Tuesday 11 September 2007

A trip of co-incidences

A friend called and asked me about how much I spent when I travelled to Cambodia 3 years ago. My memory failed me, or maybe I didn’t bother to really keep track of how much I was spending then. After digging deep into my memory, I think I spent about USD400 excluding flight for the entire trip.

Though it has been already 2 years, I will never forget that trip for I will remember that trip as one which is filled with countless co-incidences. How many if you may ask…

Well, it all started when my German friend suggested that I join him for a trip to some Indo-China countries, we decided on Cambodia and Vietnam. Being 2 typical guys, the only preparation we made was to get our flight tickets. We had no itinerary, we didn’t even know where we were going to stay.

2 weeks before the trip, I met a new friend while clubbing in what used to be my second home. Let’s call this new friend “NF”. I was on a long break then and when NF asked me what my plan was, I said that I will be making a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. Co-incident number 1… NF was also heading for a trip of similar nature. No... NF is not Jules.

In the course of the next 2 weeks, we not only found out that we were heading to the same destination… we were actually leaving on the same date and… yup, you’re right… we were actually on the same flight! Co-incident number 2!

During the flight, me and my German friend found out that NF and friends have got the whole trip all researched and planned out. Yup, we asked maybe we can tag along NF’s group to which they agreed, if we can fit into their plans. There was supposed to be a van picking up NF’s group and upon checking with the driver, we found out that there were 2 more space in that van… just right for me and my friend. Co-incident number 3. They were actually very happy cos with me and my friend sharing that van, we all paid a lower fare.
The van brought us to a very nice bungalow type guest house and we were told all the rooms have been booked out. However, a last minute cancellation led to one room being available, one that has 2 single beds, just right for me and my friend. Looks like me and my friend didn’t really need to hunt for place to stay. Would you consider that a 4th co-incident?
We spent the next 4 or 5 days together visiting temples and the magnificent Angkor Wat. One thing I must say, if you like historical sights, Angkor Wat is something not to be missed. Anyway, we parted ways because me and my friend left for Vietnam a day earlier than them. Yes, they were also heading to Vietnam.

You know what is the 5th co-incident? Me and my friend just simply decide on a guest house upon arriving in Vietnam and a day after that… NF and friends arrived… they were also staying in the same guest house. Trust me, it was not planned.

Do you believe in co-incidences?

Oh, the trip is also very special in my heart cos the trip was the conversational topic that got me hooked up with Jules

Time to sleep now as I need to wake up at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Damn!

50 comments:

Seaqueen said...

Wow. So many conincidences huh?? Maybe a plan for God for you to meet Jules?? How bout that?? Coincidence??

me said...

sounds like someone was stalking you!! nanti kena pukau baru tahu! hehehe. so evil of me.

so, is NF still in your life? strange how at one point you're so fated to cross paths....and the next, you're walking your own roads.

whisperingshout said...

Go seriously interrogate jules. if she didn't secretly planned it...then it's meant to be - fate! haha

Anonymous said...

wow.. i think its time that i write about my coincidence at america too. same flight, same bus to disney, same trip again to liberty and same flight home. dont even know each other haha

Anonymous said...

I do believe in coincidences.

In year 2003, on christmas eve, i was on a flight to Germany. I remember that flight very well as it was almost empty..about 20 passengers only. So, those cabin crew walked around and talked with us. And there was this indian steward who talks with me..bla bla bla..

After 1 month when i go home, i met him again on the flight. The thing is he still remembers me. For me, it's a coincidence also lah..so many cabin crew but i met only him..Hehe..

Helen said...

Wow, all those coincidences! Guess the trip was special eh? :-)

Travelling does bring out the best memories in people. I had the best memories during my solo travel. Those were the days I was single and had always wanted to have the ultimate meet-my-Mr-Right in some foreign land kind of dream. No such luck though... But I am blessed with plenty of fond memories. lol

Anonymous said...

phew.. that's definitely a lot of coincidences!

May be it was just meant to be a sort of lucky trip for u!

The pictures are nice! Makes me want to go to Cambodia now :D

Anonymous said...

That's a lot of coincidences! And it seems you met your boy/girlfriend from it, so yay =)

may said...

it's either a lot of coincidences, "yuen fun", or maybe NF was stalking you... LOL!

Sunshine said...

well i enjoyed my trip to angkorwat too :) got the flights for free, so all in all i spent usd300 (including shopping mind you) its darn cheap :P

Anonymous said...

I believe all things happen for a reason. But it is good that you are blessed in that trip...:)

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

hahaha...wait im sure u didnt tell jules about the hooking up with either NF or the friends rite??

very coincidental indeed..

dude..free on thurs..choose a venue n i will meet u there lar..

Purple~MushRooM said...

I also plan to go Cambodia someday. Eh.. continue with the Jules part la.

Elizebeth D.L. said...

I have been there too (cambodia). The buildings are really magnificent.

Agree with purple mushroom -- continue with the Jules part la~

Angie Tan said...

whoa... phreaky.

yeap, life is full of coincidences. it is quite cool.

Lingzie said...

wow...very cool... i love stories like these...makes you believe in fate and all that.
coincidentally, my friends and i have been talking a lot about visiting angkor wat! we're planning to go next year. coincidence? or just the law of attraction? :)

Ehon said...

wahh! i think NF might be interested in you and have done a bit of research about u. maybe NF is just a good stalker - whether it's a he/she! HAHAHAHAHA!

Eileen said...

haha u forgot to highlight that the BEST CO-INCIDENCE IS THE CONVERSATION THAT GOT YOU HOOKED UP WITH JULES :)

Co-incidence = fate = destiny?

Cherry Popcorn said...

Oooh.. I went to Angkor Wat too!!! Didn't go there for that many days though. Just one day. It wasn't enough at all!!! I love the gigantic huge tree and the sunset though. Had to climb this steep mountain to get there.

There was a lot of beggars around too though. =( Beggars who were soldiers last time. So sad to see them!

Is Jules your gf? ^.^

Anonymous said...

I hope you plan more than you did for your upcoming honeymoon. Don't depend on coincidences for that one. Very dangerous.

Lo Kelween said...

a little unbelievable but anything is possible still yeah? heard the food there is spicy and sweet, haven't tasted any of the dishes yet! :)

Anonymous said...

Eh...Jules tu siapa?Ur gf is it?

Damn lucky man...fate lar...

Albert Yap said...

I do beleive in co-incident very much.....some times not just co-incident, but 冥冥中注定(setup/plan/itinerary of your life from above).

rinnah said...

So coincidental one... meet so many times.. sure or not? *wink*

But... the most interesting part is the Jules part la... why so cliffhanger one?

xonar said...

reminded me of my trip to angkor which is also 2 yrs ago,co-incident?
you are absolutely right,those who are interested in ancient rocks(historical sights)angkor is the place to visit.

imo the co-incidences with Jules is fate..lar.(am with princess Eileen on this)
and why gals like to be princess...ah?
prince Zewt, you have an answer..?
hahahaha..

CRIZ LAI said...

That's something that no one can ever explain. Somehow everything seemed to flow in smoothly when you are in need of assistance. You sure you do not have a guardian angel anywhere near you? I won't mind having one too :P

zewt said...

Seaqueen - i did not meet jules there la.

me - i didnt keep in touch with any of them anymore lor.

whisperingshout - hahaha... NF is not jules la.

tingtitlei - but the thing is.... u didnt like them right? hahaha...

seok thong - that's only 2... my trip was just... too much :)

Helen - i did travelled once alone to HK... nothing special. also planned to backpack around malaysia alone... didnt get myself to do it though. not meant to be... sigh.

zewt said...

LaSh - you should. and better go before it gets too commercialised.

wendyness - hi there! welcome to AZAIG. it's girlfriend :)

may - hahaha... well, have lost tough with all of them already.

sunshine - i got a MAS ticket... guess i didnt shop much hehe...

anon @ 8.07am - very blessed indeed. very thing planned for me.

constant craver joe - i told her la... that made the trip interesting mah. okies, let me think.

zewt said...

purple mushroom - kakaka... not sure if she wanna disclose the meeting part...

elizebeth DL - hahaha... let me think about it.

angie tan - indeed... thinking back... it was very really freaky.

lingzie - hahaha... well, i think i can give you the contact of the place i stayed in... very very nice place and reasonably priced.

ehon - hmmm... i didnt check if it's a he/she... but... lost contact already... maybe it's a good thing... :)

princess eileen - that one not co-incidence... or maybe it is... cos when i first talked to her... she wanted to go cambodia and thus... i can barge in. hehe...

princess shin - and most of the soldiers who lost their limbs right? i did gave them some donation. jules... my fiance :)

xonar said...

to all princesses,(no pun intended)
i love princess..

zewt said...

cirnelle - of cos... i dont think my future wife would let me depend on co-incidences again.

elween - to me... the chilly there is really ... HOT!!! i can tolerate quite spicy food but the chilly there burned me.

pookyma - jules tu... tunang la.

albert yap - cant read la... can ping ying? hehe...

rinnah - cliffhanger... hahaha... that's the whole point.

penang-kia - i am not claiming to be prince woh... so no answer yet.... maybe u can also change nick la... penang-prince... sounds cool.

criz lai - by faith... i believe i have. i guess he did some really good arrangement that day eh? haha... and i am sure princesses out there dont have such 'small gas' hehe...

ardy said...

Oh man, I'm heading there this November! Already got the tickets and all. But have yet to make the plans yet.

Hopefully I'll get lucky and get to tag along a bunch of chics heading that way at the same time on the same flight with rooms(bed would be preferable) to spare at the same hotel. Now that won't be a coincidence, that would be freaking LUCKY!!

Hahahahah!

Btw, any tips for me? (I'm backpacking there for 2 weeks)

baggie said...

i would love to go there someday.... they say it is very beautiful. But kinda pricey i guess?

And i believe in coincidence... ;) like yours, hahahha but i never had any that comes so many at a time, like yours ;)

Jun said...

i dun believe in coincidences, but i do believe things happen for a reason :)

Acute Critique said...

wah~ sounds like a fairy tale like that..

well, co-incidences do happen.. everything is 'pre-planned' for u from the Big guy above.

i happen to believed in fate/destiny, things happen for a reason and what meants to be, meant to be.

so, cherished it! *happy for u*

Anonymous said...

too much of coincidences.. a little creepy comes to think of it..

J u n e said...

Wahh, too much coincident...

Zewt, i miss reading your blog! argh..stupid trials! Anyways, take care! Drop by to say hi..Lol..

Anonymous said...

Tell us about your Julia Robert story ler... hehe...

Pretty woman... ♫ walking down the street... ♫ pretty woman...

zewt said...

ardy - 2 weeks? that's a bit long. well, dont stay in siem reap for too long... you will get bored with the temples after a while cos it all looks the same. as for accommodation, try this place called "peace of angkor villa".

calvin's wife - yeah la... i also stunned at the amount of co-incidences.

Jun - i guess God was kind to me :)

Soulblade - hehehe... Big guy above sure favours me then.

cbenc12 - yeah... but i choose to look at it from the non-creepy side.

AngryYoungChild - concentrate on your trial first... then... u can feast on AZAIG! hehe... thanks for dropping by despite your busy schedule.

angel - Julia Robert... hahaha... u know, i said jules look like her... she marah... cos she said roberts' mouth too big! to me... the mouth look like her lor! :P

Eileen said...

penang-kia, wakakakaka....

H.C. Tan said...

i think i spent RM800 total..about 4days..but we just stayed in siemreap lo

Anonymous said...

Wah.. really so many coincidences ah? I dunno why.. but I keep on bumping into friends wherever I go - be in local or overseas. For the recent air asia cheap tickets, I happened to book the same flight as my friends to Chiangmai too. :)

Yeah. I love Siem Reap. Eh.. FF member ah?

Azlan Zed said...

not coincidence la, fate. :)

zewt said...

princess eileen - the princess speak..!

HC Tan - without ticket right? that's quite alright.

anigma - FF... fitness first? me... CF... :)... make a guess.

alan zed - hahaha... God's will...

Huei said...

wah cool! so many coincidence! lady love was on ur side..that's y u met Jules! =)

Jacss said...

i do believe in coincidence which should be once a while but definitely not as many as u'd encountered in particular when all happened within "a trip", wow !!!

so, maybe like they said, it's fate??

Anonymous said...

co-incident is an adjective... not a noun.

zewt said...

Huei - the conversation of it... not the trip la.

Jacss - i would like to think... God was smiling at me that trip.

anon @ 7.43pm - sigh... this is what happen when i dont prove read... or was it proof read.. or is? sigh...

not your ordinary blogger; said...

I just love the mysterious cambodia so much! gonna be back next year for more adventure!

zewt said...

not your ordinary blogger - hello there. yeah, head to other parts... but be careful of land mines...