Hanging in Ho Chi Minh City

After less than a week in Cambodia, it was time to head to Vietnam. We caught a bus in Phnom Penh that took us all the way to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The border crossing was easier than most and we arrived in HCMC by mid-afternoon. Our hostel was only a few blocks from the bus station, so we were able to get checked in and head out to explore a bit before dark.

The next day was our only full day in HCMC and we decided to make it count. On our way to a couple of museums, we stopped in at the Ben Tanh market, where one could buy everything from leather bags to padlocks to suits made in one day to the dried fruit pictured below. We resisted most purchases, but did buy some dried mangos and kiwi.

After the market, we went to the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City that featured a basic history of the city, including its various names throughout history and the role it played during the various revolutions here in the 20th century.

After a false start at the museum to be described later (closed from noon-1:30 every day), we walked by the Notre Dame Cathedral (also closed for lunch). It's kind of an odd sight in the midst of a city otherwise full of "eastern" architecture, and it basically sits in the middle of a huge roundabout.

Here's the requisite picture of our lunch. We tried out some Vietnamese favorites (at least according to the menu) at a restaurant that works to help folks overcome poverty by giving them job training and opportunities to learn the service industry.

After lunch we went to the War Remnants Museum, which focuses on the Vietnam War from the perspective of the Vietnamese. We both found it to be impactful and a bit overwhelming, especially the displays related the use of Agent Orange and its ongoing effects. One whole section was given to the museum by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and it highlights the work of photojournalists throughout the war.

After the museum, we needed a bit of a rest, so we found a local cafe and then walked to the Botanic Garden which closed earlier than we thought, but looked really nice. At that point night was beginning to fall, and LED lit street decorations in place for the upcoming celebration of Tet were coming to life. We had a nice walk back to the hostel and a relaxing evening.

A Day in Phnom Penh

We spent a day exploring Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, on Monday, January 26. We were able to see inside the Throne Room, plus wander around many buildings with Khmer roofs and decorative guildings. Other areas had pyramid-shaped elaborate tombs for members of the royal family. Along the walls of the palace compound were many murals or paintings, showing stories from Buddhist mythology.

Our next stop was Wat Ounalom, the headquarters of Buddhism in Cambodia. Is is also famous for containing a shrine, among its many buildings, that contains an eyebrow-hair of Buddha. Alan and I ventured to this stupa, where we were welcomed by an elderly gentleman took us inside. He gave us incense sticks to light and place before the altar. He also blessed us (I think) by splashing water into our right hand which we were then directed to wipe on our faces. This may have all been a hilarious joke, who knows.

In the afternoon, we went to the Tuol Sleng Museum, formerly Security Prison 21 (S-21) under Pol Pot's security forces (1975-1979). According to our Lonely Planet guide, it was the largest centre of detention and torture in all of Cambodia. At the height of its activity, some 100 victims were killed every day. Upon arrival, we watched a documentary film of conversations between former prisoners and former guards, telling about treatment of prisoners, levels of torture, taking prisoners to the Killing Fields. While the discourse was incredibly civil, the former captive, understandably, put many questions to the guards to the point of "What made you think this was okay?".  

The Khmer Rouge kept thorough documentation of the prisoners, and documented their "confession" as well. Many walls of the museum were covered with photographs of the people who suffered in this place. 

Another Incentive!

Dear Readers,

It has been almost two months since we came to you with an incentive to give towards our adventure, towards something fantastic, but also outside our budget.

We don't mean to wear you out in the asking, so if you feel that way, please read one of our stories instead!

We are wanting to do two fantastic things in Asia, and hope you can help us out a bit. First, we hope to spend one night on a traditional South China Sea Junk in Halong Bay, outside of Hanoi. Imagine thousands of towering limestone karsts, and the ribbed, wing-like sails of the ship. We don't want to miss it!

