Monday, FEBRUARY 2

Ho Chi Minh City • Visit Independence Palace • Saigon street food adventure tour

Destination: Ho Chi Minh City – Accommodations: Huong Sen Hotel Saigon

Every day, Are has given us a question to answer, based on what we had learned the day before, and the first one to raise their hand to answer the question, gets a prize. Once you’ve won a prize, you can’t participate anymore. Allan won a prize a few days ago, but I have yet to win. I asked Are…”How about if I tell a joke tomorrow morning on the bus and if everyone claps and laughs, I’ll get a prize?” We fist bumped and he said that would be great. (I had already told him my broccoli joke and he couldn’t stop laughing. Literally! So I guess he figured I was a good bet for a stand up comedian.)

So this morning when we boarded the bus, I told my cowboy joke. Everyone loved it and said I should be a stand up comedian. LOL!! (I’ll be here all week folks!). And…tomorrow I get my prize!

After my comedy routine, we departed for a city tour. Our first stop was the Central Post Office. The building is quite beautiful with a magnificent ceiling. Then we toured the Independence Palace which was the home and workplace of the former president of the Republic of Vietnam and the site of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. That was the day that the Vietnam War ended when a liberation army of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) tanks crashed through its gates. The Viet Cong wanted to overturn the government, but instead, Vietnam became a unified nation after the war. The Viet Cong lived among the people in the south, and their neighbors didn’t even know it. They usually wanted to remain anonymous until they saw how the war would end because if people knew of their real intent, they would be hated.  

We toured the main building of the Palace, seeing various state rooms, reception halls, offices, private residences, etc. Then James took us downstairs to the bunker tunnel under the palace. This is where communications and operations took place during the war. The bunkers looked exactly like they did in the 60’s and 70’s… rotary phones, radios, and maps that showed where the fighting was centered, etc. It was the place where the President and senior staff would go during fierce bombing to be safe.

We left the palace and walked single file through a market…which was crazy town…with vendors selling fruit, vegetables, meats, fish, etc. and motorcycles whizzing by. It was a free-for-all and we had to be constantly on the lookout for the motorcycles. At the end of the alley, we wound up at a secret bunker used during the Vietnam War. It was a house on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, which was purchased in 1966 and converted into a hidden weapons cache and commando shelter, by a man named Tran Van Lai. He was a member of the Saigon Special Forces and he worked undercover as a wealthy contractor for the South Vietnam government to avoid suspicion of being the Viet Cong sympathizer that he really was. He used his trucks to transport weapons and Viet Cong commandos to targets, including the US Embassy and the Independence Palace on the night of the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Lai claimed to be digging a septic tank but instead, he was building this bunker. There was a trapdoor on the tile floor with a little ring and when you pulled the ring, the tile floor lifted up to expose a stairway to the downstairs. It was very hard to detect.

Following the 1968 Tet Offensive, the house was attacked under suspicion of harboring commandos. We saw the bullet holes in the gates at the front door. It eventually fell into US hands, but the secret bunker beneath remained undiscovered. According to a site online, the “ hidden space once stored over 350kg of TNT and C4 explosives, 15 AK rifles, 3,000 rounds of ammunition, handguns, B40 rocket launchers, grenades, and more”. He was a spy who tried to help the Viet Cong, but he was thwarted. After 1968, his activities were exposed, and the South Vietnamese government issued a $2 million bounty for his capture. He was later arrested and endured torture in prison. For the South Vietnamese government, Tran Van Lai was a “bad guy” who attacked their leadership and infrastructure. For the Communist side, he was a “good guy” and was awarded the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” by the Vietnamese communist government in 2015. It was an unbelievable story.

James told us as we went to lunch that he has been denied a visa to the US twice and now he has to wait two years before he can try again. He doesn’t know why he’s always denied, but he thinks it’s because he is not married as of yet. He goes to university and this is why he does not have to go into the army. Service is mandatory in Vietnam for men between the ages of 18 to 27, but it can be put off if attending school.

We arrived at our lunch place and enjoyed Pho soup. It was authentic and delicious. Pho is pronounced with an upward lilt at the end of the word.

In the evening, we took the optional tour that OAT offered… touring Saigon on motorcycles and sampling food along the way. What a fabulous tour!

We climbed aboard motorcycles behind our drivers and off we went as the drivers navigated the crazy traffic. It was a little scary at first because the traffic doesn’t stop. When my driver made a turn, he cut right in front of many, many cars and motorcycles going the other way and i just hoped for the best. Many times we were within an inch or less next to other bikes and cars.

