puddles. Bang, the bike hit a puddle and I started sinking in the mud. I tried to maneuver it out. I tried to press the accelerator, but I felt the bike was stalling. I tried switching gears from second to first, but it was too late. The bike stalled. I came plummeting into the mud on my side.

I worked hard to pick up the bike, because the engine and the manifold were kind of hot and the bike was heavy. After managing it to upright position I restarted the beast. I got on top of it, gave it gas, but the wheels just kept spinning. I put some leaves and wood sticks under the back tire; but when I tried to go forward the debris was just kicked out and I was back sinking in the mud. After a few attempts I was loosing strength. The bike fell back on its side. I tried to pick it up and start it again. The starter made some clicking noise, but the engine would not start. I tried pushing the bike, but it was too heavy and had no traction. The bike slipped and fell into the mud again. I knew the battery was dead, frustrated I gave up.

I decided it would be best to walk back to the tiny village and get help. I left the bike behind and ventured back on foot to the village. After a few kilometers, I found an Ox carriage carrying timber to give me a ride back to the village. In the village, I found a guy with a motorbike. He spoke some English. I bagged him to come with me to my motorbike and help me start it up. After a bit of imploring I convinced him to help me. He borrowed a car battery that they used for electricity for lamps, and he and his friend took me on their motorbikes back to my bike. I set with one of them, while the other carried the big battery.

When we arrived at my bike, it was still there. I picked up the bike and pressed the start button. It worked, and the engine started. Apparently the starter contacts where wet, and after drying up for a few hours, the starter worked with no problems. I tried to move the bike out of the mud but failed again. That is when one of the local guys got on my bike. The other guy and me pushed the bike from behind, while he maneuvered the bike out of the mud. I was very grateful for their help. They asked me for a few dollars for gas, which I gladly gave them. I thanked them. I decided not to attempt crossing the big hill through mud and grass and turned back to where I came from.

I rode my motorbike back to a big village, got some gasoline, and had lunch there. I did not want to go back all the way to the highway, so still looked for a way to head south on the dirt roads. I asked the local people at the restaurant if I could go straight down from where I was to Kampong Speu city. They said yes. I got back on my bike and drove to something that looked like a bridge. The bridge was bombed out and only had the beginning parts protruding into the river. I saw some locals on the other side. I screamed out to them if I can cross through the river. They motioned to go ahead. I rode down from the levy to the river beach and accelerated into the water.

The surface was sand, so I head traction. But I knew if I would slow down I would be swept by the current and would fall. As I was crossing the river, the water got really deep. At one point the water got up to my chest, but I kept going. The locals on the other side were standing there looking at me with amazement. I think they knew that it is very deep and did not think I would attempt to cross. For them it was more of a challenge to the dumb tourist. With a little luck I passed the deep section of the river and started coming closer to shore. All the locals started to applaud me as if I was some sort of a hero. I made it to dry land!

I drove all the way through the night. It was a bit scary with only headlamps gleaming the dirt road. Had a few raccoons cross my path at times. In the morning I came onto a paved road, had breakfast, and headed toward Sihanoukville. On the highway I realized my gas tank was leaking. It had a small crack and gas was sipping out at the rim, where the cap is. Worried about having a spark ignite the fuel, I applied a temporary solution. I bought some adhesive glue and patched it up. It did not last too long. Every 20 or so kilometers I had to redo the treatment.

In Sihanoukville, I took a bit of a break. I got my gas tank welded and replaced the back breaks. I ate good food and took a walk on the beach. I only stayed there one night and headed out to Kampot. I was told there is an abandoned casino at Bokor Hill Station, on the way to Kampot. I decided to visit it. It was located in the national park. I had to pay 30 usd entrance fee, but I was too cheap. As I was driving to the entrance gate, I picked up speed and winged it. No problem, the gatekeeper did not bother going after me.

