The day dawned bright and sharp as we embarked on this adventure. Though having no particular expectations for this trip, I did however have an anticipatory sense of excitmement at the prospect of discovering another little corner of our world. On arrival at Gatwick Airport we were greeted with the uplifting sound of Christmas carols reverberating through the airport – courtesy of a large choir. A delightful sound of a traditional Christmas and possibly to be the only one for this year.
We took off early afternoon on an Airbus A380-800 - a massive craft with three jet bridges and capacity for 868 passengers. A very comfortable 6½ hour flight found us in Dubai - the busiest international airport. It seemed we had stepped into another world with its flashy décor mirroring the glam and glitz of Dubai. Swiftly through security we were soon settled with coffee and cake in Costa while we waited for our connecting flight to Hanoi - a further 5½ hours. We landed in Hanoi 5.40 am GMT.
VIETNAM
Sunday 15 December
Travel weary with lack of sleep we were finally reunited with our luggage – always a huge sigh of relief when that baggage is finally spotted on the carousel! First things first it was off to the nearest ATM. 500,000 seemed a good amount of Vietnam Dong – albeit we were to discover later we’d actually drawn the grand sum of £16.37! Those 000’s never failed to confuse me!
Cocooned within an aircraft for hours then emerging into as yet undiscovered part of our world I always experience that sharp visual impact of contrasts. Crazy noisy chaotic traffic apart, the ramshackle dwellings and old narrow 3-4 storey apartments were in stark contrast to the prettily painted and decorative detached houses with their traditional balustrades and shuttered windows
Room sorted, luggage dumped, we were soon relaxing over a celebratory G&T in our weary fog of tiredness. Any thought of exploring the local neighbourhood disappearing with every sip!
At 6 pm sharp we headed off to meet our small group of fellow travellers and guide, Thao, where my initial reaction was we’d landed in a 18-30’s group! We were definitely the grandparents of this lot! Introductions over and a quick review of our itinerary were off to enjoy our first taste of the local cuisine – and delicious it was. A short walking tour of the Old Quarter we were finally heading back to our hotel for very much needed sleep.
Very first impressions of Vietnam: welcoming, frenetic, noisy, dusty, ramshackle. The little lock-up style shops along the roadside with their wares spilling out onto the pavements, groups sitting outside on their little coloured plastic stools passing the time of day. Many vendors simply selling from their bikes – hence the frequent scene of over loaded 2 wheelers!!
This was a treat I was really looking forward to - a couple of days sailing amongst the beautiful natural wonder of Halong Bay. As we arrived, the smog cleared and we were under clear blue skies and enveloped in warm sunshine.
Boarding our junk boat we found our allocated compact wood panelled cabins before relaxing on deck to breathe in the beauty of all around us with nothing but the gentle rumble of the boat's engine breaking the silence and tranquillity.
We tucked into a tasty lunch followed by cocktails then back on deck to absorb this delightful scenery as we chugged slowly through turquoise waters amongst the 1,600 towering limestone islands and islets that appeared like sleeping giants reaching up to the Heavens from the waters - simply spectacular and a delightfully unique experience in every way
The visit to Thien Cung Cave involved a very long haul up a long and steep flight of steps leading into a sprawling complex structure of chambers of illuminated stalactite and stalagmite formations - a breathtaking example of the beauty of Mother Nature.
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| Our junk, before ........ |
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| ........ 'bullying' it's way in to pick us up! |
Then back to the warm sunshine to find out junk. Not sure who got the top score for effort - our junk pushing it's way to dock or our group working its way through the jostling crowd on the pier! A little further along the Bay we enjoyed a couple of hours on a small stretch of a very crowded sandy beach with a chance to cool off in the rather uninviting muddy looking waters! With hindsight, one can’t help wondering if that’s where some of our various ailments stemmed from later on!
