Man it's hot!
I mean it's bloody friggin' hot!
After having spent the previous five days in Hanoi, where the temperature hovered around 15C, arriving in Phnom Penh and its 33C heat was a real kick to the system.
After having had my camera stolen, the subsequent dent in the budget led me to pick a place because it was cheap. Big mistake.
Don't get me wrong, the people were very helpful and friendly but the concrete room with no hot water left a lot to be desired. Sure it had a fan but when the night time temperature only drops to a cool 25C it does little to help with the sleep. As such I spent two rather restless nights in Phnom Penh.
I was never my intention to stay long in Phnom Penh. I mostly only went there to see the Killing Fields. As such my impressions of the city will be brief.
The day I got into town I walked for an hour in the afternoon heat in order to save a few bucks and to find the Tuel Sleng museum; once known as S21. Tuel Sleng was once a high school, but when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came to power they transformed the school into a prison of unspeakable terror and torment. Walking around what were once classrooms it was impossible to be emotionally detached. All of the photos of children, the cells, the barbed wire, and the skulls took a real toll.
That night I went for a walk along the river and ended having about an hour long conversation with a Cambodian University student. He kept talking about how happy he was to be able to speak English with someone. It was a nice change of pace from all of the other times when your constantly being implored to buy this or that or to find out if you want some drugs or a prostitute.
It was during this time that I recognized the problem with traveling alone; at least from my perspective. Traveling by yourself frees you to do what you want, when you want and how you want. For me though the problem begins when the sun goes down. I'm not a partier, so hitting up the clubs holds no appeal for me. Its that time between dinner and bed that can make you feel lonely.
On my second day in Phnom Penh, I decided I would rent a scooter. Great idea I thought. It only cost $4 for a day and would save on a lot of tuk-tuk costs and provide for a nice ride out to the Killing Fields. That lasted all of about a half hour. Before I even left the city I was pulled over by the police who claimed that it was illegal for me to drive in Cambodia without a Cambodian drivers license. The normal course of action was for them to take me jail and for me to pay a $100 fine. After a little of this show, the lead cop called me over to him and said that if I paid the $100 to him I could avoid the jail. After a couple minutes of me trying to convince him that I didn't have $100 on me, he took what money I had and told me to get lost.
My $4 scooter was costing me $27.
So according to my guide book, to get to Cheung Ek (the Killing Fields) you needed to take the main road heading south out of town. It said that it was about 15km south of the city. Well after driving for a good amount of time and having gone through a town and a village I was pulled over by more police. I'm sure you can figure out what was going through my mind at this point. Fortunately these police were helpful and politely told me that I had gone too far the wrong way. That I should go back to the town and follow route 2.
So I go back to the town, get onto route 2 and follow it for what seems like a dozen kilometres without any success. I stop and ask someone for directions. They can't speak English. So I ride back to town ask at one gas station. They don't know what Cheung Ek is. So I go to a different gas station. They too don't know what Cheung Ek is. At this point I'm flabbergasted. How could these people not know of one of the main sites of atrocity in their nation? Luckily someone came into the gas station who did and they were able to provide me with a map.
So off I set again and after another 30 - 45 minutes I finally found it.
The centre-piece of the site is a huge stuppa filled with skulls dug up from the graves that had been uncovered. Many of the original buildings had been torn down. A number of the graves that had been excavated were fenced off and had signs telling you about what had been found there. One of the more gruesome remainders of the Khmer regime was a tree that they used to smash the skulls of children against.
When it came time to leave Phnom Penh, I can't say that I was unhappy to leave. I think that I will always remember Phnom Penh as a depressing place due entirely to the fact that much of my time there was spent confronting the evidence of genocide.
Next: part 3 - Siem Reap.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Part 1: Hanoi
If you read my previous post you already know that I'm on a 4 week trip through south east Asia. My first stop was Hanoi, Vietnam.
When I arrived it was wet and overcast. It would stay that way for the full 5 nights I was there. I stayed four of those nights in the Old Quarter of Hanoi; just to the north of Hoan Kiem Lake. My first impressions of the city were that it was dirty, crowded and insane. There was garbage in the streets (in fact I watched as at the end of the day businesses would sweep all their garbage into the gutter; it would later be picked up), people pissing in the streets and various other things.
My impression of the people is incomplete as all of those I met were either serving me, or trying to get me to buy something from them. I even had one guy follow me for 4 blocks trying to get me to take a ride on his motorbike (scooter actually and a popular form of taxi in the congested city). I had to duck into a restaurant so that he would leave, but in fact he still hung around for about 2-3 minutes seeing if I'd come back out.
In all I saw the Army Museum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the downed B-52, the Hanoi Hilton and a performance of water puppets. All of this was in the city.
