Our last update from Vietnam before heading home....
Our motorbike tour around Hue countryside was really fun. Some of our stops included seeing a famous one-armed conical hat maker, a shop that produces incense, a fortune teller on a Japanesebridge, an agriculture museum, cement French and American bunkers, a nunnery for vegetarianlunch, elephant vs. tiger fighting arena... quite a few sights with beautiful countryside along the way. We got dropped off by Perfume River to take a ferry back to our hotel.
The next day we departed Hue for Hanoi by overnight train (our last)! We started the day in Hanoi with a walk around town checking out shops and markets. We decided to do some more wondering with some of the group to check out the Temple of Literature where Confucius established the first Vietnamese university. We also went to St. Charles Cathedral and the Hanoi Hilton Museum where John McCain was held as a POW. Very full day of walking but great way to get a feel for the city. That evening we went to a water puppet show... the highlights were the head-bopping phoenix and growing grass!
The next morning we left for Halong Bay. The journey was a couple hours by bus and then a ferry through all the islands. It looked like a scene out of Jurassic Park. We stopped by a cave and did some swimming along the way to our hotel on Cat Ba Island.
Yesterday we woke up early to go kayaking around the islands, to a hidden lagoon, and a deserted beach island. The outing was really enjoyable as a break from all the other tourists, but it was a workout!! We left Halong Bay at noon yesterday to come back to Hanoi... we even got to take a superfast hydrofoil. Back in Hanoi last night we had our final farewell dinner with the group. We said our goodbyes and get to hang out with the stragglers one last time today. Plan to hit up one more museum before our flight tonight... unfortunately Ho Chi Minh's body has the day off. Next time............
We're looking forward to coming home. Get those hugs, fajitas, and margaritas ready!!!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Shopping, monkeys, and motorbikes
Hi everyone!
From where we left off... the full moon festival wasn't too amazing. The locals were lighting candles and floating them down the river but it was a pleasant surprise to run into the German girls from our Cambodian tour group. We enjoyed dinner and drinks with them on the riverfront underneath the latterns.
The next day we had a early morning bike ride through the countryside... the scenery was gorgeous filled with farms, water buffalo, and laid back country folk. One of the stops along the bike ride was a home with a pet monkey chained to a tree up front. Our tour leader began feeding it candies and water from a bottle... one girl in our group even decided to step up and play with the monkey. As you can all see this coming, she got bit by the monkey when she continued giving the monkey empty candy wrappers. The whole situation was completely unbelievable... why were we stopping to see a chained monkey? feeding it candies? and touching it???!!! The bite broke her skin and she didn't think too much of it nor did our tour guide... we really scared her into going to get it checked out. One shot down, five more vaccinations to go. Don't worry we're not playing with monkeys.
The bike ride ended at the beach for breakfast. We hung out in the shade of an grass umbrella on the beach til lunchtime. The beach was beautiful and clean but it was HOT! We rode our bikes home in order to go to our fittings... Brad got an overcoat and shirt made, I got a coat and dress. We are really impressed with the results especially for the price. We spent the evening swimming in the hotel pool talking about movies and books with the group. Very enjoyable.
The next morning was the day Brad has been looking forward to the most.... MOTORBIKES! He woke up bright and early to go rent a moped and get some practice around town before coming back to pick me up. When he showed up at the hotel an hour later, he had made two new friends and made plans for the entire day.... two Vietnamese girls had flagged him down trying to convince him to go to "Marble Mountain" and their marble sculpture shop. With nothing else really planned, it seemed like a sketchy but reasonable adventure. Marble Mountain turned out to be a huge mountain covered in pagodas, caves, hidden passageways, Buddhas everywhere, and a lookout to China Beach and surrounding town. It was incredible... we felt a bit like Indiana Jones discovering a hidden treasure. Unfortunately our camera is suffering from heat exhaustion.... but we did get some postcards!!
That evening we had our cooking class. Of course, Brad wanted to take the motorbike to the cooking class... we ended up driving through a jam-packed market honking his horn all the way through, just like a local. It was ridiculous. The cooking class was pretty cool, we cooked 5 meals - sweet and sour chicken soup, fried spring rolls, papaya salad, banana leaf wrapped fish, and spinach with garlic... we had a great instructor with great English and energy. We're bringing home the recipes to tweek.
