SE Asia - Bangkok, Thailand

 

Cambodia to Bangkok, February 1, 2014

Bangkok, Thailand

We had a leisure morning in Siem Reap because we didn't leave for the airport until about 11:00. Some went to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, others got in some last minute shopping, and we just took it easy, packed and visited. The flight was only 55 minutes, and we were at the hotel in Bangkok by about 4:00. This gave us some time to relax, pack, etc. before heading to the river for our Farewell Dinner Cruise. The sun was setting as we got ready to board the old style boat.

As we cruised up and down the river several times, Vit, our guide, pointed out the various buildings and places of interest. 

The crew served us a multi-dish meal that was delicious, and then it came time to make our own wishes for good Karma and set to float a lotus blossom with a candle. Behind the boat we could see the line of the candles.

We hated to say goodbye to our great group of new friends. We plan to keep in touch, especially with so many having an Arizona connection. Some are continuing on for the post-trip in Thailand, and we wish them a continued great adventure. The rest of us are flying home and we wish for safe journeys. May we meet again on another trip. 

Heading to bed as we have a 5:30 pickup for the airport in the morning.

Taking into account for the International Date Line, it took two days to get home. Our flights took us from Bangkok to Hong Kong then to San Francisco and finally back to Portland.
That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Siem Reap, Cambodia - 3

Cambodia, Day 5, January 31, 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia

The big day has finally arrived to visit Angkor Wat. This was probably the most famous of the temples in the large complex of temples (about 96 square miles) built in the early 12th century and added to over time. There was a large moat around much of the complex and the soil taken from it was used to build up the level of the inner area. It started out as a Hindu temple and later the monks turned it into a Buddhist temple.

After returning to town for lunch, and the hotel for a short break, we went back out to visit three more temples in the Angkor area. The Boyon Temple features many carved faces. 

The most spectacular, in my opinion, is the Ta Prohm Temple with large kapok trees, hundreds of years old, which have grown upon through and around the collapsing temple buildings. It was featured in the movie “Tomb Raider.”

We returned to the edge of the moat in front of Angkor Wat (Wat means temple) for a "Sundowner." The late afternoon sun put a nice golden glow on the buildings. We enjoyed a sample of Cambodian wine and some local delicacies for snacks; buffalo jerky, snake jerky, grilled frogs legs and peanuts. The buffalo jerky was tasty but stringy and the peanuts were good. The wine was like weak liquor. The glow was waning as we headed back to the bus. Dinner was on our own and I decided to join some others and attend a puppet and dance show with a buffet dinner and then go to the night market. All of this was by Tuk Tuk. Paul stayed back at the hotel to dine with Erika and then get off his leg.

We leave in the late morning to fly back to Bangkok. 

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Siem Reap, Cambodia - 2

Cambodia, Day 4, January 30, 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia

This morning, in Siem Reap, Paul and I had chosen the optional tour to the Banteay Srei ruins. As it turned out, Paul was a little under the weather and chose to not go and also he gave his knee a rest. We left at 7:45 for what seemed like a long ride on a bumpy road to the far west side of the greater Angkor Wat area.

This was the Chinese New Year and I think everyone was on holiday here. Actually, the Cambodians do a little partying on this holiday as well. Anyway, the place was extremely crowded, but our guides did an excellent job or steering (herding) us through the complex so that we could see it from all angles. It was amazing how detailed the carvings still were considering this complex was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

On the ride back to town we stopped to visit a young woman who specializes in making Cambodian style rice noodles. She showed us the whole process from kneading the rice flower, putting it into a tube with a grate on the bottom, and putting it in a press to squeeze the dough through little holes to produce long noodles. It was kind of like a potato ricer in a way. It took both Erika sitting on the end of a long fulcrum and then Tom adding his weight at the end of the long leaver to get the mass all squeezed out. The gal then washed the noodles a number of times and divided them into small packets that she would sell. She put some into a pot of broth to cook for us to taste. I thought they were very good.

The next "Learning and Discovery" stop we made was to visit a family that was making sugar from Sugar Palm sap. They boil it down until it is a very thick light brown consistency, which was then spooned into rings of palm leaves about an inch in diameter. It then hardens quickly so the pieces of sugar can be packaged in various ways. I had been sent with orders from Paul to buy a bunch, which I did. He has a significant sweet tooth.

We made a stop at a very nice place for lunch, which was included in the optional tour, then back to the hotel for an hour before heading out for the afternoon adventure.

