Cambodia - Phnom Penh and Battanbang

It had been about 5 weeks since I entered Indonesia and got to add my last new country on my travel CV so I gratefully received a full page visa in my passport even if the tour guide on the boat did siphon off an additional $5US from each passenger to line his pocket.  Having a quick recount on one of those Facebook apps Cambodia is my 63rd country (airport layovers don't count in my opinion).

 

I do argue with myself that I'm only on 61 as whilst travelling in Sweden years back a wise old traveller once said to me, you can only say you have been somewhere if you've had a meal, a sleep and a number 2 toilet stop.  This criteria would rule out Brazil and Uruguay as both of these I have done on day trips, but a counter argument is I have the entry and exit passport stamps in both of these.

Cambodia

At the border I changed my remaining Vietnamese Dong into Cambodian Riel at a total cost of just 37p against the market rate. Then it was the slow (and long) boat into Phnom Penh.

 

My small tour had merged with at least another and now there were about 20 of us.  Everyone rushed onto the top deck, I choose to sit under cover and watch the world go by and have a good think of what I was going to do with in the medium term (next year) and beyond.

 

Travel is definitely an option for (at least) the first half of next year, but I can't travel forever and I'm conscious that the IT world moves on quickly and I don't want to get too far behind. My thoughts were interrupted several times by 2 guys from Holland and a girl from Germany who came to either keep me company or shelter from the sun, I'll let you make your own minds up!

 

We had a beer or two together to speed the journey along.  Not having a grasp of the local money I pushed aside the persuasive tuk-tuk drivers and find my own hotel.  That was a bit of a mistake as it was around 3km in blistering heat.

 

The hotel was a cracker 4* hotel on the top floor of an office block. My budget didn't stretch to the luxury rooms so I had what was described as a compact room.  It was about the size of a small shed, Japanese style.  It had a sofa with bed above it, a ladder up to the top and almost enough room to squeeze between the ladder and the flat screen TV.  Getting in and out and especially up and down from the bed was an art, an art that I hadn't mastered at first. With each movement I banged head, elbow and toes almost simultaneous. Once I mastered it, it was very comfortable and was luxurious for a cheap price.  The shared bathroom was very clean and showers always available. The view from the roof top bar was fantastic.



Hotel with a view

Cambodia is duel currency country with the US dollar and it is not unusual to pay in dollars and get change in a mix of USD and Riel. At first I hadn't got my head around it and it left me feeling I was getting ripped off with every transaction.  With that and the various banging of heads I decided I didn't like Cambodia and had an early night.

 

My feelings changed when I went to the Royal Palace the next day, a plethora of golden temples and stupas reminded me of Myanmar.  Phnom Penh is a small capital city and easy enough to do by foot.

Royal Palace Selfie

Royal Palace Silver Stupa

Cambodian food was very tasty local dishes such as Loc Lac (beef stew with rice, chili and onions topped off with a fried egg) and Amok (steamed fish or chicken with lots of flavours including Lemongrass, garlic, basil and turmeric served with rice) were my favourites and became my food of choice most nights.  I avoided the restaurant famous for its fried tarantula.

Beef Loc Lak washed down with Angkor Beer

One night i had a few drinks at the hotel and the barman was learning English and spoke with me most of the evening. A very pleasant and knowledgeable chap.



Masterchef

 

The next day I did a cooking class which was a good laugh, although I feel the chef and the other two students (a couple from Holland) took it more serious than I did. 

 

I made a three course meal and then ate it.  The starter and main course were some of the nicest dishes I'd eaten, complements to the chef.  Picture of pudding not supplied as it was neither the best taste or looked that good!




Green Mango Salad



Star Dish - Chicken Amok

The afternoon was a sombre affair, my new mate (the barman) took me out on his motorbike to the killing fields where under the Khmer Rouge regime many people were murdered.  A monument with many skulls and bones inside really brought it home.  You got an excellent audio guide and although not a pleasant experience I would recommend others to do.

 

If I hadn't had enough of my dark tourism I then went to the genocide museum a school converted to a prison where prisoners were tortured, abused and some killed.  Stories from survivors made for horrific reading.  It is hard to imagine that this was in my lifetime.

