Day #5. More trekking and a high ride. Mondulkiri, Cambodia.

I had the most horrible nights sleep last night because I was in a hammock in the fa-reezing cold. With a limited number of blankets I should add. If I had my down comforter, which I was thinking of all night long, I would have been much warmer than I was with the U.S Army blanket that was issued with the U.S Army hammock. In all seriousness at 2 in the morning when I was shivering I was thinking, make the Americans proud Emma. I also was convinced that someone was sneaking up on me in the middle of the night. Or that a tiger was prowling nearby (there are an estimated 50 living in Mondulkiri's forests). But that's no surprise considering my paranoid mind... right Mom? The village that we stayed in consisted of 3 hours. It's rather small and makes my minuscule comment in the previous entry regarding our base town a little pathetic. There were 7 other tourists in the village, making the houses quite crowded. 3 girls from Israel and then 4 guys from France and Poland. There were so many kids running around as well as puppies so I was pretty much set for entertainment. None of the houses have electricity, but ironically there is cell phone service. So people charge their cell phones through their motorbikes.

We got to the village yesterday at about 4:00. We were supposed to sleep in a house with an ancient looking man (I wish I spoke Khmer so I could ask him about his experiences under Pol Pot's reign since obviously was alive then), a set of parents, and about 8 kids. We felt like we were intruding which is why we hung the hammocks outside. The house was one room with a wrap around bed/table where they sleep, prepare food, and eat. I played with the kids for hours and met the other people visiting the village aka the cluster of three houses. Then we had dinner, rice with vegetables. During dinner the tour guides gave me a cup of liquid, which I assumed was water until it was at my lips and I could smell the alcohol– it was rice wine. I asked for a glass of water and my guide refused to give me one. He kept responding, "No. This Cambodia. Drink." Good lord. Rice wine drinking continued until 12:30 or so. I retired to my hammock at about 8:00 but of course didn't really sleep at all because of

Too much rice wine. This big slab of wood serves
as their table & bed.

my paranoid state of mind slash I was so cold. And actually, in the morning I found out that I wasn't hearing things... there was a rooster nesting in the tree above me, not quite the same as a tiger but how could I have known that in the dark... Anyways, I think I only slept about an hour but I was able to watch the sunrise and play with the kids and puppies more. The children are such champs when it comes to being resourceful. They had these balloons and when they popped they would just tie them off and make smaller balloons out of them. Also, they had toy trucks which were oil containers that had been cut up with wheels fashioned out of wood. Like I said, so resourceful and clever. Breakfast was bread with pineapple jam. The family ate rice with vegetables again and Robert made a comment about how it was unfair that they got the better breakfast. I don't think that he understood that to them, bread with pineapple jam is a luxury- they probably wish they had been eating it. We were dining on delicacies. But I agree with him... I would have preferred the rice and vegetables.

Me and my new friend. That is the house behind me.

Check out his truck!

Balloons!

 

We left the village at 9 and trekked the rest of the day with the French/Polish guys and their guides. We saw more waterfalls and went swimming again. It was great. But the best part of my day had yet to come. After lunch I rode an elephant through the jungle. For real. I am basically a jungle woman. Just call me Jane (Tarzan reference in case you didn't catch that). It was so cool to be up so high and of course to be on an elephant. I was a little hesitant at first because it sort of seems inhumane to ride elephants but then I thought, well people ride horses so why can't we ride elephants. Horses were once wild. That was my logic.

To elaborate on an earlier comment about rice wine and my tour guides.... the minority people, all they do is drink. No wonder they don't make any money– they are always too drunk to find work. I am not saying this to be rude, but it is the truth. In the morning both our guides were still drunk from the night before, and at lunch time they started drinking again. They were still drinking when we said goodbye to them at 4:00. They kept us entertained though! I really liked our guides, they had me laughing all the time even though they spoke no English! So here are some quality photos of my guides...

This is his English book. He was working on his greetings. One of
them read as "Nice to meet/see you." He didn't understand the signficance of "/"
and kept saying "nice to meetsee you." I kept trying to explain that the
slash meant or, but I couldn't get my point across!

Still drunk.

Taking a little break.

THE BEST PHOTO EVER!

This was the beginning of day 2. He told us he was tired. "too much rice wine."

cave. This way.

Day #4. Trekking. Mondulkiri, Cambodia.

