Kompong Thom and the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk

Cambodia is best known for the temple ruins at Angkor Wat, but Cambodia offers many, many more ruins for temple-tolerant travelers to visit.

We visited the Sambor Prei Kuk temple ruins as a warmup to our next stop, Angkor. Sambor Prei Kuk is ~30km from the dusty town of Kompong Thom (halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap). The 7th-century Hindu temple ruins are all that remains of Ishanapura, one of the capitals of the pre-Angkorian Chenla kingdom.

There are three temple clusters, huge piles of bricks surrounded by jungle. Plants grow on top of the temples and from any crack they can take root, and a few are completely overgrown by trees. Not many tourists come here, so it's possible to just enjoy the tranquil setting.

The temples aren't in the best shape, but it's possible to make out many of the carvings, including the "flying palace" carvings of guardian deities.

A great way to spend a few hours. We spent the rest of our limited time here exploring the city. We were here for Thanksgiving, and in place of turkey we picked up 2kg of fruit from the market and gorged ourselves on pomelo, mandarin oranges, and rambutans.

I hope you're not tired of our temple reporting, we're in the home stretch of this trip but still plenty more temples to blog about.

-Peter

Phnom Penh and the Cambodian genocide

Our first stop in Cambodia was the capital Phnom Penh, where we visited the infamous killing fields to learn about the Cambodian genocide in the 1970s.

The story of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge, and the Cambodian genocide is shocking. Human suffering and mass murder beyond belief.

The back story: in modern times Cambodia was a French colony, then in 1953 became an independent monarchy, and in 1970 right-wing anti-communists overthrew the Prince and declared a Republic. The Prince declared his support for the Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian communist movement, and the impact of US bombing in Cambodia during the last few years of the Vietnam war helped mobilize more local support for the communists. The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot grew strong enough to capture the capital of Phnom Penh in 1975.

The Khmer Rouge immediately began ruthlessly enacting their own brand of agrarian communism. They closed the borders and cut off contact with the outside world. Within days of capturing Phnom Penh, they evacuated the entire city to forced labor in the fields (using the excuse that the Americans were coming to bomb them). The population of the cities were seen as class enemies, so they were expected to work in the fields from before dawn until late at night, with almost no food. Thousands starved or were worked to death. All civil organizations like schools, temples, and hospitals were closed, so there was no medical care. Just collective farming.

Dissent was not tolerated. Anyone suspected of disagreeing with the Khmer Rouge was arrested and murdered, along with their entire family, including children. The idea was to leave no one alive for revenge. Elites, teachers, monks, lawyers, students, anyone who spoke a foreign language, even anyone who wore glasses were arrested, tortured, and killed. Not even members of the Khmer Rouge were safe. The Khmer Rouge proverb was "better to kill an innocent than spare an enemy."

An estimated 2 MILLION people were killed by the Khmer Rouge, 25% of Cambodia's population. We visited the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek just outside Phnom Penh, where 20,000 people were executed and buried in mass graves. There are hundreds of similar sites across Cambodia. Every week at Choeung Ek two trucks of prisoners were offloaded for execution at night, under cover of the noise of the diesel generator and propaganda loudspeakers. Prisoners were bound and blindfolded and made to kneel at the side of the mass grave pits. Bullets were expensive, so the guards killed them with farm tools.

Choeung Ek is now a memorial. Human bones and scraps of clothes are coming up from the dirt of the paths everywhere. Half of the mass graves have been excavated, and the bones of the victims placed in a stupa for veneration.

We also visited the S21 prison. S21 was a high school before the revolution, but the Khmer Rouge turned it into a prison and torture center. The classrooms were used as interrogation rooms and mass cells. Thousands of people were held and tortured here before being killed or sent to their deaths, but we met one of the very few survivors.

Chum Mey survived two years at S21. He is a skilled mechanic, and the Khmer Rouge would occasionally spare prisoners with valuable skills to work for them. He barely survived, and when the prison was evacuated in 1979 he was reunited with his wife and son by chance, only for the guards to shoot them in front of him. Just days before the Khmer Rouge fell.

