Indo China

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Indochina Discovery

Thursday
With the fires of financial turmoil burning furiously, fanned by a hysterical press, it was good time to escape to the other side of the world. We flew with Malaysian Airlines who, I had discovered, are one of the top rated airlines in the world. And they were very good, but even their high rating could not improve the indifferent food. Adding lots of salt and closing your eyes when eating helps, I find.

I have come to the conclusion that the road between the airport and the city it serves is no indicator of what the country will be like. And the more dictatorial and centralised the government the starker the difference. In China the road very often was beautifully manicured, flowers everywhere and no potholes. Its all about giving a good first impression. And Malaysia is a bit like that, though not as extreme, and it made me think fondly of the road from Heathrow to the centre of London. I think we don’t really care about first impressions but “take us as you find us” which I quite like.

Kuala Lumpur is a modern Asian city and has a very impressive skyline dominated by the two magnificent Petronas towers; the tallest twin towers in the world.
Our hotel, the Westin was also impressively tall and our 18th floor room had fantastic views, particularly during a fearsome thunderstorm. It’s very strange to watch rain fall past your window as it plummets another 17 floors to the ground.

One thing I noticed as I unpacked for the first time was all the electrical items and their associated leads and chargers. They fill a bag on their own. Toothbrush and charger, beard trimmer, iPod for music. iPod speakers, camera and charger and leads, two iPhones and their chargers and of course plug socket converters.. How much will we still have at the end of he trip?

Kuala Lumpur has a huge range of eating venues from top class gourmet restaurants to numerous street side vendors. We were told of a street full of restaurants so we set off with hopes of a huge choice of fabulous cafes, air conditioned and a welcome refuge from the tropical rain. But no. It was a street but a street with plastic tables down both sides and kitchens behind in the run down buildings. Still needs must, so we made our way past all the “restaurants” and their owners who could see us as dollars walking past. We eventually made for the kitchen with most people. And in fact it was very good Chinese. The rain fell and we huddled under the umbrellas which were just small enough to give us wet backs. But at least it was warm and we didn’t have to eat “inside” which had the atmosphere of an abattoir. The owner, a lovely lady, was very chatty and proudly showed us pictures of her place in magazines. Apparently quite a famous restaurant. It was quite comforting to hear that the economy here in vibrant Asia was suffering from the global slowdown, just like UK.

We stopped at a bar which was claimed to be the most extensive in the world. It certainly had a lot of glass and granite and unusually no long bar as such just a number of drinking stations. Quite unusual and obviously it has become another ex-pats favourite.


Friday
We have one day in Kuala Lumpur (or KL as it is known by the locals) so we signed up for a comprehensive city tour. Lots of big buildings of course but an oasis in the centre with a cricket pitch overlooked by black and white pavilion. We drove around in the traffic and saw the various sights which were generally un-remarkable and of course we had the obligatory tour of a batik factory and a modern pewter factory which at least had air conditioning.

After last nights meal on the street we decided to have a rather more upmarket meal in the splendid hotel. After some very nice courses of sushi, fish and tasty meat I chose “5 ways with durian”. Durian is the infamous fruit, about the size of pineapple which is hugely popular in Asia. However its drawback is its smell. The local description is “smells like hell, tastes like heaven”. It is banned from public transport and our hotel room had warnings “No smoking and no Durian in this room”. Three of the five ways of my dessert were quite innocuous with just a hint of what was to become, but the last two desserts were quite challenging. The best way I could describe the taste is like the smell of the inside of an onion after it has rotted inside. I managed to eat it, but it was a close run thing.

We had an early call at 5am so got to bed about 11 only to be woken at 1pm by a noisy party in our room. Well, it wasn’t in our room but it sounded like it. Anyway a call to security soon put an end to it. Ha!

Saturday
We had an early check out at 6 which may have contributed to the debacle which followed. Our friend and I have the same credit cards which we gave to the receptionist who put a card in the pin machine and handed it back to the wrong person. 3 incorrect pins left and my card is locked and unusable. Luckily we have a backup otherwise it would have been a difficult situation.

