Chilling out on the Beach

This is the place to be at New Year, well, the day after! Lovely beach, cool sea and enough bars to use a different one every day for some time. Actually its surreal. We've been sitting at a beach bar in the cool of the evening, drinking beer and enjoying barbequed tuna, with a crescent moon peering through clouds; magic!

Mixed with multi-national tourists are Cambodian families on holiday and local people just enjoying themselves; and then there are disabled men lacking hands or feet, victims of mines, who move around the tables seeking alms. (That awful pun was unintentional; really!) The children trying to sell bracelets and young women wanting to give a pedicure don't give up either. So paradise it ain't! In spite of that, we meet Europeans who say they've lived here for a couple of years or more. (Usually youmg men working in bars.)

So tomorrow, we'll brave the sun again on a boat trip to local islands. Rich is now well protected with sunscreen long trousers and long sleeved shirt.

Tell you more tomorrow... I'm getting bitten!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can't believe it's New Year already and Xmas didn't make much impression! Don't know whether we got heatstroke on the boat but we're both exhausted and just want to sleep. Rich is worse as his legs are really burned, so he lathers them in Aloe Vera and stays out of the sun. I've left him in bed while I'm at a local Cafe with WiFi.  

As we've seen Ankhor Wat and there's not much else to do here, although its a nice little town, we'll be returning to Phnom Pen tomorrow and possibly take a quick trip to the coast where Rich has a friend who's opened a circus school there. Rich says the south coast is beautiful and it would be great to relax by the sea, even briefly. 

Anyway, we must be back in Phnom Pen by Monday to fly to Singapore for our connections to Perth. We're so looking forward to seeing Damian and family for the first time since they emigrated. It will take two days and Rich and I have different flights so we will be exhausted by the time we get there!

So I send my love and wish everyone a very happy, healthy and successful New Year xxxxxxxxx

At last; Ankhor Wat

  

Tuesday 30th Dec. 2008  

It's been all go since I left Viet Nam, but so good to be travelling with my son Richard. If I'd been alone in Phnom Pen I don't think I'd have visited the Killing Fields, so I'm glad he was with me for this horrifyingly moving experience. The monument at the site contains at least 20,000 skulls, a fraction of the people who were butchered there, not to mention the many thousands or millions who died at the hands of the Khymer Rouge all over the country. A quarter of the population died in the 3+ years they were in power! This country is still recovering. Cambodia or Kampuchea is quite different from Viet Nam; there are so many beggars, children and victims of land mines here that a tourist has to be selective in giving money. Sometimes it's enough to give a child a bottle of water just purchased. Desperate! 

After a couple of days we booked tickets for a boat trip up river to Siem Reap, the entrance to Ankhor Wat, so at 6.30 on Monday morning we were at the quay with a bag of bananas, bread and bottle of water to sustain us.  I soon began to understand what I'd read online; one traveller's advice was to not travel inside as it's too stuffy, but to find a place on deck and chain one's bag to the rail.  OK, I thought, I'm sure that's good advice, but it wasn't until we boarded the long, narrow boat that we thought was to ferry us to a bigger boat, that we realised how a large cumbersome river boat would be far too slow for the journey of 60 Kilometres. 

We were among the first onboard, so chose our place in the bow and tried to get comfortable on the deck; with no seats we made use of our bags and a blanket but it was quite uncomfortable and my legs began to cramp after a while. Starting at 7.30am, the 60 Km river journey took just 6 hours so we were exposed to the midday sun as we crossed the huge Lake, where the shores just disappear. Unfortunately, coming from cold northern climes, Rich forgot about the strength of the sun and got his legs and face badly burned. I was luckier, having long trousers, long sleeved jacket and my sunhat firmly tied in place with a scarf, but my unprotected feet and lower legs are now the colour of boiled lobster and my lower lip is swollen!  (Like a idiot, I've left my sun protection in my case at the hotel!)

We were met at the Quay by a friend of the Tuk-tuk driver we used in Phnom Pen, (you can't avoid using them unless you hire a bicycle, which some tourists do,) to bring us to a hotel, which is clean and not too expensive.  When I say Quay, please imagine a rough earth causeway (must be horrendously slippery in the rain) rising up from the lakeside, crowded with Drivers holding placards with the names of the Tourists they are to meet. I'm glad we had no illusions of finding our own way into town as it was quite some way.  

It really is necessary to make friends with those who provide a good service in guiding and advising and the ones we've met seem to be honest and reliable. They are educated and speak pretty good English, but they can't earn enough as Teachers to keep a family, so they invest in this carriage attached to a motorbike to earn substantially more from Tourists. 

Later we had a wonderful meal of Khymer cuisine and explored the market where we were persuaded to have a 'fish massage', which was great fun and really cleaned my poor old feet! 

