Angkor Wat pictures

Angkor Wat pictures, including a picture of our tuk tuk driver, Mr. Chok, the Obama lookalike.

COMMUNIQUE

--- RON FISHER PHNOM PENH 21:30 LOCAL ---

LEFT SIEM REAP NEAR ANGKOR WAT VIA PRIVATE CAR AT 10:30 LOCAL STOP TOURED TEMPLES OF ANGKOR VIA TUK-TUK HIRED FOR ONLY $40 FOR 2 DAYS STOP DRIVER BORE UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO BARA
CK OBAMA STOP TEMPLES ARE EVERY BIT AS IMPRESSIVE AS REPUTED STOP APOLOGIES FOR DELAY IN TELEX AS COMMUNICATION DIFFICULT IN SIEM REAP STOP



ARRIVED PHNOM PENH AT 14:00 LOCAL STOP CAR WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BUS BUT BETTER WAY TO TRAVEL AS THE 300 KILOMETERS TOOK ONLY 4 HOURS STOP ENJOYED DRINK ON THIRD FLOOR OF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT'S CLUB ON MEKONG BEFORE HAVING AN AMAZING FRENCH DINNER AT VAN'S RESTAURANT STOP RESTAURANT IS IN FORMER BRANCH OF BANQUE DE L'INDOCHINE AND DINING ROOM IS IN THE LOBBY STOP VERY TRADITIONAL FRENCH CUISINE HAD FOIS GRAS AMUSE BOUCHE FOIS GRAS PATE AND FILET MIGNON TOPPED WITH PAN SEARED FOIS GRAS STOP WOULD HAVE HAD FOIS FOR DESSERT AS WELL IF POSSIBLE STOP
PLAN TO DEPART FOR SAIGON ON 7 AYEM BUS STOP JOURNEY IS PURPORTED TO BE SIX HOURS LONG SO WE EXPECT IT TO BE SEVEN OR EIGHT STOP TOMORROW IS FINAL NIGHT IN SAIGON BEFORE WE HOPEFULLY DEPART ON 6 AYEM FLIGHT STOP WILL ATTEMPT FURTHER COMMUNIQUE IN SAIGON IF POSSIBLE STOP IF NOT WILL POST AGAIN IN STATES WITH PHOTOS ETC STOP

UNFORTUNATELY UNABLE TO SEE INFAMOUS S-21 PRISON OR KILLING FIELDS STOP TIME SIMPLY RUNNING OUT STOP REGRET MISSING THEM BUT REMIND OURSELVES THAT IT WAS NOT CLEAR IF THERE WOULD BE TIME FOR CAMBODIA AT ALL STOP FULLY EXPECT TO RETURN AS WE ENJOY CAMBODIA VERY MUCH STOP ALL IN ALL PREFER PHNOM PENH TO SAIGON STOP

SENDING ALL OUR AFFECTION STOP AM EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL SOON STOP AM SORRY FOR TRIP TO BE ENDING BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING HOME STOP FISHER FROM PHNOM PENH END

--- RON FISHER PHNOM PENH 21:50 LOCAL ---

Si Phan Don (four thousand islands)

We're in Si Phan Don! I can finally let out the secret we've been keeping...we bought a motorcycle. We bought a Minsk, a Russian bike, about a week ago in Vientiane, and we drove about 2/3 of Laos on this motorcycle. Before you worry too much, it was on Highway 13, which is very straight and paved. It was so much fun! We're selling it today because we're going to Cambodia next, and we don't know the roads there, and we're not sure we can even get it across the border. That's okay, we had a good run!

From Thakek, we took a day drive to Savannakhet, which was awful (total rundown town, practically Soviet), spent the night there, went to Pakse the next day (a little better, spent the night there), and then to Champasak, where we saw Wat Phu Champasak, a temple complex that pre-dates Angkor Wat. We got there at 8 am, and beat all the other tourists, who started getting there around 3 hours later. You walk up stairs about 500 feet to the top of the mountain, where there is a sacred spring (water comes from the rocks) and a beautiful little temple with very intricately carved lintels.

After our visit to the Wat, we decided to head down to Siphandon, otherwise known as Four Thousand Islands. We got there pretty quickly, and jumped on a ferry with our motorcycle. A motorcycle ferry involves two canoes lashed together with a platform in the middle, really quite effective for crossing the Mekong. We arrived on Don Det (Det island) and headed for an island just south called Don Khon. We took a wrong turn, and although we got there, we took the route the map marks as "Rocky and Shadeless." Oh, well! We ended up choosing a hotel right on the water--in fact, it was directly on the water, floating on a bamboo raft. It had a lovely little balcony out back with two chaise lounges. Really lovely.

We relaxed a bit, and then took a walk over to Don Det (the party island) where we hung out at this Israeli guy's bar, having Beerlaos and playing chess. Today, we moved to a new hotel on Don Det (much cheaper, a cute little bungalow), posted signs for our motorcycle, talked to a Lao woman who might buy our motorcycle tomorrow, and generally just hung out. Very relaxing.

Sidenote: We went to this great place called Big Brother Mouse in Luang Prabang. They publish children's books in Lao and English, mainly focusing on Lao traditional stories. They also make village trips, where they pass out the books. We bought a big stack of the books, and have been handing them out at various places. Despite handing quite a few out, we still had a rather big stack left, and since we're going to Cambodia in a few days, we figured we'd better get rid of all of them. We found the loca primary school and managed to locate a head teacher, and gave the whole stack to the teacher. Hopefully the school will be able to use the books. Although we didn't get to see the individual faces as they received the books, giving them to a school maybe means that more children will be able to read them. It's a great organization, and you can give to them or get more information at www.bigbrothermouse.com/

One more day in Siphandon (we'll try to see the Irrawaddy dolphins tomorrow) and then we're off to Cambodia to Angkor Wat, and then a bus from there to Ho Chi Minh City, where we'll fly out on the 25th.


Little boy reading books from Big Brother Mouse.

Our second hotel in SiPhanDon.

Thakek, Laos

Sorry for the long delay in writing! Last time we wrote, we had just arrived in Luang Prabang.

We ended up spending about 3 days in Luang Prabang, just hanging out, drinking Beerlao by the Mekong, walking around the city, eating Indian food and French food...it's such a lovely place, expect for the fact that it's completely overrun with foreigners! A lot of colonial architecture left, but a lot of beautiful temples and a main street like Hoi An, Vietnam, very quaint. We also went to the night market, where they sell fabrics, purses, etc., and gave alms to the monks. The monks aren't allowed to work for food, so they walk down the streets at dawn with their baskets, which the faithful fill with rice. I actually paid for some rice so that I could participate, and Ron stood back from a distance and took pictures. The monks came with their temple groups, and would go from oldest monk to youngest monk--sometimes the oldest seemed 80 years old and the youngest was 5 or so. It was really lovely. Unfortunately, I got a nasty case of something on our last night in Luang Prabang, and spent 5 hours in our bathroom. Oh, well! We really splurged on the room in LP (35 US) and it had two rooms, a little antechamber and the bedroom and was in a colonial building with a garden in the middle.

The next day, Monday, we took a bus to Vientiane, the capital. It was about 10 hours on pretty winding roads, but we got there. Vientiane is pretty unremarkable, however, so we decided to keep heading south the next day, and we've hit several towns since then, and are now in Thakek, a provincial capital on the Mekong. In Luang Prabang, the Mekong was not very impressive, and was not too much larger than the American once it comes out of Folsom Lake. Now that we are further south, the Mekong fulfils its promise and looks like the Mississippi. It appears to be about a mile wide here, and on the other side is, of course, Thailand! We gave some thought to crossing over, but then we would have to get new Lao visas to return, which is not a problem in terms of expense, but the time invested is considerable. Besides, we wouldn't go deep into Thailand and its unlikely that the other side of the river is really that different from this side.

Last night, we had a 'hot pot' dinner on a barge on the Mekong. 'Hot pot' is where a bucket of hot coals is placed on your table, a bowl is placed over it, and you then put whatever you want from a buffet into the boiling water. You add chili, ramen, beef, seafood, etc, and make your own delicious soup. It was really fun and yummy and it was very cool to eat on the river as the sun set on the other side.

Sorry for delay in posting and we'll write again soon!

In Luang Prabang..finally!

Muang Ngoi


Bus from Hell (above and below)

Ron again-

So the last you heard from us, we were in Dien Bien Phu. Little did we know what awaited us...the bus from hell! We had a good rest that night, and then the next morning, at 5 am, we left on a minibus for Muang Khua, in Laos. The trip was supposed to take 8 hours. Needless to say, it did not. The minibus was a little crowded when we got on...8 stops later, there were 35 people in a 15 person bus, including some Hmong ethnicity women and quite a few angry foreigners. (And of course, all 35 people's luggage on top) It was quite a hilarious crew, as we had 4 Americans (including ourselves), 4 Israelis, 2 Swiss, 1 Irish/Aussie dual, 1 Canadian, 2 Frenchies, and assorted Vietnamese/Lao/Hmong. Sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it?

The ride to the Vietnamese-Lao border was fine, as we had arrived early enough to secure our own seats, though it took us about 2 hours at the border to get all of our paperwork sorted. It was the second part that was particularly awful. The road was not paved, just one lane of dirt...and on one side was a dead drop of several thousand feet. Additionally, it was obvious that there were hastily repaired landslides about every 1.5 kilometers (i.e., about every 3/4 of a mile), I can tell you this now since we're safe, but at one point, our bus (super top-heavy because of all the luggage on top) was going around an inside curve and the right rear wheel slipped; the next thing we knew, the bus rolled to a sickening 60 degrees. For a good moment, we all truly thought we were going to go over. Yikes. To top off the whole deal, we later had to stop for 2 hours as the road was closed for repair (yet another landslide repair-yay!). Only 13 hours and 90+ kilometers later, we finally reached the sleepy hamlet of Muang Khua. Combined with relief to finally be free, we were all thinking, "Whose fucking idea was it to take this route anyway?" Oops...(it was me.) At any rate, by the time we got it night had just fallen, so no going on to Luang Prabang.

Instead, we found a decent guesthouse, had a Beerlao (or two) and a lao lao (rice whiskey [or two]) and a dinner of noodles, and hit the sack. The next morning, we decided to take a slow boat (amazing, and reminescent of Apocalypse Now-Never, ever, leave the boat) to Muang Ngoi, a very quiet little town on the banks of the Nam Ou river. This place justified our overland route instantly. It is a quiet little hamlet, totally surrounded by very high mountains, that is totally unserved by roads, only by river. We spent the night there and rented a beautiful little bungalow (with a western toilet and hot [well, lukewarm] shower!) for only $8. Very romantic.

We had lunch, dinner, and breakfast at this lovely little veranda restaurant overlooking the river and the mist-shrouded mountains, and took a good hike with our American friends whom we bonded with during our bus adventure. The trail wound through rice paddies and water buffalo to a set of caves and a little village, and total of 4 hours. Funny, no signs or warnings in the cave about dead drops and slippery slopes--not like America! We were free to go as far in as we liked, but even with flashlights we only ventured a few dozens yards in.

The next morning (today) we took a very short boat ride to Nong Khieu and then a 3 hours Sangthiew trip to Luang Prabang. (Sangthiew is like a pickup truck that is covered in the back and has two long benches where you sit). So, we now find ourselves in beautiful Luang Prabang, in the 'Grand VIP room' in a lovely French villa. Quite the jungle explorers we feel we are! Time now to sit back and enjoy a neo-colonial gin and tonic, what what. More to report on Luang Prabang next time!

In Dien Bien Phu

Halong Bay pictures







Ron here,

So we are now in Dien Bien Phu, hanging out before we make our run across the Lao border tomorrow morning on the 5:30 AM bus. We came here on a night bus from Hanoi that left at 6PM and got here at 6AM. We had hoped to get a good night's sleep on the bus, but unfortunately the mountain roads prevented us from sleeping very well. That, and the way that driving goes here-our bus was passing other buses, semis, and even cars as it wound up and down 8% grades over the mountains. It was a little bit intimidating, to say the least, but our Vietnamese busmates seemed unconcerned so we settled in.

We are still very glad that we took the bus rather than flying though, as we were treated to a very special experience. We pulled into a roadside stop that seemed popular with the night buses, where we were treated to a multi course authentic Vietnamese meal with our busmates. At one point, one of the bus workers (there was a total crew of 4 on our single bus; its very common for things here to be overstaffed) brought over a shot of a Mountain Dew covered liquor and indicated I should drink.

I was suddenly aware that everyone was watching me, and I knew this was a test of sorts, so I threw it back, smiled big, and gave a 'yummy' grunt. Everyone was greatly pleased by this, and I was invited to the bus workers table, where we commenced drinking the rest of the half fifth of what was generously labeled 'Hanoi Vodka.' I should note that our bus driver reassuredly declined to drink, explaining that he was, of course, driving. At any rate, the game seemed to be 'see how much the American can drink!,' as the workers would alternate between themselves pouring me some and taking a shot themselves, a kind of three on one situation. I'm happy to report that I acquitted myself well, and if I could speak Vietnamese I would have explained to the poor guys that after the intense training for such events I underwent at the Cary Christmas in Yosemite, there was never really a chance for them. At any rate, they were all very pleased and laughing about the whole affair; we definitely made friends.

About the meal, it was really delicious-chicken, fish, some kale-like greens, rice, and a very good meat that someone at Eve's table who was an English student at university explained was dog. I wasn't at her table (having been pulled over with the men) so I was not aware of this. I'm not sure if they were putting Eve on, as our guidebook indicates that eating dog in the second half of the month is not done as it is 'inauspicious.' However, they might be referring to the lunar month, so who knows. All I know it that it was definitely the best thing on the table, very savory. Sorry, Lucy!

At any rate, we were definitely the star of the bus and the restaurant and it was a very special experience to get that level of interaction with the locals. It instantly justified the long hours on the bus and foregoing the comfort of simply flying to Dien Bien Phu, or Luang Prabang (although flying on Asian turboprops is not my idea of comfort anyway).

I just realized that we have not posted anything yet about Halong Bay, which is where we were on the cruise just prior to coming here. First of all, our junk was very, very luxurious and romantic, with the softest bed that we had slept in as of yet and great 7+ course meals. The bay itself is incredible, absolutely deserving of being a UNESCO World Heritage site and the equal, in terms of natural beauty, of anything I've ever seen, including Yosemite and Yellowstone. The pictures really don't adequately describe how amazing it is-there are so many karsts (the name for the limestone mountains that rise from the water) that if you look around 360 degrees, it can appear that you are actually in a lake, as you are totally surrounded by land, some close, some fading in the mist in the distance.

Our kayaking trip off the boat was a highlight. We paddled for about an hour to a point where a cave allowed you kayak right through a karst. Once you reach the other side, you realize that you've paddled into a totally contained bay, the only exit from which is the 20 foot wide cave that you've just come through. The karst rise almost straight up from the water, and I'd estimate that some of the larger ones are at least 1000 feet tall. During our paddle, we also saw a family of monkeys feasting on bananas on the beach. Mom, if we ever come to Asia, we will return here and do a kayaking focused tour, as it is the most beautiful place I've ever paddled, and the thousands of islands ensure the water is like glass. I think we took about 250 pictures during our time there and several videos, so you will all have a chance to see what we saw, probably in excruciating detail.

Well, I'll sign off for now, Eve is at another terminal in the cafe calling some of you so she is currently occupied. Next time we post it will be from Lao, although it may be some time depending on internet access-we may not be able to post until Luang Prabang, which I believe is two days away on our tentative itinerary.

Sorry for the long post, but we had a lot to cover since our last post! Til next time, lots of love.

Leaving Hanoi

We arrived in Hanoi yesterday morning (Saturday, Jan 2) after a 14-hour long train ride from Danang. The first portion of the train ride from Danang to Hue is famous for its breathtaking scenery--Linda, you would have died! The train skirts the cliffs along the ocean, which makes for gorgeous pictures, but is a little intimidating when you look down! We were alone in our cabin for 11 out of the 14 hours, which was super nice--you can talk without worrying about disturbing anyone. We arrived in Hanoi at 4:30, and set about finding somewhere to stay. The first place was full, so we walked to another hotel, also full. There were street lights illuminating the misty street--until they turned off due to some kind of timer. It then became pitch black. Luckily for us, we had the flashlight my mom gave us (thanks, mom) and were able to navigate to eventually a fourth hotel. Our room at this hotel is $12, filled mostly by the bed, and has a green-lit chandelier coupled with ornate wood furniture and a velour red bedspread. Very chic. ;) We had a very relaxed day in Hanoi yesterday--I think we were both feeling a little worn out. To be completely honest (and this is very embarassing to me) we ate only Western food yesterday. We may have even visited the KFC. ;) It really was the rest we needed though, because we felt super chipper by the end of the day. When not eating french fries, we walked around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, where you can barely walk in the streets-the sidewalks are full of parked motorcycles and food stalls and the streets are full of motorcycles. We also saw the body of Ho Chi Minh, which Ron thinks is fake, and walked around the lake in the center of Hanoi. On one side of the lake, they had closed off the road and there were tons of flower-filled statues and flower displays celebrating the 1000-year anniversary of Hanoi. At one point, a Vietnamese family asked if they could take a picture of us--with their 3 children. The children looked a little scared. We asked if they could take the picture with our camera, too, so now we have a picture of us and our three Vietnamese children! We also booked our Halong Bay tour, which leaves this morning. It will be two days, one night, on a beautiful Chinese junk. We'll have a private cabin and go kayaking this evening. We're so excited! I'm sure I have more about Hanoi to write, but we've got to go pack for the trip (and maybe have some pho for breakfast). No internet on the boat, and our next stop is our several day bus ride to Lao, so it might be a few days. Much love, Eve and Ron