Photos

Street scene in Phnom Penh.










Fishing on the Mekong River in the delta. This is just one of the methods.









Crossing the border into Vietnam - going through customs.

On top of Sam Mountain, looking back towards Cambodia and forward into Vietnam. The man is making a mould for a cement pot to house bonsai plants.

Brian enjoying a Vietnamese breakfast - Pho Bo - beef and rice noodle soup.

More local delights! Kathy enjoys the 'hot pot.' Raw meat, fish and veggies are cooked in the boiling broth on the tabletop charcoal burner. $4 US!

The last stop - Saigon

This will be our last post!!!!!

We are now in Saigon (the locals still don't call it Ho Chi Minh City). We are in a real tourist hot spot - there are hotels, travel agents, bars, restaurants, and people hasssling you to buy something (eg a packet of chewing gum!).

However, we have found a great guest house in an alley off the main street. It's great. Outside is a bustling crazy world and within the alley ways lies the normal Vietnamese world. As we wandered about tonight we could see families preparing tea, eating it or just resting at the end of the day. I wonder how many of the visitors discover this?

New experience today was travelling on a cyclo - a bike with a passenger seat in front of it. Later we had another motor bike ride and I certainly felt safer with the cyclo.

Went to a water puppet show today - a highlight for Kathy.

Yesterday visited a number of museums, pagodas and temples.

We are more aware of the American War here and its impact. I feel a little guilty that I wasn't aware of lots of what was happening here many years ago. And now we have Iraq!

When in a village (or hamlet) near Ben Tre, we were lucky to meet a local, Liam, who invited us to his home for dinner. In his backyard he showed us the tombs of his father, who had died in the war and that of his mother who passed away recently.

Being part of a Vietnamese family for an evening was a highlight and an honour for us.

Next day we travelled all the little pathways around the village on motorbikes, led by Liam. Again we had an insight into everyday rural living.

See you next week!

Ben Tre

We left Vinh Long at 11.30am on a crowded 17 seater mini bus. The problem with these is that everyone has heaps of luggage and there is very little space. My bag managed to squeexe in under my seat and Brian rested his in the doorway, holding it up right the whole trip.

Our plan is to slowly move towards Saigon. This time we want to get right of the beaten track and have consulted our Lonely Planet carefully, taking instructions literally. We had chosen the guesthouse we wanted to check out.

Once again the bus was heading to HCMC and we were dropped off at the turnoff to My Tho. From here we were to catch a ferry across the river to Ben Tre.

Luck had it that someone could speak a little English - enough for us to organise a motor bike to take us to the ferry. Kathy managed this trip of about 4km without gripping onto the driver!

Luck again when we met the brother of the guesthouse owner on the ferry. He and a mate drove us to the place. Its a quiet place in a pleasant garden setting. This little hamlet is here as a ferry stop. Most people go onto Ben Tre which is about 17km away. We might catch a bus there tomorrow but will just rest a little. One week to go before we return.

Brian's still getting over a cold so he's resting while Kathy went for a walk. Guess what she found?

Mekong Delta - the Venice of Vietnam

Whilst wandering around the town and trying to work out whether to catch one of the ferries across canals and rivers just to have a look, we came across a company that offered us a great deal on a tour. We decided to take it!

We had a boat with a driver as well as an English speaking guide. Usually this is not our scene but we are really glad that we took this up.

Again it was sensory overload looking at life along the rivers, canals and channels.

A few time we would stop and go for a wander to see some sort of cottage industry at work. This included making ceramic tiles for paving, knives and blades, palm leaf roofing and coffins! We also walked through a fruit nursery where we sampled fruits and some rice spirits. We loved the bonsai in another garden and plan to give it a go when we get home. At one stage we went for a bike ride to have a look at some of the orchards. All these little islands are lots of little orchards of all kinds of tropical fruits. The Asian grapefruit and longans are the main fruits in season.

Eventually we arrived at our homestay. I imagined it might be a bit better than our hill tribe experience. When wewere shown to our room I thought this was 5 star! The beds were camp stretchers with a thin mattress. A mosquito net was draped over it. There was electricity. Outside was a western loo, an Asian style shower and a handbasin with mirror!

After a walk around the orchard/property we relaxed on hammocks with a beer whilst wainting for dinner to be served.

This was another culinary feast. We stared off with elephant ear fish which had been cooked. Cold spring rolls were made using the flesh of this with a variety of salad greens and herbs.

This was not the end of the meal. To follow were a variety of vegie dishes, rice, yummy grilled pork and fried spring rolls. Dessert was a banana.

