Entry 20:
The ancient temples of Angkor Wat are the national symbols for the Cambodian people. Everywhere you look, including the flag and the currency, there are images of the temples. We would imagine that 99.9% of all visitors to Cambodia make it to Siem Reap to tour the temples. Needless to say, we were filled with anticipation as we boarded the bus headed to Siem Reap.
When we booked our bus tickets from the agent in Phnom Penh, he asked us for our name, which at first seemed odd as we had not encountered this before. However, he went on to explain there would be a tuk-tuk driver waiting for us with a sign of our name to take us to our accommodation of choice. True to his word, a smiling man with a sign reading 'Sharon Grossman' greeted us upon our arrival. It took us a while to find a decent guesthouse in our price range. Because it was still very hot out, we wanted to make sure we had a working A/C.
One major concern of ours was finding an English-speaking knowledgeable tour guide who could give an excellent description to someone with vision loss. As we would soon learn, it is not possible to book a group tour while you are in Siem Reap. Rather, one has to make arrangements with a local guide whose English may or may not be up to one's standards. We rolled the dice and booked a guide and driver for three days through an agency, not knowing who would show up the next morning.
October is supposed to be the last month of the rainy season. True to form, October 30th was a rain-soaked affair starting at 8:00am and continuing until about 3pm. Good thing we had a rain coat. Before beginning our trip, our driver brought us to the ticket office near the temples. All visitors are required to purchase a photo ID card for the number of days they are planning to visit, or risk a fairly stiff penalty. A three-day pass was $40 per person. We purchased lanyards to hang the passes around our necks. These will remain our most valuable souverneirs.
The first day of temple sightseeing was rather difficult for climbing, as the temples were some of the most ancient ones. Marc decided to skip a couple of them and nap in the tuk-tuk while Sharon ran around getting splashed. Although the first day's temples were not as grand as some others we would later see, it was important to see them to understand the chronological history of the temples. These included the Roluos group - Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean, and Ta Som.
After getting back to town, we walked around to see the different restaurants and shops the town had to offer. After a delicious meal of Cambodian food, we wanted to try out a recommended dessert place that also was supposed to feature a butterfly garden. As it was after dark when we arrived, no butterflies could be seen anywhere. The desserts did not seem so interesting, so we continued walking. Surprisingly, we crossed paths with a mall, which featured Swensen's ice cream. Although it was cheesy, we thought - let's try it! It had been years since either one of us had been to this American chain.
Day two was filled with action, adventure, and was made even better by the absence of rain clouds overhead. Some of the highlights of this day included the distant Banteay Srei, the world famous Angkor Wat, and the climb up to Pre Rup to watch the sunset. We enjoyed a picnic lunch by the moat surrounding Angkor Wat, rather than being herded to one of the overpriced, touristy restaurants across the road.
It seems difficult to explain the experience of being at these temples. Pictures do them some justice, but the impression they leave is quite astounding, especially considering how old they really are. The bas reliefs at Angkor Wat are over 100 meters in length, and 7 or 8 meters tall. They are filled with intricate carvings of what life was like 1000 years ago. Most of these carvings are of warfare, triumph, and ancient Ramayana stories. Even more difficult to understand is the amount of labor, talent, and number of people it took to build these magnificent buildings. The guide explained how workers used elephants, water buffalo, and oxen to transport massive stones from rock quaries more than 15 miles from the temple sites.
Marc heard the stories of the temples from the guide and the physical descriptions from Sharon. In some of the temples, it was possible for him to touch the bas reliefs and intricate stonework, but still difficult to comprehend the scale of the towers.
Upon our return to Siem Reap, we headed straight to the tour agency where we had booked our guide, Thany. We explained that we wanted to switch guides as Thany was not to our liking. He spent all day attempting to avoid crowds and consequently lead us through Angkor Wat in a backward fashion. He entered at the exits and exited at the entrances. He seemed too lazy to climb the mountain and rather sent us on our own while he waited in a chair at the bottom. He tried to get out of taking us to see a sunset because he wanted to get home early. He asked us for money for his food and was altogether not trustworthy. The tour company was gracious enough to listen to our complaints and assured us a new guide would meet us the next morning. We did praise the tuk-tuk driver who was always ready to pick us up and made sure we stayed dry when it rained.
Our third and last day of touring included the magnificent Angkor Thom complex. Our guide Peter was ambitious and knowledgeable, but was a bit difficult to understand. What is unique about this temple is the four sided figure of a face, still largely intact. This is the face of the Buddha of compassion. Following our picnic lunch, we finished the day with a few minor temples and headed back to town. After three days of climbing around, we were tired and due for a foot massage.