Today we left Hoi An by bus and arrived in Hue. We got here around 3 and headed out to find a new camera... we ended up picking up a couple disposable cameras and asking others to help us out with their digitial cameras. Should work out just fine. Tonight we had a royal dinner complete with 12 courses, Vietnamese folk music, and royal garmets and head pieces.... we were quite the sight. Unfortunately we didn't get to be king and queen, just prince and princess. Funny, fun, and a delicious feast.
Another motorbike tour (with a driver included) and boat ride on Perfume river planned for tomorrow. Still a lot to see but we'll be home before you know it!
From where we left off... the full moon festival wasn't too amazing. The locals were lighting candles and floating them down the river but it was a pleasant surprise to run into the German girls from our Cambodian tour group. We enjoyed dinner and drinks with them on the riverfront underneath the latterns.
The next day we had a early morning bike ride through the countryside... the scenery was gorgeous filled with farms, water buffalo, and laid back country folk. One of the stops along the bike ride was a home with a pet monkey chained to a tree up front. Our tour leader began feeding it candies and water from a bottle... one girl in our group even decided to step up and play with the monkey. As you can all see this coming, she got bit by the monkey when she continued giving the monkey empty candy wrappers. The whole situation was completely unbelievable... why were we stopping to see a chained monkey? feeding it candies? and touching it???!!! The bite broke her skin and she didn't think too much of it nor did our tour guide... we really scared her into going to get it checked out. One shot down, five more vaccinations to go. Don't worry we're not playing with monkeys.
The bike ride ended at the beach for breakfast. We hung out in the shade of an grass umbrella on the beach til lunchtime. The beach was beautiful and clean but it was HOT! We rode our bikes home in order to go to our fittings... Brad got an overcoat and shirt made, I got a coat and dress. We are really impressed with the results especially for the price. We spent the evening swimming in the hotel pool talking about movies and books with the group. Very enjoyable.
The next morning was the day Brad has been looking forward to the most.... MOTORBIKES! He woke up bright and early to go rent a moped and get some practice around town before coming back to pick me up. When he showed up at the hotel an hour later, he had made two new friends and made plans for the entire day.... two Vietnamese girls had flagged him down trying to convince him to go to "Marble Mountain" and their marble sculpture shop. With nothing else really planned, it seemed like a sketchy but reasonable adventure. Marble Mountain turned out to be a huge mountain covered in pagodas, caves, hidden passageways, Buddhas everywhere, and a lookout to China Beach and surrounding town. It was incredible... we felt a bit like Indiana Jones discovering a hidden treasure. Unfortunately our camera is suffering from heat exhaustion.... but we did get some postcards!!
That evening we had our cooking class. Of course, Brad wanted to take the motorbike to the cooking class... we ended up driving through a jam-packed market honking his horn all the way through, just like a local. It was ridiculous. The cooking class was pretty cool, we cooked 5 meals - sweet and sour chicken soup, fried spring rolls, papaya salad, banana leaf wrapped fish, and spinach with garlic... we had a great instructor with great English and energy. We're bringing home the recipes to tweek.
Today we left Hoi An by bus and arrived in Hue. We got here around 3 and headed out to find a new camera... we ended up picking up a couple disposable cameras and asking others to help us out with their digitial cameras. Should work out just fine. Tonight we had a royal dinner complete with 12 courses, Vietnamese folk music, and royal garmets and head pieces.... we were quite the sight. Unfortunately we didn't get to be king and queen, just prince and princess. Funny, fun, and a delicious feast.
Another motorbike tour (with a driver included) and boat ride on Perfume river planned for tomorrow. Still a lot to see but we'll be home before you know it!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Two overnight trains later...
Xin Chao!! We're still exploring and sweating and having fun... since last update, we've done quite a few things...