Genocide Museum

A combination of not knowing where my next stop was going to be, I had a couple of things left to see in the city and I fancied a few beers made my decision easy to stay in the city one more day.

 

I choose Battanbang as my next destination, ticked of the last of the temples had a few early beers and decided to have an early night in readiness for the early bus ride.

 

Getting back to the hotel there was a frenzy of activity in the bar. I was stopped from entering as it was a private party for Japanese football fans who were playing a world cup qualifier against Cambodia in Phnom Penh the next night. Apparently some of the Japan players were there.

 

As I was a resident I ignored the restriction took a shower and joined in. It was a cracking night and the bar was packed.  Needless to say my quiet night never happened, quite the opposite especially when I got boozing with a lad from Belfast who had just flown in.

 

Having hotel and bus booked for Battanbang it was too late to change travel plans and stay an extra night to get the game in. Tickets were about £2, but I'm sure had I pushed some of these wealthy Japanese would have found a hospitality ticket for me. 

 

Feeling a little jaded the next morning I caught the bus to Battanbang think it was about 6 hours for £4. I got chatting to a girl who had also quit her job in Hong Kong to travel. Interesting chat and we went out for dinner that night and shared a tuk-tuk tour the next day.  The food stop half way was a load of stalls selling what I nicknamed fingers and eyeballs or another stall selling deep fried locusts and grasshoppers.

 

'Fingers' and 'eyeballs' stall

Anyone for fried locust and grasshopper?

The tour was good, first up was a bamboo train that rattled along through the countryside stopping only to lift the bamboo raft, engine and wheels to let oncoming traffic through (many times). With your backside so close to the ground it felt quite quick but really it was steady pace but fun.  Every 5 or 10 meters you hit a connection in the track none of which matched to well and caused a bumpy ride.  We were joined on the train ride by a Polish girl who had also quit her accountancy job to travel. After an informative tour of an ancient house we broke for lunch.

All aboard the bamboo train

Driver not happy as we meet yet another on-coming train

The afternoon we went up a hill which was tough in the heat. A few temples and a killing cave with more skulls and bones of those who fell during the Khmer Rouge.  After seeing sunset on the hill we went down to the entrance of another cave housing 10 million bats who in orderly fashion left the cave at dusk, quite spectacular.

Temples at the top of the hill

 

Decent View

Sunset over Battanbang

Bat exodus

The evening I decided to check out a street in town called pub street.  It was lacking in pubs but did have a few restaurants where I could get a beer or two.  Unfortunately due to a breakdown in communication one place I asked for a beer and got a 2 litre jug not too much of problem for £1.65.

I only wanted a pint

I felt a little jaded at breakfast which I wished I'd never had. Afterwards I had travellers tummy.  Several trips to the toilet I was all set to cry off from the 2pm bus to Siem Reap.  I took some imodium which did a job but by the time i was checking in to my next hotel it was time to go again.  At reception they were offering me welcome drinks, cooling towels, maps and trying to sell me tours. I had to be rude and see "look mate I'm not well can we do this in the morning, i need a lie down" aka a #2 stop.

 

So that was it for my first 6 days in Cambodia, I entered fighting fit and after less than a week was tired, jaded and sick.  Still I had some great times in both spots. I was definitely looking forward to the Temples of Angker.

Unplanned trip to Vietnam

My rough schedule had Cambodia as my next stop after Singapore. Looking on the Internet whilst in Singapore I discovered 2 pieces of information.

 

1) UK citizens can now get a 15 day visa on arrival for free to Vietnam
2) Flights to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) were loads cheaper than flights to Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

 

The combination of the above meant travelling back to Vietnam getting a couple of nights cheap accommodation and a bus to Phnom Penh in Cambodia would actual save me money. So that was that, flight to Ho Chi Minh City booked.



Pho Bo and Saigon Beer - its been a long time

The visa on arrival did have a restriction that you must be able to produce evidence that you were going to leave Vietnam before your 15 day visa expired.  I've heard this so many times in countries all over the world and have never been asked to produce it.