There is no doubt that any traveller visiting S.E. Asia must include Siem Reap on their list of places to see. The town itself is filled with great restaurants and cheap foot massage parlors. Alas, it was time to move on.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Phenomenal Phnom Penh
Entry 19:
Checking out of Vietnam after having spent several weeks there, was exciting, as we were off to a new adventure - we were off to see Cambodia. The bus that transported us to the border had an attendant who offered to get our visa for us while we dined in the restaurant for just $5 per person, as we warned us of long lines at the border. We passed on his offer and upon arrival at the Cambodian side we found not a single person waiting in line.
By this point in the trip, we were a bit tired of the "same same" in Vietnam and looked forward to the changes in Cambodia. After leaving the Vietnamese border, which contained a drab old building, we arrived at the Cambodian side, a building of typical architecture for the country with a beautiful roof and decorative exterior. We hoped this would be a sign of things to come.
The bus eventually let us off in Phnom Penh and we were greeted by the usual suspects...guesthouse proprietors and tuk-tuk drivers. We climbed into a tuk-tuk and headed for the guesthouse. While Sharon ran upstairs to see the room, Marc chatted with the driver. Chang let Marc know that he would take us to another guesthouse for the same dollar if we were unpleased with this one. Could be he was trying to sell his services as a tour guide for the next day.
An easy way to unsure you see all the sites is to join a city tour, so that's what we did. We started off at the Tuol Sleng, a former high school that was used as a torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge, headed by Pol Pot. The classrooms at this site were converted into cells, each displaying a picture of the last prisoner held there. An hour long film was shown which spoke about the story of one couple who was killed by the Khmer Rouge.
After being held at Tuol Sleng for some time, prisoners were transported to what has become known as the Killing Fields, an area where they were brutally executed and burried in mass graves. Their skulls are on display in a large "stupa" or tomb.
Other highlights included the Russian Market, the National Museum, and the Royal Palace.
One thing that we would learn is that Cambodian cuisine has a lot in common with Thai cooking. Needless to say, we were very happy to sit down and try our first Cambodian meal. For the next several days, while in Cambodia, we would be treated to a wide range of excellent dishes.
Us poor travellers sometimes need to recharge the batteries. And even if that's not true, it is still nice to get pampered every so often. At $6 per hour, it's not much of a financial hardship. We had read about an organization that trains people with vision loss to be massage therapists. The "Seeing Hands" massage parlors provide their customers with excellent Japanese style shiatsu massages. You change out of your street clothes and into a pajama-like outfit, climb onto the massage table and let the therapist do the work. The masseurs are extremely well trained and very precise in their actions. After our first Seeing Hands massage, Sharon could not stop raving about how good she felt. Marc took this as a sign that perhaps he ought to consider a career change. Throughout Cambodia, there are many blind people who have lost their eyesight due to explosive devices from the U.S. war in the region. This is a sad consequence to a really aweful period of history.
Checking out of Vietnam after having spent several weeks there, was exciting, as we were off to a new adventure - we were off to see Cambodia. The bus that transported us to the border had an attendant who offered to get our visa for us while we dined in the restaurant for just $5 per person, as we warned us of long lines at the border. We passed on his offer and upon arrival at the Cambodian side we found not a single person waiting in line.
By this point in the trip, we were a bit tired of the "same same" in Vietnam and looked forward to the changes in Cambodia. After leaving the Vietnamese border, which contained a drab old building, we arrived at the Cambodian side, a building of typical architecture for the country with a beautiful roof and decorative exterior. We hoped this would be a sign of things to come.
The bus eventually let us off in Phnom Penh and we were greeted by the usual suspects...guesthouse proprietors and tuk-tuk drivers. We climbed into a tuk-tuk and headed for the guesthouse. While Sharon ran upstairs to see the room, Marc chatted with the driver. Chang let Marc know that he would take us to another guesthouse for the same dollar if we were unpleased with this one. Could be he was trying to sell his services as a tour guide for the next day.
An easy way to unsure you see all the sites is to join a city tour, so that's what we did. We started off at the Tuol Sleng, a former high school that was used as a torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge, headed by Pol Pot. The classrooms at this site were converted into cells, each displaying a picture of the last prisoner held there. An hour long film was shown which spoke about the story of one couple who was killed by the Khmer Rouge.