Ho Chi Minh City - The first day with our group we went to the Mekong river delta. It turned out to be quite the tourist trap but worthwhile nevertheless... It included seeing multiple islands, how they make coconut candies, a honey farm, a 5 course seafood lunch, and a boat ride around the river. The second day we went to the Cuchi tunnels... it started off with a pro-North Vietnam video that included phrases like "devil Americans" and "American killer awards" for the successful Viet Cong. Despite the hostile introduction, the tunnels were very neat. We even got to climb through one... it was a little frightful when it got completely pitch dark but we survived. That afternoon we went on a cyclo (an adult stroller powered by a man on a bicycle) tour around Ho Chi Minh. It was a great way to see all the highlights quickly without all the sweat. The highlight was when Brad convinced his driver to let him drive... quite a scene for the locals. The last stop of the cyclo tour was the bakery to pick up goods for the overnight train. After stocking up on bread, cheese, and water, we headed off to the train station.
The overnight train was an awesome experience. The tiny cabin for four, the questionable bed linens and pillow, the constant rattling and swaying... for some reason, was still enjoyable. We slept fairly well and were ready the next morning 6am to tackle Nha Trang.
Nha Trang was a beautiful, sunny, beachtown that also HAPPENED to be the site for the Ms. Universe pageant. The pageant actually happened on the day we arrived so we got to watch it on TV with the local hotel management... so much excitement for Nha Trang. That day we took a boat trip to go snorkeling and lay on a beach island. Very relaxing. The second day in Nha Trang we went to a mud bath/hot springs for a day of pampering all for $5. Although Brad was skeptical at first, he loved it!! We also enjoyed the beach and pool that afternoon before getting ready for another overnight train to Hoi An.
This morning, again at 6am, we arrived in Hoi An. Hoi An is the shopping paradise of Vietnam - anything and everything tailored. We spent the day checking out shops and even got some clothes ordered... we go back tomorrow for another fitting! Tonight we're going out for dinner and drinks at the Full Moon Festival - we'll see how that goes...
We have two more days in Hoi An before heading onto Hue and finally Hanoi. Our plan for the next few days is to check out the beaches in Hoi An and try a cooking class. We'll keep you updated!
Love you!
Ho Chi Minh City - The first day with our group we went to the Mekong river delta. It turned out to be quite the tourist trap but worthwhile nevertheless... It included seeing multiple islands, how they make coconut candies, a honey farm, a 5 course seafood lunch, and a boat ride around the river. The second day we went to the Cuchi tunnels... it started off with a pro-North Vietnam video that included phrases like "devil Americans" and "American killer awards" for the successful Viet Cong. Despite the hostile introduction, the tunnels were very neat. We even got to climb through one... it was a little frightful when it got completely pitch dark but we survived. That afternoon we went on a cyclo (an adult stroller powered by a man on a bicycle) tour around Ho Chi Minh. It was a great way to see all the highlights quickly without all the sweat. The highlight was when Brad convinced his driver to let him drive... quite a scene for the locals. The last stop of the cyclo tour was the bakery to pick up goods for the overnight train. After stocking up on bread, cheese, and water, we headed off to the train station.
The overnight train was an awesome experience. The tiny cabin for four, the questionable bed linens and pillow, the constant rattling and swaying... for some reason, was still enjoyable. We slept fairly well and were ready the next morning 6am to tackle Nha Trang.
Nha Trang was a beautiful, sunny, beachtown that also HAPPENED to be the site for the Ms. Universe pageant. The pageant actually happened on the day we arrived so we got to watch it on TV with the local hotel management... so much excitement for Nha Trang. That day we took a boat trip to go snorkeling and lay on a beach island. Very relaxing. The second day in Nha Trang we went to a mud bath/hot springs for a day of pampering all for $5. Although Brad was skeptical at first, he loved it!! We also enjoyed the beach and pool that afternoon before getting ready for another overnight train to Hoi An.
This morning, again at 6am, we arrived in Hoi An. Hoi An is the shopping paradise of Vietnam - anything and everything tailored. We spent the day checking out shops and even got some clothes ordered... we go back tomorrow for another fitting! Tonight we're going out for dinner and drinks at the Full Moon Festival - we'll see how that goes...
We have two more days in Hoi An before heading onto Hue and finally Hanoi. Our plan for the next few days is to check out the beaches in Hoi An and try a cooking class. We'll keep you updated!