Mondulkri means the middle of somewhere, perhaps more fittingly would be the middle of nowhere, but then again nowhere often denotes a lack of attractions, which is exactly the opposite of Mondulkiri. Right now I am sitting beside a waterfall after a quick walk in, it was only about 1½ hours. We started out just walking up little hills through dry, arid planes but we eventually ended up in a dense jungle, descending to the waterfall that I am now sitting at. During the rainy season the whole mountain side becomes a bright green– just like Sa Pa. I am trekking with this guy Robert, from Belgium, whom I met on the bus here and we have becoming traveling buddies for the next few days. We have two local guides with us who are showing us around the hills of Mondulkiri.  Both of our guides know almost no English. One of them adds "I don't know" to the end of every sentence. Rice wine, I don't know. You, I don't know. Here, I don't know. Elephant, I don't know. Eat, I don't know. You get the picture?

dry fields

And then waterfalls!

Last night I had the yummiest dinner, a thick soup with vegetables and jack fruit in it. After hanging out for a little bit and meeting some new people, I returned to my little bungalow and passed out. It felt so, so, so good to sleep in the cool brisk air with the relaxing sounds of a rural area around me, mostly birds and a breeze. This village is minuscule. It consists of only one road, it is fantastic.

Day #3 En route to Mondulkiri

Sitting somewhere on the side of a road waiting for my fried noodles to arrive. This is our bus's lunch break. I am on my way to Mondulkiri, I am so excited about this part of my trip! The drive here has been incredible so far. The road has been really bumpy and well, simply a dirt road at times meaning we've had to move along at a snail's pace. But, it means that I can take decent photos of the rice fields, houses on stilts, buffalo being herded, and kids playing the water. It's awesome!

Day #2. The Killing Fields. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I was out of my hotel at 6:30 this morning to explore the streets of Phnom Penh. Last night I walked around quite a bit but it was rather dark so I didn’t get to see much. Walking around this morning was wonderful- there weren’t really any other tourists up, which always give me a “I’m a good traveler” boost. I walked to the palace in hopes to catch a good glimpse of the grounds but they have really tall gates surrounding it. I was able to see the front and main entrance but that’s about it. I walked around some more, explored the city, and then returned to my hotel at 9:30, already 3 hours into my day.

My next move was taking a tuktuk to the Killing Fields. I know nothing about the Killing Fields is funny, but it is a little comical to hear all the tuktuk drivers say “Killing Fields!?” in such an enthusiastic way whenever I walk by. “I bring you to Killing Fields!?!?” My trip to the Killing Fields was a really, really, interesting and terribly depressing experience. Just to forewarn everyone the following information is really graphic and disturbing. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to include it all but unfortunately it is the truth, this really did happen. Cambodia isn't all temples and elephant rides, there is a really bloody history that is a defining part of the country. So before I go into detail I will just explain that at the entrance to the Killing Fields tourists are given a headset and hand held remote. There are numbered stations all over the grounds and using the remote you type in what number station you are standing at and then you hear a very detailed description of what would happen at this area.  It was really strange because everyone had their headphones on and was just sitting or standing around with a look of disgust on their face. Really it was a very saddening morning.

The Killing Tree.

The Killing Fields are where S-21 prisoners were taken to be executed. In late 1976 to 1977 every couple weeks a few truck loads of 50-70 people would arrive, but by 1978 it was 300 people everyday. The Khmer Rouge soldiers sometimes couldn’t kill all of them in one night so they would hold them in a small building until the next night. They only executed them in the night with only a generator run light and loud Revolution music to hide the screams. The loudspeakers were hung from "The Killing Tree” ironically it is the same species of tree that Siddhartha sat under while reaching enlightenment. This tree has another chilling characteristic– babies were grabbed by their feet and swung into the tree, the soldiers smashing their heads into the tree while their mothers watched, the last thing they saw before their own death. The Vietnamese soldiers found bits of brain, bone, and blood in the bark of the tree. This was what I found most disturbing.

Another extremely unsettling fact is that prisoners weren’t killed by being shot, bullets were “too precious.” They were hacked or beat to death then pushed into a communal grave. DDT was then sprinkled over the bodies finishing the job as well as disguising the stench of decomposing bodies. To kill the prisoners soldiers would use anything, shovels, machetes, bamboo poles, hoes, and even sugar cane branches. They would slit their throats and let them bleed to death. Pol Pot was just a horrible, horrible person. He even killed 300 of his own soldiers because he was so paranoid. He once said, “Better that ten innocent men suffer than one guilty man escape.” I just can't believe a Cambodian would do this to fellow Cambodians. This was a terribly depressing and disturbing experience.

This is a sugarcane tree... they used the sharp edges to slit
prisoner's throats. It's gross and extremely disturbing but
unfortunately it's the truth.

There is more than one case full of skulls.

Later this afternoon I had a big change of pace and went to the National Museum of Cambodia, basically an art museum with a plethora of Khmer sculptures. Some pre-Angkorian period and others right at the height of it. There were so many Buddha, Vishnu, and Shiva statues. I lost focus towards the end. Unfortunately, I have never had a good grasp on Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. so it was difficult for me to follow all the placards and descriptions. Following the museum I walked around a bit and then called it a day and returned to my hotel to shower and relax. By this point it was almost 5:30 so I had really been going since 6:30. I had dinner at my hotel again, tofu kabobs. It was pretty yummy.

Day #1. Tuol Sleng Museum. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

For the next few days I will be blogging about my trip to Cambodia and Thailand. I kept a journal while traveling so I'm basically  just going to copy it down verbatim with some extra details every now and then.

If you had asked me where I was going to spend my New Years Eve, I never would have guessed Cambodia. But guess what… that’s where I am! This morning I bid farewell to Vietnam for the first time in four months exactly. I arrived August 31^st. It seems like I have left Vietnam before because I’ve done so much air travel since arriving. Anyways, today while riding the bus out of Saigon I came to realize just how hard it is going to be in 2 weeks when I leave for an unknown period of time.

The bus ride to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, was 6 hours long. We obviously stopped at the boarder to get visas and our passports stamped, and then we were on our way again. It was nice, the visa only cost $25 for a month. Much more reasonable than Vietnam. We arrive in Phnom Penh around 3:30. I stepped off the bus and was immediately attacked by the tuctuc drivers. These are motorbikes with carts on the back, I think they replaces taxis as I have seen none here in Phnom Penh. The bus ride here I read my Cambodia travel guide and tried to learn some of the road names and figure out a hotel to stay at. I’m glad I prepared before arriving, even if it was only a couple hours prior to my arrival. I found a hotel that is only $7.00 a night. Yes, dollars. I went to a bank to exchange money and they told me no, I will be able to get by on dollars. And that is the currency offered at the ATM, so bizarre. I think tomorrow I will try to get some riel though. Something very different about Cambodia, stores close early! The banks close at 3:30 and today when I was walking around so many shops had their gates shut and locked. I’m not sure if it is because it is a holiday or what. This was frustrating because I really needed to talk to a travel agent or someone about a bus ticket to Mondulkiri, so I can go ride elephants. Yes. 

 

Anyway, today I went to Tuol Sleng Museum. Originally the building served as a secondary school but during Khmer Rouge Period it was turned into Security Prison 21, or S-21 for short. This was a horrific experience. I can only compare it to what I felt when I went to Saigon’s War

Prison cells. They are so tiny.

Remnants Museum (but without the guilty conscious since I am an American…) the Tuol Sleng Museum was just more real in a sense because they had photos of all the people who entered and were tortured and killed. The prisoners were people who were "enemies" of the Khmer Rouge– those that served for a foreign government, lived in cities, or were educated... people were considered educated if they had soft hands or wore glasses. More than 17,000 were imprisoned and killed. They also had the torturing tools and devices on display with very graphic paintings illustrating how they were used. It was quite disturbing. In 1979 when the Vietnamese came to save the day the prison guards tried to kill all of the prisoners but a few were able to escape. There are only 7 still living out of all the people that went there- how absolutely crazy! What really struck me though was that the building was originally a school. It just goes to show how ruthless the Khmer Rouge were.  Right now some of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge are on trial. The case is called 002- I can’t imagine what is going through their lawyer’s heads who are trying to defend them. 

 

Torturing devices. So disturbing and horrible.

When I left the museum I decided to walk around the city. It is so so so different than Vietnam. It isn’t as developed, well parts of it aren’t. There are some streets that aren't even paved, but a few blocks down will be a bustling shopping avenue. Another difference, there are way more kids begging for money. For dinner I went back to my hotel since it was already dark and I don’t have any Cambodian money. So I bought a meal that was a wee bit more expensive, $3.50 but it was delicious and I had entertainment and a dinner date– the owners five year old daughter. Her English was rather impressive. Dinner was amok, baked fish with coconut, lemon grass, and chili with rice. It was delicious!

There are streets that look like this...

...and then there is this

Parting thoughts.

I’m en route to the Philippines- I have an 8 hour layover in Singapore right now. I can’t believe that I have left Vietnam “for good.” “For good” in the sense that I don’t know when I will return, but I plan to someday. It is really difficult for me to put into words how I feel about this country. I love it, but there are some cultural values, norms, and differences that I will never be accustomed to and to be honest, will enjoy distance from them. For example: public urination. The pungent smell found at dumpsters across the city will not be missed. On a more serious note, I won’t miss the Vietnamese inability to say no. If you ask them a favor, they’ll say yes- even if they know they cannot do it. Then they will come up with an excuse later so they can get out of whatever they agreed to. As a straightforward, tell it like it is, no bullshitting American, this drives me absolutely crazy. Just be honest! They mean the best though; they only lie because they don’t want to let anyone down. It is easier for them to say yes and then back out later. Or just lie if they actually don’t know the answer. If someone is asked directions and they actually don’t know, they will just point in a random direction. In the eyes of the Vietnamese this is much better than saying, “Sorry, I can’t help you.” Okay, well that was a detailed side note. The point is– I won’t miss that. But speaking in the greater scheme of things, I will miss Vietnam so incredibly much. I have fallen in love with this country. Even in the past two weeks while traveling in Cambodia and Thailand I missed Vietnam. I constantly found myself comparing everything to it and whenever I was with other travelers I always was saying, “Well this one time in Vietnam…” If I missed Vietnam while in its neighboring countries– I’m in for a big shock come April when I fly to America.

How could someone not love a country with places like this?

Time for the cliché, “I can’t believe how much I’ve learned in the past four months” bit. Sorry, but it is necessary. I need to reflect. The biggest change I’ve experienced is understanding the value of money. I clearly remember the first lunch I had in Vietnam and being amazed that for $4 I could get a main course, a drink, and dessert. Now, I can’t fathom spending $4 on a lunch, especially for the low quality of that particular restaurant. I am used to buying all three meals for under $4 a day, usually around $2!

a delicious meal for under $1. That's what I call a bargain.

One of the first assignments we had was to interview a local about living in Saigon. I met a girl at a smoothie vendor and began talking to her about her experiences. As we were discussing the traffic I asked her how she commuted to and from school. She said the bus, but she didn’t enjoy it because it is hot, slow, and crowded. I naively asked, well why don’t you just take a taxi or xe om? She laughed and responded by explaining it is too expensive. I thought, it’s only $2 or $3. Well yeah, it’s only 2 or 3 dollars but she doesn’t think in dollars- why would she when her currency is dong? Why spend $3 to get to school by hiring a xe om driver if she can spend $0.15 with her student discounted bus ticket? Everything needs to be put into perspective of how far money can get one in Vietnam. Yes, in America 2 or 3 dollars isn’t much, but in Vietnam the girl can live on that for 2 or 3 days. Live. Seriously, that’s all she needs.

I also have a much better understanding of the sense of unity in Vietnam, in terms of family and nation. I thought it was so odd when I first met Vietnamese youth and learned that as University students they still lived with their parents. Weren’t they embarrassed by that? Of course not! Family is incredibly important– and it economically makes sense to live with parents or other

The Trans. What a family!! They are incredible!!

family members. Why would young adults spend money to move across the city just so they could say they own their own place if they can live with their parents for free? Besides the convenience of it, students want to live with their parents because they love spending time with them. Families are a unit, just like the nation. The sense of national pride is unbelievable. Probably one of the things I found most shocking upon arriving is that nearly everyone loves and admires Ho Chi Minh. Prior to my travels to Vietnam, I had a relatively small idea of what he did for this country, and I definitely was not aware that all the people cherished him. I had

Good old Uncle Ho

naively thought that the Vietnamese who had lived below the 17^th Parallel would be against him and his realm of government. However, I quickly learned elsewise. One of the first conversations I had with a BELL club student was about Ho Chi Minh. We were walking in the city and as we passed a statue of him I asked her if she liked him. She gave me the weirdest look and said of course; she must have thought I was so stupid. The conversation continued and I asked her if the people that don’t like him– do they keep their oppositions to themselves in fear of the government? Again, she gave me a crazy look and said, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like him.” That was my first introduction to Vietnam History 101- written by the Vietnamese, not the Americans. I learned that most Vietnamese admire Ho Chi Minh for his dedication to liberating the Vietnamese people. Basically, what I took away from this experience was to keep my mouth shut unless I really know what I’m talking about, especially with a local. Really, I must have sounded so stupid when I was talking with her.

There are smaller, jovial, and humorous things such as crossing the streets, using chopsticks, learning a different body language, and understanding that certain subjects aren’t rude- like asking about money and costs of items. These are all things that I struggled with at first, but have come to accept as part of my daily life and routine. When going through my notebooks at the end

Who needs air mattresses?

of the semester I found a shopping list on the back page that I made my first few days in Vietnam. It listed some toiletries, a few wardrobe additions, and… a pillow! I thought the mattress and pillow at the guesthouse were too hard. Since then I’ve slept on bamboo mats,  floors surrounded by nuns, and most recently a hammock in the mountains (stay tuned for that detailed story). I don’t consider my life back In America as pampered, but after four plus months in Vietnam I feel like I really have lowered my living standards. I definitely have become more flexible and accepting of different lifestyles and realized that I just need to go with the flow and accept things the way they are. The environment isn’t the thing that needs to be changed­– I need to be the one making adjustments to my life to adapt to new surroundings. I’ve come so far and have learned so much since September. It wasn’t really the traditional textbook semester- but nevertheless I have learned.

What I am going to miss so much about Vietnam, well that is hard for me to put my finger on. I’m going to miss the people obviously, my friends in Hue who I said goodbye to a month ago, Co Thanh and the Vys, and my homestay family. Everyone has been so welcoming and accommodating, always willing to help (or so they say hehe). I’m going to miss the traffic and the way it just swerves around me, really I missed that while in Thailand, they don’t swerve. They

Yesterday I went to the fruit lady and was
successfully able to communicate to her (in
Vietnamese!) that I was leaving Vietnam the
next day. So she gave me a second box of fruit
for free. What a nice lady

stop- it confused me so much. I’m going to miss going to the fruit lady and seeing her huge smile when she looks up and recognizes the American girl while she grabs a pineapple without even asking me what I want, because she knows. I’m going to miss how there is always a flourish of activity in the early morning. The shouts of competition from the badminton matches always encourage me to get out of bed in the morning and go running amid all the powerwalking grandmothers and grandfathers. I’m going to miss dinner with my homestay family and just sitting there and listening to them speak Vietnamese while happily slurping away at whatever is in my bowl. I’m going to miss chopsticks. I’m going to miss the little girl who lives in the house adjacent to mine. She always squeals with delight and runs over to say hello to me. I’m going to miss che, ‘nuf said. I’m going to miss going to the market and wowing vendors with my Vietnamese (not saying its good but it is definitely better than all the other foreigners). I guess what I’m going to miss the most is the comfort and confidence that I have gradually built. It takes time to adjust to living in a foreign country, especially a developing one. I obviously don’t comprehend half of what is said or done around me but I have an idea because I have a general understanding of the way things work, and that, I will sorely miss. 

I once was terrified of this.

These past 4 ½ months that I’ve spent in Vietnam have been incredible and I wouldn’t give them up for anything. I’m so sad to say goodbye. A few tears actually rolled down my cheeks when the plane took off. I really did fall in love with Vietnam. But lucky me, I have the Philippines. And if I like it there half as much as I like Vietnam then I’ll be all set. So on that note, bring on the Philippines. Goodbye Vietnam, I love you.

I usually scoff at people who take photos from the plane but it
was my final glimpse of Saigon– my wonderfully crazy sprawling city.

Safe and sound in Vietnam!

I just got back from my two week adventure. And tomorrow afternoon I leave for the Philippines. Am I feeling pressed for time right now? You bet. There isn't time for me to blog about my whole adventure so I figured I would just post some pictures... a little taste of what's to come. I will say this really quickly, I had an incredible two weeks. I did so much in such a short period of time, but not too much– I didn't overwhelm myself.

I wasn't sure what traveling by myself would be like but I  enjoyed it immensely. I figured I would get lonely and easily bored but that was not the case. Having the freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted was fantastic. If I was feeling tired I could slow down or even return to my room for a quick nap. And on the flip side of that, being by myself meant there was no one to slow me down if they were tired. Everything was at my own pace. I had no set itinerary, the only definite was my flight from Bangkok to Saigon this morning.

Additionally, I found out that people are much more willing to approach you and start a conversation if you are alone (not in a creepy stalkerish way). I met so many cool people– it was awesome! And whats best about traveling is that if you figure out you aren't that compatible you can just say goodbye to them and go your separate ways. But, most the people I met I didn't have to do that! It was a wonderful, wonderful two weeks. And now for a little teaser (in no particular order):