After being held at Tuol Sleng for some time, prisoners were transported to what has become known as the Killing Fields, an area where they were brutally executed and burried in mass graves. Their skulls are on display in a large "stupa" or tomb.
Other highlights included the Russian Market, the National Museum, and the Royal Palace.
One thing that we would learn is that Cambodian cuisine has a lot in common with Thai cooking. Needless to say, we were very happy to sit down and try our first Cambodian meal. For the next several days, while in Cambodia, we would be treated to a wide range of excellent dishes.
Us poor travellers sometimes need to recharge the batteries. And even if that's not true, it is still nice to get pampered every so often. At $6 per hour, it's not much of a financial hardship. We had read about an organization that trains people with vision loss to be massage therapists. The "Seeing Hands" massage parlors provide their customers with excellent Japanese style shiatsu massages. You change out of your street clothes and into a pajama-like outfit, climb onto the massage table and let the therapist do the work. The masseurs are extremely well trained and very precise in their actions. After our first Seeing Hands massage, Sharon could not stop raving about how good she felt. Marc took this as a sign that perhaps he ought to consider a career change. Throughout Cambodia, there are many blind people who have lost their eyesight due to explosive devices from the U.S. war in the region. This is a sad consequence to a really aweful period of history.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Looking Back on Vietnam
Entry 18:
Before we even arrived in Vietnam, we had heard a variety of opinions about the country. Our friend Mai and her husband Ken could not say enough good things about it while others had negative experiences travelling there. Both of us are too young to have any memories of the war and its political implications. As the Saigon Grill restaurant in New York was on our list of top 10 restaurants in the city, we were looking forward to the food in Vietnam. Here are some highlights from our month there:
On our trip to Ha Long Bay, our tour guide told us about some of the customs of the ethnic minority people. For example, when a man wants to get married, he needs to ask permission of the village matchmaker. His family has to give money and gifts to the bride's family including approximately $30, two chickens, and a pig's head. These gifts are presented in 7 boxes covered in red cloth for luck and prosperity. He then has to carry the bride on his back all the way to her house. She has to step over a pair of scissors to symbolize cutting all connections with her family. She will not be able to ask for a divorce thereafter as her family will have to return all the gifts received to the groom's family, an impossible prospect.
Another interesting tale: Because Vietnamese are Buddhists, they believe in burial rather than cremation. Several years after a person is burried, the remains are exhumed, rinsed and placed in a little box, only to be reburried. They believe this process releases the spirit.
Daily customs: When meeting someone new, it is common to be asked personal questions, such as "how old are you?" (We were asked mostly where we were from). Age is important because the elderly are given much respect. When clicking two glasses together for a toast , the younger person will place his/her glass lower than the elder's glass as a sign of respect. During meals, older people get a one second head start on the food.
Even though Vietnam is a large country, it seems as if most backpackers stick to a tried and true path through the most popular cities. This ensures fairly easy travelling and most Vietnamese people along the way speak good English. In addition to English, you will hear many phrases along the way that are important in one's daily life:
Before we even arrived in Vietnam, we had heard a variety of opinions about the country. Our friend Mai and her husband Ken could not say enough good things about it while others had negative experiences travelling there. Both of us are too young to have any memories of the war and its political implications. As the Saigon Grill restaurant in New York was on our list of top 10 restaurants in the city, we were looking forward to the food in Vietnam. Here are some highlights from our month there:
On our trip to Ha Long Bay, our tour guide told us about some of the customs of the ethnic minority people. For example, when a man wants to get married, he needs to ask permission of the village matchmaker. His family has to give money and gifts to the bride's family including approximately $30, two chickens, and a pig's head. These gifts are presented in 7 boxes covered in red cloth for luck and prosperity. He then has to carry the bride on his back all the way to her house. She has to step over a pair of scissors to symbolize cutting all connections with her family. She will not be able to ask for a divorce thereafter as her family will have to return all the gifts received to the groom's family, an impossible prospect.
Another interesting tale: Because Vietnamese are Buddhists, they believe in burial rather than cremation. Several years after a person is burried, the remains are exhumed, rinsed and placed in a little box, only to be reburried. They believe this process releases the spirit.
Daily customs: When meeting someone new, it is common to be asked personal questions, such as "how old are you?" (We were asked mostly where we were from). Age is important because the elderly are given much respect. When clicking two glasses together for a toast , the younger person will place his/her glass lower than the elder's glass as a sign of respect. During meals, older people get a one second head start on the food.
