Galleries

Gallery

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Vietnam & Cambodia Trip – Stop Eight – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom PenhOn February 15th, we said good-bye to Vietnam and flew to Cambodia, arriving in Phnom Penh in the evening. On arrival we had to complete the VISA paperwork. It was a crazy scene with a lot of people confused as to what papers were needed and language barriers. It was a bit overwhelming but luckily there were no issues and we quickly exited the airport.

On the short ride from the airport to our hotel, it was clear that we were in a very different country. The guide explained that Cambodia is still heavily influenced by the Khmer Rouge and it was not always safe to answer our questions in public. At times during our visit we may need to wait until we returned to the car to discuss some things. This sort of control made it clear, to me, the idea of freedom of speech we have in the U.S. and what that really means. A little unsettled, we arrived at our hotel.

The hotel looked like nothing special from the dusty street, but once we walked through the gate it was a green garden. There was an open lobby and dining area next to an infinity pool. It was rather late so we just walked a few blocks to have dinner and then went to bed.

We met our guide early the next morning. The goal was to tour the city while it was still somewhat cool out and then spend the hot hours of the day at the hotel pool. The first stop was the Royal Palace complex. The kings residence is located in the complex, and much of the area is closed to tourists. We were able to enter two of the buildings but were not permitted to take photographs inside. That did not matter much since it was the exterior, the architecture, that was impressive. Some of the buildings show evidence of the French but the influence of Thai culture is also very evident in most of the architecture. This was the first time I had seen any of this type of architecture and it was amazing.

The main building in the complex is the Throne Hall,  which due to an event later in the day, we were unable to enter. We did visit the Bronze Palace, which is a smaller building were royal gifts and costumes were displayed. From there we went to the Silver Pagoda and court yard. The name Silver Pagoda is in reference to the silver tiles used on the floor, however it is formally named the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Inside most of the tiled area is covered with rugs so that you cannot really see the silver tiles. On display  were numerous other Buddha sculptures in addition to the Emerald Buddha. Outside in the courtyard there were several large Stupas and long mural painted with scenes from the Ramayana Epic. Only some of the mural was visible, as much of it was being cleaned. When leaving the complex, we passed by where processional mounts for elephants were displayed and an example of a traditional Khmer house.

Our next stop was a block away; the National Museum of Cambodia. Our guide was not permitted to show us around the museum, however there was enough English descriptions to understand the displays. The museum holds a large collection of Khmer sculpture and, like many of the buildings in the country, is mostly open to the outside. What I found interesting was an exhibit of several sculptures recently returned to Cambodia. The pieces are believed to have been looted during the political turmoil in the 1960s and ’70s.

The mood of the touring shifted at this point and we visited the Tuol Sleg Genocide Museum. I don’t believe either of us knew a lot about the events in Cambodian history prior to our trip. We had watched The Killing Fields, but I know I did not really understand how recent the genocide was.

We sat under the trees in the compound that held an estimated 17,000 prisoners while our guide, a few years younger than us, told us about the horrible things that happened to his family. He explained the history of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. Knowing that this happened within my lifetime is very frightening. The museum included photographs of many victims and paintings by one of the few survivors detailing the horrors. In fact only 12 individuals are known to have survived the prison. One of the survivors, Chum Mey, was there when we visited, signing his autobiography.

It was emotionally draining and, before we went to the Killing Fields, we stopped for lunch. We ate and processed everything we had seen so far. After, we drove outside the city to Choeung Ek; one of the sites known as the Killing Fields. It is thought that over a million people were executed at these sites during the Khmer Rouge rule. Currently the site is a memorial and reminder of the horrors that occurred in the 1970s. The visit put what we hard learned into perspective. In addition to pits that had been excavated, much of the property has not been touched. This meant that was we walked around we could see bones and clothes under our feet.

After the site, we returned to our hotel. By that time it was incredibly hot and it has been an emotionally draining day, so we went and sat by the pool for a few hours. When it cooled off a bit we then walked to dinner, passing near the Independence Monument on our way back for the night.