Love you!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Vietnam is "Same Same but Different"
Yesterday we had quite a trip from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. The trip was about 6 hours by bus. We crossed the border with a fairly uneasy process. We had to give our passports to the bus driver and he took them all to who-knows-where and then we had to get off the bus and a customs agent went through our passports allowing us to get back on the bus. Then, when we got to the Vietnam side we had to go through immigrations which meant us sitting waiting around for our names to be called/our passports to show up. An hour later when we got our passports back they were already stamped and we just had to scan our bags. We got back on the bus and we were on our way.
Once in Vietnam we walked around the city that has 6 million people and 5 million scooters. We are very impressed with the traffic. We visited a market and I bought a t-shirt that displays the locals favorite phrase- "Same same but different"- We still don't know exactly what it means or where it comes from but we find it very funny.
We didn't quite know this when we booked that this trip is divided into two tours, so last night was the end of the Cambodian group so we had to say goodbye to half our group and our dr., guide, translator, drinking buddy-Sam. We enjoyed a big "mexican" dinner accompanied and followed by quite a few tequila shots and drinks. A great time for all and we made some good friends.
This morning we woke up early and headed out to the local water park for a day of slides and pools. They had a lazy river and some pretty legit rides. Our white skin and bathing attire stood out like a sore thumb. I think the highlight of the park was a zip-line that ends very very abruptly over a deep pool- jerking tiny Asians into akward backflops- I didn't do much better landing on my head. Quite a time!
This evening we met the new half of our group and our Vietnamese guide-Giang- he told us that if we forget his name we can just call him "River" because that is the translation for his name... My goal is to learn Giang. The group definitely has a new dynamic and it will be interesting to see how the newbies open up- it must be hard to jump into an established family. Our guide seems very passionate about Vietnam. We have quite a bit to look forward to in the coming days full of overnight trains and excurions around 'Nam.
Glad to hear everyone is enjoying the blog as a break from Warp Tours, motorcycles, motorcycle worries, work, and bridge club. We can't wait to share pictures!
Love you all same same but different!!!!
Once in Vietnam we walked around the city that has 6 million people and 5 million scooters. We are very impressed with the traffic. We visited a market and I bought a t-shirt that displays the locals favorite phrase- "Same same but different"- We still don't know exactly what it means or where it comes from but we find it very funny.
We didn't quite know this when we booked that this trip is divided into two tours, so last night was the end of the Cambodian group so we had to say goodbye to half our group and our dr., guide, translator, drinking buddy-Sam. We enjoyed a big "mexican" dinner accompanied and followed by quite a few tequila shots and drinks. A great time for all and we made some good friends.
This morning we woke up early and headed out to the local water park for a day of slides and pools. They had a lazy river and some pretty legit rides. Our white skin and bathing attire stood out like a sore thumb. I think the highlight of the park was a zip-line that ends very very abruptly over a deep pool- jerking tiny Asians into akward backflops- I didn't do much better landing on my head. Quite a time!
This evening we met the new half of our group and our Vietnamese guide-Giang- he told us that if we forget his name we can just call him "River" because that is the translation for his name... My goal is to learn Giang. The group definitely has a new dynamic and it will be interesting to see how the newbies open up- it must be hard to jump into an established family. Our guide seems very passionate about Vietnam. We have quite a bit to look forward to in the coming days full of overnight trains and excurions around 'Nam.
Glad to hear everyone is enjoying the blog as a break from Warp Tours, motorcycles, motorcycle worries, work, and bridge club. We can't wait to share pictures!
Love you all same same but different!!!!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Phnom Penh
Hi again!! We're alive and well and definitely exploring every inch of Cambodia...
Sihoukville was a relaxing beach town. While the weather didn't turn around for us too much, it stopped raining enough for us to enjoy the beach. The beach was crowded with Cambodian women trying to wax your legs, give you massages, manis, pedis, you name it. They were quite aggressive touching my legs... thankfully, as a blonde, I'm pretty hairless.