Our first stop was to enjoy a banh mi which was a sandwich filled with meat and veggies. Delicious!
Then we were back on the bikes and we rode to a restaurant and had clams, fish, noodles, prawns, scallops, and beer. What a feast, but I could hardly eat since the banh mi really filled me up.

Then back on the bikes to enjoy dessert of either ice cream or flan. I opted for the chocolate ice cream and it was very rich and so good!

Then it was back on the bikes for the half hour ride back to the hotel. Saigon is beautiful at night. The lights are lit all over like Times Square and everyone is out in the streets. We went over the newly built Ba Son Bridge – all lit up in pink, and looking across the river from the bridge was beautiful.

My driver and I hugged each other when we arrived back to the hotel and he wished me safe travels. I wished him a happy lunar new year. It was a wonderful experience cruising through the streets (at times we were doing 30 mph) on such a beautiful night. I’m so glad we took the tour.

We went with friends over to the Hilton Hotel and had a nightcap on the 40th floor. The view was incredible and a party boat went by and set off fire works. Perfect end to a perfect day!

Saigon from the rooftop bar at our hotel

Everyone is getting ready for the Tet celebration and hanging red lanterns all around

The post office

Independence Palace. President Nixon was here for a meeting with the President of South Vietnam.

Meeting room in the Palace

The bunker under the palace

The equipment frozen in time

The radio room

The market

The motorcycles zooming by. This one slowed down to let us pass.

This plank of wood hid the guns etc. at the bunker in the house at the end of the market.

They hid weapons in these bamboo mats by putting the weapons in and covering the mat with manure. No one would dare open the mat to look inside, because this was how the dead bodies of people who were poor were taken for burial. The smell of the manure gave the impression a dead body was really inside.

The mat with weapons inside

The trap door

James showing how to go down to the bunker. Allan and I did not go down.

My Pho soup. I had chicken and Allan had beef.

The fruit up at the top left is Star Apple. It’s creamy and sweet.

The cherry blossoms are blooming.

Going off on the motorcycles for the food tour.

The streets of Saigon. The apartments on the bottom are more expensive than the ones at the very top.

This ramp is what they use to push the motorcycles up to the upper apartment floors. Not easy.

Below… first stop on the food tour – Banh Mi sandwich

Scallops

Clams

Fried noodles with seafood, and prawns on a stick

My excellent driver

I took this from the bike. We were weaving in and out of this traffic. Yikes!!

Allan had a female driver.

Beautiful evening in Saigon at the Hilton hotel sky bar.

Fireworks in the river from the party boat. Perfect end to a perfect day!

Destination: Ho Chi Minh City – Accommodations: Huong Sen Hotel Saigon

After breakfast we boarded our bus for another Learning and Discovery day and on the way, James told us a little bit about life in Vietnam.

Key agricultural exports are rice and coffee and actually, Vietnam is very famous for its coffee. Fruit is beginning to become a major export as well.

Vietnam is a religiously diverse country where the majority of the population practices a blend of folk religions, ancestral worship, and Confucianism/Taoism. Vietnam is often labeled as having “no religion” in surveys, despite active practice of Buddhism. Buddhism is the largest organized group followed by Catholicism.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an authoritarian state ruled by a single party, the Communist Party of Vietnam and James said you are either a communist or you’re not. The President of Vietnam has no power. The Communist Party of Vietnam has absolute power. The General Secretary directs national policy and the Prime Minister heads the executive government and economic management. The President just acts as the head of state.

It is compulsory for children at attend school from K through 12th grade and it is free. After they graduate, if they go to college, they have to pay the tuition themselves.

The average pay in Saigon is about $447 a month and he said you can easily feed a family for about $20 a week. There are tall apartment buildings all over Saigon because there isn’t much land to build out so they build up. A home in the wealthy section of town would cost about 2 million for a small house. However, you don’t own the house.  In Vietnam, land is collectively owned, so homeowners are technically purchasing “land use rights” and that would be for 99 years.

We finally arrived at our first destination. We stopped at a coffee shop to savor the taste of freshly brewed Vietnamese coffee. We each had our own mini French press of Robusta coffee and we could either drink the coffee black or add condensed milk, which I did. I poured my coffee over ice and it was delicious! Allan drank his black and strong and loved it! Then we all got into hammocks to enjoy our coffee. It was relaxing and so much fun. Vietnam is the second-largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil and the most popular way to consume the bold, local brew is iced with sweetened condensed milk. I agree!

We then went into My Tho, the gateway to the Mekong, where we boarded a motorized wooden rice barge. We saw life on the Mekong River – fishing vessels, barges, san pans, and houses on stilts.