At 2:00 we headed southwest of Siem Reap to Tonle Saab Lake, which was huge and famous for floating villages. The level of the lake was going down as it was the dry season and the villages were moving farther out in the lake. We boarded a wooden boat and headed out to some of the canals that still had floating homes. The residents live their whole lives on houseboats and fishing was the main source of food and income. 

We made one stop, at a Crocodile Farm. They had several very large crocks in pens attached to their home. At breeding time they move the female to shore to lay her eggs. The lady had prepared some snake soup for us and a few people tried it. Not me!

Back on shore, and a short bus ride, we were met by a number of farmers and their water buffalos that were harnessed to carts. We rode two per cart along a path through the rice paddies. Since the wheels were wooden and there were no springs it was a very bouncy ride. Paul chose the bus ride, took pictures and met us at the end.

That pretty much rounded out the day, with dinner at the hotel. Tomorrow we finally get to Angkor Wat.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Siem Reap, Cambodia - 1

Cambodia, Day 3, January 29, 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia

This morning we were both awakened early. Bags were out as we went to breakfast and then departed at 7:30 along with our new guide, Soeng. It was a 195 mile drive to Siem Reap. The road all the way to our 2:00 lunch stop was under construction and very bumpy and dusty.

We had several "Learning and Discovery" stops in the morning with each including a "Happy Room." The first, at 9:00, was to visit a family that made and decorated large copper pots. They forge and mold many kinds of things from copper. Most people prefer the items that were silver-plated. I resisted them all.

Then about 10:00 we stopped to visit a family that ran a Tarantula Farm. We had "holding" opportunities! I actually held one! Then we followed the owner out to the field to find some more. The tarantulas she looked for were about 4-5 inches in diameter, legs included. They live in small holes in the ground and eat tree roots. Immediately after getting a new one she takes a stick, puts it under their fangs and breaks them off. This is called de-fanging. Then they can no longer bite. We took the captured de-fanged tarantulas back to her place where she killed them. She washed them thoroughly, tossed them with salt and pepper, and let one of our group place them one by one into hot oil to cook. After they were crispy she drained them and we had a chance to sample one. I was so brave that I ate part of a leg. It was crispy and fibrous. Enough adventure for the day. The villagers ate the rest as snacks.

Lunch was at a restaurant where we had our own little room on planks over the edge of a lake. There was a big variety of food. Back on the bus we continued the drive. The next rest stop was at an Ancient Nagel Bridge, built over 800 years ago. On both sides of each end there was a statue of Naga, the eight-headed snake. It was one of many old bridges along this road.

The drive continued through small towns and the countryside. We certainly got a clear view of life in this third world country. The road did improve but only a bit. We checked in at the Angkor Home Hotel and I had enough time to grab a shower before we met at 7:00 for dinner at a local restaurant. Paul then told everyone that it was my birthday and for desert Vit brought a cake with one large candle on it. I made the first cut, then it was shared with everyone.

All in all it was a good birthday, which included munching on tarantulas and ending with Black Forest Cake. And, we arrived at our destination safely, what more could a person want.

More adventures tomorrow in and around Siem Reap.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - 2

Cambodia, Day 2, Phnom Penh, January 28, 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

DISCLAIMER, THERE WILL BE SOME SOBERING DETAILS ABOUT GRIM PARTS OF CAMBODIA'S HISTORY.

We could take it a little easy this morning because we didn't have to leave until 8:00. The first stop was at the "Killing Field." This was an area about five acres in size where the Khmer Rouge systematically killed the Cambodian people at night, while playing loud music so the local farmers could not hear screaming. Victims were handcuffed and killed by blows to the head, then dumped into open pits for burial. We could see the pits, which had been excavated and they had removed the remains to other locations, and some were put in glass cases for display. There was a short video for us to watch that explained what happened, with some old footage. Obviously this is a time period I need to investigate when I get home.

The second stop was equally as sobering. It was the Genocide Museum. It is now a museum but at one time was a high school with four three-story buildings. In April, 1975, on orders by Pol Pot, it was turned into a detention and interrogation and torture prison which was used by his forces until 1979. The classrooms were divided into little cells. Since every person who entered as a prisoner was documented with their photograph and life history, it was easy for Pol Pot's men to go investigate and make sure they were telling the truth. If not, they had many ways to torture them. These practices were depicted in paintings, and were too terrible for me to even photograph. I may not have been paying attention, but I just don't remember hearing about all of this at the time.