We also went on a fishing village/beach/waterfall/mountain view sunset tour all day for a whopping $15 (lunch included). The fishing village was pretty dirty and smelly as you can imagine but we saw the boats and their catches for the day. From there, the beach was very secluded but still slightly littered... Brad and I played pictionary by drawing pictures in the sand. We also enjoyed a quick salty dip and a walk on the beach collecting seashells. Our guides prepared us chicken kebabs for lunch - my food ended up in the sand. From the beach we went to the waterfall - a main local tourist sight. The waterfall was pretty impressive and a good place to wash off all the saltwater. Our group was slow to jump in because it was raining - but Brad and I took the lead and got right in. Everything went well - the water was refreshing and powerful until I slipped and fell underneath the waterfall. I hit my head and back on a rock - it hurt and I cried... but Sam our guide practiced some Cambodian medicine on me by using his breath to warm a towel and mashing out the knot on my head and rubbing tiger balm on my back. Just a bump - I took some Advil that day and I am fine and dandy now! No worries! Needless to say the mountainview sunset whatever wasn't too important to me after that. It was nice to get back to the hotel..
Yesterday (Tuesday) we got to Phnom Penh by local bus. Once we got to town we went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda - no pictures allowed! The coolest thing there was seeing the royal throne... other than that, nothing too exciting.
This morning we went to the S-21 prison and killing fields of Pol Pot of the Khymer Rouge. It was a very graphic and disturbing experience... hard to believe it happened so recently. Our tour guide also talked very freely about the current corruption in the government, specifically the upcoming election, only after looking over his shoulder. Definitely one of the best and most eye opening experiences thus far.
This afternoon we went to the Russian markets to find some souvenirs - we are some tough bargainers and we met some admirable opponents. $20 later though - we're stocked... just in time to leave Cambodia tomorrow.
Right now, we are sitting in an A/C'ed shopping mall surrounded by internet cafes, $2 DVDs of Hancock and Get Smart, and Xbox 360 games galore. Any requests?? Phnom Penh is a booming urban city compared to the rest of the countryside we've been seeing... We've enjoyed Cambodia a lot but we're definitely excited to see Ho Chi Minh's body and try some Vietnamese food!
Keep the comments coming... love you all!!!!!
Sihoukville was a relaxing beach town. While the weather didn't turn around for us too much, it stopped raining enough for us to enjoy the beach. The beach was crowded with Cambodian women trying to wax your legs, give you massages, manis, pedis, you name it. They were quite aggressive touching my legs... thankfully, as a blonde, I'm pretty hairless.
We also went on a fishing village/beach/waterfall/mountain view sunset tour all day for a whopping $15 (lunch included). The fishing village was pretty dirty and smelly as you can imagine but we saw the boats and their catches for the day. From there, the beach was very secluded but still slightly littered... Brad and I played pictionary by drawing pictures in the sand. We also enjoyed a quick salty dip and a walk on the beach collecting seashells. Our guides prepared us chicken kebabs for lunch - my food ended up in the sand. From the beach we went to the waterfall - a main local tourist sight. The waterfall was pretty impressive and a good place to wash off all the saltwater. Our group was slow to jump in because it was raining - but Brad and I took the lead and got right in. Everything went well - the water was refreshing and powerful until I slipped and fell underneath the waterfall. I hit my head and back on a rock - it hurt and I cried... but Sam our guide practiced some Cambodian medicine on me by using his breath to warm a towel and mashing out the knot on my head and rubbing tiger balm on my back. Just a bump - I took some Advil that day and I am fine and dandy now! No worries! Needless to say the mountainview sunset whatever wasn't too important to me after that. It was nice to get back to the hotel..
Yesterday (Tuesday) we got to Phnom Penh by local bus. Once we got to town we went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda - no pictures allowed! The coolest thing there was seeing the royal throne... other than that, nothing too exciting.
This morning we went to the S-21 prison and killing fields of Pol Pot of the Khymer Rouge. It was a very graphic and disturbing experience... hard to believe it happened so recently. Our tour guide also talked very freely about the current corruption in the government, specifically the upcoming election, only after looking over his shoulder. Definitely one of the best and most eye opening experiences thus far.
This afternoon we went to the Russian markets to find some souvenirs - we are some tough bargainers and we met some admirable opponents. $20 later though - we're stocked... just in time to leave Cambodia tomorrow.