Even though Vietnam is a large country, it seems as if most backpackers stick to a tried and true path through the most popular cities. This ensures fairly easy travelling and most Vietnamese people along the way speak good English. In addition to English, you will hear many phrases along the way that are important in one's daily life:
- "Hello motorbike." This phrase, which can be heard about 497 times per day is an invitation to ride on the back of a motorbike as a means of transportation to nearby destinations. Think of it as a taxi. The phrase can be punctuated with a period or question mark.
- "You buy from me," AKA "You buy something." Phrases often hear upon encountering someone trying to sell goods. This phrase can be heard in markets, shops, sidewalks, and even while trekking in remote villages.
- "Same same." Instead of saying that two things are identical, the locals will point to the two objects and say this phrase. For example, if a motorbike ride costs $2 per person, they will say, "$2, same same," and point to each person. To point out that 2 things are similar, but not exactly the same, they may add, "but different" at the end of the phrase. This has become known in all of SE Asia and can be found on T-shirts everywhere.
From our experience, travelling within Vietnam is made easy with good transportation, accommodation, eateries, and available tours. In addition, the cost is fairly low, giving tourists a good "bang for their dong." The one negative we found was that the people are not as warm or accessible to tourists as in other countries. The Vietnamese, on the whole, are aggressive, cunning, and sometimes less than honest. Their country is filled with noise and pollution, especially in the large cities, from thousands of motorbikes and vehicles everywhere honking constantly and not giving any courtesies to pedestrians or anyone else on the road for that matter. As a result, we were constantly on edge, watching our backs, having to ensure that we were not being ripped off or in harm's way.
From North to South, we generally found it very easy to find good fresh food wherever we travelled. It was nice to sample regional specialties to get a better sense of the variety found in Vietnamese cooking. Because this part of the world has a good climate for growing vegetables, we easily encountered vegetarian fare, although for vegans you never know what is cooked in fish sauce...To our delight, it was always possible to drink fresh fruit juices for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For the most part, the beer was nothing special with the exception of a brew called Larue Export. The Central Highland town of Dalat is known for producing wine, but somehow we never managed to sample it.
We got to meet individuals from various minority ethnic groups, purchase their handicrafts, taste their cooking, and learn about their customs. We bathed in the lake as they do, slept on the floor under mosquito nets in their homes, and chatted with them along the way.
It was our first SE Asian adventure.
Uncle Ho's City
Entry 17:
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the government changed the name of the city to Ho Chi Minh City, as a tribute to the late leader of Northern Vietnam. That being said, many of the people we spoke to still call the city Saigon. Either way, we were on our way to the largest city in Vietnam for our last stop in the country.
Saigon in a massive sprawling city of over 5 million people and what seems like an equal number of motorbikes. According to our tour guide, Vietnam has over 80 million people and 25 million motorbikes. Rather than attempt to go it alone in this metropolis, we signed up for a city tour that would take us around to all the worthwhile sites in town. On our tour we visited a Chinese pagoda, a market in Chinatown, a temple dedicated to a Sea Goddess, the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dam Cathedral, and the Post Office. Needless to say, it was a full day.
That evening, we ventured on our own to a night market filled with local eateries. At first we contemplated eating there, but this idea was quickly eradicated after seeing live dangling frogs. Instead, we opted for a restaurant that was recommended called Quan An Ngon. This restaurant was in a beautiful setting in which various food stations exhibited women cooking before your eyes.
Lots of people had told us many things about Saigon, both good and bad, but we had had enough of the city and its craziness. We decided to book passage to Cambodia for the following day and begin the next chapter of our travels.
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the government changed the name of the city to Ho Chi Minh City, as a tribute to the late leader of Northern Vietnam. That being said, many of the people we spoke to still call the city Saigon. Either way, we were on our way to the largest city in Vietnam for our last stop in the country.
Saigon in a massive sprawling city of over 5 million people and what seems like an equal number of motorbikes. According to our tour guide, Vietnam has over 80 million people and 25 million motorbikes. Rather than attempt to go it alone in this metropolis, we signed up for a city tour that would take us around to all the worthwhile sites in town. On our tour we visited a Chinese pagoda, a market in Chinatown, a temple dedicated to a Sea Goddess, the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dam Cathedral, and the Post Office. Needless to say, it was a full day.
That evening, we ventured on our own to a night market filled with local eateries. At first we contemplated eating there, but this idea was quickly eradicated after seeing live dangling frogs. Instead, we opted for a restaurant that was recommended called Quan An Ngon. This restaurant was in a beautiful setting in which various food stations exhibited women cooking before your eyes.
