Saturday, 10 March 2012
Day 67 The First of the Angkor Temples
A sociable 9am departure in the tuk tuk today firstly to get our photo ID tickets then a half hour drive out to Banteay Srei a fairly small temple and I was a little disappointed at first but the carvings were really impressive. We then hit the landmine museum just a small set up by a country hero. It has some pretty horrific stories, plenty of display mines and bombs including the lizard chilling on the mine in the picture. The museum also houses some child victims of land mines. The main focus is to provide funding to continue clearing mines from towns & villages here. The last temple for today was Banteay Samre a pretty sweet temple & really well intact.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Day 66 Siem Reap
Lazy start lead to a school boy error going out walking the town in the hottest part of the day.
We did do a bit of a loop through the town checked out some shops, bought a book on the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia.
This evening we bought some Cambodia pants(like a dress but with elastic round the ankles) for Rachel and a light shirt for me total US$11 at the night market.
Booked a room with fan only for tonight & tomorrow, the room is a more than a tad on the warm side but good training for latter destinations.
We did do a bit of a loop through the town checked out some shops, bought a book on the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia.
This evening we bought some Cambodia pants(like a dress but with elastic round the ankles) for Rachel and a light shirt for me total US$11 at the night market.
Booked a room with fan only for tonight & tomorrow, the room is a more than a tad on the warm side but good training for latter destinations.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Day 65 Arriving Cambodia!
Up at 4am because we planned to walk to the bus but 100mts down the road we spotted a taxi & it was the safe company a non ripoff brand. After waking the driver, I noticed it was the same guy we thought we had failed to communicate a booking with yesterday(bit of a long story that) he got us there for 28,000VD (€1.00) a fraction of the 150,000VD the hostel quoted.
Border crossing was simple our bus driver rushed us through we had less hassle than the bus load of tourists who all stood with their luggage watching in the heat. It cost us $25US an extra $5US each and we had read about drivers pocketing this.
We had thought about just getting on another bus when we arrived in Phnom Pehn but it depended on when we got there and what buses were available to go where. Just before 1pm we got off the bus in Phnom Penh and got a tuk tuk to another bus company who sold us a ticket to Siam Reap at 2:30pm. We had time to get cash, have a quick lunch and book accommodation before getting on the bus again. The A/C was woeful in this bus and we cooked for a few hours till the sun went down. We got to Siam Reap at 9:30pm and instantly it was obvious its a tourist hotspot bars/restaurants with bright lights lining the streets but we got a good vibe from the place and quite liked it so far.
The bonus or reasoning behind getting on the second bus is that it saves time we need to get out this side of the country and once the temples are done transport is all from Phnom Penh to the other destinations here. We will spend a month in Cambodia then fly to Kuala Lumpur for a few days then on to Borneo.
A couple of pictures from the bus only today, one of the green rice fields on the Vietnam/Cambodia border and the other is of a sugar cane drink stall these are everywhere all exactly the same build too. They feed the cane through rollers to crush the juice out. All very high tech compared with the plain sticks of cane I had in China which I had to chomp the juice out myself then spit the cane out!
Border crossing was simple our bus driver rushed us through we had less hassle than the bus load of tourists who all stood with their luggage watching in the heat. It cost us $25US an extra $5US each and we had read about drivers pocketing this.
We had thought about just getting on another bus when we arrived in Phnom Pehn but it depended on when we got there and what buses were available to go where. Just before 1pm we got off the bus in Phnom Penh and got a tuk tuk to another bus company who sold us a ticket to Siam Reap at 2:30pm. We had time to get cash, have a quick lunch and book accommodation before getting on the bus again. The A/C was woeful in this bus and we cooked for a few hours till the sun went down. We got to Siam Reap at 9:30pm and instantly it was obvious its a tourist hotspot bars/restaurants with bright lights lining the streets but we got a good vibe from the place and quite liked it so far.
The bonus or reasoning behind getting on the second bus is that it saves time we need to get out this side of the country and once the temples are done transport is all from Phnom Penh to the other destinations here. We will spend a month in Cambodia then fly to Kuala Lumpur for a few days then on to Borneo.
A couple of pictures from the bus only today, one of the green rice fields on the Vietnam/Cambodia border and the other is of a sugar cane drink stall these are everywhere all exactly the same build too. They feed the cane through rollers to crush the juice out. All very high tech compared with the plain sticks of cane I had in China which I had to chomp the juice out myself then spit the cane out!
Day 64 Last Day In Vietnam
Faced with a currency issue we toured the towns banks for any who could exchange Vietnamese Dong for US dollars. At the border crossing to Cambodia they only accept dollars for payment of the visa. It was a number of declines at banks till one advised it was illegal to give out dollars. We did manage to score enough from our hostel though, it was a case of give us the money and 10minutes we can get it, not too dissimilar from any other dodgy deal!
