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Julia WarmingtonJulia Warmington
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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 25

    The Mekong Delta

    1 marzo 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Collected from our apartment block & taken to collect the other couple on our tour to the Mekong Delta - another Julia and Paul! Made it easy for the tour guide! First stop was the Buddhist Vinh Trang Pagoda with a very 'happy Buddha'. Next taken to the river to board a motorised sampan to Unicorn Island to see the exotic fruits growing, sample them with traditional folk music being played for us. Fruit was good - particularly liked the sapodilla which we had not eaten before. Then taken to a honey farm to try honey tea - delicious. Back on the sampan to Phung Island to transfer to a traditional sampan which was rowed for us along a canal under the shade of the water coconut trees. Taken to a coconut candy factory - every part of the coconut is used - husk to make carpet, coconut flesh was desiccated & then milk added back to make a slush, then pressed and milk extracted used as fertiliser and the shell is used to burn as fuel for the cooking of the candy. Tasted the candy but have too many fillings to risk eating any more - very sweet and chewy. Taken from here in a horse and carriage to a riverside restaurant for lunch. So much food - deep fried elephant-ear fish, braised fish, sour soup, omelette, morning glory, rice and watermelon. On the motorised sampan to take us back to the minibus to continue our journey to Can Tho for our overnight stop. Nice hotel. Walked to the riverside in the evening through the night market. Lovely dinner overlooking the river.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 24

    Ho Chi Minh City

    28 febbraio 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Started with a couple of loads of washing - nice to get everything clean. Got a taxi to the War Remnants Museum - interesting to read the Vietnam side - obviously much written propaganda. The exhibitions show all the American weapons and the tortures used when USA troops interrogated suspected Vietcong but not how US troops were treated when captured. It is still harrowing to see how all suffered during that time and the effects still being felt due to Agent Orange - chemical sprayed from planes and helicopters to kill the forested areas. In the Imprisonment area there were many bats hanging on the wall - they did not look friendly! Following this we walked to see the Notre Dame Cathedral (only from the outside as being renovated) and the post office (an old French colonial building). In the evening we went for a meal at a restaurant recommended to us - the entrance did not look inviting and 5 flights of stairs to climb but 'the Secret Garden restaurant' was lovely and the food was delicious.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 23

    Good evening Vietnam

    27 febbraio 2019, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Travelled by the Giant Ibis Bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City. Delayed start as a few had not got visas for Vietnam. One got off but others decided to try their luck at the border - apparently enough money will get you in! Watched as people queue jumped with a bit of cash in their passport - made all the difference! We had to pay an additional $2 each - slipped inside the passport when given to the coach driver - for having an e-visa! Took a while but got through border control. Arrived in Ho Chi Minh City and looked for the taxi companies recommended to us but could not see one so followed one of the touts to his taxi - we only had 3k to go - how much could that be? After trying to take us in the wrong direction he charged us over 7 times the going rate! We learnt our lesson. On the good side our apartment was lovely.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 22

    The Killing Fields & Palace

    26 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Arranged for a taxi to the Killing Fields which picked us up promptly at 9am. The Killing Fields are a reminder of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime. Such a sad place but feel it is good that there is this remembrance for the victims and they should not be forgotten. It seemed strange but also comforting that there is now a school next to the Killing Fields and you can hear children laughing and playing as you walk around - good wins over evil. Our taxi driver waited for us and drove us back to the hotel. Then walked to the Palace, stopping for lunch on the way. Interesting to watch workers adding a new electric wire to the multitude already attached to the poles - even put the ladder against the wires for support to get the wire a cross the road without stopping the traffic. Spent the afternoon walking around the palace areas visitors are allowed in. Very interesting & lovely gardens. Lots of temples in the grounds including the Silver pagoda with emerald Buddha - the floor is covered in silver tiles (mainly covered in carpet but tiles can still be seen). The household of the palace wear different coloured clothes on different days of the week - red on Sunday, orange on
    Monday, purple on Tuesday ...blue on Friday etc.    Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 21

    Still cant get into the palace!