As we landed in Saigon airport (now called Ho Chi Minh City or HCM) we saw the first reminders of the Vietnam war (or American war as it is called here). Rows and rows of bomb-proof concrete aircraft hangers, now being used as storage sheds and workshops. The airport, fortunately, was not made of bomb-proof concrete but was quite new and shiney, like many of the airports in the area. Perhaps, we thought, Saigon is a modern sophisticated city like Kuala Lumpur. Our guide soon put us right with the most important advice: When crossing the road do not wait for a gap in the traffic because there will not be one. Simply step out into the traffic and maintain a steady walk across the street. Look straight ahead. Do not stop or make eye contact. Keep to these simple rules and you have a fair chance of reaching the other side of the road. How we laughed at this advice. But we soon found out it was the only way to cross a road. We tested it out in the evening and it made walking in the city so traumatic we soon had to find refuge in the rooftop bar of the Majestic hotel (mentioned in “The Quiet American” an atmospheric novel by Graham Greene)
The traffic in Saigon has to be seen to be believed. It is 90% scooters or mopeds, 5% bicycles and 5% cars. The roads are full of them weaving in and out and the most incredible fact is that on all the 1000s of heads it was diificult to spot 2 identical helmets. Apparently only last year were helmets made compulsory and that has encouraged a huge helmet market (some of dubious quality) and everyone appears to have a different one.

The buildings in the town are generally run down but you can see the French influence, especially in the centre where there is a wide boulevard where the Americans ran the country and apparently only had to cross the road from their the luxury hotel to government buildings to tell them what to do. Or so the guide told us.
Our first meal was excellent. Lovely tastes and textures and for me, hellishly hot. Like the weather. However we were very tired and one of us impressively fell asleep in the middle of a his sentence. Getting home by taxis was another experience; flying along in a car with the scooters buzzing around us like a swarm of impatient bees.

Sunday
Off to the tunnels today. These are the tunnels made by the Vietcong in the
60s during the Vietnam war or, as they call it, the American war. It was an
interesting and amazing place and the description of the life they led fighting for their country made me admire them immensely. Of course the view we were given was very definitely from their point of view but nevertheless it made you wonder what the Americans thought they were doing. The French had ruled the country (not particularly well) and had just been defeated by the Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh so they called on America to help and of course they waded in, and saw communists (the American’s bogeyman) everywhere. The guide called the Americans the enemy and we began to think of them as such as well. They carpet bombed this area and when this did not work (unsurprisingly) they used chemicals (Agent Orange) to destroy all plant life and which has affected people here for generations. Currently 2 million people are affected by Agent Orange. People in this area hate Americans and one of the highest awards they got was for killing lots of them The Americans left in 1973 beaten but afterwards the newly united Vietnam closed in on itself and the communist government impoverished the people. This was the time of the boat people. However, as normally happens, in the 80s the government realised all the collectivisation and central control was not working so changed direction (as China did) and opened up and allowed free enterprise and trade with the rest of the world. And like China it makes you wonder how they ever thought they could control these people when it seems every person wants to be an entrepreneur and own a shop.

Anyway back to the tunnels and we were given the opportunity to go down a
tunnel and some of us tried. As I crawled on my hands and knees through a claustrophobic hole my admiration for the fighters increased. No wonder in modern Vietnam they are seen as heroes. I would hate to have been an American soldier walking through this jungle where a ferocious Vietcong could pop up from, literally anywhere, and shoot you. And if you didn’t get shot you could be a victim of the many vicious man-traps we were shown.

Back in Saigon town the museum was interesting for the history of the area and for explaining the 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam. And we also learnt about the myriad of invaders throughout the centuries. The catholic cathedral built by the French in 1890s supports the 10% Catholics in the country and the similarly French built post office must one of the most impressive I have seen anywhere.
As I walked through the streets to a market I realised I had a continual smile on my face. How strange! I think it’s the bustle and the people and the traffic everywhere.

We selected a top restaurant for our evening meal and gave the taxi the address. He turned of the main road into a lane populated by many very pretty ladies in very short skirts. Being a man of the world it was obvious what this area’s main trade was. The restaurant, right in the middle, was very good though.