I'd heard about the sunrise at Ankhor Wat, so determined to get the whole experience, this morning we were up at 4.30 for a 5am pickup by 'our' Tuk-tuk driver. We joined an unending procession of Tuk-tuks, buses and cars for about 15 Km's along a less than perfect road to reach the site. There, we bought one-day tickets and proceeded to follow the crowds, stumbling along a causeway across the huge moat that encircles the site, (the only entrance) in the semi-darkness.  If this is meant to be a profound experience it is diluted by the the hordes of Tourists waiting for the moment when 'the dawn comes up like thunder' to quote the words of an old song; 'The Road to Mandalay', that came to mind and seemed appropriate.  However, this morning the crowds waited in vain for an apocalyptic vision as it was more of a damp squib; dull and overcast, raining briefly while we took cover under the dripping umbrellas of the many waiting food stalls anxious to serve us breakfast. 

The fare to Ankhor Wat was $15 and our driver waited patiently for us to return. Unfortunately for him, we couldn't face any more sightseeing and just wanted to return to our beds.  We're probably suffering from mild heat stroke and Richard is still affected by jet-lag as he was travelling for 2 days without any proper sleep.  So after a couple of hours, I'm up again and at this Restaurant called 'The Dead Fish' that houses a few crocodiles that they don't want to eat and can't loose into the river. It's the only place I've found that has FREE WiFi with good coffee. I'm enjoying the good choice of music too! 

I'll post a few pictures of the journey. One shows me with the troupe of Shadow Dancers that recreate the traditional forms of theatre in Phnom Pen and also abroad.  A couple of pics from the boat trip and you'll see from our faces how much we enjoyed the 'Fishage'. Then Dawn at Ankhor Wat and our Tuk-tuk driver.  

That's it for now folks!!!

 

Bien Hoa to Phnom Pen

Saturday 27th Dec

Happy Birthday to Georgie... 10 today!  Have a lovely day!

This is an update to yesterday's blog with pics of Co Mai's Goodbye lunch, Mark choosing a new PC with the help of Nick and Mr Ha, Michael with Sophia's Dad, Nick and Mark with Sophia singing Karaoke, me in my new suit; (a gift from Brad and Jojo), outside the very posh Majestic in Saigon, crossing the mighty Mekong and finally, breakfast with Rich in Phnom Pen!

Friday 26th Dec

I've not had time to blog since Sunday because of adding pics to the previous ones. This all takes time and there was so much else to do preparing for the rest of my journey; booking hotels last minute at Xmas was a bit fraught; one in Saigon last night for me and Mark and another in Phnom Pen for me and Rich when he gets here. I left Bien Hoa early on Xmas Day by train with Mark who had things to do in town.  

I was so tired after a night at Sophia's (see Michael's blog: My Time in Vietnam.) We were all invited to stay in her family's fantastic new house with all mod cons after the party and that meant Mark could get back to his own bed and get a good night's sleep.  Since I returned from my trip he'd given his bed to me, (new teacher Nick had moved into my room) and had to stay at a local hotel after evening classes. So as lovely and comfortable as my room was, the noise from various Xmas parties (they do like things loud here!) permeated the double glazing, earplugs and scarf that I donned and sleep was fitful. Even after the loud music stopped I heard singing coming from the Karaoke room (yes, they have one room dedicated to that function.)  I could hear Michael's plaintive; "Is it me you're looking for?"  We had an emotional farewell; I'll miss that crazy Louisiana man. We shared the experience of being new teachers and finding our way around on his bike; he's only just learned to ride! Michael, you come and visit me at home anytime, OK? 

So I slept for a couple of hours while Mark went to meet little Michael who helps him buy DVD's at a good price. Then I had to get my bus ticket from the Meilinh Office, (the best bus operators around) which just happened to be close to the hotel, so I didn't have far to go the next morning, that is today, to get the bus. 

So here I am in Phnom Pen, in a cafe with Wifi, and I must contact Rich if I can as he should now be in Singapore, waiting for his flight here tomorrow! I'll be at the Airport to meet him at 7.30  in the morning.

That's all for now folks!

Only 23 Hours to Bien Hoa

Monday 22nd Dec

Back in Bien Hoa after my longest train journey without a sleeper. Starting at 9.15 on Saturday morning and arriving at 8.15 yesterday, I survived the discomfort and actually managed to sleep. That's  a glimpse of the coast as the train crawled around precipitous cliffs south of Hue and the following morning. 

Travelling by rail brings to mind other famous and infamous train journeys; Murder on the Orient Express and The Lady Vanishes, Doctor Zhivazgo and Lara fleeing from the revolution on the Trans-Siberian Railway, Hobos crisscrossing America in goods wagons and Jews horrifically  crammed into cattle trucks.  Then my own childhood memories of leaving bomb-blasted Manchester for the country and more recently, crossing The States in style with my own sleeper. For me, there's just something fascinating about Railway journeys. 