That ended the gruesome part of the day and we were all ready for lunch by then. After lunch we stopped at the National Museum where Adam walked us through some parts then we had a little time on our own. The museum contained lots of statues collected from different time periods and locations in the country. On the way to an optional stop at the "Russian" Market the bus let some of us off at the hotel.

Erika and I set off on an adventure to find a pharmacy to get an Ace bandage for Paul to wrap around his knee. The hotel desk clerk said it was in one direction and after walking on the precarious sidewalks and in the street for about a half hour we got a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel. Then we asked the guard at the door who summoned a very nice girl who was walking by and who spoke some English. She said she would take us there (this time it was in the opposite direction) and we walked a long way. Finally we came to a pharmacy and we parted with our nice escort, thanking her profusely. It turned out they did not have what we needed. In checking with three others next door, none having the bandages, I saw a fellow neatly dressed who seemed like a doctor and who spoke some English. When I explained what I needed he seemed to know and said there was another pharmacy about another 200 meters down the street. We set out for that one and found a very nice store, well stocked, with an English-speaking lady pharmacist, and she had exactly what I was looking for - a wide Ace bandage, and it was only $.66. How good was that? This was our little adventure that took over an hour's walk in the heat and humidity. It took a while after I got back for Paul to appropriately appreciate my efforts as I had forgotten to leave the room key for him so he was locked out of the room. Oops.

After a shower and some packing we went to the lobby to say goodbye to Adam, our guide. We had dinner in the hotel. A number from our group went to the Rafael's Hotel for Happy Hour and then to a community service restaurant. They said they had a very good time.

Tomorrow is a 196 mile drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. To be continued.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - 1

Cambodia, Day 1, January 27, 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The last morning wake up in Saigon was our earliest yet. We checked out and departed at 7:00 and boarded a small boat. We visited a fish farm while our guide and driver loaded our luggage into the hold of a speedboat. We watched the farmers feed the large fish through an open hatch. Then we boarded the speedboat and headed up the river toward Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At this point we said "Goodbye" to Harry, our Vietnamese guide.  

The first stop was at a dock to check out of Vietnam. Just a short way up the river we disembarked again, to check into Cambodia. Then there was a long ride up the river to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was a very smooth ride and we had our choice of sitting inside the cabin in airplane style seats or outside in the back where it was very windy but pleasant. I chose inside, reasoning that my cold didn't need more wind. Paul enjoyed the deck.

It was close to 1:00 when we finally landed. We all made sure we saw our luggage before we boarded the bus and headed for lunch. Here we met our new local guide, Adam. After a delicious lunch, we stopped to visit and walk around the Royal Palace. It is magnificent and according to the flags, the king was in residence.

We were again in the land of heat and humidity. Hence, a shower was in order before meeting the group in the lobby for fresh fruit drinks and dinner.

Tomorrow will be a more sobering day with visits to areas of Cambodia's historical sights.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Chau Doc, Vietnam

Day 3, Vietnam, January 26, 2014

Drive to Chau Doc, Vietnam

This morning we had our bags out by 7:00 and departed on our bus for the long day's ride west to the border town of Chau Doc, on the Mekong River. It turned out to be a longer and more adventuresome day than originally planned. During the Tet (Lunar New Years) Celebration, many people go home for family reunions. Since this was Saturday, the traffic was extremely heavy slowing frequently to stop and go on narrow roads. Most people were on motorbikes, but there were also local buses and some trucks. At one point in the morning we were completely stopped for about a half hour. The real hang up at that time was the ferry. We bailed off the main road and took a 35-mile detour to take a different ferry. This worked and we eventually got to the ferry. We had to get off the bus and walk aboard. There was our bus, a truck and a few cars. The rest of the area was crammed with motor "Hondas" filled with families and/or produce and a variety of products.

One rest stop for us was at a Hammock and Coffee Rest Stop. There were many along the way and they were like our combination rest and truck stops. You could get some special coffee that was dripped into the cup, which I hear was pretty awful. Then you could rest in one of their many hammocks. We stopped to use the happy room and test the hammocks. Then we continued on our way.

The first ferry ride left us on a large island in the Mekong River. After we crossed the island there was a second ferry ride that completed our crossing. It was about 2:30 before we pulled up to a local restaurant, in a big hotel, for lunch. We didn't take any longer than needed and were back on the road.

The last stop was to visit the Cao Dai Temple, which Vit winked and called a monastery. He did this so we wouldn't rebel over having to see another temple. The building was part of the Bahai religion and was very unique.