Right now, we are sitting in an A/C'ed shopping mall surrounded by internet cafes, $2 DVDs of Hancock and Get Smart, and Xbox 360 games galore. Any requests?? Phnom Penh is a booming urban city compared to the rest of the countryside we've been seeing... We've enjoyed Cambodia a lot but we're definitely excited to see Ho Chi Minh's body and try some Vietnamese food!
Keep the comments coming... love you all!!!!!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A few more cities...
Hi again!!
When we last left you a few days ago, we were in Siem Reap heading to the floating villages... The village was pretty incredible. We hopped on a boat and rode past all the different floating homes, churches, schools, pool halls, fish farms... everything you could imagine. We even stopped at a crocodile farm. On the way back from the floating villages we stopped at a hammock bar. (Genius idea that needs to come over to the U.S.) We laid in hammocks until sunset and had a few Angkor beers and even snacks - snake, eel, and turtle. Quite a relaxing and enjoyable evening.
When we got back to the hotel, a few members of our group discovered they were missing money... the "security box" at the front desk (sealed manila envelope in a locked drawer) was clearly opened. Over $1000 was gone from 5 different people. After trying to get the police to the hotel and finding out the owner is the police... the resolution was to go to the Buddhist temple and tell Buddha how much money you lost, then the owner would compensate believing that your word to Buddha is honest - like a hand on the Bible. Bad experience but interesting resolution. We were smart enough to know better.
From Siem Reap we went to Kampong Cham, a city on the Mekong River. We were just there one night... just enough time to take a sweaty bicycle tour of the Man and Woman Hill Temples. We saw a Mormon missionary and chatted briefly. And we also stopped at a Buddhist English school and got to converse with the students. Brad naturally jumped right in between the child monk and the shy girls.
From Kampong Cham we went to Takeo for our homestay. We enjoyed a home cooked dinner of soup, rice, and pork. The family was very nice and the accommodations were probably above average... we slept on a bed with a mosquito net in a hut above the cows. It was a great experience but I think one night was enough. Without much else to do after dinner, we introduced the group to some drinking games from college that they absolutely loved and hated in the morning. We slept well and felt fine in the morning, guess it helps to be 23...
That brings us to today. This morning we had breakfast at the homestay - bread, pineapples, bananas, and instant coffee with condensed milk. We left after breakfast to head to Sihoukville... along the way we stopped at our guide's hometown to see his family. We stayed for about half an hour - just enough time to teach the children hopscotch. They were very shy but very interested in why we were there.
This afternoon, amidst the pouring rain, we arrived in Sihoukville - our beach town. We got some lunch and a much needed shower and laid low waiting for the rain to stop. It's finally cleared so hopefully tomorrow will be perfect! We had dinner on the beach tonight and enjoyed BBQ barracuda, squid, and prawns. We'll be here for three nights relaxing and playing on the beach....
Happy Fourth of July - hope everyone was safe! Love you!
(We were unsuccessful in uploading pictures - too slow of a connection, you'll just have to wait till we get home.)
When we last left you a few days ago, we were in Siem Reap heading to the floating villages... The village was pretty incredible. We hopped on a boat and rode past all the different floating homes, churches, schools, pool halls, fish farms... everything you could imagine. We even stopped at a crocodile farm. On the way back from the floating villages we stopped at a hammock bar. (Genius idea that needs to come over to the U.S.) We laid in hammocks until sunset and had a few Angkor beers and even snacks - snake, eel, and turtle. Quite a relaxing and enjoyable evening.
When we got back to the hotel, a few members of our group discovered they were missing money... the "security box" at the front desk (sealed manila envelope in a locked drawer) was clearly opened. Over $1000 was gone from 5 different people. After trying to get the police to the hotel and finding out the owner is the police... the resolution was to go to the Buddhist temple and tell Buddha how much money you lost, then the owner would compensate believing that your word to Buddha is honest - like a hand on the Bible. Bad experience but interesting resolution. We were smart enough to know better.
From Siem Reap we went to Kampong Cham, a city on the Mekong River. We were just there one night... just enough time to take a sweaty bicycle tour of the Man and Woman Hill Temples. We saw a Mormon missionary and chatted briefly. And we also stopped at a Buddhist English school and got to converse with the students. Brad naturally jumped right in between the child monk and the shy girls.
