Day #12 March 22: Angkor Wat

This was the day that Art had been looking forward to. He'd seen photos of Angkor Wat in an art history class in college back in the 60's and had always wanted to see it with his own eyes.

We started the day with a Cambodian version of pho.

Loved it!










We noticed that in all the bathrooms across southeast Asia we saw these hose and spray attachments next to the toilet.

It must be the southeast Asia version of a bidet.

I was hesitant to use it at first, but you know what?  It's really rather a nifty idea.

The Sampeah is a Cambodian greeting or a way of showing respect. While performing the sampeah, the person places his palms together in a prayer-like fashion while bowing slightly. The higher the hands and the lower the bow, the more respect is shown. It is a sign of respect and politeness.  -- Wikipedia

Souann demonstrated how to do the sampeah correctly.  He laughingly said that when men greeted their wives, they needed to put their hands at their foreheads just as Cambodians do when they pray.

We saw this painting in the hotel which showed what Angkor Wat must have looked like centuries ago.

Angkor Wat was first a Hindu, then subsequently a Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura, present-day Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation.                                                                       --Wikipedia

We had to have our photos taken for the visitor's pass to enter Angkor Wat.



Souann:

• Angkor Wat has 5 towers and is surrounded by this 5.5 kilometer moat that has never dried out since the 12th century.

Vishnu is the many armed Hindu god.  More arms denoted more power.




Souann:

• Elephants were used to help move the stone blocks for the temple.

• No concrete was used.  The stones were carved as male and female to fuse them together.

Angkor Wat is a world heritage site.  The size of the temple complex was astonishing!

Symbolism

Angkor Wat is a miniature replica of the universe in stone and represents an earthly model of the cosmic world. The central tower rises from the center of the monument symbolizing the mythical mountain, Meru, situated at the center of the universe. Its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The outer wall corresponds to the mountains at the edge of the world, and the surrounding moat the oceans beyond.

--Tourism of Cambodia

We were able to see some paint still clinging to the intricate designs on the pillars.  I believe this was supposed to be a pond or pool area.

You'd think I'd learned not to climb up high temples after I froze on top of Chichen Itza in Mexico.  But no... I did it again anyway and made it down safely.

The view from above was pretty darn spectacular!

Wat is the Khmer name for temple (the French spelling is "vat "), which was probably added to "Angkor "when it became a Theravada Buddhist monument, most likely in the sixteenth century.  

After 1432 when the capital moved to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat was cared for by Buddhist monks.  
--Tourism of Cambodia

 They are estimating that it took about 30 years to build this temple complex.

The statues on the right are definitely Buddhist.

Believe me; I was happy to have my solar umbrella!

We stopped at the Wat Thmey Killing Fields Memorial.  Souann told us that his 13 year old brother was killed by Pol Pot's soldiers while his mother was made to watch and forced not to cry.

Souann said he was amazed at the stamina of our tour group.  We were eager to see everything we could and to learn.

Seeing the skulls of Pol Pot's victims and photos of his evil brought home proof of man's continuing inhumanity.

We were feeling pretty somber when we went to lunch, but it was very delicious and looked more like French cuisine.


Much as I like watermelon, I did appreciate the strawberry ice cream.

Prasat Bayon


The Prasat Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.

The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.
              -- Wikipedia

Ta Prohm


The Ta Prohm was what we were really looking forward to seeing.  This is the temple that was hidden away in the jungle.

Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara.

Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region.         --Wikipedia

It seemed as though the huge roots were attempting to once more reclaim the temple.

The size of the trees was really awesome!

Souann showed us how tapping your chest within this chamber caused a loud echoing thumping sound that reverberated against the walls.

I was expecting Indiana Jones to jump out any minute and run through the complex.

Our dinner that evening was a western style outdoor buffet with a Cambodian dance program.

We enjoyed our day and our evening, but was feeling sad knowing we would be saying good-bye to two couples and our tour representative, Jane the following day.  They would not be going on to Thailand with us.

Day #11 March 21: Vietnam to Cambodia

8:50 AM  Hoa passed out special lunches for us to have while waiting for our flight to Cambodia.

We were sad to leave our Vietnam tour guide, Hoa and continue on our journey to Cambodia.

Art's foot in the morning was turning even darker black and blue which really worried me.

How could two bumps on the leg do this?

12:10  We left Ho Chi Minh City for Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I was surprised to find this cute scale to weigh our luggage.

Art's luggage was 15.9 kilograms.

Mine was 17.7 kilograms.

20 kilograms is the limit.  

Guess who was carrying the coconut candy?

The lunches that Hoa had packed for us were excellent!  Even the dessert was adorable.

