6am Start. Catch one Tuk-Tuk for 1 hour from Kampot, down Highway 3, turn off at the 5th village on the right. Wind though rice paddies, past tiny rural villages on a tiny dirt track, past the water buffalo's and kids yelling "HELLO" and into the middle of no-where, where the dirt track becomes too rough to continue. Take your pack and put it on the front of a Moto (125cc Yamaha Scooter), and ride as pasanger while the driver takes you further down this rock-hewn path until you reach...
The Cambodian /Vietnam Border near Hatieng.
Cross the borderwith mininal fuss (apart from a thorough customs inspector wanting to see our vaccination certificates). On the Vietnam side the dirt track is immediately replaced by a nice clean paved road. Get to the ferry terminal after 2 hours, only to find that the ferry left nearly an hour ago. Find another couple of Moto's "convieniently" hanging around to take you to another ferry, 1 hour away (for a small, yet not insignificant fee, of course).
Wait at the ferry dock for an hour in blistering heat while they unload a dozen more motos off the boat. Catch ferry for 1 and a half hours to Phu Quoc (Yes, it sounds like Phew Cock) island.
Watch while Vietnamese men get into a huge roaring fight overwho's going to take you to the beach resort side of the island, and finally catch a taxi (with some very nice German and Finnish boys) to Long Beach.
1 Tuk-Tuk, 2 Motos, 1 Ferry, 1 Taxi Van. 7 Hours.
Luckily Phu Quoc was truely paradise. Almost unspoilt, set in the turquiose waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Swinging Palm trees, golden sand. Really what we needed after the filth of Cambodia. We'd arrived in Vietnam at last!
We stayed on Phu Quoc for what seemed like a couple of days but turned out to be a week. During this time we sat under a beach umbrella, read our books, ate fresh seafood, boated to some tiny outer islands, went snorkelling, fishing, ate more seafood, drank local Rum, and generally recouperated and rested up. Michelle also got attacked by sea lice, but she's asusred me that its not as bad as one time in Auckland.
Finally we tired of all that, and decided it was time to make our way back to the mainland, so it was back to the taxis, motos, boats and busses for the trip up to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta.
So far it seems like every journey in Vietnam is going to involve at least one moto.
Can Tho is a stark contrast to Cambodian cities - almost spotlessly clean, or at least it feels like it, its a busy little hub of the Mekong. Despite many attempts of our erstwhile guest-house owner to get us to take the US$40 tour, we rented our very own boat and visited the lively local floating markets for a mere NZ$25.
Veitnam is so far very exciting, lively and colourful. We can't wait to see more. We're also really looking forward to meeting Tania's Dad in a couple of days, and catching up with Dave and Christine in a weeks time.
As always, Photos to follow.
Oh oh, and since its my blog, I wanna do a shout out... MaiFM Stylez
Wassup to my Brother Tone, and Brendano - hope studying is going good. Big Hi To Brendon Russell and the New Mrs Russell. Missing you guys. And a big yo-yo-yo to my peeps in London - see you guys in just over a month. Word up to the Haines (and Ex-Haines) crew, Ed Gaines, Dan P and Hopkins. Friday lunchbeers ain't the same by myself.
Ok thats me, love to all :)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Recovery and moving on.
PHOTOS! (Sorry, the first few are quite grim)
Photo of a prisoner at Tuol Sleng, just before execution.
Torture Room at S21 - Tuol Sleng
Rack of Skulls at the Killing Fields monument
The vast number of pills that we're taking for the next 3 weeks.
Thankfully, after a few days at nice hotels eating good western food (great pies, but still nothing on Faye's) Michelle was feeling well enough to move on, so we headed down to the beach. Its amazing how much you can miss the sea. We've been inland for nearly 3 months - it was refreshing to see the glinting water on the horizon, and smell the sweet salty air again. The sea is quite warm, so its not exactly refreshing to take a dip, but still. After a few more days in Sihnoukville Michelle felt much better so we decided to take a wee boat trip to some of the outer islands for snorkeling. Well - there was one ok ish spot, but because it rained the previous night visibility was quite low, and there seemed to be another storm rolling in (although it never rained on us). Thankfully it cleared just as we got back.
Michelle on the way to Koh Russei
Koh Russei - probably the most beautiful spot in Cambodia
Michelle having a wee splash in the clear water!
Serendipity Beach - the main beach at Sihnoukville
Actually quite beautiful, although by NZ standards it could do with a bit of a tidy up. There are hawkers (you can see one in the right of the last picture) walking up and down harassing you to buy fruit, sunglasses, bracelets and loads of other crap we don't need. Still, they're just trying to make a living...
We leave for Kampot tomorrow, then to Vietnam the following day - Can't wait!
Photo of a prisoner at Tuol Sleng, just before execution.
Torture Room at S21 - Tuol Sleng
Rack of Skulls at the Killing Fields monument
The vast number of pills that we're taking for the next 3 weeks.Thankfully, after a few days at nice hotels eating good western food (great pies, but still nothing on Faye's) Michelle was feeling well enough to move on, so we headed down to the beach. Its amazing how much you can miss the sea. We've been inland for nearly 3 months - it was refreshing to see the glinting water on the horizon, and smell the sweet salty air again. The sea is quite warm, so its not exactly refreshing to take a dip, but still. After a few more days in Sihnoukville Michelle felt much better so we decided to take a wee boat trip to some of the outer islands for snorkeling. Well - there was one ok ish spot, but because it rained the previous night visibility was quite low, and there seemed to be another storm rolling in (although it never rained on us). Thankfully it cleared just as we got back.
Michelle on the way to Koh Russei
Koh Russei - probably the most beautiful spot in Cambodia
Michelle having a wee splash in the clear water!
