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Published: July 11th 2010
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Royal Palace in PP
Pretty impressive all around in this compound, it better be with how much they charge people I overnighted on the bus to Nha Tran. Kind of getting used to the cramped overnight bus trips with peoples covering every inch of each aisle. We arrived there at 6:00am. The best way to describe it is as a mix of Florida with highrises covering the beach. I went to hunt down the cheap hotels as all the others were picked off by motos and tuktuks. I headed to the beach to get my bearings, some techno-pop vietnamese music kept getting louder and louder. Once the ocean was in sight siloettes of vietnamese vacationers partaking in their morning workout of calistetics. Wow this is another world... As much as I wanted to drop my bags and take some photos I somehow found the back alley with the cheap hotels. By the time I got back out to take some photos the class dispersed. That day I ended up renting a moto, my first time in vietnam. Traffic here is somehow worse than LA, not beacuse of the slow pace but the destruction derby style road rules where everyone yields to the larger vehicle. I scoped out the temple and giant buddha in town. After I headed north seeking out a
Driving in Saigon
At least people stop at traffic lights in HCMC for enough time to get photographed quiter beach, the ride was scenic, cliffs dropping straight into crystal blue oceans. Unfortunately the were starting to develop most of the coast north of the city. I eventually found a small fishing village to stop for a refreshing beverage. After heading back into town I went straight to drop off the bike and avoid the mahem of vehicles around. I sufficed for the white sand beach right out from the hotel after all. I booked a ticked for the next day to check out the islands, the aquarium, snorkle, and enjoy an island beach. Low and behold I and two canadian girls went along a tour of all vietnamese familys. The aquarium was pretty dissapointing but the decor was top notch, being built in a mock pirate ship. The snorkleing wasnt much as the reefs were not near thriving, and the beach wasnt great. Despite that a day at see was pretty relaxing. It was funny how not one vietnamese vacationer entered the water or took in on the sun at any of the stops. It was almost as if they went to watch all the westerners dive off of the boats and enjoy for them. The highlight of
giant buddha
nha tran giant buddha the excursion was the mid trip live music where three boats joined together to cover a few western hits, a spanish one to entertain a group of spaniards on the other ship, and one vietnamese hit.
I went to Saigon the next day by bus, getting there in the evening, with enough time to get harrassed by a bunch of prositutes in each bar. I ended up ducking into a random restaurant after a sudden downpour to enjoy some pho, spring rolls, and fresh beer before calling it a night. I went to the Reunification palace and got a bit of history before checking out the war remnants museum. The museum was intense, with some photos I will not forget. A wakeup into how devastating the war was. I went and treated myself to a decent meal, my last in Vietnam. The food has been great. The next morning I piled onto another bus to head to the cambodia.
The border crossing was pretty interesting. I was told the bus driver arranges the visas and such, however he pushed us out the door and told us to wait at the check until our names were called. Group after
emerald buddha security
i tried to sneak it in but he got a bit close group kept getting shuttled through. I kept thinking that he just took off with our cash and passports, until we finally got called through. I guess there was a guy from Cambodia that didn't have an entry stamp into Vietnam. Phew. Getting into Phom Penh was nice. The city has the classic french architecture seen in most of the cities so far. It borders the Mekong with a nice riverfront, amazing royal palace, and one of the nicest Pagodas(temple) I have visited thus far. The palace was in impeccable condition with lush, manicured landscape, beatiful halls. Unfortunately most is blocked off from the public but one can only imagine the rest. The Silver Pagoda on the same compound has solid silver tiles covering the entire floor. Of course the tourists were only allowed to walk on the carpet path through showcases of silver, gold, and emerald buddha. The prized buddhas were a solid emerald buddha and a 90kg buddha with over 2000 diamonds in decoration. I tried to sneak a picture of this but the security guard got in my way, at least the didnt take my camera. I walked along the riverfront to the Wat on the north side of town that sits atop the highest point here, about 70ft. The park was well kept and right across from the US embasy. It was my first encounter with monkeys since arriving in Asia. I stopped by the night market after looking for some food, snacks (crickets, not too bad). The market was funny, they had live cooking shows to advertise with booths and speakers with the hosts screaming into them and looking into the cameras that only broadcast on a TV set up a few feet away. There was a KFC in the marketplace. I wandered back though poorly lighted streets eventually finding my place just in time before the power went out.
Today I went to the S-21 prison in town here. I really did not know much about the Khmer Rouge and all that went on in the-mid-late 70s. I think they only really focus on the US involvment in vietnam during our history courses. Truly brutal though, basically a small scale concentration camp in the heart of Phnom Penh. It was another grim day but eyeopening the same. There were some interesting exhibits on some of the former people that worked under the Khmer Rouge and their thoughts looking back. Each one had been imprisoned since and they spoke of how each of the leaders has yet to be prosecuted, those that are still alive. The trial is ongoing but wont resume until later this year. It was amazing that after killing over 1 million people the UN still gave them a seat until the late 1980s. Crazy. Time is running out over here so I am headed to Siem reap to take in the temples at angkor. Hopefully this can cast a brighter light on the highlights of the Khmer past.
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