Today we started late while trying to figure out our plans for the rest of Vietnam. We started with the War Remnants Museum (formerly called the Museum of American War Crimes) detailing Vietnam's wars for total independence. It was interesting to see the war from the Vietnamese perspective. Signs were often very biased, however the top floor included a section describing international resistance to the war effort (especially the Anti-War movement in the U.S.). This seems to reflect the changing relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam over the past few decades.
Around noon the museum closed and we found a cozy little place to eat some pho (Vietnamese beef and noodles). The decoration was very cute with walls painted in 3D!!!
Next we traveled to Independence Palace. Here the Vietnam War officially ended with North Vietnamese tanks driving through the gates of the compound. The building was formerly the Presidential HQ of South Vietnam.
More museums! This time, history museum. It was split up through various periods of Vietnamese history. We found the introduction posters to be quite humorous. Each redefined history with a slant of the Communist Party. We saw a traditional water puppet show with flipping babies.
Believe it or not, after this action packed day we hopped on a plane and taxi to Hoi An, Vietnam (halfway up the country), found our hotel, and collapsed on our rock hard mattresses.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Day 14: Happy Birthday Caya!
Fortunately, Ho Chi Minh City got much better the second day. We ate breakfast and switched to a better hotel. Today we focused our learning on religion in HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City). We visited a huge Hindu Temple, the Jade Emperor Pagoda, and the Saigon Mosque.
Hindu Temple: Brilliantly painted and very bustling. Many Vietnamese Hindus were worshiping at the temple and offering up incense, oil, and lavender flowers to the gods. We may have been involved in a possible incense scandal. Oooh, scandalous!
Jade Emperor Pagoda: Can you say incense? We can. Every person in the temple had a fistful of incense sticks, and believe us, there were over a hundred people in the Pagoda. Each room of the pagoda was packed with worshipers. This is an active religious location complete with ponds, multiple floors and monks performing rituals. People were putting so many incense sticks in some of the pots that every few minutes the pot had to be emptied. Despite our burning eyes and ash covered skin, the experience of visiting this active temple was worth it.
Saigon Mosque: We were confused at the washing rituals at first, but after engaging in conversation with a few knowledgeable Muslim men, we learned a lot. It was interesting to learn about Islam from the perspective of not only a Muslim, but one that was engaged in helping us. Elliot and Sean saw the Mosque's imam, and everyone got a picture with a potentially crazy "brother". A worshiper singing Lionel Richie... Ohh. It was interesting.
That night following our religious exploration we went out for dinner for Caya's birthday at Le Jardin, a french restaurant in the French Culture Center, removed from the lights and noise of the city street. Afterwards we went out for ice cream and relaxed with it while watched Scrubs in the guy's room.
Hindu Temple: Brilliantly painted and very bustling. Many Vietnamese Hindus were worshiping at the temple and offering up incense, oil, and lavender flowers to the gods. We may have been involved in a possible incense scandal. Oooh, scandalous!
Jade Emperor Pagoda: Can you say incense? We can. Every person in the temple had a fistful of incense sticks, and believe us, there were over a hundred people in the Pagoda. Each room of the pagoda was packed with worshipers. This is an active religious location complete with ponds, multiple floors and monks performing rituals. People were putting so many incense sticks in some of the pots that every few minutes the pot had to be emptied. Despite our burning eyes and ash covered skin, the experience of visiting this active temple was worth it.
Saigon Mosque: We were confused at the washing rituals at first, but after engaging in conversation with a few knowledgeable Muslim men, we learned a lot. It was interesting to learn about Islam from the perspective of not only a Muslim, but one that was engaged in helping us. Elliot and Sean saw the Mosque's imam, and everyone got a picture with a potentially crazy "brother". A worshiper singing Lionel Richie... Ohh. It was interesting.
That night following our religious exploration we went out for dinner for Caya's birthday at Le Jardin, a french restaurant in the French Culture Center, removed from the lights and noise of the city street. Afterwards we went out for ice cream and relaxed with it while watched Scrubs in the guy's room.
Day 13: The Wheels on the Bus...