After a leisurely cruise, we boarded a sam pan and cruised through Vam Xep, a natural canal through a canopy of mangroves.

We stopped to visit a farmer who grows pomelo fruit and gac fruit. Pomelo is a large citrus fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. He gave us a taste of the fruit which is similar to a grapefruit, but much milder and less acidic. We dipped it in chili salt. So delicious!! He also grows gac fruit which is inedible but is used instead for food coloring. Since his fruit is organic, he uses garlic, chili, and alcohol mixed together to spray his fruit to prevent bugs. We also tried rice paper with sesame seeds and coconut milk. It’s a snack the kids enjoy…and we loved it so much, we all bought some to snack on later.

We bid goodbye to the farmer and stopped for lunch. At first I was not thrilled when I saw a whole fish on the table, but a lady came over and filleted the fish and wrapped it in rice paper with vegetables to make spring rolls. They were delicious, but poor Allan did get a bone. (Yuck!). Then prawns came to the table and the lady prepared those for us followed by a type of pancake that was filled with vegetables and shrimp. We also had a rice cracker filled with shrimp and veggies. The lunch was very different from what we’ve had before and really a treat. Then we went to where they make coconut candy. We sampled candy all over the store and watched as the people wrapped the candy in paper to sell. A man split open a coconut for us and we enjoyed tasting it.

We boarded our ship for the return cruise to get back to our bus to return to the hotel. It was a busy day and a day filled with new discoveries. So much fun!!

We went on a quick orientation walk when we returned to the hotel, had dinner with friends at a Vietnamese restaurant, and then enjoyed drinks with friends at the roof top bar.

What a fabulous day!!! Tomorrow should be interesting as Vietnam is getting ready to celebrate Tet… the lunar new year. There might be red flowers strewn in the river!

View from rooftop restaurant where we have breakfast

enjoying robusto coffee

On the cruise

They served this fruit on the cruise. Tasty.

the pomelo fruit.

Gac fruit

In the sampan

Bought the snack all the kids snack on

I think this is water coconut. You just eat the jelly inside. Not much taste.

The fish for lunch. Yowser!

She made it into a spring roll

Shrimp

The pancake. Filled with veggies and shrimp

Eating the coconut

Making the candies

Another part of our lunch.

Destination: Ho Chi Minh City – Accommodations: Huong Sen Hotel Saigon

This morning after breakfast, we took an optional tour to Banteay Srei one of the oldest and best-preserved temple sites in Cambodia. Built in AD 967, Banteay Srei means “Citadel of Women,” and is recognized as a tribute to female beauty.

Banteay Srei is mostly built of pink sandstone which was a medium that lent itself to carving the elaborate wall decorations which are beautiful and still in very good condition. The carvings were so intricate they almost looked three dimensional. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale and we had to duck way down to get through some of the doorways.

After we toured the temple, we met with a woman who makes sugar. We watched as she boiled the sap from the lotus flower and then she gave us a taste. It was very tasty. Then, we watched other ladies make rice noodles. First they soaked the rice in water for many hours. Then, they put the rice with a little water into a stone bowl and pulverized it until the rice starch came out. You can see in the photos the wooden contraption that they used for that process.. The rice starch is molded into a ball and pushed through a sieve with holes into boiling water Someone has to sit on one end of a long board to get enough power to push the rice through the small holes of the sieve. After the noodles cooked for a bit, they scooped the noodles out, drained them, and put them in a bowl with fish sauce for us to enjoy.

They get up at 5 am and work for about four hours to make about 100 lbs of noodles that they use for their own use and for sale. They also take large orders from people who are having celebrations and sometimes they could be making 400 lbs of noodles in a morning The ladies are hard working and the noodles were really good.

We went for another Cambodian lunch and then it was off to tour the Angkor National Museum where we were able to see the museum’s comprehensive collection of relics from many of the temples that we had already visited. It was nice to be able to see the relics up close and appreciate the workmanship.

We left around 3 pm for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The flight was only an hour and we breezed through immigration both upon leaving Cambodia and arriving in Vietnam. Our visas were perfect. We had a company prepare our visas for the countries we visited that required them, and everything went through without a hitch. Apparently Vietnam is very strict with the immigration process.

We met our new local guide James and we drove through the streets of Saigon to our hotel. Saigon is a happening city and even at 9:30 at night, the streets and sidewalks were filled with people. Everything is lit up and it looks like a beautiful city.

Our room at the hotel is spacious and it was good to get into bed for a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day.

