Journal 29 April - 5 May 2008

5 May 2008 - Day 74, Saigon to Hanoi

Today cost = bacon & egg omelette with fruit & coffee (3) + drinks (1) + taxi (2) + taxi to airport (6) + pho ga (1.5) + snacks & water (2) + taxi from airport (7) + guesthouse (10) + pepper duck, hanoi fresh spring rolls, beer (5)

USD$37.50 (AUD$40) - expensive

4 May 2008 - Day 73, Saigon

Mr.Son riding Adriane to the Zoo, he later tried to rip us off, Ho Chi Minh City

Elephant dancing for food at the Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Ho Chi Minh City

Today cost = guesthouse (7.5) + baguette with cheese & cucumber (1) + coffee (1.5) + pho bo & iced coffee (2.5) + fine art museum entry (1) + Zoo entry (1) + cyclo (5) + water (1) + Indian dinner & beers (5)

USD$25.50 (AUD$27) - moderate

3 May 2008 - Day 72, Phnom Penh to Saigon

Bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Today cost = drinks & snacks (2) + lunch (2) + guesthouse (7.5) + pho & beer (2.5) + coffee (1.5) + plane ticket to Hanoi (115)

USD$130.5 - reasonable

2 May 2008 - Day 71, Phnom Penh

Authentic Australian breakfast in Cambodia, Phnom Penh with Vegemite

Our last full day in Cambodia before crossing into Vietnam.

For the last week we've been staying in a great little hotel in Sisowath Quay called the Paragon. Outside our window lies the Tonlé Sap River and a carnivalesque park on it's bank. The Tonlé Sap River runs north-west to a lake of the same name, the largest lake in Asia. A couple of hundred meters down the road from us the Sap river meets with the mighty Mekong. From here the Mekong runs south-east through Vietnam to the South China Sea. Alternatively it can be followed north crossing the borders of Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, China and into Tibet. During the rainy season a dramatic rise in the Mekong forces the Tonlé Sap river to flow into the lake. During the rainy season the lake swells from around 3000 sq km to 13000 sq km. During the dry season the flow is reversed and the floodwaters drain back into the Mekong. Interesting huh.

Yesterday evening Adriane and I went on a somewhat invasive one hour long boat ride across the Tonlé Sap and Mekong tributary. It took half an hour to get straight across and another half an hour to get back and cost $3 each. The invasive element came when we reached the other side and our boat joined a procession of tour boats gawking into the open walled lives of a floating village. From what I understand these families are also families of the tour boat operators so invasive may be an inaccurate description. It felt strange nonetheless watching a lady bath herself on her doorstep (mooring?) and a family brushing their teeth while watching TV. I wonder what it would be like to have boatloads of people constantly floating past taking snapshots of my life.

Adriane stayed up late watching movies last night and this morning I made her get up early to go for breakfast and a big walk. Its 10am and she's asleep. We read it was possible to watch traditional Cambodian dance being practiced at the nearby Royal University of Fine Art. We couldn't find any dancing but we had a good time getting lost in the streets of Phnom Penh. Every street is different. Different smells, buildings, classes, and feelings. It got hot and sweaty so we had a tuk-tuk take us to what I thought was a new shopping mall but infact was a horrible casino with blue sky and clouds painted across the ceiling. What time is it again?

My experience here has been very up and down but always interesting. Our pace is reasonably slow so when I say up and down I don't mean tumultuous. Just tidal.

Yesterday we came across a nice young lady working at a souvenir shop that helps fund a local primary school. She was very chatty and kind. I bought I gift card made from elephant poo. She told us she no longer calls out hello to older male foreigners because they come over and ask her for sex. Sometimes in a threatening tone she said. Unfortunately for young women sex and illegal sex are a major attraction of Phnom Penh. There are visible warning posters about sex with children being a crime and quote 2,000 offenders arrested for sex crimes over the last five years, thats over one arrest per day.

Last night a persistant young book seller seductively whispered "your mouth says no but your eyes say yes." No I don't want to buy anymore books.

I've taken a liking to massages over our travels (not the naughty kind) especially after sitting in a bus or carrying the backpack. Yesterday we tried hour long massages with blind masseurs for $6 each. I chose a Thai massage because they feel as though they are the most therapeutic, in other words the most painful. Adriane ordered a foot rub. Physically it was probably the best massage I've ever had but there were a few unsettling qualities to the 60 minutes. Firstly the nearby air conditioning unit was blasting me and made it too cold - they were unable to turn it down and it was too hot to have off. Secondly the room had ominous fluorescent tubes glowing brightly - I imagine for the assistance of masseurs with impared vision. Lastly, I was a little unsettled about having a masseur as opposed to a masseuse. I find the sensuous touch of a female more relaxing than the firm hands of a male. Despite dry eyes and lips from the room's climate my body felt good afterwards.

Three of the top tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are the genocide museum, killing fields, and shooting range. Adriane saw an advertisement recommending doing all three in one day. So after witnessing where thousands of men, women and children were tortured and executed, having walked around the mass graves of thousands more and empathasing with victims of war, you have the opportunity to end your day blasting off a rocket launcher ($200) or AK-47 ($16) at the nearby shooting range. Pathetic irony or an economic disposal of left-over munitions?

In general the modern French bistros, nice hotels, and romantic feeling of Phnom Penh regularly play off against Cambodia's recently sombre past. I often find myself reaching to pay for an espresso at the same time as handing out change to poor elderley men lacking numerous limbs.

Tomorrow we hop on a bus for Ho Chi Minh City. We plan to fly up to Hanoi as soon as possible then get a train north to the mountainous city of Sapa. We'll probably spend a couple of nights in the cool air before heading back to Hanoi to rendezvous with Adriane's family and begin a new adventure.

Today cost = hotel (15) + breakfast (4) + tuk-tuk (1) + drink (1)

1 May 2008 - Day 70, Phnom Penh

Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh

A cloud, boat, casino and crane, Tonlé Sap/Mekong tributary, Phnom Penh

One hour cruise, Tonlé Sap & Mekong, Phnom Penh

Notes: American voices, walking with caution, NGOs, store girl telling us about old men always asking her for sex, PP sex & drug tourism, art gallery yesterday, blind massage, bus ticket and visa to HCMC

Today cost = hotel (15) + breakfast (5) + sunglasses (4) + lunch (5) + 1 hour blind massage (6) + gift card and drink (3) + coffee (3.5)

30 April 2008 - Day 69, Phnom Penh

Ramayana Fresco, The Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh

Today cost = hotel (15) + breakfast (5) + Royal Palace entry (6) + Coke (1) + National Museum entry (2) + art gallery catologue (15) + lunch (6) + 6 DVDs & 2 CDs (13) + water (1) + dinner & beers (8)

USD$72 (AUD$78) - expensive

29 April 2008 - Day 68, Phnom Penh

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, former Khmer Rouge S-21 prison, Phnom Penh

During the Khmer Rouge regime the Toul Svay Pray High School grounds were surrounded by two folds of corrugated iron sheets covered with electrified barbed wire. "Security Office 21" or S-21 was designed for interrogation and extermination of anti-Angkar elements. The number of prisoners held at S-21 between 1975 and June 1978 are estimated at 10,500 people - not including the estimated 2,000 children killed by the Khmer Rouge. Duration of imprisonment ranged from 2 to 7 months before execution. Of the thousands imprisoned in S-21 only 5 people are claimed to have survived.

An interrogation/torture room, 1st floor S-21

S-21 rules and regulations:

1. You must answer accordingly to my questions. Do not turn them away.

2. Do not try to hide the facts by making pretexts of this and that. You are strictly prohibited to contest me.

3. Do not be a fool for you are a chap who dares to thwart the revolution.

4. You must immediately answer my questions without wasting time to reflect.

5. Do not tell me either about your immoralities or the revolution.

6. While getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all.

7. Do nothing. Sit still and wait for my orders. If there is no order, keep quiet. When I ask you to do something. You must do it right away without protesting.

8. Do not make pretexts about Kampuchea Krom in order to hide your jaw of traitor.

9. If you do not follow all the above rules, you shall get many lashes of electric wire.

10. If you disobey any point of my regulations you shall get either ten lashes or five shocks of electric discharge.

Cells for female prisoners, 2nd floor S-21

Mass prison cell, 3rd floor S-21

The Killing Fields, Choeung Ek Memorial

Click to view full size panorama

Killing Fields

Mass Grave with visible bones and clothing, Killing Fields

Prior to 1975, and the Khmer Rouge regime, the Choeung Ek Memorial area was an orchard and Chinese cemetery. During the regime this field was the site of over 17,000 executions, most of whom were also victims of torture in S-21. Innocent men, women and children were murdered and tossed into mass graves.

View from 112 as storm comes over the Tonlé Sap River, an old man waits

View from room 112 of same old man hit by a car

Notes: Horrors of S-21 and killing fields, PP expensive, storm in evening, old man hit by car, difficulty sleeping after going through photos from S-21, thinking about future volunteer work but would not enjoy living in PP.

Today cost = hotel (15) + breakfast (5) + tuk-tuk (10) + S-21 entry (2) + lunch (5) + coffee & juice (4) + Internet (2) + Killing Fields (2) + water (1) + dinner & beers (9)

USD$55 (AUD$60) - moderate

14 February - 6 March 2008 (Phuket)

7 March - 16 March 2008 (Phuket/Phi Phi Island)

17 March - 28 March 2008 (Phuket)

29 March - 7 April 2008 (Phuket/Bangkok/Chiang Mai/Pai)

8 April - 18 April 2008 (Chiang Mai/Bangkok)

19 April - 28 April 2008 (Siem Reap/Phnom Penh)

29 April - 5 May 2008 (Phnom Penh/Saigon)

6 May - 15 May 2008 (Hanoi/Ninh Binh/Sapa)

16 May - 27 May 2008 (Sapa/Hanoi/Ha Long Bay/Hué/Hoi An/Doc Let/Mui Ne)

28 May - 7 June 2008 (Saigon/Phnom Penh/Siem Reap)

8 June - 15 June 2008 (Siem Reap)

16 June - 24 June (Siem Reap/KL/Austinmer)