Lots of people had told us many things about Saigon, both good and bad, but we had had enough of the city and its craziness. We decided to book passage to Cambodia for the following day and begin the next chapter of our travels.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Meditation in the Mountains
Entry 16:
Our half-day tour in BMT ended with our tour guide, Mr. Anh, leaving us at a bus stop and telling us to wait at Lak Lake for our bus ride to the popular tourist destination in the mountains, the city of Dalat. Little did we know we were about to go on a very bumpy and very curvy 4-hour ride. We arrived after sunset, but found a nice accommodation and were on our way to find dinner somewhere quiet.
The next day, we again joined a day tour of the city and its surroundings. The first stop was of a Zen Buddist monastery called Truc Lam. We learned that visitors can join the monks for a day's meditation and met briefly with a monk to ensure our visit the next day.
On we went to the Dragon Pagoda, which was beautiful on its own, but was also next door to another pagoda that had a massive and most impressive bell.
The two strangest/cheesiest stops on the tour included the Crazy House, a hotel that has delirious architecture that forces its guests to climb up and down twisted stairs through various buildings and has themed rooms. The other stop that was not worth much mention was entitled the "Valley of Love" by the French. It is a goofy park where objects were placed for tourists' photographs. However, once the camera comes out, an employee approaches to ask for money for the photo. There is a lake you can walk around for some peace and tranquility.
The next morning, we awoke early to cab over to the monastery for a day of guided meditation. On the previous morning, the monk asked us to be present at 6:30am. Despite the rain, we made it in time, but a different monk enformed us that the abbott was not at the monastery that day and therefore he would be unable to allow us to spend the day without getting the abbott's permission. Our hope to spend the day with the brothers and sisters in meditation was not to be. Instead, we sat with this particular monk for about 30 minutes drinking tea and talking about the lifestyle of a buddhist monk. He did not want us to leave empty handed, and therefore gave us several books on Zen Buddhism. We were bummed out that we could not stay for the day, but high-tailed it back to Dalat to try to catch the next bus to Saigon.
Our half-day tour in BMT ended with our tour guide, Mr. Anh, leaving us at a bus stop and telling us to wait at Lak Lake for our bus ride to the popular tourist destination in the mountains, the city of Dalat. Little did we know we were about to go on a very bumpy and very curvy 4-hour ride. We arrived after sunset, but found a nice accommodation and were on our way to find dinner somewhere quiet.
The next day, we again joined a day tour of the city and its surroundings. The first stop was of a Zen Buddist monastery called Truc Lam. We learned that visitors can join the monks for a day's meditation and met briefly with a monk to ensure our visit the next day.
On we went to the Dragon Pagoda, which was beautiful on its own, but was also next door to another pagoda that had a massive and most impressive bell.
The two strangest/cheesiest stops on the tour included the Crazy House, a hotel that has delirious architecture that forces its guests to climb up and down twisted stairs through various buildings and has themed rooms. The other stop that was not worth much mention was entitled the "Valley of Love" by the French. It is a goofy park where objects were placed for tourists' photographs. However, once the camera comes out, an employee approaches to ask for money for the photo. There is a lake you can walk around for some peace and tranquility.
The next morning, we awoke early to cab over to the monastery for a day of guided meditation. On the previous morning, the monk asked us to be present at 6:30am. Despite the rain, we made it in time, but a different monk enformed us that the abbott was not at the monastery that day and therefore he would be unable to allow us to spend the day without getting the abbott's permission. Our hope to spend the day with the brothers and sisters in meditation was not to be. Instead, we sat with this particular monk for about 30 minutes drinking tea and talking about the lifestyle of a buddhist monk. He did not want us to leave empty handed, and therefore gave us several books on Zen Buddhism. We were bummed out that we could not stay for the day, but high-tailed it back to Dalat to try to catch the next bus to Saigon.
What's In A Name
Entry 15:
Our next destination was in the Central Highlands of the country, an area not well visited by tourists. In fact, it was only in the late '90s that this area was even opened to foreign visitors. Many of the tour companies do not include it on their regular itinerary. But we decided to delve deeper into Vietnam. Moreover, it was also the childhood home of our good friend Mai.
We arranged for bus travel to the region's center, a town called Buon Ma Thuot (BMT). You can imagine all the various double entendre jokes we could come up with for this name. All of them are too unsavory for this family-friendly blog.