 

My conversation with the Immigration Official (IO) went something like:

 

IO: Can I see your proof of departure?
PK: Erm you can see my return ticket back to the UK from Bangkok on 22nd Dec.
IO: No good, when are you leaving Vietnam?
PK: Erm, 3 days (I guessed)
IO: Where do you go next?
PK: Stuttering and spluttering trying to say Phnom Penh, abandoned it and said Cambodia
IO: Can I see your Cambodia visa?
PK: On arrival in Cambodia so I don't have
IO: How do you go to Cambodia?
PK: Bus
IO: Can I see you ticket?
PK: No I buy later
IO: "PROBLEM"

 

He got his phone out and phoned - who I presumed to be - his boss who didn't answer, so he shrugged his shoulders and stamped my passport and in I went.

 

I was in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) less than 2 years ago so I knew the ropes, where to get decent cheap accommodation and which bus to catch from the airport to that area.

 

In HCMC I did some tourism stuff that I have done before. I went to the War Remnants Museum which is a graphic photo exhibition of the Vietnam War.  Some of those photos you can't unsee and stay with you forever.  On exiting a torrential downpour broke out. I along with many locals and foreigners were under an awning seeking shelter.  It was slightly downhill  and soon a huge river developed.

Notre Dame HCMC Style

Tank and helicopter take a battering from a torrential downpour

 The rain lasted about an hour, once it eased i made a dash for a bar to seek more comfortable surroundings and as it turned out very cheap beer.

Rain stopped play so had a hat-trick of Saigon Red (the strong stuff)

Coming from the organised transport of Singapore, HCMC freaked me out a little at first, but I soon got to love the traffic chaos that you find in many Asian countries.

 

I particularly enjoy crossing the road in HCMC. Faced with literally hundreds of motorcycles coming at you from all directions, you merely step into the road and walk slowly and continuously. The motorbikes swerve around you like a river round a boulder.  If you stop or run you are in great danger of been hit.

 

I stayed in the Pham Ngu Lau district of town which is full of backpackers, cheap accommodation and bar central with more than a fair share of sleaze in the mix.  I got into a long conversation with a guy from Finland who had a younger Vietnamese wife, later that evening an American chap with a Vietnamese wife half his age, common theme around these parts. Maybe it was the wit and charm of this American Gentleman that attracted her to him, and had nothing to do with the fact he had bought land and built houses for her and her extended family (all in her name). Anyhow, they both seemed happy which at the end of the day should be the goal of everyone.

 

That night I had great local food at a fine café - Bun Cha, the food was local and outstanding and the service was great. Cheap as well. So good that I ate here again later in the week.

 

The plan was 2 days in HCMC then getting into Cambodia via the Mekong Delta. That plan was on track until I got an email from someone I met in Hoi An on my last visit. I see on facebook you are in Vietnam, come to Hoi An I work in a new 4* hotel, special introductory offer 15$US a night (under a tenner) including buffet breakfast and pool.  She told me which airline to book cheap flights with and the next day I jetted off to the centre of Vietnam for £45.54 return.



Dude in the Chinese Temple

The airport for Hoi An is 20km or so from town and is located in a new city Da Nang.  I had been through it before but never stayed so I had my first night here. I was attracted by the dragon bridge. Not too much in the way of other attractions in Da Nang but I went to a great temple (I was the only tourist there) and then to inspect the bridge.
 

As you can see from the photo below it has a dragon running through the bridge and on a weekend it fires flames and water from its mouth.  The sky turned moodily dark and looked as if it was going to hammer it down and sure enough when i was in the middle of the bridge, down it poured. I ran to a bar at the other side to seek refuge from the deluge (and drink beer).

 

I went out to a tourist area, didn't like it, the restaurants served pizza or burger, the bars served Heineken or Guinness and the clientele was exclusively Western.  I survived 1 overpriced drink (73p) before heading to a local area where cheap local food was served, Larue beer was selling for 30p a bottle and it was full of locals enjoying a Friday night out. Nice to see so many Vietnamese women as well.

The arse end of the Dragon bridge with pending rain clouds

Dragon bridge post rain

Getting from Da Nang to Hoi An i was told not to use the public bus as it is dangerous and I will be overcharged.  Reading similar reviews on trip adviser confirmed the overcharging but I felt it was safe enough.  Sure enough the ticket collector tried to charge me 100,000 (£3) when the journey should only be 18,000 (55p) plus a bit more for my bag.  I stood my ground said no, and he got a bit mad. I told him he was ripping me off. He tried to grab my bag and chuck it off, after failing he sat in his seat moaning and chuntering to himself.  The bus had 2 inspectors, the other one was sound. I just handed the decent one a 50,000 he said thank you and gestured that I should beat up the other bloke.  Yes i was ripped off but still claimed a tiny moral victory.