Second, we will have the opportunity to be "Elephant Owners for a Day," with a company in Thailand that, as far as we can research, treats their elephants as humanely as possible. The schedule for the day is at www.pataraelephantfarm.com. We would get to learn about elephants, to bathe them, to feed them, to ride them, and to hike with them.

Simply put, we don't know that we will ever be back in Asia, so we want to make the most of it! In lieu of financial support, we also like prayers, happy thoughts, and emails/letters from you. We so miss our friends from home and hearing from you all.

Love,
Alan and Gracyn

The Temples of Angkor

Alan and I spent to day in and around the temples of Angkor on Saturday, January 24. We started the day watching the sun rise behind Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. It was built approximately 900 years ago, first used as a Hindu temple, then converted for use as a Buddhist temple.

Inside, we explored the galleries and bas-reliefs.

Next we went into the Angkor Thom complex. It is the "Great City,", many different parts of a whole, inside a wall with 5 towering gates. Within Angkor Thom is Bayon, with its many faces, and Phimeanakas Temple, with its reclining Buddha.

Along the Terrace of the Elephants to Phimeanakas Temple...

Buddha's ear is sticking up in middle of this photograph.

Can you make out the face?

After lunch and some market-haggling, we visited our final temple, Ta Prohm. This temple is also known as the Temple of the Trees, as the jungle has grown ever onward and upward. If it looks familiar, that is because Ta Prohm was used for some filming in Tomb Raider movie.

Topical.

While Alan and Gracyn are in Southeast Asia, Rue has been keeping her connection strong. 

Here she is, attempting to eat Thai food reserved for the humans. 

Okay, but for real, we haven't had much to update with Rue because it's cold around these parts and she's been doing a lot of this. 

So here are the best sleeping Rue pictures we've had recently:

She is a well-rested and sweet, sweet kitty. Cuddles abound. We hope this satiates your appetite for kitty pics amongst all the amazing travel photos and cool accounts of Alan and Gracyn's adventures. Stay tuned for a post about Rues favorite new thing (hint, it's a cardboard box) soon! 

On the Road Again, and Again, and Again

Alan and I arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday, January 20. We found ourselves with two days in Thailand before our bus on Friday to Siem Reap, in Cambodia. So we decided to make the trip to see the temple at Phanom Rung. Phanom Rung is "the largest and best restored of the ancient Khmer sanctuaries in Thailand." Built as a Hindu monument about 1000 years ago and later converted to a Buddhist temple. "The craftsmanship at Phanom Rung represents the pinnacle of Khmer artistic achievement," featuring a promenade flanked by sandstone pillars leading to the three naga bridges, which are the only ones left in Thailand.

Okay, so you know why we decided to see it. But here are the details:

From our hotel in Bangkok, we took a taxi to the bus station, which took about 45 minutes. We booked tickets for the bus to Khorat, and of course patronized the Dunkin Donuts shop in the bus station. After 4 hours on the bus, we arrived in Khorat (incidentally the second largest city in Thailand). While folks have usually been very helpful in Thailand, we were dropped off at the wrong bus station, Terminal 2. So we took a taxi to the correct bus terminal, Terminal 1, and walked to our hotel.

That evening, we tried to book the bus to Ban Tako from Terminal 1, but were told that that bus only leaves from Terminal 2. So on Thursday morning, we took a motorcycle taxi to Terminal 2, and waited for the first bus to Ban Tako, at 9:30AM. After two hours, we arrived at Ban Tako, and arranged with a local taxi driver to take us the last 15 minutes to Phanom Rung.

Now, remember, we needed to be back in Bangkok by the next morning to catch our 9AM bus to Siem Reap. So we did the math.... 15 minutes back to Ban Tako, another 2 hour bus ride, plus retrieving our backpacks in Khorat, then a 4 hour bus ride. And that's if all goes well. As a result, we decided to take exactly one hour to look around the temple. That's right, one hour, after all the time to get there. Here it is...

So... what would you have done? Was it worth it?