The Khmer Rouge were ousted in 1979 by the Vietnamese (in retaliation for incursions into the Mekong Delta), but continued resistance in the jungles until the late 90s. The international community was slow to recognize the genocide and  resistant to Vietnam's control, and as a result the Khmer Rouge held Cambodia's UN seat until 1982. Relations slowly normalized and the Khmer Rouge pacified. Pol Pot died in 1998, likely killed by his own supporters, but war crime trials for Khmer Rouge leaders didn't start until the 2000s.

Cambodia is trying to look forward, but the Khmer Rouge years still cast a long shadow. Landmines from the 70s are a major problem, and corruption is endemic. Tourism is a bright spot: the number of annual tourists has skyrocketed, and Cambodia is expecting 5 million tourists for 2015.

-Peter

Saigon and the Mekong Delta

Saigon's name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 by the victorious communists, but the city is still popularly known as Saigon. We were here for a week including a short trip exploring the Mekong Delta, so it was nice to settle in and explore a little more deeply. Most of the tourist sights are related to the war, but we found plenty of interesting ways to fill the time.

Highlight was a murder mystery tour (Urban Tales) of Saigon's Chinatown! Priscilla and I were brought in to investigate the murder of "Dr Lam". We searched the crime scene, explored the atmospheric neighborhood of Cho Lon, and unraveled a complicated story involving the Black Dragon cult and ancient artefacts. We were super sleuths and cracked the case all by ourselves. And they would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for us meddling kids!

Speaking of kids, we made friend with a group of university students practicing English with foreigners in the local park. We later went with some of them to tour the claustrophobic Viet Cong war tunnels in Cu Chi.

Back to history. The US withdrew combat forces from South Vietnam in 1973, and the North Vietnamese overran it in 75. The Presidential Palace (now the "Reunification Palace") is the major symbol of the fall of Saigon, plus the dramatic images of crowds trying to board overloaded helicopter evacs. The palace was the seat of government, and when the NVA captured the city tank #185 broke down the gate and it's crew hoisted the North Vietnamese flag here. The palace is almost exactly as it was in 1975, and you can explore the offices, meeting rooms, living areas, and basement command bunker. It looks too modern to be so historically significant.

The nearby War Remnants Museum has stunning war photography and stomach-churning exhibits on war crimes and the health problems and birth defects caused by Agent Orange defoliant chemicals.

Moving on from tragic war history, Saigon is Vietnam's largest city and is bustling with activity. Swarms of motorcycles are everywhere, and you cross the street by avoiding cars and letting the motorcycles flow around you like water. We enjoyed crossing the street, seeing the latest blockbusters for under $3 (Specter and Mockingjay II), and sampling the Pasteur Street Brewery's craft beers.

We also did a two-day tour of the Mekong river delta. It was an underwhelming package tour, where it's kind of a racket and everyone asks for tips, but it was nice being out on the water so much and it's good to do one of these whenever we forget how much we dislike package tours. We went to the famous Cai Rang floating market, where locals sell anything you can imagine from their boats (as long as you mostly imagine produce). Also got to see a coconut candy workshop and rice noodle workshop.

Why a week in Saigon? We luckily were able to overlap for the last night of our visa with some old friends! Spent a very enjoyable night at a street restaurant with a lively local clientele.

-Peter

Food for Thought (in Vietnam)

Happy Thanksgiving!  We won't be able to have turkey on Thanksgiving this year with our friends and family but we can still contribute to the tradition of saying what we're grateful for. We're grateful for having the opportunity to take this year off and travel. We've met so many friendly people and even some of our friends from home along the way! We're grateful for the technology that has made keeping in touch easier. We're grateful for all the culture and foods we got to experience. Here's what we had in Vietnam!

Coffee - very strong and very rich, how a coffee should be. Sometimes they roast the beans in butter oil and sugar to give it sweet toffee flavor. They also have the infamous weasel coffee. It's the shit. Actually, I didn't care too much for it but Peter enjoyed it. It's smoother, creamier, and darker.

Spring Rolls - fried or fresh rice paper stuffed goodness. One time we had 20 of these. 

