Brown of a different Hue

Hue, Vietnam

I somehow managed to lug my pack, day pack, 2 suits, and a bag full of clothes to Hue today. Had enough of the shopping and wanted to fill up on a little culture so i found myself a moto driver who knew the sites.

'Bi' or as I like to call him B-Boy is 64 years old and a great if not eccentric moto guide. Hue used to be the empiral city during the last empirial dynasty and is full of tombs, pagodas and a massive citadel of the forbidden city. Bi also took me to Bunker Hill where there are still 4 American bunkers. He had been wounded by a gun shot from a vietcong soldier during the war and told me a few stories of how it was in the 70's. I don't think i mentioned it in my previous post but I had gone to the war remnants museum in saigon. I was pleasantly surprised by the exhibits and quite touched. Throughout the sentiment was Anti-war and not Anti-America. The statistics and pictures on how America used so many (about 80 million litres) herbicides including Napalm/ Agent Orange/ Dioxin was devastating. The pictures of the children of those exposed to these chemicals made it only too real the affect a war now 30 years old still has today.

Looking forward to tomorrow as its what i've envisioned when i first thought about coming to Vietnam... a bowl of pho made for me fresh while floating through the markets on the Perfume River

Lopa

P.S. A Happy Birthday Shout Out to Roma, Jeet, George, Dhaval Bhai and my aunts Mamta and Kirti!

A little Peanut Brittle

left Hoi An this morning and I think my wallet is thanking me! It's been a lot of fun hanging out in Hoi An and its not just because of the serious threads i've gotten made.

The night I bumped into Claire, Shane, Tosh, JR, Joe, and Pete (folks i met in mui ne) I was introduced to Bugs (aka victoria) and Ezra an absolutely fabulous couple from England who are travelling for a bit. Ezra was nice enough to try and teach Bugs and I how to ride a bike of the motor variety! Yup finally got my butt on one. Nothing exciting, a few drives up and down a deserted road near hoi an beach cruising in 2nd gear, enough to get my taste buds wet..heehee can't wait to give it a go again in india

Also had the most amazing experience meeting a local woman named Hian. Hian sells peanut brittle and approached me one day. I had just had lunch didn't really want any and told her if i did i'd make sure to buy from her. I walked away and then thought it would be nice to bring something to the girls at my tailor shop - Nhi Trung so I turned around and called after her. She was so excited 1. that i remembered her name and 2. that i actually bought some.

A little while later as I was walking down the street she saw me and called me over.
H - you my friend, you number one, you remember Hian
BG - yes, well thanks again
H - my friend, your friend, you come my house free of charge 2 people moto we go my friend house eat

She proceded to draw me a map of the bridge and 6 dots and an arrow meaning i had to make a right after the 6th house. Well okay either i was going to get guilted into giving money or convinced that her sister or someone had the best clothes shop... either way she seemed harmless and I was up for a little more then just sightseeing

So at 3 o'clock i found her place and it seemed like everyone on her street knew i was coming. Hian invited me into her house introduced me to her family (mom, dad, sister, niece) and asked me to sit. She started telling me about her deceased husband and her family, a bit hard to follow sometimes as every few sentences she'd throw in a phrase like 'see you again'. Of course my vietnamese was piss poor so i wasn't complaining... then she walked over to her cabinet and pulled out an envelope filled with letters and pictures... ah this was beginning to look familiar, like the young girl Helena and I met after the 'short cut' down from Kalimutu. "My friends from ____ (fill in country of choice) send me money..." Luckily for me Hian I think was more interested in telling me about her 'english' contacts then trying to hit me up from money.

"Okay madame, follow me we go your friend my friend on moto" And away we went to her friend Lei and Ha's house. once we got there she made the introductions asked me to sit down and told me she'd be back. So here i was with 2 women making these rice and potato snacks wrapped in banana leaves with about 5 words in total that we all understood... luckily i had my little phrase book and we were able to get the basics, how old, married or single, kids, etc. Having a digital camera also really helps - everyone loves being able to see their pictures!

Anyway Hian came back with her sister and give bag filled with Ban Xeo... (i'm sure i've mentioned the yummy savory pankakes with shrimp and bean sprouts wrapped into spring rolls). We all sat around in a circle (a little pow wow with the ladies) eating and gossiping.. well okay they gossipped and made comments and i just laughed along.