Today we left at six in the morning for a busride to Vietnam! The bus ride from Siem Reap included a return trip to Phnom Penh (Home sweet Home!), Plenty of KTV, and Sean's border incident. (No worries, just a smudged stamp thanks to the Vietnamese Govt.) We finally arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
At first we hated the city. Maybe we were grumpy due to the 12 hour bus ride, or hungry because it was way passed dinner, or our not so nice hotel ammenities, or we were just entering Stage 3 of Culture Shock. We were just not very happy with Vietnam, but after a mediocre dinner at a Chinese Buffet, we found our way back through the busy city of Saigon and to our hotel. Hotel Indochine. Ew.
At first we hated the city. Maybe we were grumpy due to the 12 hour bus ride, or hungry because it was way passed dinner, or our not so nice hotel ammenities, or we were just entering Stage 3 of Culture Shock. We were just not very happy with Vietnam, but after a mediocre dinner at a Chinese Buffet, we found our way back through the busy city of Saigon and to our hotel. Hotel Indochine. Ew.
Day 12: Manelli's Downfall
Let's just go back for a second to remind you all about our contest. We're trying to see who can last the longest without getting sick. Elliot was out on day 2 with heat exhaustion, Sean was day 4, Sharon was day 6 and so sort-of was Liza, illness was rampant but the name of the game was if you got sick, you were a loser.
Today, Liza lost again. We weren't really sure what did it, but something definitely did. (Probably the red peppers in her omelette)
Back to the story, we finally decided to get down to some real educational business. By that, we mean taking our readings with us to go get foot massages. It kind of worked for a while, until the head massages took over. We talked about ethnography and the effects of tourism in Cambodia, clearly relevant to our experience in the field. After our massages Helen gave us an assignment to explore funding for NGOs through international benefactors versus reliance on tourism.
We started, and finished thanks to Liza, at CONCert, an NGO working to connect tourists with local NGOs. It was a win-win set-up, pairing ability with need. They had 25 different organizations under their headline, all unique. There were some working to save wildlife and the environment, some cleaning up land mines and dealing with the consequences of them, and lots that helped children and worked to further health care and education. We talked with the head of the company, both the founder of CONCert and the director, Michael Horton. He was a real British gentleman, interupting our conversation for a cup of tea. Extremely knowledgeable, obviously, he told us all about their goals and hopes for the country. One point of interest that we talked about was the simbiotic relationship CONCert has with hotels in the area, bringing in people who want to look beyond the tourist facade of the town to get involved. If you're ever in the area, give it a try.
Moving outside into the heat we realized returning to the hotel and the airconditioned bed was necessary and cut our exploration a bit short. By two o'clock we had lost Helen and Susan to a villiage outside of the city limits, Liza to bed, and Sean to Scooby Doo antics, so Elliot and Caya left to try some of the exotic cuisine available in the Old Market. They had kangaroo. It was tender and delicious and cooked right at the table. Returning to the hotel and reuniting with everyone except Liza, we spent a while in the rooftop pool and then went out for dinner at a Khmer joint nearby followed by excellent full body massages for Helen, Caya, and Elliot.
Today, Liza lost again. We weren't really sure what did it, but something definitely did. (Probably the red peppers in her omelette)
Back to the story, we finally decided to get down to some real educational business. By that, we mean taking our readings with us to go get foot massages. It kind of worked for a while, until the head massages took over. We talked about ethnography and the effects of tourism in Cambodia, clearly relevant to our experience in the field. After our massages Helen gave us an assignment to explore funding for NGOs through international benefactors versus reliance on tourism.
We started, and finished thanks to Liza, at CONCert, an NGO working to connect tourists with local NGOs. It was a win-win set-up, pairing ability with need. They had 25 different organizations under their headline, all unique. There were some working to save wildlife and the environment, some cleaning up land mines and dealing with the consequences of them, and lots that helped children and worked to further health care and education. We talked with the head of the company, both the founder of CONCert and the director, Michael Horton. He was a real British gentleman, interupting our conversation for a cup of tea. Extremely knowledgeable, obviously, he told us all about their goals and hopes for the country. One point of interest that we talked about was the simbiotic relationship CONCert has with hotels in the area, bringing in people who want to look beyond the tourist facade of the town to get involved. If you're ever in the area, give it a try.
Moving outside into the heat we realized returning to the hotel and the airconditioned bed was necessary and cut our exploration a bit short. By two o'clock we had lost Helen and Susan to a villiage outside of the city limits, Liza to bed, and Sean to Scooby Doo antics, so Elliot and Caya left to try some of the exotic cuisine available in the Old Market. They had kangaroo. It was tender and delicious and cooked right at the table. Returning to the hotel and reuniting with everyone except Liza, we spent a while in the rooftop pool and then went out for dinner at a Khmer joint nearby followed by excellent full body massages for Helen, Caya, and Elliot.