The intricate carvings at the temple

Making the sugar syrup from the lotus flower

We had a taste. Delicious!

Draining the rice mixture to get the rice starch

Allan working the machine to drain the rice mixture

Forming into a ball to push through the sieve

Pushing the mixture through the sieve into boiling water

Someone sits on the left side of the boards to push the rice down through the sieve.

Scooping the rice from the boiling water

We each had a bowl of noodles with fish sauce. Tasty. Nothing like enjoying fresh rice noodles hot off the “press”. (No pun intended!😂)

Pictures below are from the museum

Notice the intricate carvings

The hotel had this waiting for us in our room.

we

Destination: Siem Reap – Accommodations: Angkor Paradise Hotel

This morning after breakfast we left early to explore Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a historically Hindu turned Buddhist temple and is the largest religious complex in the world. Angkor Wat was commissioned by the Khmer King Suryavarman II In the early 12th century. It has remained a place of Buddhist worship for centuries. It was built as the state temple for the Khmer Empire and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, rather than a king, which was uncommon for the era. It is a national symbol of Cambodia and appears on the Cambodian national flag. The structure combines Hinduism with Buddhism, making it a uniquely blended heritage site. 

There was a lot of walking and climbing of steps in very hot weather as we toured the massive complex. There were 3 levels to navigate, some without handrails, but for the most part, we did okay. I opted out of touring the third level as the stairs were extremely steep and the height was something I knew I could never do. The surfaces to walk on were at times unpaved and uneven and there were a lot of stairs to climb every time you turned around it seemed. Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat 570 feet wide and it was beautiful to walk around the grounds and see the trees and the fish in the moat.

The photos below will show you how amazing this place was to visit.

After visiting Angkor Wat, we had another delicious Cambodian lunch and then it was off to visit an incredible place with…. rats!!

We visited APOPO’s Landmine Rats – also known as HeroRATs – where we learned how they train African Giant Pouched Rats to detect landmines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia, playing a vital role in clearing these dangers.

We were able to watch a rat in action as he went about tracking down a “land mine” that was really just TNT. The rats are trained to sniff out the TNT in the bombs and when they find one, they scratch the surface. Then the bomb detonator group can come in and blow it up.

Rats are light enough that they don’t set off the bombs and they can clear a much larger area of farmland than a human using a metal detector. The rats are much more accurate in scouting out the bombs since metal detectors will pick up anything metal and not necessarily a bomb.

Cambodia is one of the most land mine affected countries in the world, but APOPO has worked for many years clearing the bombs so farmers can go back to tilling their land without worrying about hitting a bomb.

We all got a chance to hold one of the rats. My little guy cuddled right into my arms and promptly fell asleep. I started rocking him, but then I had to turn him over to the next person who wanted a chance to hold him. I was the only one he fell asleep on. Too funny!

Then we toured the final destination of the day…Bayon Temple. The Bayon is a beautifully decorated Buddhist temple built in the late 12th century. The temple is best known for its many towers adorned with smiling stone faces carved on all sides. The Bayon also features extensive bas-reliefs depicting historical events, religious themes, and scenes of everyday life in the Khmer Empire. It was amazing to see the carvings and how they portrayed everyday life in that society.

We were all pretty tired after a very full day, but we ended the day back at Angkor Wat to see the temple at sunset. We all had some soda (UNESCO Doesn’t allow alcohol on the premises) and we toasted the temples that we saw, our new friendships, and safe travels for the future. We also had crocodile, water buffalo, and snake jerky which was pretty tasty.

We went back to the hotel and had drinks with our friends and a light dinner and then it was to bed since we will be up very early in the morning.

Starting our tour of Angkor Wat

Allan bravely climbed to the third level, but he said coming down was a bit scary, so I’m glad I opted out.

At APOPO

My little guy fell asleep in my arms. After having four kids and six grandkids, I guess I still have the touch.

At Bayon Temple. The bas-relief depiction of everyday life was amazing. Some parts, however, have been restored

Angkor Wat at sunset

Destination: Siem Reap – Accommodations: Angkor Paradise Hotel

After breakfast, we boarded our bus for the first learning and discovery of the day, and on the way Nin told us about the villagers in Tachet Village, in the provence of Siem Reap, the first village we visited.

He said that medical care is free for children from the age of birth to age 15, sponsored by Japan.

The question arose concerning insurance and banking. The villagers do not buy car or home insurance because they don’t trust the insurance companies with their money. Most disagreements, say after a car accident, are solved by the parties involved. The police come and file a report, but if it is agreed that whoever was at fault will pay for the damage, the police do not get involved any further. More affluent people can hire a lawyer if they decide to sue, but once the parties involved agree to settle on their own, no one else gets involved.