Chris’ Comments: I always tell people the mood in Cambodia is more somber than other places I’ve visited. We met many strong people, however the wounds of the Khmer Rouge are very, very fresh. There are two things I’ll remember Phnom Penh for: stepping over bones and clothes resurfacing through the ground at the Killing Fields, and the pain and tears of our guide recounting his family being tortured while visiting Tuol Sleg. I cannot imagine telling that story and living the pain every single time. It was more important for the world to understand than any personal comfort. His choice was not lost on us. In hindsight, it’s sad we were only there long enough to experience the ugliness.

Royal Palace Complex

National Museum of Cambodia

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

The Killing Fields

Hotel Pool and Last Night in Phnom Penh

 

Restaurants:

Khmer Surin – A lush, tropical garden of a restaurant. The food was pretty good and it was clear the restaurant was designed for tourists with a bit of money. Food prices were considerably higher in Cambodia, but still quite reasonable. This is one of those places you have a bit too much wine with friends while enjoying the atmosphere.

Malis – This was a very upscale restaurant a short walk from our hotel. I in fact felt very under dressed when we arrived. The prime seating is in the lower open air courtyard area but  since we did not have a reservation we were seated upstairs in an air conditioned events room with a few other tables. The food was good, but not necessarily worth the price. It felt as if you were paying for the experience more than the food, which may be worth it if we were at one of the better tables with a more attentive server.

Note to our readers:
If you are interested, many of the photographs are captioned, just select the individual images to open them in a new window. Also, we were surprised how large the country was for a small country. I have put together a Travel Map with the places we visited to give an idea of how we managed to cover a good portion of the country during our trip.

Gallery

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Vietnam & Cambodia Trip – Stop Seven – Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Vietnam_Mekong_201502014_0102The 14th was another early morning.  We drove about three hours south of  Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. The delta was our last stop in Vietnam and where we would spend one night on a river boat. Due to the Tet holiday, the traffic was really bad with tons of overloaded scooters and buses. Along the way we briefly stopped for coffee and were rear-ended in stop-and-go traffic. Everyone was okay, but our driver got out and, in Vietnamese fashion, negotiated a fee with the other driver before we could get on our way again.

In Can Tho, we were taken by tender to our river boat – the Bassac II. The boat, styled from a traditional rice barge, had ten cabins. Each had a large window facing the river bank and is just large enough to fit a bed, night stand, a small table for luggage, and a bathroom. The bathroom itself was a shower. A hand wand hung on the wall and the water drained through slats in the floor. I imagine it takes a lot of skill to avoid getting the toilet and sink completely drenched while showering; a skill I do not have.

Our cabin was on the lower deck on the same level as an enclosed lounge area. The upper deck had front and back  lounges and covered dining area. Unlike our time in Halong Bay, it was very hot out so it was not an issue eating outside.  As soon as the boat got on its way down the Hau river, lunch was served. It was a similar meal to others we had on the trip;  shrimp steamed in coconut, fried calamari, beef and onion, fish served in a clay pot, squash blossom with garlic, and more fresh fruit. Everything was good but the squash blossoms were excellent.

We started to travel up the Mang Thit river and after lunch we were able to relax in the sun for a while. The landscape passing by us was what I had imagined Vietnam would look like – lush green along the river banks. The boat stopped late in the afternoon and we took a smaller boat to shore. Our group of English speaking tourists were taken on a walk through a small village. I am not sure a village is the correct term as it was a grouping of houses crossed with dirt paths. Our guide pointed out all the different fruits and vegetables growing along the road. The local children would wave and say hello to our group then get really happy when you waved hello back.

We were taken to one of the homes where a spread of different fruit was laid out. There were things we had seen before like pomelo, pineapple, bananas, mango, dried coconut, and jackfruit, but also mangosteen and various chips made from bananas, coconut and rice. I wanted to eat it all. I am seriously in love with tropical fruit but the crackers were very tasty too. After our snack break we walked by some rice fields. When we reached the tender boat a large log was blocking our way, which Chris crossfitted out of the way. The result was a clear path and ripped shorts.

We arrived back at the boat just as the sun was setting, so everyone went up to the front lounge area to capture photos and relax before dinner. It was quiet and calming as we made our way up the river. Added treat at dinner was a heart shaped chocolate cake for Valentine’s Day.