Phô - probably the most identifiable dish in Vietnamese cuisine. It's simple in delivery but extensive in preparation. Flat rice noodles are served in beef broth with slices of beef. 

Cassava - staple during the war. Now it's used in many desserts. 

Cơm Ga - means rice chicken but it's so much more than that. The rice is cooked in chicken stock with a pinch of turmeric. Shredded chicken plus Vietnamese mint and veggies are added on top. Considered a Hoi An specialty. 

White Rose - shrimp dumpling. Only one family knows the secret recipe and therefore supplies all the restaurants of Hoi An

Bánh Mì - baguette sandwiches. Vietnam knows how to do baguettes right thanks to the French.

Bánh Nâm - rice flour, stuffed with shrimp and wrapped in banana leaves

Bánh Bèo - steamed rice cake filled topped with shrimp, served with fish sauce and chili. 

Bánh Xèo - we had these wonderful greasy savory stuffed rice pancakes wrapped in rice paper with our homestay one night. It gets its name from the sizzling "xeeeeooo" sound of rice batter being poured into the hot pan. 

Cơm Cháy - Burned Rice - tastes like a savory rice cake. 

Bánh Khoai - a stuffed crunchy rice pancake served with peanut sauce. Usually filled with bean sprouts, shrimp, and pork so we got the vegetarian version. 

BBQ - you cook the meat yourself. They had every type of meat available but we just stuck to what we know. 

Rat - a popular food in the Mekong Delta. Tastes like chicken but with more tiny bones.

Snail - covered in a coconut sauce and topped with mint and chilies. These weren't very good

Chè - a sweet dessert soup! A variety of combinations of beans and gelatinous things exist. Ours was filled with red beans, grass jelly, mango, and coconut milk poured over ice. 

Fruit - fruit!

Escaping the heat in Da Lat

Da Lat is a lakeside mountain/hill town founded by the French as a sanctuary from the oppressive heat. Thanks to the cooler climate, Da Lat is famous for growing flowers and produce that can't be cultivated elsewhere in Vietnam. The architecture is a mix of Swiss-inspired chalets and modern practical Vietnamese buildings.

Da Lat is the first place we've been in Vietnam that isn't overrun by hordes of western tourists, because most of the tourists here are domestic! Da Lat is a popular Vietnamese honeymoon or weekend getaway spot. We had some great recommendations from our guesthouse for local eating places, so we had some of the best Vietnamese food of our whole trip.

Da Lat's most unique attraction is the Crazy House. Built by the creative visionary architect daughter of a senior communist official, the complex looks like something from a Hanna-Barbara cartoon (i.e. Flintstones) on acid. There are no right angles, and narrow, dangerous walkways wind through the trees and over the roofs. It's also a hotel, but the rooms are open for viewing during the day so you'd better not need privacy.

Da Lat's train station is the most notable example of the ski chalet style. There used to be train service from the main line up to Da Lat, but the tracks were wrecked during the war and scavenged for parts after the war. Now only a 7-km stretch of track is open, but there's a tourist train you can take roundtrip to a neighboring town with a fantastic elaborate temple.

The botanical gardens were also nice, but probably not in the best season.

I should mention, we overnighted in the Russian beach city/party town/tourist trap of Nha Trang on our way to Da Lat. I really wanted to take a Vietnamese train, but it's incredibly inconvenient on the tourist north-south "conveyer belt" because so many of the major sites are away from the tracks. We took a train anyway, and it was very disappointing. AC was broken and the windows didn't really open, so it was hot and there were lots of bugs. Not nearly as good as the sleeper busses, which are faster, cleaner, and go between all the major destinations.

We also finally lost track of our travel friend Gareth. We met Gareth in Phonsavan, Laos and shared the same bus to Sam Neua and again into Vietnam. We're traveling at roughly the same pace, so we ended up on a very similar itinerary for two weeks. Every time we thought we were someplace so big there's no way we would run into each other again, it kept happening. Five separate times just in Hanoi, and also Cat Ba, Hue and Hoi An. We'd forget about it, and then surprise! There's Gareth!

We're quite behind in blog posts; we're already in Cambodia now!

-Peter