This incredible day was brought to a close with cocktails by sunset before our delicious supper on board our cosy vessel
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| my 'Yom Yom' |
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| Artistic hands at work |
We weren't completely lacking in Christmas spirit aboard our junk
Tuesday 17 December - Hanoi
After an excellent breakfast we were treated to a culinary demo where one of the crew with a very sharp knife and deft of hand turn a simple carrot and tomato into a work of art!
Finally, with a huge reluctance to leave this idyllic homely bubble I'd been in for 24 hours it was time to disembark and return to Hanoi - via a workshop set up for disabled people working with stone sculpture, picture embroidery, clothing, lacquer painting. Their work was absolutely beautiful, intricate, skilful and it was heartening to see this provision of vocational training and jobs enabling them to support themselves and their families.
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| Section of the Memorial monument |
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| A new take on fruit and veg selection |
Finally having made our way back through the street maze into our hotel we were enveloped once more in the calm oasis of peace and stillness. It was around 10 pm and we were overdue for some some restorative sleep ready for our flight to Hue in the morning
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| The village seamstress |
Dusk was approaching as we returned to our hotel so a quick turn around and out into the night with Heiki and Adrian in search of some supper which we found in a delightful roof top restaurant with great views down to all the busyness of the streets below. We just needed a decent few hours sleep!
Thursday 19 December - Hue
The conical Asian rice hats made of leaves (No La) I had always assumed were simply protection against sun and rain but they also serve a very practical purpose – carrying vegetables and fruit, a drinking vessel and rice - marks made at intervals around the inside of the hat indicate different weights of rice - what an inventive shopping basket! Some even have a bamboo painting or poem under the leaf layers which are only visible when held up against the sun and some are simply painted with beautiful scenes. There were lamps, fans, lotus flowers – amazing artistry.
Onward to the ancient lantern bridge and riverside market
The ride to the Thien Mu Pagoda fell into the ‘alarming’ category particularly navigating the massive roundabouts and wide intersections, navigating the criss-cross traffic of motorcycles coming and going from and to every direction. Incredible that we wove our way through this mainly 2 wheeler traffic without a scratch! Yet every rider appears to know exactly where to head as they flow around each other through this apparent chaos! It truly is a land where traffic rules simply do not apply
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| not sure how this was snapped - not a vehicle in sight!! |
A whistle stop tour of the Pagoda and its pretty little courtyard of bonsai trees before heading to the Perfume River for a fun cruise on a Dragon boat followed by lunch at a Monastery.
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| Mangosteen |
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| Bonsai courtyard of the Monastery Off on the bikes once more to try our hands at rolling incense sticks |
At the end of our 5 hour motorbike tour we were back at our hotel around 2.30
After re-packing our bags for tomorrow’s early start we were off out in seach of supper (I’ve yet to fathom why nothing ever goes back the way it was originally packed and requires much pushing shoving and sitting on said holdall to get the zipper to meet!). Settling outside the Hot Chilli restaurant I noticed with alarm that there was nothing on the menu without chilli. Really?! Did I check out the name of this restaurant?! To my delight I discovered a delicious meal with very little chilli: starters of spring rolls and filled rice cakes followed by banana flower with vegetables and duck and for Michael, stir fry beef.
We brought this full day to its end with a walk along the water’s edge watching the colour changing Truon Tien bridge. We stood fascinated while the colours changed as they rolled gently back and forth along the bridge, span by span.
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| Shame we're not around for supper tomorrow night! |
Up, dressed, breakfasted and on the road at 8 o’c for our 4 hour bus journey to Hoi An. Temperatures very warm now 25o C and humid. Leaving the crowded, dusty city it was a joy to see verdant fields, lush greenery covering the mountains, their peaks merging into the white cottonwool clouds whilst the furthest mountains disappeared into the mist. I was looking out for the bobbing of the conical hats atop the heads of folks toiling in the paddy fields up to their knees in water as they raked up furrows of mud through the fields.