We had an early night because we needed to get up early to go to the floating market. Music from a house across the water way lulled us to sleep.

Through the night we could hear boats going by and the wake of the water splashing beneath our room.

The trip to the floating market was very much like others we have seen. Trading in the middle of the river certainly saves double handling goods!

We continued our travels through the small islands and stopped of to see the making of poprice. This is then made into a confectionary. We also was the making of coconut candy, rice paper for spring rolls and the conical Vietnamese palm hats. Lots of photos were taken by Kathy for school!

Though some of the places we vitied were 'touristy', it was great to see how some things were made traditionally. I'm sure machines would be used now days. Also we never were under any pressure to buy anything.

It was a bit sad to finish the trip. Once again we would have to plan our next move!

Vinh Long - Mekong Delta

We had a few hiccups with this post - conections here are slow. We are now reposting it.

Before leaving Chau Doc, we went on a trip to nearby Sam Mountain. This gave fantastic views towards Cambodia and over the Mekong Delta as well as the opportunity to visit a few temples.

For Kathy the trip on the back of a motor bike was fine until we reached the mountain. I wasn't too sure if the bike could take the STEEP and curvy road with me as the baggage. A moment of living dangerously which turned out well. The trip down the mountain was a piece of cake!

Next we set out on a 4 hour bus trip to Vinh Long. It was really interesting - looking at the countryside and all that goes on in towns, villages, fields etc. We were amazed at how quickly the time went. The passengers looked after us which included buying us food and drink from strretside vendors.

The bus was going on to Ho Chi Minh City so we had to get off enroute. We assumed that we would change buses and continue our travels. It was a great surprise to us when the bus pulled across at the turnoff. There waiting for us were 2 motorbikes to take us the remaining 9km!

Brian sat behind one driver, wearing his backpack and carrying his day bag. Kathy had a less adventurous ride because the driver held her backpack and she just had to cling on to her bag. Living dangerously again!

At home I would have absolutely refused to do this, but here - where would it get me? Nowhere!

The drivers here have an amazing sense of balance. We are forever taking pics of seemingly impossible loads on bikes or motorbikes. It's not just balancing - its managing to negotiate the traffic on the extremely busy roads.

We arrived safely to a hotel and did our usual orientation walk of the centre. For the first time on our trip we struck rain. It was a long and steady drizzle so we waited for a while before continuing our travels.

Had a feast for tea - seafood hotpot in a local eatinghouse. A charcoal fire is brought to the table. On it rests a pot of boiling stock. Some fish and vegetables were already cooking. Accompanying this were plates of more greens of all kings. (I recognised the bok choy and spring onions!) Also there was a plate of beef, squid, fish and shrimps and some dried noodles. The people showed us how to cook and eat our meal. There was no room for dessert, not that there was any on the menu. With a beer each the meal cost us about $6!

Had our worst hotel room all trip. It was a bit grotty, the traffic was noisy and Kathy was attacked by mossies. Still, what does one expect if the room costs $8? This however is what we usually spend.

Now Vietnam

We are now in Chou Doc in Vietnam.

We took a bus and "slow boat" from Phnom Penh. That was an experience.

Ths is a river town just off the Mekong. It has floating markets where dozens of boats trade in goods. It has fish farms where people have floating houses and under them the fish. There are manydifferent sorts of boats plying the river.

We find this place is similar to Cambodia but a bit less "extreme". It actually seems to be organised and there seems to be a rubbish collection system- that works. It is definitely better off than Cambodia. The people are still very nice and friendly.

The food here is fantastic and even cheaper than Cambodia. Eating from the stalls is very appealing but has it's drawbacks.

It is very hot during the day so it's very tiring.

Cheers.

Poverty in Cambodia

We knew that this is a very poor country. Pol Pot's time also still has it's impact. This is my summary of how I see it (after 2 weeks in the country!).

The average wage (for what it means) is meant to be about $1US a day. Teachers get $35US a month (but only work 1/2 the day). We paid $20US for a skilled guide for a day.

There are lots of beggars. They have very desperate faces and situations but we never give to beggars. We believe this is the only policy to have.

We try to be fair in our negotiations with people but also don't want to be ripped off. It is all a balancing act which we sometimes get wrong.

If you think too much about it you could get depressed. It is part of the deal when traveling through a poor country.

The country is making progress. There are new schools, roads etc. A few times new bridges have been pointed out to us and they saywho paid for it eg Japan, China and even a small one by Australia (with a kangaroo on it). The people are very aware of the aid and appreciate it. It makes a real difference.