I drove up the 3,000 meters mountain to the top. At first the road was asphalt, but it quickly turned it to gravel and small boulders with mud. Towards the end it started to rain. The raindrops were a bit painful beating my skin. I arrived at the top of the mountain. The place was desolate and engulfed in fog. There was a few abandoned buildings:. An old radio station still had its antenna protruding into the air, looking ominous. There was an empty skeleton building that used to be a casino. I walked into it to dry myself a bit. Inside I found a guard who advised me that there is a guest house where I could sleep. It was getting late, and I could not see myself riding back down the mountain today.

It felt creepy! The rain kept falling, at times very hard at times light. The wind would raise its ugly head making it almost intolerable. I do not know, I was just going in circles or something. I had to drive for about a half an hour or so until I came onto the guest house. Once inside the guest house, I got out of my wet clothes and put on some damp clothes that I had in my backpack. I set down by a stove and wormed myself up. The place had very little food. The people who stayed there brought their own or reserved food to be prepared. Being that I did not have a reservation, but showed up all of a sudden, I can only buy some instant noodle soup. It was better than nothing; I also scavenged some chicken from the other guests. I was dead, and I went to sleep.

The next day, after getting up I headed off the mountain. There was no food to eat at the guesthouse, but it was a great sunny day. I was energized. I slowly weaved down the path trying to avoid jagged rocks. I was on the asphalt road. I picked up speed. I figured being that I got in without paying, I might as well go fast through the exit. I did not want trouble. I was going very fast, I pressed the front break to slowdown. I hit the ground. Ouch, it hurt badly. The front wheel got locked, because I applied the front brake when I was going down hill. I only tapped it a bit, but because I was using it a lot on the way down, it overheated and locked.

My shoulder was dislocated and the bike was damaged. The front fender was crooked and the mirror was broken. Persevered I got up. I was full of resilience. A park ranger saw me fall and came to check if I was alright. I told him, I am fine as, I got on the bike and slowly limped away from the accident scene. My shoulder was in excruciating pain, but I knew I had to keep going. I rode the motorbike past the park’s gate. I was free.

In pain, I slowly drove to the nearest town. I checked into a small hotel. It felt a bit better. I took the bike to the repair shop and for about 20 usd got it fixed really well. They fixed the fender, replaced the mirror, and put new front brakes. I felt relieved. I decided to slow down for the rest of the journey. I visited Kampot beaches and ate delicious barbequed seafood on one of the beaches. The trip was coming to the end, and it was time to return back to Phnom Penh. The next day I drove about 200 kilometers back to the capital.

Off road motorbiking in Cambodia was one of the best adventures I have ever had. I was wild. I was free. I was innocent. I knew I did a bad thing by trying not to pay the park fee, but I did it as an act of civil disobedience. The price that they were charging was very exuberant compared to the Cambodian economic living standards.

Bamboo Rafting

I have been coming to Thailand for many years, but the best time I had there was when I went jungle trekking with my lady. I love trekking through the woods and have done it a number of times already; so I had no inhibition to do it without a guide.

We started out in Pai. It is a small town in the North of Thailand around Chang Mai. We asked a few locals how to get to the trek, but they did not provide us the information. They were keen on selling us a trek program, which was done in a group with a guide. After some perseverance we found one guy who just said, “Get on the bus at the market going towards Pitichai and get off at marker 19 kilometers. Once you on the trek keep walking to Camp Chang – The Elephant Camp!”

Harnessed with the rudimental directions, we got confidence to do the trek. We picked up some basic provisions like cheese and bread at the market, and set out to the trek early in the morning. We got on the bus and get off at marker 19 kilometers, as was recommended. A few minutes late we disappeared into the jungle. Walking the small path we were alone. The path weaved around small hills crossing brooks and streams. At times, we waded through the water or other a bamboo made bridges following the trek.

We must have walked for 3 hours or so before we came across some indigenous people. They were Lisu girls doing their laundry in a small pool of water. I asked, “Camp Chang?” One of the girls just pointed up the trail. We continued to walk. We walked for 2 more hours. Getting anxious that there was no villages around, all of the sudden, we saw a couple on a moped bopping up and down on the trail ahead. That was when we knew we were close to a village.