For 2 days - 1 night, I took a boat cruise through Ha Long Bay. It was spectacular. The sun never shone but it wasn't hot and the boat was wonderful. Some the best food I've ever eaten was on that boat; all fresh seafood (and I'm not a fan of seafood) that was incedibly delicious. We toured through the bay, were taken to a floating fishing village and then to one of the many caves that dot the more than 1000 islands.
My impression of the city changed a bit as the days went by. I couldn't help but think of the city as being akin to a medieval city struggling with change. Hanoi even more so. Its hard to lay aside our western notions of modernity and right and wrong. It constantly shades how we (or at least me) see the world around us.
When I first got there I was unconsciously making comparisons between Hanoi and other western capitals; it paled in comparison. It was easy to forget that they had only been without war for the past 30 years. It was easy to forget that as early as 70 years ago they were wearing loin cloths and living in tribal villages. The west forced them modernize at the barrel of a gun and continuous wars that stretch as far back as the 1890s ending only in 1979 with their defeat of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Given this reality (?) its hard to judge the city and people of Hanoi (and perhaps Vietnam as a whole) harshly. They weren't given the opportunity to enter the "modern world" or interact with the western world on their own terms. Given this I'm actually surprised at how congenial and friendly the people of Vietnam were to westerns who come parading through their streets looking for cheap goods, cheap thrills or even worse. Sure one could argue that they are only that way in order to get money from us, but aren't we to blame for that?
A side note: During the tour of Ha Long we went to a floating fishing village. It was essentially a fish farm. Each house had an area that had a net and in that net they raised various fish. They would go out and actively fish the waters of Ha Long, using what they caught to eat, to supplement their farm stocks or to feed to their fish. This was a small village containing approximately 55 families. One of the highlights for me was seeing their school. It was explained to us that the school only goes up to grade 5, and that the children only go half days (morning or afternoon). The teachers lived on the main land and would boat out to the school a week at a time. We were told that the school was limited in this way as it was determined that the children really didn't need any more education considering the fact that they would live and most likely die in that village. One doesn't need calculus to raise fish. It was easy to look down your nose at such an attitude but it is the wrong reaction. Its really not all that different than the way we were even a hundred years ago. In fact the classroom was a huge improvement as only 7-10 years ago none of the people who grew up in that village ever went to school.
The one down side to my Hanoi experience was that my camera got stolen. I had just gotten back from my overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay and thought I'd grab a bite to eat. I took my camera with me to look over the pictures and videos that I had taken up to that point. I set it down and allowed my mind to wander. I lost track of it. When it was time to go, my camera was gone. An expensive lesson to be sure, but the real cost is in the loss of the pictures.
Next: Part 2 - Phnom Penh
When I arrived it was wet and overcast. It would stay that way for the full 5 nights I was there. I stayed four of those nights in the Old Quarter of Hanoi; just to the north of Hoan Kiem Lake. My first impressions of the city were that it was dirty, crowded and insane. There was garbage in the streets (in fact I watched as at the end of the day businesses would sweep all their garbage into the gutter; it would later be picked up), people pissing in the streets and various other things.
My impression of the people is incomplete as all of those I met were either serving me, or trying to get me to buy something from them. I even had one guy follow me for 4 blocks trying to get me to take a ride on his motorbike (scooter actually and a popular form of taxi in the congested city). I had to duck into a restaurant so that he would leave, but in fact he still hung around for about 2-3 minutes seeing if I'd come back out.
In all I saw the Army Museum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the downed B-52, the Hanoi Hilton and a performance of water puppets. All of this was in the city.
For 2 days - 1 night, I took a boat cruise through Ha Long Bay. It was spectacular. The sun never shone but it wasn't hot and the boat was wonderful. Some the best food I've ever eaten was on that boat; all fresh seafood (and I'm not a fan of seafood) that was incedibly delicious. We toured through the bay, were taken to a floating fishing village and then to one of the many caves that dot the more than 1000 islands.
My impression of the city changed a bit as the days went by. I couldn't help but think of the city as being akin to a medieval city struggling with change. Hanoi even more so. Its hard to lay aside our western notions of modernity and right and wrong. It constantly shades how we (or at least me) see the world around us.
When I first got there I was unconsciously making comparisons between Hanoi and other western capitals; it paled in comparison. It was easy to forget that they had only been without war for the past 30 years. It was easy to forget that as early as 70 years ago they were wearing loin cloths and living in tribal villages. The west forced them modernize at the barrel of a gun and continuous wars that stretch as far back as the 1890s ending only in 1979 with their defeat of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Given this reality (?) its hard to judge the city and people of Hanoi (and perhaps Vietnam as a whole) harshly. They weren't given the opportunity to enter the "modern world" or interact with the western world on their own terms. Given this I'm actually surprised at how congenial and friendly the people of Vietnam were to westerns who come parading through their streets looking for cheap goods, cheap thrills or even worse. Sure one could argue that they are only that way in order to get money from us, but aren't we to blame for that?
