{"id":2075,"date":"2014-01-05T11:29:33","date_gmt":"2014-01-05T16:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/?page_id=2075"},"modified":"2014-10-25T11:52:03","modified_gmt":"2014-10-25T15:52:03","slug":"southeast-asia-with-peter-2013-page-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/southeast-asia-with-peter-2013-page-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Southeast Asia with Peter – Page 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Southeast Asia with Peter – Day 13 (Continued)<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0After a long sad \u00a0morning we had lunch at the La Rose restaurant in Saigon<\/strong>\"IMG_5200\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I can’t remember the menu, but I do remember the beer: Cambodian “Kingdom Pilsner”. The best beer I had on the trip and the only Pilsner.<\/strong>\u00a0After lunch, we visited the Vietnam National Museum.<\/strong>\"IMG_5203\"<\/a> \"IMG_5206\"<\/a>\u00a0This is the courtyard of the museum. A beautiful restful place.<\/strong>\"IMG_5208\"<\/a>\u00a0Here’s some school kids tittering over a collection of Lingums. \u00a0What’s so funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"IMG_5210\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We weren’t allowed to take pictures in the museum, I got this pic in the lobby \u00a0of Garuda.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Hindu<\/span><\/a> religion, Garuda is a Hindu<\/span><\/a> divinity<\/span><\/a>, usually the mount<\/span><\/a> \u00a0of the Lord Vishnu<\/span><\/a>. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle’s beak and with a crown<\/span><\/a> on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Garuda is known as the eternal sworn enemy of the N\u0101ga<\/span><\/a> serpent race and known for feeding exclusively on snakes., The image of Garuda is often used as the charm or amulet<\/span><\/a> to protect the bearer from snake attack and its poison, since the king of birds is an implacable enemy and “devourer of serpent”.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I bought a Garuda amulet and I haven’t been bitten by any snakes, yet<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong> \"IMG_5212\"<\/a> \"IMG_5213\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the Museum visit, we went to “The Russian Market” \u00a0This market is the most popular market among tourists and expats and probably the best place to pick up souvenirs. \u00a0It does not look like much from the outside but when you get in you will find everything from beautifully hand carved statues, colorful lanterns and handmade silk scarves to fake bags, printed T-shirts and DVDs.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>I went to several DVD stalls looking for the “Mamma Mia” movie. \u00a0I finally found it and bought it for $2.00. \u00a0Incidentally, \u00a0The US Dollar is accpted almost everwher in Cambodia.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5218\"<\/a>\u00a0This dilapidated apartment block was near our hotel. \u00a0It was supposed to be torn down, but it is filled with squatters who won’t leave.<\/strong><\/p>\n

i\"IMG_5221\"<\/a> \"IMG_5225\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Peter, Will and I went for a walk to find a restuarant for dinner. \u00a0This was another “on-your-own” evening. \u00a0We walked to the central plaza and saw these monument lit up. \u00a0It was very impressive<\/strong><\/p>\n

The top picture is of \u00a0the King’s\u00a0late\u00a0<\/strong>Father Norodom Sihanouk It was inaugurated \u00a0in\u00a0October 2013 ahead of the one-year anniversary of his passing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 4.5-meter-tall statue, housed under a 27-meter-high stupa in a park east of Independence Monument, depicts the King Father wearing a business suit. Costing about $1.2 million, It took eight months to complete.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bottom picture is the Independence Monument. It was inaugurated in 1958 to celebrate the independence of Cambodia from foreign rule.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We never did find a restaurant that appealed to us so we went back to the hotel for dinner. \u00a0I had a steak sandwich that must have come from one of those old wagon-pulling Brahman bulls. \u00a0It was very tough and chewy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After dinner Will went for another massage (his 4th?). \u00a0Pete and I hit the hay. \u00a0So ended a grim Day 13<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Southeast Asia with Peter – Day 14\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