However, as with all poor countries the problems are huge.

In spite of the poverty people are great. We see kids playing all sorts of games in the street. They love to have a joke and interact with us. Adults are also quick to have a laugh. They are great people to deal with.

We often take a picture and then show the kids the preview on the cameras. They love it and if their parents are there the love their kids to interact with us. The experience is very humbling at times. In the less touristy areas they love to say "hello" to us even if that's the only English word they know.

Tourism is very important to the country and this is how we as helping. We also have fun and I the people we interact with have fun. We boost their income a bit.

That's how we rationalize it all.

Cheers...........Brian

Phnom Penh again

We are back in the capital again after a fantastic trip around the country. We didn't really want to come back as we realize we are moving on not to return (for a while anyway).

Phnom Penh seems cleaner, less chaotic and almost sane this time. Has it changed or have we??? We are enjoying being back in a familiar place. This time we got a guest house near the centre of town and the river. It's a good change but we do miss the pleasant relaxing place on the lake.

Kathy is off doing a Khmer cooking class today - so look out when we get home.

I am doing what I love - wandering aimlessly around the streets and markets. Most of what you see is amazing. The smells, conditions and variety in the markets is almost overpowering.

Unfortunately I get tired and have to sit down in a cafe, or internet joint, to have a rest. Especially in the heat of the day. Internet cost $1.50 US an hour.

We want to go to Vietnam soon but Kathy wants to do some shopping in the market here one last time so it may not be tomorrow.

Cheers..........Brian

New Year's Day 2007

A lay day today for the travellers! It is not a holiday here at all.

We have stayed put just to get the laundry done, catch up on mail and make plans for the rest of the trip.

Even a quiet day is an educational experience. I can quite happily look at the world go by and try to make some sort of sense of what it means to be Cambodian.

A trip around the market is never a repeat experience. All the time there is something new to see.

Kathy has been checking out SA news and weather just in case we have missed something.

Photos

Slums at Kompong Cham. People playing volley ball

Our transport over the Mekong in Stung Treng

An isolate school on our trek north east. These children were from a minority group.

Crossing a river on our trek. This is after 4 of us and one bike had gotten off!

Brian trying the rice wine at the hill tribe village. It was good.

Elephants on our wild motor bike ride with the French girls.

Wedding anniversary on the Mekong. Taken from our hotel balcony.

Civilisation again

This is how we are celebrating New Year's Eve - in front of a computer.

We are back.

Since our last entry we ended up at Stung Treng - a town on the Mekong and the last town before crossing to Laos. Here we had the chance to visit a small village and spend time with a Cambodian family. This included a picnic on the Mekong. Kathy swam Cambodain style with all her clothes on!

We then went east on a very rough road to a very isolated part of Cambodia to Ban Lung. It is like the wild west - very dusty streets etc. All the roadside vegetation is coated with a thick layer of red dust.

We have been travelling with two French women who work in the south of Cambodia. One day we hired motor bikes and saw some fantastic little villages. It was really getting off the beaten track. Not too many Europeans come this way so we were a bit of a novelty.

At one spot we came across two elephants working in the fields - rubber plantations. The real thing!

We also did a two day trek heading towards the Vietnam border for 3 hours on a very rough 4X4 track. It had ruts in the road up to 70 cm deep, created in the wet season. It took 2plus hours to travel 60 km. Then we crossed the river in a littleboat and walked on a jungle track for 2.5 hours.

Just after dark we arrived at a minority hill tribe village - Nay. These people are very 'primitive' and isolated. Our guide could speak their language so one family invited us to stay in their house instead of in the 'classroom.' (This was a roof with a bit of a fence around it.)

It was an unbelievable experience. No electricity. No running water. No torches. No loo - choose your own spot. We washed at the well. We took photos of the kids milling around and they loved looking at the previews on the camera. After eating, we joined the men and tried the rice wine. We had to a share the bamboo straw as we drank from the clay pot.

The only difficult bit was sleeping - We ended up sleeping on the floor. Underneath we could hear the pigs and chickens. When I got up to go to the loo, I met one of the buffulo!

People arose early and started their chores after warming up a bit by the fire. Women went off to get water from the river. Breakfast was cooked and the families sat around and watched us.

We gave them some leftover fruit, sugar, tea and biscuits. It was received keenly. An old man came asking for medicine because he had a sore mouth.

Where do we find a balance so these people can have some basics and we not have too much?

