As the Mouse Loves the Rice

---

One of the quirkier elements of traveling in Asia is the preponderance of karaoke. This is not limited to bars as it insidiously finds its way on all manner of transportation, notably buses in China and Cambodia. Until someone explained, I did not understand why the lyrics were running across the bottom of the TV screen as the music videos played on Chinese buses. It's karaoke TV or KTV. Fortunately no one sang along in China as the passengers were too busy chain smoking and spitting on the floor. Today on the bus from Phnom Penh to Saigon was the first karaoke performance witnessed on a bus. I have no idea what the song was as most of the lyrics were sung and printed in Khmer but some of the words were in English, like the chorus when the singers - video and karaoke - profess their love like that of a mouse for the rice. Do these musicians know love songs or what, "As much as the mouse loves the rice? Oh honey, that' so romantic." It was too harsh to listen. My MP3 and "L.A. Woman" saved me from bursting out laughing. What they really should have written was how much the mice love Arcteryx backpacks since that was where I found one in my hotel room a few days ago. I'm not sure what it was doing in the pack since there was no rice.

Thankfully, Cambodia was not all karaoke and mice. The country is widely known for 2 distinctions: Angkor Wat and the Khmer Rouge, both known for completely different reasons. Angkor Wat is simply amazing somehow managing to withstand the ravages of the jungle and tourist stampede. Met some folks at the guesthouse and we paid $9 to rent a tuk-tuk (a sort of motorcycle taxi) for the day to chauffeur us around the temples. It was just too hot to do any walking beyond the bare minimum. Most of the temples have been cleared of trees and shrubbery but one, Ta Prohm, has been left to nature and it was the unanimous favorite of the major temples.

Visiting the Killing Fields and S-21 prison in Phnom Penh was an altogether depressingly different and sobering experience. Both sights are oddly popular with visitors.

Have been in Vietnam for 5 days, already toured Saigon and the Mekong Delta and now find myself on the coast in Mui Ne where there is a beautiful beach and sand dunes. Vietnam has the best coffee in SE Asia, great food, and is very inexpensive. I love this place - almost as much as the mouse loves the rice!

Ciao!

---

Photos

Faces of Bayon Temple
Count 'em - 216!

Bayon
Some perspective on the seriously huge size of the faces.

Ta Prohm
Tree taking over.

Optional Balloon Ride at Sunrise
Main gate to Angkor Wat.