Mid morning we stopped at Dam An Cu and rested awhile by the tranquil waters at the foot of the mountains which gave us a short respite from the noisy, bumpy bus.
Over the Hải Vân mountain Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass) a strategic military post during the wars. Known as the Street Without Joy during the American war, it is now famous as a great road trip linking Hue and Hoi An. As we wound our way up the pass we were treated to spectacular views way down to Da Nang bay below
The journey over the Pass brought us to My Khe beach with a feint veil of smog across the bay and mountains beyond - the area totally spoilt in my opinion by its cluster of bland highrise residential and hotel blocks stretching alongside the road. I was rather unsettled to see helmeted motor cyclists wearing scarfs across their mouths and noses, leaving only slits to afford vision, which took on a rather menacing vision!
Having deposited our luggage at our hotel, we were off on a ‘familiarisation’ walk where I immediately felt at home amongst the old-world charm of Hoi An and more relaxed away from the dynamic cities of Hanoi and Hue. Exuding the feel of centuries past, Hoi An oozed character with its mix of architecture, temples, attractive French colonial structures, colourful buildings, art galleries and its beautiful historic Japanese Covered Bridge and not least,the absolute plethora of tailors! Numerous characterful little restaurants and cafes spread along the riverside looked invitingly promising. I was going to enjoy this place with nothing to do but explore at our leisure for 2 whole days.
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| Assembly Rooms |
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| Japanese Covered bridge |
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| Streets were bedecked with colourful lanterns, beautiful at night time |
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Simply explain the style you want and select your material : no good for those who are indecisive!  |
Evening brings quite another atmosphere when the little streets are hung with their brightly lit lanters and the river becomes awash with dozens of little boats festooned with their colourful lanterns tempting folks to take a sail and float flower lights - which we enjoyed watching from a little roof top restaurant.
Saturday 21 December - Hoi An
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| An obligatory visit to the famous Phin Cafe |
..Into the heart of it all to enjoy the colourful street markets:
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| Dragon Fruit |
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| What I woul term a very useful apron!! |
Thankfully Michael was better by evening so we returned to the little unpretentious restaurant of the previous evening for a leisurely supper while watching the colourful boats bobbing about below
Sunday 22 Dec - Ho Chi Minh City
A 4 a.m. start for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Snooze on the plane maybe?
First visit was The War Remnants Museum where we witnessed the disturbing graphic scenes captured on film from the horrors of Vietnam's war. Once again, saddened and pained at these images - such a stark reminder of the atrocities and suffering of war. It was hard to stay, not to simply turn my back and walk away.
A quick mental adjustment from the weighty sadness I was left with was required for our visit to the colourful, crowded, incessantly loud bustling Ben Thanh market. Under cover, hot and humid this was not the most comfortable place to be but it was all the same an absolute feast for the eyes. It offered very little space to push between the stalls and hordes of locals and foreigners. Tantalising aromas of food cooking hung in the air along with the delicious smell of spices. Stalls, barrows, rails – anything to display their goods and there was nothing that you couldn’t buy from edible to clothing, jewellery to the most exquisite china and glassware, sourvenirs – and more. But this is after all the most famous market in Vietnam with around 3,000 stalls!
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Dorian fruit - it has the most off-putting potent smell - I never got close enough to taste it! |
Finally emerging from the hive of chaotic activity in the market, our ears still ringing the noisy crowded streets seemed quiet by contrast! It was back to our bus heading for the famous Pho 2000 restaurant for lunch
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| Rather grand Central Post Office |
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
If the famous Pho 2000 Restaurant was good enough for Bill Clinton, it was certainly good enough for our little group of Intrepid travellers! It is rated the best place to eat Pho - a rice noodle soup made from pungent beef stock with a variety of other ingredients added to make up a menu choice. Though I would not suggest this place for those planning on a relaxed dining atmosphere – swift service, quick turn around, noisy and tables laid out in a way that immediately transported me back to the school canteen - though only the layout, definitely not the food! As always, the delicious Vietnamese cuisine didn’t disappoint. It doesn’t seem to vary wherever you choose to eat – street food, simple restaurant, high class restaurant - all excellent.
