Plane to hanoi pretty straight forward and still a much better option than the bus. On arrival at Hanoi we opted to pay the few extra dollars for an airport transfer taxi in order to make sure we had someone we could trust and not have to fight our way through the buzzards outside who all want to take you to a differenthotel than the one you want. The Luxury hotel isnt quite as glamerous as the pictures on the internet lead you to believe as the dining room and bar are probaly no bigger than my office at Learning Services, however, the rooms are spacious and the beds cleean and comfortable so for $20 a night it will certainly do us. The plan is to have a couple of days here then head out to Sapa for a couple of nights, back to Hanoi and then off to Halong bay for a three day luxury cruise before returning to comlete some last minute shopping and then head back home.
We headed out with the intention of catching up with brother Scott and Kim for a bit of lunch and to look into the options for the Halong bay cruise. Met Scott and headed to a resaurant cafe for a few beers and a bite to eat before the travel shop. the guy in the travel agency was easy to understand and we opted to spoil ourselves for the cruise by picking one of the more expensive boats with only three cabins and the lure of going to places where the stadard boats dont go to and hence a little more quiet. Turns out this is the same boat that Scott and Kim are on a few days before us.
We arrangd to meet scott and Kim at Bia Hoi corner, a popular drinking spot where you literally sit on the street on little stools or chairs and drink fresh beer whilst watching the madness they call traffic. Scott had tried to describe this to us on previous occassions but it's one of those places that you really do have to experience for yourself in order to appreciate the madness. The beer flows freely and at 25 cents a glass can be a bit of a trap as the glass is rarely empty and the humidity combined with great atmosphere can allo you to lose a bit of time. The toilet here is one worth noting as you are directed down a small alleyway past several open houses, at the last house near the end you pay 2000 Dong to a little man and then continue around the corner to a couple of pretty dodgy looking "squat" toilets where there is no light and the door doesnt close so an interesting experience for the girls.
Wadered around to a nicce restaurant for dinnner ( some very good duck) and then back to the hotel Luxury for an early night.
Breakfastcomes free with the hotel room and a maximum of 6 guests at a time can be seated in the dining area but this is just as well considering breakfast is in the bar and the frying pan is only capable of two eggs at a time and the toaster has capacity to warm bread but not discolour it. i think tomorrow we might eat out!
Headed down to the train station this morninig to see what our options are for getting to Sapa but looks like it is going to be just as easy to book via our hotel. Wandered around to the fine arts museum and spent a lazy 90 minutes enjoying the air conditioning. it was an interesting mix of old and new are but not in the same league as MONA.
Another late lunch but this time we had crickets, buffalo and piegion. Crickets were udoubtably the highlight but i am sure we wont forget the pigeon even though i might probably never have it again. Rach picked up what she thought was the drumstick but after a few minutes stripping the bone realised that it was actually the head. (not sure how she kept it down but i would have had to visit the toilet and poke a couple of fingers down the throat.) Back to the hotel for a rest before heading back to bier Hoi to catch up with Scott and Kim. Found a great street restaurant by chance and had one of the best meals for the trip. they had a killer beef fried rice and some excellet BBQ ribs. might have to go back in a coule of days for the "rotating the Bird" which was not on offer tonight but did exist on the menu.
Decided to skip the hotel breakfast and headed out for a decent coffee and some fresh fruit and yoghurt. Food was ok but very slow and we were hoping to visit Uncle Ho before the 11am closing time. We only just made it as the taxi had to detour and fight its way through the traffic. We also had our first car accident, nothing more than a scrape on our car and a buggered door on the other car which tried to cut the corner and hit us whils we were stationary but the other driver still tried to say it was not his fault.
Uncle Ho was an experience in itself as there were some amazing cues and it was difficult to see how we could possibly get in and back out to collect our bags. We also contiue to be amazed at how pushy some of the locals can be as they manoveur around you and even go between the legs at times. Inside the mausaliam you need to keep your hands outside of your pockets, no hats, no sunglasses, nor frivolity and definitely no stopping! They keep in a cool rrom and send him back to Russia every year for a couple of months for refurbishment. (not bad really when you consider that the guy only wanted a simple cremation. A conservative estimate would suggest that there were at least 3000 people lined up while we were there and for some reason he was still receiving visitors well after 11.30.
Once outside it was about a km back to the luggage storage where we had to leave our phones and bags etc and with only 8 minutes before closing time the girls decided they were going to leg it in true "amazing race" style. it was quite impressive to see them both running and weaving in and out of the locals.
Caught up with scott and Kim today as well as Alison and two of her firiednds at Bia Hoi corner. this time i was well and truly 2 metres from the curb in the middle of the road. At one stage a huge wind gust appeared from nowhere and then about 30 seconds later there was a huge downpour sending us all ducking for cover under the awning on the footpath. This added to the excitement and was ok until the road started to flood and the pulled the covr of the drain. The smell from this was overbearing and you quickly learnt o breath through your ears. Purcased a couple of punchoes that your arms go straight through if your not careful and then wandered across the street for more food and wine.
Tried breakfast out again at "Barista Franks" next door to our hotel, coffee was ok but eggs and bacon were pretty bloody revolting and made the ones back at the hotel look very good asctually. Mre wandering aimlessly around town including an icecream at Fannys which cost as much as most meals that we have been having. Also visited the Hanoi Hilton which was a prison used to lock up any revolutionaries during the french times and then reused to house American POW's during the American War , as they call it here in Vietnam. The propogander videos on display were certainly one sided but overall a good place to visit. One of the two guillotines used by the french was still here and on display which was enough to ensure that you would behave yourself if at all possible but the conditions must have been pretty tough or those incarcerated. Heading to the train station shortly for the night train to Sapa, stocked up on some nibbles and wine which we will now drink from our new coconut cups purchased especially for the journey.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Vietnam part 3
Have just spent the last four nights in Hoi An taking it easy and enjoying some well earned R & . This place could well be one of the nicest cities that we have been to during this trip, the pace seems to have settled down a little bit and there aren't quite so many cars, bikes and horns that in all honesty start to get to you =after a while. maybe it was the plane trip rather than another bloody bus that put me in the right frame of mind!
The plane arrives in Danang about 40 minutes from Hoi An and you drive down a coastal road alongside China Beach (the area where the US soldiers came for their R&R during the war) There are currently 20 resorts being built or recently completed that are absolutely huge and will cater for the Japanese and Koreans who apparently will fly in spend a week and then fly out, maybe taking in a game of golf at the Norman Dunes course or maybe just lounging by their pool or on their "private beach". Whatever the case you cant help but think this place will be just like the Gold Coast in a few years time and those with all the money are likely to push prices up and remove the locals of their innocence.
Hoi An on the other hand, is simply beautiful. The old city restricts bikes and cars from the central area during the middle of the day and evenings meaning a little bit of tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of normal Vietnam.
