Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We finally made it to Cambodia! It feels like we were in Vietnam forever, so it's exciting to be in a new country, at last. We really weren't sure what to expect of Phnom Penh, seeing as it was once the "Pearl of Asia" but during the time of the Khmer Rouge (much more on that in a second), it was essentially reduced to a ghost town. It seems, though, that Phnom Penh (and Cambodia as a whole) has bounced back quite quickly; Phnom Penh is a beautiful city despite it's severely depressing history.

Because it's impossible to talk about Cambodia without talking about the Khmer Rouge, here is a brief summary of those bloody years:

Incredibly recently (1975-1979), Cambodia was torn apart by the Khmer Rouge. Starting in 1975, the Communist Party of Kampuchea ruled the country under the leadership of a man who called himself Pol Pot. His aim was to essentially purge the entire country of capitalism, and create an agrarian-based Communist society. Everyone living in urban cities were deported to the countryside in forced marches, where all citizens (men, women, and children) were submitted to forced labor. As part of the "master plan," Pol Pot attempted to make the Kingdom of Cambodia a completely self-sufficient country--even when it came to medicines--and as a result thousands died from curable diseases under the Khmer Rouge. Hundreds of thousands more died in waves of murder, torture, and starvation, aimed particularly at the educated and intellectual elite (Pol Pot saw education as a threat to a truly agrarian society). When all was said and done, it is estimated that 2.2 million Cambodians (out of a total population of 7 million) died under the Khmer Rouge. It was a rampant genocide, one which the rest of the world remained oblivious to until it was much too late. Eventually, Vietnamese military intervention (December of 1978) ended the genocide, but the effects of the Khmer Rouge are still felt today. Some of the most notorious leaders of the party were never brought to trial. Cambodians still suffer today, with huge amounts of unemployment and poverty. We were told by a local man that the current government runs off of corruption and theft. Much of the monetary help sent in from other countries never makes its way to the Cambodian people. Instead, the leaders of the government drive through Cambodia slums in their Rolls Royces, which they park in their giant gated mansions. Though this country has overcome a very bleak past, a bright future is not guaranteed.

Our first full day in Phnom Phen found us on a tour of some of the most important--albeit depressing--sights in the city: the S-21 prison museum, and The Killing Fields. The S-21 prison was a former high school that was converted to a place of torture and execution controlled by the Khmer Rouge. This prison existed for one reason: almost immediately after Pol Pot's rise to power, he became paranoid that he would be overthrown, and decided to hunt down all those whom he perceived as a threat. This included intellectuals, former government officials, and even Pol Pot's own Men. Even people that wore glasses were sometimes shot dead because they 'looked smart'. The suspects were brought to S-21, then tortured and killed. In 1978 alone, over 5,000 prisoners passed through S-21, and many of their pictures hauntingly stare at you as you walk the rooms where they were once held.

The rules of the prison. 

(Click on the picture to enlarge.)

One of many rooms where the Khmer Rouge interrogated (read: brutally tortured and eventually killed) their prisoners.

When the Khmer Rouge was finally overthrown by the Vietnamese, the bodies of 14 prisoners were found decaying in torture rooms, one of which was a woman. These are their graves.

One of the many horrific methods of torture used by the prison guards. They would hang prisoners upside down by their arms until they passed out, at which point guards would dunk the prisoners heads into these jugs filled with putrid water. This jolted them awake so the guards could continue questioning.

The Killing Fields, a blunt but appropriate name, is the site upon which nearly 17,000 men, women, and children were executed and then buried in mass graves during the Khmer Rouge. A monument, in which the skulls and bones of  5,000 of these victims are housed, is a very graphic reminder of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.

Monument erected in remembrance
of the thousands of people killed here.

The skulls of hundreds of 15-25 year old victims.

Excavated mass grave sites.

The mass grave next to this tree contained 400 women and children.

On our second day in Phnom Penh, we decided to see the happy side of the city. We started the day off at the "Russian Market", which, (to Preston's horror) held one two many silver shops for Jessica to resist, as well as some tasty/questionable local foods.