Times are changing and people now are opening bank accounts rather than the old fashioned way of stuffing their money in bamboo poles and hiding them under their beds.

We arrived at the first village – Tachet. There, we climbed onto buffalo carts for a bumpy ride through the village. I climbed into the cart first and sat cross-legged and Allan sat behind me back to back and we definitely got the feel of how the local families get around.

We rode through the village…Some homes were gorgeous and one had a Lexus in the driveway, while other homes were barely standing. Are said that depending on income, if the homeowner is in tourism or another better paying job, they have more opportunity to build a beautiful home. It was interesting to see how the people live.

Then we traveled to a floating village in Chong Khneas, on lake Tonle Sap, where we took a boat ride through the canals with floating homes. There are over 1,000 families living in the floating homes and have been living there for generations. Their livelihood depends on fishing, farming, and trading goods with other villages. The lake is considered one of the most productive fishing zones globally, supplying over 75% of Cambodia’s annual freshwater fish catch and nearly 60% of the country’s food.

The water level in the lake rises and falls dramatically with the change from the dry season to the wet. The movable houses in the floating villages can be relocated when the water levels rise too high and they use boats to tow their homes to the larger part of the lake.

The people get up at 2 am to set the traps to catch fish in the lake and they return about 5 am with their catch. They usually can bring in 200 lbs of fish a day. The catch is cleaned and they keep some for themselves and they sell the rest. There are about 50 varieties of fish in the lake, which is a fresh water lake. The people fish for shrimp, catfish, eel, and carp. A few years ago, unsavory companies would come in and bomb fish and take most of the fish that the villagers were depending on. However, UNESCO got involved and the practice has stopped for the most part.

After we passed by the homes, we had the opportunity to go into one of the floating homes and meet the family and ask questions about their lives. The family we visited had a grandmother (78), a man (the son of the grandmother), his wife, and three children. They all sleep in one room of the house and they put mosquito nets up at night. The house was very organized with a space for all of their daily needs. They get fresh water to wash their clothes, etc. from the well in front of their home.

They live on rice and fish primarily and occasionally they can buy fruit and vegetables from the boats that come to their door selling produce, but it’s expensive so they don’t buy those things often.

The grandmother said that during the Khmer Rouge regime, the floating house they were living in was burned and when they were finally able to return, they had to rebuild it. They have been living in this floating house for over 40 years. The grandmother’s husband died four years ago so her son and his family have moved in to help take care of her.

The people in the floating homes can seek medical care 24/7 just a few minutes away and for anything serious, the hospital is about 40 minutes away.

They work very hard every day, the children attend school, and for fun, the family likes to meet with their neighbors for a beer or to share some food, and to dance.

Covid didn’t affect the village as they remained isolated during that time. They all have been vaccinated.

It was a wonderful experience and so interesting to be able to speak with these hardworking and humble folks.

Afterwards, we drove to a restaurant and had an excellent lunch of traditional Cambodian food and finally…I had my appetite back. The food was so tasty… Especially the soup. And Are and Nin arranged for me to have bananas with the fruit dessert that was served. So sweet.

We relaxed a bit back at the hotel and then we started out again for our afternoon discoveries at Ta Prohm temple. The temple was founded by the Khmer King Javavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and center of learning dedicated to his mother. The temple’s records state that the site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 inhabitants in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.

The temple was built without mortar and was abandoned for many years. During that time, trees took root in the loosened stones. The trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle that surrounds it makes it a very popular place to visit. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1992.

There were many levels and steps that we navigated to see the entire temple grounds. Interestingly, The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie was filmed at the temple and we saw the rock that Angelina Jolie stood on to film one of the scenes. A Hollywood moment!!

After touring the grounds, we went back to the hotel and met friends for a pizza dinner and then it was to bed. It was a very busy day and an amazing and informative one.

The buffalos

It was a lot of fun

Passing each other on the road

Residents motoring along

A house along the way

On our river boat ride

A floating house getting a delivery of food

The floating houses. The residents will tow their homes to the large lake when the water rises. The pic below shows the lake where the homes will be situated until they can return to the canal.

The floating house that we visited

Cooking pots and pans

This room is where the family sleeps

The kitchen

Grandma and her son. The grandma paints the pictures

Our lunch

Delicious soup

The menu

The next set of photos are of the temple

You can see how the tree has invaded the stone work

It’s amazing how the roots have taken hold.