Not much to report other than we wandered around looking at buildings, shops and markets. There are over 300 Tailor shops here that can make anything you want providing you can show them a picture. I settled on a new pair of Jeans and a new linen jacket while Robyn opted for three dresses. The only down side of getting clothes made is that you need to return 2 or 3 times so that they can fit things properly and make any necessary adjustments. I must admit I am pretty happy with my purchases and even picked up something for my 50th in July.
Hoi An has great restaurants down by the river and at night the town is lit by thousands of beautiful lantern adorning the houses and restaurants. Fresh beer is generally only 4000 Dong but we managed to find a couple of places where we could get it for 3000 which comes out at 15 cents per ten ounce glass. needless to say I was happy to shout the others on the proviso that they return the favour at the New Sydney when we return home.
We also managed to take in a visit to Marble mountain which is a very nice three hour return trip a collection of five small mountains with pagodas and caves and the usual Buddas and hawkers etc. The mountains are made of marble, obviously, but they no longer mine the marble from here preferring to bring it in from China and other places to support the centuries old practice of carving the big Buddas and other quite bizarre statues, bowls, fountains, elephants and some incredibly kitsch ornaments that I am sure would look great on anyone's mantle piece; just not mine!
Another morning was taken up at the Red Bridge Cooking School where we were treated to an informative walk through the markets for an explanation of some of the foods on offer, particularly the herbs and spices used in Vietnamese cooking. Following this we jumped aboard a boat and headed downstream to the cooking school which is located in a beautiful setting on the banks of the river and includes a very nice swimming pool. Into the kitchen and first up we look at the preparation and ingredients for a Vietnamese seafood salad. Now its our turn to watch our chef Henry, prepare and make rice paper for some fresh spring rolls. - looks easy enough so away we go. Each person has their own work station with ingredients and there are a few locals on hand to keep an eye on us and help out when necessary. I must say my spring roll turned out pretty dam good and tasted equally as good as the ones we have been buying so look out when we get home as my lunchbox might look a little different. next up pancakes, this time not quite so perfect as the mixture stuck to the bottom of the pan and refused to flip quite like Henry's did..... still tasted ok though so might have to practice a bit more. Finally an Eggplant in clay pot creation. once again a very impressive taste sensation that was equally as good as the ones I have been sampling along the way.
Back to the dining room to enjoy the salad, eggplant and a fish dish that Henry created, all washed down with a couple of beers and then off to the pool for a relaxing swim and then taxi back to town for a few more fresh beers at 15 cents each.
Heading for Hanoi in the morning by plane so will keep you all posted providing the computer keeps hanging in there. It's getting increasingly difficult to see the screen with now at least 30% missing but i am sure i can work around this.
The plane arrives in Danang about 40 minutes from Hoi An and you drive down a coastal road alongside China Beach (the area where the US soldiers came for their R&R during the war) There are currently 20 resorts being built or recently completed that are absolutely huge and will cater for the Japanese and Koreans who apparently will fly in spend a week and then fly out, maybe taking in a game of golf at the Norman Dunes course or maybe just lounging by their pool or on their "private beach". Whatever the case you cant help but think this place will be just like the Gold Coast in a few years time and those with all the money are likely to push prices up and remove the locals of their innocence.
Hoi An on the other hand, is simply beautiful. The old city restricts bikes and cars from the central area during the middle of the day and evenings meaning a little bit of tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of normal Vietnam.
Not much to report other than we wandered around looking at buildings, shops and markets. There are over 300 Tailor shops here that can make anything you want providing you can show them a picture. I settled on a new pair of Jeans and a new linen jacket while Robyn opted for three dresses. The only down side of getting clothes made is that you need to return 2 or 3 times so that they can fit things properly and make any necessary adjustments. I must admit I am pretty happy with my purchases and even picked up something for my 50th in July.
Hoi An has great restaurants down by the river and at night the town is lit by thousands of beautiful lantern adorning the houses and restaurants. Fresh beer is generally only 4000 Dong but we managed to find a couple of places where we could get it for 3000 which comes out at 15 cents per ten ounce glass. needless to say I was happy to shout the others on the proviso that they return the favour at the New Sydney when we return home.
We also managed to take in a visit to Marble mountain which is a very nice three hour return trip a collection of five small mountains with pagodas and caves and the usual Buddas and hawkers etc. The mountains are made of marble, obviously, but they no longer mine the marble from here preferring to bring it in from China and other places to support the centuries old practice of carving the big Buddas and other quite bizarre statues, bowls, fountains, elephants and some incredibly kitsch ornaments that I am sure would look great on anyone's mantle piece; just not mine!
Another morning was taken up at the Red Bridge Cooking School where we were treated to an informative walk through the markets for an explanation of some of the foods on offer, particularly the herbs and spices used in Vietnamese cooking. Following this we jumped aboard a boat and headed downstream to the cooking school which is located in a beautiful setting on the banks of the river and includes a very nice swimming pool. Into the kitchen and first up we look at the preparation and ingredients for a Vietnamese seafood salad. Now its our turn to watch our chef Henry, prepare and make rice paper for some fresh spring rolls. - looks easy enough so away we go. Each person has their own work station with ingredients and there are a few locals on hand to keep an eye on us and help out when necessary. I must say my spring roll turned out pretty dam good and tasted equally as good as the ones we have been buying so look out when we get home as my lunchbox might look a little different. next up pancakes, this time not quite so perfect as the mixture stuck to the bottom of the pan and refused to flip quite like Henry's did..... still tasted ok though so might have to practice a bit more. Finally an Eggplant in clay pot creation. once again a very impressive taste sensation that was equally as good as the ones I have been sampling along the way.
Back to the dining room to enjoy the salad, eggplant and a fish dish that Henry created, all washed down with a couple of beers and then off to the pool for a relaxing swim and then taxi back to town for a few more fresh beers at 15 cents each.
Heading for Hanoi in the morning by plane so will keep you all posted providing the computer keeps hanging in there. It's getting increasingly difficult to see the screen with now at least 30% missing but i am sure i can work around this.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Vietnam part 2
DaLat is an interesting place to visit in the sch of things. During our three nights here we have wandered through some very interesting markets with hundreds of stalls all grouped together so that all of the shoe salesman are next door as are the dried fruits, clothing, footstalls and general crap that you get at these markets.. it is nice to be in a cooler climate, still in shorts and a t-shirt but generally far more comfortable. On our first morning we asked about coffee and breakfast around where we were staying and the brother of the owner talked us into a day tour with private car and him as the tour guide. Brekkie was non existent as it turned out to be just a coffee shop where the coffee was cold and the tea came without water! The fruit smoothies we ordered couldn't be done because the power had gone off but they did offer to go out and get some Pho (soup) if we wanted. Back to the hotel and then off on the tour with Pho ( the guide) and Mr Ting as the driver. In the end we spent two days with these guys seeing everything there is to see in and around De Lat. Pho was great to talk to and gave us plenty of personal insights into Vietnamese life including his take on communism, sex before marriage, drinking, driving and the meaning of life. We visited three waterfalls in two days, all very nice and well set up for tourists with cable car rides, roller coasters, elephants and even an elevator in the middle of the bush to get you to the bottom of one of the waterfalls. The elephant ride was a bit of fun and included the usual photo and DVD available for purchase on completion of the ride. (we settled for the DVD only package and will tale a few still from that). Robyn and I had to have photos taken with some local girls and families at the waterfalls - obviously they thought it was Brad Pitt and Angelina Jollie enjoying a day out together. in hindsight I should have charged them.