From the market, our tuk-tuk driver took us to the National Museum, which apart from being one of the most amazing buildings we've seen in Asia, held some really impressive Khmer Empire artifacts.

(Note:the Khmer Empire was the most powerful and prolific ancient civilization of SE Asia--the Khmer Rouge takes it's name from this, not the other way around.)

The National Museum.

After the museum, we headed to the King's Palace and Silver Pagoda, which unfortunately we weren't allowed into because Jessica didn't have sleeves. (In her defense, she brought a shawl to cover her shoulders, but for some unknown reason they have a "no shawl, only sleeves" policy.) A little disappointed, but okay with it nonetheless, we decided to just take a walk along the Mekong River back to our guesthouse.

 We came across the American flag on our walk! Nice to find a little piece of home every once in a while.

 The Independence Monument to commemerate Cambodia's emancipation from French rule in 1953.

 Cambodian flags.

 Next stop, Siem Reap, Cambodia and the famed temples of Angkor!

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

While traveling the coast of Vietnam we found ourselves in the same 'circuit' as about 10 other travelers. During our stays in the different cities, we would always bump into the same people, over and over again. We would see them at dinner in Hue, then on the street in Hoi An, then get a drink in Dalat. Not that we didn't enjoy the company, but we felt that leaving Saigon was our time to break away from the crowd and take a more adventurous option. Our solution was one we have employed before when attempting to be adventurous: ride the local bus. In the planning stages this seemed feasible, but events did not unfold as we had planned.

After several local buses, a taxi ride, and about 30 minutes of confused wandering, we found the correct bus to take us to My Tho, a city at the top of the Mekong Delta. As we arrived at the station, the bus had just pulled out on its way to My Tho. Luckily, the bus pulled over and let us on. This did not turn out to be the act of charity that we originally guessed but instead a chance for the bus driver--outside of the constraints of his supervisors--to attempt to extort us. When we were seated, the bus driver's assistant (read: minion) came back and told us the two-hour ride would cost us each $10. After refusing to pay, as we knew the price to actually be $1, the bus driver pulled over on the side of the road, came to the back of the bus, and verbally assaulted us for a good 5 minutes. We repeatedly told him that we would just like to get off of the bus, but the driver and his minion blocked the aisle, keeping us trapped on the bus. As the stress ramped up and physical confrontation inevitably drew nearer, the bus driver began literally barking at us, and stormed off of the bus. Needless to say, every single person on the bus was simply staring at us. However, at this point a second bus minion had boarded, and our path off still remained blocked. Eventually, about 10 minutes later, we were simply told that paying $1 would be acceptable, and the bus took off again, as if nothing had happened. Though we had 'won,' the intense anger mixed with both the heat and the smells made for a very long bus ride.

Even though our bus was full when it left the station, we picked up countless locals along the way who took a seat in the aisle.

When we arrived in My Tho, we discovered that there was not much to do there, and that we would have access to a lot more activities on the delta if we continued west for another few hours to Can Tho. Since the day had already been consumed by bus rides, we decided just to lump all of the travel together and head up to Can Tho that same night. As soon as we got in we booked a sunrise tour of the floating markets for the following day, found some food, and went to bed. What a loooong day.

At least there was an amazing view!

The next day we rose at 5 AM and headed down to the docks on the Mekong. As we motored upstream the sun rose to our left, casting beautiful colors across the sky and river. After about an hour we arrived at the first market, which was alive and bustling despite the ungodly time of day. The vendors of the floating markets act collectively as the wholesaler of fruits and vegetables to the city of Can Tho (pop. 1.4 million). Farmers sell in bulk to these  market vendors, who sell in lesser bulk to the local boat owners, who go ashore and sell to the various vendors in markets all over town. This is why the market takes place at such an early hour: by the time the locals buy their vegetables in the morning, they have been bought and sold three separate times already that day! To advertise their goods, the floating market vendors attach their fruits and vegetables to poles, which they raise above their boats like giant antennas. It's old fashioned, but gets the point across!

Sunrise on the Mekong. 

Two boats trading goods. (Side note: That thing sticking off the boat on the right is the motor's propeller. Safe? No.)