 

So to Hoi An and this new hotel for under a tenner was exquisite.  The gardens aren't finished but everything else was done.  I thought my great mate Podge would have been proud of me for getting the best and paying the least.

Japanese Bridge in the beautiful town of Hoi An

The girls at reception, Travel desk and Waitresses were all great. Enjoyed every minute of it here. Sometimes I would stop by at reception or the travel desk for an hour or so just chatting and having a laugh.

Booking a day trip was fun at the travel desk

I took a day trip to My Son a Cham settlement that was heavily bombed by the Americans during the war. It was an organised tour and i always fund that there is at least one dick on each tour. This one was American. Our guide explained that the French had taken the heads from all remaining statues for research, to which he yelled "Ah the bloody French spoiling this place" he pipped down a bit when i pointed out that his country and bombed the shit out of the place and that is why only ruins remain.  Him aside it was a good trip and we took a boat back to the town.

My Son

This is the life

I had a walk into the old town where since I was last here less than 2 years ago has got a bit more tourist savvy. They tried to fleece me for a ticket to enter the old town which was actually a ticket for all the temples which i did for free last visit. I didn't pay and kept walking. 

 

15p's worth

Hoi An is a beautiful riverside town so much more relaxing than the busy cities of HCMC and Hanoi.  It is a great place and probably in my top 10 all time favourite locations. Last time i got a new suit fitted, 7 work shirts and a pair of shoes made, all top quality but this time i didn't buy anything as I'd have it to carry for a few months.  On my way back to the hotel I found a bar serving beers for 5000 dong or (15p) to you and I. It was good stuff as well so stayed for quite a while.
 

My other day in Hoi An i spent with the girl I know from my last visit. We went out on her motorbike and got away from all tourists. She took me to her home and cooked lunch. Again it is pleasant speaking with someone you already know, discussing current and future plans.

 

I managed to get the public bus back to Da Nang for 30,000 (result) and spent 2 more nights in HCM, visiting off the beaten track sights, having a few beers and each evening enjoying a great meal.



View from the roof top restaurant

I booked a 2 day Mekong delta trip to Cambodia. There were only 5 of us on the trip, 2 girls from Essex and a German couple. Everyone got on really well.  The floating market was a massive let down, a candy factory was OK, the crocodile farm was interesting.  The overnight stay in Chau Doc was OK but not too much going on.

Floating Market (or supposed to be) Trip

Crocodile Farm

Anyone for snake wine?

The next day was to travel along the Mekong River and into Cambodia, where i was hoping for a smoother immigration experience.

 

Singapore on a budget

I first came to Singapore early 2007 after the New Zealand cricket tour and loved it.  It is hard to put my finger on what exactly I liked.  Since then I have always had a desire to return and have harboured dreams of coming here to work.  I was here again for New Year 10 months ago, and I felt the same.

Maybe it is the cleanliness, maybe the low crime rate, maybe the excellent public transport system but actually I think it is the great blend of some fantastic cultures, Chinese, Malay, Indian, locals.  The combined culture makes a great mix.

Singapore Marina bay - great place

Rather like viewing a new home you feel instantly it is right for you, similarly this is how I feel about Singapore.  Singapore has a down sides, it is very hot and humid and is also expensive, or can be. However, I found an Air B&B out of town in a brand new luxurious apartment block.  I had a private bedroom and shared a bathroom with another guest from Malaysia.  She introduced herself to me, "Hello, I'm Bonnie" thankfully I bit my tongue and despite thinking 'you're not wrong there', said "Hi, I'm Phil".  I never saw her again! The price for 4 nights was the same as one night in the city centre on my last visit.


Meditation Jacuzzi

One of the swimming pools I could use



Duck noodles, soup and sugar cane (£1.64)

It was good staying in the residential area, it was a 3 minute walk to the underground station and just a 20 minute ride into the heart of the city.  It had a fitness centre which I never used and two huge pools that I did.  It was near a food court that wasn't expensive and had excellent range of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and local dishes.