Finally arriving at our hotel to dump our luggage, a few of us girls were off out to find a Nail Bar. Wandering through a maze of streets, navigating the mega-loaded roads of insane traffic with 'obligatory' constant honking and tooting, checking out nail bars we soon realised we had to shift our expectations down a notch or two! These were not the smart, well equipped Nail Bars we find in the UK, but pokey back street rooms located inside buildings totally unrelated to nails or anything akin to beauty and therapy! And an evident lack of any English spoken, so it was down to pure instinct as to which one to settle on! So a chance as to the outcome but two of us took the plunge and thankfully nails in tact and painted. Admittedly a fun experience, it was back to the hotel in need of snatching time to catch my breath before off out for the evening.
For the evening, Michael and I had made a reservation on the Sky Deck of the Bitexco Tower - rising to 262 meters and situated in the heart of the business centre of the city, it's the 124th tallest building in the world. All glass, steel and glam as we entered the massive entrance hall, from where we found ourselves being ushered into a very elegant elevator with a uniformed attendant and whisked up at high speed to the 51st floor. It was such a different world up here - elegant, stylish and it oozed indulgence. Quite a divergence from the style and pace of our trip so far! Sitting up at the wide windows sipping our G&Ts we relaxed into enjoying unparalleled 360º views across Ho Chi Minh city - the meandering ribbon of the Saigon River, car lights twinkling like threads of gems winding their way amongst the glittering metropolis below. The tower blocks were providing us with a constantly changing colour show. This was most certainly not, however, for those tending towards vertigo!
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| It's nearly Christmas! |
A couple of perfect gin and tonics later our plan to eat in town somewhere seemed to evaporate in this delightful setting. So it was that, feeling like a couple of school kids and overly indulgent, we booked a table for dinner in their world class restaurant – it did not disappoint!! I felt like royalty
Monday 23rd December - Mekong Delta
Definitely a highlight day – well, another one! A day away from crowded noisy cities, this was such a gentle day by comparison.
After the customary early start, two hours later we were boarding our boat to Ben Tre, the ‘coconut’ land of the Mekong.
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| customary complimentary snacks on board - Dragon fruit and Longan |
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| Disembarked from our little boat, we were shown the processing of coconuts – its varied uses: coconut water and flesh for drinking and cooking; when older and drier they are used for oil and a variety of food products. I never knew coconuts had so many uses! And I have never seen so many - we were literally clambering over mounds of them! |
Prepping and tasting:
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| ......... revealing: a monkey face! |
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Tasty coconut snacks - washed down with whatever this is?!
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A Tuk tuk tour around the villages see how the locals make their living from all those coconuts - nothing is wasted
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| Irrigation system |
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she sits here all day making brooms |
A blissful, silent ‘cruise’ among the stillness of the coconut trees
Lunch was our introduction to the famous elephant ear fish – deep fried complete with fins and scales it is left to the consumer to rake off the flesh and enjoy wrapped in rice paper with cucumber, rice, and whatever else is on the table to accompany this delicacy along with a fish sauce to dip it into before tucking in!
Leaving the coconut farm behind, and heading back to the city, our little taste of life on the Mekong came to an end leaving me with many images etched in my memory
Back in the noisy fever pitch of the horns of motorcyles and cars of Ho Chi Minh late afternoon it wasn’t too long before, with our Christmas ‘hats’, we were off in high spirits for supper at the KOTO restaurant – an organisation dedicated to developing the hospitality careers of disadvantaged youths
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| 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS!' |
Tuesday 24th December
Christmas Eve – I felt further removed from ‘Christmas’ than I’ve known - particularly given the itinerary for today -The Cu Chi Tunnels - a 250 Km long immense network of underground tunnels that stretched from the suburbs of Saigon to the Cambodian border often passing under the American bases. These secret tunnels were used by the Vietcong soldiers as hiding places during combat, communication and supply routes as well as providing shelter and living quarters.