    25 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Walked to the central market in the morning - has lots of jewellery stalls in the centre as well as the vast number of food, fish, clothes and other stalls. Didn't buy anything - just enjoy looking. Then walked to and alongside the river to the Royal Palace ready for the 2pm opening only to be told that it was shut today for a special ceremony - a meeting of the Cambodian King and the Vietnamese President. Lots of military personnel, scouts - including a band and drummers, girls in official dress etc. Flags and placards showing the King and President were handed out. We waited and watched the cavalcade arrive and enter the palace. In the evening we went to a good burger restaurant- sometimes nice to eat burger and fries!Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 20

    Amuseum day

    24 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Intended to visit the Royal Palace today but having walked there we found it was closed from 11am to 2pm so visited the National Museum instead. Interesting but a lot of artefacts and after a while it is just too much information. There were lots of sculptures of Hindu deities - Ganasha (elephant headed God), Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Shiva, Harihara and Garuda (Hindu sun bird) from the Khmer era. There was also a casket in which the bodies of kings have been kept before cremation. Nice garden in the centre of the museum and nice and cooler inside on a very hot day. Walked back to hotel to cool down in the air conditioning before going out again to the main market and then walked to Wat Phnom - a temple on top of an artificial hill that was built to house some sculptures of Buddha and then used to house the ashes is Daun Penh who was the founder of the city of Pnhom Penh.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 20

    Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh

    24 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    We had booked the train for the journey back to Phnom Penh but after our last 2 experiences on the train we booked the bus! Either our host had forgotten to book the tuk tuk or he had not turned up so we were taken to the bus station in the hotel car. Bus was good again - sleeper type seats and water and snack provided. One comfort stop and one lunch stop and we arrived about 6 hours later. Tuk tuk to hotel - room is fine -quite large with air conditioning. Walked to the riverside and sat and watched the world go by for a while. Lots of people taking gifts into the Buddhist shrine on the riverside. A mini- market had been set up selling flowers, joss-sticks, fruit, other gifts for the Buddha and lots of birds in cages - mainly sparrows but one cage of swallows. Also lots of fortune tellers - reading the cards. Back to the hotel to change and out to the nearest sports bar for food and to watch the 6 nations rugby. France v Scotland first - good game and then at 11.45pm local time Wales v England. Disappointed by the result - Wales won but it was a good atmosphere in the pub. Walked back to the hotel about 1.30am - they left the door open for us with a sleeping employee on the couch.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 18

    Back to Sihanoukville

    22 febbraio 2019, Cambogia

    Today we had to leave the lovely island of Koh Rong Sanloem. Caught the 10am ferry which took us to Koh Rong first to drop off and collect passengers there and then to Sihanoukville. The sea was calm and so the crossing smooth. In comparison to the island, Sihanoukville is dirty and dusty. After getting some money out of the ATM we negotiated with the tuk tuk drivers & got a small van converted one which gave a nice smooth ride up to our hotel - Port Hedonia. It was 4k out of the town, mainly uphill, but a lovely setting. After checking in we walked up to a nearby viewpoint and around a temple. In the temple grounds they had taken in children orphaned by parents who died from HIV. Back to the hotel for a swim and lounge by the pool.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 17

    Another lazy day

    21 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Just a short walk along the beach and out to the end of the pier, bit of reading, a short swim and a lovely massage for me today. So many fish in the sea here - small ones all along the shoreline and larger fish visible from the end of the pier. Paul & I did our bit for the environment by picking up 3 plastic bags and 2 ring pulls from cans whilst walking along and put them in the bin (this is all we found). When returning to the room before dinner we found a new friend - a gecko at least 30cm long - perhaps what has been keeping us awake at night calling. Paul coaxed it outside eventually. Lovely to see though.Leggi altro

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  • BangCamNamKong
    Giorno 16

    Lazy Bay

    20 febbraio 2019, Cambogia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Decided to walk to the other side of the Island for breakfast so set off down the beach to find the trail. Found the start of the trail had been replaced with a wide rough road to a construction site. Not to be put off we carried on until we came to a T junction with a path and was not sure which way to go. Met a girl walking who directed us and after a short section we got onto the right path. Lovely bay and realised we should have taken swimming stuff. Nice breakfast in the bar there. Short walk along the beach & then walked back across the island to our bungalow. I had a nice swim while Paul read his book. We ate at the restaurant in the evening - nice food.Leggi altro

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