Also on our two days we visited coffee farms, tea farms, flower farms, silkworms and a silk factory, some amazing embroidery that left you speechless, a love park, Chinese pagodas, monasteries and if you have ever been here before you would appreciate that no tour of Delat is complete without a tour of the Crazy House, a contemporary piece of architecture that is still under construction but could easily be the set for an Alice in Wonderland movie. The two days were great with an opportunity to experience things at an even more local level but at a nice relaxed pace. Had a couple of great meals here but also one of the worst we have had. We chose to eat at a street store in the market and there e was another group of "ferangs" (local terminology for westerners) but unfortunately they didn't warn us and they had no cold beer and the food was pretty crappy - I wouldn't have been surprised if I had the shits it the morning but thankfully this didn't happen and I live on to continue the wonderful journey.
DeLat to Nhatrang was only 140 kms so therefore only 4 hours on the bus but this time we were going from the mountains down to the coast via some pretty spectacular scenery and quite impressive road construction. The bus needed to rest at the bottom of the hill for 30 minutes to allow the smoke billowing out from the brakes to ease and to give us a toilet stop etc. All in all a nice trip as far as busses go but we did have to endure the usual vomiting local and the occasional swerve to avoid another bus truck or bike.
Nhatrang seems like a nice place to take a few days rest by the coast. we dropped our bags put on the swimmers and headed down to the beach (just 100 metres away) it was a bit disappointing to see all of the crap on the beach and in the water, there is so much plastic, polystyrene and floating vegetable matter that swimming wasn't really an option. it was ok to wander in cool off, wallow around for a few minutes but certainly not somewhere you felt like staying for too long. Found a great restaurant for dinner and cooked our food on a small pottery BBQ fuelled with coal. (certainly something I could see myself doing on the back deck at home.)
Our second day here was a genuine rest day, we slept in, booked our flights to Danang and just wandered around taking in a photography gallery and a cyclo ride where the drivers tried to charge us per person despite the agreed price! no problem, just told him to get over it because that was all he was going to get and we walked away. One of them new we were right but the other one thought we must have had plenty of cash as we asked them to drop us off at the yacht club where drinks and food are anything up to 5 times what you would pay on the street. needless to say we only had 1 drink here.
We spent the afternoon indulging ourselves with a mud bath getting up close and personal in a four person bath filled with sloppy brown mud. after washing this off it was into the heated mineral spring water and added cinnamon and other spices for a 45 minute soak. Next the foot massage which was going really well until the reflexology kicked in and the girls started pressing down hard with wooden needles. Follow this up with a great oil massage and then a swim in the naturally heated swimming pool. It rained the three hours we were there and continued to pour for several hours after. needless to say we had a great time but getting a Taxi in this rain was going to prove difficult as we were only 4 of about 100 people wanting to get out and walking was not an option. I found a local house open for business with cold beers so we sat and watched the rain waiting for a taxi. Eventually we headed off to the restaurant we had chosen based on local recommendations and drove through at least 12 inches of rain on some occasions. It was certainly challenging for those on bikes but there still seemed to be plenty of people around. The restaurant was a good seafood restaurant filled with locals and we had difficulty working out and communicating what we wanted but eventually it all arrived albeit in much bigger proportions than we needed but martyrdom is a speciality of ours so we pushed through the pain barrier and demolished the lot. Being an outdoor restaurant I followed the lead provided by the locals and simply threw the crab shells etc on to the floor between your feet.
Spent today out diving in the marine park, they were a bit late picking us up but certainly made up for it hospitality. on arrival at the wharf there was utter chaos with boats and people everywhere. the boat we thought we were going on was very dodgy looking and nothing like the photo in the brochure but they filled that one with about 50 locals and tourist packed in like sardines but we were booked on another boat with the same company and only one other Aussie and from here on the day just got better. Our tour guide was named Wo and he had great Aussie accent and a genuine love for his job. Snorkelling was a bit foggy due to the heavy rains but we saw some great coral and fish. Lunch was huge and very tasty but not exactly what you need before going over the side of the boat.
Tomorrow we head for Danang and Hoi An in a plane which will definitely be better than a bus!!!
Also on our two days we visited coffee farms, tea farms, flower farms, silkworms and a silk factory, some amazing embroidery that left you speechless, a love park, Chinese pagodas, monasteries and if you have ever been here before you would appreciate that no tour of Delat is complete without a tour of the Crazy House, a contemporary piece of architecture that is still under construction but could easily be the set for an Alice in Wonderland movie. The two days were great with an opportunity to experience things at an even more local level but at a nice relaxed pace. Had a couple of great meals here but also one of the worst we have had. We chose to eat at a street store in the market and there e was another group of "ferangs" (local terminology for westerners) but unfortunately they didn't warn us and they had no cold beer and the food was pretty crappy - I wouldn't have been surprised if I had the shits it the morning but thankfully this didn't happen and I live on to continue the wonderful journey.
DeLat to Nhatrang was only 140 kms so therefore only 4 hours on the bus but this time we were going from the mountains down to the coast via some pretty spectacular scenery and quite impressive road construction. The bus needed to rest at the bottom of the hill for 30 minutes to allow the smoke billowing out from the brakes to ease and to give us a toilet stop etc. All in all a nice trip as far as busses go but we did have to endure the usual vomiting local and the occasional swerve to avoid another bus truck or bike.
Nhatrang seems like a nice place to take a few days rest by the coast. we dropped our bags put on the swimmers and headed down to the beach (just 100 metres away) it was a bit disappointing to see all of the crap on the beach and in the water, there is so much plastic, polystyrene and floating vegetable matter that swimming wasn't really an option. it was ok to wander in cool off, wallow around for a few minutes but certainly not somewhere you felt like staying for too long. Found a great restaurant for dinner and cooked our food on a small pottery BBQ fuelled with coal. (certainly something I could see myself doing on the back deck at home.)
Our second day here was a genuine rest day, we slept in, booked our flights to Danang and just wandered around taking in a photography gallery and a cyclo ride where the drivers tried to charge us per person despite the agreed price! no problem, just told him to get over it because that was all he was going to get and we walked away. One of them new we were right but the other one thought we must have had plenty of cash as we asked them to drop us off at the yacht club where drinks and food are anything up to 5 times what you would pay on the street. needless to say we only had 1 drink here.