The boat on the left had a ton to sell! Based on their "food flag" they were selling watermelon, carrots, onions, and potatoes.

After the first market, we continued upstream to the second floating market. On the way there, we stopped off at a local noodle-making farm. We were given a full tour of the noodle-making process, which might sound a bit dull, but since 75% or our meals consist of these noodles, it hit close to home. After leaving the farm, we then arrived at the second market, which was much like the first, but slower because it was later in the morning. Three hours into our trip, it was 8:30 and the markets were already dying down.

They cook (steam) the noodle-paste on these circular 

stoves. They then lay them out to dry in the sun (on bamboo mats seen in the background), and after that cut them into strips. Yum!

At the second market. Our guide got us some "pineapple lollypops" from one of the vendors.

Cruising along the Mekong.

When we stopped for lunch, our guide grabbed a water snake for us to check out. Apparently they're not venomous... We hope.

When we arrived back at the city around 1:30 PM, we spent some time just walking around, and finally made it back to our hostel to catch the 4:00 PM bus up to Chau Doc, the final city in the Mekong Delta before crossing into Cambodia.

 After an early morning and a long day, Preston passes out (i.e. cocoons himself) in the hostel hammock.

We found Chau Doc a bit too dirty and sketchy for our liking (full of Lady-Boys). We decided to book a boat trip to Cambodia for the following morning. One plus side of this boat trip was that it began with a stop at the local fish farms, where we saw how most of the fish we have been eating are caught.

The "slow boat" we took to Cambodia.

Fish farm! This is on the porch of a floating house. The whole underside of the house is caged to hold the hundreds of fish.

Jessica heading to a Cham village we also visited.

Though marketed as a passage from Vietnam to Cambodia, the boat trip acted more like a tour of the Vietnamese and Cambodian countrysides. Over the course of 8 hours the boat meandered up the Mekong River, giving us ample time to watch the country people farm and fish, as their children ran along side the boat screaming 'Hello!' The kids were so excited to see us that many of them performed tricks to impress us. (see below)

After crossing the border and traveling another 5 hours by boat and bus, we finally arrived in the first city of our newest country, Cambodia!

Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam

Our last big city in Vietnam, Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City), did not disappoint. With 9 million people and 3.1 million motorbikes, we honestly expected to hate it—but in fact we found the opposite. We loved Saigon. It’s hard to pinpoint why this city is so charming, but its air of “I don’t care what you think, I’m Saigon, and I’m proud of it” is truly infectious. It’s the quintessential example of an unconditional patriotism found all over Vietnam: The intense pride the Vietnamese hold for their country despite it’s depressing—and often times bloody—history is evident everywhere you go. In other words, it doesn’t matter that they were occupied by the Chinese for a thousand years, colonized by the French, occupied by the Japanese, divided North and South under different governments, and then destroyed by the U.S.; they are still intensely proud to be Vietnam. What’s more, they don’t hold grudges. Initially, we thought we would keep quiet about our American roots so as not to provoke any hostility, but we soon realized that no one cared. It seems that the Vietnamese are just so happy to have finally become a unified, peaceful, self-governing people, that the past is not worth dwelling on. It's an incredible testament to the power of optimism.

 The main backpacker street at night.

We got in pretty late to Saigon from Dalat, so besides finding a guesthouse and getting dinner, our first day was uneventful. Our next day in Saigon, however, found us at the Cu Chi Tunnels; an interesting, but emotionally draining experience. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a system of underground pathways and bunkers used by the Viet Cong (communist Vietnamese) during the Vietnam War. Seeing as we were taking a tour of a Viet Cong stronghold, the tour was more than a bit biased, proudly boasting a display of greusome “American traps,” and a documentary that referred to U.S. soldiers as “a gang of devils”. As hard as it was to see, we realized that we have never learned both sides of the Vietnam War, and we owed it to ourselves—and to this country that has been so hospitable to us for the past month—to learn more.

A local demonstrates that it is actually possible to fit into this tiny hole in the ground. It was a secret entrance to the tunnel network.

