Cambodia, Vietnam, and Chiang Mai

SO!... After a very long while, and a great deal more scurying around this far away land, the Adventurers have decided to grace these web pages once again with tales of our travels.

When we last left off, we were spending a wonderful Valentine's Day in Siem Reap at the temples of Angkor. From Siem Reap we took a bus to Phnom Penh where we stayed in a 'lake-side' guesthouse called "New Lodge Guest House". The quoted warriness of 'lake-side' is needed because for anyone who's been to Phnom Penh and seen it's largest city-bound lake, they would know that there is more green afloat than water. It was a very different experience however than the past few weeks, so it was refreshing. We hadn't seen 'expansive' water since the South of Thailand and were begining to long for a water-born breeze.
The guesthouse was located on a long alleyway (I want to say street, but feel the need to stay within the bounds of North American conception) lined with bars, restaurants and guys who couldn't stop offering you little sacks of everything you can think of to alter your mood. Kinda Random. They're all harmless though, the police sit idly by right next to them and seem oblivious (more likely indifferent...or excited at the kickbacks headed their way) of the transactions going on. I have faith though that should a sale go sour, they would jump in and at least help the person who seemed more economically inclined.

Phnom Penh had a HUGE central market where you could find all your fresh food, clothes, accessories, acoutrements, etc. and was only about a 10-15 min walk from our lodging.

I'm not sure if it's famous for it, but it certainly is in a book "Emergeny Sex" gifted to us by Rachel and Ian, and has become so with us... but the traffic in Phnom Penh is impenetrable. You really have to just dive in and wade across if you want to cross the street. Even stop lights don't seem to have much effect. Forget spotting the gaps, there are no gaps, you just stroll out a little ways, and soon bikers and cars will start to move behind you instead of infront. This continues until you reach the other side.

From Phnom Penh we hopped on a bus to the Vietnam border. After crossing and witnessing the smuggling tacticts of our tour guide (who had hidden 2 laptops in a secret compartment behind Jen's seat to avoid taxes) we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, more commonly known as Saigon.

Saigon was big, very big, so big that we decided to only stay as long as we had to in this Bangkok reminiscent sweat-box. We left the next day heading North, but not before we tried some delicious (I thought) street-seafood. Crab legs and these interesting, finger-shaped shellfish that were all cooked up in a wok by an old man with butter, garlic, chilis, an a slew of other strange ingredients that escape me now (sorry Pa). OH! I know corryander was in there somewhere.

My bad, when I said we moved North next, I forgot that Vung Tao was actually a little bit South East. That was where we headed next, motivated by rumors of Rachel and Ian's treks in that direction, as well as the hospitality of a wonderful local, friend of a friend, and gracious host; Tracy. We spent 4 days being chauffeured around Vung Tao by Tracy (and her Chauffeur... BAllin') and though Jen got a little sick, we had a great time. We also got to meet up with Rach and Ian and that was a great little treat.

Our journey from Vung Tao took us up the full length of Vietnam's tall, yet skinny coast, stopping in Mui Nai, Hoi An, and finally Hanoi. In Hoi An Jen got a bunch of stuff made including boots, a winter coat and a nifty blazer. She also got me a sweet watch for Valentine's (which we decided should continue until we both felt satisfied with it). Hoi An was probably my favourite place in Vietnam. The European-style (through the eyes of a man who has yet to veture to Europe) streets and open-front shops are full of people looking for bargains and exploring this tout-less (by the grace of govermental control) lover's town with a great deal of history and character. Hoi An was one of the only cities in Vietnam to avoid destruction by American bombing during the war, leaving many of its original buildings, and much of its old-world feel intact.

After arriving in Hanoi in the North, we decided to take a 3-day, 2-night trip further north to Halong Bay. This much reveered and even more so reccomended tourist mecca is home to over 2000 carst islands that jut out of the sea--evidence of hundreds of thousands of years of erosion on the lava-born rock formations. The tour took us from Hanoi and we rode a mini-bus 3.5 hours to Halong City where we borded an old wooden Vietnamese ship that would be our conveyance and our quarters for the next 3 days. As it turns out, we stayed in a hotel on one of the larger islands the first night because they had overbooked the tour for that day (big surprise... Vietnam was also home to some of the more pervasive money-grubbing schemes we've seen yet). On the second day, (the first comprised the mini-bus drive and the boat ride to the iasland) we ventured with the guide and some new friends from New Zealand and Isreal to the top of the highest point on the island. 250 metres up we found this rickety old metal look-out tower that allowed a perfect 360 degree vantage point of the green, mountainous "Kappa" island. What a view.... this literally took our breath away, and nearly quite a bit more from one of the New Zealanders who must have been a little scared of heights (not to mention hung over... give her a break though, her name is Rebecca, AKA Becks. "Yes, like the beer", she'd say).

That evening the boat took us to a floating village where we kayaked (tandom!) around some gorgeous islands and under some 'sea-vaporated' rock caves with our solo kayaking (yes in a tandom kayak), ex-israli army, Hebrew coach; Max. He was another one of the people locked in for the full 3 days like us, and we had a blast poking fun and endeavouring to understand the Vietnamese. "Fucking 'Nam eh Max?" hahaha

After Halong Bay, we spent one more night in Hanoi where we saw a water puppet show. Not much to behold, yet quite cultural and interesting enough I suppose for just over a dollar a pop. Oh, I can't forget another vindicated recommendation that came from many a fellow traveller. On our first night in Hanoi we had to satiate our appetites for a litle home-grown, if not, home shown food. Booby Chin's restaurant, though quite pricy, was INCREDIBLE. A very nice bottle of South African merlot, Grapes coated in goat cheese encrusted with crushed pistacio nuts (SP?) for appetizer, and the best steak in MONTHS atop fluffy mashed potatoes and a 3-mushroom jus. I'm sorry, but I've gone and drooled on this poor womans keyboard. I know what I'm making when I get back to the T-Dot.