Mango Sago for pudding (£1.12)

I had just about been everywhere in Singapore on my previous visits and had 3 full days to make revisits to the highlights.  I managed to have an action packed 3 days/4 nights and all it cost was the cost of the metro card and credit (about £8 for my full stay).



Haw Par Villa

On day one I met up with a Singaporean girl whom I'm first met in Lithuania (or possibly Latvia) about 13 years back and I have met up with on each visit since.  We went to Haw Par Villa first up, it was somewhere I'd not been, was free of charge and quite interesting.  It was good having a local guide who explained to me clearly what it was all about.  

Basically the belief is that when you die you go to one of 10 chambers.  The first chamber is for the good people and end up in a heaven like paradise.  The next 8 chambers are where you go if you have been a bad lad.  Sins range from book abuse, through to murder, some of the crimes were not proportionate and to one and other in my opinion.  I think the punishment for chamber two was to be thrown in a volcano and they got progressively more gruesome through to chamber 9.  Chamber 10 was were you 'went' after the punishment for forgiveness and reincarnation.

Next up was the Botanic Gardens (free of charge) for a look around.  We didn't bother with the Orchid Garden (not free).  A decent day and it was good to catch up with a friendly face and have a discussion about life and what is next for me.  

I had hoped to visit many recruitment agencies whilst in Singapore to check out the job prospects and visa requirements.  This unfortunately didn't happen, but I did quite a bit of research on the internet about it.

Next day I went to Sentosa Island just off the south coast of Singapore.  I hadn't been on the Island since 2007 and it had changed a lot.  Three options to get across the water, Cable car (did this last time £££), monorail (came back by this last time (££) or walking over the boardwalk.  It isn't far 10 mins and is free (yes you guessed I took this option)!

On Sentosa I did everything that can be done for free which was surprisingly quite a bit.  For example instead of going up the Singapore lookout 'ride' I did a sky walkway which went almost as high and allowed you to walk around and gave lots of information on the WWII site of Fort Siloso.

Fort Siloso - Sentosa Island

I walked across a rope bridge (free of charge) to tick off the Southernmost point of Continental Asia. Walked the man made beaches of Palawan (Philippines) and Siloso.  Wandered around the theme park like playground taking snaps of statues, fountains and unusual buildings.

'Palawan' beach Sentosa Island

Ticked

 

I then headed to Marina Bay, glorious hotels overlooking the impressive skyscraping office blocks.  I had a walk around the 'Gardens by the Bay' (free of charge - mostly) and after dark took in the light show (free of charge) overlooking the bay. The show is quite good, it is images projected onto water spray. The breeze was in the wrong direction and most people left as we got soaked by the mist, I found it refreshing from the 30+ heat.

Gardens by the Bay

Marina Bay

My final day I went on a self guided walking tour. Taking in raffles place, the financial district (hoping to stumble on a career opportunity), Chinatown, The Arab Quarter and Little India. A classic walking day, plenty of miles and great stuff to stimulate all senses.

Raffles Place

 

Chinatown temple

Arab Quarter

Vegetable Biryani in Little India (£2.24)

 

My trip took in the fountain of wealth which on my previous visit you could only view from outside but for one hour a day you could get inside it.  Touching the fountain is supposed to bring you wealth, I'm not sure if it is a coincidence but a day or so later I had my first ever win on the premium bonds.

Fountain of Wealth - Touching the fountain paid dividends

Booze is one thing that is expensive in Singapore, which is why I decided to have a few days off it.  That said cans in the local food court were selling for under £2 and a giant bottle of tiger about £3.60.  The cans the locals were on was called Knock Out, it was strong lager and I can imagine it did exactly what it said on the tin.
 

Did I miss out by choosing free attractions, no I don't think so, I had a great time and if something I wanted to see had a charge I'd have paid it.

So my trip to Singapore didn't blow the budget and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. Will I return for a 4th visit in future, definitely, would I return to live and work, I sincerely hope so. Best start polishing my CV up and applying for jobs.

Next up an unplanned visit to Vietnam once i got through a troublesome immigration at Ho Chi Minh City airport.