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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Final Thoughts— Rog
So many lives lost and so much pain for both sides.
Why stir up old memories…won't it cause the people additional pain?
Can I enjoy a country where battles were fought? Would I want to?
Surprising Vietnam
I did not expect to find Vietnam to be such a welcoming, beautiful place.
Here are a few of the things I found…
Early morning locals sweeping the streets
Respectful, honest, people…clerks, waiters, taxi drivers
Modern clean Grab cars (think Uber) with video monitors and GPS
Cell phones for all!
Electric turquoise taxis
Sleeper buses so you can stretch out for long overnight journeys…only about 12 beds per bus.
Motorbikes parked anywhere and everwhere
Entire mobile restaurants on the sidewalk . Just pack it all on the bike (plastic chairs and tables, propane tank, pans, etc.) and ride away at the end of the day!
No room to walk on the sidewalk so…walk on the street edge
Drivers honk as a courtesy to let you know they are coming, try not to worry…they see you and will avoid hitting you
Easy, cheap transportation by taxi, bus, train, or air
Beautiful countryside…trees, rice fields, mountains, beaches
Nicely landscaped and trimmed medians along divided highways
Roadsides lined on both sides, mile after mile with
their National flag (red with a gold star in the center)
Genuine, welcoming smiles from nearly everyone
Words of acceptance for the past and optimism for the future
Restaurants with interesting showrooms where you can select live fish, eels, oysters, shrimp, crab, lobsters, squid, octopus, etc.
Clean, modern hotels with great breakfast 😀
Smiling parents encouraging their children to talk with us so they can learn English
People, very proud of their country, seek our confirmation by asking, "What do you think of Vietnam?"
Many people ask where we are from and then are delighted when we say "America"
Traffic flows like boats on a lake because no one claims the right of way
No stop signs
Passing is ok on either side as long as there is enough space to get by
Left turn or U turn directly in front of oncoming traffic is ok here. Cars will slow or even stop, if necessary, to avoid hitting you. All is done slowly to allow oncoming cars to adjust.
No road rage
Very little evidence that any vehicles have been scraped on the side by any other
We did not see even one vehicle that had been seriously damaged in an accident
Quiet motorbikes…and millions of them
Slow traffic with nearly everyone apparently agreeing to keep it that way
Almost no traffic police
Great tunnels through mountains, good roads and bridges
Very few water buffalo…one was a living prop for a picture opportunity (farmer stretched out on his back resting on top of the buffalo) Where would you lie down in a rice paddy?
Hard working rice farmers bending to work in chilly water all day
Serious and strong women working with men doing dirty manual labor jobs (trash pickup, mixing cement with a shovel, etc.)
Bicycles piled high and wide with huge loads…how do the tires survive?
Men crowding the coffee shops at all times of the day
Never ending stream of beautiful girls in gowns getting photos taken on the beach
No noticeable presence of government controlling the lives of the people
Huge Investment in mega hotels…China again?
Women's bodies totally covered with sweatshirts, hoodies, helmets, gloves, face masks, hair covers, and sunglasses while riding motorbikes
Women riding motorbikes while wearing high heels and helmets with cute little teddy bear ears
So many people apparently very happy with their lives…smiling, laughing with coworkers, taking pride in their work
When conditions are improving people tend to be happy and optimistic for the future…that is Vietnam today-looking ahead, not back.
Roger
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Update 35/ Jane's Final Thoughts
We loaded our plane on Sunday at 9:30 pm. A couple movies, some visiting with the Irish lady next to me and some sleeping filled our 10+ hours flight to Istanbul. During the almost 11 hours layover, we were able to rest in the Nap Zone a couple of times, played cards, walked around the airport (which is the world's largest) and had a sandwich. Only a sandwich because it might be the most expensive airport in the world too! The smallest McD hamburger was $16! Sticker Shock after getting a whole shrimp dinner for two for $6 in VietNam. There was a museum in the airport but we were told it would take about 30 min to walk through and cost $26. We just played more cards. We were back on the plane for the final leg which was 11+ hours. Shan was there to pick us up and we were home in our own beds at 11 p.m..
My Final Thoughts
Again…I am so very grateful that we have the health & means to travel! I love seeing the sites and wandering the country but mostly experiencing another culture & meeting the people! In Cambodia, Sue & Monk Hun were incredible. They have such giving & caring hearts. The boys have a future because of their determination and Sue & Monk Hun. In VietNam, I wished I'd found a place to do volunteer work. I think I was worried I'd feel like a "do-gooder" trying to make up for the pain of the war. It would be viewed harshly as so little, so late. Now I think I was wrong. We felt warmly welcomed and nothing but friendliness & kindness. I actually have a sense of relief which is an unexpected gift. Another thing I had all wrong was my concept of what a Communist country is like. I expected lots of police presence & evidence of control over everything. I saw none.
Both countries were gorgeous with so many brilliantly colored flowers! Rice fields in the various stages from flooded to vivid green to dead brown stubble. Rivers & streams seemed to caress every part of both countries. Cambodian cities showed their age and had so many small, pop up businesses. Tuk-tuks & bikes were everywhere. VietNam was more modern but has quite a ways to go to catch up with the modern world. We saw few bikes, lots of motorcycles, some cars & even semis. Traffic was utterly crazy since no one has the right of way. But all drive slowly and it seems to work seamlessly!. Both countries will somehow need to address their pollution problems.
When I get home I know it will hit me that I live in a "palace on the lake" with lots of conveniences not available in Cambodia or VietNam. I'll once again be reminded to be appreciative of all I have…especially my family, friends…and the best traveling companion!
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Update 34
We caught a flight back to HCM & took a Grab from the airport to the closest beach area, Vung Tau…about 2.5 hours. We'd booked an apartment near the beach…turns out not the best beach. The 11th floor apartment was great with lots of space, great view, balcony, pool and….ta da…a washing machine! I immediately filled it with clothes we'd been handwashing for over 2 months! We erected a clothesline in the room & soon had everything hanging to dry! You don't know how good clean feels til it's been a looong time!! Since we were bummed about the beach, next morning we headed out to look for a better one. We found one just a 15 min car ride away. We checked out hotels near there but they were 2-3x more expensive…and not as nice as what we had. So we decided we'd just jump in a Grab each day to get to the nicer beach & that's what we've been doing. Found a good grocery store to stock up on some food & we're staying put till it's time to fly home. Beach, pool, eat, read, cards, call home, sleep, repeat….
Something very unique about this building we're in: on one side we have an about 25' Buddha & temple and on the other side an about 25' Mary holding baby Jesus & church. In town, there's a mosque & on top of the tallest mountain, there's a huge Jesus looking over the bay. Roger recently was reading a book where one of the Christian characters was talking to a Jew & a Muslim. He said he believes there's many bridges that take people to heaven and his parting words were, "I'll meet you in heaven!" Believing that would sure eliminate lots of grief! At the beach each day, I've picked up a bag of trash. I realize it's only a drop in the bucket here but I feel like the beach deserves it. One day as I was filling my bag, two young kids asked me what I was doing. I told them & asked if they wanted to help. They eagerly began scurrying about picking up trash. One asked me, "Why do people throw so much trash?" When the two bags were bursting, they took off. I smiled thinking how lucky to meet 2 Vietnamese kids who spoke English & hopefully, will be future beach cleaners! There are almost exclusively Vietnamese on beach enjoying the waves & playing in the sand. If only they each filled a bag every time they came!! Rog & I haven't gotten tired of eating shrimp & egg rolls. They are so scrumptious that we can't help but order them most everyday! What a treat! Speaking of treats, I decided I couldn't leave VietNam without my nails done. It was easy to find a salon. One girl did my fingernails & another my toenails. I think they put at least 10 coats on. All done for $14. I was happy to give them each a big tip. I love how they turned out. Our pool time was especially fun on Saturday because lots of the local families were splashing & laughing in it. We figure this apt/hotel complex is the weekend retreat for Ho Chi Minh families. It's sure been a great retreat for us! So restful which is what we were looking for these last few days!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Update 33
Tidbits:
-Asians love photo ops!
-Store fronts openings in most every town/city are only 8-10 ft.
-Caged birds & potted bonsai trees are popular items in home & stores
Monday, March 18, 2024
Update 32
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Update 31
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Update 30
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Update 29
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and a huge city. I'm sure we've only seen a tiny bit of it yet we've had several 20 min taxi rides. Not quite as clean as other cities but good roads. From our hotel room, we can see a huge round-about with 4 or 5 turn offs. It's just fascinating to watch how the traffic ebb & flows with no one having the right of way. Trucks, busses, cars, motorcycles galore, bicycles, pedestrians just go with the flow. Overloaded with you name it and carrying several people who may or may not be holding on. It's just one of those things you gotta see to believe. Another thing that cracks us up are all the makeshift restaurants that people just carry on the back of their bikes. They carry small plastic stacks of tables & stools, bags of food, propane tanks, & a burner and set up on the sidewalk wherever …often right in front of a nice restaurants. . No problem!! Last night we went to the Old Quarters and just walked around seeing lots of the old houses & shops. We went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater and saw a very entertaining show where all the puppets danced in a pond while an 8 piece band played the local instruments. Totally enjoyed watching the puppets swim, fish, paddle the boats, plant rice, ride water buffalo & dance in the water. Just a great performance. Water puppet shows are Vietnamese oldest art form.
It's Sunday morning here & our bus ride will pick us up at this hotel at 1 so we're just hanging out here. I needed to do lots of catch up anyways. Also, we were able to talk to five of the gkids & Sarah. A bonus that we've really enjoyed on this trip…we're glad they have phones now!!
Tidbits:
-Pringles & Oreos have been available in most every country we've been to
-Soccer is usually the most common sport but we haven't hardly seen any games being played here
-I found a cracker & some cheese I like and I probably eat that for lunch 5 out of 7 days. Sometimes for dinner too!
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Update 28
DaNang-another busy city with an incredible beach that was clean and had lots of green space between it and the road & hotels. The suspension bridge across the wide river has been designed to look like a humongous dragon. Pretty impressive & the biggest tourist attraction here. Ironic for me as the main reason I wanted to come here was because both Ed & Sam (my brothers) were stationed here during the war. They were here as SeaBees whose main job was to build bridges. We learned lots about VN when we visited the History Museum including their version of the war US was involved in. In that war where more bombs were dropped than in WWII, agent orange destroyed large areas of vegetation and caused birth defects for 3 generations. DaNang had the highest level of concentration. In 2007, USA joined VN to help the victims affected. In 2012 USA joined VN in cleaning up affected soil. We saw several empty lots that appeared to have been recently worked up. In many ways, it's been a relief to see how DaNang & many other areas have rebuilt and become prosperous. Not sure how it works under it's Communist government but appears it does…which makes me happy.
Hue is the next place we called home for a couple days. Our hotel offered free bikes which meant Rog was happy. We used them to explore the back alleys around us & rode into town…not the best idea…just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean we'd like it! Hue is a tourist destination because of what remains of the Imperial Citadel which was built in 1803. Royal housing, ceremonial areas, library & opera house all elaborately built are about all that remains as much was destroyed in wars. Can't imagine what it was like in its hay day! We also visited two of the emperor's tombs and all I can say is Khai Ding thought he was really something!! Glitz to the max! Ty Duc was much more modest and built his in a rice paddy with a river running through it. The real highlight of the Imperial Citidel was all the local ladies who were elegantly dressed in their ao dai (tunic over pants) because it was Women's Day and if they wore their ao dai, they got in free. The colors & patterns were absolutely gorgeous & they must of thought so too because they were taking pictures of each other & themselves continuously! I wore my long skirt. Didn't get me in free.
At the suggestion of Annie, our hotel hostess, we went to the Incense City…which was a bust since we'd seen a lot of incense displays..and ate at Madam Thu which was fabulous. Our waitress, Mimi suggested we ask for half orders of several Vietnamese specialties that we'd not tried yet. So we did. I liked 2 out of 4. Rog 4 out of 4.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Update 27
Monday, March 4, 2024
Update 26
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Update 25
> Is it safe?
> Many of our friends and family have wondered about our safety as we travel. There is no doubt that we are more vulnerable as we get older, and we could be concerned about finding ourselves in a bad place where we might feel threatened. But that has not happened on this trip or any other. We often feel like the local people around us treat us like the grandparents that we are, helping with luggage or directions (though not yet taking our arm to help us across the street!)
> Part of the adventure is not knowing exactly where we will be staying tomorrow night, how we will get there, how long we will stay, where will we find a coke light, etc. With Grab taxi, booking.com and more it all works out.
> It is actually fun trying to navigate the transportation and all. Yesterday, we rode on the shady side of the bus for the entire trip because we booked seats on the driver's (north facing)side of the bus.😀 👍
> Crossing the street is often the most challenging part of our day. Not because it is dangerous but because we are not used to the rules. And the rules go against our nature. Since traffic seldom stops (we haven't seen a stop sign, yet), the pedestrian starts out after a vehicle has passed and then just walks with confidence that the cars, trucks, busses, and motorbikes will avoid hitting them. Maintaining a consistent pace is very important as the driver's plan to miss you might be ruined if you stop or run.
> We have noticed that a major difference in traffic rules appears to be the total absence of any driver having the right of way. So all drivers are constantly expecting other vehicles to pull out onto the road from any driveway or intersection, pass on the right or left, stop, make u-turns, drive the wrong way, etc. They are the most defensive drivers we have seen. And it works great for all, including the pedestrians. So far…
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Update 24
She thought that idea was very funny…she laughed and said that the Vietnamese people had had an election and they chose to reunify their country, but the U.S. tried to keep the country separated. The U.S. set up a government in South Vietnam and wanted to keep South Vietnam as a colony, denying them freedom.
So…the Vietnamese were fighting the war to win freedom from the colonialist power, America.
A big difference in perspective!
She went on to say, "That was a long time ago. We don't hold any bad feelings toward the U.S., we just think about the future. We are happy that we are one country and are no longer separated the way that Korea is."
———
Later, while visiting Dalat, a man smiled and asked where I was from. We talked for awhile and he told me that his father had fought along with the U.S. during the war. After the war his father was jailed for 10 years. When he was released from jail he went to the U.S. and lives there now. Even though the war ended long ago and we see mostly smiling faces, the damage to individuals and their families is often just below the surface.
Update 23
Next morning we went to the War Remnant Museum. Hard to relive & learn more about the VN war. The many stirring pictures & painstaking stories cut to the core. Will mankind ever learn?? Seeing young VN there made me wonder how it made them feel. And when I saw men my age or older who appeared to be American, you could see the pain in their eyes. Rog ended up on a bench under a tree talking to a VN tour guide who was on her break. (He may write about this later.). I did hear her spontaneous laugh when Rog told her we were told America was in VN to save SVN from the communist. It was a sobering morning. Again we sought the pool to cool off & let the experience penetrate. Around 4, we walked to see the impressive old post office. We attempted to go into the Notre Dame of Saigon but it's under major repairs & closed. By then it was dinner time & then bed.
We took a train out of HCM headed north to Mui Ne—a fishing town on the South China Sea. The train gave us more freedom to move around but also what we saw out our window was the backside of towns. Not that nice. We did see acres of passion fruit plants, rows of tall trees, several fruit orchards & small gardens. Few people outside. Mui Ne is an older town but with several new resorts. Our hotel was older, small & quaint with a nice pool. Huge waves were crashing against the high retaining wall on the other side of the pool. We took a Grab to see where the fishermen were actively bringing in their catch & the women were cleaning & sorting it. Motorcycles were lines up with large plastic jugs to deliver the catch to markets. All the boats seemed freshly painted a bright blue, pale green & vivid yellow. Man of the boats were totally round! Story goes that when the gov't first started taxing boats, the clever people wove huge baskets, covered them with tar and claimed they weren't boats. It worked! They actually really liked them too because they were light & easy to put in/out of water! But man, it made us dizzy just watching them in the water. Many of the local restaurants have big glass tanks filled with fresh catch on display. We enjoyed some! Later we sat on a windy beach & watched hundreds of kite surfers. We were ready for these slower paced days.
On the bus again…headed to Dalat. The road was quite rough barely two lanes and since we were going up & down a mountainous area, very curvy. I felt like we were playing peek-a-boo going around those curves! I was glad to see many curves had mirrors. The last hour, the road improved & we saw much nicer homes & towns. We got to Dalat after 5 so we just went to our hotel & crashed. Got up early, ate lots from the breakfast spread, then got a Grab to the Crazy House. Crazy is an understatement! Lady who had it built wanted to incorporate nature. It was a fascinating maze & you just had to be there to believe it. She actually rents rooms in it. Next stop was the Flower Village. Massive creative displays of gobs of varieties of flowers & vege plants. Many of the flowers were the same as we have in Michigan - but 5x larger & all in bloom. A feast for the eyes! There's a cable car that takes you over the mountain so we rode that too. Dalat is nestled high in the mountains so the weather is cooler & refreshing. It's a large town with many new & well maintained buildings & several nice parks. Tomorrow morning we are hoping to do a roller coaster ride and see one of the many waterfalls around here. Then…back on the bus & off to Nha Trang.
Monday, February 26, 2024
Update 22
On the road again…headed to Ho Chi Minh City also called Saigon. Again we ride in comfortable lay back seats on the top tier. Almost at once it's obvious the road is better. Lanes, signage, guard rails appear as we get on a toll road where there's no motorcycles. Later when we get off the toll road, motorcycles have their own lane, there's fewer roadside stands & bigger store fronts. Even timed stop light! The HCM bus station was about 45 minutes from downtown but they have connecting van that we can take to the downtown. From there we used Grab to our hotel. HCM is a modern, clean, developed city with lots of sky scrappers & new construction. Motorcycles fill every spare inch of the lanes & can park anywhere. Dodging them keeps us on high alert when we cross streets. We found a city tour bus & rode it around town for 45 minutes. Great overview. Saw the opera house, post office and Independence Palace. We walked by an Eddy's New York Burger place on our way home so we were soon mowing down our first hamburger since we left home while listening to Elvis, Beach Boys & the Supremes. What an unexpected treat! They also had shakes but we were too full…so we went back the next night for shakes.
Back in the fall, my friend Aileen Clark (who works at the Dexter Library) asked me where we were headed this year. When I told her, she said she knew a young Vietnamese who visits the library often. She asked if she could give him my email. A few days later, Loc wrote giving me some suggestions & telling me he has family in HCM who might be willing to give us a tour. So a few days before we planned to arrive, I wrote to him & after a long group Messenger call whee I was mostly listening to him and his sister chat, we made a plan to meet Thai at 8 am in front of our hotel. And it happened! Thai is a 22 yrs old beautiful girl working in a hotel & going to school with dreams of getting a better job. She spoke good English & freely shared lots of her culture, customs, thoughts & feelings as well sat in a coffee shop for several hours. Later she took us to an authentic Vietnamese restaurant where she continues answering our questions while we shared the meal she had ordered; sour soup, spiced rice & flower buds. Here's a few of the things she shared with us:
-if you make under 11 million dongs ($440) per month, you pay no income taxes
-there are some homeless & they are given lottery tickets to sell
-homeless are all welcome to live free at the pagodas since monks are given many donations & will give the homeless jobs there
-Rich people feel peace and good karma when they give to the monks who pick up donations put in front of shrines which are in most businesses & homes
-HCM is the economical center of VN
- most watch little tv rather Instagram & you tube
- VN War is only memory of old and not thought about by youth
- Thoa's Mom swims everyday
-All Vietnamese love coffee shops & visit often
-Chinese & Korean's not as friendly as US
- Many older VN go to the temple almost daily for 1-2 hr mainly to repent
-cost $5 million dong ($200)per month to go to school
- $ 1 billion for 5 years to attend international school where you'll get best education and learn better English
-Women want to control all home issues
-Many young do not want to marry
-Older men had more affairs but fewer young men
-Thoa earns $300,000 ($12) for 8 hrs of work & gets one meal
-On holidays, many service workers get 3x their pay
-Gays not acceptable until recent show which was very informative
-Sweet soup is one of their favorites & it's made with peppermint, tamarin, pineapple, tomatoes, and flowers before bloom
-$5 million ($200) per month for a shared flat
-Motorcycles cost $20 - 40 million ($800-$1600)
It was certainly an informative & unique opportunity to spend time with Thoa…whose mom called to say hi to us! Thanks Aileen for the contact!
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Update 21
-they are attempting to recycle & control the trash but trash is winning that war
-there's no westerners south of Can Tho
-more nice homes in Ca Mau
-haven't seen a woman in a hammock but lots of men
-many red flags with hammer & sickle reminding me of the hatred instilled in me of the communist
-it's ironic that a hot item here is a piggy bank as it seems the poor have little to save & the rich too much for a piggy bank,
-Asian conical hats are the hat of choice!
-Caodaism church: richly colorful temple with two towers, intricate designs covering the entire building. In the center is the Divine Eye. This religion believes in one God & is a mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism & Roman Catholicism thus unity many religions with the hope of universal peace
-the lack of traffic rules in spite of the congested roads is mind boggling. So many close calls but as the saying goes: A near miss is as good as a mile
-few bicycles but gillions of motorbikes
In our luxury hotel in Can Tho we are paying about the same price as our rustic homestead before. Large room, pool & huge breakfast buffet for $35. The girls at the reception desk stand to greet us whenever we come or go. For dinner, Rog ordered snakefish & said it was delicious. I'm happy with my egg rolls. Our goal to see the floating market meant up early & get a Grab (like our Uber). Soon we were on a longtail propeller boat weaving between other boats either filled with vendors selling a wide variety of fresh products, serving meals or other tourist boats. It looked to me that most the vendors lived on their boats as laundry hung off the sides and hammocks & pots and pans hung under a roof. What a life! There was a massive fresh market on the wharf so we strolled through that. Again I am awed by the amount of fresh vegetables & fruits. Next stop was an ancient home currently lived in & maintained by the 6th generation. Someone must spend weeks painting the outside with contrasting color on all the designs carved into it. Inside rich heavy wooden furniture with marble inlays & shelves of unique statues, vases & other collectible. The house was used in the movie, The Lover in 1992. The home was surrounded by a garden with many unique plants blooming. My favorite part was a replicate of a mountain with tiny South Asian scenes tucked in the crevices. A huge fairy garden! Back to the hotel pool & our books to wait out the afternoon heat. At 4, we ventured out for dinner & to stroll the malecon and watch all the lights come on after 6. Bright neon LED strips covered all the bridges, buildings & some of the boats. Looked like a huge carnival.
Friday, February 23, 2024
Update 20
After a 4 hour ride, we found our hotel…quite gorgeous with huge grounds which included several restaurants, large gym, water park, huge pond and a nice pool which we immediately used. Then off to find some dinner. We went to their restaurant call Camping. We sat at a picnic table while they filled the grill next to us with glowing charcoal & then grilled beef chunks, shrimp & some veges for us. We noticed other customers were grilling their own. Cute idea. Back in our room, we called Chan & MM to wish them happy birthday. Next morning, we checked out tours available but decided to just call for a taxi & have them drop us at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial park which included a bird sanctuary. There was a traditionally built pagoda where a large statue of HCM was in the center surrounded by decorative items. The bird sanctuary was closed…for years it looked. So off we went to walk around the central market. Always beyond me how they can have so much fresh products artistically arranged & ready to sell & so few customers around. How can they possible sell even a fraction of it before it goes bad? We only bought 2 oranges. And the fresh meat? Don't even want to think about that. Across from the market was a clean air conditioned grocery store so we went in to cool off…and lucky for me…restock my Coke Light! Back to our hotel, we dove into the pool & then went to eat. We got 1/2kg of deliciously prepared shrimp…that's a lot of shrimp…for $8. Back to the pool & finished the day with a game of cribbage. Should I brag about beating Rog the last many games?? Probably not. As usual, we fell asleep listening to locals singing karaoke. I don't think I've written about it but almost every night since we arrived in Cambodia & now in Vietnam, we hear people singing (?) loudly. None so far I'd give even a 3 out 10. Really quite the popular evening entertainment and does lull us to sleep.
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Update 19
Our homestay offered us bikes so we got up early the next morning and took off riding. There was little traffic and the road was good. It was a nice way to get up close and feel a part of the this smaller village we're in. We joined others for breakfast of fried eggs & roll. We have enjoyed visiting with several other people staying here. Travelers easily connect & one of guys on the staff speaks great English and spent quite a while on our porch talking to us. He learned English from watching Hollywood movies. Rog took another bike ride a bit later & I caught up on my writing while seeing the tide rise the water level and watching a few boats paddle by.
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Update 18
Our last few days in Cambodia we spent in Kampot at a nice hotel with a great pool, hot shower, eggs & toast breakfast…for $35. Since it was 90+, everyday, we enjoyed that pool often! So much that my bathing suit straps were getting pretty worn out. Luckily I found a new suit with a $34.99 price tag but only had to pay $9. Kampot's biggest attraction was the gigantic Durian image in their central round-about. Durian is the stinkiest fruit ever and we often see signs in hotels, on busses & in restaurants that say no Durian. Even saying you'll be fined $100 if you have it! We did find a few things to do: sunset cruise (though we saw very little of interest); traditional dance performance at an orphanage & 3 blind boys who played local instruments. Kampot had recently won the Country Enviromental Award & so one morning there was a parade: lots of boats on the river & trucks & busses all flying flags. School kids lined the street cheering. We stepped over a bunch of trash between our hotel & the road and joined the school kids. There was a really nice new walkway all along the river front…which was probably why they won the award. We walked it several times. Kids were playing on it and in the evening, families spread a blanket & ate picnics there. The town was quiet with traffic traveling slow. We found several good places to eat. We both ate a delicious shrimp dinner with drinks for $13. Actually it was so good, we ate it twice!. Pizza & good desserts were easy to find too. Probably true because of the many older Western men around…most with a young Cambodian lady. I counted 25 in just one restaurant . Always makes me wonder how the young lady feels.
Kampot was a good place to say goodbye to Cambodia!
A few observations:
-haven't hardly seen any gardens by homes
-did see groups of school kids picking up trash by the side of the road
-at several roadside stands they sell about a 12" piece of bamboo stuffed with sticky rice & beans…last for days. Fast food stand!
-we have not seen a McD only a Kentucky Fried Ckn, Papa John's and a couple StarBucks, & Pizza Huts.
-pass lots of rice fields…some dormant, others bright green & a few being harvested
-women wearing pajamas at all times of the day
-you can carry heavy loads on bicycles
Update 17
Louis compared learning by travel with learning in school…he said travel is learning about life.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Update 16
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Update 15
Next morning we again filled up on the enormous breakfast choices & then took a long tuktuk ride to the Genocide Museum, known as S12. Once a school, it was converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge. Words are useless. Sadness too deep. Horror too shocking. Up to 3 million people died. Starved, tortured, brutally killed between April, '75 & Jan '79. Anyone with education, soft hands, eye glasses, teachers, doctors, lawyers, artist, religious leaders…and their families…gone. Old classrooms still with blackboards filled with the portraits taken for record keeping. Rows & rows & rows of faces. Those eyes staring at me. This was only one of more than 167 prisons. From there we went to one of the many killing fields where mass graves were discovered. As you look over the almost 2 acres, there are lots of large sunken areas. Pits once full of bodies. There was a 6 story high Memorial Stupa in the center filled with over 8000 skulls & countless bones. A healing ceremony is held here yearly. Everyone walked silently, sober along the path that encircled the area listening to the voice on our headphones tell the stories. Chilling accounts of the torture methods, executions, rapes told by the few who survived. They talked about the pain they carry and how they found a way to move on. And all this was going on while I was living a wonderful life as a young teacher & then a new mom. Since the borders were closed, few knew til it was over. I remember hearing a bit about it then but I didn't let it sink in or let it affect my happy life. Today I did. All the way to the pit of me. All I can do now is pray that those still affected…most Cambodians..will find peace & healing. I've been in Cambodia almost a month. I've only seen kind, gentle & friendly people. I wonder how much pain they carry in their hearts. Vivid photos I saw in the German concentration camp, Dachau flash through my mind. How many more times will humans be so tremendously, horribly cruel?
Friday, February 9, 2024
Update 14
We quickly found our hotel room in Phnom Penh & then took a walk around the block. Sidewalk was crowded with parked vehicles, store products, food stands & a slew of broken items. Now we see why there's basically no walkers.
Next morning, we got up early & went to get our complimentary breakfast…which was quite a feast. Then off to see the Royal Palace which reminded us a lot of the palaces we saw in China. Extravagant. Next to the palace was the Silver Pagoda…called that because the floor was silver tiles. It was crammed with countless Buddha statues. One was about 5 foot tall, made of solid gold and decorated with diamonds. Another was solid jade. I still wonder how they can say they aren't worships Buddha…only honoring him. We then went to the National Museum which was not impressive…after being to Angkor Wat & its museum. It was hot by this time so we headed to our hotel's pool on the 9th floor. Sides were the edge of the building so while in the pool, you could look over the city landscape. Kinda of took your breath away! After a short rest, we headed to a deserted Levi factory that is now used to encourage entrepreneurs to open a business. Beside it they were trying to create an urban village within the city by including all the essentials needed like exercise room, offices, playground, stores and of course, housing. It's still a work in progress. The area was quite huge and so they provided bikes you could jump on to ride around to check it out. Roger was loving it! We ended the night on a sunset cruise which took us to where 2 rivers join the Mekong. There was a distinct line of muddy water color merging with the clear blue Mekong. Pretty interesting. From the river we could see the city skyline with lots of sky scrappers. Across the river was one giant hotel & on the shore in front of it was a fishing village with houses on stilts & boats with a covered area so people could sleep on them. As I stood there thinking about the contrast, a young boy from England & I started talking. It was his first trip and he too was dismayed. He said he wished he could be more than a tourist so I told him that's why we volunteer too. Then he couldn't stop asking questions. Finally the boat docked & so he gave me his What's App # and asked me to send him more information. So later that night I sent Max several volunteer ideas. I hope he finds a way to be more than a tourist.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Update 13
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Update 12
Update 11
-Coke is 50 cents a can. You can sometimes buy Coke Lite or Coke Zero but never Diet Coke. I asked Hun about why & he said that people around here don't like the word Diet!
-We recently passed a strange looking very tall building with small holes all over. It was a place for birds to build nest which then would be sold for bird nest soup. I didn't get the recipe!
I must say there's been lots of improvements since we arrived: Garden is clean, compost is nearly done, seedlings are growing and a new garden gate & fencing will keep the dogs & stray kids out! A chicken coop & mushroom house are near completion. The office has been cleaned & a white board & bulletin board put up there as well as in the classrooms. And our English students…especially the 7 pm older kids have so much more confidence & ability to read and speak English! It's been extremely rewarding being a small part of these improvements. Saturday a.m., I was invited to Hun's family home which is right next door. I went with one of the boys here who speaks fairly good English so he could translate for me. I met Hun's sister who cooks for the boys. It was one of those times where you have to control the expression on your face. Her kitchen was outdoors on dirt floor. She had built a fire under the 3 prong cement stove & had a pot of water boiling. She'd cut up a chicken…every single part of it…and put it in the boiling water. A bit later, she added some spices from her multitude of containers and then some fresh vegetables. Writing these steps sounds all ok…but it was the surroundings that changes the image. The dirt on all the containers, the mess piled up under & around her work area, the chickens pecking under her feet. While I watched & tried to converse, one our pm students was doing her homework ever so neatly while watching a show on phone propped up in front of her on the nearby table. A large plastic screen covered the left over maybe breakfast food in the center. The girls auntie was carefully combing through her long, thick hair…picking out the lice eggs & crushing them on a piece of paper. Again, I just had to act like this was all normal. Open fire, chicken guts, dirt, grimy containers & lice picking with the comedy show laughter in the background. I came back to find Sue preparing a delicious smelling stir fry on her gas stove in her neat, clean kitchen. How do you make sense of the differences?? Maybe you just don't.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Update 10
By Roger:
One evening we were nearly ready to turn out the lights when a cat surprised us by walking through our bedroom (we have a door that opens to the outside allowing cool evening air to circulate). The cat continued toward the kitchen so I followed to make sure that it didn't stop to snack on bread that had been left on the counter.
It passed through the house so I closed and locked the doors for the night.
Next morning…Sue found the cat. It was dead and stiff outside the house.
Later she saw one the the boys carrying the dead cat. He told her that he was taking it to a neighbor's house.
When we asked, "Why would he take it to the neighbor?"
She said, "He likes to eat cat."
We won't be going the that neighbor's house for a meal!
This may help to explain the entire absence of roadkill along the roads that we have been traveling.
It is just another reminder to us that the Americans we know are far from needing to put roadkill or a dead cat on their table to feed their families. How fortunate we are!
About Sue Thompson:
Sue has a heart for helping the needy people in the depressed area near her home. Her heart breaks for so many Cambodians who suffer due to poverty, abuse, physical problems, health issues, etc. She is well aware of the danger of providing too much help and thereby creating unwanted dependency, so she is careful about providing assistance. At the same time she feels compelled to help those who are truly in need. She has told us that she doesn't worry about financial resources because the kind of work she does creates opportunity for those with more to share some of what they have. Money always shows up to cover what is needed. She truly lives by faith… giving to those truly in need is always the right thing to do. We have found a delightful woman who devotes much of her life and savings to helping others. We have been fortunate to be able to pitch in beside her for awhile.
Her facebook posts tell her story.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Update 9
Next was the new Angkor National Museum…impressive exterior and interior. Excellent displays with several short videos explaining much of what we saw at Angkor Wat. It added much depth & understanding of the Cambodian history. My favorite was the Hindu god of caring who had 20 arms, 4 feet & 10 heads…seems about what you need! Sue had arranged for us to stay in her friend's hotel ($35) & so we headed there for a rest and a HOT shower…first one since I left home! At 5, we meet up with Sue & some of her friends and we walked to where the monk's blessing ceremony was being held which was by the river. After much gonging & music played mostly on xylophones, a procession on young girls with exotic hairstyles carrying a tray of lit candles were followed by 400 monks. (There's about 400,00 here.). Each monk took a seat & then was offered a Coke, Sprite & water. I had to chuckle as I watch one of the monks drink his Coke & take a photo with his phone. Selfie?? A long string of monotone chanting started with hardly a breath taken. Then a couple of the monks walked the length of the crowd sprinkling water on us and later tossing flower buds. Guess that's why they called this a blessing ceremony. Fortunately we were seated next to where the Apsara dancers dressed in the ancient clothing we'd just seen in the Angkor Museum began performing. Such perfection in total synchronized movements that were deliberately done in slow motion. Each finger, foot, head movement & body position was exactly the same for the 12 dancers. The could bend their hands & feet in a backward curve which looked painful to me. Spectacular! Finally, each monk received a "goodie bag" and a wad of money, then they left in a single line. We headed back to our hotel in awe. Next morning we met up with Sue & Hun for breakfast at the Muffin Man. The man who owns got his start when Sue's friend asked him to help her make muffins for some event. He loved it & run with it! ATM & grocery story was our last stops before heading back home. Sue stayed as she has a dentist appt tomorrow. We had our classes & the library and Rog started plans on building a chicken coop. We had our 7 pm class read in pairs a simple, informational English book & then asked them to present what they'd learned. Many just read aloud but some could do it. We'll try that again to see if more will learn to summarize facts. I roasted chicken & we made salads which we ate with some of Rog's bread. First supper with just the two of us!
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Update 8
Saturday-no school-so we found other things to do: Painted boards the boys will put their name on to mark their garden plot; painted large black boards & hung them in the classrooms & screwed on clips to hold posters; tore down another old wicker ceiling; Sue, Rog & the 3 boys building a mushroom house went to get supplies; and Rog made yet another loaf of bread! Then Sue headed off to town to meet with friends who'd flown in & go to a concert. It will be a well deserved break for her! My only complaint today was the red ants! I stepped on a hill & they attacked with utmost speed & vengeance. My feet instantly started burning & turned crimson
red. I quickly washed with soap & took an antihistamine & Tylenol. Then sat in front of a fan for almost an hour. Hate them little ******! At 7 am on Sunday, an 8 passenger spiffy van pulled in. Monk Hun, his mom, his 10 year old niece, his girlfriend, her mom, Rog & I piled in and we headed to Mt. Kulen. It's considered the Holy Mtn & source of all water. It is the place where the then king claimed he was god & the Cambodian Kingdom was born in 802 AD. As we drove to the top, we munched on coconut waffles & egg rolls the moms brought. We cautiously stood on the cliff looking over the valley where Siem Reap & Angkor Wat was. Close by was a tall rock with steps leading up to a massive lying Buddha. Lots of items including money was laid next to him by the people who'd come to honor him. It was lunch time now so we all sat on mats in a small hut next to a river and Hun ordered a group dinner & we asked for stir fry beef. It was fun watching the kids frolic in the water. While we waited, a man came by carrying an overloaded platter of fried silk worms & grasshoppers. The moms bought some to munch on. Rog took a few grasshoppers which put a grin on his face! Ugh! The food finally arrived & I was thankful it included fried rice & a hole in the wood where I could drop my impossible to chew beef. There were several other dishes…all of which Rog & the others heartily devoured. Later—dessert I guess—we were served bee larvae. I was forced to try a small bite. Kinda like rubber. The group almost licked the platter clean. We then walked down a long staircase and there we got a gorgeous view of the roaring waterfall. A wide pool was formed and it was filled with people enjoying the coolness of the water. I sure wish I had my swimsuit! I did wade in along the smooth rock edge. On our way back to our van, we bought some fried bananas. Now that was a real dessert! On our way home we made two stops. One was next to the part of the river where 1000 lingus were carved into the rock river bed. Lingus means penis. Yup—1000 of them. Never thought I'd see that! Our last stop was for cashew smoothies. Delicious! I can't end this without mentioning how many times the moms burst out laughing. They so enjoyed this trip. It was the first time for one of them and 2nd for the other to go to Mt Kulen. We all had a great day and of course, all the bills were given to Rog without a second thought. It's the custom when traveling with a monk & his family! (Van $70, lunch $40, smoothies $10 & entry fee (free for Cambodians) was $40.). No such thing as a free ride….unless you're a monk in Cambodia!!