So ends our Vienamese adventure, we flew from Hanoi back down to Bangkok, and then North from Bankok to Chiang Mai in the same day. That night we were still up 'till 1 am... this travelling bnusiness is getting so muchy easier. We'll see how we feel in another month or so though haha.

So this brings us basically to today. 2 days ago we arrived in Chiang Mai, yesterday I fulfilled another one of my boyhood dreams and rented a full-fledged Hog... a Honda 'Steed' and brute-forced my way through traffic, replacing the horn with throaty blasts of my exaust, my girl on the leather behind me, and the wind in my... well, no, I wore a helmet... but hey, who wants to forget a boyhood dream realized on account of brain damage? No Thanks. What a rush though.

Today we woke up for 9 and had a Thai cooking class until 1:30. We learned to cook 7 different dishes that we chose from a pretty well rounded menu of Thai classics and will be returning to Canada with skills and a book of recipes. Look out Sharpes, I'm loaded for bear with some spicy Thai gastric ammo, ready to wreak havoc on your tongues, bellys and... well yeah... you get the gist.

And so concludes another sweaty yet satisfying attempt at keeping you all up to date. I hope you like the pics we chose for this round, you'll have to wait a lil more to see the rest, but we've got some freaking great ones.

I miss you all
and hope you're well,

Much Love,

Tay




The tiny cells in the Phnom Penh prison "S-21" used during the Khmer Rouge regime's onslaught.




A victim of Khmer Rouge mass murders. To save bullets they just beat the captives to death with basically whatever they could find... clubs, bats, gun butts, shovels etc. Yum... I know. I felt sick walking through these places.

"The killing fields" There are unearthed mass-graves where the Khmer Rouge disposed of their victims. They would them dump various harsh chemicals (typically lime) on the piles of bodies to cancel out the smell... and kill those who were burried alive.

Here I am manning a Vietnam War-era ati-aircraft gun (I think it's 13mm or something) used to shoot down incoming air attacks by russian built MIG-19s flown by the Viet Kong.

Pretty sure this one's from Phnom Penh, but I got to fire off a M1 Carbine, a Vietnam War era light infantry weapon. Semi and Full auto. Bang Bang ( I got 3 head shots and a buynch in the torso of my target... thanks Noah, all those pellets were worth something after all. Thems skills is transferable)
Jen and I on a 'Bycyclette' ride (basically a rickshaw with a dude on his bike to propell)... and there's the dude! Thumbs up chief.
Jenny beside her dream car.... ahem, I mean a big-ass tank that the US tried to use to roll over 'Nam with. Both dreams sqashed with it's 12 ton wieght.
Here's a resourceful old Vet making his way down a street in Phnom Penh the only way he can nowadays. Thanks US army. Great smile though, he seemed like a really happy dude.
2 conjoined, deformed fetuses (Jen found them very interesting, hense the picture) that earned their jar home because their mother was bombed with agent orange.
On a happier note, her we are with Tracy in a club in Vung Tao. That night we had the most Hennessy I've ever drank, and probably will ever drink. This girl really knew how to show us a good time!!
Rach screaming, Ian revelling as Tracy holds a nice big Tiger prawn in her face. Love that couple, miss you guys.
A litle dance of frustration in the scorching sun after a failed attempt at sand-sliding. Snow works MUCH better with magic carbets. (I was also nursing a decent sunburn on my back, hence the long sleeves) (My arms are fine Mum)
Jen sauntering through the market in Mui Nai while we awaited our connecting sleeper bus to Hanoi.
A gorgeous sunset amid the carst islands of Halong Bay.
The presently dynamic duo atop the watch tower on Kappa island in Halong Bay. THAT was a great freaking view. We got some more great shots that really show the vista.

Caves created by earthquakes and hollowed by water ladden with cacium carbonate (making stalactites and stalagmites) on one of the islands in Halong Bay.

Tay on his 'Steed'. That grin can't speak NEARLY as much as a twist of the throttle grip. Let me TELL you.
Jens leg after it got a BIT too close to the hot muffler of Tay's 'Steed'. I KNEW I brought that first aid kit for something. Can't say I've got too much experience with burns though ; )
A little deer mooning us at the Night Safari in Chian Mai. Those things let you walk right up to them... kind of weird considering my experience with Georgian Bay Deer...

Here I am with a friend I met on our Night Safari. Look at those two furry smiles. Awwww. Then he spat on me.

HA! just kidding, I'm pretty sure that's a myth.
This little guy's a Gibbons monkey. He was putting on quite a show swinging from tree to tree. I swaear I've never seen anything move as casually yet calculatedly through a tree. It was rediculous.
This blue eyed beast eyed me long and hard after I climbed the cage to get a better shot and woke him (or her?) up. He then scared the shit out of me when he made a move to jump up on the cage as well. That another good vid. I don't know how they do it on TV, I almost wet myself when that thing came at me.
Cooking with Jen and Tay, mortar and pessel style. We were making our respective curries. Mine green, and Jen's red (but hers with peanuts which makes it different than regular red curry, but I forget the name).


Peace out friends and fam,

Tay