We spent the afternoon indulging ourselves with a mud bath getting up close and personal in a four person bath filled with sloppy brown mud. after washing this off it was into the heated mineral spring water and added cinnamon and other spices for a 45 minute soak. Next the foot massage which was going really well until the reflexology kicked in and the girls started pressing down hard with wooden needles. Follow this up with a great oil massage and then a swim in the naturally heated swimming pool. It rained the three hours we were there and continued to pour for several hours after. needless to say we had a great time but getting a Taxi in this rain was going to prove difficult as we were only 4 of about 100 people wanting to get out and walking was not an option. I found a local house open for business with cold beers so we sat and watched the rain waiting for a taxi. Eventually we headed off to the restaurant we had chosen based on local recommendations and drove through at least 12 inches of rain on some occasions. It was certainly challenging for those on bikes but there still seemed to be plenty of people around. The restaurant was a good seafood restaurant filled with locals and we had difficulty working out and communicating what we wanted but eventually it all arrived albeit in much bigger proportions than we needed but martyrdom is a speciality of ours so we pushed through the pain barrier and demolished the lot. Being an outdoor restaurant I followed the lead provided by the locals and simply threw the crab shells etc on to the floor between your feet.
Spent today out diving in the marine park, they were a bit late picking us up but certainly made up for it hospitality. on arrival at the wharf there was utter chaos with boats and people everywhere. the boat we thought we were going on was very dodgy looking and nothing like the photo in the brochure but they filled that one with about 50 locals and tourist packed in like sardines but we were booked on another boat with the same company and only one other Aussie and from here on the day just got better. Our tour guide was named Wo and he had great Aussie accent and a genuine love for his job. Snorkelling was a bit foggy due to the heavy rains but we saw some great coral and fish. Lunch was huge and very tasty but not exactly what you need before going over the side of the boat.
Tomorrow we head for Danang and Hoi An in a plane which will definitely be better than a bus!!!
Friday, 27 May 2011
Vietnam part 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:
Sent: Wed 25/05/2011 10:03 AM
Subject:
Ho Chi min
Great nights sleep in an almost normal bed and the first one we have had since leaving Aus. First stop for us was to wander around to the Reunification /liberation palace. This is an impressive 1950s architecture on four levels with two basements built to withstand heavy bombing. We had an English speaking tour guide who was able to give us a brief history of the Vietnam politics prior to returning to communism at the end of the war. Basically the palace is a bit like the day it was stormed by tanks crashing through the front gates and the flag being raised on the roof top. There is a helicopter standing on the third floor launch pad a couple of tanks in the front yard and a palace that has not been used since.
From here it was a short walk to the war remnants museum. Now this place is a must visit for all people, especially world leaders thinking about committing troops to war. a great exhibition albeit a one sided Vietnamese point of view but after what they went through I think they might be entitled to their opinion. The rooms are filled with photos and stories of real people and the atrocities that were carried out. there was a great display of anti Vietnam protests and the usual military equipment. the room dedicated to the chemical warfare, particularly agent orange and the devastating effects then and still had an amazing impact on me and I found it hard to hold back the tears and felt saddened that anything like this could ever had occurred. surely the Americans need to take far more responsibility for their actions than what they currently do.
Had some time wandering around various markets and city streets constantly amazed at the traffic and the way they interact with each other on the road - might is right so the bigger your vehicle the more respect you get from others and the easier it is to just point your vehicle where you want to go and push on forward. A bus can do anything it likes including backing across an intersection, a taxi can cut across 12 lanes of bikes in less than 20 metres in order to pick up some tourists and bikes can ignore all traffic lights and cross an intersection at near normal speeds. Amongst the 4 million bikes in Saigon we have been hosted to some amazing sites. We have seen an anything up to 6 people on a bike, Television sets, washing machines, 10 milk crates full of beer, 6 metre lengths of conduit and reinforcing. you name it I reckon these guys could just about move it! They also have an uncanny ability to park their bike anywhere they like on the footpath meaning that most of the time we are walking on the road.
We decided to go to a water puppet show in the evening prior to dinner and were treated to a fantastic performance with music and great puppeteering. it's difficult to describe itself as it is probably something you he the shave to see to understand but it was certainly well done and easy to appreciate just how much effort and agility the puppeteers must have. The music was very "Vietnamese" - loud high pitched and impossible to understand but definitely part of the experience. Dinner after the show was in a street market stall, sharing tables with locals and having some of the best food even though at the time we weren't quite sure what we were ordering. The locals next to us had a great looking seafood BBQ so we asked what it was on the menu and vowed to return tomorrow night for some of that. Drinking Saigon beers at he moment as they are only 75 cents each.
Another early start to catch a half day tour out to Cu Chi tunnels. It was a full minibus with not a lot of space but it was going to have to do. Stopped along the way to break the journey at a Lacquer factory where the handicapped were employed to make the beautiful bowls, tile wall hangings etc. it was great to see the process and they were certainly doing some beautiful work but not sure how you would get the bigger pieces home so gave buying a miss for now and will reconsider in Hanoi.
The tunnels were constructed by the Vietcong people and covered over 1700 kms on three separate levels, they were incredibly small and there was no way known I was going to fit through the "real entrance hole. thankfully, they had made a couple of them slightly bigger for westerners so we were able to head on down on hands and knees to get a bit of an experience albeit very sanitised for tourists. They also had a great display of the booby-traps commissioned by the Viet Cong and this allowed you to reflect what it might have been like to walk through the jungle in the heat and humidity, not knowing where your enemy are. To add to the experience you could hear gunfire, single shots and machine guns, this was coming from a shooting range within the complex where you could purchase live ammunition and fire at some targets. We decided on 10 rounds out of the Ak47, again a great experience if you have never done it.
back home and time for a massage, relax and off to dinner along with the customary sweat replacement beer.
On the road again and ANOTHER BLOODY BUS! this time an 8 (that's right eight!) hour trip from Saigon to DaLat, amere 300kms. These trips are taking their toll on my sanity as well as my neck and back! They are painstakingly slow and whilst here is always something to see it is - same, same but different! I have discovered it's best not to look out the front window as most of your time the bus is in the middle of the road or on the wrong side of the road..... Sitting down the back can also be interesting especially when someone starts coughing, sneezing or spewing ( I hope she got her face mask off in time) and to top it all off we had a bag of bloody chooks sharing the journey on the VIP tourist bus!. I reckon if I don't get bus flue then there is a fair chance I'll get bird flue. I am definitely over busses.
From:
Sent: Wed 25/05/2011 10:03 AM
Subject:
Ho Chi min
Great nights sleep in an almost normal bed and the first one we have had since leaving Aus. First stop for us was to wander around to the Reunification /liberation palace. This is an impressive 1950s architecture on four levels with two basements built to withstand heavy bombing. We had an English speaking tour guide who was able to give us a brief history of the Vietnam politics prior to returning to communism at the end of the war. Basically the palace is a bit like the day it was stormed by tanks crashing through the front gates and the flag being raised on the roof top. There is a helicopter standing on the third floor launch pad a couple of tanks in the front yard and a palace that has not been used since.