We continued up the trail and in no time we were upon a small village with maybe 30 houses sprawled out a small valley. We must have walked for 7 hours straight and were too tired to look around. We stopped at the first house. There was a gentleman smiling at the entrance of the house. I motioned to him if we can sleep on his property. I put my two palms together sort of in a praying position and placed them under my head. Then I took my tent bag off my shoulder and pointed to his compound. He understood us, and beckoned us to come on to his ground.

We were really tired but we had to set up our tent. I was very hungry and tried to explain to our host, who spoke no English that we wanted to eat. I brought my fingers to my mouth and then to my stomach. He did not understand me. Then I saw a chicken running around the grounds. I pointed to the chicken and then to my mouth. The old gentleman went into the house and came out with a rifle. He pointed to the chicken and then drew a diagonal line with his finger across his cheek. I smiled and showed him some money. The rifle was a flint type that he loaded up with buckshot. Bang, the chicken was dead!

The lady of the house picked up the chicken and took it in the house to prepare. Half an hour latter we were called into the house to eat. We walked to the table that was set up just for two people, and the fried chicken was laid in front of us. I felt bad to eat the chicken by ourselves and motioned our host family to join us, which they gladly did. The chicken was really delicious, and the old gentleman brought out some rice wine. Wow, that stuff was really strong. It was home made moonshine. We ate our dinner and went to sleep. We were exusted!

The next day we got up early in the morning. In front of us we saw a sprawling field that looked like puppy flowers. I pointed to the field, looking at our host. He waved his hand pointing to another direction. I realized they were growing drugs there and that we should not go there. We thanked our host and paid him 3 usd for the chicken and sleeping on his grounds. He smiled and waved us goodbye.

We walked through the village, passing a few houses while the natives looked at us with curiosity. A few minutes later we were out of the village, back on the trail to Camp Chang. After a few hours on the trail we came upon a Mong village. Mong people wear colorful embroidered clothes with silver coins hanging on them. The village was really rustic and old. A few children were running around naked playing around. It was really primitive. We did not want to bother the serenity of the village, asked for Camp Chang, and continued up the trail.

Four hours latter we crossed a river and were at Camp Chang. There were a bunch of elephants feeding on grass. The people there spoke some English and told us it cost 10 usd a person to ride an elephant. We explained we want to go to the place were you can take a bamboo raft back to Pai. They said no problems. We slept under a bamboo awning, and in the morning we were ready to ride.

I always wanted to ride and elephant, but was a bit scared to get on a 3 to 5 tons beast. We were brought to a raised platform from which I climbed onto the beast. The elephant slumbered slowly down the path wading through the river. In the river other elephants were taking a bath. They seemed to enjoy the frolicking, spraying water on themselves. The ride took 2 hours and was really boring. I had no driver guide, my lady did. The stupid elephants were really slow. I almost fell asleep.

We arrived at the bamboo rafting area, paid the elephant guide, and were met by the bamboo raft guide. He told us it is 10 usd for the raft to go back to Pai. We said ok. We got on a bamboo raft that was made of bamboo trees tied together. The raft was about 6 feet wide and 18 feet long. The river started out calmly but turned violent down the road. There were small waterfalls that we drooped down on. It was really fun and exhilarating. The guide was in front with a bamboo rode guiding the raft. I was in the back stabilizing the raft. My lady was in the middle enjoying the ride. At one point we were moving really fast and jumped a waterfall. I fall off the raft! The guide slowed the raft down, and I climbed back on board.

After 3 hours on the bamboo raft the river current got slow and we were approaching Pai. The guide said he needs to park the raft by the bridge and we can wade on to the shore. As we approached the concrete bridge we hit a pillar gently to dock. All of the sudden the raft bindings snapped and the raft felt apart. Our bags and all our stuff went sinking into the water. The water was not deep, so we were able to quickly recover our stuff and get onto the dry ground. The guide apologized fro the raft breaking down. We paid him and socking wet limped back to the village.

Back it the guesthouse, in our room we took our stuff out off our bags to dry. Our money, traveler checks, our passports were laid out in the middle of the room to dry. I even took a picture of the wet loot. It was really funny to go down the river for 3 hours with no problems, but for the raft to fall apart upon arrival. Life is strange!

