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.