Before dropping me off Hian asked that I come in the morning, turns out she had invited her friends from Danang who own a salon to give me a manicure/pedicure and facial... I was so glad that i hadn't arrived empty handed and had brought some pastries and goodies from the bakery. After i of course offered to pay for the services (a bit of a scary experience, and painful massage, but its the thought that counts)... i didn't care, i was so touched by Hian's hospitality and kindness to me, a total stranger who had just kept her promise to buy some peanut brittle.

Shoppers Anonymous

Hoi An, Vietnam

So I spent a total of 7 days in Mui Ne and part of me wished that i never left, I've had such a great time there, kite surfing thanks to Louis and just hanging out because of...well because of pretty much everyone (louis, drew, steve, wouter, ross, trish, liu and the family at Lham Thom, tony, and everyone else) in Mui Ne. It's funny how quickly you can grow an attachment to a place...

Any way I told myself i had to keep on moving so I took the bus to Nha Trang the beach resort/party town where i had to stay overnight in order to catch a flight to Hanoi ($40 bucks versus $5 was worth not having to travel by bus for 12 hours and lose a day). Now i'm in Hanoi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It's quite pretty here, very quaint, but lots of tourists and lots of shops. i mean street after street of tailor shops, shoe shops, lantern shops, lacquered pottery shops, just row after row of beautiful things.

Now that i'm here i need help, just take a look at my schedule for today

9:00am - first order at Nhi Trung Tailor shop - 1 casual skirt suit ($35), 1 dress ($22), 1 top ($8), 1 pair of pants ($10)

11:00am - first fitting with the Ha, the gay guy who guilted me into letting him sew me a top (silk blend $7)...let's just say there will definitely have to be a second fitting

12pm - first fitting at the very elegant Yaly tailor shop where i've ordered an off-white summer suit(linen $65) - not bad... told them what i wanted fix and will see them tomorrow.. not before i of course ordered a button down.. hey if it's good i'm ordering more - at $10 a pop why not! The big question is do I get a proper suit made here or do I wait until Dubai.... any advice? (Cashmere/Wool blend suit $100)

1:30pm - at the internet cafe now, need to get a quick bite to eat and decide whether i want anything else made at Nhi Trung.. maybe another skirt, some pants, a few tops....

3:00pm - I've got my second fitting with Ha, regardless of how it turns out don't think i'll be getting anything else made...2 tailors are enough!

4:45pm - meet up with claire and shane (2 ozzies i met in Mui Ne) so they can show me where they've got their 15 or so pairs of shoes made... this is going to get really interesting

8:00pm - back to Nhi Trung for my first fitting

9:00pm - pass out from exhaustion.

And it all starts again tomorrow...

Oh also have been trying some great food..Sunday night about 30 of us went into Phan Thiet for the festival and went to a Ban Xao (sp?) place. Basically these little savory pancakes with bean sprouts and shrimp you place in a soup bowl, add to it some mint/basil/leaves that they give you and 1-2 heaping spoonfuls of a sweetened fish sauce based broth... so good! The great thing about this place is that it's the only thing on the menu!

Hoi An is known for its cao lau (doughy noodles with croutons, been sprouts and greens, shredded pork in a broth that is made out of water from the Be Le Well), fried wantons, and white roses (small steamed dumpling with shrimp) - most of the restaurants have pre-fixed menus with 4 dishes for $2!!! I have a feeling that all this stuff I've got made will have to be taken in once I get home :)

For those of you waiting on pics, I'm sorry but internet is crap here and to upload 10 pics takes like 3 hours so you'll have to bear with me until i get to Hanoi

hope all is well
xoxo
bg

Up Up and Away AND Salute!

Don't think you'll believe me but i swear its true.... I am learning how to kitesurf! Yeah, the browngirl who can't swim is riding the waves and the wind (okay well not quite but i'm getting there)! I'm in Mui Ne, Vietnam now, a lazy little beach/fishing village town where the conditions for windsurfing are excellent. I'd read that the season starts late October which is a good time to go (no rain). Plus the popular Nha Trang was a bit too touristy for my liking. So the plan was to hang out here for 2 or 3 days...

2 or 3 has now become 6! I absolutely love it here, i've met some really great people, all of which have something to do with windsurfing... my neighbor, a lovely French guy named Louie, at the hotel has his own school and after being introduced to the rest of the clan i couldn't resist.

