Questions and Answers: Volume 11

Tuk Tuk Ride

Gary shares an unforgettable tuk tuk ride in Siem Reap, Cambodia. His driver took him to Preah Vihear, a temple recently contested by Thailand and Cambodia. The journey was fraught with tension, including a moment when the driver reached for a hidden gun during an encounter with strangers.

He put the gun in a compartment underneath the seat of the bike. It was a long trip. We made a couple rest stops. We finally got there. I spent about 90 minutes visiting the temple, talking to some of the soldiers who were there, who mostly seemed to have been lounging around. And then we left and it was a very long ride back. We got caught in the rain at one point which made for a very uncomfortable trip. After the sun went down we pulled over near the side of the road to take a break and a car pulled over and two men came out and started talking Khmer to my driver. To this day I have no idea what they were talking about. However, my driver pulled up the seat of the motorbike and put his hand in the compartment where the gun was. They kept talking for a few minutes more and eventually they left and the moment they left my driver said lets go, we have to leave now. He got me home safe. Nothing happened. But I still to this day dont have any idea what happened or who those men were.

--- Gary Arndt

The ride back was equally eventful, marked by rain and an unsettling encounter with strangers 1.

   

City Plans

Gary discusses cities he wants to revisit and those he hasn't explored yet. He mentions Houston as a city he hasn't properly visited and expresses a desire to explore it. He also reflects on cities like London and Paris, which offer new experiences with each visit, and contrasts them with places like New York and Los Angeles, which he finds less appealing.

One city that I really havent explored, even though its one of the largest cities in the United States, is Houston. I've been to the airport, but I can't really say I've actually been to Houston proper and I would love to go see it. And there are a lot of cities I would love to revisit. Some cities like London or Paris are really big and you can visit a new neighborhood every time and it'll be like a completely different experience.

--- Gary Arndt

Gary also shares his thoughts on potentially living abroad, highlighting the high cost of living in many great cities 2.