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south east asia

July - August 2017
A 41-day adventure by Shauna Read more
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  • Travelersouth east asia
    1
    Day 8

    An Bang Beach - Hoi An

    July 22, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    It's official, we found paradise. It has the odd pushy salesperson with some allegedly real pearl bracelets and too many Americans, but with a pair of earphones in it's definitely paradise. We spent pretty much the whole day lying on this amazing white sand beach which had the clearest water I've ever seen. I could see my toes perfectly while standing. It was also warm enough to be like a bath while also cold enough to cool you down. Not sure how Vietnam can possibly continue to impress us, but it's definitely doing well so far.Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 9

    Hoi An Ancient Town

    July 23, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today we got up early with the rest of the Congo Family (the nickname we have for the little group we have made whilst in Hoi An) and we got a taxi in to the old town. Hoi An is famous for its lanterns and cute colourful side streets. The four sacred animals of Vietnam are the turtle (longevity), the dragon (strength), the unicorn (happiness) and the Phoenix (beauty).The town is full of temples with statues of these different animals.

    We went back to the hostel for lunch and a pool party which was so fun, we were in the pool from 1 till almost 6 playing a big volleyball tournament and other games which led to some very wrinkly skin but was so funny. After burning through factor 50 on the beach the previous day' I decided to put 30 and top of 50 much to everyone's entertainment but I didn't burn so I guess factor 80 works.    Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 10

    Ho Chi Minh City

    July 24, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After a six hour delay, we finally made if to Ho Chi Minh City and it definitely is a complete contrast to the calmness of Hoi An. We are staying in a really nice little guesthouse right in the centre of the city. We went out for some traditional Khmer BBQ which was delicious, now to bed before a big day out tomorrow.Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    2
    Day 11

    Cu Chi Tunnels

    July 25, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Early start today up at 6.45 but were greeted with a lovely breakfast from our host. Then on board the bus to the Cu Chi tunnels. Instead of paying a couple of hundred euro for a private tour we opted for a group one of 15-20 people but when the bus arrived we lucked out and there were only 5 including the 3 of us!!!

    The Cu Chi museum was incredible. We were shown why and how the tunnels were built. We learned the tricks they used to survive underground for up to 18 hours, including making mounds of dirt with holes in them to look like termite mounds where the holes actually worked as a ventilation system. We were also shown the many traps they used. We got the chance to get in to some of the old tunnels and travel between tunnels and chambers. It was a pretty horrible experience being squeezed into the dark dingy tunnels; it gives a new understanding of the Viet Cong dedication to win the war.    Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 11

    Mekong Delta

    July 25, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today after the tunnels we also went on a trip of the Mekong Delta and explored Unicorn Island to see what life was like for the Mekong people. Unfortunately it decided to start absolutely lashing just as we got onto a small very rocky boat across a very wavy/tidal part of the river. After what seemed like hours but was apparently only 15 minutes we made it to the island which was amazing. We tasted the traditional honey tea and were shown how coconut candy is made. We also travelled in a small row boat down small calm offshoots of the delta.Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 12

    War Remnants Museum - HCMC

    July 26, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Today we went to the war remnants museum. It has three floors and two outdoor displays. It was incredibly informative and has given me a whole new appreciation for the struggle of the Vietnamese people, but it was also very upsetting. I had heard of agent orange but never truly understand the effect it had on Vietnam until seeing this exhibit. What struck me the most was a little girl born the same year as me who was had life debilitating disabilities that I have never seen the likes of. She was a third generation victim of agent orange. There was also a very physically and mentally disabled boy born in the late 2000s who was a fourth generation victim of agent orange. So far in Vietnam there have been 2000 cases of fourth generation victims with severe disabilities documented. As hard as it was to read their stories I think it is important to know and understand what happened so the same cannot be allowed to happen again .Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    2
    Day 13

    Last night in Vietnam - Chill Skybar

    July 27, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    To celebrate our last night in Vietnam we decided to treat ourselves and go to a skybar (we went at 6pm so we could get happy hour prices). We put on our best dresses and our first bit of make up and headed of to the skybar. When we got there a man not only opened the lift door for us but also pressed the button to get us up to floor 26. It was probably the fanciest place I have ever been. We managed to use up the last of our Vietnamese dong buying the most amazing cocktails and were home in bed by 10 o clock which was definitely a bonus.Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 14

    HCMC to Phnom Penh

    July 28, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today involved a 7 hour bus journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. This involved being stamped out of Vietnam, crossing no man's land and getting our visa to Cambodia. Obviously I looked more suspicious than Eva and Sarah because they took a scan of my finger prints and a picture of my face but not theirs. We arrived in Phnom Penh at about 4.30 dropped our bags and headed back in a tuk tuk into town. We saw the palace and visited the daughters of Cambodia shop and visitors centre. Daughters of Cambodia is a charity working to save girls who have been sold into the sex industry and teach them a skill and get them work so they don't have to go back to the brothels. Everyone was so interested in our light skin especially the kids and they were all so nice and friendly. We went back to the hostel to shower and relax a bit before heading to the night market, where we learned the Cambodians love to barter and we managed to bag a few good deals.Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 15

    The Killing Fields

    July 29, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Today was an very hard day but was something I'm definitely glad to have done. We met our tuk tuk at 9 and he brought us just outside the main city of Phnom Penh to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum which is better known as The Killing Fields . We had an audio guide and a map to follow to go around the outdoor museum. The voice on the audio guide was a man who had survived the killing fields.

    Tuol Sleng was one of many "killing fields" that were used to murder "enemies" of Pol Pot's communist state during the Khmer Rouge Regime . Reasons for being an enemy of the Khmer Rouge included being an intellectual eg a doctor (sorry Grandpa), wearing glasses (sorry mum) or having soft hands. If a man or women was brought to the Killing Fields the rest of their family would be brought too, to prevent them trying to get revenge in the future. Cambodia was very poor after the Vietnamese war and bullets were expensive . Due to this the victims were not shot but were instead beaten with various weapons and then placed in large unmarked graves. Over 3 million out of 8 million Cambodians were killed during the Khmer Rouge reign.

    It was horrific to see the site of such tragedy but the site has been made into an incredibly peaceful tranquil place with lots of trees and flowers that attract butterfles and birds, giving it a very peaceful feel. During the late 1980s the site was excavated and the bones were categorised by age, gender and cause of death. They are now stored in a large mausoleum with flowers and incense burning outside.    Read more

  • Travelersouth east asia
    Day 15

    Tuol Sleng War Genocide Museum

    July 29, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    After the Killing Fields we got back in a tuk tuk and travelled to the centre of Phnom Penh to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This was originally a school but was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and turned into one of 200 prisons where the Cambodian people were confined (also some Westerners, such as an Australian sailor who was arrested while sailing the world after ending up in Cambodian waters). Between 12,000 and 20,000 people were imprisoned but there are only 12 confirmed survivors. We had an audio guided tour and learned that people were brought here and tortured using methods such as water boarding , starvation and beating until they signed forced false confessions. Once these confessions were signed the prisoners were sent to the killing fields. It was interesting to hear what took place but was horrific to think that humans could do that to each other .Read more

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