Mozzeenet

wee-hee! Signing in at Saigon city!

Been experiencing Vietnam over the last 4 days! It’s interesting comparing the differences with Cambodia.

We entered Vietnam by boat into the Mekong delta. It was a lovely trip, seeing life on the river from deck chairs on a small boat. I noticed immediately how much more built-up and busy it was compared to Cam.

Lots of boats, houses and activity. I could see the Chinese influence in the style of the boats with their painted faces at the bow. We began to see people wearing the distinguishing conical hats.

Our first destination was Chau Doc near the border. We were quite surprised that it was a busy, little town. After Cambodia, it is a surprise to see how built-up and modern Vietnam is.

The first day, we were a bit dazed. We felt a bit helpless, not knowing any of the language, where we were going or how things worked. Such a contrast to how we feel in PP now. It felt strange not being able to communicate or understand a little of what people were saying. We noticed people in the Mekong delta didn’t have much English.

At Chau Doc, we made a decision about what we were going to do but it took almost all day to work it out. We hadn’t had much time to plan so none of us really had any idea about what was on offer.

After a few failed attempts to get some information, we found a place where an expat guy gave us the low-down on everything.

Only having a very limited time, we had to be selective. Although we all were keen to find our own way, it soon became obvious that a tour was the way to go. It became apparent that it was much easier and cheaper to go on a tour.

So, the next day we headed off on our tour which took us to a Cham settlement over the river houses built on the water, complete with electricity cables and TV antennae - a necessity in this day and age our guide told us.

The Chams had their own kingdom in earlier times called Champa and are Islamic. There are also Cham people in Cambodia. We saw them making scarves and had a look at one of the mosques. I was more interested in the life around me, I wandered up the road where children were sliding down a muddy bank into the river.

Our guide had a very dry sense of humour and we noticed this with a lot of the people here. They were often quite serious and single-minded. The way of communicating is very direct, almost authoritarian. “Do this now, do that now” type of thing. “It is raining lightly now”. “Pick up your bags now”.

We speculated on whether it was simply personality or more than that, the influence of a Socialist political system. In contrast, the Khmers seem very laid-back and unimposing.

In the afternoon, we arrived by boat at Tiger Island where we had booked a home stay. We stayed with a family in a wooden house. It was fairly tourist-oriented and there were 4 other people staying there as well. Still, it was a nice sojourn.

We rode bikes around the island in the afternoon, had a beer by the ferry dock and dinner back at the home-stay. We slept on canvas fold-out beds with mosquito nets. Everything was very clean and comfortable.

The next day, we went to see a floating market nearby - lots of boats piled high with coconuts, pineapples and other foodstuffs. We even bought an iced coffee from a floating drink vendor! Then, we went to an on-land market.

It was very interesting - lots of weird things for sale like snakes, eels, frogs and any number of other culinary delights.

The afternoon was taken up by a bus trip up to Saigon. It was supposed to take 5 hours but another 2 were tacked on because a lot of Saigon was flooded when we arrived. It had been raining all day and the drainage system is not up to scratch.

There were traffic jams coming into the city and bikes and buses broken down in the knee-high water.

Finally we made it to the backpacker area near the centre. Saigon 1 is the centre of the city. Ho Chi Minh (its official name) is broken up into districts and Saigon is the name of the central district. The city seemed fairly frantic compared to PP but not as frenetic as Bangkok.

We were pretty tired so we found ourselves a hotel. The hotel is very clean and comfortable and still fairly cheap, $4/person a night. It even has a proper shower with hot water which is a real luxury.

We had Italian for dinner. Lots of good restaurants and coffee shops. The coffee has been a real treat here. The Vietnamese use these small metal, drip-through contraptions, one for each person. We bought some yesterday at a market - they’re great. You put the coffee in the top with the hot water and it drips through into your glass. Saves making a whole pot.

Had an excellent sleep on Thursday night, didn’t wake up until 10am! We have air-con so perhaps that made a difference.

During the day, we wandered round and then caught cyclos for a bit of a tour. People here are much more into the sales pitch and drive a hard bargain. They didn’t give us a great tour but it was fine to get our bearings.

We first went to a market - the best thing there was the cold spring rolls I had for lunch and a papaya, strawberry and avocado fruit shake. It is more civilised than Cam and nice just to sit and eat in the food-hall. Usually, I feel too harassed and hot in Cambodia when I eat at the market.

We spent quite a bit of time at that market. Then, they took us to a Chinese temple. It was very interesting with huge pots of incense burning and intricate carvings on the roof of people, animals and landscapes.

We then went to the Chinese medicine area of town. They had everything for sale there, tiger’s teeth, snake-skin and many different dried herbs and concoctions, interesting.

Next we did a bit of a tour of the river area (dirty, smelly, fetid). And finally back again to the backpacker area where we are staying.

After a couple of hours of relaxing, we went out to dinner up the road. An excellent meal. I had prawns in coconut - whole prawns I might add, beautiful! And coconut ice-cream for dessert.

We went for a drink then headed out with some other backpackers to a bar called Apocalypse Now. It was packed, could have been anywhere. I thought it was a bit hideous. It closed at around 12 then we went to a place called Sahara. It was OK but again packed to the rafters. We had a few drinks and then I headed back at about 4am. I’m not sure what time Jennie and Natalie got in.

So, feeling a bit tired today. We’re going to the War remnants museum, perhaps get a massage and do a spot of shopping. I’ve had breakfast already, I left the other two sleeping so I will go back soon and see how they’re faring.

Tomorrow, I’m headed back to PP by plane. It has been great to get over here and check Vietnam out. Perhaps I will get to the North at the end of the year.

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia

By now I should have been winging my way to Ratanakiri but hello, I find myself in an Internet cafe in Phnom Penh. What happened?

Well, Cambodia happened! But the good news is that I’m now headed to Vietnam tomorrow morning. Very excited - going overland via the border crossing in the South of Cam and will work our way through the Mekong delta up to Ho Chi Minh City. I’m hoping to fly back from there. An update will be imminent upon my arrival back in PP.

As for Ratanakiri - well the travel agent told me I could pay for the tickets 2 days before (Friday) because the airline had to check there were enough passengers to fly!

So Fri morning 9am, I rang up and the man told me he would call the airline (no computer system for that airline) and call back in 5 mins. 11am came round and I was getting anxious to know so I rang back. He said, he would call me back in 5 mins again. 2.30pm - no call! I was getting annoyed by now.

I rang back and he wasn’t in the office and a lady asked me where I wanted to go! I told her I had tickets booked and then she looked for my name in the computer and couldn’t find it.

I was getting very edgy by this time. Then the man I have been dealing with walked in. He got on the phone and said he would call me back. I made sure that he would and hung up.

This time he did call back. Ummm, no flights are going on Sun, Mon or Tues because the airport in Ratanakiri is being fixed! I was not a happy customer but also not really surprised after living here for 6 months!

We could have gone on Wed but had to come back Fri and that wasn’t enough time. So, we decided to mull it over on the weekend and see what we could come up with.

Overland to Ratanakiri was not an option (15 hours or more in the rainy season on terrible roads). Vietnam seemed to be a good idea - initial inquiries revealed that we would probably not get a visa until Tues afternoon but I found a guesthouse over the weekend which could do it today and we get it tonight - we put our passports in last night.

So, I am a bit busy today organising a couple of things. I wanted to go to Vietnam but didn’t know if I would have time so this has worked out well. Two of the other YAs, Natalie and Jen are coming along as well.

Had a great weekend - Friday night found us at PopZone again and we saw the movie, ‘Donnie Darko’- as the name might suggest, it was a very dark movie but lots of excellent themes and ideas. Pretty intense for a Friday night flick. We had dinner with some of the new YAs beforehand and they came along to the movie.

Day trip to Kompong Cham on Saturday - nothing remarkable but good to get out to another province. We stopped on the way at the town where they sell fried spiders, piled high on round trays! Some people may be disgusted that I tried a small portion of a leg. Sonia was 10 times braver and tried the body. She said it tasted like pate.

We also saw some wats (again), a big new bridge built by Japan over the Mekong, some temples and rice fields. It absolutely poured on the way back, very cold and wet by the time we got home.

Stuffed at night - dead to the world by 9pm.

Had a great day yesterday - went for breakfast with some of the new YAs then we went with Ana’s parents to eat corn over the river, by tuk tuk. Then I met up with Natalie and we put our passports in to get the Vietnam visa.

Had a quiet dinner by the river last night - it was really buzzing up there, packed with people walking, riding and sitting around. The palace was all lit up. I think it must be for the holidays this week - lots of people come to PP then many will go to their homeland later in the week on the public holidays. It is for honouring ancestors and relatives who have died. The people take food and flowers to the pagoda to give to the monks.

well next time, news from Vietnam!

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia

*NEWSFLASH* We got an Internet connection this week at WMC!!! Yay! Hurrah! Party!!

Although Sarayeth decided a while ago to go ahead with it, nothing had happened so last week when we got another virus on the email computer, I asked in my sternest voice how it was progressing.

That clinched it (I think it was more the virus than my stern voice) and the next day I was on a mission to buy a $50 prepaid Internet card.

So, I bought that and set it up very quickly. I showed Sarayeth a few things and I think she was quite excited too even though it will still take a while for her to really see the benefits and use it to its potential.

I felt a big obstacle had been hurdled and at the end of my assignment I will be happy to have helped bring it about. It will open opportunities for WMC as times passes.

It’s also exciting because I can get stuck into my remaining assignment outcomes including Internet training and web updating and maintenance training.

I hope to be able to redesign the website before I leave and set it up so that some of the staff can update the content.

We’ve had a really nice couple of nights out this weekend. On Friday night, we went to see a movie at Popzone which is run by Friends, the organisation which helps and trains street kids.

It was excellent - the movie was “Basquiat” about an African-American modern artist in the 70s. We ordered burgers at the cafe part downstairs. It it is set up like an American diner or milk bar. The older street kids help serve in the cafe part and bring the food up to where the movie is screened. There were chairs and tables there.

After that we went to a new bar close to the river which was nice, sat around outside for a while and saw some other people we knew.

Last night was a birthday party for one of the other youth ambassadors, Carla. She works for “Friends” so it was held there. We had dinner and some drinks. We have been seeing a bit of the new volunteers too which is great.

There has been a spate of mobile phone theft and bag snatching again. Sonia had her phone pick-pocketed at the Russian market and Carla had her phone snatched out of her hand while on the back of a moto, both happened yesterday. The night before, one of the new girls had her bag snatched when she was going home.

My flight is booked to Ratanakiri in about a week’s time. We only have to pay a couple of days before because they have to wait to see if there are enough passengers! We won’t know until Friday whether the plane is actually flying on Monday. Have to be flexible in Cambodia!

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia