We have been here for about 2 weeks now. The island is beautiful, although it is increasingly choked with traffic - there does not seem to be a time of the day when the roads become a little quieter.
We have had loads of great food. I reckon Penang is the food capital of the world. There are so many ethnic groups who all cook their own food and influence one another - Indian, Thai, Malay, Nonya, various Chinese styles - and the ingredients are all so ripe and fresh and full of flavour.
Sunday 12 December 2010
Saturday 13 November 2010
Bangkok
After Phnom Penh we went to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat and some of the other temples and palaces. They are amazing, built on a grand scale, to a particular design and are very beautiful. We spent 6 days there, 3 of them seeing the temples.
We went straight to Bangkok from Siem Reap by bus. The trip was easy and the border crossing okay - we got the standard two week visa pass on entry - which isn't enough really and we had to try and extend the visa when we were in Bangkok, but could only get 7 extra days.
Bangkok is a big, busy, noisy city. We seem to spend quite a bit of time getting from one place to another if we have to take a taxi - the roads are so jammed with cars. Unfortunately, the underground and sky trains only go to the centre of town from a few places in the suburbs - the main areas with the temples and palace are not covered.
We went to the River Kwai and saw the famous re-contructed bridge - it was bombed by the RAF towards the end of the war. There is a really good museum about the railway and some cemetaries for the POWs.
We went straight to Bangkok from Siem Reap by bus. The trip was easy and the border crossing okay - we got the standard two week visa pass on entry - which isn't enough really and we had to try and extend the visa when we were in Bangkok, but could only get 7 extra days.
Bangkok is a big, busy, noisy city. We seem to spend quite a bit of time getting from one place to another if we have to take a taxi - the roads are so jammed with cars. Unfortunately, the underground and sky trains only go to the centre of town from a few places in the suburbs - the main areas with the temples and palace are not covered.
We went to the River Kwai and saw the famous re-contructed bridge - it was bombed by the RAF towards the end of the war. There is a really good museum about the railway and some cemetaries for the POWs.
Thursday 4 November 2010
Phnom Penh
We decided to stay here for 4 nights and booked a nice hotel right in the centre, with a swimming pool, so we could have somewhere nice to sit when not walking around the city. The hotel - The Blue Lime - was good. Most of the furniture is made from concrete.
The city is amazing considering it was evacuated by the Kmher Rouge for 4 years, just 30 years ago. The riverside has lots of tourist orientated cafes, bars and restaurants and there is a fantastic history museum with sculptures from Angkor Wat, held there for safe keeping. The Royal Palace is beautiful as are the temples around the city.
We had some great meals in Phnom Penh - especially in the Malis Restaurant which is a fancy restaurant with the reputation of being the best for Cambodian food. We particularly liked the papaya curry and green mango salad.
We visited Choeung Ek which was the execution site near Phnom Phen during the 4 year Khmer Rouge rule and Tuol Sleng the political prison, which is near the centre of the city. Both are horrific. It is estimated that up to 50,000 people were executed at Choeung Ek where they were taken to after being tortured at Tuol Sleng. There were only a handfull of people who survived Tuol Sleng/Choeung Ek after the 4 year period.
One British person was murdered there, a young man on the englsh language teaching scheme in Japan. He was on a sailing trip with 2 friends from Canada and New Zealand, who were also teaching english in Japan. They were heading for Thailand but sailed off course and were taken by the Kampuchean navy - one of them was shot during the arrest, the other 2 were brought to Tuol Sleng for torture. After weeks of torture, both signed "confessions" of being CIA agents. On the orders of Pol Pot both were murdered. It was reported by an ex-guard that at least one of them was burnt alive using burning tyres in the street outside the prison. Apparently it was the policy to execute any foreigners by burning them alive.
A group of 8 experienced Cambodian doctors working in France were invited by Pol Pot to return to Cambodia to help with the revolution. He knew all of them from when he was a student in Paris. They were all murdered on arrival in Cambodia.