The Great Wall of China is a marvelous undertaking. Just its colossal size will make you tremble in awe when you see it. Built over the two millenniums it has been a marvelous architectural undertaking.

While it was made to protect the Chinese kingdom from barbarian Mongols of the North, it did not accomplish its task but served only as an intimidation. Because the wall was segmented, built and maintained by different provinces there were pours in the barrier! The Mongol warrior Genghis Khan skirted the wall and bribed guards to gain access to China in his campaign of 13th century.

The Ming dynasty were invaded by Manchurian Qing who gained access to Beijing via the wall because of a love affair that went wrong. The Ming emperor in love with a concubine who was also secretly involved with a Ming general who betrayed the Ming to the Ching allowing access trough the wall. The sordid love affair was stronger than the wall defenses!

With all its history and intrigue the Great Wall of China starches through out the whole China approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west! Every part has its own story to tell. So like China which takes ages to explore, the wall and its different neighborhoods would require time.

The part that I visited is in Beijing. I trekked from Jinshanling to Simatai which is around 100 kilometers from Beijing. It is about a 10 kilometers hike but can become longer if you chose to explore the eastern side of the wall. Make sure to turn left after you ascended the wall in Jinshaling or one day will not be enough to do the whole thing and you will be walking in the dark, if not sleeping on the wall. The panoramic view is mind boggling and exulting. Climbing steps after steps you will walk through the towers that once served the soldiers guarding the wall. (You can also start in Simatai and trek to Jinshaling, but you will have trouble finding bus transport coming back to the city.)

The Great Wall of China
Beijing Simatai Jinshanling

Imperial City - Forbidden City in Beijing China is a huge palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties! As it guarded the Chinese nobility for centuries without any commoner having access to it, it is still guarded by the statues, urns, and spirits of the past.

To get to the palace you first have to pass through a formidable portrait of Chairman Mao Ze Dong. Then you walk from one court yard into another across bridges made of marble, while looked upon by the urns and sacred lions of the past to get to the emperor’s throne. The Ming built the Forbidden City on the principles of Feng Shui which dictates that the head of the family should be in the center. Please see the architectural difference of the Imperial Palace in Shenyang constructed by the Qing dynasty.

Forbidden City Beijing

While traveling China in Dalian I met a beautiful Chinese women and we decided to get married. We had our wedding on Benchui island in Dalian.

Banchui Island Dalain

Banchui Island Dalain Approach

Banchui Island Dalain Beach

Igor The Troll Wife Number Two Chinese

Banchui Island Wedding Roses

Ok guys, I actually did not get married, but I borrowed another man’s wife to take a photo with her!

Well actually they were not married yet but just came to take their wedding photos for their photo album. The actuall marriage is suppose to take place a year for now. Banchui Island Dqalian is very popular for Chinese people who are getting married to come down to get their best photos made up!

My fantasy of having two wives is still unfullfiled.So all you beautiful girls reading this post please leave some nice comments and I will contact you!

Benxi water cave in Liaoning Province China is stupendous. It is the longest water cave in the world. It is located two and a half hours by bus south of Shenyang.

While floating down the river in the boat I was mesmerized by its greatness in size. Winding around with enormous chamber at some parts and narrow passages at others it stretches through about three kilometers. Stalagmite formations protrude at you like mystical animals from the underworld. The cave is illuminated by green, red, blue, and yellow lights making the visions divine!

Following the Taoism tradition the Stalagmites are given unique mystical names. Although I have to confess the names given at the cave are different than the one’s I ascribed.

The Abyss

The Bats

Beginning of Life

The Chicken Head

The Devil

The Elephant

The Eyes

The Full Moon

The Grasshopper

The Lion

The Mystery

Perplexity

The Rose

Sadness

The Snake

The Stake

The Taranchula

The Tear Drop

The Whale

Wisdom

The Tiger

The Sun Set

Shenyang Imperial Palace is much smaller than the Beijing Imperial Palace in China, but it is a wonder to see for its architecture and design.