Monday
A disaster today! I have been prone to back problems for many years and I blame bad posture and bad car seats but I had thought I could control it now. Obviously not because my back “went” dramatically in the bathroom. I managed to get to the bed but did not, and could not, move off it for about 8 hours. Toilet? Icebucket! I had excellent nursing from J who missed a not to missed boat trip on the Mekong. During my blackest moments (about 10am) I really thought my holiday was over. Or at least I would miss the next few days and have to fly to Hanoi and catch up with the others. I managed to email my Osteopath in the UK using my laptop lying on my back. He gave me advice, including not to use the local masseuse! Room service provided my food including my evening meal (can of beer and half a club sandwich) I had while others went out to a splendid restaurant. Problem is we are flying out of Saigon tomorrow and I can hardly move from the bed.

Tuesday
I have weighed everything up and I must to get on the plane, so with a mouthful of painkillers I got dressed very slowly and shuffled to reception and from there onto the coach and to the airport. It was very painful and I couldn’t stand for long. When I had to prop myself upright at check-in I nearly passed out but I made it onto the plane. The flight was only 1 hour but not much fun for me wedged in small seats. I was grateful it was not the 12 flight home. At Danang airport we were picked up in a coach and while the others visited the Cham museum (an ethnic group who I think had roots in India) I stretched out along the back seat of the coach. Bliss! And I think I got the best deal. The coach then took us to our hotel in Hoi An.

Wednesday
Seems my back is affecting my brain because of a very funny incident: After breakfast my back was uncomfortable so I thought I would go back to our room and stretch out on the bed. I noticed the room was nice and clean (how efficient I thought) as I flopped on the bed and turned the TV on. I watched some sport for 10 minutes and noticed they had also tidied away the suitcases. Must be in the wardrobe I thought. And J had not returned so I assumed she was enjoying the excellent breakfast. The phone rang and a voice asked for a colleague. I said there was no one here but me and put the phone down. What a strange call! Then it dawned on me. This is not my room. It was 501 not 401. When I told reception they laughed. A lot.

My Son is a collection of Hindu temples about 1000 years old but only discovered 100 years ago. And when you see rampant jungle here you can understand why such big building can be lost. I love the jungle here with its butterflies and lizards and the wonderful jungle sounds. The temples are in various states of disrepair and many of the towers were destroyed by fighting in the 60s and 70s. More victims of a very tragic time in Vietnam.


We took a boat trip from Hoi An to a pottery village which probably once was a thriving industrial centre but is now very poor. Children tried to sell us pottery animal whistle which, disconcertingly, you blew through its bottom. The children had to be quick selling them to us, which they did successfully, because later on we all got free ones with our entry ticket. We now have 3 of them at home. You can see why they are poor because they are using methods unchanged for 1000s of years and no doubt in other parts of Vietnam some entrepreneur is churning out pots by the thousands. Here they still use 2 people to turn a pot: one to turn the wheel and one to shape the clay.

Another village we visited was overlooked by a wonderful soviet style poster, the size of small house which apparently said something like “Your local communist party encourages you to run profitable businesses” and it seems this had been taken to heart because almost every house was a shop of some type. The communists still run the country and you have to be a member to get on. There is also a lot of corruption. But people don’t look down trodden. In fact they look quite happy, possibly because they are not actually at war with anyone.

Our meal in the evening was in a restaurant owned by a Vietnamese who had returned home after living in the west. This is now more common as the Vietnam government welcomes back those who left in the 70s and 80s. They need their skills and energy .

Thursday
It’s a long coach trip today. Hurray! But my back is bearing up quite well. You feel quite safe in a coach because its bigger than just about anything on the road, but nevertheless there are moments of sheer terror, such as when our driver decides he has to get past a slower lorry on the outside of a hairpin bend. Luckily there is very little traffic on the roads and, to a coach driver, scooters and cycles don’t count as proper traffic. Traffic lights are optional of course, and I saw a girl on a scooter go the wrong way round a roundabout, avoiding all the oncoming traffic. No doubt in time all the 1000s of scooters will be upgraded to cars and by then they should think about driving tests. And introducing white lines. At the moment their driving strategy is based on assumption of what other drivers will do. And the need to keep moving. When the scooters are swapped to cars this is a recipe for disaster.

As we roared along the empty roads (apart from scooters and cycles) it was noticeable that women wear trousers and never dresses or skirts. And they wear masks to stop the sun burning their face. And some wear long gloves as well. A pale complexion is fashionable because it suggests you do not toil on the land. Just like in Elizabeth I’s time. Women appear to be quite equal with men, participating in all types of business. A bank I used, for example was completely female run. They even play football with the men.

One of our number, P, has a smiley face and a largish stomach and every day someone has come up to him and patted his stomach and said “Happy Buddha”. We find this very funny, though its wearing a bit thin for P.

There do not seem to be many satellite dishes attached to houses, which is very different to China where the meanest hut would have a shiney satellite dish attached. Perhaps they just do not watch tv.

Our evening meal was in a restaurant recommended by a tour book and we were not disappointed when we arrived. The food was very good, though I have forgotten what we had. Décor as usual is minimal and the dining area opens onto the street. We weren’t too perturbed by the cockroaches scuttling around on the floor. Though if they ran around on the table we may have been a little concerned.

Friday
Its Mauseleum day. Two quite recent emperors (the last one died in the 1920s) built huge mausoleums for themselves. A memorial to their vanity. The last one put taxes up 30% to pay for its construction. And this in an already poor country. Apparently he died because Ho Chi Minh wrote a satire about him in Paris where he was a journalist. If this is true then the emperor seems a bit of a wimp. But he does have a very impressive mausoleum. The emperors were, in fact, controlled by the French who could remove them as they wished.

There are strange houses in North Vietnam. Very narrow but 3 or four storeys high quite long amd made of concrete so they look like grey cereal packets. Quite sensible in town but they look odd standing on their own in the countryside.

We stayed in Hai Phong and all I can remember, apart from the nice hotel, is that the street lights were turned off to save electricity.

Saturday
The good thing about these guided holidays is the guides. And on our 2hr coach trip to Ha Long bay we had a fascinating talk about Vietnam history. And this time it from the North Vietnames perspective.
We boarded a lovely wooden junk for a trip round the bay which is a World Heritage Site. The legend is that when the local Vietnamese were fighting the Chinese invaders (quite common) a dragon spat out gems into the bay and these became islands. That is probably unlikely, however the result are 2000 spectacular jungle topped islands rising staright out of the sea. Some are hollow and indeed we went through a magnificent cave system, the size of a large church which had been discovered only in 1993. Many people live on the water amongst the islands farming fish in nets strung below their bobbing houses. Huge sea eagles soar and swoop in the air. It’s a great scene. The food on the boat did justice to the surroundings: Fried shrimp, Crabs in their shells, Sea bream type fish and Spring Rolls with Squid. And beer of course.
It was just fantastic to be sailing along with a nice sea breeze eating delicious food surrounded by spectacular scenery. One of the best experiences.

Back to earth, or more precisely to Hanoi. We stayed at the Melia hotel which is yet another very nice hotel. The bar is obviously full of ex-pats living and working in Hanoi and they bring their own “ambience” to the place. And it charged high Ex-pat prices. We decided not to eat in the hotel so found a Thai -ish restaurant. The main course was decidedly average and before we could even contemplate a dessert they presented us the bill because it was 10pm and they wanted to close! Didn’t want a dessert anyway!

Sunday
We found our hotel was only 100 metres from the infamous Hanoi Hilton, where captured American Soldiers were imprisoned. In keeping with the rest of the country the building has been redeveloped and is now high rise flats. Some of it remains as a
Museum which we did not visit but apparently it paints a sanitised version of its grim history. Our first temple had the normal temple parts to it but also a musical group of probably mother and daughters who treated us to 2 or 3 pieces of local music. When they finished they moved extrordianarily quickly to get amongst us to sell us their CD. We did and later learnt the local music, like local wine, is great in its own area but bring it back to your dining room and you wonder why you ever bought it.
Ho Chi Minh is a hero here and his very modest house is a huge attraction. Its small and wooden and lies in the palace grounds. He chose not to live in the grand French built palace. Good for him. He is known affectionately as Uncle Ho.

We visited an art gallery which was interesting for its collection of stirring war paintings. Again, understandably, the local Vietnamese are heroes and the Americans are uncaring invaders, bent on destroying their lives. And you constantly ask “Why were the Americans and the others here?”

There is nothing like a rickshaw ride in the mad mad streets of Hanoi. In Saigon they would have been motorised but here its all human leg power. Some pedallers were quite small and their passengers quite big but they managed somehow. I think is was a matter of pride. But is was a fantastic experience albeit frightening.

One of the “must-sees” (I hate that phrase, I also hate “It’s a big ask”) are the water puppets, which you must see. Imagine a stage with a pool containing dyed blue water about 1m deep. A curtain hides the back half of the pool. A puppet appears from behind the curtain and runs or swims around the front half. The clever thing is you can’t see the puppeteer who is behind the curtain. Bizarre but entertaining for a short time in very small seats.


Monday
We say goodbye to Vietnam today. We enjoyed the country and the people very much. We particularly liked the food and concluded it was better than food in China.
We have been on the go since we landed in Vietnam so we sort of have a day off, except we have to fly to Luang Prabang in Laos. Since our first flight from Heathrow on a jumbo jet we have been flying on progressively smaller planes. The plane to Laos has propellers and we hope they don’t get any smaller.
The hotel is outside the town of Luang Prabang and has a wonderful tropical feel to it. Wooden, low and airey it is surrounded by jungle. It is also the only hotel with built in mosquito nets around the beds, though disturbingly my net had 50p piece sized holes in it - we just hope the mosquitoes don’t find them. Amazingly we have nothing arranged in the afternoon so we laze around the beautiful pool in the tropical gardens until it gets too hot.
There is still noticeable French influence in Laos, and although the French are not universally liked, they left their influence on the cuisine and in the evening we ate at a very French restaurant where I had coq au vin. You can’t get much more French than that. It was very good. And the Laotian national game is petanque!

Tuesday
Back to the unrelenting tour programme today with a walk through the food market. Luang Prabang is a UNESCO town and appears to be chic and wealthy with lots of restaurants, bars and tourist shops. It appears out of step with the rest of the country where the average income is $50 a month. Money must have been pumped into the town. The food market in the town is, however, a jolt back to a more basic lifestyle. As well as the wonderful herbs, spices and vegetables there is a wide variety of meat. For fresh meat there were some moles tethered by their legs to a brick. Presumably if you want one of the furry little creatures they are reeled in and despatched and put in a bag for you. For pre-prepared meat there was a brace of king fishers, without feathers. These are not for meat because there isn’t any on them but they add a nice flavour to a soup. Blackened squirrel split down the centre. Or how about a bucket of blood from the butcher who has fresh meat on his table. You have to buy quickly or the flies will eat it before you. It was a quite a sight for our sanitised, soft western eyes.

We made our way to the river and boarded a long boat furnished with very comfortable car seats, and set off up the Mekong. Much of the cultivation along the banks had been washed away by a recent flood but already, with admirable optimism, farmers were back re-cultivating and planting the scoured banks.

One side of the river was thick jungle and it was remarked how quiet it was - there was no animal or bird sound - possibly because they had all been eaten. There were lots of butterflies though, but you can’t eat butterflies, not even the Lao.

We landed on a sandy bank in order to visit a village in the jungle (apparently the village receives money from the travel company to lets us wander around).
We walked up the sandy bank to the houses. They were all on stilts, for flood and rodent protection. It was midday so most of the men were fishing or farming in the jungle. The women were washing, making rice pancakes and doing general house hold chores. The children were at the school and looked smart in their uniforms.
Beautiful butterflies fliited amongst the tropical plants and trees which grew in the village. When we left the boys swam naked laughing and shrieking out to the boat to wave goodbye. The were obviously carefree and happy. So it appears a perfect simple life, but most of the huts had satellite dishes and of course mobile phones were everywhere. And I read of a village who came in from the jungle because life was just too unbearable. Their clothes were made of bark and all the time they had to try and find food. At night they had to sleep in a sort of cage as protection from tigers. The village elder had a wife and 9 children. He now had only 2 children left and had had enough. So they walked to “civilisation” and now live in a more secure village with modern amenities.

Back in the boat we moved onto a cave full of Buddhas. I have forgotten why they were there but there are lots of them. As we walked up the hill to another cave, children offered us birds in cages for a $1. Having seen the local food market we assumed they were a tasty snack so declined. However the idea is that you pay $1 to free the bird and then you get luck, long life etc etc. I wondered how many times those birds had been released and re-captured. The lizards we were offered were, however, offered as a tasty snack.


After a spicy lunch we walked back through a village to our coach. Apart from the usual stalls selling blankets shawls shoes etc (who incidentally pack up their items after the last tourist boat and head to the town for the night shift) we found more unusual itemsm such as scorpians and cobras in whisky and, unfortunately, bears paws. The petrol station for the mopeds and scooters took the form of an old lady sitting on chair surrounded by bottles of petrol.
Laos does not have an awful lot going for it at the moment but it does have lots of teak trees which are sustainably farmed for the export market and is quite lucrative. Another stop at a paper making shop which had elephant dung paper which, of course, made the tourists giggle and buy.

Evening was a rather disappointing Italian type meal, but we couldn’t find anything better at the time, and it was quite nice to sit outside and watch the traffic.


Wednesday
Another temple day so to invigorate myself I went for a solo swim in the beautiful pool surrounded by tropical plants and colourful butterflies (the birds had been eaten).

Temple 1 had monks in it doing their rituals. Apparently it had been burnt down by the Chinese 100 years ago. I suspect the Chinese were on an organised temple tour and had visited too many temples and this one was the last straw, so they burnt it.

Temple 2 had a Buddha you could try and lift, and if you could then you got the normal things - good luck, long life etc etc. With the state of my back I declined the opportunity.

Food is understandably cheap here. Lunch of a very hot and delicious meaty soup, with a large beer was just £3. Cheap but that is one tenth of the average monthly wage.

Temple 3 then through then a fantastic 50 minute walk through green lush tropical jungle full of colourful flowers and butterflies to a huge waterfall. We passed a bear sanctuary housing many saved bears (and you can understand why they need a sanctuary in Laos) and a tiger sanctuary (whose only guest had recently died). The walk was wonderfully hot and steamy and we saw many giant fantastical plants.

As much as the walk was enjoyable we turned down the chance of a further walk and opted, thankfully for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Bliss!

After our “rest” we were driven to the airport and onto a small Lao Air propeller driven plane for a 40 minute flight to the capital Ventiene. The only thing I can remember is the colour scheme of the seats which could be described as “explosion in paint factory”

Thursday
Vientiene is flat and even hotter than the jungle based Luang Prabang. It is the capital of a country which doesn’t do an awful lot. The city is made up of 25% government employees, 25% private and 50% farmers, which seems a high proportion of farmers for a city. There are lots of temples here and more importantly I found a shop with a Chinese copy of my beloved apple iPhone. I coud tell it was a cheap fake because the Apple logo was stuck on and starting to peel off.
However it does have the best and most honest monument description affixed to their version of the Arc de Triumph (more French influence). The Arc is modelled on the Parisian one but made cheaply with substandard concrete. Their own sign says on the outside “…built in 1962 but never completed due to the country’s turbulent history. Closer it is even less impressive and is a monster of concrete” !

Quick walk round the golden Stupa (a mausoleum), avoiding the bird sellers, drink on the banks of the Mekong and back for dinner. But the strangest dinner, in terms of organisation I have ever had. Here is my best explanation:
7 of us ordered 4 starters with 7 mains to follow. 2 mains arrived first. Then
2 starters. Then a starter for one parson who was half way through their main.
Then some more main courses then a starter. The waiter did apologize and said
there was a problem with the kitchen. By now some people had finished both
starter and their main course. One person still had nothing then his main
arrived quickly followed by his starter. Fantastic! We didn't stop for dessert.

Friday
The joys of travel. 4am alarm for 6.30 flight. Airline food is always interesting in how perfectly good food can be turned into something inedible but the food we were offered must have won awards. But not good awards. There was coconut gel like stuff, a dried banana (organic) and a roll with bright green (almost luminous) paste nobody was able to identify. Not very appealing at 7am.

As we left the Laos I decided I liked the country. They seem to have been the victim in so many conflicts, and dominated by surrounding countries. They are poor now and do get a lot of financial aid. The forest is fantastic and I remember clearly the butterfly which was so big we thought it was a bird. (But of course if it had been a bird it would have been eaten)

And so to another unfortunate country: Cambodia.

We landed at lovely new Siem Riep airport designed to look Cambodian. Probably the prettiest airport I have seen, anywhere. Siem Riep is the town to stay at if you are visiting Angkor Wat and surroundings. Yet another nice hotel with very nice coffee and a lovely swimming pool we took advantage of in the afternoon.

Cheap transport has varied in each country - in Vietnam we had rickshaws. Laos we used a purpose built motorbike with bench seats and space for 4, but in Cambodia it was a normal moped with a trailor for 2 attached, or only just attached, to the drivers seat. The benefit was that at weekends I presume they could unhook the trailer and use the moped on its own. Very practical but not a little scarey for passengers going round corners. Or going straight for that matter. We survived and hit the town and chose a “Khmer owned” restaurant. We were led through the nice dining area and into an alley where our table awaited. Not a problem but it did mean we were exposed to children selling things. However they had an interesting selling ticket. After telling the 9 year old where we were from he told us the population of London then he named all the prime ministers in correct order right back to James Callaghan. After this performance I had to buy a $5 book about the infamous Pol Pot (in fact an excellent and very interesting book). Word must have got round because another bright-as-a-button child turned up and challenged me to a game of noughts and crosses. He won of course so I handed over $1. Great food though.

After this excitement we strolled to a vibrant bar where Halloween was being celebrated in a variety of outrageous costumes. Could have been anywhere in the world.

Saturday
Angkor Wat to me was a big old temple in the jungle. What I didn’t realise until I got here is the sheer size of the area and that Angkor Wat is just one of many temples.

We stopped first at Angkor Tom which is a huge temple and town complex behind 8m walls in a 3km square. The moat which surrounds it is 12km long and 100m wide (and originally was full of crocodiles). It was built between 12th and 14th centuries. Now most has been recovered from the jungle but its still wonderful and steamy. There are carved faces everywhere and detailed friezes of life here 600years ago.

Angkor Wat is a few kilometres from Angkor Tom and is the largest religious building in world. Again is enclosed by a wall and moat (and people trying to sell you something) . We were given a shortened story of the place by our enthusiastic guide but for the life of me I cannot remember any of it - well it was very hot and humid. The temple really is very big , grey and black. It is not a ruin but is very eroded.

In fact our guide was very entertaining. He told us he had a mynah bird which he fed chillis and grasshoppers and scraped its tongue to make it soft and a better talker. It died when it twisted its neck looking at something. He swore it was true.

Sunday
One of the most amazing places in Cambodia is the big lake in the centre which grows by 4 times in the rainy season to become one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world. And on this lake there are villages. The houses may be shed sized and in dire need of repair, or may be big and well maintained (like any village I suppose), Schools float, clinics, shops and even a floating basketball court. There was a floating catholic school. One boat was for charging your battery required to work your floating homes’s lights and, of course, your television. The occupants are mainly fishers and you see them reeling in the nets full of little fish. Its all very basic and in the dry season they will float away and follow the receding waters and the fish. Apart from poverty they have a problem with cobras who, apparently can be deterred by a special type of lemon. There are also crocodiles but the ones we saw were safely in a tank and ready for export.

Back on land we visited a memorial of human skulls to the dead of the Pol Pot era which was very moving. The country lost countless numbers of its population during that time and there was unspeakable savagery everywhere. Between 4 and 6 million mines were laid and only a quarter has been destroyed. Even now 4 people are killed daily by mines. Tragic.

So we left Indo China and loved every minute of it. And when the train is late or the newspaper have not been delivered, we will think of the people there and not try not to moan or complain.

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Photos

Lao Capital Ventianne
Unimpressive Arc de Triomph

Lao market
Moles to cook and eat

Comments

[Melsy_Anh]

Hi! Im impressive in your feeling about my country _Vietnam! Actually, we are Vietnamese but we seldom could tell about feeling when travelling around our country...its so bad! I like this entry a lots . Anyway I want to say : see you again!