Day 11: No Sunrise or Sunset, but Still Scorching Hot
Today we decided to get up early to see the sunrise at Bayon. After accidentally leaving Helen behind and dealing with a tuk tuk driver who refused to go quicker than about 5mph and wouldn't bring us to Bayon, the sunrise at Angkor Wat made up for it. Oh wait, it was totally cloudy and not worth it. We bascially just watched the sky get lighter. We did get coffee though, and saw this really mysterious squirrel-like animal that was actually some guy's pet? Elliot wants one.
Joining back up with Helen and Susan, we expanded our NGO research by going to Angkor Artisans, a silk-weaving program. It was based on the expansive tourism in Siem Reap and it was very interesting to learn about the process and was a really nice facility, but when we looked a bit closer it got a bit sketchy. Apparently the actual factories are 8 hours away and they were very unclear in a lot of the behind-the-scenes information.
Next up we visited a local potter, a woman trying to revive the old pottery traditions of the area. Pottery there is traditionally a woman's trade and as an art is starting to die out. She made some really beautiful stuff, everything from Buddha heads to copies of the carvings on the many temples around, to modern pots and the like. She had a recreation of an ancient kiln as well as a very modern one, mixing the traditional with her passion for the craft and its propulsion into the future.
After that we went to Sala Bai for lunch, another NGO. This one is 1/3 hotel, 1/3 restaurant, and 1/3 trade school for underprivledged youth. They use the facilities to train them and familiarize them in the industries that they will go into. Our waiter was terrified and probably not literate, but it was a good experience and definitely beneficial to the community, and we got an excellent meal out of it (minus the gross baby shrimps they hid in everything.)
We took a little break and then decided to try again for the sunset at Bayon. This time with everyone there and a much better tuk tuk driver, we managed to get there. However, it was raining. It wasn't that bad, though. Most people left so it was nice and quiet, plus we all love storms. We explored the temple, Elliot and Liza managing to get the highest in one of the towers, higher than most people venture...
That night Sean disappeared for a full body massage, the adults walked around and got a movie, and Elliot, Liza, and Caya explored the Old Market area again. They got flagged down by some girls who were a bit tipsy, attempting to help the restaurant they were in and frequent, to the extent that they have a drink named after them on the menu. We decided to eat there and were sat literally at their table. It was great though, it turned out that they were travelers who decided to stay after visiting and worked for an NGO called New Hope. It's a whole community of services working to help the areas right outside of the touristy center of Siem Reap, they have a school, some trade training, and a clinic, which was where the girls, Susan and Tracy worked. Dinner was great and extremely cheap, making the whole thing so much fun.
Reconviening as a group, we lounged in Helen's room and watched Casablanca. We have no idea why it took us so long to see it, it was great.
Joining back up with Helen and Susan, we expanded our NGO research by going to Angkor Artisans, a silk-weaving program. It was based on the expansive tourism in Siem Reap and it was very interesting to learn about the process and was a really nice facility, but when we looked a bit closer it got a bit sketchy. Apparently the actual factories are 8 hours away and they were very unclear in a lot of the behind-the-scenes information.
Next up we visited a local potter, a woman trying to revive the old pottery traditions of the area. Pottery there is traditionally a woman's trade and as an art is starting to die out. She made some really beautiful stuff, everything from Buddha heads to copies of the carvings on the many temples around, to modern pots and the like. She had a recreation of an ancient kiln as well as a very modern one, mixing the traditional with her passion for the craft and its propulsion into the future.
After that we went to Sala Bai for lunch, another NGO. This one is 1/3 hotel, 1/3 restaurant, and 1/3 trade school for underprivledged youth. They use the facilities to train them and familiarize them in the industries that they will go into. Our waiter was terrified and probably not literate, but it was a good experience and definitely beneficial to the community, and we got an excellent meal out of it (minus the gross baby shrimps they hid in everything.)
We took a little break and then decided to try again for the sunset at Bayon. This time with everyone there and a much better tuk tuk driver, we managed to get there. However, it was raining. It wasn't that bad, though. Most people left so it was nice and quiet, plus we all love storms. We explored the temple, Elliot and Liza managing to get the highest in one of the towers, higher than most people venture...
