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July 29, 2005
The Motorbike Diary
(Day 161) To some, the traffic here can be intimidating, even downright scary. To me, it looked like an exciting challenge. I had skipped skydiving and bungee jumping in New Zealand due to budget concerns. There was no chance I'd pass up the extreme sport of driving in Vietnam.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:37 AM | Comments (10)
The Cu Chi Tunnels
(Day 160) The war in Vietnam has to be some of the darkest days of American history. I've heard the jokes, about how we ignorantly built a base on top of a series of underground tunnels, and couldn't figure out for years why things kept exploding at night. Whether this is rumor or actual fact, I'll leave that up to history buffs, but it's pretty clear our inability to infiltrate the them resulted in perhaps one of our worst military defeats.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:12 AM | Comments (4)
July 27, 2005
The colors of the Mekong Delta
(Day 159) One has to look past the unaesthetically brown appearance of the Mekong River to fully appreciate it. Commencing all the way in western China, it travels 4500 km, through multiple countries, before emptying into the sea in southern Vietnam. Waterways have always been important to human settlements. The Mekong Delta is no different, being the lifeforce of a thriving community. Part of the reason I signed up for a two day tour from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (rather than take the 12 hour direct bus) was because it included sights around the area, hopefully giving me a glimpse of life in rural Vietnam.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:35 AM | Comments (9)
July 25, 2005
Vietnamese food
(Day 158) "Look! That little kid's got your bag!" said Jo. We had just gotten off a minibus to be transported to Vietnam via boat.
"Yeah, that's okay. I got a little bit of riel I need to get rid of anyways." Cambodia, or Camry-land (I swear, 90% of the cars on the roads are Toyota Camry's), used US currency for most transactions, but sub dollar amounts came back in riel. At the exchange rate of 4000 riel per dollar, a 1000 riel note was conveniently 25 cents.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:26 AM | Comments (9)
The Killing Fields
(Day 157) I remember in learning about Hitler's Nazis in grade school. The Holocaust, concentration camps, the atrocities that the Jewish population suffered. Never once did I hear about the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge though, whose heinous extermination of Cambodia's population resulted in over two million deaths. Both are equally tragic, both need to be included in teachers' lesson plans. Covering one and not the other does a huge disservice to our education system.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:09 AM | Comments (6)
July 24, 2005
The Tonle Sap
(Day 156) People had assured me the road conditions to Phnom Penh were paved and in relatively good condition, but with the torturous ride between Poipet and Siem Reap still fresh in my mind, I opted to travel by boat.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:22 AM | Comments (6)
July 22, 2005
The Roluous Group (more temples)
(Day 155) Many people who buy the three day pass opt out of the final day. I can understand why. Scorching heat and strenuous ascents can really become taxing. However, I found the temples irresistable, and had enough left in the tank to see a few more.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:46 AM | Comments (6)
July 21, 2005
More temples...
(Day 154) "Sleep well?" asked Khorn, while I was eating breakfast.
"Yeah. My arm is sore though." The night before, there had been an impromptu arm wrestling tournament, in which the guesthouse's motorbike drivers and guests competed to see who was the most macho. The winner was no other than your M-whY host, taking on and taking down all challengers, including Khorn, who claimed to only lose a few backpackers every year.
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Posted by markyiin at 05:53 AM | Comments (10)
July 20, 2005
The temples of Angkor
Zhou Daguan, a Chinese diplomat, provided the only first hand account of the once powerful Khmer civilization. Arriving in 1296, he travelled the kingdom for over a year, living among and getting to know the local people. In his chronicles The Customs of Cambodia, he writes:
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Posted by markyiin at 02:17 AM | Comments (10)
July 19, 2005
Siem Reap
(Day 152) After a grueling journey, I was in no rush to visit the temples of Angkor. I could take a day to recuperate and orient myself with my new surroundings. I also wanted to check out other guesthouses and tour options. My current guesthouse was located a couple kilometers from all the action, and I was sure I could find a more convenient place to stay at.
Posted by markyiin at 05:10 AM | Comments (4)
July 18, 2005
An epic journey
(Day 151) I've heard so many horror stories about transportation organized by Khao San Road travel agents. Cheap tickets that would eventually get you from Bangkok to Siem Reap, but not without fitting in a nightmare in between. Ridiculously expensive visas. Bags becoming 'lost,' only to resurface with some valuables missing. Broken down vehicles and two hour lunch breaks. Arriving in Siem Reap at a guesthouse who has paid for you to be delivered there, at some ungodly hour at night, so they could intimidate you into staying at an inflated price. Perhaps not all tickets are scams, but I wasn't ready to find out.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:41 AM | Comments (2)
Living in Thailand
(Day 140-150) When Deer asked if I again wanted to fly with her to Chiang Rai one more time, I found myself facing an interesting predicament. Yes, I wanted to go. And there really wasn't anything holding me back. I had collected my passport earlier that morning, so I was no longer obligated to stay in Bangkok. Cambodia and Vietnam weren't going anywhere soon; They'd still be there in a couple weeks. Having not yet purchased any plane tickets out of the region, time wasn't much of a concern. In essence, I was as free as could be. My main concern was that if I chose to go, I wouldn't have any blogworthy material. Spending time with Deer was enjoyable, but it wasn't the type of stuff that goes into a travelogue.
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Posted by markyiin at 06:37 AM | Comments (2)
July 17, 2005
Grounded
(Day 139) "I'm going to go take a shower," I told Deer. I had moved out of the guesthouses on Khao San Road into her condo overlooking a luxurious pool.
"Do you have anything that needs to be washed?"
My clothes were still fresh, by my standards. I had had them cleaned only a few days ago in Vientienne. Deer still rummaged through my backpack though, and pulled out my khakis which did have a thin layer of dust on them.
Posted by markyiin at 02:38 AM | Comments (7)
Chatuchak Market
(Day 138) Shopping is on page 241 of my list of favorite things to do. To me, several hours in an internet cafe would be a day better spent than shopping. However, as Chatuchak market is the largest of its kind the world, I figured it might be worth a visit. Besides, I had nothing better to do.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:33 AM | Comments (0)
My rant on the Lonely Planet
(Day 137) Of all the big cities I've been to so far (Sydney, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, etc), Bangkok has the most to offer. That said, there still isn't that much to do. It's a great place to do some shopping and look at a few temples, but again, I don't have room for souveniers, and temple watching is something that gets old really fast. When it comes to introducing Bangkok, or any other place for that matter, my guidebook, Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, by Lonely Planet, has been a huge disappointment. It just doesn't do an adequate job.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:30 AM | Comments (2)
July 05, 2005
Muay Thai
(Day 136) Two and a half centuries ago, a fighter by the name of Nai Khanomtom was captured by the Burmese in a skirmish in the ancient capital of Ayuthaya. He was brought to Rangoon, where the (Burmese) King Mangra was curious to see how fighting styles from different countries would compare. King Mangra challenged Nai Khanomtom, asking whether he would fight ten hand picked Burmese champions to prove himself. He accepted, and won each match in such convincing fashion that the Burmese king could not help but marvel at the Thai who's every body part was "blessed with venom." Nai Khanomtom was granted his freedom, along with his choice of wealth or two beautiful wives. He chose the women, remarking that money was easier to find. A national holiday known today as "Boxer's day" was created in honor his feats, and is celebrated every year on March 17th.
Posted by markyiin at 08:49 AM | Comments (18)
Public transportation in Bangkok
(Day 135) There was a time when the people of Bangkok relied boats navigating the city's extensive network of canals to get around. Waterways, not roads, criss crossed Thailand's capital, earning the city the nickname 'Venice of the East.' Today, taxis and tuk tuks dominate the transportation scene, but a taste of the riverine past can still be had by hopping on a ferry plying the Mae Nam Chao Phraya.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:30 AM | Comments (2)
July 02, 2005
Back on Khao San
(Day 134) In the early morning, bunks were folded back into seats, and I sat staring out the window until we pulled into Hualamphung train station. Another ten minutes on the back of a tuk-tuk, and I was again walking down the backpacker mecca of Khao San Road.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:28 AM | Comments (10)