Nin standing exactly where Angelina Jolie stood in the movie

Destination: Siem Reap – Accommodations: Angkor Paradise Hotel

I was behind a little bit in posting because I wasn’t feeling great, so make sure you read Monday’s post that I posted yesterday.

Also, if you notice, I haven’t mentioned about how the Khmer Rouge regime affected our two local guides and their families. This was done intentionally since my blog is in the public domain.

I woke up and was feeling a bit better and was able to eat some cereal and a banana. A few of the folks on our trip have been plagued with intestinal issues, so I guess I picked it up as well. I wanted to try to eat because it was going to be a long bus ride
to Siem Reap. We have a new local guide named Nin who will be with us and Are until we fly to Vietnam in a few days.

Even though the drive was long, we made many stops along the way. The first stop was to pick up some lotus pods from a countryside stand. The pods are the seed heads of the lotus flower. These pods develop after the lotus flower has bloomed and shed its petals. They are very delicious and we ate them right out of the lotus and then we tried some that had been roasted. They make a delicious snack. We also had roasted cashews.

Our next stop was a little bit more dicey. We visited a local woman who hunts for tarantulas, cooks them, and sells them at her village’s market. YIKES!

We all got off the bus and walked with the lady through the forest in search of tarantula holes (I know…double YIKES!!!) and after finding one, we watched as the lady coaxed the tarantula out and then she took out its venom. She said she has gotten stung by tarantulas and she uses garlic on the sting which lessens the swelling and the pain. (I’ll have to take her word for that.)

And then things got really crazy! The lady put garlic, Knorr’s chicken flavoring, and some oil in a hot pan and sautéed a number of tarantulas, crickets, and grasshoppers. Then we all were invited to taste. My stomach was still not doing that great and the thought of eating a tarantula was not on my bucket list. But Allan merrily crunched his way through all of the insects and so far has lived to tell the tale.

The lady made a brew of rice wine with scorpions, tarantulas, fruit and tarantula and scorpion venom. Lovely!!! Allan drank a glass and I had a sip. It actually tasted pretty good. She said people drink it to get rid of back pain from working in the rice paddies.

We had lunch at a local restaurant and it was way too much food. I ate a little, but my appetite still isn’t up to par.

Our next stop was Kampong Kdei Bridge. Built around 1,400 years ago, the structure holds its title as one of the world’s longest corbeled arch bridges. It is one of the few Khmer empire era bridges to have survived to today. The bridge is made of laterite and decorated at one end with a carved image of Asura and the other end has the image of Deva.

We arrived in Siem Reap late and had dinner at the hotel. The hotel is gorgeous. The woodwork has old world charm and the reception desk and lobby are stunning. Dinner was delicious, but again, I wasn’t very hungry. Tomorrow will be another busy day.

When we returned to our room, Are and Nin arranged for a huge plate of bananas to be delivered for me, knowing that last night it was all I wanted to eat. They are really so thoughtful and the best tour guides!

The lotus pods

You peel the green outer layer off and eat the white part inside

Bucket with live tarantulas that have had the venom removed

Nin had some of the tarantulas roam his shirt

The tarantula is coming out of the hole after the lady dug around to coax it out. This is how she gets the tarantulas to sell.

Removing the venom

The wine with the venom in it

The insects being deep fried

Eating the tarantula

Kampong Kdei Bridge

Part of the hotel lobby

Enjoying dinner together

Destination: Phnom Penh – Accommodations: Sun and Moon Urban Hotel

This morning we visited the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek—a grim reminder of Cambodia’s bloody past under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge came to power under the Marxist leader Pol Pot, who sought to turn Cambodia into a socialist, agrarian republic. Anyone who opposed those aims was rounded up, imprisoned, and murdered.

Allan walked through the Killing Fields and took some photos. It was a horrific time in Cambodia’s history. The horrors that took place against men, women, and children were inhumane. The Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge  led to the deaths of about 3 million people of the 7.5 million of Cambodia’s population.

In Phnom Penh and other cities, the Khmer Rouge told residents that they had to move only a few miles away and they would be returning in a few days. They were told not to lock their homes when they left. They also were told the evacuation was because of the threat of American bombings. If people refused to evacuate, they would immediately be killed and their homes would be burned to the ground. The people had to walk for miles and miles and most of the elderly and infirmed died along the way.

These city dwellers were not farmers, so the expectation that was put on them to produce rice by the tons was unattainable. Violence was widespread when the quotas were not met and because bullets were scarce, executions were carried out using hoes, machetes, and pickaxes. Sometimes babies were killed by bashing their heads into trees.