May have to skip seeing one or two places i was planning on seeing, but i really don't mind, i don't want to rush around vietnam and i'd like to think i can see the places i've missed next time.

Turns out that there's a 10 year anniversary festival going on this weekend in the main town of Phan Thiet so i'm off for a little local cuisine and culture. I don't know how anyone could think that you could lose wait by traveling out here. it's just not possible. Last night we all got together to eat at Giardino's, THE only italian restaurant in the area run by the fabulous Max and Tony. I walked in and could just smell garlic and basil and all that is yummy. Tony and Max, ran a tight shop and the service was impeccable, the menu divine. I know it sounds a bit much but after 4 months in Asia where food comes out at different times, appetizers before the main, drinks after food, where you have to do a little song and dance to get a waiters attention it was so refreshing to have the whole dining experience. I couldn't resist and ordered a glass of house red. It's been so long since i've had a nice red, i almost cried... Foccacia was put out on the table to share , and i started off with a caesar salad, made with real anchovies, eggs, homemade croutons and pancetta. I knew I was going to drop some change at this place so i figured might as well go all out. For main i had their rigatoni puttanesca with olives, capers, red chilis, parmesan. Dessert of course could be nothing other than tiramisu and a white zambuca. Jess your dad would have been proud.

Who would have thought I would have had the perfect italian meal in Vietnam.

Uhmmm where'd it go?

I swear I spent a few hours while in Saigon writing a blog describing my weekend down in the Mekong Delta, but when I logged on today its no where to be found.

Anyway got in to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) on Friday after a 8 hour journey from Phnom Penh and decided to spend the weekend down in the Mekong Delta. It was a great way to really get to see the boating life of the Vietnamese. Everything people did revolved around the Mekong. I honestly think I spent more time on water than on land those 3 days.

The first and 1/2 of the second was spent touring around the city of Ben Tre and Can Tho, trying the local cuisine, biking around the town, rowing down the narrow canals. In Ben Tre I got to try Elephant Eared Fish which was fried and then served whole on a little display. My waitress then came out with rice paper sheets and greens, peanuts and noodles to make fresh spring rolls ....mmmm so yummy. Among other things I tried fresh tropical fruit such as rambutan, mango, dragon fruit, freshly made coconut candy, crepes with shredded coconut and my favorite from India, sugarcane juice with lime!!! I also discovered my second favorite Vietnamese dish, meat with chili and lemongrass..mmmm in typical vietnamese style its made fresher/lighter than its Thai version.

During the 2nd half of my Second day I left the group that I was touring with to spend some time on Tiger Island and spend my 2nd night at a homestay. I was met by my guide and 2 bicycles when I arrived in Long Xuyen City. We hopped on our bikes went around town and took the ferry over to Tiger Island. The island seemed more like small strips of land as small deltas and canals ran throughout its 15 square kilometers. It was great to be away from the tourist shops and hotels and be the only foreigner on the island. Like the rest of asia as I biked around I was greeted by children, laughing and shouting 'Hello' at the top of their lungs. Even the adults who would just smile would laugh and grin when I'd smile at them and shout out 'sin chao' (hello)

I can't rave enough about my short stay with the Huyen family (i'm sure i've butchered the spelling of their name :( which consisted of mr and mrs, they're two sons Nyuk (10), Benh (16) and their grandmother. Except for a few phrases the boys had learned none of them spoke any English. Instead they would just gesture and smile at me. I was invited to have dinner with the family in the kitchen on their bamboo mat. A huge amount of food was set out in 2 separate groups, what looked like one set for me and the other to be shared by the family. I don't know what there was thinking but there was no way that I could eat all of it by myself nor would I while they shared between themselves. So without any words I moved all of my bowls towards their food and moved in closer. I gestured with my hands and placed some of the meat into the grandmother' ball, I had been told earlier by my guide that offering the best food to the eldest was a sign of respect. I was grateful he'd said that as it seemed to work. The grandmother preceded to rearrange the bowls and motioned for me to eat. It was heavenly! After dinner i was given some watermelon and watched some badly dubbed cartoons and chinese soap operas with the boys. The youngest, was the least shy and called me over to play a game with him. A sort of cross between mine-sweeper and tic-tac-toe. Benh soon joined and we passed the time just hanging out, playing, drawing and doing Bruce Lee impressions.