After anchoring for the night, the boat started again and we made it to the Co Chien river. The next morning, we ate breakfast as the boat moved toward the Cai Be floating market. Then we prepared to disembark. A tender boat took us and our luggage of the boat drove us through the floating market. Boats loaded with so many different types of food were anchored in the river. Families were living on the boats and smaller boats would pull up along side to buy or trade. It was interesting to see how simple of a life these people were living.

We also stopped further up the river from the market to visit a factory of sorts. It was set up for tourists with tons of things for sale but they were making coconut candy, rice paper, and popped rice. While we were there one of the women mended Chris’ shorts from the day before. Most of our group bought all the different snacks for sale, even the Snake Wine. There were more foods to try and some very tasty tea, but we did not purchase anything.

The tender boat then took us to the port. We drove back to Ho Chi Minh City and got a plane to Cambodia, leaving Vietnam after 14 days.

Chris’ Comments: The Mekong Delta s one of those places where an overnight trip is nothing but a tease. We were there during a holiday weekend, so travel was quite significant. Getting in a car accident was an interesting experience, if for no reason than to see how everyday life happens in Vietnam. The all cash settlement was made because most people don’t have insurance or insurance requires police involvement. The police are known to confiscate cars and maybe, eventually return them, so people tend to avoid it unless there are irreconcilable differences… which, according to our guide, very rarely happen. If you want to explore how rural Vietnamese live and immerse yourself in culture, spend a week backpacking the area. Here, the simple life is a happy life and it’s warming to see. Driving four hours, each way, for one night was a stretch… even if the boat and area was beautiful.

Bassac II

Views Along the River

Walking Tour of the Delta

Sunset on the Mekong Delta

Can Be Floating Market

Final Tour in the Delta

 

Note to our readers:
If you are interested many of the photographs are captioned, just select the individual images to open them in a new window. Also, we were surprised how large the country was for a small country. I have put together a Travel Map with the places we visited to give an idea of how we managed to cover a good portion of the country during our trip.

Gallery

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Vietnam & Cambodia Trip – Stop Six – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

On the 12th we had another early morning flight, this time a 27 minute flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Southern Vietnam. Since we arrived in the city too early to check into the hotel, we drove outside the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

The tunnels were used during the war by the Viet Cong and now are a tourist attraction. We walked through the jungle and our guide pointed out bomb craters, tunnel entrances and vents for the underground kitchens used by the Viet Cong. In addition to kitchen space, meeting rooms, medical wards, and ammunition “factories” were all located underground connected by these tunnels. For tourists, many of the rooms have been uncovered and sections of the tunnels widened.  We saw examples of how hard it was to see the tunnels in the jungle and the various traps which were used. Chris shot a M1919 machine gun on the shooting range then crawled through a section of the tunnels. It was really hot and I cannot imagine what it would have been like wandering through the jungle during the war. The last part of our visit to the tunnels was to sample boiled tapioca root and tea. A typical meal for the Viet Cong during the war and it was served with a bowl of crushed peanuts, salt and sugar. It might have been because we were hungry but it tasted really good.

We drove back into HCMC through some of the worst moving traffic I have ever seen. Traffic lanes, signals, and signs all appear to be suggestions. Traffic was not stopped or backed up, there were just a lot of people and more cars than the other cities we visited. We checked into the hotel and then went to find something to eat. A few blocks from the hotel were a bunch of restaurants in a court yard. We went to Jasper’s for lunch, then spent time walking around the city before going back to try the Japanese food at Blanchy Street.

Gratefully our guide suggested that we meet up in the afternoon to tour the city by foot. We walked by the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City that we had seen the night before on our walk and then walked by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Head office. Across from the Committee building a subway system is under construction which would hopefully improve transportation in HCMC. From there we walked to the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and the Saigon Central Post Office. It appears to function mainly as a tourist attraction now; the main hall filled with vendors. The post office in fact was designed by Gustave Eiffel and the architecture of all these buildings reflect the years of French rule.

From the front of the post office we could see 22 Gia Long Street; the apartment building famously photographed at the end of the war. That seemed to mark the start of the “war years” part of the walk around HCMC. After passing by shops and through a large park we got to the Independence Palace or Reunification Palace. The building was built in the 1960s and was the home of the South Vietnam President during the war. When the North Vietnamese took the city a tank drove through the main gate and is now on display near the palace. We elected to not tour the palace, instead heading to the War Remnants Museum.