As soon as we touched down with one of the worst landings I've ever experienced, I knew we were in a different country.

There were definite differences in the  architecture and dress.

We met our Cambodian tour guide, Souann who was very sweet and knowledgeable.  When we arrived at the Somadevi Hotel, the temperature was 32 degrees C which is about 90 degrees F.  The hotel provided wonderfully cool towels to welcome us.

I forced Art to LIE DOWN and ice his foot!  He sheepishly complied.

Information from Souann:

• Angkor beer is recommended.

• Kingdom of Cambodia is a monarchy and they have a king.  The previous king died in China recently and his son, Norodom Sihamoni who is 63 years old is now king (since 2004) and unmarried.

• The prime minister is the most powerful person in Cambodia.

• Two main seasons in Cambodia:  Hot and Hotter

• You must bargain for a better price.  The actual price you should get is probably about 30% less than what is quoted.

• Souann conceded that Cambodia is probably noted for two main reasons:

Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site.

Pol Pot (Killing Fields) killed more than 2 million people between 1975-79 starting with those who were more educated because they were of most danger to him.

• 14 million people live in Cambodia.

• 80% of the economy in Siem Reap comes from tourism.

• Thank you is "arkoun," pronounced "aw koon."

• Tuk tuks are one of the main inexpensive modes of travel.

Souann laughed and said people in Cambodia drive on the right side of the road, Thais drive on the left and the Vietnamese with their millions of scooters drive in the middle.

Once I was satisfied Art had elevated his foot long enough, I agreed to a walk around the town.  I guess this shop had alligator things.

And here's my Angkor beer with my dinner which had a French influence.

We went to a night market where I bought a magnet.  Souann warned us not to buy any jewelry or silver there because it would not be real.

This shower was a lot easier to use and there was no tub to leak. Yahoo!

Tomorrow:  Angkor Wat!  This is actually what Art had been wanting to see the most when he booked this trip.

Day #10 March 20th: Cai Rang Floating Market

We got up and looked out our window to see this city sight.  Art remembered a large statue of Ho Chi Minh that we passed by the night before.

"I have an idea," he said.  "Let's test out the zoom on your camera.  Give me 5 minutes and then shoot a photo by the statue from the window."

Pretty remarkable, don't you think?  I was amazed that I could see him with my point and shoot Canon camera using my zoom lens!

We left the luxurious Kim Tho Hotel at 8:15 and arrived at the Cai Rang Floating Market at 9:05.

We boarded these little boats that would take us to the floating market.

To be perfectly honest, we'd come a long way to see this floating market and it wasn't all that spectacular.

It was more of a commercial market.

Vendors hung up samples of their produce on these long poles so you could see what they were selling.

Back on land we found this market much more interesting.


Somewhere the day before, Art managed to bump his shin again which swelled up and left him with a black and blue foot!

We made a stop at the Garden Restaurant for a lovely lunch.  I couldn't resist having this photo taken so we could send it to our granddaughter, KC.  The plastic fruit did not fool her.  Tif said KC told her, "I don't think grandma could really carry all that."

The most amazing thing at that restaurant was this balloon rice ball that they fried.  It was incredible to see!  The server then cut the ball up into bite sized shell pieces that were delicious!

Dessert was the same almost everywhere.  Pineapple and watermelon.  Art loves watermelon so it was perfect.  I wouldn't have minded an occasional chocolate sundae though.




Next stop:
Reunification Palace

Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu and was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates.
                   --Wikipedia

We got to see meeting and reception rooms as well as the helicopter launching pad.  The red circles show where bombs were dropped during the war.

The Central Post Office was very European looking.  We sent a postcard to our granddaughter, KC for Show & Tell.







This lovely couple was having their wedding photos taken.

Dinner at 6:30 was at the Buffet Palace.  This would be our final meal with Hoa since we would be leaving Vietnam for Cambodia.

We were presented with gifts of beautiful Vietnamese mugs from the tour company.  It was a lovely gesture and much appreciated.

And now.... on to Cambodia!

Day #9 March 19th Mekong Delta

This was a memorable day.  For one thing, it's not often that I get to carry a 9 foot python around my neck.

We had breakfast at 6:00, luggage outside door at 7:00 and out the hotel door by about 8:15.

Had a quick rest stop after about 1.5 hours of riding on the bus.

Then we boarded this boat and visited peasants' houses on islets.

I don't know if I would normally go jumping at the chance to carry a 100 foot python.  OK, maybe it wasn't 100 feet, but it was heavier than it looks.

I did it just because I knew mom would freak out.  She hates snakes!  I e-mailed the photo to my brother while we were gone, who printed it to show her.  She promptly had loads of fun showing the photo to neighbors and her sisters.

