Ho Chi Minh City New Years and Tet

We loved Phnom Penh for its anything goes madness, but the order of HCMC was quite a relief. We like to try to walk as much as possible, but Phnom Penh was the only place we had to take a tuktuk-- after being hit by motorbikes a few times.

 

One of the best parts of Phnom Penh was staying at the workshop of the Cambodian Handicraft Association. This group helps women with various physical disabilities (like being deaf or those with issues walking from polio) learn job skills as well as english and life skills. It was really great to meet them and see their work. We found them on airbnb. We were sad to leave because we really felt welcome and enjoyed our time there.

Three Phnom Penh food highlights were Dosa Corner, Alma Cucina Mexicana, and the Sesame Noodle Bar. The huevos rancheros at Alma rivaled some of the best I've had in the southwest. They even had chilaquiles, which I rarely see outside of AZ and Mexico. It's funny that I've had to go to Southeast Asia to get good Mexican. Back home in New England, the Mexican is really mediocre. My only complaint about this place was that it closed at 2pm, or we would have gone back for dinner. Dosa corner was also great and offered a pretty excellent variety of dosa. The Sesame Noodle Bar was also great. The pickled okra was inspiring. I think I'll grown some in our garden when we get back-- that's how good it was.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City as everyone was gearing up for the lunar new year celebrations. It's the year of the goat, if you couldn't tell from the awesome golden goats for sale on this street corner. Almost every street had someone selling some new year related treat like ornamental garlic towers, trees, or specially shaped fruit.

This is the view from a public bus of some great banners. This guy was blasting ACDC while driving his bus. It was pretty awesome.

everyone must have a holiday tree and many are strapped to the backs of motorbikes whizzing by 

 

gearing up for the main event-- just a little traffic

Daphne wishing you all a happy new year

There were some pretty wild crowds. So after some really tasty street food, we decided to make our way back to watch the fireworks out of our hotel window.

Week 5 - Heading to Can Tho and around the Mekong tomorrow

Cambodian Temple Madness

Week 3-4 Cambodian Temple Madness

We arrived in Siem Reap and spent some time at Angkor Wat, then hired a driver to take us to Preah Vihear on the Northern border with Thailand, up until recently, disputed territory. We also took in Koh Ker and climbed up its incredible pyramid. Then on to Phnom Penh where we are staying at the Cambodian Handicraft Association. It's a great organization that helps women with various disabilities learn life skills and become employable. 

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

train to Siem Reap

primary Angkor Wat complex

interior, everything is carved

I made a friend-- he jumped on my back while exploring

Many of the statues have been removed and some put into museums for their protection. This is one of the rare remaining sculptures in the interior

Bayon Temple faces, there are about 50 of them all supposedly of the King who had this temple constructed-- the ultimate selfie

nice tree pattern

 trees taking over a building

long day

our feet were so dirty from walking and biking the dusty roads all day

Preah Vihear - It's recently opened after being closed for years due to border disputes. Claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand, UNESCO recently ruled that it's in Cambodia. It's basically a large military base as well as a temple site. Many Cambodian soldiers use it as a lookout point. We had a driver that brought us to the entrance, but to get up you have today either a motorbike driver or 4x4 truck to take you up the mountain. The roads are really bad. We opted for a truck, but didn't want to pay the $25 fee for the two of us, so we asked this nice Taiwanese family who currently live in Phnom Penh if we could share the ride. On the way, you are expected to purchase cigarettes and candy for the soldiers and their children. Soldiers and kids approach you on the road up. It's a gift of thanks for their protection of the site. It's as close to the front lines as it gets right now as there are often small skirmishes in the the area. 

our truck and the super nice family who helped explain stuff to us

I didn't realize what was coming ahead-- after this pavement ended and it was basically driving up a dirt cliff, we all held on tightly with 2 hands

small temple on the way up, great fabric flags

the view from above 

There are also steps you can take. They are really steep and pretty scary. 

incredible construction, perfectly cut stone

Construction began in the 9th century at Preah Vihear. It's still standing all these years later.

The kids we rode with followed us around the whole time and I tried to practice my Chinese with the girl. She told me that it was bu hao (not good). 

There is a guy sitting here on lookout duty with his machine gun and binoculars. It's hard to see him though.

It's still an active temple for praying. Many cambodians make the pilgrimage-- not many foreigners there

nagas guarding the entrance and some guys who were praying there

Koh Ker - At first glance some of these temples might look like a pile of crumbling bricks, but keep in mind, these were constructed some time between 900 to 1000 AD. There are buildings that are only 100 years old in worse shape in Holyoke. The bricks aren't uniform and often have grooves that help hold them together.

Koh Ker has a pyramid. It's unique to the area. You can climb up on rickety wooden stairs.

The walls were almost all intact. I liked seeing how they inserted these adornments to the top of the wall. 

view from above

I love these lions holding up the platform

This was a recently burned temple. The area around here is pretty much all on fire or has been on fire recently. Everything is charred. It looks like a black desert.

tree roots

scorched earth

Phnom Penh - 

they get really into their coffee foam decorations here 

We happened upon a domino's pizza black tie grand opening. It's probably the first one in the country. There was champagne and these Americans playing jazzy tunes. 

Since people seem to use sidewalks for parking, it's really difficult to walk here. I was actually hit by 2 motorbikes in 2 days. They were traveling the wrong direction down the street. There really are no rules here for driving or parking.

People just decide to close down half the street for their steamed bun operation-- that's cool, apparently

Others build out fenced areas with gates over the sidewalks and leave only small strips like this to walk on. Or, more commonly, nothing at all. You really do have to walk in the street (which is insanely crazy due to no traffic rules) 90+% of the time.