I'm now in country number 3 of my 'big adventure'! We have crossed the boarder from Cambodia into Vietnam. This boarder crossing was a very different experience to the entry into Cambodia. Surrounded by lush green padi fields, this boarder was a simple shed on the side of the road a barrier across. The crossing was simple and once we had each paid out $1 'fee' to the immigration officer to get our passports stamped, we were in Vietnam. The change between the two countries was immediate. Vietnam is green and lush, the houses are empty with everyone out working hard on the padi fields, and the roads and pavements are cleaner. All the roads, gardens and fields are set out in very neat well maintained rows. Above all, Vietnam is more developed than Cambodia and heck of a lot busier!
At our first night in Vietnam we stay at a small boarder town as it is too far to drive to Ho Chi Minh City in one day. Whilst Ho Chi Minh City is not the capital of Vietnam it is the main city, with 8 million people living here. With a population of 8 million here, there are 6 million motorbikes in the city, I think I have seen 5.5 million of them while I've been here, this city is so busy. The traffic is constant. Crossing the road is a mission, I think from now on I will on go to places on the same side of the road! The advice is to step out into the moving traffic and walk slowly and confidently through it, and they will go round you! This totally goes against what your brain wants you to do, which is get out of the way of the traffic, given they use the horn as a subsitutue brake. However, I have to say, it does work, they do go round you!
Whilst in Ho Chi Minh City (previously Siagon), we took a trip to see the underground tunnels that the Viet Cong used used during the 'American War', as it is called here. There is a huge network of these tunnels underground with make shift schools, hospitals and kitchens too. We went through a 100 meter stretch of the tunnels, which have supposedly been made wider since they were used by the Viet Cong. I have to say that I still struggled to get my 'western' hips through, they are very narrow!
Whilst we are in Vietnam, it is the Chineese new year, which is celebrated here. This means that most people leave the cities and return to thier families in the countryside. A lot of things close down during this time, so it could be quiet for the next 2-3 days. There are lots of decorations everywhere for the new year which make the cities look very pretty.
We are in Ho Chi Minh for just one night, and then we head to Nha Trang, on a sleeper train! We are all quite excited by this as we never have been on one before. I was pleasently surprised by the standard of the accommodation, and it is wasn't too difficult to get to sleep after taking a few minutes to get used to the rocking motion of the train. I did wake up frequently during the night though, checking the other 3 people where still in the cabin and I hadn't sleep through our stop! There are no announcemnets on the train, so it is a bit of a guessing game as to when you are approaching your stop!
We arrive in Nha Trang early in the monring after our nights sleep on the train, although not as early as planned. The train was due in at 5.45 am, but we arrived about 8.30am. Apprantly that is a pretty good time, and not much of a delay! The difference in temperature in this coastal town is noticable, I even had to wear jeans yesterday! The waves are crashing in at the moment, so there may be storm appraching. At least that will keep the mosquitos away from me for a couple of days!
Well it is on to another sleep train tonight to head to Ho An, hopfully I won't wake up so many times in the night this time!
I hope you are all well. Keep in touch and let me know what is going on with you.
Lots of love, from Katrina x x x x
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Chum riep leah to Cambodia
My blog updates might not be as frequent as promised while in South East Asia. Getting some time online has proved to be quite a challenge in the last week. After the power outage earlier in the week, I braved the Vietnam roads yesterday to get myself to another internet cafe, to be refused entry becasue I am English. Logging on today, I have also discovered that Facebook is not permitted here, so you may not hear much from me over the next couple of weeks! :o( More about Vietnam later though, I need to tell you about the rest of Cambodia first!
You can't visit Cambodia without visiting the Temples of Angkor. Myself and one of the other girls from the group took a tuk tuk for the 6km journey to Angkor and 'Mr Chuumley' was our driver for the day. The Temples of Angkor are amazing structures with Angkor Wat being the most spectacular with a grand moat surrounding it. Mr Chuumley dropped us off at the entrance to the temple and pointed to where he will wait for us, in the direction of about another 1000 tuk tuks, I thought we'll never find him! Oh well, I'll worry about that once we have looked around. We take a couple of hours walking around the temple, taking the the desgin and atmosphere. It was really hot and we had to be fully covered up to go into the temples, some not so respectful westerners were being turned away. When we left the temple, we were lucky enough to see a wedding party arrive, in tradtional Cambodian dress, which was very colourful and elaborate. I think I've put a picture on face book. On leaving the temple, we headed in the direction of the tuk tuk gathering to start the search for Mr Chuumly, and within seconds of us approaching, he sped out of the crowd and headed straight towards us having spotted us amoungst 100's of other tourists! A true pro, and well worth the $7 we paid for the day. We continued our tour around the other temples in the park, all equally impressive as Angkor Wat itself, but most of the others are not as well maintained.
Angkor Wat is close to the town of Siem Reap, which now having completed Cambodia, I can say is my favourite town in this country. In the town of Siem Reap, I've also experienced a fish massage, a head massage and several pints of Angkor beer, which costs just 50c!
On leaving Siem Reap, we travelled on a public bus to the capital city of Phnom Penh. I think maybe I just don't like capital cities, first Bangkok, and now Phnom Penh. I can take it or leave it. We had just one day and one night here which was more than enough, although some of the best food I have had so far was in this city. We used our time in Phom Penh to visit the building were the S21 touture prison was and the killing fields. We had a guide for this trip and I'm pleased we did, as it enabled us to really understand Cambodia's history. At the old site of the S21 prision, we were lucky enough to meet one of the 7 survivors from the torture prision. He is now about 80 and makes his living by visiting the prison every day to meet tourists and have thier picture taken with him.
On departing Phnom Penh we headed for the coastal town of Shioukeville, which was much appreciated after the hectic city. We stayed at an Austraillian hostel which was very appropriate as it was 'Australlia Day'. With one Aussie in our group, we all became 'aussies' for the day and celebrated in true aussie fashion, BBQ, beers and dancing. There were several sore heads the next day, pictures to follow.
Keeping track of how much money I am spending is quite complex. In Cambodia the loal currency is Real, however US Dollars are also accepted. When paying in dollars, you get change in real. There are 4,000 real to one dollar. This was enough to tax my brain, but we have now arrived in Vietnam where we are using the Dong, and there are about 22,000 of these to one US dollar. Trying to work out how many english pounds something costs is near on impossible with my mathamatical abilities.
Well, thats about all I have time to write about for now as there are people hovering waiting to use the computer. As much as I am loving seeing these different countries, the last few days have been tough and I've been missing you all lots! So if I'm not in touch its because the powers that control cyber space are stopping me, but I am thinking of you all.
Mum, I hope you had a lovely birthday and Dad doesn't mind the garden looking like an airport runway with the solar lights :o)
Adams, there is one thing everywhere in South East Asia has is common, an inability to make a smooth join between the road and a bridge. With the number of rivers we've crossed, I reckon I am about 2 bridges away from joining you in the 'bulging disc' club :o)
Lots of love
Katrina x x x x x x x x x x
You can't visit Cambodia without visiting the Temples of Angkor. Myself and one of the other girls from the group took a tuk tuk for the 6km journey to Angkor and 'Mr Chuumley' was our driver for the day. The Temples of Angkor are amazing structures with Angkor Wat being the most spectacular with a grand moat surrounding it. Mr Chuumley dropped us off at the entrance to the temple and pointed to where he will wait for us, in the direction of about another 1000 tuk tuks, I thought we'll never find him! Oh well, I'll worry about that once we have looked around. We take a couple of hours walking around the temple, taking the the desgin and atmosphere. It was really hot and we had to be fully covered up to go into the temples, some not so respectful westerners were being turned away. When we left the temple, we were lucky enough to see a wedding party arrive, in tradtional Cambodian dress, which was very colourful and elaborate. I think I've put a picture on face book. On leaving the temple, we headed in the direction of the tuk tuk gathering to start the search for Mr Chuumly, and within seconds of us approaching, he sped out of the crowd and headed straight towards us having spotted us amoungst 100's of other tourists! A true pro, and well worth the $7 we paid for the day. We continued our tour around the other temples in the park, all equally impressive as Angkor Wat itself, but most of the others are not as well maintained.
Angkor Wat is close to the town of Siem Reap, which now having completed Cambodia, I can say is my favourite town in this country. In the town of Siem Reap, I've also experienced a fish massage, a head massage and several pints of Angkor beer, which costs just 50c!
On leaving Siem Reap, we travelled on a public bus to the capital city of Phnom Penh. I think maybe I just don't like capital cities, first Bangkok, and now Phnom Penh. I can take it or leave it. We had just one day and one night here which was more than enough, although some of the best food I have had so far was in this city. We used our time in Phom Penh to visit the building were the S21 touture prison was and the killing fields. We had a guide for this trip and I'm pleased we did, as it enabled us to really understand Cambodia's history. At the old site of the S21 prision, we were lucky enough to meet one of the 7 survivors from the torture prision. He is now about 80 and makes his living by visiting the prison every day to meet tourists and have thier picture taken with him.
On departing Phnom Penh we headed for the coastal town of Shioukeville, which was much appreciated after the hectic city. We stayed at an Austraillian hostel which was very appropriate as it was 'Australlia Day'. With one Aussie in our group, we all became 'aussies' for the day and celebrated in true aussie fashion, BBQ, beers and dancing. There were several sore heads the next day, pictures to follow.
Keeping track of how much money I am spending is quite complex. In Cambodia the loal currency is Real, however US Dollars are also accepted. When paying in dollars, you get change in real. There are 4,000 real to one dollar. This was enough to tax my brain, but we have now arrived in Vietnam where we are using the Dong, and there are about 22,000 of these to one US dollar. Trying to work out how many english pounds something costs is near on impossible with my mathamatical abilities.
Well, thats about all I have time to write about for now as there are people hovering waiting to use the computer. As much as I am loving seeing these different countries, the last few days have been tough and I've been missing you all lots! So if I'm not in touch its because the powers that control cyber space are stopping me, but I am thinking of you all.
Mum, I hope you had a lovely birthday and Dad doesn't mind the garden looking like an airport runway with the solar lights :o)
Adams, there is one thing everywhere in South East Asia has is common, an inability to make a smooth join between the road and a bridge. With the number of rivers we've crossed, I reckon I am about 2 bridges away from joining you in the 'bulging disc' club :o)
Lots of love
Katrina x x x x x x x x x x
Sunday, January 23, 2011
No mans land....
OK, here is my first post! I'll try and keep it short with no waffle for you!
Right, I'm going to cut straight to Cambodia. I have very little to say about Bangkok. The best thing about Bangkok was seeing Hannah and Chris (thank you for looking after me guys!) , but other than that, all I can say is, it is hectic, scary, intimidating and crazy! They say you either love or hate Bangkok, I'm going to remain open minded until I return there for a couple nights in 4 weeks, and give it a second chance, but at the moment, I am near to hating it!
OK, so 3 days after arriving in Bangkok, its time to hit the road and head to the boarder, Poipet. On the drive to the boarder, within 30 minutes of leaving the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, you can really see the changing landscape. On route we encounter the standard driving of the Thai's (crazy with no adherence to any driving rules, its each for their own on the road), and experience the 'long drop'along with the 'scoop and slosh' toilets, I think I'll be seeing a lot more of these.
After a 4 hour drive, we arrive at the Thailand/Cambodia boarder of Poipet which is a bustling market town, with a great atmosphere. After a spot of lunch we join the queues to leave Thailand. A relatively simple process, where you have your photo taken and your passport stamped. The immigration officer grumbled as he had to adjust the height of the camera to take a photo of me, as I'm slightly taller than the average Thai! I don't think a photo of my chest was enough to clear immigration! On exiting Thailand, we enter 'no mans land'. Surprisingly there is a hell of a lot of people in 'no mans land' It is full of casinos used by Thai's to gamble, as gambling is illegal in Thailand. After we have battled our way through no mans land, we go through immigration to enter Cambodia. I didn't like to ask what happens if you exit Thailand, but are refused entry to Cambodia....stuck in no mans land I guess!
We continue our journey to the hotel by public bus and arrive at the town of Siem Reap. Home of Angkor Wat. In the evening we take tuk tuks to a local village for a tour and dinner. On route, I'm lucky enough to be on the tuk tuk that breaks down. The driver gets off, has a fiddle around, and then gets back on saying....."it is working now, it has no brakes, but it is working"......beleive me, you need brakes on a tuk tuk in Cambodia, same as the Thais, crazy driving. I hold on to the hand rail a lot tighter as we continue the journey!
On arrival at the village, I feel a little awkaward as we walk around taking photos of peoples houses etc, but the locals genuinely seemed to enjoying us being there. The children drawed pictures for us, played games with us and we helped them with their English. They provide a Cambodian meal for us, which was delicious.
We get in our tuk tuk's to return to Siem Reap Center, I try and avoid the one without brakes! We head stright to the vibrant night market where we indulde in a ' fish massage'. This involves putting your feet in water while the fish nibble at you to remove the dead skin! Included in this treat is a shoulder massage and a can of local beer, including a straw to drink it with. What more can you want for $2!
The heart breaking history of Cambodia is everywhere. The civil war ended only 12 years ago, 75% of the population is under 21 as a result of all the people lost in the civil war. Everywhere you look, there is evidence of the landmines, with many peole having lost limbs and other injuires. There are still new victims of landmines everyday. Despite this, the culture in Siem Reap is vibrant, friendly relaxed.
Tomorrow takes us to Angkor Wat, again by tuk tuk, I hope tomorrow's has brakes!
Aplogies for the spelling, the spell checker is being a bit selective!
x X x
Right, I'm going to cut straight to Cambodia. I have very little to say about Bangkok. The best thing about Bangkok was seeing Hannah and Chris (thank you for looking after me guys!) , but other than that, all I can say is, it is hectic, scary, intimidating and crazy! They say you either love or hate Bangkok, I'm going to remain open minded until I return there for a couple nights in 4 weeks, and give it a second chance, but at the moment, I am near to hating it!
OK, so 3 days after arriving in Bangkok, its time to hit the road and head to the boarder, Poipet. On the drive to the boarder, within 30 minutes of leaving the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, you can really see the changing landscape. On route we encounter the standard driving of the Thai's (crazy with no adherence to any driving rules, its each for their own on the road), and experience the 'long drop'along with the 'scoop and slosh' toilets, I think I'll be seeing a lot more of these.
After a 4 hour drive, we arrive at the Thailand/Cambodia boarder of Poipet which is a bustling market town, with a great atmosphere. After a spot of lunch we join the queues to leave Thailand. A relatively simple process, where you have your photo taken and your passport stamped. The immigration officer grumbled as he had to adjust the height of the camera to take a photo of me, as I'm slightly taller than the average Thai! I don't think a photo of my chest was enough to clear immigration! On exiting Thailand, we enter 'no mans land'. Surprisingly there is a hell of a lot of people in 'no mans land' It is full of casinos used by Thai's to gamble, as gambling is illegal in Thailand. After we have battled our way through no mans land, we go through immigration to enter Cambodia. I didn't like to ask what happens if you exit Thailand, but are refused entry to Cambodia....stuck in no mans land I guess!
We continue our journey to the hotel by public bus and arrive at the town of Siem Reap. Home of Angkor Wat. In the evening we take tuk tuks to a local village for a tour and dinner. On route, I'm lucky enough to be on the tuk tuk that breaks down. The driver gets off, has a fiddle around, and then gets back on saying....."it is working now, it has no brakes, but it is working"......beleive me, you need brakes on a tuk tuk in Cambodia, same as the Thais, crazy driving. I hold on to the hand rail a lot tighter as we continue the journey!
On arrival at the village, I feel a little awkaward as we walk around taking photos of peoples houses etc, but the locals genuinely seemed to enjoying us being there. The children drawed pictures for us, played games with us and we helped them with their English. They provide a Cambodian meal for us, which was delicious.
We get in our tuk tuk's to return to Siem Reap Center, I try and avoid the one without brakes! We head stright to the vibrant night market where we indulde in a ' fish massage'. This involves putting your feet in water while the fish nibble at you to remove the dead skin! Included in this treat is a shoulder massage and a can of local beer, including a straw to drink it with. What more can you want for $2!
The heart breaking history of Cambodia is everywhere. The civil war ended only 12 years ago, 75% of the population is under 21 as a result of all the people lost in the civil war. Everywhere you look, there is evidence of the landmines, with many peole having lost limbs and other injuires. There are still new victims of landmines everyday. Despite this, the culture in Siem Reap is vibrant, friendly relaxed.
Tomorrow takes us to Angkor Wat, again by tuk tuk, I hope tomorrow's has brakes!
Aplogies for the spelling, the spell checker is being a bit selective!
x X x
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