BMT as it is known to the locals is the center of the coffee plantations throughout the highlands. Coffee growing was initiated by the French during their colonial rule over Vietnam. We thought it would be exciting to tour the area and even visit a coffee plantation. Unfortunately, since this town is so far removed from most travellers' itineraries, we found it to be difficult to manouver as almost nobody spoke English and restaurant menues were in Vietnamese only. We could not find a tour operator with any group tours. Private tours would cost more than $100 per day. We opted for a private half-day tour that would only take us to visit a couple of ethnic minority villages. The short tour was pretty good and we even got to see some goofy French tourists riding atop elephants. We were eager, though, to get out of town.
Our next destination was in the Central Highlands of the country, an area not well visited by tourists. In fact, it was only in the late '90s that this area was even opened to foreign visitors. Many of the tour companies do not include it on their regular itinerary. But we decided to delve deeper into Vietnam. Moreover, it was also the childhood home of our good friend Mai.
We arranged for bus travel to the region's center, a town called Buon Ma Thuot (BMT). You can imagine all the various double entendre jokes we could come up with for this name. All of them are too unsavory for this family-friendly blog.
BMT as it is known to the locals is the center of the coffee plantations throughout the highlands. Coffee growing was initiated by the French during their colonial rule over Vietnam. We thought it would be exciting to tour the area and even visit a coffee plantation. Unfortunately, since this town is so far removed from most travellers' itineraries, we found it to be difficult to manouver as almost nobody spoke English and restaurant menues were in Vietnamese only. We could not find a tour operator with any group tours. Private tours would cost more than $100 per day. We opted for a private half-day tour that would only take us to visit a couple of ethnic minority villages. The short tour was pretty good and we even got to see some goofy French tourists riding atop elephants. We were eager, though, to get out of town.
Mud Bathing and Beaching
Entry 14:
Despite our not-so-great start to the day, things quickly turned around. We found a wonderful hotel one block from the beach, which true to its name was nice (Nice Hotel). It was also $8 a night, so we decided to stay a while and relax.
Nha Trang in a typical beach town with dozens of hotels, beachside restaurants, and pubs. The only thing not typical are the Buddhist pagodas that overlook the beach from the mountains. While we stayed in a nondescript local hotel, many chain hotels like the Sheraton are planning to open up along the beach. In addition, as we were there on a weekend, we passed by several local weddings taking place in beachside hotels.
On our first day there, we took a taxi over to a center in the mountains where we could soak in mud. This unique resort has a variety of different sized outdoor tubs that once you sit in them, they are filled with muddy mineral water. After 15 or 20 minutes, one is supposed to then go "bake" in the sun to allow the mud to dry on the skin. This is followed by a series of showers and warm/hot clean mineral water bathing. All of this with giggling Vietnamese girls who don't speak any English and fat Russian men and their families. The day was made even better by ice cold coconut water drunk directly from the coconut via a straw.
Another site of interest included the gallery of Nha Trang's most famous photographer, Long Thanh. His photos are all in B&W of locals and are very captivating. Our trip to Long Son pagoda was beautiful, but as our photos are temporarily unavailable, please click on the hyperlink to see photos we found online.
The rest of our days in the city we spent on the beach, in the water, getting massages, or eating wonderful food, including at the very impressive Sailing Club and Relax Club.
We didn't want to leave, but also realized we still had lots to see in Vietnam and beyond.
Despite our not-so-great start to the day, things quickly turned around. We found a wonderful hotel one block from the beach, which true to its name was nice (Nice Hotel). It was also $8 a night, so we decided to stay a while and relax.
Nha Trang in a typical beach town with dozens of hotels, beachside restaurants, and pubs. The only thing not typical are the Buddhist pagodas that overlook the beach from the mountains. While we stayed in a nondescript local hotel, many chain hotels like the Sheraton are planning to open up along the beach. In addition, as we were there on a weekend, we passed by several local weddings taking place in beachside hotels.
On our first day there, we took a taxi over to a center in the mountains where we could soak in mud. This unique resort has a variety of different sized outdoor tubs that once you sit in them, they are filled with muddy mineral water. After 15 or 20 minutes, one is supposed to then go "bake" in the sun to allow the mud to dry on the skin. This is followed by a series of showers and warm/hot clean mineral water bathing. All of this with giggling Vietnamese girls who don't speak any English and fat Russian men and their families. The day was made even better by ice cold coconut water drunk directly from the coconut via a straw.