We left Phnom Penh for an 8 hour trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. \u00a0We didn’t go in this vehicle, although it would have carried all 16 of us. \u00a0It’s called a limousine here.<\/strong>\"IMG_5247\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5253\"<\/a>\u00a0We crossed the Ton Le Sap river on Cambodian Rout 6. \u00a0Note the dish TV antenna on the houseboat.<\/strong>\"IMG_5255\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5274\"<\/a>Rice fields were being planted here. Later we saw rice fields being harvested. Note all the Sugar Palms. \u00a0More on this later…<\/strong>\"IMG_5257\"<\/a>A spirit house along the highway<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_5264\"<\/a> \"IMG_5269\"<\/a>We made a quick stop to allow a woman to board the buss selling lotus seed pods. \u00a0Rath, our Siem Reap guide, explained that the seed were edible. \u00a0We tried some. They we OK, but nothing to write home about.<\/strong>\"IMG_5261\"<\/a> \"IMG_5262\"<\/a>We also tried a rambutan fruit. \u00a0It was better than the lotus seed. It was sweet, kind of grape-like and had a big seed inside.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5280\"<\/a>At another stop,\u00a0Rath introduced us to Mrs. Sawoun. She was a widow with several children. To raise money, she captures tarantulas – FOR FOOD!<\/strong>\"IMG_5285\"<\/a>\u00a0She digs them out of their holes a pulls the fangs off.<\/strong>\"IMG_5286\"<\/a>They were actually quite docile:<\/strong>\"IMG_5287\"<\/a> \"IMG_5289\"<\/a>Ugh! That’s me!! \u00a0But hold onto your hats!!\"IMG_5290\"<\/a> \"IMG_5291\"<\/a><\/strong>She cooks them in a wok and Peter (always the food adventurer) ate 2. \u00a0I didn’t have my camera ready for the first on so he had to eat a second!!<\/strong>\"IMG_5293\"<\/a>Not to be out done, I tried one. \u00a0As you can see, I thought it was disgusting: A soft gooey body with lots of crisp hairy legs. \u00a0I had to spit it out. \u00a0Even their dog wouldn’t eat it. \u00a0Fred Swartz, from CA, seemed to enjoy my discomfort, though. I was picking tarantula leg hairs out of my teeth for an hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let’s move on.<\/strong>\"IMG_5303\"<\/a> \"IMG_5318\"<\/a>Here are some women harvesting rice. \u00a0We got off the bus and went into the field to watch and help. \u00a0The rice stalks are cut with a very sharp sickle and bundled together and left for a later pick up. \u00a0Rice stalks are very hard and coarse. Even the water buffaloes had difficulty eating it. \u00a0It’s usually burned.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Green funerals are becoming more popular among the ecologically conscious. Some people are now asking that they be buried quickly, without embalming, in a coffin that is completely biodegradable. Rice straw is now used to make biodegradable coffins. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bottom picture show threshed rice being dried onmats. \u00a0This was a common sight along the road.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5343\"<\/a>\u00a0We had lunch at the Prey Pro riverside restaurant. Note our lovely waitress!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5344\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of us tried the local beer “Angkor”. \u00a0I preferred “Kingdom” \u00a0Pilsner.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5336\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5334\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We stopped later and watched a stone carver at work. These sculptures are made of sand stone and, because of their size, they are made to order. Note the long ears on the Buddha. \u00a0Long ears means “listen for a long time before deciding important issues”. \u00a0Good advice!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5333\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I think the “Angkor” and tarantulas may have gotten to Pete.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5351\"<\/a>This is the “Naga Bridge” at Kompong Kdei. \u00a0The bridge, built in the late 12th century,\u00a0 is the best laterite-built bridge of Angkor\u00a0era (the 9th to 15th centuries)\u00a0which has survived until today. The bridge is located on the main highway of National Road 6 from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and it was used to carry all kinds of transportation as the main highway. In 1965, the bridge had been restored. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Nowadays, Kampong Kdei Bridge is still in good condition, however, the main highway has been diverted with a bypass and a new bridge has been built. Now it\u2019s crossed mainly by villagers ( and the occasional tour bus) who travel by motorbikes and bicycles only.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note that the river rises to the top of the bridge openings. Note, also, the nine-headed Naga. His body is the \u00a0bridge\u00a0balustrades.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5355\"<\/a>Don’t ask me why this ferris wheel is here in this small village near the bridge.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5359\"<\/a> \"IMG_5358\"<\/a> \"IMG_5364\"<\/a>Our last stop before reaching Siem Reap was at Rath’s home. \u00a0We met his wife and childern out side a store she operates. \u00a0Rath is an unusual person: When he is not being a City Guide for OAT, he is a teacher. \u00a0He teaches local kid how to read in this “one room school” (above) next to his house. He does this free of charge! \u00a0We were all quite impressed with Rath!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5370\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We overtook this guy. \u00a0They use motorbikes to transport everything including 4 pigs. \u00a0Pete said that a pig on it’s back is almost paralyzed<\/span><\/a>. These guys look paralized!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ll stop the Day 14 narrative here and pick it up again on Page 11.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Go to Page 11<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southeast Asia with Peter – Day 13 (Continued) \u00a0After a long sad \u00a0morning we had lunch at the La Rose restaurant in Saigon I can’t remember the menu, but I do remember the beer: Cambodian “Kingdom Pilsner”. The best beer … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2075","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2075"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2410,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2075\/revisions\/2410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}