The snakes were raised by this family for the entertainment of tourists.

This family had a coconut candy making shop.  We got to try different flavors and yes... we did buy some.  The only problem was that they were a little heavy.





There were fruits for us to try.  I'd never had jackfruit before. (Upper left hand corner)  It was quite pleasant.

We got to ride these little boats on this narrow canal past water coconuts and river palms. 









We had two female rowers who worked really, really hard to push us that long way back to our boat.

We had one of our more unusual meals on Tortoise Island.

The fish must have been deep fried.  Most of the scales had dropped off, but some were still on.

The server scooped pieces of the fish into spring rolls that he prepared for us.  I was hesitant to eat scales at first, but it was delicious!

The  fish was called Elephant Ears.

Lotus in ponds outside the restaurant were filled with beautiful blooms.

Our bus passed by this school during dismissal and it was incredible!  Parents were picking up their children en mass on scooters and it was a mad rush.

We'd left the restaurant at 2:30 and arrived in Cantho City at 5:20.

Our dinner at 6:45 was at a riverfront restaurant.

There was a short visit to a Night Market and then we crashed into our beds exhausted.

This tub at the Kim Tho Hotel was certainly impressive.

Tomorrow, we'd be going to a floating market.

Day #8 March 18: Cuchi Tunnels

I know we were warned that temperatures in northern Vietnam are a lot cooler than in the south.  Still, we were surprised to find that Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was MUCH warmer!  It was about 90 degrees F.  I could put away our jackets and long sleeves for a while.

By the way, this is a terrific travel laundry trick that someone taught me.

After washing your clothes, you can roll it in the hotel bath towel to get out a lot of moisture so that it will dry even faster.  I wish we'd thought of this before!

We left our hotel at 8:40.  The sheer numbers of motorbikes across the city was staggering.


Hoa told us that although Vietnam is a communist country, it is also capitalist.

Land is supposed to be distributed equally among the citizens, but yes... there is corruption.

Would you believe we actually saw someone TEXTING while riding on a motor scooter?   It totally blew us away.  I wish we had a photo of it.

We arrived at the Cu Chi Tunnels around 10:30 after a 2 hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City.

Hoa:  The tunnels are 200 km. long and have THREE levels!  It is also five kilometers from where the U.S. Army base was located.

Dogs were used to try to locate the tunnels so Viet Cong used poison and hot peppers to ward them off.

Water and mines were also used to flood and destroy the tunnels which didn't work.

Yes, of course Art had to try entering the tunnels like the Viet Cong did.  You can see why the tunnels were hard to locate.

These trap doors were also set up around the jungle for our troops to fall through.

Just the idea of knowing what our soldiers suffered was sobering.

There were holes on fake termite hills to provide ventilation for the tunnels.









Replica of a Viet Cong outpost

Here's a captured army tank.

The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968.
The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and helped to counter the growing American military effort.         --Wikipedia

We saw where any military weapons Viet Cong found were often recycled or reused.

The more you saw, the more you realized how daunting that war was.


5,000 U.S. tanks were destroyed using recycled mines.

After all that, it was good to have a breather to see how rice paper is made.

Rice paper is used for the wonderful spring rolls we were enjoying during our trip.

Those who wanted to were given the opportunity to crawl through the tunnels.

It was extremely claustrophobic.

I understand that the tunnels were often infested with vermin of every kind (spiders, snakes, disease).

It was in this Viet Cong kitchen and dining room that Art suffered his first mishap during the trip.  He somehow hit his shin on the bench when coming out of the room.

Art's leg started to swell to a scary size.  It might be due to the baby aspirin he was having to take.

Hoa immediately found ice which helped to bring it down a bit.

These water lilies were traveling down the river at an astonishing pace outside of our restaurant where we stopped for lunch.  

We left the restaurant at 2:00 for the 1.5 hour drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

We had a stop at this local market where we were able to buy a few souvenirs to send to our granddaughter.







5:00 Water Puppet Show

The show highlighted farm life in the 17th century.

 6:00  Dinner at the Kichi Kichi Restaurant was more Japanese shabu shabu (hot pot).   We got to pick the ingredients we wanted off of a moving conveyer belt to put into our individual hot pots.  I really enjoyed that.

I normally don't drink beer at home, but for some reason, when we take our trips I do have beer with my dinners.  I really enjoyed the Vietnamese beer.

At 8:30 we returned to our hotel and packed for a one night trip to the Mekong Delta. 

I enjoyed the day, but it really brought back some very sad, disturbing memories from the 60's.  I thought about friends and relatives who came here as soldiers and returned home with spirits forever affected and changed, some tragically.