From Kampong Cham we went to Takeo for our homestay. We enjoyed a home cooked dinner of soup, rice, and pork. The family was very nice and the accommodations were probably above average... we slept on a bed with a mosquito net in a hut above the cows. It was a great experience but I think one night was enough. Without much else to do after dinner, we introduced the group to some drinking games from college that they absolutely loved and hated in the morning. We slept well and felt fine in the morning, guess it helps to be 23...
That brings us to today. This morning we had breakfast at the homestay - bread, pineapples, bananas, and instant coffee with condensed milk. We left after breakfast to head to Sihoukville... along the way we stopped at our guide's hometown to see his family. We stayed for about half an hour - just enough time to teach the children hopscotch. They were very shy but very interested in why we were there.
This afternoon, amidst the pouring rain, we arrived in Sihoukville - our beach town. We got some lunch and a much needed shower and laid low waiting for the rain to stop. It's finally cleared so hopefully tomorrow will be perfect! We had dinner on the beach tonight and enjoyed BBQ barracuda, squid, and prawns. We'll be here for three nights relaxing and playing on the beach....
Happy Fourth of July - hope everyone was safe! Love you!
(We were unsuccessful in uploading pictures - too slow of a connection, you'll just have to wait till we get home.)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Cambodia!
Hi everyone!!
Since we last posted, we took the 12 hour bus drive from Bangkok to Siem Reap... only 200 km. Crossing the border was very exciting and nerve racking. We were warned immediately about pick pockets and to be very careful. Brad was immediately chased down by a 6 year old boy with an umbrella. The attempt was to provide shade to Brad but the boy would also close the umbrella on Brad's head trying to distract him from his pocket.... but Brad survived!
The roads in Cambodia are pretty rough. Potholes and completely dirt with minor construction everywhere. We passed motos, tuk tuk, interesting tractors, cows, pigs, dog, naked children - just about everything but cars. It was a lot of fun to look out the window seeing their stilted houses, schools, barbershops, markets, everything. Definitely a level of poverty I've never seen before.
Yesterday we spent the day at Angkor Wat... it was a full day from sunrise to sunset. We took some amazing pictures and even saw where Angelina Jolie shot Tomb Raider (a real source of pride for our Cambodian guide Prak).
This morning we browsed through some old street markets and purchased some souvenirs... this afternoon we're going to the floating villages.
Both our group and the food have been great so far! It's nice getting to know everyone - a lot of highly experienced travelers. We've been trying new meals everyday including amok fish, fried noodles, banana pancakes, green curry, lychee, coconut and pineapples.. Tasty!
We may try to post pictures - wish us luck on trying to figure that out. Love you all!
Since we last posted, we took the 12 hour bus drive from Bangkok to Siem Reap... only 200 km. Crossing the border was very exciting and nerve racking. We were warned immediately about pick pockets and to be very careful. Brad was immediately chased down by a 6 year old boy with an umbrella. The attempt was to provide shade to Brad but the boy would also close the umbrella on Brad's head trying to distract him from his pocket.... but Brad survived!
The roads in Cambodia are pretty rough. Potholes and completely dirt with minor construction everywhere. We passed motos, tuk tuk, interesting tractors, cows, pigs, dog, naked children - just about everything but cars. It was a lot of fun to look out the window seeing their stilted houses, schools, barbershops, markets, everything. Definitely a level of poverty I've never seen before.
Yesterday we spent the day at Angkor Wat... it was a full day from sunrise to sunset. We took some amazing pictures and even saw where Angelina Jolie shot Tomb Raider (a real source of pride for our Cambodian guide Prak).
This morning we browsed through some old street markets and purchased some souvenirs... this afternoon we're going to the floating villages.
Both our group and the food have been great so far! It's nice getting to know everyone - a lot of highly experienced travelers. We've been trying new meals everyday including amok fish, fried noodles, banana pancakes, green curry, lychee, coconut and pineapples.. Tasty!
We may try to post pictures - wish us luck on trying to figure that out. Love you all!
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