Cambodia and Vietnam

Cambodia

Siem Reap was the town we visited in Cambodia.  It is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia and is the gateway to the Angkor region (temple ruins from the year 1000 and discovered about a 150 years ago.) Tomb Rader was filmed in one of the ruins. The historic temples are listed as a World Heritage site.  It was all very interesting as we climbed and explored the temple ruins.  The temperatures were hot and we enjoyed the shade when we found it. The city of Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. Our tour of this town included a boat ride through a very poor floating village.  The children were begging.  It was all very sad to witness. 

Angkor Wat Temple entrance

 

Our transportation to the market

Cute hats given to us by the tour guide to keep cool.  Notice the great ruins behind us.

Inside one of the temples used for worship



A child beggar

children relaxing by the lake

tents filled with supplies to sell the tourists

 

 

We were among the crowds climbing up to the top

Coming down the steep narrow steps was more difficult

 

 A dance show done by the Cambodians

 Stone harnessed elephants, which are still in a reasonable state of preservation, guard the Eastern Mebon Temple

 I bought a flute packed in this handmade container from the children outside our bus

 The children were walking home from school and selling their flutes

 Ta Prohm Temple is where Tomb Rader was filmed.  This ruin has been left relatively untouched and appeared enchanting.

 A stone figure is surrounded by the roots of a tree.  The face is barely visible.

 Amazing tree growth all over this temple.

 Pete loved all the stone carving found in each temple ruin.

 The floating village of the Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap.

 We rode this wooden boat on the Tonle Sap, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia and the largest in Asia.  Our boat driver looked like he was 10 years old, but the tour guide said he was 17.  While we were seated in the boat, small children walked around giving us back massages and then asking for $1.00. Our boat engine flooded in the middle of the lake so we had to transfer boats to move forward again.  It was quite an adventure.  The floating water village people were very poor and their homes were built on stilts to stay secure in the water.

 Poor living conditions in this depressed water village.

Good-bye Cambodia

Vietnam

Vietnam, like Cambodia, is lush and green with many beautiful flowers blooming all year.  The sad part is the trash.  It's everywhere.

Our first stop was Hanoi, Vietnam.  There we visited the Hilton Hanoi which is a prisoner of war camp for those soldiers who were caught during the Vietnam War.  It was a cold, dark, dismal, place.  War is awful.  The city of Hanoi is large with 10+ million people living there.  That evening we watched a great puppet show done on water.  The puppeteers manipulated the puppets to dive, dance and perform on the water perfectly.  We enjoyed the show.

Hanoi, Vietnam

The main mode of transportation is motorcycles and scooters.  Supposedly it helps with the traffic in a city of 10 + million people.  There are no subways.

The entrance to the Hilton Hanoi prisoner of war museum



Puppet show on water

 

It was a long drive, 3 hours, to Halong Bay.  It was interesting to see more French architecture and enjoy the scenery.

 Farmers working

Rice Paddies

 

We took a 3 1/2 hour cruise to Halong Bay, 180km to the North-East of Hanoi, one of the World's Natural Heritage sites.  We stayed in a gorgeous hotel right on the bay and explored the area which included a hike to a famous cave.  The shopping was good in Halong Bay.  We bought a new suitcase to hold all the goods we had purchased.  It was great fun on this bay.

 boarding the boat

 lunch on the ship

 This bay is much like Guilin in China with all the beautiful Karst Mountains. 

 The ladies relaxed on the upper deck

 I purchased some earrings much to Pete's dismay

 Pete thought I spent too much of our money.  Vietnam has a currency where 1 million of their dollars equals $50 US dollars.  It was crazy trying to keep all their bills straight.

 

 inside the cave

 walking down from the cave

 viewpoint along the path

Vietnamese money

 

Hochiminh City was our next stop in Vietnam. There we visited, My Tho Town in Tien Giang Province, one of 11 provinces in the Mekong Delta.  We took another boat trip on the Mekong River to visit farmers' houses and gardens.  Lunch was on an inlet in the river. 

 

We visited a bee-raising farm, tasted coconut-candy, rode in another horse cart and took a canoe ride down a small river.  I found myself thinking about the Vietnam war on the canoe ride as we meandered through foliage.  I imagined the Viet Kong Gorillas hiding in the brush.  What an awful war!

 

Later we toured the Saigon river on a dinner night cruise. Evening cruises are nice because the lights on the buildings are bright and fun to see from a ship. We had a great Vietnamese meal on the boat. Vietnamese food is much more appealing to me than Cambodian or Chinese food.

 

Our last day in Vietnam was spent on a city tour in Hochiminh City where we saw the Notre Dam Cathedral of Vietnam, walked through the historical post office building, shopped at the Binh Tay Market, visited another Vietnam War Museum which was presented from a communist perspective, and had lots of free time to explore, shop (prices were really cheap in Vietnam), and enjoy the city.

Night Cruise on the Saigon River in Hochiminh City 

 Performers on the cruise

 Many well lit boats traveling down the Saigon Rier

 Canoe ride on the Mekong River

 a horse cart ride during a very hot day

 More pictures down the Mekong River

 This is how the fish was served.  It was really good!

 My Tho Town in Tien Giang Province

 Prices were unbelievable cheap in Vietnam.  Pete bought several shirts

 Sleeping worker

 Notre Dam Cathedral of Vietnam

Historical Post Office

 

Our 5 week holiday ended in Hochiminh City, Vietnam.  It was a blast touring all the many cities with other BYU China Teachers from many different universities in China.  Though, I got tired of doing wash in a hotel bathroom it was nice to see more of Asia and enjoy some good times with great friends.  We got home late to a cold, empty, apartment.  Winter in Chengdu can be bitterly cold.  Thank goodness we were not in Chengdu during January.  Already we miss the blue, clear skies and warm temperatures of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but there is nothing like home after a long vacation.