That night Sean disappeared for a full body massage, the adults walked around and got a movie, and Elliot, Liza, and Caya explored the Old Market area again. They got flagged down by some girls who were a bit tipsy, attempting to help the restaurant they were in and frequent, to the extent that they have a drink named after them on the menu. We decided to eat there and were sat literally at their table. It was great though, it turned out that they were travelers who decided to stay after visiting and worked for an NGO called New Hope. It's a whole community of services working to help the areas right outside of the touristy center of Siem Reap, they have a school, some trade training, and a clinic, which was where the girls, Susan and Tracy worked. Dinner was great and extremely cheap, making the whole thing so much fun.
Reconviening as a group, we lounged in Helen's room and watched Casablanca. We have no idea why it took us so long to see it, it was great.
Day 10: Siem Reap, Siem Temples
Today was our first day in Siem Reap. We finally reunited with Helen and her friend/Scott's sister, Susan. (We interrupt this blog to say how much we miss Sharon. We miss her so much, Elliot keeps calling Susan, Sharon.) After breakfast, our group of 6 explored the temples of Angkor Wat. The Angkor Wat literally means Temple City. There were many temples in the area, but we visited 3 particular temples. Our guide, Lee, was very knowledgeable.
Angkor Wat: This is the most famous temple in Cambodia. It's image is EVERYWHERE: flag, money, signs, t shirts, etc. It definitely earned it's reputation. The temple was amazing, had 2 libaries, 2 ponds, 5 major towers, and stone carvings depicting Hindu and Buddhist mythology. There were over 1000 Apsara dancers carved into the walls. There is a regulation where no building in Siem Reap can be taller than the middle tower of Angkor Wat. This gives Siem reap a very small town, but extremely touristy feel.
Ta Prahm: The Tomb Raider temple! This temple has been taken over by nature. Trees growing through, on, around, and under the building blocks of this temple. It's very beautiful and kind of eerie. There is a dinosaur carved into the wall along with other animals and religious depictions... (Ancient Alien theory!) This temple was under major reconstruction by the Indian Government, and there were far less tourists present. It was a very peaceful and quiet area.
Bayon: Our favorite temple! Bayon has dozens of Buddha's faces in the form of towers with each tower having the Four Faces of Buddha: Charity, Compassion, Sympathy, and Equinimity. There were multiple levels to this temple. This was unique from the others because there were few limits and restrictions on exploring the temple. As long as a visitor is polite and non-destructive, exploration is encouraged. All of us got blessings at a shrine in the center of the temple from a monk. This was the most majestic temple (in Elliot's opinion)
For dinner we ate in the Old Market area of Siem Reap. This is a series of alleys with mainly Western-run restaurants all having the bright cambodian feel. We had Eucalyptus towels for the first time! Often before meals the restaurant will give you cold towels to wipe your face and hands. These were scented with Eucalyptus oil and were very appreciated. Remember, it's still blazing hot outside. We loved the pool on top of the Terrace des Elephants. Helen is going to decorate her garden like it. Welcome to Paradise.
Angkor Wat: This is the most famous temple in Cambodia. It's image is EVERYWHERE: flag, money, signs, t shirts, etc. It definitely earned it's reputation. The temple was amazing, had 2 libaries, 2 ponds, 5 major towers, and stone carvings depicting Hindu and Buddhist mythology. There were over 1000 Apsara dancers carved into the walls. There is a regulation where no building in Siem Reap can be taller than the middle tower of Angkor Wat. This gives Siem reap a very small town, but extremely touristy feel.
Ta Prahm: The Tomb Raider temple! This temple has been taken over by nature. Trees growing through, on, around, and under the building blocks of this temple. It's very beautiful and kind of eerie. There is a dinosaur carved into the wall along with other animals and religious depictions... (Ancient Alien theory!) This temple was under major reconstruction by the Indian Government, and there were far less tourists present. It was a very peaceful and quiet area.