The next day after lunch I said my goodbyes and was off back to Saigon.

The Happy School

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

After yesterday's sights of S-21 and a day of contemplating what had gone on here just a few decades ago, I was in need of a serious pick me up, a reminder that all is not wrong in the world. Lucky for me there was Paraic and Salaa Sabia (Cambodian for Happy School)

Penne was put in touch with Paraic, through her best friend back in Melbourne. Paraic, originally from Ireland, was traveling a few years ago and decided to stay and work as a teacher in Cambodia for a few months. The school he taught at was nothing more than a tarp over concrete and during the following monsoon season was completely blown away. Along with some of the other foreign teachers they couldn't just pick up and leave and had to do something to help. Paraic and his colleagues formed two organizations - Australians for Cambodian Education (ACE) and Ireland for Cambodian Education (ICE) and started raising funds. They were able to build a school and buy all the equipment needed for a classroom in July of 2003. With the latest funds they've been able to secure 5 computers which should be arriving tomorrow!

Penne and I were so excited to get a chance to play with the kids and help out with Paraic's classes. In the morning we headed straight towards the Russian Market to stock up on school and art supplies for the kids. Its amazing how much you could buy for so little. We arrived just as the older kids were finishing up their morning session with the school master teaching them in Cambodian. Paraic introduced us to the class and we were greeted with the biggest smiles and loudest Hellos. It didn't take long to realize how serious Paraic took his job as he explained to us how he'd like us to help with the next lesson, taking advantage of the fact that he now had two new accents for the kids to hear. At the same time in the second classroom the younger children were having their Cambodian lessons.


While one of us was in the classroom working with Paraic the other spent some time with the much younger kids. These children around the age of 4 and 5 were too small to be in the young class, but were often sent to school by their parents as they had no one else to take care of them. Now this took a bit of effort. A few of the little ones were to scared to leave their older siblings sides (i know i can look pretty rough in the morning, but i didn't think i looked that scary). So we only had two Charly and Lakhana to take care of. Easy. Hah! not quite. We pulled out our bag of goodies with markers, crayons, paints, and paper and watched as the girls tried to hold them. As Charly, who it turns out is either very happy or very sad was trying to explain to me in Cambodian that she wanted water. I didn't have a clue of course. I look over at Lakhana thinking some how she could enlighten me on Charly's needs only to find her using her colored pencils as a lip liner - well atleast it wasn't the markers.

During playtime before it was time for the young class's english lessons Paraic took us around, introducing us to those who keep Happy School running, including the Centre Manager, the Headmaster, one of the teachers and the full time security gaurds. It was refreshing to see that the school was not only staffed by foreign volunteers but locals wanting to make a difference.

The next goal for The Happy School is to raise funds and create an area that can be used by the smaller children as a kindergarden. Space however is limited and there is not enough room to have a new building as well as as an area for the children to play. The classroom that was built, a 1 room structure is up on stilts. So they came up with the idea of having the space underneath, which currently is just mud, filled with concrete. This would provide the younger kids a shaded area to play without utilizing precious playground space.

If you're interested in reading more about the Happy School and on how you can help the website is
www.acecambodia.org.au


I have to tell these kids were amazing. So smart, ready to learn, full of life. They were all so eager to learn and play. I don't have to tell you, take a look for yourself


I'm off to Saigon in the morning, sans Penne since her visa doesn't take affect until Tuesday. The plan is to start off with a bit of exploring for a few days down the Mekong Delta. Doubt they'll be interent so you'll get a break from BG for a bit :) Have a great weekend!

xoxo
BG

First they killed my father

I didn't think i'd be able to get much sleep last night. Images from my visit earlier that morning to S-21 kept flashing through my head. My imagination ran wild as I placed myself in the position of the 5 year old girl in the book I had bought in the afternoon called 'First They Killed My Father'. Tears started flowing as I read her account of what had happened to her and her family during the 3 years 8 months and 20 days of the Khmer Rouge.

A Brief History

The time of the Khmer Empire and Angkor Wat eventually fell into the hands of its Thai (siamese) and Vietnamese neighbours as they began to occupy areas of the kingdom. During the 1860s the French came along and colonized Cambodia and controlled it as a protectorate but did nothing much to advance Cambodia. Cambodia was left to its own devices as France entered WWII. In 1953 France granted Cambodia independence under the power of King Suhanouk and for 15 years he presided as ruler. During this time Cambodia prospered but as the years passed many of the people became dissatisfied with his government as the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. In the country side where people were especially angry nationalistic groups started to form. One of these factions was the communist Khmer Rouge who were secretly being supported by the Vietnamese.