We finally got to our hotel about 5:30. It was fairly spartan. We met in the lobby for a musical event and found Harry, our Vietnamese guide, playing his saxophone accompanied by a CD. He was actually pretty good especially considering he had only been playing for three years.

At 6:30 we left for dinner. OAT hires a lady who cooks a special dinner for their tours. Her place was along the street in town and her three pre/teen age children served us. The two boys and a girl were learning English and worked very hard for their mother. Paul gave one of the boys a deck of cards that we brought. The colorful deck has 17 Oregon pictures and 52 interesting facts about Oregon.

Tomorrow is a long jet boat ride up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Saigon, Vietnam - 2

Vietnam, Day 2, January 25, 2014

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This morning we had to get up early to be ready to leave the hotel by 7:30. The weather has been delightful, warm and sunny but not humid. It was a very long bus ride out of the city and into the country for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

This is a place where visitors can view and experience the Viet Cong Tunnels, built by the local farmers to protect themselves and their property. These tunnels were from ten to eighty feet deep and lead between bunkers. I went down into the narrow steep opening and then had to bend way over to walk through the winding tunnel that was about three feet high and maybe twenty inches wide. I was happy for the flashlight on my iPhone. Even then, my shoulders were rubbing the walls and I occasionally bumped my head. Since the tunnels branch it would be easy for a person to get lost in them.

The second tunnel I went into led to a bunker that could have been used by the leaders or by medical people for surgery and recovery. Hidden around the area in the jungle were slight domes that housed ventilation shafts. There are also domed areas that could be considered turrets. Those inside can look out at ankle height. The entrances to these tunnels were camouflaged so well that the only way to find the little trap door was to tap until you found a hollow sound. Several of our group actually squeezed down into this tunnel and came up through another opening.

The drive back into town was also very long and we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch. After that there were choices. One choice was to carry on to the History Museum and then to the hotel. Another choice was to continue on from the History Museum to the War Remnant Museum and then find your own way back. And the third option, which we took, was to be let off at the hotel to rest until the evening activities. Those going to the museums said they were interesting, but of course history was presented from the viewpoint of the Vietnamese

Our Optional Tour for the evening was three fold. First we attended a Water Puppet show where all of the controls for the large puppets were below water and their action took place on the surface. It was unique to Vietnam. The seventeen scenes were done with action and humor. The show only took 45 minutes.

Next we took Cyclo-Rickshaw rides through the downtown area, one person per carriage. My driver spoke some English and pointed out important sights. By this time it was completely dark and we were out in traffic with all the "Hondas" and some cars. I felt a little vulnerable, yet totally at ease. There were so many things to see. All the Tet Celebration lights were on in the park, along the streets and overhead.

The end of the ride was our third event, dinner. We were at the Culinary School where we were given a cooking lesson; how to make ginger garlic chicken. Several in our group tried their skills at chopping shallots, ginger and garlic using up to four knives at a time. We then sat in small groups and followed directions for adding the rest of the marinade ingredients. The chefs then finished cooking and serving the rest of the meal, which was delicious. We said goodbye, made our way to the bus and were back at the hotel by about 8:30.

Tomorrow we leave by bus for the long drive west to Chau Doc, a small border town on the Mekong River across from Cambodia.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Saigon, Vietnam - 1

Vietnam, Day 1, January 24, 2014

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Saigon)

This morning we didn't have to have our bags out until 8:45. Then we headed for the Vientiane, Laos airport for our flights to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. We had a short stop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and then another short flight. Unfortunately, I still had trouble getting my ears to clear during and after flights.

Vit, our OAT guide, is with us all the way, and at the HCM City airport we were met by the local guide, Harry. Vit calls him Mr. Communist, all in good jest. The pace of life in Saigon (easier to type) was much faster than the beginning of our trip. We learned very quickly that this city of 10 million people has 5.7 million "Hondas."  Since Honda was the first make to be imported, they call all motorbikes Hondas. It was like our use of the word Kleenex for all brands of tissue or Xerox for all copy machines. These motorbikes were used for three main purposes; family transportation (they were not supposed to carry more than three people, but they do), they were used in place of a pick up truck for transport and delivery of all kinds of things, and they were used as taxis to take people around. Helmets were required for adults but not for little kids!!  

Traffic was so slow getting into town that Harry gave up on our visit to the History Museum. Instead we stopped by the Notre Dame Cathedral and the big central Post Office. We then walked to the Opera House, which was next to the Hotel Continental Saigon. It was the location of the film "The Quiet American." The film depicted life in Vietnam in the 1950s, based on the writings of the journalist named Reed. The 2000 version of the film has some high-powered actors in it, I'm told.