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| The famous rolled ice cream |
Though Cambodians do not traditionally celebrate Christmas in a religious way - their leading religion is Buddhism - there were plenty of Chritmas decorations. Hotels with myriads of fairy lights, market stalls teetering under the weight of Santa hats, tinsel garlands, fun Christmas outfits – you name it, it was there!
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| Road safety rules?? |
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| There is a rider under there somewhere....... I Spy a leg! |
3½ hours later on we were going through the border formalities.
Finally reaching our hotel, luggage was deposited and we were straight off to explore the sights of Phnom Phnom in the little Tuk Tuks.
First stop the Central Market, an Art Deco landmark of the city with its vast hallways housing numerous stalls selling everything from high-end jewellery, flower stalls as far as the eye could see, every fruit and vegetable available, dry goods, souvenirs, clothes
and a few edibles that certainly didn't take my fancy! Spider for one - a local delicacy. A tiny sample of a crispy leg was enough for me - I drew a firm line at trying the squishy body! It's strange what you'll try when in a foreign country that you wouldn't dream of doing at home - especially spiders if suffering from aracnophobia! But clearly our Cambodian guide, Shreymon, enjoyed spider!
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| give me dumplings any day! |
This very long day was rounded off with a walking tour followed by a Group dinner when we finally found our hotel and fell into our beds to grab some sleep before heading out in the morning to be confronted with the horrors of Cambodia’s tragic past.
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| Independence Monument - slap bang in the centre of a huge roundabout |
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| Wat Phnom |
Thursday 26 December
A slight hiccup to our start this morning when it was discovered a couple from our travel party were locked inside their room – after much chuntering and deliberation the carpenters literally hacked with chisels until the entire lock mechanism fell out!! Clearly not the most professional approach but at least our couple found their freedom!
Nothing could have prepared me for what I learnt and saw this day and it is impossible to express in words the depths of horror I felt. The following is my best attempt:
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - originally a High School - served as one of the prisons and torture centres during the Pol Pot regime from 1975 - 1979 . The entire compound made secure with double walls and dense barbed wire to ensure escape was completely impossible. Inside narrow individual cells were formed out of the original classrooms. Several thousand victims (est 20,000) from every walk and station in life were imprisoned here, tortured and exterminated, men, women, babies and children.
As we stood listening to our guide relating the barbaric inhumanity that took place here at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, I felt sick to my stomach with an all-consuming sense of horror and sadness for the thousands of Cambodians who endured such brutality before suffering their terrible tortuous deaths – all but 7 of them survived. Walking through the cells, letting my eyes gaze upon the gallery of photographs of so many victims it was impossible to comprehend such barbarous atrocities. I grappled with this reality - how could any human being deal out such obscene and savage atrocities to another?
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| The gallows |
There are now two men still alive of the 7 who survived: 83 year old Chum Mey and 74 year old Bou Meng who return here each day reliving their nightmares to remind visitors of what happened here in this place of horrors.*
We met these gentle humble men who have written accounts of their horrors and the miracles of their survival in their respective books. Their strength of character and resolve, hidden under their unassuming and gentle appearances, is utterly admirable and possibly exactly this that allowed their survival. I felt nothing but humility, compassion and admiration, even love, for Chum Mey as I held his hand and looked into that gentle, unassuming face.
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| Chum Mey |
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| No. 22 - Chum Mey's prison cell |
* “I survived, but I can’t say I was lucky. My wife and children are dead and the torture I endured was horrible. At that time, it would have been better to die than to survive. But I did survive, and I believe it is my duty to tell my story.”