The U.S., as we learned in Laos, indiscriminately bombed the eastern provinces of Cambodia to flush out the Vietnamese, carpeting Cambodia with bombs. Many villages were destroyed and hundreds killed, allowing the Khmer Rouge to gain support of those who survived. King Sihanouk was overthrown in 1970 by his top general Lon Nol and Cambodia fell into a civil war as Lon Nol tried to fight the Communist Khmer Rouge. During this time the Khmer Rouge used mines to protect villages and farms against Lon Nol and his army.

King Sihanouk exiled himself to Beijing and was forced by the Chinese to back up the Khmer Rouge. Many cambodians still revered the King and took his support as reason to follow the Khmer Rouge. About 2 weeks before the fall of Saigon, the Khmer Rouge defeated the U.S backed Lon Nol goverment and the country had ended its civil war. Regardless of who was in power, many citizens celebrated at the thought of peace in Cambodia

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge having used a Maoist approach to revolution believed in an agricultural-socialist state. They believed that cambodia's history had ended and a new one was beginning. 1975 would now be known as 'Year Zero'and a 'Democratic Kampuchea'would be born. No remnants of the west or their influence physically or culturally had a place here. Cars, hospitals, schools, libraries, televisions, watches, clocks were destroyed. Anything resembling modernization, technology was destroyed. Anyone seen as educated - lawyers, doctors, teachers, those who spoke foreign languages, people wearing glasses (which was seen as a sign of intelligence) were to be killed. Anyone that held a goverment job during Lon Nol's rule was to be killed killed. Anyone that was not Cambodian - Indians, Americans, French, English were to be killed. The families - daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews - every generation was to be wiped out.

In the years that many of us were born or first learning how to walk, talk, ride a bicycle, thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in cities under the pretense that the US was going to be bombing them. These city people were now known as the 'new people'to be placed and dispersed throughout the villages in Cambodia. They were told that if they worked hard the 'Angkar'(organization) would provide from them. There was no longer the individual but only the collective. The existing villagers were known as the 'base'people - thought to be the ideal citizen by the Khmer Rouge as they were uncorrupted by the city life and by the West. Although they had to work as well, they were given better rations of food and were considered a class above the new people. Many of the base people were given roles as doctors and nurses in the 'hospitals' although they had no knowledge of medicine. The new people became slaves working any job that was needed, from farming, to building bridges damns, the harder they worked the less food they were rationed, forcing them to eat anything that came there way. Rats, roaches, earthworms, wild mushrooms, crickets. Many died of food poisoning, dysentary, fell sick because of severly weakend immune systems. Those working in the farms were often disabled or killed by the same mines that had been placed by the Khmer Rouge. Those who had any disabilities were killed as they were of no use to the Khmer Rouge.

As people became sick and many were killed the Khmer Rouge started to separate young adolescents from their families, recruiting and reeducating (brainwashing) them into young militants and soldiers. Having killed doctors and nurses, many of the base people as well as these young ones were given jobs in hospitals. These young militants grew to be very cruel and evil. Young girls and boys were able to kill fellow Cambodians with plastic bags, the butts of their guns, anything to prevent having to use their precious bullets.

S-21

In 1975 the Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's regime and turned into a security prison. Many of these security prisons were established throughout Cambodia, but S-21 was to become the largest detention and torture center. As hundreds of thousands of people starved to death, there were those who met their fate inside the walls of S-21. Over 17,000 men, women, children (some only newbors) were brought here for interrogation and torture. Of these thousands only 3 of the 6 survivors still live today. The haunted, old buildings of S-21 is now used as a museum, physical evidence of the atrocities commited by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Photographs were taken of all the prisoners and biographies made on each one who entered. Many of those who were brought to S-21 were 'base'people or Khmer Rouge 'cadres'(soldiers). As the years went by the Khmer Rouge became more and more paranoid of their own, higher officials thinking everyone around was conspiring against them. Often the biographies included 'confessions'forced statements to show how they betrayed the Khmer rouge and were traitors to Cambodia. One example shown in an exhibit in Building B was of a young man who joined the Khmer Rouge in order to save himself from slave work who was taken to S-21 and who had 'confessed'that he wanted to marry a Laos woman and flee to Laos. Those who did not die from torture at S-21 were brought to Choeung Ek - 'The Killing Fields'. The people were often bound, blindfolded and bludgeoned to death so as not to waste any bullets. Today you can find on display at the memorial stupa the sculls of over 80000 men, women, and children

