Siem Reap Cambodia - Sous Dei

Eleven years after college graduation, my medtech friends and I embarked on a journey to a place filled with history and culture. Not a place on top of your travel list, but it was on top of ours. Angkor Wat - our destination for our reunion trip. Angkor Wat is found in Siem Reap, one of the must-see places in Cambodia. We chose to travel the way Cambodians do - by public buses and tuktuk. The journey to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh was long and tiring. However, a day at the Angkor Wat proved that all the effort was worth it.

The walls of the Angkor Wat tells more than a hundred stories. The place is full of character and history. It is not enough that you walk through the place, you have to read the stories that is intricate in its walls and facade. I can't help but be amazed by its beauty.

By 8am of July 18, we were on a bus headed to Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh. We reached the Mocbai border at around 9:45AM at Bivet border at around 11AM.. At 1:30PM we were headed to Siem Reap. It was mid-evening when we reached Siem Reap. Our official residence in Siem Reap was Golden Temple Villa where we stayed at 14USD per room per night. A place we highly recommend.

Foods that we've feasted on in Cambodia composed of Khmer amok and Jasmin Rice, Khmer lok Lak, Fried Spring Rolls and Cha Kreung which have average costs of 2USD per serving. Khmer amok was a dish with chicken fillet in fresh coconut cream, onion, cauliflower leaf, egg with traditional Khmer spices served with steamed Jasmine rice while Khmer lok lak was a combination of fried beef with pepper sauce topped with fresh cucumber, tomato, onion and lettuce. Cha Kreung was a mixture of beef, long beans, onions, green pepper, peanut and Khmer spices while their spring rolls were fried chicken with mixed vegetables wrapped in rice paper topped with Khmer peanut. Yummy indeed!

Our tuktuk driver, Dhy, accompanied us to Angkor Wat at around 5AM.  You have to be early if you want to catch the spectacular view of the Angkor Wat against the rising sun.  Entrance to the Wat cost us 20USD each while the 2 days and 1 night rent for the Tuktuk amounted to 16USD (tip included)You can ride the Air balloon at 15USD and gaze upon the beauty of Angkor Wat from above. Angkor Cafe serves  delicious Khmer breakfast and is found just in front the main entrance of the Angkor Wat. Lunch is best served in the restos in front of the Elephant Terrace. The whole day was spent exploring Angkor Wat, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Leper King, Terrace of the Elephants, Preah Khan, Thommanom, Ta Phrom and Phnom Bakheng. We ended the day watching the Apsara dance.

The next day, we headed to Phnom Penh and thanks to Sapaco, had a free couch tour of the city where we had a glimpse of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the National Museum.

We stayed only for a day at Siem Reap and few hours at Phnom Penh but it's enough to say that Cambodia is a destination every one should see.

Ho Chi Minh - Mith Samlanh

Each came from work but with energies still at sky high. This is how my friends and I were as we boarded flight 5J 751 bound for Ho Chi Minh. It was almost midnight of July 17, 11PM to be exact, when I met with the girls - my best buddies in college- to board the plane. By 1230 of July 18, we were spreading our infectious laughters at Tan Son Nhut International Airport.

It was 4AM when we decided to leave the airport and headed to the city where we ate our 1st "yummy" all-original Pho and the delicious Banh Mi which cost 30,000 dong and 10,000 dong, respectively.  The taxi from the airport to the city costs 2USD. We boarded a bus going to Siem Reap at 7:45AM (fare: 16USD)  and went back to Ho Chi Minh after 3 days.

It was in May when we agreed to visit Saigon which is now known as Ho Chi Minh. It was a good choice, if I may say.   Trivia: When the war ended in 1975, Saigon was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City, in honor of the Vietnames statesman, Communist leader and Confucian humanist, who led Vietnam's struggle for independence in 1940s and who was a major figure in the war between North and South Vietnam in the 1960s.

It was evening of July 20 when we're again saying "xin chào" as we were back again in Ho Chi Minh. We stayed at Luan Vu and Pha Lan during our Ho Chi Minh trip - both are found in Pham Ngu Lao Street.

We had free breakfast which consist of baguete, strawberry jam, banana and Vietnamese coffee. Our 3 days and 2 nights stay cost us 18USD.

July 21. After eating breakfast we joined the Cu Chi Tunnel Tour (cost:90,000 dong). This famous city underground was home to Vietnamese soldiers during the American War. It shows the battlefield brilliance of the Vietnamese. The tour ended at 2PM and we headed back to Pham Ngu Lao to have our lunch at Mai Ai Resto. I spent 3.5USD for a sumptuous meal. The rain poured during our Cu Chi tour but that  was not a hindrance in enjoying and admiring the Cu Chi Tunnels .

After lunch, Gina and I walked the streets of Vietnam and indulge in the beauty of the city. As catholics, we visited the 1st church that we saw.

By 6:30PM, we were at 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai st. where the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater or Nha Hat Mua Roi Nuoc Rong Vang was located. The  Mua Roi Nuoc or  Water Puppet  Show cost us 65,000 dong. My share for the taxi fare going to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St from Pham Ngu Lao was 9,250 dong. It was a splashy evening. Good thing we didn't get wet since we were seated at the front row. The show would have been much entertaining if there was an english translation to the dialogues. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the show. Before going home we went to the night market and ate dinner (3USD) at Pho 24.  We ate Pho bo kho and Pho bo with Kiwi shake.