Any Cambodians returning from abroad to help with the revolution were treated with suspicion - all those who returned from the USA were murdered on arrival.
During the 4 year period, 2 - 3 million people died from starvation, exhaustion, illness, misdiagnosis of illness and murder by the Khmer Rouge - about one quarter of the population. The murders were concentrated on: cadre of the Khmer Rouge, educated people, landowners and political oppponents. The aim of the murders was to purify the ongoing revolution by quashing dissenting voices and those "actively plotting" against the Khmer Rouge.
The murders continued after the Khmer Rouge were removed from power following the war with Vietnam in 1979. For example, Pol Pot ordered the murder of Son Sen and his family in 1997 - probably 11 people in all. Son Sen had been a close associate of Pol Pot since the 1950's and had been an active member of the Khmer Rouge since that time.
Just before his death in 1998, the Khmer Rouge arrested Pol Pot and found him guilty of murdering Son Sen - the only trial he ever faced.
So a visit to Cambodia is overwhelming - the beauty of the historical buildings, the incredibly friendly and hospital people, the fabulous food - as well as the jarring effect of its recent history.
The city is amazing considering it was evacuated by the Kmher Rouge for 4 years, just 30 years ago. The riverside has lots of tourist orientated cafes, bars and restaurants and there is a fantastic history museum with sculptures from Angkor Wat, held there for safe keeping. The Royal Palace is beautiful as are the temples around the city.
We had some great meals in Phnom Penh - especially in the Malis Restaurant which is a fancy restaurant with the reputation of being the best for Cambodian food. We particularly liked the papaya curry and green mango salad.
We visited Choeung Ek which was the execution site near Phnom Phen during the 4 year Khmer Rouge rule and Tuol Sleng the political prison, which is near the centre of the city. Both are horrific. It is estimated that up to 50,000 people were executed at Choeung Ek where they were taken to after being tortured at Tuol Sleng. There were only a handfull of people who survived Tuol Sleng/Choeung Ek after the 4 year period.
One British person was murdered there, a young man on the englsh language teaching scheme in Japan. He was on a sailing trip with 2 friends from Canada and New Zealand, who were also teaching english in Japan. They were heading for Thailand but sailed off course and were taken by the Kampuchean navy - one of them was shot during the arrest, the other 2 were brought to Tuol Sleng for torture. After weeks of torture, both signed "confessions" of being CIA agents. On the orders of Pol Pot both were murdered. It was reported by an ex-guard that at least one of them was burnt alive using burning tyres in the street outside the prison. Apparently it was the policy to execute any foreigners by burning them alive.
A group of 8 experienced Cambodian doctors working in France were invited by Pol Pot to return to Cambodia to help with the revolution. He knew all of them from when he was a student in Paris. They were all murdered on arrival in Cambodia.
Any Cambodians returning from abroad to help with the revolution were treated with suspicion - all those who returned from the USA were murdered on arrival.
During the 4 year period, 2 - 3 million people died from starvation, exhaustion, illness, misdiagnosis of illness and murder by the Khmer Rouge - about one quarter of the population. The murders were concentrated on: cadre of the Khmer Rouge, educated people, landowners and political oppponents. The aim of the murders was to purify the ongoing revolution by quashing dissenting voices and those "actively plotting" against the Khmer Rouge.
The murders continued after the Khmer Rouge were removed from power following the war with Vietnam in 1979. For example, Pol Pot ordered the murder of Son Sen and his family in 1997 - probably 11 people in all. Son Sen had been a close associate of Pol Pot since the 1950's and had been an active member of the Khmer Rouge since that time.
Just before his death in 1998, the Khmer Rouge arrested Pol Pot and found him guilty of murdering Son Sen - the only trial he ever faced.
So a visit to Cambodia is overwhelming - the beauty of the historical buildings, the incredibly friendly and hospital people, the fabulous food - as well as the jarring effect of its recent history.