Jessica's attempt at a "neutral" facial expression while in a claustrophobic Cu Chi tunnel... She saw herself looking differently in her mind, but this is what the camera caught.

Preston, on the other hand, apparently LOVES tiny, enclosed spaces.

Jessica shooting her first gun... It just so happened to be an AK-47. Holy cow.

Not Preston's first time shooting a gun, but he added to his experience by looking devious.

Our next day in Saigon found us at the War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the American War Crimes Museum). This was an even harder pill to swallow. We were bombarded by images of Agent Orange victims and their severely affected children, by stories of American brutality, by statistics on how many bombs were dropped, and how many Vietnamese people were killed. It was an eye-opening experience to see the war from this perspective, to be sure.

Outside the museum were over a dozen US planes, helicopters, and tanks.

Preston taking in some of the museum.

Later that day we went to the Independence Palace, which was once the "White House of Southern Vietnam" before Saigon fell to Ho Chi Minh in April of 1975. Our tour through this building was interesting for the fact that those who lived/worked in it before Saigon fell were allied with the US against Northern Vietnam (and by association, China and Russia).

Outside the Independence Palace.

The roof of the Palace, where two bombs were dropped by the Viet Cong (aimed at the Prime Minister). The bombs did not get their target, but Ho Chi Minh soon thereafter won the Palace by running two tanks through the front gate of the grounds. The Prime Minister fled from the scene in the US helicopter pictured above.

Preston overlooking Saigon from the roof of the Palace.

Later that day, we headed for the Ben Thanh Market, full of cheap knock-offs and strange foods galore! It was a great market, but it was also chock-a-block full of amazingly pushy sales ladies. Preston actually got slapped on the shoulder by a sales lady after he told her he wasn't interested in buying anything from her. Later that day he got his leg hair viciously pulled by a little girl. That scenario went a little like this:

Little girl: Buy something? [shows us basket containing mainly cigarettes]

Us: No, sorry, we don't smoke.

Little girl: [wounded look on her face] You buy something? Cigarette?

Us: No, sorry hon, we don't smoke. 

Little girl: [vicious leg hair pull, runs away]

Us: [shocked, but laughing]

Jessica at the Ben Thanh Market.

Preston getting slightly ripped off by the lady selling knock-off designer jeans. At least she did it with a smile on her face.

Since this is almost our last stop in Vietnam, we thought it important to make a couple important lists. First of all we will attempt to elucidate the "Vietnamese Rules of the Road":

1) Drive a motorbike. Cars are much less fashionable, and not as easy to park on sidewalks.

2) Pass at all costs. You should NEVER stay behind a slow moving bike/car/semi/bus in front of you: waste of time. Passing is especially important when on a curvy two lane road on a blind turn. 

3) Lanes are relative. There is ALWAYS an invisible center lane that you can travel in until something larger starts coming from the opposite direction. Then swerve out of their way.

4) Speed limits are relative as well. Go as fast as possible.

5) Make ample use of your horn. If you're feeling nice, give a two-beep warning before passing, if you're feeling crazy, hold down your horn as long as possible while passing to get maximum "freak out". 

6) Sidewalks are also meant for motorbikes. Didn't you know?

7) Never make quick movements; someone is almost guaranteed sitting in your blind spot. At the same time, mirrors are not necessary, and neither is checking your blind spot. They'll honk if you're about to hit, anyway.

8) When taking a left, you must cross all the oncoming lanes, reaching the far left side of the street, make the turn, then cross all oncoming lanes again to reach your side of the street. How simple!

9) You can carry anything, and I mean ANYTHING on a moto. (See below)

10) Last and most important: NEVER show emotion. Scared? No you're not. Just barely missed a head on collision doing 30? Who cares. 

Note: It's actually scary how quickly you get used to these rules. I guess fear is also relative.

 One man, one mission: Toilet paper, and lots of it.

Another list we'd like to make (more for ourselves than anything) is of the amazing foods we've had in Vietnam:

1) Fried sticky rice. This sounds weird, but it's literally mouth-watering.