From here it was a short walk to the war remnants museum. Now this place is a must visit for all people, especially world leaders thinking about committing troops to war. a great exhibition albeit a one sided Vietnamese point of view but after what they went through I think they might be entitled to their opinion. The rooms are filled with photos and stories of real people and the atrocities that were carried out. there was a great display of anti Vietnam protests and the usual military equipment. the room dedicated to the chemical warfare, particularly agent orange and the devastating effects then and still had an amazing impact on me and I found it hard to hold back the tears and felt saddened that anything like this could ever had occurred. surely the Americans need to take far more responsibility for their actions than what they currently do.
Had some time wandering around various markets and city streets constantly amazed at the traffic and the way they interact with each other on the road - might is right so the bigger your vehicle the more respect you get from others and the easier it is to just point your vehicle where you want to go and push on forward. A bus can do anything it likes including backing across an intersection, a taxi can cut across 12 lanes of bikes in less than 20 metres in order to pick up some tourists and bikes can ignore all traffic lights and cross an intersection at near normal speeds. Amongst the 4 million bikes in Saigon we have been hosted to some amazing sites. We have seen an anything up to 6 people on a bike, Television sets, washing machines, 10 milk crates full of beer, 6 metre lengths of conduit and reinforcing. you name it I reckon these guys could just about move it! They also have an uncanny ability to park their bike anywhere they like on the footpath meaning that most of the time we are walking on the road.
We decided to go to a water puppet show in the evening prior to dinner and were treated to a fantastic performance with music and great puppeteering. it's difficult to describe itself as it is probably something you he the shave to see to understand but it was certainly well done and easy to appreciate just how much effort and agility the puppeteers must have. The music was very "Vietnamese" - loud high pitched and impossible to understand but definitely part of the experience. Dinner after the show was in a street market stall, sharing tables with locals and having some of the best food even though at the time we weren't quite sure what we were ordering. The locals next to us had a great looking seafood BBQ so we asked what it was on the menu and vowed to return tomorrow night for some of that. Drinking Saigon beers at he moment as they are only 75 cents each.
Another early start to catch a half day tour out to Cu Chi tunnels. It was a full minibus with not a lot of space but it was going to have to do. Stopped along the way to break the journey at a Lacquer factory where the handicapped were employed to make the beautiful bowls, tile wall hangings etc. it was great to see the process and they were certainly doing some beautiful work but not sure how you would get the bigger pieces home so gave buying a miss for now and will reconsider in Hanoi.
The tunnels were constructed by the Vietcong people and covered over 1700 kms on three separate levels, they were incredibly small and there was no way known I was going to fit through the "real entrance hole. thankfully, they had made a couple of them slightly bigger for westerners so we were able to head on down on hands and knees to get a bit of an experience albeit very sanitised for tourists. They also had a great display of the booby-traps commissioned by the Viet Cong and this allowed you to reflect what it might have been like to walk through the jungle in the heat and humidity, not knowing where your enemy are. To add to the experience you could hear gunfire, single shots and machine guns, this was coming from a shooting range within the complex where you could purchase live ammunition and fire at some targets. We decided on 10 rounds out of the Ak47, again a great experience if you have never done it.
back home and time for a massage, relax and off to dinner along with the customary sweat replacement beer.
On the road again and ANOTHER BLOODY BUS! this time an 8 (that's right eight!) hour trip from Saigon to DaLat, amere 300kms. These trips are taking their toll on my sanity as well as my neck and back! They are painstakingly slow and whilst here is always something to see it is - same, same but different! I have discovered it's best not to look out the front window as most of your time the bus is in the middle of the road or on the wrong side of the road..... Sitting down the back can also be interesting especially when someone starts coughing, sneezing or spewing ( I hope she got her face mask off in time) and to top it all off we had a bag of bloody chooks sharing the journey on the VIP tourist bus!. I reckon if I don't get bus flue then there is a fair chance I'll get bird flue. I am definitely over busses.
The trip begins
SAME SAME ........but DIFFERENT
This is the way I choose to start 2011 blog in Cambodia and Vietnam.
We left on Friday the 13th of May, leaving behind a chilling 8 degrees in Hobart. Flight departure on Malaysian air was on time at 12.05 and arrived perfectly on schedule at KL airport where we had approximately 5 hours to kill before flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Again everything went according to schedule and we stepped out onto the tarmac at midday and strangely a bit warmer than we had left behind... a balmy 35 degrees by my reckoning.
First thing was to get a tourist visa which requires you to fill out the customary form, join a queue and wait your turn. the first official greets you and takes your passport form and photo (if you remembered to bring one) he then passes it to the person on his left who checks it and passes it on to the person on his left.... you get my drift....after 7 officials have passed it on it finally reaches the last person who stamps it and calls out your name to collect it.
Our hotel transfer driver was waiting patiently with a big smile, warm welcome, cold water and an air conditioned taxi. his English was limited but still way better than my Cambodian and he was certainly keen to impress us, hoping we might secure his services for our stay in Cambodia. on the way in we started to get the first glimpse of just what we had let ourselves in for and the excitement started to build.
Our hotel is in central Siem Reap so we were able to get a bit of a feel for where we were but I must admit when we turned of into a dodgy little lane and then into a dirt track I was starting to wonder just what we had booked. thankfully at the end of the track was an oasis with great gardens, rooms and people, I can recommend the Central Boutique Angkor hotel. Tony and Rachael were in the pool they arrived 45 minutes before us and we dived in about ten minutes later for some welcome relief from the heat. this was closely followed by my first of many Anchor beer.
We decided to go exploring in the afternoon and wandered through some markets, I purchased a Lonely planet Cambodia book for $5 and was impressed that it was the July 2011 edition so not only was it cheap it was also printed before the due date! Next stop a fish foot massage! here you pay $1 to sit on the edge of a large fish tank, place your feet over the edge and have heaps of little fish descend on you to nibble away at your skin....first impression was a bit strange and tickling but after a couple of minutes you relax and enjoy the experience, 20 minutes later and the feet feel clean and refreshed.
Late lunch consisted of a few beers @ $1 per can and an excellent fish Amok curry; I had been warned that these were good and can certainly agree. More wandering and taking in the sights before a couple more beers and a wander through the night market on the way home for a swim and early night.
The temples
We had organised a tour today to explore the ancient temples or Wat's as they are known here. our driver took us about 8km out of the city where we purchased a three day pass for $40 and then off to explore. we drove past Angkor Wat and headed towards Angkor Thom as we were returning to Angkor Wat tomorrow for sunrise. After a couple of photos and walking across the bridge thought the south gate of Angkor Thom we started to get an idea just how big this place really is as well as being blown away by the size of some of the ancient carvings. Angkor Thom was the old capital and consisted of numerous large temples and other buildings surrounded by a large wall. as with all of the sites around here you are free to wander wherever you want and climb on almost any thing at all. Robyn and I were blessed by a local, offered good luck and a long life, all for just $1, mmmm looks like you get caught at every turn on this little scam but we thought once was enough and had the wrist ornament on to prove it, therefore avoided getting scammed a second time. The site is large and we spent about an hour wandering around here and other connected parts all incredibly carved stone and mind-blowing architecture, much of which has had to be reconstructed due to the ravages of time and the obvious pilfering that must have gone on over the years.