Our hostel owners were obviously disappointed we didn't book the bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia through them(rather the tourist office) & tried to stitch us up with a motorbike or taxi to the bus station for 3 times the going rate. So a little unsure where the station was & thinking it would be cool enough to walk since it leaves at 5:30am we checked it on foot this evening it was walk-able. Unfortunately the big central market we went out that way for too was pretty well finished for the day.
Picture today is of our little restaurant MeKong we ate every meal in here. We looked at plenty of other menus but this place had the key to popularity, cheap drinks & decent cheap food.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Day 63 Floating Markets
Up out & in the boat motoring to our first floating market at 5:30am this morning, for a holiday we've seen a few sunrises and this one was pretty sweet, a few clouds kept it a bit cooler maybe 34deg than the previous couple of days making it really comfortable. Our trip was about 8 hours in a small boat to ourselves costing US$40 we got to the first market around 6:30 where there were maybe 40 boats selling various fresh fruit and vegetables. Most the boats sold just one item and had a sample hoisted high on a piece of bamboo to show what was for sale. We then spent a couple of hours in smaller waterways and we got off to walk a short piece to check out a rice field(seen them as just water and fully grown now) loads of fruit trees and the locals of the area were friendly.
Our driver/tour guide made an amazing origami rose, bracelets and wedding rings for us from a riverside plant she just lopped some leaves off and this was while she was steering the little ride-on mower engine.
The second floating market was smaller boats similar to our size but was a bit nicer we could see more trading and as we floated about a little boy on one of the boats was being urged by his mother to say hello to us, he did and he was pretty cute so our driver game him a chocolate muffin we had offered her earlier for the rose.
On the way back we stopped at a home stay for a bit of lunch which we had read can be horrendously priced food but it was good our large plate of spring rolls for 40,000VD was better value than in town.
We had been told as part of the trip we would see how rice noodles were made and travel though mangroves neither of which we did but our driver (Muy?) gave us a great trip so we were happy.
After a siesta we hit the same restaurant as yesterday on the water front and found the same group of age challenged american men there enjoying the cheap beer.
Our driver/tour guide made an amazing origami rose, bracelets and wedding rings for us from a riverside plant she just lopped some leaves off and this was while she was steering the little ride-on mower engine.
The second floating market was smaller boats similar to our size but was a bit nicer we could see more trading and as we floated about a little boy on one of the boats was being urged by his mother to say hello to us, he did and he was pretty cute so our driver game him a chocolate muffin we had offered her earlier for the rose.
On the way back we stopped at a home stay for a bit of lunch which we had read can be horrendously priced food but it was good our large plate of spring rolls for 40,000VD was better value than in town.
We had been told as part of the trip we would see how rice noodles were made and travel though mangroves neither of which we did but our driver (Muy?) gave us a great trip so we were happy.
After a siesta we hit the same restaurant as yesterday on the water front and found the same group of age challenged american men there enjoying the cheap beer.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Day 62 Can Tho
In most cases we say the small minority they spoil it for the rest of us and if you take it by population vs those involved in the tourism industry here its probably still quite correct. Bargaining has I think a fun aspect and I generally enjoy it where it comes to a fair price representing a good deal for both sides, it wasn't done in China but then in China you buy a banana and you pay the going rate the locals pay no questions asked(they nab ya with the entrance fees but different story) here in Vietnam and I suspect for the remainder of our touring countries its going to be hard work determining the genuine offer/info from the majority of the industry/street folk who want nothing but your money and ripping you off is highest on the agenda.
We booked a local bus to Can Tho with a tour agency because we had read it was cheaper than getting a taxi to the bus station & back and we arrived at the agency this morning for our transfer to the bus station (included) the woman spoke reasonable English and she did say this is your taxi to the bus station. Actually that was our 10minute taxi to the bus companies office where we could have purchased the ticket much cheaper and they put us on their local bus to the bus station where we took a packed ford transit to Can Tho. Your suspicions that its dam warm are confirmed when the locals start stripping down in the bus, although the a/c did eventually help a bit.
In Can Tho a small mob of taxi drivers raced for our van as we stopped, we had checked the distance on the map and thought a 2km walk was within our limited range given heavy bags & the heat. The first guy I said no thanks we are walking to said this was new bus station its 7km from town. Then another said the same, completely unconvinced we did find a western guy who had just come from town paying 45,000VD clearly not a 7km trip but he did suggest we take one anyway, as we did with one of two companies who have a decent reputation for using the meter(which isn't tampered with).