A side note: During the tour of Ha Long we went to a floating fishing village. It was essentially a fish farm. Each house had an area that had a net and in that net they raised various fish. They would go out and actively fish the waters of Ha Long, using what they caught to eat, to supplement their farm stocks or to feed to their fish. This was a small village containing approximately 55 families. One of the highlights for me was seeing their school. It was explained to us that the school only goes up to grade 5, and that the children only go half days (morning or afternoon). The teachers lived on the main land and would boat out to the school a week at a time. We were told that the school was limited in this way as it was determined that the children really didn't need any more education considering the fact that they would live and most likely die in that village. One doesn't need calculus to raise fish. It was easy to look down your nose at such an attitude but it is the wrong reaction. Its really not all that different than the way we were even a hundred years ago. In fact the classroom was a huge improvement as only 7-10 years ago none of the people who grew up in that village ever went to school.
The one down side to my Hanoi experience was that my camera got stolen. I had just gotten back from my overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay and thought I'd grab a bite to eat. I took my camera with me to look over the pictures and videos that I had taken up to that point. I set it down and allowed my mind to wander. I lost track of it. When it was time to go, my camera was gone. An expensive lesson to be sure, but the real cost is in the loss of the pictures.
Next: Part 2 - Phnom Penh
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Once in a lifetime
I haven't written in a while.
Not that I haven't wanted to, but I guess I just never bothered to take the time.
On Saturday I begin, what for me, will be the trip of a lifetime. A four week tour through south east Asia that will take me to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
My first stop is Hanoi, Vietnam. There are many things to see and do in the capital of Vietnam, the most important for me is Ha Long Bay.
Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, I've therefore secured an overnight stay on one of Ha Long Bay's many islands. A two day, one night stay that will see me touring the bay on a private junk, kayaking, visiting a floating village, and exploring many of the caves that dot the area.
Next on my list of visits is Cambodia. I'll stay in both Phnom Penh and Siem Riep. My stay in Phnom Penh will be a short one but while I'm there I'll be visiting the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. A tragic piece of human history. My stay in Siem Riep will be longer as I want to explore the Angkor Archeological Park.
My next stop will be Luang Prabang, Laos. I think that one of the best things about my stop here will simply be to take some time and relax and watch Laos. Laos is becoming more popular with tourists but its not the tourist mecca that my other stops will be.
After the relaxing and slower pace of Laos I'm heading off to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The highlight of this stop will be a two day, one night stay at the Elephant Nature Park. Its here that I'll get a chance to feed and bathe elephants and see them in action. Definitely something you can't do in Canada.
My final stay will be Bangkok. I've heard different things about Bangkok; some good, some bad. I guess that that is the point of travel, to see the world for one's self. One of the highlights of my stay in Bangkok will be a day trip out the smaller town of Kanchanaburi. Many would know this site from the movie Bridge on the River Kwai. While the movie is mostly fictitious, the historical reality of the Death Railway is real and something of interest for me.
Twenty-eight days.
Four weeks of traveling through SE Asia is something that I would not have dreamed possible even a few short years ago.
It becomes a reality starting Saturday.
Not that I haven't wanted to, but I guess I just never bothered to take the time.
On Saturday I begin, what for me, will be the trip of a lifetime. A four week tour through south east Asia that will take me to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
My first stop is Hanoi, Vietnam. There are many things to see and do in the capital of Vietnam, the most important for me is Ha Long Bay.
Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, I've therefore secured an overnight stay on one of Ha Long Bay's many islands. A two day, one night stay that will see me touring the bay on a private junk, kayaking, visiting a floating village, and exploring many of the caves that dot the area.
Next on my list of visits is Cambodia. I'll stay in both Phnom Penh and Siem Riep. My stay in Phnom Penh will be a short one but while I'm there I'll be visiting the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. A tragic piece of human history. My stay in Siem Riep will be longer as I want to explore the Angkor Archeological Park.
My next stop will be Luang Prabang, Laos. I think that one of the best things about my stop here will simply be to take some time and relax and watch Laos. Laos is becoming more popular with tourists but its not the tourist mecca that my other stops will be.
After the relaxing and slower pace of Laos I'm heading off to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The highlight of this stop will be a two day, one night stay at the Elephant Nature Park. Its here that I'll get a chance to feed and bathe elephants and see them in action. Definitely something you can't do in Canada.
My final stay will be Bangkok. I've heard different things about Bangkok; some good, some bad. I guess that that is the point of travel, to see the world for one's self. One of the highlights of my stay in Bangkok will be a day trip out the smaller town of Kanchanaburi. Many would know this site from the movie Bridge on the River Kwai. While the movie is mostly fictitious, the historical reality of the Death Railway is real and something of interest for me.
Twenty-eight days.
Four weeks of traveling through SE Asia is something that I would not have dreamed possible even a few short years ago.
It becomes a reality starting Saturday.
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