Another site of interest included the gallery of Nha Trang's most famous photographer, Long Thanh. His photos are all in B&W of locals and are very captivating. Our trip to Long Son pagoda was beautiful, but as our photos are temporarily unavailable, please click on the hyperlink to see photos we found online.
The rest of our days in the city we spent on the beach, in the water, getting massages, or eating wonderful food, including at the very impressive Sailing Club and Relax Club.
We didn't want to leave, but also realized we still had lots to see in Vietnam and beyond.
(Un)Magical Mystery Tour
Entry 13:
The ride on the minibus was no different from other experiences we had had in this part of the world in the sense that the locals fail to inform the tourists about what is about to happen. In our case, we were not explained where they were taking us. However, we finally arrived at the large sleeper bus and headed to our "seats." We thought it was very considerate of the bus company to provide plastic bags to cover our packs due to the rainy weather, but more about this later. We quickly made friends with our bedmates as they would accompany us for the next 12 hours. Besides the fact that we were sharing a bad in the back of the bus with three other adults, our bed also happened to be on top of the motor and lacked A/C vents. This combination of factors ensured that our ride would be hot, hot, hot.
One thing that you need to know about tour buses in Vietnam is that they are driven by total maniacs. There is a compulsion to accelerate, break, and honk the extremely loud airhorn with much enthusiasm. Additionally, this shady company we took also picked up Vietnamese passengers along the way who sat on stools in the aisles or strung hammocks from the upper seats. To add to the maddness, it seemed the driver had brought live birds and other mysterious cargo in the luggage compartment, as we could hear chirping from where we were sleeping.
Needless to say, somehow we arrived in Nha Trang in one piece, drenched in sweat, but happy to be off the bus finally. We had never been so pleased to be greeted by sunshine and fresh air as we were that morning. The nightmare was not over, however. As we ripped open the plastic off our luggage, we found the bags to smell of fish. Some of this unfortunate odorous liquid spilled onto our bags and left a stench that needed to be repeatedly cleaned with soap in our hotel shower. But at least we were in a beach town and ready to have some fun in the sun.
The ride on the minibus was no different from other experiences we had had in this part of the world in the sense that the locals fail to inform the tourists about what is about to happen. In our case, we were not explained where they were taking us. However, we finally arrived at the large sleeper bus and headed to our "seats." We thought it was very considerate of the bus company to provide plastic bags to cover our packs due to the rainy weather, but more about this later. We quickly made friends with our bedmates as they would accompany us for the next 12 hours. Besides the fact that we were sharing a bad in the back of the bus with three other adults, our bed also happened to be on top of the motor and lacked A/C vents. This combination of factors ensured that our ride would be hot, hot, hot.
One thing that you need to know about tour buses in Vietnam is that they are driven by total maniacs. There is a compulsion to accelerate, break, and honk the extremely loud airhorn with much enthusiasm. Additionally, this shady company we took also picked up Vietnamese passengers along the way who sat on stools in the aisles or strung hammocks from the upper seats. To add to the maddness, it seemed the driver had brought live birds and other mysterious cargo in the luggage compartment, as we could hear chirping from where we were sleeping.
Needless to say, somehow we arrived in Nha Trang in one piece, drenched in sweat, but happy to be off the bus finally. We had never been so pleased to be greeted by sunshine and fresh air as we were that morning. The nightmare was not over, however. As we ripped open the plastic off our luggage, we found the bags to smell of fish. Some of this unfortunate odorous liquid spilled onto our bags and left a stench that needed to be repeatedly cleaned with soap in our hotel shower. But at least we were in a beach town and ready to have some fun in the sun.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Vietnamese Gondola
Entry 12:
We were so happy that on the day we left Hue the sun was finally shining. About four hours later, we arrived in Hoi An where it felt like 100 degrees outside. The rest of the day was spent wandering the lanes of this charming small Unesco town known for its tailors that make custom clothing. The next morning Marc was recovering from a cold, so Sharon went out and found a tailor to make her a custom suit. It wasn't long before Marc joined her in the shop for custom made trousers. Miraculously, only a few hours later we were back at the shop trying on the clothing for them to be altered for the next day.
Unfortunately, our streak of two rainless days was about to end. As we departed for a day trip to the Cham ruins at My Son (pronouned Mee Son), the skies opened up and the rain began pouring down. For probably 6 hours it rained and rained and rained. Despite this, the ruins were still impressive and served as a preview of our upcoming trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
While some people on our tour opted for the cheaper bus ride back to town, we spent a few more dollars for the upgraded boat ride back. At the time of booking, we obviously were unaware of the coming rain. So needless to say, it was a not so good investment. However, we had a small adventure on the way. Our boat was approached by another small boat carrying furniture and the Vietnamese woman working on our boat purchased a bed, which was then hauled onto our boat without ever docking. This made for a kodak moment.
When we got back to Hoi An we had to walk through calf high water just to reach our hotel. We had opted out of the gondola rides offered on account of the overflowing waters. At this point we were equipped with the information from our tour guide that the best rain gear is to be found in the market. Off we went to look for Rando gear, which continues to serve us for days later.
The next day was no better except that we decided to walk through town in our flip flops and just accept the fact that we were going to get all wet. Who knows what was lurking in that water! Good thing we both got Hep vaccinations before leaving the States. The clothes came out great and were quickly shipped home. They will arrive next Feb. when we return from our trip.
We had been warned to only travel with two Vietnamese bus lines, as the others were known to have shady reputations. On the morning we had planned to depart, we walked over to purchase our bus tickets, but were told the bus was completely sold out. Seemed like all the tourists wanted to get as far away from the flood as possible. We ran through the rain and flooded streets from travel agency to travel agency, but could only find one unknown bus company. The agent told us that the only seats available were in the back of the bus. Normally on the overnight bus, each person gets an individual bed. The backrow of the bus, however, is comprised of one large space shared by 5 people. Reluctantly, we agreed to spend the night with three other strangers.
We arrived at the travel agency around 6pm in a light rain and were shuttled via a minibus for 30 minutes to the bus that would take us to our next destination. We were told the streets were too flooded for the big bus. Not sure how the minivan is more capable of getting through the flooded streets, but what choice did we have? The night was not getting off to a good start...
To see photos of Hoi An, please go to our Shutterfly page: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
We were so happy that on the day we left Hue the sun was finally shining. About four hours later, we arrived in Hoi An where it felt like 100 degrees outside. The rest of the day was spent wandering the lanes of this charming small Unesco town known for its tailors that make custom clothing. The next morning Marc was recovering from a cold, so Sharon went out and found a tailor to make her a custom suit. It wasn't long before Marc joined her in the shop for custom made trousers. Miraculously, only a few hours later we were back at the shop trying on the clothing for them to be altered for the next day.
Unfortunately, our streak of two rainless days was about to end. As we departed for a day trip to the Cham ruins at My Son (pronouned Mee Son), the skies opened up and the rain began pouring down. For probably 6 hours it rained and rained and rained. Despite this, the ruins were still impressive and served as a preview of our upcoming trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
While some people on our tour opted for the cheaper bus ride back to town, we spent a few more dollars for the upgraded boat ride back. At the time of booking, we obviously were unaware of the coming rain. So needless to say, it was a not so good investment. However, we had a small adventure on the way. Our boat was approached by another small boat carrying furniture and the Vietnamese woman working on our boat purchased a bed, which was then hauled onto our boat without ever docking. This made for a kodak moment.
When we got back to Hoi An we had to walk through calf high water just to reach our hotel. We had opted out of the gondola rides offered on account of the overflowing waters. At this point we were equipped with the information from our tour guide that the best rain gear is to be found in the market. Off we went to look for Rando gear, which continues to serve us for days later.
The next day was no better except that we decided to walk through town in our flip flops and just accept the fact that we were going to get all wet. Who knows what was lurking in that water! Good thing we both got Hep vaccinations before leaving the States. The clothes came out great and were quickly shipped home. They will arrive next Feb. when we return from our trip.
We had been warned to only travel with two Vietnamese bus lines, as the others were known to have shady reputations. On the morning we had planned to depart, we walked over to purchase our bus tickets, but were told the bus was completely sold out. Seemed like all the tourists wanted to get as far away from the flood as possible. We ran through the rain and flooded streets from travel agency to travel agency, but could only find one unknown bus company. The agent told us that the only seats available were in the back of the bus. Normally on the overnight bus, each person gets an individual bed. The backrow of the bus, however, is comprised of one large space shared by 5 people. Reluctantly, we agreed to spend the night with three other strangers.
We arrived at the travel agency around 6pm in a light rain and were shuttled via a minibus for 30 minutes to the bus that would take us to our next destination. We were told the streets were too flooded for the big bus. Not sure how the minivan is more capable of getting through the flooded streets, but what choice did we have? The night was not getting off to a good start...
To see photos of Hoi An, please go to our Shutterfly page: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
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