With that little rant out of the way we had a few nice surprises this afternoon, the place we checked into was US$8 per night per room not per person awesome! The tour we booked with the hostel for the floating markets tomorrow was half the price offered in town for a shorter trip!(but we will see how this turns out tomorrow) We said hello & chatted with kids that genuinely just wanted to say hi not sell something! And the local beer for 9,000VD Euro0.32cent is pretty good!
Pictures today are of the geckos on the wall in the restaurant, the river front street and the river, we are in the delta.
We booked a local bus to Can Tho with a tour agency because we had read it was cheaper than getting a taxi to the bus station & back and we arrived at the agency this morning for our transfer to the bus station (included) the woman spoke reasonable English and she did say this is your taxi to the bus station. Actually that was our 10minute taxi to the bus companies office where we could have purchased the ticket much cheaper and they put us on their local bus to the bus station where we took a packed ford transit to Can Tho. Your suspicions that its dam warm are confirmed when the locals start stripping down in the bus, although the a/c did eventually help a bit.
In Can Tho a small mob of taxi drivers raced for our van as we stopped, we had checked the distance on the map and thought a 2km walk was within our limited range given heavy bags & the heat. The first guy I said no thanks we are walking to said this was new bus station its 7km from town. Then another said the same, completely unconvinced we did find a western guy who had just come from town paying 45,000VD clearly not a 7km trip but he did suggest we take one anyway, as we did with one of two companies who have a decent reputation for using the meter(which isn't tampered with).
With that little rant out of the way we had a few nice surprises this afternoon, the place we checked into was US$8 per night per room not per person awesome! The tour we booked with the hostel for the floating markets tomorrow was half the price offered in town for a shorter trip!(but we will see how this turns out tomorrow) We said hello & chatted with kids that genuinely just wanted to say hi not sell something! And the local beer for 9,000VD Euro0.32cent is pretty good!
Pictures today are of the geckos on the wall in the restaurant, the river front street and the river, we are in the delta.
Friday, 2 March 2012
Day 61 Ho Chi Minh City
After a lazy morning we had a pretty heavy afternoon firstly touring the Reunification Palace a 60's building with many meeting rooms, presidential quarters and a basement bomb shelter with war rooms, command centres and plenty of old communication gear.
Then we hit the war remnants museum a pretty intense story showing the effects the war had. It is clearly one side of the story but the effects of agent orange will last for many generations. The photos showing birth defects and conditions people are now suffering in latter life are terrible.
The top floor had an exhibition of photos from journalists covering the war with some amazing pictures.
The central floor covered the story, the brutality, massacres of civilians, details of agent orange and showed some of the guns, mines and rocket launchers used.
The ground floor showed propaganda posters promoting an end to the war along with pictures of protest marches carried out in many countries around the world including NZ who did send a limited number of troops and also supplied some of the agent orange to the US.
Outside were tanks, helicopters, planes and boats used by the US along with a section on the jails used and pictures of survivors who had undergone various types of torture.
Rachel enjoyed a piece of chocolate cake & tea this evening from a great bakery near our hotel it was quality & quantity not seen since home.
Then we hit the war remnants museum a pretty intense story showing the effects the war had. It is clearly one side of the story but the effects of agent orange will last for many generations. The photos showing birth defects and conditions people are now suffering in latter life are terrible.
The top floor had an exhibition of photos from journalists covering the war with some amazing pictures.
The central floor covered the story, the brutality, massacres of civilians, details of agent orange and showed some of the guns, mines and rocket launchers used.
The ground floor showed propaganda posters promoting an end to the war along with pictures of protest marches carried out in many countries around the world including NZ who did send a limited number of troops and also supplied some of the agent orange to the US.
Outside were tanks, helicopters, planes and boats used by the US along with a section on the jails used and pictures of survivors who had undergone various types of torture.
Rachel enjoyed a piece of chocolate cake & tea this evening from a great bakery near our hotel it was quality & quantity not seen since home.
Day 60 Cu Chi Tunnels
Today we took a tour to the Cu Chi tunnels it was super cheap €3 for the 2hour bus there & back with a guide and the entrance fee was the same. The trip there stopped at a shop where victims of agent orange were making hand crafts for sale.
The tunnels were great to see and our guide dropped the occasional joke, I think his favourite was regarding Americans, their hamburgers and the small tunnels designed not big enough for them. It was interesting to hear how clever they were with digging and designing them. They had multiple levels to escape if a level was invaded, wells for water because the rivers were poisoned, vent holes that looked like termite mounds and smoke plenum to hold smoke from cooking.
A couple of other interesting bits of the area were creators where bombs had fallen, examples of many of the traps the Vietnamese used and the forest covering the site of these preserved tunnels is young forest because the original forest was destroyed.
Back in Ho Chi Minh city Rachel & I got Nam haircuts, Rachels a little less of a dramatic change than mine. Great to have short hair in the heat though and in the mid to late 30's its fairly warm, the daily routine of layering up before going out has been replaced with sunscreen application.
The tunnels were great to see and our guide dropped the occasional joke, I think his favourite was regarding Americans, their hamburgers and the small tunnels designed not big enough for them. It was interesting to hear how clever they were with digging and designing them. They had multiple levels to escape if a level was invaded, wells for water because the rivers were poisoned, vent holes that looked like termite mounds and smoke plenum to hold smoke from cooking.
A couple of other interesting bits of the area were creators where bombs had fallen, examples of many of the traps the Vietnamese used and the forest covering the site of these preserved tunnels is young forest because the original forest was destroyed.
Back in Ho Chi Minh city Rachel & I got Nam haircuts, Rachels a little less of a dramatic change than mine. Great to have short hair in the heat though and in the mid to late 30's its fairly warm, the daily routine of layering up before going out has been replaced with sunscreen application.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Day 59 Ho Chi Minh City
A great bargain of a place we are staying in here US$8 per night a private room with all the mod cons including a big fridge to house our drinks for the first day of really warm weather and plenty of hostels are charging 8 or 9 for a dorm room in this area.
As mentioned, its warm 36deg today was a bit of a shock from the 16odd it was in Hanoi the last couple of days, I think its great I've been waiting for the sunshine it makes for more of a holiday feeling.
We checked out the city today, there is a touristy/backpacker area with streets of bars/restaurants and tour booking offices probably outnumbering both.
The motorbikes are pretty intense in Hanoi but Ho Chi Minh is a class above and crossing the road is a major undertaking within minutes of leaving our room we were trying to cross a busy road and a woman crossing from the opposite side was clipped by a bike luckily not badly and she kept on her feet.
If clothes shopping is your thing your well catered for here most the markets are clothes with many offering made to fit options. I brought some light long pants which I will need to try exchange for a larger pair if the woman is still there next time we pass.(see pic of Ben Thanh central market building.)
Rachel sampled the local Pho (noodle soup) today which is generally great value for money and available at almost any restaurant in some form.
The other picture is of the Opera building.
As mentioned, its warm 36deg today was a bit of a shock from the 16odd it was in Hanoi the last couple of days, I think its great I've been waiting for the sunshine it makes for more of a holiday feeling.
We checked out the city today, there is a touristy/backpacker area with streets of bars/restaurants and tour booking offices probably outnumbering both.
The motorbikes are pretty intense in Hanoi but Ho Chi Minh is a class above and crossing the road is a major undertaking within minutes of leaving our room we were trying to cross a busy road and a woman crossing from the opposite side was clipped by a bike luckily not badly and she kept on her feet.
If clothes shopping is your thing your well catered for here most the markets are clothes with many offering made to fit options. I brought some light long pants which I will need to try exchange for a larger pair if the woman is still there next time we pass.(see pic of Ben Thanh central market building.)
Rachel sampled the local Pho (noodle soup) today which is generally great value for money and available at almost any restaurant in some form.
The other picture is of the Opera building.
Day 58 Halong Bay & Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
We had breakfast at 7:30am while cruising to the 'Suprising Cave' which we
toured and it was suprisingly big with a couple of 'looks like' items pointed out
formed by the stalictites, the monkey, the 'finger', the couple kissing and the
turtle.
Back on board it was time to start the 3hour cruise back to the dock but
not before rafting up with another boat the same size to tow home since its
engine was broken. We were served lunch before disembarking.
On the bus back to Hanoi we saw a car run straight into a bike, the first accident we'd seen on our trip
although we've definately past 10's of minor minor crashes soon after the
event. Fortunately the bike rider seemed to get up after the car threw him into the air and then landing on the road but we saw little more than
that since our bus driver just kept going. A bit weird since it was our bus
that prevented the bike from crossing the road completely and nothing was said
following.
The bus trip there & back had a pitstop half way where it was
compulsary to exit the bus walk through the shop and collect the bus again on
the other side after 25mins.
Back in Hanoi we had just enough time to grab some dinner before our taxi took us to the airport for a nice flight in a new plane with Vietnam Airlines to Saigon, we even got drinks & snacks served on the 1hour 40min flight.
Back in Hanoi we had just enough time to grab some dinner before our taxi took us to the airport for a nice flight in a new plane with Vietnam Airlines to Saigon, we even got drinks & snacks served on the 1hour 40min flight.
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