I wasn’t feeling that great and so Are arranged for Allan and me to go back to the hotel with our bus driver. I was very disappointed that we didn’t get to tour the prison and we didn’t get the opportunity to speak with a survivor of Khmer Rouge, but I just felt nauseous and needed to lie down.

We missed lunch, but Are brought the lunch to our room which Allan enjoyed, but I just couldn’t eat. I climbed into bed and slept almost 17 hours straight. I wasn’t hungry, so Allan found some crackers and ginger ale at the local 7/11 and later asked the hotel manager for some bananas and a Coke.

We have a long drive tomorrow by bus, so hoping that my appetite returns and I’m feeling better.

It was an emotional day at the killing fields and I recommend the movie The Killing Fields on Netflix if you want to learn more about this horrific time in Cambodian history.

The memorial at the killing fields

Mass graves

A loudspeaker was hung from the tree and the volume turned high to mask the sound of the screams of people being killed

A mass grave

The tree where the babies were killed

A mass grave. Most of the people found in the grave were naked

Detention house where they were kept before they were killed.

Destination: Phnom Penh – Accommodations: Sun and Moon Urban Hotel

This morning after breakfast we flew to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The flight was very nice and when we arrived in Cambodia, we presented our visas and everything went smoothly. Are said that because he’s from Thailand and the border dispute is going on with Cambodia, he said he might be detained. But all worked out fine and we were on our way to meet our new local guide.

Cambodia is a nation of about 16.2 million people in a country about the size of Missouri. Khmer is the official language, but English and French are also spoken. The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh.

Our first stop when we arrived was to visit the Champey Academy of Arts (CAA). Champey Academy is a small art school where disadvantaged students can learn traditional dancing, music, drawing and painting for free. The mission at the CAA, is to provide a safe space for disadvantaged young people where they are introduced to their nation’s rich arts culture while helping them to experience the pride, self confidence and poise which come from mastering difficult skills.

The children gave a dance performance as well as a musical performance and then they invited us to join them to learn to dance including the intricate hand movements. They dressed us in traditional garb and it was a lot of fun. We also saw the kids doing some beautiful paintings and sketching. It’s an amazing program and visiting the school is exclusive to O.A.T. travelers, as few American tour companies go there.

After visiting with the kids, we had a short orientation walk and then we went off for a delicious Cambodian dinner. After the dinner we rode Rimoks back to the hotel which was an experience! The drivers are insane and no one knows who has the right of way. It’s a free for all and we came close to smashing into other vehicles numerous times.

Tomorrow will be a very poignant day so we need a good night’s rest.

At the Champey academy

The boys doing the monkey performance

Girl painting at the academy

Buddhist hotel across from the academy

Man selling birds for 1 dollar a piece. You are supposed to free them after you purchase them and it is supposed to bring health and luck. (Our guide said however, the birds are trained to fly back to the cage so no birds are really freed.)

Mekong river

Vender selling grasshoppers, worms, and fish. They also sell eggs with the embryo inside… Feathers and all. Our guide said they are excellent with a little salt. I didn’t have time to take a photo but I could see the chick hatching out of the shell. I think I’ll pass.

Dinner.

Riding in the Rimok.

Destination: Vientiane – Accommodations: Sabaidee @ Lao Hotel

This morning after breakfast we drove to Wat Sisaket, the oldest Buddhist monastery in Laos featuring more than 6,800 images of the seated Buddha in wood, stone, and bronze.

Afterwards, we had the opportunity to speak with a monk and ask questions. We learned about his decision to become a monk, his daily life routine, his aspirations, etc. He also showed us how he wraps himself in the monk robe, which is very complicated to do, and something the monks rarely do in front of others.

After visiting with the monk, we visited the C.O.P.E. Center (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise), a non- government organization that supports victims of bombs that were dropped over Laos during the Vietnam War, but failed to detonate on impact. We learned from the staff members, that C.O.P.E.’s mission is to provide prostheses and physical rehabilitation to survivors and to educate visitors about this crisis.

American bombers dropped over two million tons of cluster bombd over Laos – the equivalent of a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes for 24 hours a day for nine years. It was called the Secret War. Laos is the most heavily bombed nation in history. The bombing focused on disrupting communist supply chains on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Today unfortunately, the majority of these bombs are buried under peoples’ homes or in farmlands and they remain unexploded. People have been killed or maimed as they try to farm their land and then they hit a bomb with their hoe, which then explodes. Also, kids find them and thinking they are toys, they play with them and the bombs explode in their hands.