Generally speaking most of the ruins have had some attempt at putting the right stones back in the right pace but it is a jigsaw of incredible proportions and almost impossible to completely restore. The heat of the day takes its toll and the shirt becomes quite damp with sweat. despite drinking lots of water you don't seem to need to pee as most of the fluids exit via the sweat gland ( a visual some of you might not find appealing.) Continuing on we visited Thommanom and Chau say Thevoda and then to Ta Prohm, this particular one was spectacular as there are trees growing on top of the ruins and you get more of a feel of what the other ruins must have looked like before they were cleared. it is also the site where much of the Indian Jones Tomb Radar was filmed. - make perfect sense to me. Enough for one day so some lunch in a local restaurant and back to the hotel via Batnteay kdel, for a swim in the pool and of course a few beer Tonight we headed out for a lovely dinner and wander through the night markets to see what bargains can be had. The locals in the market tend to drive you mad as they don't seem to understand what NO means and pester you for a sale. A new part of the vocabulary is emerging - Meeestrrr pleeze meeestrr I give you good price. All in all a great day
Up at 4.30 am to head out to Angkor Wat for sunrise, breakfast was ready for us to take with us and within 50 metres of the hotel we had secured a tuk tuk to get us there. it was a little overcast so we decided to climb up to lookout point in the hope that we might be able to see the sunrise but unfortunately it wasn't going to happen today. We returned to Angkor wat to begin the customary wandering around and seeing what this is all about. the size of the structure is quite amazing and trying to determine how they managed to build these structures really does do the head in. Having seen the pyramids of Egypt and then discovering the Incas handiwork in South America it is great to be able to compare the three ancient civilisations. Each has its own unique style and inspirational architecture, engineering and beauty and each is well worth the visit. as with Machu Pichu it is hard to imagine something of this size being lost and overgrown in a jungle, left to decay and then lost to generations.
Following Angkor Wat we headed out to Preah Khan where the saying same-same but different starts to kick in. this time we are met with another amazing temple and yet there is far less restoration and therefore you are confronted with the piles of rock that have fallen in from roofs collapsing or trees knocking over walls and it makes you appreciate even more what has been accomplished at the other sites we have visited previously. Piles and piles of stone lay where they collapsed, huge rocks impossible to lift and yet somehow they have managed to piece so much together. Enough temples for one day, time to head back to the hotel for a swim and a few beers before heading out for another night and more great food including FROG, - cooked whole on the bbq a bit scary at first but whoa it tasted good.
day three and a few more temples. this time we headed out of town to Banteay Srey, Same same but this time VERY different with some very ornate pink sandstone and incredibly intricate carvings. It is hard to believe that the carvings we were looking at were out of sandstone. Further out the road and it was time to climb a mountain, we arrived at Kbal Speam and were attacked by the usual tribes of souvenir salesmen and kids, we turned down the offer of a guide dog and headed upwards. its supposedly only 2kms but in the heat it seamed a little longer. (the kids at the bottom of the hill would have been a dam site better off if they sold there services as porters and offered to carry our bags and water) At the top there are a number of carvings hewn into the river bed and a very pleasant spot to sit and relax. whilst there was not much water in the river we managed to find the waterfall and walked straight under clothes and all.
one more Wat on the way home and that's enough temples for a few years! this time it was a beautiful collection of stonework but I cant even remember its name. The fact that there were very few other tourists around allowed you to take in the large courtyards and surroundings. Tony is starting to get silly with the young kids, when asked Meeestrr what is your name, he replied" Mary and this is my wife Andrew" they took the bait. Back to the motel with a stop at a roadside village selling palm sugar that they were boiling up on site. - incredibly sweet but I am sure it will come in handy when we need a sugar fix. Tonight on the menu some more frogs for entrée and then a traditional Cambodian BBQ where the veggies are placed in a well around the bbq filled with stock and the meat is cooked on the raised part directly above the heat, not a bad idea and really simple to do.
Up early and ready to get picked up for the bus ride to Phnom Penn, a 24 seater mini bus with 27 people on board as they have placed folding seat in the isle. On to the "Luxury Limousine Mekong Express Bus" and fair to say the words luxury, limousine and express might have been a tad over-rated. This is a Five hour journey with a 30 minute stop in the middle. It is a great way to see the countryside and everywhere you looked was something to see, from rice fields, roadside stores through to small villages and shanty towns. The lunch stop allowed time for a wander through the local market where all kinds of fruit, vegetables and meats were on display, unfortunately the flies crawling over everything and the smells were enough to put me off my dinner. We did however sample a locust or grasshopper from one stall where there were three huge dishes of the tasty little buggers cooked and ready to be eaten.
Arriving in Phnom Penn we secured a couple of Tuk tuks at a good price to take us to the Pavilion where we had booked for two nights. - very impressive accommodation, probably 5 star back home but only $50 per night to stay in pure opulence of a French mansion with swimming pool and of course a bar. We didn't waste any time as we wanted to tour the Palace just down the road. We grabbed a tour guide and wandered through the grounds and buildings taking in a history lesson and trying to work out just how we could escape with the millions of dollars worth of Gold, silver and diamonds. The king has never married (apparently he like to dance ballet a bit too often if you know what I mean), when he dies the crown will need to go to a cousin.
A meal down on the river front was very nice but there is a constant stream of beggars and young children trying to sell you something. It is incredibly sad to see so much poverty and so many beautiful dark eyed children tiring to get a few Real just to buy some food. the unfortunate thing is that you just cant help them all. Tony however has been given a new name by the locals and can now be referred to as "TOM TOM" meaning big in Khmer. - time for bed.
Today was a sad day because we visited places that should never have been allowed to exist. - we grabbed a tuk tuk out to S21, the prisoner camp where the khmer Rouge imprisoned tortured and killed more than 20,000 people. The atmosphere is quite chilling and the Khmer kept meticulous records of who was imprisoned and why, including many of the false admissions of guilt just to end the torture. This particular site brought back memories of the Nazi concentration camp, Bukanfield, (not sure if I spelt that right) but in some ways this seemed more personal as the faces of the victims were displayed for you to see and went on for ever. - I have just been reading a great book on "surviving the killing fields by Haing Ngor and it has helped me to understand the depths that this regime fell to and yet we still allow genocide and other such atrocities to continue in the world today.
On leaving S21 we headed out to the killing fields, another sombering experience and one I recommend to anyone interested in world piece because we al need to try and stop this kind of senseless behaviour. it was a sobering hour and one often spent in peaceful reflection and prayer (coming from me you will understand how much it must have affected me.
Time to move on and off to the Russian markets to try and change our moods. This was a great place to unwind and certainly better than the drivers recommendation of a visit to the shooting range where you can fire anything from a pistol to an AK47 to a mortar gun - not sure that this is a good idea after the killing fields and especially after reading the book I have just read where some of the more gruesome facts are disclosed. Diner r tonight was supposed to be an "up-market experience at a fancy restaurant called Malis. Unfortunately whilst he atmosphere was superb the food on the street was probably better and a dam site cheaper.