They were getting ready for the Tet Celebration, or Lunar New Year. It started Jan. 31 this year and lasted 10 days. The large parks in the city were all being decorated with flowers and banners, etc. Too bad we left before it starts, but it was great to see the colorful decorations.

Eventually we got to our hotel, the Asia Ruby 3 Hotel. As most small hotels it has a short footprint along the street. There are nine floors, plus a mezzanine where we have meals. There were six small rooms per floor. The rooms were lightly furnished but clean. We were able to adjust the temperature by turning off or up the air conditioner. Dinner was at the hotel.  After dinner some went over to the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel. This was where the journalists hung out and got their briefings during the "American War," as they refer to the Vietnam War. Paul and I headed to bed, and understood we missed a good time.

Tomorrow is a visit to the Viet Cong Tunnels and other places.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Vientiane, Laos - 2

Laos, Day 5, Vientiane, January 23, 2014

Vientiane, Laos

Today we toured Vientiane, the capital of Laos. I'm feeling better and had most of my voice back, but the cough lingers and is annoying. The weather is warmer and sunny and we were all beginning to thaw a bit. The first stop was at a temple complex, Wat Pra That Luang, which had many centuries-old buildings. Then we visited the Victory Gate, which was built between 1957 and 1968. It was dedicated to those who fought for Laotian independence from the French. With the picturesque gate in the background we had our group picture taken.

There were two more temple visits but the most interesting was probably Wat Si Sa Ket, which included a monastery. At the end one of the young monks came to visit with us and answer our questions. Their life is full of education, contemplation, and studying the life and teachings of Buddha. In other words, it seemed kind of boring and very spartan by our standards. He showed us how monks put on the robe they wear, which turned out to be much more complex than you would imagine.  

Lunch was with the group. Then some went to the rehabilitation center for those injured by bombs during the war or since the war. Thirty percent of all the bombs we dropped in the area did not explode and people are still being hurt and killed by them. On the walk back to the hotel Paul tripped on one of the many hazards along the street and fell. He came back very dirty and with a bunged up knee. We put ice on it and he was able to carry on. This is unusual since I am traditionally the klutzy one in our family.

After some rest we went out to dinner and topped it off with some Swenson's ice cream. We don't have them in Oregon but I was told to look for it here (thanks Jan). It was very delicious.

We went to bed earlier in hopes of a good night sleep.

The next day we flew to Ho Chi Minh City, otherwise known as Saigon, Vietnam.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul

SE Asia - Vientiane, Laos - 1

Laos, Day 4, Luang Prabang to Vientiane, January 22, 2014

Vientiane, Laos

My day started about 4:00 when I woke up coughing. My cold is progressing normally. After breakfast we packed to leave the hotel. This time we put all our stuff on the bus, and then took the Tuk Tuks to the Palace Museum. Since I couldn't take my camera in and would have to leave it in a locker, I decided not to go in. The sun was out so Erika and I just sat on the steps to get warm. It felt so good. Paul and others reported that the rooms were spartanly furnished.

There were a number of monks in the area and they seemed to be tourists like us, carrying around cameras and taking pictures.

Before heading to the airport we stopped at a different JoMa Bakery for lunch. This time I ordered a BLT and it was very good. At the airport we found things a bit laid back and the check in process went very slowly. We finally learned that the computer system had crashed and the clerks were confirming and write out every ticket. We had switched to what had originally looked like a faster moving line, then we ended being about the last through. No one seemed concerned that the flight was now going to be an hour late leaving. There was still more waiting at the gate before boarding for the 30 minute flight. They said no electronics, not even my headphones because we never got above 10,000 ft. My ears did not clear going up or coming down and I was just thankful I wasn't in pain.

Our Laosian guide, Ken, went with us doing both cities. We checked in at the Sabaidee Hotel. The word means Hello and is used all the time. We only had a short time before going on an orientation walk. This took us over to the Mekong River, which at this point is the border between Laos and Thailand. We walked a long ways along the sea wall and through the night market, with nothing of interest to me, and then back to the hotel. By then I was totally pooped out and decided to skip dinner and go to bed. I had been asleep for an hour when I heard a knock at the door. I thought it was Paul wanting in, but instead it was a waiter bringing me a big bowl of soup. That was compliments of our guide, and it really hit the spot. I even liked the tofu in it.

Tomorrow we tour the city and have some free time.

That's it for now. Grace and Paul