2) Cau Lau. This dish has everything. Noodles, fresh lettuce and mint, a few slices of marinated chicken, roasted garlic, and a brothy dressing. (A specialty of Hoi An)

3) Pho (pronounced "fuh"). Especially good when it costs less than 50 cents. 

4) Country Pancakes. This is hard to describe, but it's basically a potato pancake, folded in half with meat, sprouts, tofu, and other stir-fried veggies inside.

5) Lychee. Jessica likes this coconut-grape-orange tasting fusion of a fruit more than Preston, but no one can deny that it doesn't look cool. (Pictured below)

A batch of fresh Lychee.
(You peel the outside off, and inside is a grape-like fruit with a pit.)

This, however, is NOT something that we enjoyed, nor did we even try. It's dried squid/octopus and it's sold EVERYWHERE.

Side note: Above is an example of the "pajama style" we've seen all over Vietnam. At first we thought women only wore these in the morning, you know, the whole "just rolled out of bed" look, but they really wear them all the time. I guess it's comfort above all else.

Dalat, Vietnam

The cool mountainous air of Dalat was the first thing we noticed as we stepped off of the tour bus. That evening, as the weather dropped into the the low 70s, the towns people donned (imitation) Northface jackets and parkas, causing Jessica and I to stand out as we passed by in tank tops. Though to Seattlites the weather wasn't 'cold,' it was still a cool relief from the hot air we've grown accustomed to in Vietnam.

Like all Vietnamese cities, motorbikes ruled Dalat.

Dalat is a small city set in the sloping hills of the central highlands. After spending a week in Nha Trang, we decided to pick up the pace a bit and only hit the essentials of Dalat before moving on. Though we only hade one full day, we made the most of it. At 7 AM we awoke and went down to the lobby to meet the "Easy Riders," a group of motorcycle guides that we hired for the day (for $17) to show us all of the highlights of Dalat and its surrounding countryside. The guides were hilarious, and after being greeted with a 'What's up G?" we mounted the bikes and rode away through the hills.

The Easy Riders made seven stops, including: a flower farm, a coffee plantation, a cricket/scorpion farm, a rice wine distillery, a silk factory, a water fall, and a unique work of architecture locally referred to as 'Crazy House' (with good reason). At each stop, we were given tours of the locations and allowed to sample the various goods (from eating crickets to sampling rice wine!).

Preston and Jessica, ready to start Easy Riding!

Jessica's guide, Quy.

Preston and his guide, That, instantly bonded.

Fertile vallies surround Dalat. It's warm climate and volcanic soil make it an ideal location to grow coffee. In fact, Vietnam is the world's #2 coffee producer, second only to Brazil. (According to the Easy Riders, that is.)

The flower farm. Aparrently, orange daisies signify good luck in Vietnam.

Red roses!

A plate of fried crickets.

Preston considers the food he is chewing on: fried cricket. They sort of taste like overcooked french fries. Though not pictured, Jessica sampled the cuisine as well.

The rice wine distillery

Thousand of silk worm cocoons. This is before the silk extraction process begins.

From cocoon to thread to woven designs, its all done here at the silk factory.

The 'Crazy House.'  Though the project is not well-loved by the locals, and is an indefinitely ongoing expense, the architect is the daughter of a famous Vietnamese president, and is given free-reign to design as she pleases.

After a full day of sight-seeing with the Easy Riders, we strolled around Dalat in the evening and enjoyed a leisurely dinner. The thought of not seeing cold air again was a bit daunting, and we wanted to make sure we enjoyed as much of it as we could before calling it a night. After all, we were leaving for the 95-degree capital city of Saigon in the morning.

A side note: All drivers in Vietnam seem insane, constantly swerving around everything and anything in their path to maintain top speed at all times. After watching busses swerve around motorcycles and motorcycles swerving into the sidewalks to avoid traffic, it leads one to ask the question: don't these crazy drivers ever crash? The answer is yes. At about 11 PM on our last night, we witnessed a pretty serious crash right in front of our hotel. This is the second crash we have literally seen or heard as it happened. Anyone wanting to drive around in the cities of Vietnam: be careful!!