Southern Vietnam: Islands and Rivers

After saying goodbye to Chris in Phnom Phen, the three of us continued on to the south coast of Cambodia to a beach town called Kep. We spent the afternoon strolling around the beach and dinned on crab with fresh Kampot pepper for dinner (best meal of the trip). The next morning we crossed the border into Vietnam by mini bus and then took a high speed ferry to the island of Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc is actually just off the coast of Cambodia but for the moment remains part of Vietnam (the Cambodians are not pleased). We spent a couple of days relaxing on the beach.

Lindsay and I also took advantage of $3 massages on the beach.

The beach right in front of our $10/night bungalow.

We decided to join a snorkeling tour on our second day. Unfortunately the water is a little murky this time of year due to the tropical storms but we still saw some cool fish. We also enjoyed fresh sea urchin on the boat. I had learned to avoid them raw in Japan "Uni" but really enjoyed them in their cooked form. As part of our snorkeling trip we also had a chance to fish and below is Mark with his big catch.

After Phu Quoc we decided to continue to the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam. Most people do this as part of a tour from Siagon but we managed pretty well on our own. Our first stop was a river town called Can Tho. The town was pretty flooded so we had to wade through the streets to dinner. The next morning we left at 5am to go visit the floating markets. This was our guide.

Mark & Lindsay on our way to the market.

They had an interesting system for letting shoppers know what goods were for sale on each boat, they just hung up a sample of their produce on a giant flag pole.
Along the way we also stopped at a place (you can't really call it a factory, more of a house) where they make rice noodles. They sort of boil the rice down into a thin liquid form. Next the noodles are steamed in giant thin circles like crepes. Finally, they are laid out to dry in the sun. Once they are dry they are sliced and ready to be sold. This was our second noodle factory of the trip and believe it or not this place was way more high tech than the one we went to in Laos.

Along the way our boat guide made us a whole series of jewelry, toys, etc from palm fronds. Here I am wearing a necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings that he created out of nothing but palm.

After Can Tho we headed to Vihn Long to try to find a home stay on an island in the Mekong. We had envisioned a place where we could just pay a family to stay in a spare room but as it turned out most of the "home stays" ended up being mini hotels where large tour groups came. We were lucky and stumbled into Nam Thanh home stay which happened to be completely free of tour groups. However, we were politely told the next morning that we needed to be out by 2pm as they were expecting 25 french people that evening. The family over fed us and told us about their uncle who lived in San Jose, California.

We also had a chance to bike around the island the next morning and Mark and I indulged in one of our favorite snacks of the trip, the young coconut. First a lady uses her machete to slice a hole in the top. After you drink all of the coconut milk out with a straw she whacks the coconut in half with her knife and gives you a spoon so you can scoop out the soft flesh. Mark and I try to eat them at least once a day but Lindsay is not a fan. She is patient though and usually orders a soda water.

Cambodia in Ten Days

Ban Lung
Cambodia began with our first land border crossing. We were quickly introduced to the corrupt nature of the Cambodian government here as we were asked for a couple of US dollars at every checkpoint-for the health department, for the exit stamp, for the entry stamp, etc. After making it through safely we arrived in Strung Treng-our first stop of a two leg journey to Ban Lung. In Strung Treng we found out there were no more seats on the buses to Ban Lung (though we were welcome to sit on a stool in the aisle). Our luck changed, however, and we met up with a man named Mr. T (try to picture a petite Cambodian man, I know its hard) and his family, with whom we shared a private minibus to Ban Lung. Mr. T owns a guesthouse in Ban Lung which was beautiful and we spent two lovely nights there perched atop a hill overlooking the valley of the city. Mr. T was a great resource and he was the first Cambodian we met who discussed with us some of the tragic recent history of Cambodia and of the Khmer Rouge. In Ban Lung Mark, Sarah, Chris and I went for a swim in the nearby crater lake and the next day we embarked on a two day one night trek into the surrounding jungle. We were accompanied by another amazing guide named Smey who was quite the character. Again, we ate some amazing food during the trek, one meal of which was cooked inside a rod of bamboo over the fire. Below is a photo of the four of us beside of the incredible trees we came upon in the jungle. We camped that night by a river which had a great swimming hole that we jumped into by swinging on a vine. We slept under a tarp in some US Army style hammocks that proved to be really comfortable.


Starting our trek via a short motorbike ride




Our sleeping quarters during the trek


Lindsay swinging into the cool waters after a long day of hiking





The sunset on day 2's walk back to civilization.


On our way from Ban Lung to Siem Reap we made a pit stop in Skoun, known to locals as "the spider village". With my arachniphobia, I was thrilled to say the least. At our bus stop there were some deep fried spiders for sale and Mark was quick to gobble one up in a spider sandwich (though after a couple bites he just ate the whole spider by itself!) Chris had a leg or two as well, though Sarah and I steered clear of the eight legged lunch.