Shenyang Imperial Palace was build by the nomadic tribesmen who established the Qing dynasty in the first part of the 17th century. After the Qing emperor built the palace in Shenyang, the Manchuria North East China, he with his army proceeded to concur Beijing and wrestle the power away from the Ming dynasty emperor.

After defeating the Ming emperor, the Qing emperor became the supreme leader of the whole China. He moved the capital from Shenyang to Beijing while keeping the Shenyang as a secondary capital. All Qing emperors came to the Shenyang capital to pay homage to their ancestors all the way through until the end of their dynasty!

Shenyang Imperial Palace

The Front

The Throne

Approach the Sacred Hall

The Sacred Hall

Sacred Throne Chambers

The Roofs

The Facade

The Hallway

Art Work

The Red Colors

The Bed

The Seating Room

The Bridge

The Rock Statue

Jade Ornament

Porcelain Flask

Porcelain Plate

Porcelain Wine Pot

Porcelain Tea Pot

The Door Ornament

Please also read Forbidden City Beijing, so you can see the contrast between the Ming and Qing building architectures.

When I travel in China I love to eat Chinese Hot Pot, which is a soup where you add beef, pork, and vegetables. You add the stuff yourself while the soup boils on a small flame.

When you traveling by yourself, it is not fun to eat Hot Pot alone, so it is great to join some other people when you go into the restaurant. Chinese people are very friendly to foreigners and always welcome your company. Just ask them if you can join them and order the assorted condiments for your meal. Do not oder too much, because the portions are really large. Order one meat and a few vegetables. The people who you will join will let you eat some of their stuff anyway!

This time in Shenyang, China I joined a young family for Hot Pot Party and made a few new friends. Thomas is a international business man selling computers in China. He speak English very well and we were able to talk to each other and have fun!

While traveling in the North East China Heihe, which is right on the border with Russia, I was lucky to find a Shish Kabob restaurant operated by a Muslim Chinese. Very authentic Shish Kabobs and very cheap.

Heihe is a provincial town 12 hour train ride from Harbin in the North East China. Durring the end of 19th century North East China which is called Manchuria was colonized by Russians, so in Heihe the border town many Chinese people speak Russian.

As you know Russian people like to eat Shish Kabobs and drink Vodka! Well, I was lucky to find the authentic Shish Kabob restaurant and met some Chinese people there who I joined for a meal and some Vodka!

We talked about politcs and economy, how communism has its nostalgia, and how capitalism industrializing China very rapidly.  It makes it fun to travel when you speak different languages. You come accross different people and join them for some fun!

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province in Manchuria North East China. Heihe is a provincial town located in the North of the Heilonjiang province. Heihe serves as a border point between Russia and China. Manchuria in the late part of 19th century was colonized by Russia. In the early part of 20th century and during World War 2 it was invaded by Japan.

As you travel through the North East China you will see a lot of Russian influence because of its colonization of the Manchurian provinces. You will see European style buildings in Harbin and Heiche. In Heiche many signs are both in Russian and Chinese, with some locals speaking some Russian because of the Russian tourists constantly visiting the region. While the Japanese occupied the region before and during World War 2, they did not leave any influence on the region. While traveling the region I did not meet any Chinese people who spoke in Japanese. I did not see any Japanese architecture. It is like Japanese were never here.

Harbin and Heiche are very industrial. You can see the different spectrums of industry and how it is evolving from the past to the present. Being that I am Russian born I did enjoy meeting some Russian people and speaking in Russian. I will be going to Shenyang next where I hope to see some traditional China. Shenyang was Manchu capital during the 17th century until the capital was moved to Beijing in 1644 after Manchurian conquest of Beijing.

China Russia Border Russian Warship

China Russia Border Chinese Immigration

China Palace in Hehe - Communist Party Building - Hotel

China Colonial Building in Hehe

Communist China Red Star

China Corn Barbeque Machine

China Rural Transportation

China SMBD Fetish

China Muslim Shish Kabab

China Mongolian Dumplings

North China Hot Soup

China Nuclear Power Plant

China Harbin Skyscraper

Harbin Russian Church