Month: October 2008

Happy Halloween! Yesterday was a mixed bag. First I went to the backpacker ghetto, Khao San Road, to check it out. Had a great Spinach and cheese omelet at a place recommended by Nancy Chandler’s guide (I strongly recommend the guide if you go to Bangkok), though the service was lackadaisical. Sidewalks were crammed with cheap T-shirts and other hippie garb, and this was the first place tuk tuk drivers offered ridiculously low prices to…

Onto a lighter and tastier topic: The interesting/good foods I’ve had occasion to enjoy during my trip. Fruits are in season, including mangoes, pineapples, dragonfruit,watermelon, and all are delectably sweet. The fruit shakes made here with Mango and Pineapple are particularly good, though the hotel served me a fruit shake this am that looked like papaya and tasted like cucumber. Locals also eat unripened guavas or mangoes with a chili salt for dipping–rather like a…

Second day in Saigon we went to the Cu Chi tunnels, an extensive network used by the VC that at one point went to the Cambodian border and out to the Mekong River. Went into the tunnels–there was a point you could go 1200 feet, but I could only do about 600–imagine being bent way over (and I’m 5’1.5″) going through a dark, airless, humid, and hot passageway. I’m not normally claustrophobic, but I felt…

Some funny signs I’ve seen in SE Asia: In a public bus: “Press here to flash”, “Put your ruby in here” (might not be a bad hiding place–who wants to dig thru the trash on a public bus?). In a hotel: “Do not cook laundry in room” (OK, I promise!)

We spent two nights in Phnom Pehn, and that was enough for me. Siem Reap, although touristy, was less impoverished and desparate. Although I was at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek for a few hours, I have been slowly digesting what I saw and learned that day. Had a “discussion” with a couple of my travel compatriots over the guilt/innocence of the soldiers who implemented Pol Pot’s orders. As I mentioned before, people were sent…

We got to Phnom Pehn on Wednesday afternoon after a six hour bus trip from Siem Reap. Originally, we were to take a plane, but the tour group decided–without telling us directly before the tour started–that it changed the transport to public bus. At least the bus was air considitioned, no one sat on my lap, and no kids or farm animals roamed the aisles. The seats were a step up in comfort from those…

Hi All, These last two days we’ve been exploring the Angkor Wat complex in NW Cambodia near Siem Reap (BTW, Dith Pran of The Killing Fields was born here); I think there are over 40 temples, but we saw about 4-5. This am saw the sun rise over the main temple, which was pretty awesome. Other temples included Ta Prohm (the “Tomb Raider temple”, which was gorgeous), Bantey Srei (sandstone has carvings from diamonds), and…