Tuol Sleng was followed by an equally harrowing visit to the Choeung Ek Memorial which marks the site of one of the Killing Fields - the mass graves of the thousands of victims from the Khmer Rouge. With more than 300 killing fields scattered throughout Cambodia, Choeung Ek is the most infamous.
We walked in disbelief and with an immense sense of sorrow on boardwalks that have been erected over this expanse of mass graves; innocent people brutally murdered and buried so shallowly that the rains have eroded the ground during the last 40 years exposing bones and rotting pieces of clothing. Every breath was restricted as we moved slowly over these grounds; I could feel it in my nostrils.
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| The glass sided Stupa holding 5,000 human skulls excavated from this site, a grisly reminder of the genocide that took place here |
A most disturbing place to visit - eerie, distressing, desperately sad. Even though our ears heard of the atrocities and eyes bore witness to the evidence, it was incomprehensible. In quiet contemplation we boarded our bus and headed back to the lively, crazy busy city for lunch – frankly, it felt disrespectful and irreverent in that moment to those thousands who had suffered.
But thrust back into that hot, noisy crowded restaurant I was found myself caught up in the lighter mood of those around me – but those memories, images and sensations were seared so deep within that, to this day, they have not dimmed.
Our free afternoon offered us the opportunity to explore the magnificent Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.
Quick freshen up at our hotel, we were off for our final treat of the day - an evening cruise on a small boat just right for our private party – cocktails by sunset then the party began! It could not have been more of a contrast to the start of the day. Michael and I rounded off the night on the Sky Bar Terrace.
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'cheers' 'លើកទឹកចិត្ត' (leuktukchet) |
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| It tasted better than it looks~!! |
Friday 27 December - Battambang
Lorries were no-where to be seen under their loads that defied all laws of gravity, a motorcyclist had his bike surrounded by chickens tied on both sides, we saw a chap
perched atop a highloaded lorry – just an ordinary day on an ordinary Cambodian road!
En route, our ‘comfort’ stop included a visit to another training school - Scuplture - where we watched guys in the most ramshackle of workshops, with what appeared to very basic tools, producing beautifully sculpted elephants from crude blocks of silver – along with a wonderful array of other objects including jewellery. Really beautiful fine work.
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| Meal in the making |
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| 'Suostei' (hello) |
Battambang is rather a charming town with a mix of French colonial and Khmer architecture. Though a large town it felt somehow more intimate by comparison with Phnom Pehn. Though our hotel, The Classy, was very cosy and comfortable it had the most imposing mahogany entrance with all walls and ceiling covered in intricately carved dark wooden panels, huge coffee tables, carved wooden seats – and all surrounded by absolutely thousands of fairy lights! It was like stepping into a grotto! Then, before we knew it, we were being whisked away to enjoy a BBQ, Cambodian style, hosted by a local family in their back yard.
The large table laden with side dishes to accompany the meats which we were left to cook on the mini gas BBQs on the table - novel - and fun!
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School work for the granddaughter |
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| Drying in the sun for a couple of hours |
What you can do with bananas! Sitting on an old rickety platform, with incredible deft of hand, this lady sliced bananas with amazing accuracy, laying each slice until the bamboo board was covered in paper thin slices before being laid out in the sun to dry. Those dried banana products we buy in the UK I feel sure aren't made by hand this way!
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| Drying in the sun ...... |
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| ..... then sections are rolled |
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| tasty snacks on offer |
Back to the saddles and Tuk Tuks we were off to a rice wine distillery. The aroma of yeast greeting us as we stepped in the hot and humid atmosphere of the distillery. We were shown the entire process from rice to wine which needless to say involved the obligatory tasting from the mild to the strongest of rice wines – including the snake infused version – it would be so bad mannered to decline!