Then and Now

As the Khmer Rouge gained more power and became over confident they listened less and less to they're Vietnamese comrades and imagined they could regain land lost to the thais and vietnamese centuries ago. The Vietnamese who had just won a war against the world's super power outnumbered and outpowered the Khmer Rouge. Towards the end of 1978 Vietnam invaded and overthrew the Khmer Rouge, in support of a separate Communist faction. Unfortunately although this put an end to the cruelty and destruction of the Khmer Rouge the aftershocks were felt for years to come.

Millions of Cambodians tried to go back home, find loved ones, leaving the farms and field desolute. Famine swept across the country and thousands more died. The Khmer Rouge fled to the Thai borders and maintained an army of 3,000.

Shockingly the U.N. still recognized the brutal Khmer Rouge as the goverment and Pol Pot as the official leader of Cambodia. They were supported by other countried and shockingly indirectly backed by the U.S who now saw the Vietnamese backed goverment as a threat. In 1991 a peace treaty was signed by all factions stating there would be a U.N. supervised election and 70%disarming of forces. In 1992 the Khmer Rouge backed out of the peace treaty and continued fighting.

Not until 1996, the year that I graduated from highschool was there a falling in the number of Khmer Rouge and in 1997 due to fighting amongst the factions was Pol Pot finally ousted and imprisoned. Others were captured or surrendered over the next 2 years. Pol Pot disappointingly died while in prison in 1998. Many others including his right hand man Samphan were captured or surrendererd. Samphan and many others are still alive today, some waiting for trial, others still involved in the new goverment under King Suhanouk.

Like the Nazi Germany, and more recently the genocides in countries such as East Timor and Rwanda the Khmer Rouge used their radical ideologies, ethnic hatred, complete disregard for human life to create nothing but destruction, pain and suffereing and murder on a massive scale.

Lopa Croft and the Holy City of Angkor

Its been 3 days in Siem Reap and each day has been filled with breath-taking views, intricate carvings and phenomenal structures of the ancient city of Angkor.


Day 1

We started out at 7:30am Saturday towards Angkor Thom. Built at the height of the Khmer empire under King Jayavarman VÍI this city included Phimeanakas, Tep Pranam with the king and his concubines pools out front, the terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. However the most memorable monument built has got to be Bayon. One of my top 3 'MustSee' Templess ofAngkorr, with over 200 massive faces, enormous towers and bas reliefs covered with intricate carvings, i was blown away by my first angkor temple. At this point i couldn't imagine it getting any better.

After Angkor Thom we went for a bite to eat. Cambodia's most famous known for its dishes prepared 'amok' style. A deliciously spicy and sweet fish or meat stew made with coconut milk, spices, ginger and other tasty ingredients. It definitely makes it on the top 10 food list.

Around 2:30 after a quick nap and shower back at the hotel we made our way to Angkor Wat. It may sound a little silly but i was so excited. Angkor Wat, a perfect symbol of the art, power, and culture of the Khmer Empire at its greatest is also the largest religious structure in the world. It is also the largest hindu temple in the world. During the 1st century Indian and Chinese traders began arriving in the region exposing the local people to their art and culture. The indian culture and religions of Hinduism and buddhism, as well as theories in the maths and sciences spread throughout the region. At the height of the Angkorian period Hinduism was most dominant and king Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat as his state temple to honor the deity Vishnu. The first thing you see as you approach the grounds of Angkor Wat is the massive moat that surrounds it. As you look up you enter through the outer walls and step into the courtyard. Up ahead you catch a glimpse of the 5 towers. Really it was surreal to be approaching such an enormous and extraordinary monument. The guidebook uses the phrase 'prepare for divine inspiration' and they are not exaggerating in the least bit. The central temple is made of 3 levels each surrounded by bas reliefs intricately carved with the stories of the Mahabarata as well as stories of the kings own battles. We carefully made our way up each level - as the steps were narrow, steep and smoothed away by time. After spending a few hours aimlessly wandering through the temple we went back outside and found the perfect spot to see all 5 towers.

