Whatever you prefer to call it, we did it!
We spent the last few days in Dalat, which is a nice mountain retreat towards the middle of Vietnam. Katie thought resembled Estes Park with jungles. There are a lot of differences between Dalat and the south of Vietnam. Among other things, the temperature was much cooler than the 95 degrees we were used to in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. We even had to pull out the sweatshirts. One unique aspect of Dalat is the abundance of waterfalls and canyons that converge in the area. This provided a perfect environment for our next adventure...absailing. This was a term that I was previously unfamiliar with and for anyone else who does not know it involves canyoning and repelling down waterfalls.
The day started out early with hiking through some canyons and jungle hillsides. We soon came to a beautiful waterfall that provided a great backdrop to learn and practice our repelling skills. On a five meter rock we learned the skills we needed to safely make our way down a rock face. We would also learn a few skills that could save our lives “IF” we experienced problems on our decent.
Nex, we found ourselves hanging over the edge of a rock that was 18 meters (roughly 55 feet) high. Everything went well and so we packed up our gear and headed for our next challenge. This involved jumping into the cold mountain river and floating down stream to our next rock face. Along the way we got to slide down some rocks that formed a natural water slide. We found out later that the group behind us found leaches all over their legs after their river swim. Luckily Katie and I possess a camouflage to the likes of the leach due to our light colored skin.
After successfully completing a second repelling on dry rock we moved to the last repelling challenge on the trip. While enjoying a picnic of fresh fruit, bread and cheese by a 25 meter (75 feet) waterfall we were informed that the waterfall was our next challenge. Me being the adventurous man that I am, I suggested Katie go first to check out the ropes!!! Our first two descents went great. I had a few mishaps at the beginning but quickly overcame the slippery surface and water pounding in my face to finish the decent. Since we had some extra time we decided to do it again. This is when the problems started. On Katie’s decent she was doing superb until the end where she slipped and fell hanging in the direct flow of the waterfall. She had to negotiate the water and ropes to regain her stance to finish the decent. She recovered quickly, just as we practiced, and it provided some great pictures and video.
Once Katie was safely down, I clipped in to the safety line to hook up to the repelling ropes. As I started down the rock face I slipped and fell. This somehow crimped the emergency rope that left me unable to decend further. After I regained my stance on the rock face, I signaled to the instructor that I was stuck. I was glad we had practiced methods on how to not fall off the rock, but I did not know how to free myself from ropes that prevented me from descending. With the water pressure hitting me and fatigue setting in, I was unable to climb back up. The instructor had to come down the waterfall and try to assist me in freeing myself from the emergency ropes. If he succeeded this meant I would not have a back up rope if my primary rope failed. Luckily, we found another method. Both instructors had to secure a new rope to my harness so they could disengage the faulty rope. During this time I got to practice the "rope leg tie technique," that enabled me to free my hands during the 30 minute ordeal and support the instructor as he repelled down the rock face below me. I was sure glad that he weighed only 45 kilograms, I fear any more weight may have been uncomfortable with him supported solely on my leg. After this ordeal was over we got to jump from a 10 meter rock cliff into a beautiful emerald green lake waiting below.