Our final stop was the process of making sticky rice cakes. Hollowed out bamboo stalks are filled with sweet rice along with coconut cream, black beans, salt and sugar then baked over charcoal. With a machete, the outer layer is then expertly trimmed away leaving the softer inner layer which you peel away exposing the most delicious sweet, gooey and absolute delicious snack
Returning from a most enjoyable and interesting tour of the local cottage industries it was on to the next fun part of this rather extraordinary day – a ride on the Bamboo Train
This was absolutely NOT what I expected! Having ridden the Sugar Cane train in Cuba, I was expecting some form of carriage – albeit basic. These were nothing more than bamboo flatbeds set upon wheels! So after a rather clumsy clamber aboard a very wobbly platform, the 4 of us seated ourselves with a rather apprehensive sense of what lie ahead as we peered down the single track underneath us and the track disappearing out into the distance in front of us!
As we rattled along the track at high speed, I soon relaxed into the sheer exhilaration and fun of this ride. The scenery flashed past as we whizzed through the Cambodian countryside and we found it quite impossible to exchange any words between us as the wind rushed past swallowing our words with it. I was unsure of the actual speed but these trains apparently reach around 30 Kms/hour – though it felt much faster sitting on an open platform with nothing to grab on to!
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| In a world of her own ....... |
Single track of course presents a minor problem when there's another 'train' advancing from the opposite direction. We stayed put while watching the other train being lifted off the track to make way for us before replacing it and continuing their journey! It’s apparently the lightest load that has to make way – says much for us 4!!
Well, that was fun! Now for the next leg of our adventures – travelling to Siem Reap – our final destination in Cambodia - and the very purpose for Michael and I of this entire trip – Angkor Wat. There’s certainly no time wasted on this jam packed trip we're on!
We stopped at a roadside stall selling fried ‘delicacies’ - snake, birds, rats - and were invited to try. So as the saying goes “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. Guess there's no reason to think this doesn’t apply in Cambodia too! It was simpler to block one’s mind to thoughts of what it was and simply pop a piece into the mouth, chew and swallow – not at all bad in all honesty. Though I hasten to add I wouldn’t choose rat if it were to appear on a menu!
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| give me Rambutan any time! |
Finally arriving in Siem Reap and having enjoyed our group supper, we explored the noisy, colourful, busy nightlight of Pub Street in Siem Reap – a powerful contrast to the peaceful countryside of earlier that day.
Sunday 29 December - Angkor Was
I guess this needs no introduction - the largest temple complex in the world - one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Without doubt the main highlight of the entire trip for everyone in our group. The ‘one’ we’d all been waiting for. My first glimpse was of one of the imposing colossal stone towers rising up through the trees – a sight forever etched into my memory – its beauty, mightiness, splendour – the centuries it has stood there. What a privilege to see such a marvel
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| It was a long haul up there under the hot sunshine..... |
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but we were rewarded with views over this massive complex, of which we saw such a tiny part |
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| Always knew I could be in two places at once! |
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| This looked far more inviting than lunch in this heat! |
Angkor Thom - the last temple of the day:
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| nose to nose |
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| ... some fun photography |
It had been a very long day in high temperatures, but I just had to add one more final experience to this trip – I couldn’t resist an evening at Cambodia’s Phare Circus, along with a few of our fellow travellers. Crammed in on narrow wooden benches packed into a small arena it was very hot and noisy but what a spectacle! The performers, through their expertly choreographed dance, juggling, acrobatics and sheer athleticism tell of moving personal stories of hardship and abuse in Cambodian lives and society. The sheer energy and dexterity along with remarkable talent was absolutely thrilling to watch. Phare Circus began back in 1994 with a handful of young men from a refugee camp following the Khmer Rouge regime and this 'school' has now grown to more than 1200 pupils offering the opportunity of improving their skills enabling them to earn a salary.
Monday 30th December
This was the penultimate day of our trip so we were free to do as we wished - tomorrow we would be travelling to Bangkok from where we would all take our flights home. This presented the opportunity to add an extension to spend time in Bangkok if anyone wished before flying home - an opportunity of which we'd planned to take advantage. We had planned on spending a day or two in Bangkok and had booked a 2 night stay at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Trust outside Bangkok.
