Vietnam and Cambodia

Over the last few years, several of our friends have been telling us about great vacations in Vietnam and Cambodia. We decided to check it out for ourselves over the winter holidays this past December.

Etihad Airlines has a direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in southern Vietnam, so we started our journey there. I have never seen so many motor scooters in one place in my life. Tens of thousands of them, sometimes overflowing from the streets and competing for space with pedestrians on the sidewalks. Families of four or even five people all on one scooter were a common site.

The architecture throughout Vietnam varies widely, from narrow older homes to modern skyscrapers. Vietnam used to have property taxes based on the width of the front of the house, along the street. Some buildings are only two or three meters wide. Others open up into much bigger spaces away from the street. Power lines typically run overhead, creating a dense tangled network.

One of our first stops in Saigon was the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a Taoist Temple.

The tradition at the temple is to buy a caged bird or turtle on the way in and set them free for good luck. Our bird flew high into the trees. The turtle settled into a pond just to the right of the temple. Once a month the turtles in the pond are collected and released into the Saigon River. Let's hope they don't just end up back in the little cages out front.

Just outside, a sidewalk game of chess:

Day two was a trip to the countryside, including a stop at a vast rubber tree orchard where we could see the latex slowly oozing out of the live trees.

The Cu Chi tunnels were the main destination of the day. The tunnels date back to the Vietnam War. (Not surprisingly, the Vietnamese call that war the American War.) This is where the Viet Cong led the Tet Offensive in 1968. There are over 120 Kilometers (about 75 miles) of tunnels. Tourists can crawl through parts of them. It's hard to stay underground in such confined quarters for just a few minutes, and even harder to fathom staying underground for weeks on end, which is what the VC did. The war memorial park also has displays of horrifying booby traps, weapons, cramped war rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms with cleverly diverted chimneys to confuse the enemy. The guides and very international tourists were all friendly, the weather was lovely, and the woods were beautiful, but the Cu Chi tunnel complex ultimately helps confirm just how truly awful war really is.

When we returned to Saigon, we visited the Reunification Palace. Completed in 1966, it was headquarters for South Vietnam until the fall of the country in 1975. The tanks that broke down the gates that year still remain near the front of the building.

The building and its furnishings are well maintained and are excellent examples of mid-century design:

The following day was a big excursion to the Mekong Delta, a labyrinth of waterways filled with boats and people. Fishing and rice farming help support the densely populated region. The goods are sold on floating markets.

 

The houses are built on stilts which are usually square instead of round in section to make it harder for snakes to slither up into the homes.

We visited a small craft shop making and selling local products. One of the more unusual items for sale was snake wine. John was feeling brave and had a sip, but we declined from buying a bottle:

Our boat stopped by a small family establishment for a snack of fresh fruit and juice. We were given a slightly touristy but very pleasant song and dance performance of local folk tales.

All kinds of boats float around on the Mekong Delta. Some of the channels can only take smaller ones:

A very relaxing and delicious lunch in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Life is good:

The next morning we took a two hour flight from Saigon to Siem Reap, Cambodia. By that afternoon, we were at Angkor Wat:

The grounds for Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are vast. Temples and other ancient buildings are scattered throughout the region, surrounded by dense jungle. Most of the temples were built between the ninth and fourteenth centuries under the rule of the Khmer kings.

Angkor Wat is still considered the largest religious structure in the world. Over the centuries, beliefs practiced at the temples have alternated between the Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

The temples are covered with incredibly ornate details. Here are some examples of lathe turned stone and bas-reliefs:

An ancient library:

Angkor Wat:

Bas reliefs cover the walls, telling countless stories that vary widely from battles to dancing.

We worked our way to the top of Angkor Wat, crossing through terraces filled with intricate statuary of Budhas and other figures along the way:

The view from the top of Angkor Wat. The dense jungle is held at bay, but you can tell it would quickly engulf the temples if left unattended:

A quiet dinner in a nice restaurant back in Siem Reap at the end of the day:

We started the next day at Angkor Thom, seeing monkeys and elephants along the way:

A bridge with ancient gods marching down on either side:

This gateway appears on Cambodian currency:

More incredibly detailed bas-relief:

The Bayon Temples is know for its enormous smiling faces carved into the building itself:

Dancers from the past and present:

The temples go on and on. You could spend days in the area without seeing the same building twice:

A small section of the very long Elephant Terrace:

One of my favorites, the incredibly detailed Lepur King Terrace:

Around the corner, a Cambodian motorcycle taxi stand:

If left unattended, the jungle really does take over the temples. In the case of the Ta Prohm Temple, the trees can't be removed because there would be too much structural damage. The imagery is so striking that it ended up being used as a set for a movie called Lara Croft with Angelina Jolie:

Shifting gears again, we returned to Vietnam, this time to the north side of the country. After another plane flight, a night in Hanoi and a long bumpy car ride, we ended up in Halong Bay, famous for its tall limestone islands. 

For two days and one night we stayed on the Pelican II. The boat had about 20 cabins with room for 40 passengers. Most of the travelers were with a Chinese tour group plus a few lone travelers like us from Singapore and Australia.

A hike up one of the limestone islands gave us a panoramic view:

We found happiness at the top of the island:

Back at sea level, smaller boat rides led to limestone arches, limestone caves, and floating markets:

In the caves with some of our friendly ship mates from Australia and Singapore:

By the following evening, we were back in Hanoi which we found to be a little more pedestrian friendly than Saigon. It also has several nice lakes that help to break up the density of the city:

Ho Chi Minh was born in the middle of Vietnam and ultimately became President of North Vietnam. He is revered as a hero that helped to reunite North and South Vietnam, although he did not live to see that day. His body lies in state in this closely guarded mausoleum.

As President, he lived in this relatively humble home, even though he had a much larger option available to him:

The one column Temple:

Buddhist temples are abundant throughout Hanoi. Incense is left as an offering at the temples after people have come to pray. The rich smell permeates the air.

The last stop of our trip was The Temple of Confucius. Originally built in the 11th century, it is a long complex of buildings creating a series of five courtyards.

The Temple of Confucius is also known as the Temple of Literature and was the first university in Vietnam. Graduating students still go there on graduation day for photos and to honor Confucius. We were lucky enough to see a few of them ourselves:

A few lingering memories from Vietnam - road side food carts with tiny chairs and tables:

And finally, reminders that you are in a communist country, although capitalism continues to expand across its borders. Familiar stores and hotels are everywhere. Starbucks is well represented. Vietnam's first McDonald's is opening this year (2014) and it's owned by the son-in-law of Vietnam's Prime Minister.