Spring Break Extravaganza: Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia

I have been traveling a lot. I know. To me it's a great privilege and a burden. If you want to hear more about that go HERE.

Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand in 5 words. Colorful, delicious and creative. Sensory explosion.

My faves:
1. The Siam Niramit Theater Production. It portrayed some of the history of Thailand, including the changes in clothing, music and religion. The depictions gave insight into Hinduism and Buddhism, for the novice. That's me. There were also live elephants and real rain in the show. It was aesthetically amazing. 

2. Visiting Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. We had a great private, local guide who was knowledgeable and personable. The structures were grand, historical and unique from anything I've ever seen before. Beautiful.





Learning more about Buddhism was really interesting. Cultural anthropology, sociology and world religions are topics I enjoyed studying in my undergraduates. Knowledge about Buddhism will be relevant to my future home, China, as well.



We also went to the floating market and ate a lot of amazing tasting and beautiful food.

I enjoyed my time in each unique country. The people seemed the most friendly and the happiest in Thailand, but that could simply be dependent on my limited exposure and personal experiences in each place. 

Vietnam

At first glance, Ho Chi Minh City seemed like a place I could reside. Cafes and trees prettily lined most of the streets. The only issue would be the scooters. The national capital was referred to as the 'Scooter Capital of the World' and the idea of driving one of those intimidates me. I've actually never driven any vehicle outside of the United States. 

The city didn't seem to sleep. At 11pm, on a work/school night, young people were sitting in groups in the squares. People of all ages were listening to live music and conversing at outside eateries.



We also went to the Vietnam War museum. That was a meaningful experience. Though obviously sad, from treaty violations, to the staggering death toll, to the horrific effects of agent orange, but it was a good way to learn more about this time in history.



A Vietnam mother and child framed by the legs of a soldier. One of the many pictures in the extensive Vietnam War museum.

We also took a cruise on the Mekong Delta.




We ate traditional 'Elephant Ear' fish, so named because of its shape.

Buddhism was not pervasive in Vietnam, like it was in Thailand and Cambodia. Most online sources actually say Vietnam is largely non-religious.



Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer, but their beans are typically only used in instant coffee. They do, however, have weasel coffee. Yes, weasel, the rodent. Coffee growers feed coffee beans to the weasels and after they have passed through the animal’s body, the coffee is collected, ground and brewed. The result? A musky, smooth flavorful coffee. Yum. But wait... "Nowadays however, the coffee doesn’t even go in the animal’s body; everything is replaced by a synthetic process simulating the effects of the beans going through the weasel’s body. I heard the brew runs for about 20 dollars a cup. But I did not have the pleasure of sampling any.

Cambodia

I heart this special place. The people, the heartbreak, the people, the cute houses on stilts, the temples and the people were really endearing. We spent the most time with locals in Cambodia, which made my experience there very rich.

Two years ago, I read Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick. It is a book and a subject that stays with you. So as much as you can to such things, I was looking forward to visiting the Killing Fields in Cambodia. 

We spent a day in the kingdom's capital, Phnom Penh where one of the infamous killing fields is located, and two days where Angkor Wat is located, in Siem Reap. I pre-arranged for someone to pick us up from the airport, with our hostel. The driver/ soon to become our driver/tour guide, was a Cambodian believer with good English. He learned English at his church and at his previous place of employment. He used to work for a Christian non-profit organization. From him, we learned about Cambodia's unpopular king, the hardships of the Khmer people and about his family. His father lost his life in the earliest days of Khmer Rouge's power, when he(our driver) was only 3 years old. He also connected us to his brother-n-law in Siem Reap, also a driver. What a privilege to get a better grasp of this sorrowful time, from those whose lives were most affected by it. I went to the Genocide museum desiring for the experience to change me and definitely impacted me. 

My reflection shortly after visiting:

Our tour commenced with this: "This is the start of your journey, but to those coming in trucks, it was the end."  There was a headset tour that was an easy to follow. A tasteful way to get a better understanding of the horrific tragedy. The tour explained the horrors carried out by Pol Pot. He claimed the peasants were heroes and he killed everyone with "soft hands"- the educated, professionals, anyone who spoke a foreign language, even monks and nuns. Later Pol Pot ordered the killing of everyone who undermined his plan. Within 3 years, 8 month and 30 days(1975- 1979) 3 million people were killed.(The population of Cambodia is only 8 million.) The Killing Fields is just one of many places where people were sent to be murdered.

The gentleness and resilience of the people is astounding.

We spent the day in Siem Reap with our sweet driver and tour guide. 

There are lots of tourist in Siem Reap, in anticipation of seeing the famous Angkor Wat. There are actually a lot of Temples, or Wats, in the area. Angkor Wat was outstanding, but I think my favorite temple was Bayan with all its cute, happy faces.

This was truly a wonderful trip with great friends and amazing experiences.