Both pretty exhausted by this point and health-wise neither of us at our best, Michael certainly hadn't recovered to anywhere near good health, so sensibly we took the day easy in readiness for that road trip.
THAILAND
Around 3 hours drive to Poipet at the Cambodian border, passports and visas checked in a scruffy little room with just one guy behind a glass panel. No queue. Then a long walk in the heat and humidity, through an area buzzing with people into a large hall where we joined a huge queue snaking its way at snail’s pace through the formalities for admission into Thailand.
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| across the bridge from our hotel |
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| spoilt for choice |
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| Phra Sumen Fort, Santichaiprakarn Park |
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| explosion of orchids |
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section of a wall sculpture |
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| Sunset over the rooftop pool |
What a welcome we found there. We had no idea what standard of accommodation we would find so were delighted to find ourselves in a very comfortable lodge – albeit with an outside shower! Our lodge was on stilts right beside the route where a family of 3 elephants would regularly amble along looking for some tasty titbits (rather humungous 'titbits'!) The staff had kindly provided us with baskets full – huge bunches of bananas, big chunks of water melon and pineapple so we could feed them as their trunks appeared over the rail of our verandah – they clearly knew where the food was! I later discovered their names: NomFon, Duenpen, Sripuek. not that I had a clue which was which!
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| definitely some seniority order here as this one had to wait his turn |
After a delicious lunch we had a guided tour of much of the 67 hectares to see the wide variety of around 500 wild animals cared for there - birds, primates, Asian elephants, bears, felines, reptiles - all who have found sanctuary in this place – and to learn a little about the WFFT and its work. Since 2001 they’ve been campaigning and fighting against practices of animal abuse, exploitation for profit and human gratification and illegal trading. It was a shocking eye opener to learn how severely maltreated and abused these animals have been. Other than a few that can eventually be returned home, this Sanctuary provides a place where they can live out the rest of their lives cared for in a place as close as possible their natural environments. And although fenced to keep the various species separate, their compounds were sufficiently large to afford them plenty of space
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The afternoon tour was as much as Michael could cope with so it was solo supper for me – but not before I’d sat on the terrace outside the dining area, G&T in hand, watching the sun disappear
Friday 3 January
Michael finally rallied and enjoyed his first proper meal in a while - a delicious fried breakfast on the dining terrace surrounded by the stunning landscapes, chuckling at the little elephant by the terrace pulling at a young tree, so close I could have reached out to touch him, another indulging in a dust bath which he/she was clearly enjoying.
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| 'Trunk to trunk' |
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Tomar was bribed with a bucket of fruit - I guess so he wasn't tempted to swoosh me with a trunk full of water!!
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We would be really sorry to leave here in the morning – it’s certainly been the time we needed to recharge and give us the best chance of keeping going until we reach home a few days from now.
After a leisurely breakfast on the terrace, we finally said our farewells to what had been one of the most unique and immeasurably wonderful experiences and were returned to our hotel in Bangkok
Determined to make the absolute most of this last day we decided to push on and take a river cruise to visit the Buddhist temple complex of Wat Pho
The Reclining Buddha. Standing at the head or feet of this enormous 46’ long golden figure is simply breathtaking. The 5 metre long feet are decorated exquisitely with 108 mother-of-pearl illustrations, symbols and actions that led Buddha to perfection. Photos do it no justice whatsoever.
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| Wat Arun |
This really was the very final leg in what was most definitely the fastest paced, fully packed, comprehensive, fun and challenging trip I've ever experienced. No-one can say we haven't made absolutely and unequivocally the most of every moment exploring this part of our world. But it's time to say goodbye to our foreign surroundings ..........
Rural sights: Temples (every village has a Temple); village paddy field; interacting with local children playing football; local seamstress in her little hut at the entrance to the village:
