We have arrived in Cambodia a place with a terrible recent history, year 0 and Pol Pot. Everything here is priced in US Dollars and that is preferred to their own currency. We are staying in a very nice 11 month old hotel in the centre on Phnom Phen. We arrived on the outskirts of the city in the pouring rain and had to get our things in to Tuk Tuks and race off.
The hotel No 9 has bars on three floors and 'happy hour' from 4pm to 9pm!! The museum and Royal Palace are fantastic albeit the heat and humidity slow you down as you look around. Plenty of stops at big air fans. The heavens opened as we neared the end of our trip to the palace and we had to dive in to the nearest Tuk Tuk which would not start and was pushed up the road by other drivers.
Our second day started with a visit to S21, the main building used by Pol Pot to torture people into confessing they were spies before killing them and all their families. S21 is kept exactly as it was and is a terrible place that must be seen. The regime obviously learnt a lot from the Nazis.
From S21 we went out of town by Tuk Tuk to the 'Killing Fields' (Choeng Ek). This is exactly what it was. People were taken here and killed in the most disgusting ways, a written description cannot conjure up the feel of the place or the piles of human skulls.great, full of smiles . We are now moving on again to Batambang.
Friday, 24 August 2012
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Saigon
We set off for Saigon on a bed bus. A coach full of beds! A bit wiered and tooik some getting used to. Fortunately we had 10 hours to get the hang of it. Our hotel is in the middle of the city that everyone still calls Saigon. It is completely mad. There are hundreds of thousands of scooters coming at you from all directions without a break. The only way to cross the road is to just walk out in the road and the scooters just pass around you. This is quite hairy on a six lane carriageway.
While in Saigon we visited the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. Aparently the Americans were very evil and the Vietcong were peace loving farmers. Very interesting, quite harrowing and very biased.
We went 10 pin bowling in the evening as Pip was 30. The madness continues in the evening as we drink beer on the streets in very small chairs with scooters zooming around us and hawkers trying to sell anything.
On our last day we went to visit the Cu Chi tunnels dug by the Vietcong during the war. There are a vast amount of tunnels over 100km on 3 levels. They have enlarged a small section so that us fat westerners can go down. Still very hot and cramped. They were very proud to show off the man traps full of sharpened bamboo for killing and maiming the American troops. Julia and I also visited a water puppet show which sounds a bit naf but actually was brilliant.
While in Saigon we visited the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. Aparently the Americans were very evil and the Vietcong were peace loving farmers. Very interesting, quite harrowing and very biased.
We went 10 pin bowling in the evening as Pip was 30. The madness continues in the evening as we drink beer on the streets in very small chairs with scooters zooming around us and hawkers trying to sell anything.
On our last day we went to visit the Cu Chi tunnels dug by the Vietcong during the war. There are a vast amount of tunnels over 100km on 3 levels. They have enlarged a small section so that us fat westerners can go down. Still very hot and cramped. They were very proud to show off the man traps full of sharpened bamboo for killing and maiming the American troops. Julia and I also visited a water puppet show which sounds a bit naf but actually was brilliant.
Vietnam - Hoi An
We left Hue and headed off to Hoi An. En route we stopped at the China Beach to stretch our legs on the roasting sand of a superb beach and threw Gareth in the sea. Back on the coach and off again to Hoi An. Our hotel has a pool and the sea is a bike ride away. This unfortunately is where you get clothes made so it is full of dress shops. Julia has two lovely oriental dresses made in silk.. We explore the beach and town by bicycle and due to the heat have to stop for a liquid lunch. Aparently happy hour is all day!!
Our Australian Jody has returned from a daughters wedding so the girls went for a night out anf the boys went to the Indian for a curry. We could be at home.
From Hoi An we set off on a very long trip to Nha Trang. Worth the trip as this is a fantastic beach and we have a large balcony looking out to sea.
I should mention that we have lost our second member as Kev left us in Hoi An. I shan't go in to the reasons here.
Julia has now got a new swimsuit and I have new trunks. I don't think the old speedos suited me. Lots of walking on the beach and swimming in the sea.
We went to the Why Not bar in the evening and enjoyed working our way down the cocktail list.
Our Australian Jody has returned from a daughters wedding so the girls went for a night out anf the boys went to the Indian for a curry. We could be at home.