The effect of unexploded ordnance bombs on Laos is immense. The people who have lost legs and arms can no longer work. People are letting farmland go to waste as they are afraid to farm it because of the unexploded bombs that lay under the soil.
Since 1973, more than 20,000 civilians have been injured or killed by these unexploded bombs.

We watched a film called Surviving Peace that showed a young man who lost his eyesight due to coming upon an unexploded bomb while farming. Now he cannot work and his wife has to do everything. They have two young children that he tries to watch during the day while his wife works, but he said it is dangerous because he can’t see what they are doing and they could come to harm. His wife who tills the field is always worried she might come across a bomb like her husband did.

After the film we met a farmer who lost both of his legs while farming. C.O.P.E. has provided him with prosthetics. He told us how he survived the explosion while working on the farm, but the workers who were with him were all killed.

Several countries and international organizations are actively helping Laos identify, detonate, and clear the estimated 80 million unexploded cluster bombs left over from the Secret War.

We went to see a puppet show in the evening at a local theater, and OAT travelers are the only ones who can see the show outside of the government. They do not perform for anyone else, so it was a treat. The show was wonderful and the puppets, made out of everyday household items, were beautiful. We enjoyed the performance as the puppets told tales of local folklore.

Then we visited the Patuxai War monument known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, a war monument dedicated to those who fought for the independence from France. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed walking around watching the sunset. We also visited Pha That Luang, the large, gold-covered Buddhist stupa, a sacred, solid, and domed Buddhist monument used to house relics and or ashes. It is generally regarded as the most important national monument in Laos as well as a national symbol.

We had dinner at a restaurant that served traditional food and listened to music on traditional instruments. Dancers then came out and did graceful movements to the music, in beautiful costumes.

The length of the material that gets wrapped into the robes.

They roll the material as they wrap it around.

Wat Sisaket. We were not allowed to take photos inside or even into the open door. The temple was beautiful inside.

C.O.P.E.

What the cluster bombs look like.

The prosthetic legs

At the puppet show

Pha That Luang

Arc de Triumph

The

ceiling of the Arc.

Paying an instrument for us during dinner.

Accommodations: Sabaidee @ Lao Hotel

This morning we were able to sleep in because we didn’t have to leave the hotel to get to the train station for the train to Vientiane, until 10:15.

The station was very clean and the boarding was very quick and easy. We were given box lunches before we left the hotel, so we enjoyed them during the two hour train ride. The scenery was beautiful as we were in-between the mountains and again, it was a sunny and warm day.

We checked into our hotel and Allan went on the orientation walk, but I sat that one out and instead got some laundry together to give to the front desk to be laundered and picked up tomorrow afternoon.

We then had a wonderful evening with another couple as we went to visit a Laotian family for dinner. The son picked us up and drove us to his home. His name is Chai (spelling?) and he is 18 years old. He goes to university and speaks English very well. He was a delightful young man and a wonderful host.

We meet his mom and his cousin as well as a young girl who works for the mom, helping with cooking, etc.

Their home is magnificent! Beautiful teak furniture throughout with massive tables and chairs. We had sticky rice and banana wrapped in a banana leaf for an appetizer which was delicious. Then we all walked to the back of the house where the kitchen was, and we helped cook part of the meal.

Chai’s mom was a hoot… Full of fun and laughter and she had everyone dancing while we chopped, and stirred, and pounded the ingredients as they were added to the bowl. It was ground duck with cilantro, fish sauce, scallions, and tomatoes, and a few other ingredients.

We then went to yet another room for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious soup, a dish of noodles and vegetables, cucumbers and a type of bean that you bite and eat with the duck, BBQ’d pork on a stick, sticky rice, and a spicy dish with papayas. Chai showed us how to take the sticky rice in our fingers and push the duck or the noodles into it to eat it all together.

We had a wonderful time chatting with the family. And Chai did most of the translating. Then, his mom said that everyone should get up to dance. We learned a dance similar to the electric slide and we also learned a Laos traditional dance..Lamvong. we had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun!

We had a tapioca dessert with flavors and ingredients in it that we had never tasted before. It was very tasty and very different.

We bid our hosts a fond goodbye and Chai drove us back to the hotel. It was a wonderful evening and one we will remember for years to come.

Appetizer of sticky rice, coconut milk, and banana

Chai’s home

The home outside

Allan stirring the dish for our dinner

The feast!

So many delicious dishes were served

We were dancing the night away.

Dessert

The mom brought this out and took bracelets off of it which she tied on each of our wrists while wishing us good luck, safe travels, health, and to come back and visit again someday.

Having the bead bracelet put on my wrist

Allan having his bracelet put on

Saying goodbye at the end of a wonderful evening