The day was finished off at the top of Baksei Chamkrong where everyone comes to see the sunset. As for sunsets is wasn't anything spectacular but after a day of having our visual senses on overdrive a great place to relax and take it all in. We were also lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Ravi a 13 year old school boy who was just hanging out. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who wasn't trying to sell us postcards, flutes, bamboo boats, bracelets, or cold drinks (more on that the next post)

Day 2

Penne and I had the best intentions of getting up at 5am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat another must while visiting the temples, but all it took was a few lighting strikes out our window to convince us we should go back to sleep. A few hours later we woke up to find a beautiful sunny day outside our window. So we had some brunch did a bit of shopping and sorted out a tuk-tuk to see somre more of Angkor.

First stop was going to have to be Ta Phrom - number 2 on my list. Ta Phrom is the temple that was used in Tomb Raider and for good reason. The temple is covered in green with trees growing under, through, and on each part of it. Partially unrestored, the jungle overgrowth gave the complex a romantic, mysterious feel and its trees filled with parrots added to the jungle atmosphere. Penne and I couldn't resist making a few Lara Croft references as we tried climbing the trees and picking up the huge pieces of stone.

After Ta Phrom we hopped back into our tuk-tuk and headed out to Ta Keo - the mountain temple dedicated to Shiva, then Thommanon - a small temple created in a similar style as angkor wat in great condition. Unlike many of the other sites it felt more like a holy temple and less like ancient ruins. Our last stop was Srah Srang a small island temple in the middle of the lake which unfortunately sank due to some locals trying to fish and therefore could only be seen during the dry season. Our visit here wasn't a total lost however as we were immediately surrounded by the pint-size touts trying to manipulate us with their big tear filled eyes to buy their goods. Seriously these kids are amazing. Some as young as 5 or 6 spoke perfect english.
"If you buy a cold drink, by from me"
"If you don't have money borrow from your friend"
"If you from India why you no have (pointing to the middle of her forehead)"

They try sulking, bribing you with gifts - "here bracelet for you, its free for good luck"and then a few minutes later "I give you for good luck, you buy scarf from me" It really does take a lot of energy to resist. You think you can outsmart them by having a conversation, becoming their friend but really they're the ones playing us because right when you think you're in the clear you hear " Lady i give you 10 bracelet for one daallar, only one daallar"

Day 3

This was our last day in Siem Reap and we were determined not to miss sunrise, so we arranged for Khimtay, our driver from Day 1 to pick us up at 5am. We arrived at Angkor Wat while it was still pitch dark and made our way to our favorite spot by the water. In a few moments first light started to appear in shades of blue-purple. Nothing could have been more beautiful than Angkor at this time. The whole crowd was captivated switching between staring and clicking away at their cameras as the light changed from blues to purples to pinks and oranges. Like many of the wonders of the world pictures just does not do it justice.

After we finished the morning with a stop at banteay srei to see the the beautiful delicate carvings that densely cover the walls, East Mebon which used to be an island temple in what is now a dry baray, and finally Pre Rup, a mountain temple with beautifully carved false doors built as the state temple of King Rajendravarman II.

Sit back and take in the scenery

Siem Reap, Cambodia


Sit back and enjoy the scenery... its basically all i can do. You see today was my first day of exploring the mind blowing temples of Angkor Wat. And about 1 hour into it as I climbed the steps to get a better view of the many buddha faces that seem to follow you at Bayon I slipped. And as I slipped I watched the Pentax Optio S5i digital camera that i had aimed to take a picture crash to the ground. just imagine it in slow motion, the camera floating through the air, my lips slowly mouthing the words "Nnnaaahhooooooowwwww"" as I hopelessly tried to reach out for it.

I pulled a severe Lopa. You know....a Lopa. Like when you're walking down the street and trip over that invisible rock, you're pulling a lopa. When you're eating dinner and half your drink seems to be dribbling down your neck - you've just pulled a lopa.

i am a klutz. and i am trying very hard to not bang my head against the wall of a 12th century mahayana buddhist temple. these things happen of course. i mean its been 4 months into my travels and something like this was bound to happen. But it could have been worse, right. could have lost/cracked the SD card. could have been run over by an elephant... you know these things happen

For those of you who wake up every morning wondering about what fabulous pictures browngirl's has posted next, don't worry...luckily penne's still got her camera and has graciously allowed me to take some pictures with it as well. i've filed my insurance claim and found the name of a camera shop in phnom penh. just keep your fingers crossed it doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a decent digital camera.