Bayon: Our favorite temple! Bayon has dozens of Buddha's faces in the form of towers with each tower having the Four Faces of Buddha: Charity, Compassion, Sympathy, and Equinimity. There were multiple levels to this temple. This was unique from the others because there were few limits and restrictions on exploring the temple. As long as a visitor is polite and non-destructive, exploration is encouraged. All of us got blessings at a shrine in the center of the temple from a monk. This was the most majestic temple (in Elliot's opinion)
For dinner we ate in the Old Market area of Siem Reap. This is a series of alleys with mainly Western-run restaurants all having the bright cambodian feel. We had Eucalyptus towels for the first time! Often before meals the restaurant will give you cold towels to wipe your face and hands. These were scented with Eucalyptus oil and were very appreciated. Remember, it's still blazing hot outside. We loved the pool on top of the Terrace des Elephants. Helen is going to decorate her garden like it. Welcome to Paradise.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Day 8- Location: Middle of Nowhere
Don't worry about the missed days, we will go back and blog about them, too. But for now...
So, the students have braved a venture this weekend to Chi Phat, which is an eco-tourism village in the South Cardamom Mountains. The village promotes alternative ways to make a living that do not damage the environment. (ie, lots of farming, no logging) It's very primitive compared to Phnom Penh, or anywhere we have been.
Here's the DL:
1. Electricity is only available after 6PM
2. Luxurious Guest Houses are wooden rooms with bed and mosquito nets. Maybe fans...
3. No modern bath amenities. Shower is basically a bucket and this weird hole filled with water. Where is the toilet paper? Where is the flusher?
4. Bugs bugs bugs!
5. Biking and walking has made us so dirty we almost pass as Cambodians. So how about that shower...
6. We went to see the waterfall this afternoon, except oh wait. It's the dry season. It was a rock with a pond at the bottom.
7. We walked our bikes up a hill to see the sunset. Wait, it wasn't really setting, and there was an internet tower in the way. (We are actually thankful for the tower, so we are able to update the blog!)
8. It's hot and we are all sweaty. We got here and passed out on our beds for 2 hours because it was so hot.
9. Amusement here seems to be watching wrestling on community tvs, playing pool, and sweating. (wait, sweating is just us)
10. Everyone is so friendly and loves to say "Hello!"
Despite how bitter this sounds, it's a really interesting experience that none of us has had. We're all enjoying it and are excited about tomorrow's "birdwatching at sunrise boat trip Extravaganza!"
The moto trip over to Chi Phat was the bomb! Wind blowing in your face and hair, beautiful Cambodian countryside and the occasional tiger attack made this a perfect mid-afternoon journey. (Just kidding, there was actually no tiger attack, but wouldn't that have been exciting!)
PS. The food here is really good and the water seems to be safe. We had french fries for lunch. Best ones in Cambodia. (Helen, you missed out, big time.)
So, the students have braved a venture this weekend to Chi Phat, which is an eco-tourism village in the South Cardamom Mountains. The village promotes alternative ways to make a living that do not damage the environment. (ie, lots of farming, no logging) It's very primitive compared to Phnom Penh, or anywhere we have been.
Here's the DL:
1. Electricity is only available after 6PM
2. Luxurious Guest Houses are wooden rooms with bed and mosquito nets. Maybe fans...
3. No modern bath amenities. Shower is basically a bucket and this weird hole filled with water. Where is the toilet paper? Where is the flusher?
4. Bugs bugs bugs!
5. Biking and walking has made us so dirty we almost pass as Cambodians. So how about that shower...
6. We went to see the waterfall this afternoon, except oh wait. It's the dry season. It was a rock with a pond at the bottom.
7. We walked our bikes up a hill to see the sunset. Wait, it wasn't really setting, and there was an internet tower in the way. (We are actually thankful for the tower, so we are able to update the blog!)
8. It's hot and we are all sweaty. We got here and passed out on our beds for 2 hours because it was so hot.
9. Amusement here seems to be watching wrestling on community tvs, playing pool, and sweating. (wait, sweating is just us)
10. Everyone is so friendly and loves to say "Hello!"
Despite how bitter this sounds, it's a really interesting experience that none of us has had. We're all enjoying it and are excited about tomorrow's "birdwatching at sunrise boat trip Extravaganza!"
The moto trip over to Chi Phat was the bomb! Wind blowing in your face and hair, beautiful Cambodian countryside and the occasional tiger attack made this a perfect mid-afternoon journey. (Just kidding, there was actually no tiger attack, but wouldn't that have been exciting!)
PS. The food here is really good and the water seems to be safe. We had french fries for lunch. Best ones in Cambodia. (Helen, you missed out, big time.)
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