Serendipity Beach - the main beach at Sihnoukville
Actually quite beautiful, although by NZ standards it could do with a bit of a tidy up. There are hawkers (you can see one in the right of the last picture) walking up and down harassing you to buy fruit, sunglasses, bracelets and loads of other crap we don't need. Still, they're just trying to make a living...
We leave for Kampot tomorrow, then to Vietnam the following day - Can't wait!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Phnom Penh, Takeo - orphanage - and Health
Ok - its been a crazy week - Michelle has been very sick, but more on that in a bit...
Phnom Penh take 1:
We traveled with Gareth and Anya - some choice as kiwi fullas we met in Siem Reap - down to Phnom Penh where we stayed in our first proper Backpacker Ghetto. Now a lot of you will have been to Th Koh San in Bangkok, which was once a backpacker ghetto, but now is something else entirely, almost an attraction in itself. Boeung Kak is really a bit of a dive, with a slight positive that it overlooks a lake, is cheap and filled with other like minded travellers. Suitably chilled out we headed for PP's sombre sights - S21, the infamous Toul Seng prison used by the Khmer Rouge to torture its so called enemys. A horrific place, formerly a high school, the rooms were converted into many cells and torture rooms. In a number of the rooms they've taken photographs of the scenes found there, and often the floor was stained with victims blood. The place felt like suffering and fear. Lining the walls are haunting photographs of prisoners before they were taken down to the Killing Fields. The Killing fields themselves aren't particularly notable - just a few holes in the ground in a small field, apart from the monument filled with skulls which is quite something. Words can't express the suffering these poor people must have gone through, and the monument is a stark reminder of that.
Sorry - I left my camera at the Guest House so photos will come later...
Then it was down to Takeo to volunteer at the New Futures Orphanage. Great bunch of Kids (if slightly naughty) but very eagre to learn and after a few days even the shy ones were happily playing with us.
Unfortunately a couple of days was all we had - Michelle became quite sick with what seemed to be a regular tummy bug, but when it hadn't cleared up on the third morning we realised we would need some assistance. I e-mailed our travel doctor in NZ who suggested we get a specific antibiotic that wasn't available in Takeo (which is quite rural). The orphanage director who was going to Phnom Penh that day said that he could pick it up and return in the evening with it. Well - he didn't come back that night and meanwhile Michelle (who at this stage was getting weaker and weaker) needed something to happen fast. We took a taxi back up to PP.
Phnom Penh take 2:
We headed straight to a western hospital, where the doctors were quick to administer IV and once some testing had been done the appropriate Antibiotic. Thankfully Michelle started feeling better quite quickly. They kept her in IV overnight, and the next day moved her into a nice guest house. Thankfully she's doing much better, starting to get her appetite back after not eating for 6 days. Shes weakened, tired but recovering! I also have had a persistent case of the trots, so I've been treated for the same thing.
Its a bit of a low point of our trip as we're now both suspicious of all food (The dodgy food Michelle and I ate was prepared by the supposedly western trained staff at the orphanage) and are unsure how we're going to be able to get by on our budget if we aren't confident eating local food.
Anyway, internet time is up - I'll update again asap.
Phnom Penh take 1:
We traveled with Gareth and Anya - some choice as kiwi fullas we met in Siem Reap - down to Phnom Penh where we stayed in our first proper Backpacker Ghetto. Now a lot of you will have been to Th Koh San in Bangkok, which was once a backpacker ghetto, but now is something else entirely, almost an attraction in itself. Boeung Kak is really a bit of a dive, with a slight positive that it overlooks a lake, is cheap and filled with other like minded travellers. Suitably chilled out we headed for PP's sombre sights - S21, the infamous Toul Seng prison used by the Khmer Rouge to torture its so called enemys. A horrific place, formerly a high school, the rooms were converted into many cells and torture rooms. In a number of the rooms they've taken photographs of the scenes found there, and often the floor was stained with victims blood. The place felt like suffering and fear. Lining the walls are haunting photographs of prisoners before they were taken down to the Killing Fields. The Killing fields themselves aren't particularly notable - just a few holes in the ground in a small field, apart from the monument filled with skulls which is quite something. Words can't express the suffering these poor people must have gone through, and the monument is a stark reminder of that.
Sorry - I left my camera at the Guest House so photos will come later...
Then it was down to Takeo to volunteer at the New Futures Orphanage. Great bunch of Kids (if slightly naughty) but very eagre to learn and after a few days even the shy ones were happily playing with us.
Unfortunately a couple of days was all we had - Michelle became quite sick with what seemed to be a regular tummy bug, but when it hadn't cleared up on the third morning we realised we would need some assistance. I e-mailed our travel doctor in NZ who suggested we get a specific antibiotic that wasn't available in Takeo (which is quite rural). The orphanage director who was going to Phnom Penh that day said that he could pick it up and return in the evening with it. Well - he didn't come back that night and meanwhile Michelle (who at this stage was getting weaker and weaker) needed something to happen fast. We took a taxi back up to PP.
Phnom Penh take 2:
We headed straight to a western hospital, where the doctors were quick to administer IV and once some testing had been done the appropriate Antibiotic. Thankfully Michelle started feeling better quite quickly. They kept her in IV overnight, and the next day moved her into a nice guest house. Thankfully she's doing much better, starting to get her appetite back after not eating for 6 days. Shes weakened, tired but recovering! I also have had a persistent case of the trots, so I've been treated for the same thing.
Its a bit of a low point of our trip as we're now both suspicious of all food (The dodgy food Michelle and I ate was prepared by the supposedly western trained staff at the orphanage) and are unsure how we're going to be able to get by on our budget if we aren't confident eating local food.
Anyway, internet time is up - I'll update again asap.
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