So yesterday I was busy all day downloading and sorting pictures and catching up with emails. Now I'm finalising plans for the next leg of my travels, meeting Richard in Phnom Penh and I must book a Hotel where we can meet, before he flies from Heathrow on Xmas Day! 

Hue, Ancient Capital of VN

         

Thursday 18th Dec

This is as far north as I can go at this time. Leaving Hoi An this morning my bus followed the coast north to Da Nang. The only sight I had of the famous China Beach was a brief glimpse of grey water and sand dunes. However, after Da Nang, a busy city, we did stop for a break at a very nice, very modern upmarket Hotel with golden sands and inviting surf. At least it would be if the sun was shining, but then it rained for a while.

I said goodbye to Fiona and Maria last night after a memorable meal at the Cafe des Amis on the Hoi An waterfront, where the menu is different each day. The only choice you have is meat, fish or veg so we said we'd have all three to share. We didn't know quite what to expect and after being presented with a 'white rose' noodle dish (asian ravioli) as a starter, each course included a meat, a fish and a vegetable dish. Two or three courses later, (I lost count) there was far more than we could consume, especially as we'd started out with a large beer each. The food was superb, cooked by a man who was once the taster for an American General. Quite a local character. However, it was expensive, at least 5 pounds each (including beer) so I'm glad we hadn't found it earlier or we'd each have a lot more weight and far less cash!

The cafe has a very French flavour and played intriguing music by a Georges Brassens, singing to a guitar, who's memorabilia adorned the walls. I must look him up. Actually, Fiona read about it in the Lonely Planet I think, so it's well known. I was sorry to part company with the girls; they're great fun and it was a bit like having my daughters around. So we'll be keeping in touch. I've also had a lovely email from Uncle Wing in reply to mine, thanking him for such a good trip. What a lovely man.

Here on the Tourist track, a westerner only excites the prospect of money, so I've stopped waving to everyone! I was beginning to feel like the Queen, as adults and children alike would shout 'Hello' as soon as they spotted me.

I've checked into this Hotel for the only reason that as soon as our bus let us off, some of the passengers (the ones like me that didn't have a hotel bus waiting for them) were escorted to a minibus that brought us here. It's clean and reasonable; just $10 a night, which is the usual cheap rate. And not only that; it has a real bath, so as soon as I've finished this I'll be in there for a soak!

If the sun shines tomorrow I'll go on a tour of the sights, maybe by boat. If it rains, I'll probably do it anyway or go by bus. Anyway, it means being up bright and early and now I'm feeling very tired! So Goodnight....

Update... Pictures of the Dragon Boat that took us along the Perfume River to see Tombs of Emperors and Buddhist Pagodas. Also the Citadel that was once the vast Imperial Palace but destroyed to a large extent in the war. 

Like summer at home

    
  
    

Wednesday 17th Dec

The weather is really disappointing here; just like a regular damp summer at home! Still, it's not too hot and not too cold, so that's something. The light has a strange quality, rather like looking through a dirty filter. After breakfast with the girls we'd planned to take a motorbike ride to the beach, which I've heard is the best in VN. I went back to my hotel to don swimming things just in case I was tempted into the sea, but now it's raining again, so there's nothing to do but sit in a cafe or surf the net.

Hoi An is renowned for making quality clothes at high speed, (above: that's just one of the many tailoring shops) so the girls ordered smart business suits and shirts to take home. However, in the picture Maria isn't too happy with those trousers, so they made her another pair to go with her skirt and jacket the evening before they were due to leave! 

I've been having trouble with my camera and the new 2 Gb memory stick says it's full, even though I've deleted everything after downloading to my portable hard drive, which is brilliant! So now it's at a local Photography shop being reformatted. Hope it works! There's always someone who can fix things, but I don't know if it's just VN; if anything can go wrong with technical stuff, it does!

Tomorrow I take the bus to Hue, which was the ancient capital of VN, then after a day and a half of sightseeing I'll be on the train back to Bien Hoa. I've managed to book a seat but not a sleeper and it takes 20 hours, arriving on Sunday morning. These are not fast trains, but have to be better than the bus! I'd downloaded information from the Railway website, which must be a year out of date. Some trains no longer run and other trains run in their place. At the Travel Agents Office I was first told that no trains go to Bien Hoa as their is no train station there and if I hadn't known betterI'd have had to book to Saigon. At my insistence that not only is there a station, but that I've used it to travel to Saigon, lo and behold, they discovered that one train does stop there!

The prices have also increased by 50%, so my soft seat costs the same as the sleeper I'd budgetted for. The global recession is now hitting the tourist industry here and prices seem to be rising everywhere to compensate.

I don't know if I'll get online again before I return to using my own laptop. Love to everyone and thanks for your comments, which let me know I'm not talking to myself!