From Hoi An we set off on a very long trip to Nha Trang. Worth the trip as this is a fantastic beach and we have a large balcony looking out to sea.
I should mention that we have lost our second member as Kev left us in Hoi An. I shan't go in to the reasons here.
Julia has now got a new swimsuit and I have new trunks. I don't think the old speedos suited me. Lots of walking on the beach and swimming in the sea.
We went to the Why Not bar in the evening and enjoyed working our way down the cocktail list.
Vietnam
We have left our trusty truck Calypso in Laos as it cannot enter Vietnam. Instead we boarded an air conditioned luxuey coach and headed to the border. No real problems so we entered Vietnam and headed for our first stop Hue. Anyone as old as me will probably remember the battle for Hue during the tet offensive. 10,000 died there. The city was very lively and on the first night we had a nice meal followed by a number of cocktails, thank god for happy hour in Asia. The next day we looked around the Imperial Palace which was very interesting but in quite blistering heat. We followed this bit of history by visiting the KFC! Another bout of cocktails in the evening. Our last full day in Hue was a boat trip up the Perfumed river. The boat was interesting and had plastic garden chairs and a vast array of goods for sale. You cannot walk two paces in this part of the world without someone trying to sell you something. We pulled in near the Tu Doc tomb where we boarded the back of motorcycles for a hair raising trip to the tomb. Quite a journey.
We visited a Budhist Pergola on the trip back to Hue.
We visited a Budhist Pergola on the trip back to Hue.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
LuangPrabang
Laos was a great Country to visit and we had some very memorable days:
Elephants: Three of us took a ride out in to the jungle where we boarded a small boat to take us up river against the floodwater. I couldn't help thinking 'what happens if the engine fails'. We arrived at a jungle elephant sanctuary where Julia and I climbed in to a seat on the back of our elephant and the mahout sat behind his head. We set off in to the jungle for a memorable ride, even more so when he got off and I climbed down to replace him. The mahout just called out to the elephant as we walked off. We got back and fed her bananas, they are great animals. We then boarded our boar again and went down river to a waterfall for a swim. A great day.
Cooking: The following day we went on a Laos cookery course. This involved going to the market with the chef in Tuk Tuks, to be shown all the different vegetables and herbs and spices. We also went in to the butchery section which I will not describe here in detail. Needless to say I thought China was interesting but there were some surprises in this market!! We then went out to a beautiful location for the course. The chef was great and we made some lovely food which we cooked and ate with cold beer.
Jungle Trek:
Our last two days in Laos were spent in the jungle. We went down river for some miles before finding the 'huts' we were staying in. Some more interesting than others. Lots of interesting insect life trying to share our space but wonderful as you could not get further away from normal life.
It has finaly stopped raining and we have left our truck Calypso in Laos. We reluctantly boarded a luxury air conditioned coach and drove in to Vietnam. We have arrived in Hue which for those of you who followed the war this is an interesting place. That's all for now must lay down in front of a fan.
Elephants: Three of us took a ride out in to the jungle where we boarded a small boat to take us up river against the floodwater. I couldn't help thinking 'what happens if the engine fails'. We arrived at a jungle elephant sanctuary where Julia and I climbed in to a seat on the back of our elephant and the mahout sat behind his head. We set off in to the jungle for a memorable ride, even more so when he got off and I climbed down to replace him. The mahout just called out to the elephant as we walked off. We got back and fed her bananas, they are great animals. We then boarded our boar again and went down river to a waterfall for a swim. A great day.
Cooking: The following day we went on a Laos cookery course. This involved going to the market with the chef in Tuk Tuks, to be shown all the different vegetables and herbs and spices. We also went in to the butchery section which I will not describe here in detail. Needless to say I thought China was interesting but there were some surprises in this market!! We then went out to a beautiful location for the course. The chef was great and we made some lovely food which we cooked and ate with cold beer.
Jungle Trek:
Our last two days in Laos were spent in the jungle. We went down river for some miles before finding the 'huts' we were staying in. Some more interesting than others. Lots of interesting insect life trying to share our space but wonderful as you could not get further away from normal life.
It has finaly stopped raining and we have left our truck Calypso in Laos. We reluctantly boarded a luxury air conditioned coach and drove in to Vietnam. We have arrived in Hue which for those of you who followed the war this is an interesting place. That's all for now must lay down in front of a fan.
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