The next day, we had a city tour. We walked to Ben Thanh market found at the intersection of Le Loi Blvd, Ham Nghi Blvd, Tran Hung Dao Blvd and Le Lai Blvd. It was built in 1914 and its belfry and clock has become a symbol of Ho Chi Minh. Here is where you'll go crazy with trinkets of souvenir, beaded bags, vietnamese coffees and teas and many more.  Here is also where we had a taste of Saigon pedestrian and the art of crossing the street - Saigon style.

Historically relevant and is home of the president before the fall of Saigon was the  Reunification Palace - our 2nd stop. Entrance fee is at 15,000 dong. It is located at the intersection of four main streets: Nam Kỳ Khoi Nghĩa, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Huyen Trân Công Chúa and Nguyen Du. It was first built in 1868 with the name Norodom Palace and finished after 3 years of work. This is the 2nd palace that i've been to and I have never  been to our own Malacanang Palace. Haay! Anyway, exploring it allow one to peek into the life of the president. We stayed for almost an hour, posing here and there and admiring the sections of the palace.  

Tummy growls and the group trooped to Quan An Ngon located at 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ho Chi Minh City. Lunch was served at Ngon at 3USD. Ngon means "delicious," and, for an authentic Vietnamese cuisine, this restaurant lives up to its name. We ate Goi Ngo Sen To Thit and Com Tam Bi Suton Chi.  It was a satisfying lunch. Diners can pay in dollars or in dong, whichever you prefer.

Gina and I went to War Museum after lunch. While waiting for the museum to open, we mingled with the foreigners who were also patiently waiting. They were Korean boys and girls who were with their teacher touring Ho Chi Minh. Gina got along with them easily since she knows how to speak Korean. I, on the other hand, knew only few lines - thanks to my Koreanovela addiction days - but had a nice time with them, too. The entrance fee was 15,000 dong for the War Museum. The museum is not for the soft and weak hearted. It displays photos of the war atrocities, how the people suffered and  victims of bombings. The War Museum is located at 28 Vo Van Tan St ( the intersection with Le Quy Don St). Opening hours are from 8 to 11.30 am and 2 to 5 pm daily.

From the museum, we walked to Dong Khoi St . The neoRomanesque cathedral has two 40-metre-high square towers tipped with iron spires. The cathedral is known as The Notre Dame Cathedral. It has a statue of the Virgin Mary in front. A few to behold was the  pigeons/doves taking refuge in the outside walls of the cathedral, some were at the plaza in front of the cathedral.  Tourists are only allowed to enter the cathedral at designated hours; hence, we waited till 4PM to go inside and pay homage. It poured so hard that we opted to buy raincoats worth 10,000 dong which cost as much as a coke in can. While waiting for the cathedral to open, we stayed inside the city post office which was also an architectural pride of Vietnam.  It is at 2 Cong Xa Paris St, next to Notre Dame Cathedral. It is the largest post office in Vietnam. Postal services are available daily from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm. The camera was abused inside the post office due to the several shots we took.

It was around 5PM we left the cathedral and headed to Le  Thanh Ton Street where the  HCMC's People Committee or the Saigon Town Hall is located. The City Hall was built in 1908 as Hotel de Ville. The building was formerly used as the Assembly Building, restored and painted many times since, and now home to the Peoples Committee of HCMC. Right in front of the structure, we found the statue of  Uncle Ho cradling a child on his lap. The statue has a small park in front and the Rex hotel right across the street. Pasteur Street was our next destination as we were again attacked by hunger pangs. However, we went to see the Saigon Opera house 1st before rushing to Pasteur Street. The opera house is located at the intersection of Le Loi St. and Dong Khoi St.  A distinctly French-colonial architecture buit in 1897. Its architectural style is influenced by the flamboyant style of the French Third Republic with the façade shaped like the Petit Palais which was built in the same year in France.

 

After admiring the landmarks, we ate at Fanny located at 29-31 Ton That Thiep near Pasteur Street.  Kem dac biet was superb.

Saigon Center at #65 Le Loi Street was where we freshen up and had window shopping.

Saigon Square at Nam Kỳ Kh0i Nghĩa, Phurong Ben Thành was our next stop. We browse over its wide range of goods but since we know Divisoria and Greenhills price, we were not convinced to buy.

 

After our city stroll :P, we headed back to Pha Lan. We bought our pasalubong at A.M. Lacquerwares found in Pham Ngu Lao St. after we had our showers. The items on sale are really must-haves with bargain prices. Dinner at Pho 2000 followed shopping time. We ate pho again, our favorite! We also tried other dishes;thus, our dinner cost us 6USD.

After dinner, we thanked Cam Thi Vu, owner of the place,  for the warm hospitality, fair money exchange rate and free cokes :). It is now time to go back home. The time to enjoy Ho Chi Minh has come to an end. It was around 9PM when we hailed a cab that will take us to the airport for our flight back home. 

Flight 5J 752 brought us back home on July 23, 2009 at 4:30AM. The people I missed so much fetch me from the airport and I was again reunited with my family.

Before my bother said "I do"

On the day before my brother said "I do", the family decides to cuddle up and enjoy the night together. We stayed at Sofitel, a famous hotel by the Manila Bay, and basked in a night of laughter and togetherness.