Vietnam here we come
We wandered around the central markets in Phnom Penn this morning and again were amazed by the food stands, live fish and other produce but we had had enough by 10 am and decided to go to Raffles for a decent coffee before catching the boat down the Mekiog to Chauy Doc over the border. A fascinating boat rip with plenty to see on the way and only one other person on board. The trip up the Basa river to Chauy Doc was amazing as you really get to see how the locals live. We have plenty of photos but I am not sure they will do it justice. this really is a great way to see the river life. On arrival I managed to put on a show for the locals by slipping on some wet stairs that can only be compared to Black Ice! My feet completely left the ground and I managed a body slam onto my back pack...ouch! Not too much physical damage and probably a few good bruises but that's about it. Ooops, Bugger I landed on the laptop and the screen looks a bit like Mount Fuji except in reverse as the snow tips are in black. Oh well it still works and I can sort out the insurance when I get home.
Chauy Doc doesn't hold a great deal of appeal - maybe we were just a bit it tired or took a wrong turn but we decided to only stay for the night in a fairly dodgy hotel and head for Ho Chi Min tomorrow morning on the 8 am bus.
I have a feeling that sometimes in a foreign country we might stand out as tourists! Yep we were not on the VIP express bus that we paid for but more likely a local bus where we just happened to be the ones who paid the most for our seats. I had to laugh when the bus was full and they placed a couple of plastic chairs in the isle for the locals to sit next to us.
arriving in Ho chi min after nearly seven hours of travel was again interesting because nobody was able to tell us that this was the bus depot and we needed to get off, - no problem, grabbed our bags found a taxi and 30 minutes $5 later we were settled into our hotel. Nice quiet evening and a wander around before some great food and an early night.
This is the way I choose to start 2011 blog in Cambodia and Vietnam.
We left on Friday the 13th of May, leaving behind a chilling 8 degrees in Hobart. Flight departure on Malaysian air was on time at 12.05 and arrived perfectly on schedule at KL airport where we had approximately 5 hours to kill before flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Again everything went according to schedule and we stepped out onto the tarmac at midday and strangely a bit warmer than we had left behind... a balmy 35 degrees by my reckoning.
First thing was to get a tourist visa which requires you to fill out the customary form, join a queue and wait your turn. the first official greets you and takes your passport form and photo (if you remembered to bring one) he then passes it to the person on his left who checks it and passes it on to the person on his left.... you get my drift....after 7 officials have passed it on it finally reaches the last person who stamps it and calls out your name to collect it.
Our hotel transfer driver was waiting patiently with a big smile, warm welcome, cold water and an air conditioned taxi. his English was limited but still way better than my Cambodian and he was certainly keen to impress us, hoping we might secure his services for our stay in Cambodia. on the way in we started to get the first glimpse of just what we had let ourselves in for and the excitement started to build.
Our hotel is in central Siem Reap so we were able to get a bit of a feel for where we were but I must admit when we turned of into a dodgy little lane and then into a dirt track I was starting to wonder just what we had booked. thankfully at the end of the track was an oasis with great gardens, rooms and people, I can recommend the Central Boutique Angkor hotel. Tony and Rachael were in the pool they arrived 45 minutes before us and we dived in about ten minutes later for some welcome relief from the heat. this was closely followed by my first of many Anchor beer.
We decided to go exploring in the afternoon and wandered through some markets, I purchased a Lonely planet Cambodia book for $5 and was impressed that it was the July 2011 edition so not only was it cheap it was also printed before the due date! Next stop a fish foot massage! here you pay $1 to sit on the edge of a large fish tank, place your feet over the edge and have heaps of little fish descend on you to nibble away at your skin....first impression was a bit strange and tickling but after a couple of minutes you relax and enjoy the experience, 20 minutes later and the feet feel clean and refreshed.
Late lunch consisted of a few beers @ $1 per can and an excellent fish Amok curry; I had been warned that these were good and can certainly agree. More wandering and taking in the sights before a couple more beers and a wander through the night market on the way home for a swim and early night.
The temples
We had organised a tour today to explore the ancient temples or Wat's as they are known here. our driver took us about 8km out of the city where we purchased a three day pass for $40 and then off to explore. we drove past Angkor Wat and headed towards Angkor Thom as we were returning to Angkor Wat tomorrow for sunrise. After a couple of photos and walking across the bridge thought the south gate of Angkor Thom we started to get an idea just how big this place really is as well as being blown away by the size of some of the ancient carvings. Angkor Thom was the old capital and consisted of numerous large temples and other buildings surrounded by a large wall. as with all of the sites around here you are free to wander wherever you want and climb on almost any thing at all. Robyn and I were blessed by a local, offered good luck and a long life, all for just $1, mmmm looks like you get caught at every turn on this little scam but we thought once was enough and had the wrist ornament on to prove it, therefore avoided getting scammed a second time. The site is large and we spent about an hour wandering around here and other connected parts all incredibly carved stone and mind-blowing architecture, much of which has had to be reconstructed due to the ravages of time and the obvious pilfering that must have gone on over the years.
Generally speaking most of the ruins have had some attempt at putting the right stones back in the right pace but it is a jigsaw of incredible proportions and almost impossible to completely restore. The heat of the day takes its toll and the shirt becomes quite damp with sweat. despite drinking lots of water you don't seem to need to pee as most of the fluids exit via the sweat gland ( a visual some of you might not find appealing.) Continuing on we visited Thommanom and Chau say Thevoda and then to Ta Prohm, this particular one was spectacular as there are trees growing on top of the ruins and you get more of a feel of what the other ruins must have looked like before they were cleared. it is also the site where much of the Indian Jones Tomb Radar was filmed. - make perfect sense to me. Enough for one day so some lunch in a local restaurant and back to the hotel via Batnteay kdel, for a swim in the pool and of course a few beer Tonight we headed out for a lovely dinner and wander through the night markets to see what bargains can be had. The locals in the market tend to drive you mad as they don't seem to understand what NO means and pester you for a sale. A new part of the vocabulary is emerging - Meeestrrr pleeze meeestrr I give you good price. All in all a great day
Up at 4.30 am to head out to Angkor Wat for sunrise, breakfast was ready for us to take with us and within 50 metres of the hotel we had secured a tuk tuk to get us there. it was a little overcast so we decided to climb up to lookout point in the hope that we might be able to see the sunrise but unfortunately it wasn't going to happen today. We returned to Angkor wat to begin the customary wandering around and seeing what this is all about. the size of the structure is quite amazing and trying to determine how they managed to build these structures really does do the head in. Having seen the pyramids of Egypt and then discovering the Incas handiwork in South America it is great to be able to compare the three ancient civilisations. Each has its own unique style and inspirational architecture, engineering and beauty and each is well worth the visit. as with Machu Pichu it is hard to imagine something of this size being lost and overgrown in a jungle, left to decay and then lost to generations.
Following Angkor Wat we headed out to Preah Khan where the saying same-same but different starts to kick in. this time we are met with another amazing temple and yet there is far less restoration and therefore you are confronted with the piles of rock that have fallen in from roofs collapsing or trees knocking over walls and it makes you appreciate even more what has been accomplished at the other sites we have visited previously. Piles and piles of stone lay where they collapsed, huge rocks impossible to lift and yet somehow they have managed to piece so much together. Enough temples for one day, time to head back to the hotel for a swim and a few beers before heading out for another night and more great food including FROG, - cooked whole on the bbq a bit scary at first but whoa it tasted good.
day three and a few more temples. this time we headed out of town to Banteay Srey, Same same but this time VERY different with some very ornate pink sandstone and incredibly intricate carvings. It is hard to believe that the carvings we were looking at were out of sandstone. Further out the road and it was time to climb a mountain, we arrived at Kbal Speam and were attacked by the usual tribes of souvenir salesmen and kids, we turned down the offer of a guide dog and headed upwards. its supposedly only 2kms but in the heat it seamed a little longer. (the kids at the bottom of the hill would have been a dam site better off if they sold there services as porters and offered to carry our bags and water) At the top there are a number of carvings hewn into the river bed and a very pleasant spot to sit and relax. whilst there was not much water in the river we managed to find the waterfall and walked straight under clothes and all.
one more Wat on the way home and that's enough temples for a few years! this time it was a beautiful collection of stonework but I cant even remember its name. The fact that there were very few other tourists around allowed you to take in the large courtyards and surroundings. Tony is starting to get silly with the young kids, when asked Meeestrr what is your name, he replied" Mary and this is my wife Andrew" they took the bait. Back to the motel with a stop at a roadside village selling palm sugar that they were boiling up on site. - incredibly sweet but I am sure it will come in handy when we need a sugar fix. Tonight on the menu some more frogs for entrée and then a traditional Cambodian BBQ where the veggies are placed in a well around the bbq filled with stock and the meat is cooked on the raised part directly above the heat, not a bad idea and really simple to do.
Up early and ready to get picked up for the bus ride to Phnom Penn, a 24 seater mini bus with 27 people on board as they have placed folding seat in the isle. On to the "Luxury Limousine Mekong Express Bus" and fair to say the words luxury, limousine and express might have been a tad over-rated. This is a Five hour journey with a 30 minute stop in the middle. It is a great way to see the countryside and everywhere you looked was something to see, from rice fields, roadside stores through to small villages and shanty towns. The lunch stop allowed time for a wander through the local market where all kinds of fruit, vegetables and meats were on display, unfortunately the flies crawling over everything and the smells were enough to put me off my dinner. We did however sample a locust or grasshopper from one stall where there were three huge dishes of the tasty little buggers cooked and ready to be eaten.
Arriving in Phnom Penn we secured a couple of Tuk tuks at a good price to take us to the Pavilion where we had booked for two nights. - very impressive accommodation, probably 5 star back home but only $50 per night to stay in pure opulence of a French mansion with swimming pool and of course a bar. We didn't waste any time as we wanted to tour the Palace just down the road. We grabbed a tour guide and wandered through the grounds and buildings taking in a history lesson and trying to work out just how we could escape with the millions of dollars worth of Gold, silver and diamonds. The king has never married (apparently he like to dance ballet a bit too often if you know what I mean), when he dies the crown will need to go to a cousin.
A meal down on the river front was very nice but there is a constant stream of beggars and young children trying to sell you something. It is incredibly sad to see so much poverty and so many beautiful dark eyed children tiring to get a few Real just to buy some food. the unfortunate thing is that you just cant help them all. Tony however has been given a new name by the locals and can now be referred to as "TOM TOM" meaning big in Khmer. - time for bed.
Today was a sad day because we visited places that should never have been allowed to exist. - we grabbed a tuk tuk out to S21, the prisoner camp where the khmer Rouge imprisoned tortured and killed more than 20,000 people. The atmosphere is quite chilling and the Khmer kept meticulous records of who was imprisoned and why, including many of the false admissions of guilt just to end the torture. This particular site brought back memories of the Nazi concentration camp, Bukanfield, (not sure if I spelt that right) but in some ways this seemed more personal as the faces of the victims were displayed for you to see and went on for ever. - I have just been reading a great book on "surviving the killing fields by Haing Ngor and it has helped me to understand the depths that this regime fell to and yet we still allow genocide and other such atrocities to continue in the world today.
On leaving S21 we headed out to the killing fields, another sombering experience and one I recommend to anyone interested in world piece because we al need to try and stop this kind of senseless behaviour. it was a sobering hour and one often spent in peaceful reflection and prayer (coming from me you will understand how much it must have affected me.
Time to move on and off to the Russian markets to try and change our moods. This was a great place to unwind and certainly better than the drivers recommendation of a visit to the shooting range where you can fire anything from a pistol to an AK47 to a mortar gun - not sure that this is a good idea after the killing fields and especially after reading the book I have just read where some of the more gruesome facts are disclosed. Diner r tonight was supposed to be an "up-market experience at a fancy restaurant called Malis. Unfortunately whilst he atmosphere was superb the food on the street was probably better and a dam site cheaper.
Vietnam here we come
We wandered around the central markets in Phnom Penn this morning and again were amazed by the food stands, live fish and other produce but we had had enough by 10 am and decided to go to Raffles for a decent coffee before catching the boat down the Mekiog to Chauy Doc over the border. A fascinating boat rip with plenty to see on the way and only one other person on board. The trip up the Basa river to Chauy Doc was amazing as you really get to see how the locals live. We have plenty of photos but I am not sure they will do it justice. this really is a great way to see the river life. On arrival I managed to put on a show for the locals by slipping on some wet stairs that can only be compared to Black Ice! My feet completely left the ground and I managed a body slam onto my back pack...ouch! Not too much physical damage and probably a few good bruises but that's about it. Ooops, Bugger I landed on the laptop and the screen looks a bit like Mount Fuji except in reverse as the snow tips are in black. Oh well it still works and I can sort out the insurance when I get home.
Chauy Doc doesn't hold a great deal of appeal - maybe we were just a bit it tired or took a wrong turn but we decided to only stay for the night in a fairly dodgy hotel and head for Ho Chi Min tomorrow morning on the 8 am bus.
I have a feeling that sometimes in a foreign country we might stand out as tourists! Yep we were not on the VIP express bus that we paid for but more likely a local bus where we just happened to be the ones who paid the most for our seats. I had to laugh when the bus was full and they placed a couple of plastic chairs in the isle for the locals to sit next to us.
arriving in Ho chi min after nearly seven hours of travel was again interesting because nobody was able to tell us that this was the bus depot and we needed to get off, - no problem, grabbed our bags found a taxi and 30 minutes $5 later we were settled into our hotel. Nice quiet evening and a wander around before some great food and an early night.
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