I prefer my spider on a hoagie


Good to the last leg

Siem Reap
From Ban Lung we took a 14 hour bus ride to Siem Reap, the jumping off point to see the Angkor temples nearby. We spent two full days visiting the temples. We had all heard that the temples were stunning and they completely lived up to our expectations. There was an incredible diversity of styles and levels of preservation and even with two full days we never tired of exploring them. We saw about ten temples (all built between the 9th and 12th Centuries) in two days including the most famous, Angkor Wat-see below. See also an example of carvings on the temples.







The Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom.


Sarah and Chris at Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is where they did some filming for the movie Tomb Raider and was preserved in the state that the temple was in when it was "rediscovered" by the French, so there are huge trees growing over, around, inside of the ruins.




In addition to amazing temples, another highlight of Angkor Wat was our guide, Mr. Samnang. Mr. Samnang had an incredible knowledge of the temples, but he also opened up to us about his personal history and his experiences during the Khmer Rouge years. It meant a lot to us that he was willing to share a lot of emotional experiences with us and really gave us a unique opportunity to be able to get a sense of the complex and emotional issues facing the people and the government of Cambodia today.

Siem Reap was also where the four of us decided to celebrate Sarah's birthday (a few days late). We decided to live it up a bit and stay in a really wonderful boutique hotel for two nights. We then "dressed up" (meaning we wore one of the five outfits we have been wearing for the last three months) for dinner and drinks. Dinner was fantastic-crab and pork chops! See photo.

Phnom Penh
After Siem Reap we moved onto the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. We delved further into Cambodian history by visiting the Trung Sleng (S-21) Prison in the city where the Khmer Rouge sent thousands of prisoners to be tortured between 1975-1979. We also went to the Killing Fields outside the city where some 17,000 people were slaughtered and buried in mass graves. It was a really emotional and intense experience, but something not to be forgotten. Below is a photo of the pagoda that contains many of the skeletal remains of the people buried at the Killing Fields.


Sadly Phnom Penh was Chris's last destination on his trip and it was here that Mark, Sarah and I said bye. We found out 24 hours later that Chris made it safely back to Chicago. And then there were three...

Kep
After Phnom Penh Mark, Sarah and I took a bus to Kep a small beach town on the southern coast of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. Kep is known for its crab-they even built a giant crab statue in the middle of town (see photo). Kep was also where we had one of the best meals of our trip-crab with peppercorns and prawns amok (coconut stew). Sorry Chris!


Please note Sarah's crab hands.

After a quick stop in Kep we were back on the road again and over the border to our last country-Vietnam.

Laos Part II: Southern Charm

After a brief stop in Vientiane, we continued south to Pakse aboard our sweetest bus trip to date. The double decker bus proudly displayed that it was the "King of Buses", and it certainly wasn't false advertising. Rather than seats, the bus was comprised of numerous beds which we shared with our respective partners. After a moist towellette and complementary steamed buns, we stretched out and quickly sucumbed to slumber for the remainder of the 10hr journey.

Bolaven Plateau
After arriving in the town of Pakse we continued on via a painfully slow bus to the Bolaven Plateau, a elevated and extremely fertile region of Southern Laos know for its coffee and waterfalls. Unfortuneately during the few days we spent in the area the gods were contantly showering us with rain. While we had luckly avoided the rainy season in the North, we weren't so fortuitous during our first days in the South.

Despite the inclement weather we enjoyed our days exploring the Bolavean Plateau while basing ourseleves in the town of Tad Lo. In addition to admiring the town's many waterfalls we braved the rain and motorbiked through the beautiful, albeit misty, countryside. Motorbiking proved to be a challenge at times as we we constantly naviagted around a multitude of water buffalo, goats and playing children who occupied the roads. During our ride we also happened to stop upon an interesting educational organic farm, which I now plan to return to and work at come December.

Si Phan Don
As we departed from the Bolaven Plateau and headed south to Si Phan Don, we successfully escaped from the rain. Si Pahn Don, or the 4000 islands, is massive archipeligo of islands located in the middle of the Mekong River. After a short boat ride to the island of Don Khon, we spent the next four days exploring the verdant rice fields and relaxing next to the majestic Mekong. Some of the highlights from our time here included viewing dolphins, learning to make spring rolls, and frequently cooling off in the Mekong's murky waters. Oh, and of course celebrating the birth of our beloved Sarah!



A Boat Ride out to view the Irrawady Dolphins, a rare breed of fresh water Dolphins


Sarah and Chris preparing for a lovely ride through Don Khon.


Sunset over the Mekong...



Preparing to devour a delvcious homemade feast with Mama Dam


One of the many water buffallo we encountered during our strolls through the island


Another buffalo attempting to cool itself in the stiffling mid day heat



Thinking about swimming in the majestic yet questionably clean waters of the Mekong















A beautiful section of rapids


A local man telling Lindsay and I's fortune. Supposedly I will be be getting a car in 2013.













Chris and Lindsay getting some much needed R&R in after a hectic day exploring the countryside. Note our hotel rooms proximty to the river.



Sarah turning 29!

Laos Act 1: Falang in the North

After a brief stop in Vientienne (Lao capital city) we took a flight up north to Luang Nam Tha. Our plan: to organize a eco-trek to some of the local tribes. As is our habit, our first order of business was to eat, and sitting down we were approached by a friendly British couple, Hannah and Ritchie, who had done the work for us and were looking for 4 more for a 3-day trek the following day. That's Hannah on the far left below. We were also accompanied by Andres, a Spanish man, who was quickly nicknamed "Papa" by our guides, as he was the eldest of our crew. Papa had mixed feelings about the name, and Lindsay translated a few of his muttering rants for us later.


We had 2 guides for the trek, Bien and Air. They balanced each other out nicely; Air was on the quiet side while Bien was completely out of his mind. None of us have met someone with quite so much energy and flair. He immediately started calling us Falang (Lao for white people) and accused our Falang asses of breaking everything from a fallen tree to the banana leaf we were seated on at lunch time. Both Bien and Air are studying to become English teachers and trekking is their part time job. Below is a picture of Bien with Chris and Lindsay and one of all of us enjoying an amazing meal of sticky rice, bamboo, morning glory (a kind of leafy green vegetable) and pumpkin curry on our banana leaf table... in the middle of the jungle.

After hiking all day we finally reached our first stop, a Black Thai village. This area of Laos has over 130 different ethnic minority groups, and many are still scattered as cultural bubbles in the jungle.

After washing ourselves in a small stream (the same stream the livestock drank from), we retired to the chief's house and were treated to a delicious meal of Duck. We witnessed every step in the production of this meal and now know that a duck will keep twitching long after it has been drained of its blood through a hole in the back of its head. The Black Thai were very hospitable but were timid about interacting. We were surprised the children weren't more eager to interact. Some glanced at us as though we frightened them. Perhaps tourists are rare in these parts. Below is a picture of Mark and I outside the chief's house (the animals live below, along with whatever else needs protection from the rain).

On day 2 we trekked up and down through thick jungle and arrived at last at another village, this one part of the Akha tribe. Our reception here couldn't have been more different, and we quickly made friends with a group of 9 girls ages 3-12.
Here they are giving us a post dinner concert. Before that, mark, chris and ritchie played a rattan ball game with some of the Akha boys and men, a mixture of soccer and volleyball. See pic below.



Me playing a clapping game with some of the girls and Chris hanging out with Apa.

One thing that really impressed us about Lao is how resourceful people are when it comes to finding food. Not only do they have an incredibly wide array of fruits and vegetables but we counted at least 12 protein sources in the villages, including dogs (which aren't treated and hence do not behave like pets) and this bowl of bamboo grubs, which the locals eat in their morning bowls of rice. We didn't try grubs but we ate a wasp larvae the day before--not too bad except for the texture of underdeveloped wings in your mouth that never quite dissolve.

After our trek, the 6 of us got on a bus to Nong Kwai. It was a long, bumpy, dusty trip, but the second we arrived and saw the views...

Nong Kwai is located on the Nam Ou river. It's a sleepy town but its location between karst rock formations and green jungle is stunning. We went on a fishing trip the next day, assuming we'd be given fishing poles but instead were taught how to fish the traditional Lao way, with nets. Our instructor is the one with no pants. Lindsay proved to be a great fisherwomen. She frequently threw her net into deep waters that required her to fully submerge herself in order to retrieve it (the Mekong may or may not have contained crocs here). Fishing with a net is not easy, and we only caught what amounted to minnows, but eaten with sticky rice and Lao Lao (local Lao rice whiskey in the plastic bottle below) they tasted just fine.
The next day we took a boat about an hour and a half up river to Muang Sing. Like Nong Kwai, Muang Sing is a beautiful river town, and even more remote, with only 3 hours of electricity a day from generators, and connected to the outside world only by riverway.

Unfortunately, everyone came down with a really nasty stomach bug at this point. I was the only one spared (maybe my previous parasite, Elvira, granted immunity?) and so was in charge of near constant runs to the store for water and tp. Despite their illnesses everyone managed to hike to a nearby cave with a river flowing from it, and there we went swimming in the dark.

After Muang Sing we said farewell to Hannah & Ritchie and took a boat with to Luang Prabang. 6 bathroom-less hours but it was an amazing way to experience the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers.

Satellights in canoes were not an uncommon sight-- evidence of the changing times. We arrived in Luang Prabang late in the day and spent the next four days there. Luang Prabang is a wealthy city compared to where we'd come from, and spending time there was quite a culture shock. Now, thinking back, it's hard to imagine the day-to-day in the Akha and Black Thai villages.

One of the highlights in LP was visiting the night market. Lindsay and I went shopping. Chris and Mark put up with our consumption, for a while anyway. During our time in Lao Mark was consuming between 2 and 3 banana shakes each day.

We also spent a day at a cooking class. The day started with a trip to the local market.

We learned how to make 5 different Lao dishes, including the mandatory sticky rice. We are excited to come home and cook these recipes for you.