We are back south again now at Kratie - on the Mekong again. We went to see the fresh water dolphins in the river. Ausaid provides $$ for an environmental projectto protect the environment from pollution from diesel, netting and the plastic bags that get into the waterways.

To sum up - it's been great - better than we could have imagined.

Hope you are all well.
Happy New Year.

Kompong Cham

Hi all.

Merry Christmas. We spent most of the day on a crowded bus.

However, we love this place. It is quiet compared to the previous places. Kids call out to us and people are great. One guy turned his motor bike around and stopped so he could talk to us.

It was great to ring home but the line was terrible.

Our guest house is the usual standard - $5US a night. It has two double beds, a TV, a fan and a shower (cold). It overlooks the Mekong river. It is a very modest place but a palace in contrast to the homes of the people on the banks.

Despite poverty, people are always welcoming and smile freely. We see people, including children, getting on with their tasks without a grizzle. They still smile.

We feel like real travellers now.

Love to all.
Merry Christmas

Siem Reap

Lunch for Brian!

Yes! I actually did it! I ate a huge spider!

It was actually quite nice and crunchy. Also a cicada was nice as was the snake (especially the roe - egg sack) and frog.

Normally we eat more conventional food. Kathy's favourite is Fish Amok - a fish cooked with lemon grass and served in a coconut.

We are now at Seim Reap, near Angkor Wat, the largest religious building in the world. It is amazing. There are lots of other ruins nearby. One is where they filmed "Tomb raider".

Today we went to a floating village. They change location of the village with the season.

We are feeling like we know the place a bit better now. Know a few words in Khmer which really helps. The people are great and we are really enjoying being here.

Take care.

Phnom Penh

We're here in Phnom Pehn and it's Wednesday night.

Nearly 4 days of adventure and that's counting when we left Adelaide.

I feel that if I did no more and just reflected upon what we have seenand done would be a holiday in itself. Everything is so different and there is so much to look at and examine and ponder. From the time we arrived in Phnom Pehn it has been mindboggling.

The traffic is incredible. Millions of scooters with 2 - 5 people onboard, tuk tuks (motorbikes with a cart attached), cars and trucks plusa few buses streaming in all directions.

When we arrived we arranged to be taken to the place we had chosen from our "Lonely planet". The moto turned out to be a motor bike with us and our back packs behing the driver. I at least had mine off and held on the lap of the driver. Brian still had his on our back. It was a long 7km! This is where we first met this traffic. But it works and we arrived safely. We can even cross the road now. I do have to hold Brian's hand though just to give me that little bit of confidence. You just look and keep moving. They just avoid hitting you.

We are staying at a guest house on a lake. Our room is modest but has a toilet and a cold 'shower' and is built over the water. We are unsure of where our water comes from and suspect the loo and shower empty into the lake, though I hope not.

The lane leading to our guest house gives us a little bit of an insight into the daily lives of Cambodian families. Grandpa is busy each day carving out a bedhead. Grandma nurses the baby. Someone else is rocking a hammock putting a toddler to sleep. Mum is following toddler around with his food, getting in a mouthful every now and then. Brother and sister play sword fights - the younger brother tormenting from what we can see.

The markets have been a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds, smells and sights. And crowded is an understatement. I had plans of taking lots of pics but it is just so difficult to capture it.

We enjoyed walking aroung the gardens of the Royal Palace and theNational Museum just because of the quiet and clean and calm environment with shady gardens. Beyond the walls is a noisy, hectic and polluted world. We have little masks to keep out the fumes.

Today we we went out into the countryside, about 40km from Phnom Pehn. Just the ride on the tuk Tuk was an adventure for all we saw of life in the countryside and how people work and live. I was delighted that I managed the 600 steps up to the temple we were visiting and the 400 back via a different route. My knee has held outand I have even been able to reduce the dose of the anti inflamatory.

Today we have tried snake. Brian bought 4 of them. I had a taste but left it at that. I didn't mind the frogs legs which were stuffed with rice and lemongrass. We both said no to the huge toasted spiders orthe crunchy insects that we saw at the market.

We are staying in an area that reminds me of the Bali I knew 30 years ago except that everyone has mobile phones and there are heaps of internet cafes. I've only seen one letterbox. That was at the Central PO!

Very upsetting is the number of kids out selling books and cards. (Are they going to school?) Some seem to be out on the street all day and night. According to a paper report I read here, ony a small age of kids get to grade 3. Too many get no schooling at all. The beggars, many missing limb/s is also upsetting.