Mekong Delta
We took a boat through the Mekong Delta to get to Phnom Penh. We stayed overnight in a floating hotel near Chau Doc and then took a "fast boat" to Phim Penh. the trip was good - we saw lots of the delta from the river - but it does get a bit monotonous after a few hours. The riverside is mostly farmland and some small wooden settlements. On the first evening our boat ran aground and another boat had to be called to tow us. The propellor was damaged so the other boat had to tow us all the way to the floating hotel.
The borders were uneventful - it just takes a while to go throught hr formalities. The Cambodian visa cost us US$22 each.
The borders were uneventful - it just takes a while to go throught hr formalities. The Cambodian visa cost us US$22 each.
Friday 29 October 2010
Ho Chi Minh City 24th October 2010
How does a country manage to function so quickly after such a long war? The Vietnamese people are so friendly, even in such a big city. we visited the War Remnants Museum - difficult.
Bobby Brewers cafe is great,it has a small free cinema on the top floor with about 30 seats - we saw a few films there.
We had a great meal when Lian Hoe took us for a meal at the Quan An Ngon restaurant - the best whilst we were in Vietnam.
Bobby Brewers cafe is great,it has a small free cinema on the top floor with about 30 seats - we saw a few films there.
We had a great meal when Lian Hoe took us for a meal at the Quan An Ngon restaurant - the best whilst we were in Vietnam.
Thursday 21 October 2010
Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Dalat
We went straight to Hue after Halong Bay. We got a good deal on a resort hotel - Pilgrimage Village - which turned out to be fantastic - we even got an upgrade. Hue has an incredible citadel much of which is ruins but is beautiful nevertheless. We also visited 2 royal mauoleums and a pagoda. The town itself is not very interesting.
Hoi An is on the river and still has many of the old buildings that were there when it was a major trading post up to the 18th century. We stayed in the Village Resort. We had one meal that was really good int he Cargo Club - it was the kind of food we expected to have often in Vietnam - lots of spices, lemon grass, basil, chili etc.
Nha Trang is a very pleasant seaside town. We just spent one night - to break up the journey from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dalat - we also stayed for just one night. It is a French Hill Station - founded in the 19th century. We visited a Vietnamese royal summer palace that was built in the 1930's. It was like a large English suburban house from that era - even the furniture.
Hoi An is on the river and still has many of the old buildings that were there when it was a major trading post up to the 18th century. We stayed in the Village Resort. We had one meal that was really good int he Cargo Club - it was the kind of food we expected to have often in Vietnam - lots of spices, lemon grass, basil, chili etc.
Nha Trang is a very pleasant seaside town. We just spent one night - to break up the journey from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dalat - we also stayed for just one night. It is a French Hill Station - founded in the 19th century. We visited a Vietnamese royal summer palace that was built in the 1930's. It was like a large English suburban house from that era - even the furniture.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Halong Bay, Vietnam 11th October 2010
We booked a 2 day trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay. It included a bus from Hanoi (3 hours) and an overnight on a boat in the bay. We did not know what to expect because we only paid US$48 each and were worried that it was too cheap. Lian Choo had asked so many questions to a young lad in the travel shop in Hanoi and we think he got confused and quoted the wrong price. Anyway, we hoped it would turn out okay. In fact we were lucky, he quoted us a price for a standard boat, but had given us tickets for a deluxe boat and then the deluxe boat was full and we were upgraded to a luxury boat with the Imperial Company. It was only 3 months old and well kitted out and they served good food as well.
The Bay is amazing. It is hard to believe such land/seascapes really exist. The sea in the bay is green and has about 2,000 rocky karsts across it - most of them are covered in bushes and trees and some have caves.
The Bay is amazing. It is hard to believe such land/seascapes really exist. The sea in the bay is green and has about 2,000 rocky karsts across it - most of them are covered in bushes and trees and some have caves.
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