Neadless to say this experience will provide some interesting stories for years to come.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas on Phu Quoc Island
Katie and I spent this years Christmas on the beautiful island of Phu Quoc. Having arrived after a three day trip through the Mekong Delta, we spent our days relaxing on the beach and motor biking around the island. We soon realized that the only reason for the Christmas decorations was for the foreigners. Vietnam does not celebrate Christmas, but we were able to find a nice restaurant owned by a Malaysian women and German man. They had a Christmas Eve dinner scheduled that was small and cozy. We were glad to find this place because our other option was at a large resort that provided a Christmas party that sounded like a mixture between a booze cruise and a high school talent show. Our Christmas Eve dinner turned out to be very enjoyable. We ended the night with champagne on the beach while we exchanged Christmas gifts.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is where are huge proportion of Vietnam's rice production comes from. They eat a lot of rice here in Vietnam and are still able to export an average of 3.5 million tons per year. That is a lot of rice!!! In order to see the vast area that is considered to be the Mekong Delta we signed up with a tour that promised to keep us away from other foreigners and show us a unique part of Vietnam. They kept their promise!! To start the trip we took a boat to Thoi Son or Unicorn Island where we got a taste of honey tea, banana wine and got to enjoy some traditional music. We also rode a smaller boat, paddled by a local woman, through tiny canals that were surrounded by dense vegetation and local fishermen in their own tiny canoes. From there we took a bike ride around a small village and saw rice fields, a rice factory and a coconut candy factory where we not only tasted the local specialty but got to hold a huge boa constrictor. Kenny "sort of" overcame his fear of snakes for a few seconds before he threw the thing at it's owner and ran away. I think he must have been running for some more coconut candy. We spent the night at the home of a villager in the area. We had a delicious dinner of "fish ball soup" that she and her daughters prepared for us and spent the night on wooden platform beds under a mosquito net. It was not the most comfortable night of sleep I have ever had but I think I would get used to it eventually. Then next morning we headed to the local floating market. At the market each of the boats had a long bamboo pole sticking out from the bow. On the bamboo they tie each of the items that they are selling. So, if you are looking for watermelon, pineapple, or spring onions, you simply look for the boat that has those items hanging from their bamboo. My favorite part of the market was what I called the "Floating Starbucks." It was a small wooden canoe that paddled around the water offering the strong local coffee, complete with sweetened condensed milk. It is an acquired taste but one we have come to appreciate. The rest of the day we spent fishing for and preparing our lunch. The "Elephant Ear" fish was caught and then looked as if it deep fried while it was still alive. It was served to us standing up between two poles and we were instructed to take off the scales, if we wanted, pick off a piece of fish and to wrap it along with rice noodles and vegetable in a piece of rice paper. It turned out to be unexpectedly delicious, and after taking off the scales Kenny and I devoured the entire thing which just a few minutes ago had been swimming happily in its home. We loved getting a chance to stay with a local family and get a tiny glimpse into the life of a kind and hard working woman who was widowed by the Vietnam-American War. We were welcomed into her home as if we were her children and although her means were very limited she was more than willing to share all she had.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The American War
The past two days we spent around Ho Chi Minh City seeing the sights related to the Vietnam-American War. The most fascinating part has been learning about the war through the eyes of the Vietnamese people, as well as the historical context leading up to the war. We started out by heading to the War Remnants Museum where we saw a number of U.S tanks, helicopters, jets, and artillery guns that were left in the country when the U.S. evacuated. The museum had some great displays of photographs from the war, including an exhibit on the photographers and news correspondents that lost their lives covering the war. As you can imagine all the photos were very graphic and showed the devastation that war can bring to a country for generations to come.
From there we headed to the Reunification Palace which was the previous presidential palace and the central command center for the southern government. The palace is an interesting combination of 1960's architecture and royal luxury. Little has changed since since the southern leaders surrendered to Ho Chi Minh's forces and Saigon was liberated to form a unified Vietnam. The people of Vietnam are very proud of their history and consider Uncle Ho to be the founding father of their country and a second father to its citizens. His likeness can be seen all over the city and especially on the center of alters, as the Vietnamese culture places a high importance on the worship of ancestors. We visited the Ben Douc temple, built in 1993 that is a memorial to the over 55,000 Vietnamese soldiers who lost their lives during the war. In addition to a huge statue of Uncle Ho, the name of each soldier is etched into the marble walls of the temple. It is strikingly similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C..
Our final stop on the war tour was the Cu Chi tunnels where there are over 250 km of tiny tunnels and underground living space. The tunnels were first dug during the war against the French but expanded considerably when the VC were fighting the Americans. In order for us to fit through the tunnels Kenny had to crawl and I had to bend over and scooch along. It was pitch black, hot and humid, and I can only begin to imagine what it would have been like for a Vietnamese to live down there for months at a time. They had hospitals, kitchens, and rooms for sleeping, all completely hidden from above ground. Additionally, there were three different levels, some as far as 30 meters deep, that provided escape routes, protection against bombings, and enemies that might find a tunnel entrance.
After seeing the war from the Vietnamese point of view, we were surprised that we Americans were allowed into this country, let alone treated with the kindness and friendliness that we have experienced since arriving. When I asked Flower (she did actually say, "you can call me flower if you want to!) our tour guide for the day, about this she explained that Vietnamese people have adopted a philosophy of recognizing the past as a solid foundation, but always looking forward and not dwelling in the past. This philosophy is represented by a commonly seen statue of a upward looking phoenix (representing the future), standing on top of a turtle (representing the past). Thus, she informed us that Vietnamese harbor no bad feelings towards the people of America.
From there we headed to the Reunification Palace which was the previous presidential palace and the central command center for the southern government. The palace is an interesting combination of 1960's architecture and royal luxury. Little has changed since since the southern leaders surrendered to Ho Chi Minh's forces and Saigon was liberated to form a unified Vietnam. The people of Vietnam are very proud of their history and consider Uncle Ho to be the founding father of their country and a second father to its citizens. His likeness can be seen all over the city and especially on the center of alters, as the Vietnamese culture places a high importance on the worship of ancestors. We visited the Ben Douc temple, built in 1993 that is a memorial to the over 55,000 Vietnamese soldiers who lost their lives during the war. In addition to a huge statue of Uncle Ho, the name of each soldier is etched into the marble walls of the temple. It is strikingly similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C..
Our final stop on the war tour was the Cu Chi tunnels where there are over 250 km of tiny tunnels and underground living space. The tunnels were first dug during the war against the French but expanded considerably when the VC were fighting the Americans. In order for us to fit through the tunnels Kenny had to crawl and I had to bend over and scooch along. It was pitch black, hot and humid, and I can only begin to imagine what it would have been like for a Vietnamese to live down there for months at a time. They had hospitals, kitchens, and rooms for sleeping, all completely hidden from above ground. Additionally, there were three different levels, some as far as 30 meters deep, that provided escape routes, protection against bombings, and enemies that might find a tunnel entrance.
After seeing the war from the Vietnamese point of view, we were surprised that we Americans were allowed into this country, let alone treated with the kindness and friendliness that we have experienced since arriving. When I asked Flower (she did actually say, "you can call me flower if you want to!) our tour guide for the day, about this she explained that Vietnamese people have adopted a philosophy of recognizing the past as a solid foundation, but always looking forward and not dwelling in the past. This philosophy is represented by a commonly seen statue of a upward looking phoenix (representing the future), standing on top of a turtle (representing the past). Thus, she informed us that Vietnamese harbor no bad feelings towards the people of America.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
All Around Ho Chi Minh City
With mixed emotions we left Cambodia yesterday and took the 12 hour bus trip from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Although we are really excited to be here and we are especially looking forward to volunteering during the month of January, we are very sad that this is the last country we will visit before heading home. Yesterday we did start thinking again about how we might be able to get Laos back on the itinerary.
After a good night sleep we got up this morning and headed out to explore via cyclo. If you can imagine, a cyclo is a sort of oversize tricycle with a large wheelchair attached to the front. If you can't picture that try this...a bicycle powered stroller for adults. Although it would have been just as fast if we had walked, we didn't have to do the work and got to admire the city as we were peddled around. It was very relaxing, despite the swarms of motos and cars that were honking at us as they swerved to miss our slow moving vehicles. It turns out that these cyclos are quite difficult to peddle and navigate as Kenny and I both got a chance to try it...in a parking lot of course!
The cyclo was a great way to start our city tour as we needed some time to learn how to cross the street. It sounds very basic but the traffic here is like nothing I have ever seen. In fact there are five million motos in this city and sometimes it feels they are all heading for you at the same time. We have now learned that one must simply start walking across the street in a slow and continuous fashion and pray that the oncoming cars and motos actually see you and slow down. If one was to wait for an opening in traffic, he or she would NEVER get across the street.
We saw many Chinese style pagodas and went to several huge markets where they sold just about anything you could possibly imagine. Kenny was almost convinced to buy some snake wine but when he learned what it was for he realized he had absolutely no need for it. We also enjoyed Pho at the same restaurant that Bill Clinton visited when he came to visit Ho Chi Minh City and it sure was yummy.
After a good night sleep we got up this morning and headed out to explore via cyclo. If you can imagine, a cyclo is a sort of oversize tricycle with a large wheelchair attached to the front. If you can't picture that try this...a bicycle powered stroller for adults. Although it would have been just as fast if we had walked, we didn't have to do the work and got to admire the city as we were peddled around. It was very relaxing, despite the swarms of motos and cars that were honking at us as they swerved to miss our slow moving vehicles. It turns out that these cyclos are quite difficult to peddle and navigate as Kenny and I both got a chance to try it...in a parking lot of course!
The cyclo was a great way to start our city tour as we needed some time to learn how to cross the street. It sounds very basic but the traffic here is like nothing I have ever seen. In fact there are five million motos in this city and sometimes it feels they are all heading for you at the same time. We have now learned that one must simply start walking across the street in a slow and continuous fashion and pray that the oncoming cars and motos actually see you and slow down. If one was to wait for an opening in traffic, he or she would NEVER get across the street.
We saw many Chinese style pagodas and went to several huge markets where they sold just about anything you could possibly imagine. Kenny was almost convinced to buy some snake wine but when he learned what it was for he realized he had absolutely no need for it. We also enjoyed Pho at the same restaurant that Bill Clinton visited when he came to visit Ho Chi Minh City and it sure was yummy.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Random Sights Around Cambodia
I just wanted to take the opportunity to tell you all about some of the funny and unusual (for us)sights we see as we walk around the towns of Cambodia.
One that I wish the US would adopt is the art of wearing pajamas everywhere. It seems that pajamas are a very popular outfit throughout Cambodia. I suspect it is because they are cooler than regular clothes and are not tight so they do not stick to you in the heat. No matter the time of day you see groups of women walking around the market, riding their motos, and just hanging out in matching pajama sets. It is like there is a constant pajama party in the streets. I love it but so far Kenny has not allowed me to wear my pajamas in public.
Another funny and sometimes scary sight it the number of people and things that can be put on a moto. So far the most weighed down moto we have seen consisted of three adults, a baby, a 50 lb. bag of rice and a foam mattress. However, this load did not slow the moto in any way. It whizzed along, dodging cars like the rest of them. The motos seem to move in swarms, like a pack of bees. There are so many of them and they seem to be able to get within inches of each other without ever crashing. It is a truly a sight to see.
Lastly, the orange robbed Buddhist monks that make their rounds every morning, silently requesting food or money from the homes and restaurants. They wear bright orange toga type robes, carry an orange umbrella for protection from the sun, and an orange bag to collect their goodies. A few day ago as Kenny and I were on our way to breakfast we happened upon two monks at the entrance to a restaurant standing silently. A small child, perhaps around 18 months old, toddled up to them, put some money in the purse and then folded her hands and bowed her head in prayer. She stood their silently while the monks blessed her. When they were done she looked up and ran away as fast as she could. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. The wee one really did only look to be about one or two, but actually could have been older because we have figured out that anytime we see a child they are generally twice as old as we think they are. Yesterday, on the beach a boy was collecting cans and I would have sworn on my life that we was no more than five years old. However, his mom told us he was actually ten. I think we westerners must seem like huge giants to the locals.
One that I wish the US would adopt is the art of wearing pajamas everywhere. It seems that pajamas are a very popular outfit throughout Cambodia. I suspect it is because they are cooler than regular clothes and are not tight so they do not stick to you in the heat. No matter the time of day you see groups of women walking around the market, riding their motos, and just hanging out in matching pajama sets. It is like there is a constant pajama party in the streets. I love it but so far Kenny has not allowed me to wear my pajamas in public.
Another funny and sometimes scary sight it the number of people and things that can be put on a moto. So far the most weighed down moto we have seen consisted of three adults, a baby, a 50 lb. bag of rice and a foam mattress. However, this load did not slow the moto in any way. It whizzed along, dodging cars like the rest of them. The motos seem to move in swarms, like a pack of bees. There are so many of them and they seem to be able to get within inches of each other without ever crashing. It is a truly a sight to see.
Lastly, the orange robbed Buddhist monks that make their rounds every morning, silently requesting food or money from the homes and restaurants. They wear bright orange toga type robes, carry an orange umbrella for protection from the sun, and an orange bag to collect their goodies. A few day ago as Kenny and I were on our way to breakfast we happened upon two monks at the entrance to a restaurant standing silently. A small child, perhaps around 18 months old, toddled up to them, put some money in the purse and then folded her hands and bowed her head in prayer. She stood their silently while the monks blessed her. When they were done she looked up and ran away as fast as she could. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. The wee one really did only look to be about one or two, but actually could have been older because we have figured out that anytime we see a child they are generally twice as old as we think they are. Yesterday, on the beach a boy was collecting cans and I would have sworn on my life that we was no more than five years old. However, his mom told us he was actually ten. I think we westerners must seem like huge giants to the locals.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Stuck In a Longtail Boat!
Imagine putting a 40 foot boat in a body of water that can be roughly classified at a flooded cornfield. Our trip to Battambang involved such an experience. Our two transportation options for the trip were either boat or bus. The boat was advertised as a beautiful way to see the countryside. Both options were to take the same amount of time, 5 hours, so we chose the boat.
The day started out in the early morning, catching a shuttle to the boat dock at 6:00am. We arrived at the boat around 7:00am for departure. As we made our way up the river we came upon numerous small floating and fishing villages. The flora and fauna along the way provided a picturesque backdrop to enjoy our boat ride. Around 11:00am I started to get excited about getting off the boat as we had already been on the boat for 4 1/2 hours. I soon realized when we stopped for a lunch break!, that our trip was going to be a little longer than the 5 hours explained to us by the travel agent. As we left the floating restaurant I overheard we had another 4 hours to go. This is when the driver decided to take a short cut. The short cut involved heading through some channels in which the tree branches scrapped the sides of the boat, scratching many of the passengers, and tearing the tarps on the side of the boat. I had seen bigger channels on the side of the road in the United States. The path required the boat to swerve its way through an overgrown swamp. It reminded me of a flooded corn field in many parts. The only place for the boat to go was lower areas of land that the water drained into. In places the water was only a few feet deep. These small rivers provided the perfect environment for our boat to grind its bottom. Hence the reason we got stuck. Along the way we somehow broke our steering cable making the boat inoperable. After 3 hours of drifting in a small clearing we got some help from the locals who provided the rudimentary tools to temporarily fix the problem. We arrived in Battambang around 5:30pm and headed for the nearest restaurant for dinner. This was our first real meal of the day and eating it at 6:00pm, one can image the "hangry" travelers we were.
The day started out in the early morning, catching a shuttle to the boat dock at 6:00am. We arrived at the boat around 7:00am for departure. As we made our way up the river we came upon numerous small floating and fishing villages. The flora and fauna along the way provided a picturesque backdrop to enjoy our boat ride. Around 11:00am I started to get excited about getting off the boat as we had already been on the boat for 4 1/2 hours. I soon realized when we stopped for a lunch break!, that our trip was going to be a little longer than the 5 hours explained to us by the travel agent. As we left the floating restaurant I overheard we had another 4 hours to go. This is when the driver decided to take a short cut. The short cut involved heading through some channels in which the tree branches scrapped the sides of the boat, scratching many of the passengers, and tearing the tarps on the side of the boat. I had seen bigger channels on the side of the road in the United States. The path required the boat to swerve its way through an overgrown swamp. It reminded me of a flooded corn field in many parts. The only place for the boat to go was lower areas of land that the water drained into. In places the water was only a few feet deep. These small rivers provided the perfect environment for our boat to grind its bottom. Hence the reason we got stuck. Along the way we somehow broke our steering cable making the boat inoperable. After 3 hours of drifting in a small clearing we got some help from the locals who provided the rudimentary tools to temporarily fix the problem. We arrived in Battambang around 5:30pm and headed for the nearest restaurant for dinner. This was our first real meal of the day and eating it at 6:00pm, one can image the "hangry" travelers we were.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Exercising in Angkor..What?
If getting up at 4:30 in the morning and riding your your bike for several kilometers sounds like fun you should come to Cambodia, because it is amazing. We arrived in Siem Reap via boat along the Tonle Sap river with the primary purpose of visiting on of SE Asia's most famous tourists sights, the Temples of Angkor. With this in mind we rented bikes and the next morning headed out of town, under the cover of dawn, in the hopes of making in to Angkor Wat, one of the largest temple complexes, in time for the sunrise. We did make it in time, and so did several hundred other tourists with the same idea. After parking our bikes and fighting through tripods we watched the pink and orange glow of the sun on these ancient temples. It was beautiful and one that I am sure has been admired for centuries.
These amazing temples were once the capital of the Khmer empire and were built between 802 and 1177 A.D. with each king trying to outdo the previous king's construction. There are amazing carvings, towers, and gates and we spent the remainder of the day wondering around in awe. Although many of the temples are well preserved there are hundreds of them and several are being taken over by the jungle. Some of our favorite temples were those where a tree has grown on top of a building or wall and has essentially become part of the construction. Those of you who are movie buffs, or fans of Angelina Jolie, will recognize one of these temples from "Tomb Raider." The bikes were a great way to explore, and would have been even better if the temperature had been below 90 degrees. For our next two days of exploration we have hired a "touk-touk" driver to show us the rest of the sights of Angkor, as well as take us to a silk farm and land mine museum. I think it is obvious which of those two sights I chose and which one Kenny wanted.
These amazing temples were once the capital of the Khmer empire and were built between 802 and 1177 A.D. with each king trying to outdo the previous king's construction. There are amazing carvings, towers, and gates and we spent the remainder of the day wondering around in awe. Although many of the temples are well preserved there are hundreds of them and several are being taken over by the jungle. Some of our favorite temples were those where a tree has grown on top of a building or wall and has essentially become part of the construction. Those of you who are movie buffs, or fans of Angelina Jolie, will recognize one of these temples from "Tomb Raider." The bikes were a great way to explore, and would have been even better if the temperature had been below 90 degrees. For our next two days of exploration we have hired a "touk-touk" driver to show us the rest of the sights of Angkor, as well as take us to a silk farm and land mine museum. I think it is obvious which of those two sights I chose and which one Kenny wanted.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Cambodia Today and Yesteryear
Our time in Phnom Phen has been an educational, exciting and yet somber experience. While in the capital city of we took on some of the historical sites. The Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda and the National Museum provided an interesting look at the checkered past of this great country. Unfortunately the recent history usually takes center stage when one thinks of Cambodia. Besides these two sites we went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sieng Museum. Both of these became famous because of the brutality experienced by the Cambodian people during Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge government.
Cambodia's past is filled with a genocide in which over two million Cambodians died via starvation, murder, and torture. Today the Killing Fields of Choeun Ek is a memorial and tourist attraction which aims to educate people about the atrocities that happened during the Khmer Rouge regime. More than 17,000 men, women and children where sent to this field of mass graves for execution. The people selected for this fate included all educated civilians and their families and anyone that was thought to oppose the current regime. It was pretty somber to walk through the excavated field that still contained forty plus untouched graves. The excavations that took place in the 90's exposed the world to the horrible truths of the Khmer Rouge. As one enters the field they are greeted by a eight story tower filled with 8,000 human skulls that were found among the 60 plus mass graves. This field was contained so many mass graves that after the years of weather and foot traffic actual clothing and human bones are visible on the walk path.
We next headed to the Tuol Sieng Museum that was another relic from the Pol Pot era. This former high school turned into a prison and torture site called S-21. Within the former classroom walls lies individual brick cells no bigger than 2 ft. X 8ft. These cells were filled with anyone that was thought by the regime to need interrogation or torture before they went to the killing fields. Pictures on the walls depicted torture techniques used and the many victims of this once secret prison. It was very reminiscent of the Nazi processing centers for the death camps during World War II.
So! After a packed history lesson on war and the horrible things that happen during it we are heading to Siem Reap for some more history. This time it will be visiting the famous Temples of Angkor.
Cambodia's past is filled with a genocide in which over two million Cambodians died via starvation, murder, and torture. Today the Killing Fields of Choeun Ek is a memorial and tourist attraction which aims to educate people about the atrocities that happened during the Khmer Rouge regime. More than 17,000 men, women and children where sent to this field of mass graves for execution. The people selected for this fate included all educated civilians and their families and anyone that was thought to oppose the current regime. It was pretty somber to walk through the excavated field that still contained forty plus untouched graves. The excavations that took place in the 90's exposed the world to the horrible truths of the Khmer Rouge. As one enters the field they are greeted by a eight story tower filled with 8,000 human skulls that were found among the 60 plus mass graves. This field was contained so many mass graves that after the years of weather and foot traffic actual clothing and human bones are visible on the walk path.
We next headed to the Tuol Sieng Museum that was another relic from the Pol Pot era. This former high school turned into a prison and torture site called S-21. Within the former classroom walls lies individual brick cells no bigger than 2 ft. X 8ft. These cells were filled with anyone that was thought by the regime to need interrogation or torture before they went to the killing fields. Pictures on the walls depicted torture techniques used and the many victims of this once secret prison. It was very reminiscent of the Nazi processing centers for the death camps during World War II.
So! After a packed history lesson on war and the horrible things that happen during it we are heading to Siem Reap for some more history. This time it will be visiting the famous Temples of Angkor.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Blessings of the Airport Gods
We have now experienced two airport miracles. The first occurred when we were flying from Kathmandu to Bangkok. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 3 pm and so at 12 pm we were at our hotel, packed up and doing some email when I decided to double check the flight time. To our amazement the flight was now scheduled for 1:30 pm. We jumped into a taxi, sped to the airport, and not only did we make it with time to spare, we were also bumped up to first class. That was miracle number one. Miracle number two occurred as we were leaving Thailand to go to Cambodia. Rather than travel almost 25 hours via train and bus we opted to buy some rather cheap plane tickets from Phuket to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. However, when we were booking the flights the cheapest combination only left us with one and a half hours in between. We wrongly assumed they would be able to check our baggage through to Phnom Penh and we would be okay.
When we arrived at the airport in Phuket we were informed that we needed to have three hours between flights and there was little chance for us to make our connecting flight. They recommended we queue up early to try and get a seat at the front of the plane and they would flag our baggage so it would be one of the first off the plane. However, when we arrived in Bangkok and were getting off the plane we saw a woman holding a sign with our names on it and our bags sitting next to her. She whisked us and our bags away, in our own private minibus, and dropped us off at the terminal. However, she did not give us further directions before speeding away. Since we were dropped at the A/B terminal we, again wrongly, assumed our plane must be leaving from this terminal so we ran as fast as we could, carrying our backpacks, looking for our gate. We finally found a reader board showing our flight to be leaving from the E terminal so we again ran as fast as we could in the other direction to the departures area, where we rechecked our bags and since we were in a hurry they did not even charge us for the excess weight beyond 15 kgs. Our bags currently weight 17 and 19 kgs. We then raced to passport control knowing full well this may be the stopping point for us. We overstayed our visa by one day and knew we would probably be charged for the extra day. However, we were waved through and made it to the E concourse sweaty, red-faced, breathing hard and waited for 15 minutes as our flight had suddenly become delayed.
When we arrived at the airport in Phuket we were informed that we needed to have three hours between flights and there was little chance for us to make our connecting flight. They recommended we queue up early to try and get a seat at the front of the plane and they would flag our baggage so it would be one of the first off the plane. However, when we arrived in Bangkok and were getting off the plane we saw a woman holding a sign with our names on it and our bags sitting next to her. She whisked us and our bags away, in our own private minibus, and dropped us off at the terminal. However, she did not give us further directions before speeding away. Since we were dropped at the A/B terminal we, again wrongly, assumed our plane must be leaving from this terminal so we ran as fast as we could, carrying our backpacks, looking for our gate. We finally found a reader board showing our flight to be leaving from the E terminal so we again ran as fast as we could in the other direction to the departures area, where we rechecked our bags and since we were in a hurry they did not even charge us for the excess weight beyond 15 kgs. Our bags currently weight 17 and 19 kgs. We then raced to passport control knowing full well this may be the stopping point for us. We overstayed our visa by one day and knew we would probably be charged for the extra day. However, we were waved through and made it to the E concourse sweaty, red-faced, breathing hard and waited for 15 minutes as our flight had suddenly become delayed.
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