We spent a fair amount of time in the museum. It has gone through several name changes in the years since the war but ultimately appears to focus on the negative effects of the American military on the Vietnamese during the war. It is mostly photographs and weapons with propaganda-heavy descriptions. It was depressing, particularly the information about chemical warfare. Even reading the information while thinking about the political focus in mind was hard.  Outside are military vehicles and a cage/chamber which illustrates how prisoners were treated. While it is not the relaxing vacation type of attraction I am glad that we took the time to see it.

Our guide took us back to the hotel then we walked to a Popeye’s for a quick familiar meal. We did not really eat much because we were going on the “Saigon After Dark” Vespa tour. It was probably the best thing we did the whole trip. Two drivers on Vespa’s picked us up at our hotel as it was getting dark out. We meet up with about 30 other people going on the tour that evening to meet the guide. We were paired up with three other couples from England and Australia. Once it was dark we were driven the long way around the city. The lights of the city from the back of the Vespa were beautiful. Our first stop was “locals only” seafood restaurant with tables and chairs on the sidewalk. There were tanks with clams, mussels, snails, frogs and eels. The tour was all you can eat and drink, and our guide brought us plates with crab, stuffed mussels, clams, rice noddles and then frog legs. It was all fantastic.

Our next food stop we had Banh Xeo, spring rolls and summer rolls. The restaurant was a bunch of tables in an alley with an open kitchen. Our guide showed us how to eat the dishes like the locals and told us about some of the non-alcoholic drinks available. It is typical to get a glass of club soda with sugar in it and lime juice, that was my go to drink for the tour. From there we went to a small, hidden coffee bar. There is on way we would ever have found this place on our own. We went down and alley, walked through a kitchen area then upstairs to a small living room type of space. While we were there two women gave acoustic performances. One was in English, covering songs we knew the other sang in Vietnamese. It was just beautiful and meditative. I was sad that we needed to move on but the final stop was great too. We went to Woodstock Bar were a band was preforming cover songs. They were really good and took song requests so we stayed for a while.

After the tour I wished we had a lot more time in the city, reflectively it would have been great to take our first night in HCMC.

Chris’ Comments: I absolutely loved Saigon; the name most locals use for the city. It was far more modern than Hanoi, while still maintaining all the charms of Vietnam. The traffic was nuts, the food was absolutely fantastic, and the nightlife we experienced reminded me of the things I love about Seattle. The city is quite cosmopolitan and, as it’s apparently coming of age, strikes that perfect balance of modernity and heritage. I agree the Vespa tour was likely the best experience on our entire trip – I swear I had a massive smile on my face the entire time. I actually shot a lot of Go Pro video that will give context, but I haven’t even begun processing it. I would live in Saigon in a heartbeat, were it not for the subtropical weather; I can’t wait to go back. Also, holy crap the tunnels were mind-boggingly small.

Cu Chi Tunnels

First Day in Ho Chi Minh City

City Tour with Guide

War Remnants Museum

Vespa Tour of the City

 

Restaurants:

Jaspers – I am not sure what type of restaurant this was. It was open when most of the other places were closed between lunch and dinner time so that says something. The menu was a mix of things including some very Western options. We had to try the imported corn chip nachos. Turns out the nachos were made with Doritos. Beyond that the food was not memorable.

Blanchy Street – We found this Sushi restaurant from online reviews. The sushi itself was good but service felt a bit slow and distracted. The fruit plate I ordered for dinner was the best I had the whole trip, but that was the result of a perfectly ripe Mango.

Popeyes – We always like to check out the American fast food places in other countries, normally we try a McDonald’s. This time we saw several Popeye’s in the city and went for it. It was pretty much what we have here in the U.S. with a lighter colored batter on the chicken.

Note to our readers:
If you are interested many of the photographs are captioned, just select the individual images to open them in a new window. Also, we were surprised how large the country was for a small country. I have put together a Travel Map with the places we visited to give an idea of how we managed to cover a good portion of the country during our trip.