Last Days in Laos

Vientiane, Laos

Outside it feels like 100 degrees yet somehow my body must till know that back home its fall and that means time for my first cold of the season. Not feeling too hot at the moment, with my usual stuffy nose, scratchy throat. being sick sucks. At the moment I'm just trying to overdose on oranges and pho.

so the last few days in Laos have been great. There were a slight change in plans as I made a huge blunder and completely forgot that i needed to get my cambodian visa the first few days i was in vientiane in order to cross over the southern border crossing. I'm not sure how i could forget something so important but i think it has to do with the fact that when you're traveling by yourself you are constantly turned on, in tune with what you have to do. With Penne with me I've had the luxury of slacking off a bit, being a bit lazy and to be honest not focusing so much on what comes next. This meant of course that in order to get out of Laos in time with when our visa expires we were going to have to fly. Not a big deal except that i was going to have to break one of my cardinal rules of traveling - never fly by air when you can travel safely (if not a bit uncomfortably) by land or sea.

On our way to Vientiane from Phonsovan Penne and I both realized that since we were going to have a few more days in Northern Laos that we might as well stop at Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is sort of like Bangkok's Koh San Road but at a Laos pace. The most strenuous activity consisted of lazily tubing down the Mekong River stopping at the little make-shift bars along the way. Every restaurant offered 'special' menus consisting of happy pizzas, happy teas, happy shakes etc.

We've met some really cool people along the way. Tim from Manchester, and Andi, Chris and Valerie from Atlanta Georgia - You guys were such a laugh, it was so great to meet you!

Tomorrow we catch a flight at 6:30am direct to Siem Reap. I'm going to miss Laos but I'm so excited to finally get the opportunity to see the Great Temples of Angkor Wat!

The Secret War

Phonsovan, Laos

After much debate and studying of timetables, maps we decided that we definitely didn't have as much time as we'd thought and would have to leave Northern Laos - the Luang Nam Tha Province for another trip. Instead we were going to head over to Phonsovan to see the Plain of Jars (Laos's stonehenge) and also an area whose claim to fame was being the most heavily bombed area in the world

During the 60's as America was going to war with Vietnam it learned of a 'secret' Ho Chi Minh Trail from northern vietnam over Route 7 to Phonsovan near 'Site 1'of the Jars which has also a base for the Communist group in Laos.

Officially Laos was a neutral country and based on the Geneva convention was off limits. The US government of course found a way to get around by sending over CIA agents and soldiers as civilians. For 9 nine years the US conducted this 'secret war' dropping over 1 million bombs in 10,000 missions. These missions were funded by US taxpayer dollars, and it cost them approximately $2,000,000 a day!

Agent Orange was also used at this time. You can still see the affects of this and other chemicals such as herbicides that were used throughout the province.

The biggest problem at the moment is that the people of Laos are still suffering. There is still an enormous amount of UXO (unexploded ordinance) through out the Plain of Jars and the region. Farmers who don't have the equipment such as metal detectors are often killed when trying to cultivate new areas. The Laos government has established orphanages for the children whose parents have been killed or severely affected by the UXO and can no longer take care of their young. An organization called MAG from the UK has been working on clearing out the Plain of Jars, which by next year will be an official UNESCO World Heritage Site, but they haven't received much funding and it takes a lot of money to be able to detect the UXO that cannot be seen.

What amazes me is that the first time I ever even heard of this was a few years ago when my friend Sylvia had decided to start a program to help children of a village called Ban Kiukacham go to school ( www.chiki.ca for more info). Of course this is not something that would be taught in your US History class.

The U.S government to this day has denied the extent of their involvement and will not offer money directly to the Laos government. Instead a small amount is given to the UN which in turn filters its way to other groups. This is yet another example of how the US government does not take any responsibility for being the world's super power but instead abuses it.

With all that they've been through, the people of Laos are still so friendly, willing to offer you anything they may have. They make the best of what they've got, like selling the scrap metal from old russian tanks or using the casings and shells as building material, even planting in them.

Its a very sad but very real war that took place - if you're interested in more info, one of the books i plan on reading is called 'Shadow War: The CIA's secret war in Laos' by Christopher Robbins.