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| Lima, Peru - Day 2 |
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
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| Lima, Peru - Erotic Musuem - Day 2 |
Showing posts with label Oh really?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oh really?. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Lima, Peru - Day 2
Today Matt and I went to the big (by South American standards) Museo Larco, one of the largest collections of pre Colombian art, which houses over 45,000 Peruvian pottery and clay figures. As such the majority of the pictures in today’s photo album will be the really unique pottery and vases shaped into different animals and peoples.
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Cusco, Peru - Day 3
So my high school friend Matt arrived early in the morning and we kicked off the adventurous part of our next two weeks together with a tour of 4 archeological sites of Inca importance.
The first was Qorikancha (from the Quechua words Quri Kancha meaning 'Golden Courtyard'). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. It was one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, Peru. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'.
The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.
The next stop was Saqsaywaman located 2km from the Cusco. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time. The enormous boulders that form part of the construction were put together perfectly without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons. Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area, every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the Sun, or Ind Raymi.
Despite all of these fascinating archeological sites, the highlight of our day was trying the local delicacy of Cuy, otherwise known as a guinea pig. Most of the locals that I spoke with raved about this dish, and I was eager to give it a try. Admittedly, a guinea pig, what some people refer to as a pet, is a bit unconventional as a food item but some people have pot belly pigs as pets and I’m not going to give up pork. I have eaten some weird things before in my travels including insects, baby chickens inside an egg, and spoiled soy beans so I figured this couldn’t be much worse. We got it in a fancy restaurant with mostly refined middle aged patrons who shrieked in joy and amazement when the roasted tailless rat was brought to our table. Or perhaps it was horror. We got the baked version instead of the fried one and the skin was rather chewy. There wasn’t much meat on the Cuy and the meat that was there wasn’t really that flavorful. Perhaps they toned the spices down to account for a tourist palate but I didn’t see what there was to rave about. The 20 minutes of pictures and posing was better than the food.
The first was Qorikancha (from the Quechua words Quri Kancha meaning 'Golden Courtyard'). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. It was one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, Peru. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'.
The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.
The next stop was Saqsaywaman located 2km from the Cusco. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time. The enormous boulders that form part of the construction were put together perfectly without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons. Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area, every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the Sun, or Ind Raymi.
Despite all of these fascinating archeological sites, the highlight of our day was trying the local delicacy of Cuy, otherwise known as a guinea pig. Most of the locals that I spoke with raved about this dish, and I was eager to give it a try. Admittedly, a guinea pig, what some people refer to as a pet, is a bit unconventional as a food item but some people have pot belly pigs as pets and I’m not going to give up pork. I have eaten some weird things before in my travels including insects, baby chickens inside an egg, and spoiled soy beans so I figured this couldn’t be much worse. We got it in a fancy restaurant with mostly refined middle aged patrons who shrieked in joy and amazement when the roasted tailless rat was brought to our table. Or perhaps it was horror. We got the baked version instead of the fried one and the skin was rather chewy. There wasn’t much meat on the Cuy and the meat that was there wasn’t really that flavorful. Perhaps they toned the spices down to account for a tourist palate but I didn’t see what there was to rave about. The 20 minutes of pictures and posing was better than the food.
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| Cusco, Peru - Day 3 |
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1
Today I arrived in Copacabana mid day and spent the day exploring the town, the local church, and the small mountain next to the town. At 3800 meters, Copacabana sits on Lake Titicaca the highest navigatiable body of water in the world. The lake was a glistening cold mass of water which looked rather infinite. The altitude had a definite affect on the temperature and climate of the city. It was rather warm during the day but as soon as the sun set, the chill set in and air cooled significantly.
I made an attempt to climb up the mountain next to the city as I heard that the sun set from the top overlooking the city was something not to be missed. I use the word “attempted” because even though I’ve been in La Paz for a couple days getting acclimated to high altitude, trying to hike up a mountain is a much different task then trying to dodge cars and vans crammed full of people on the cobblestone streets of La Paz. I got half way up and the sun started to set and in conjunction my head started hurting. Then the heavy legs started and I had to sit down for a while. The altitude affects were sudden and noticeable. Taking more than 5 steps at a time was tough and I thought my head would explode. It was starting to get dark and to get bitterly cold, and I debated turning back. But I was half way up already and grandmothers were nimbly passing me, so I figured if I passed out the grandparents could probably carry me down as they did not seem in the less bit winded. When anybody over 75 can do something better than me, especially when it’s physical in nature, my hubris kicks in and cajoles me to continue. It took me another 30 minutes to get to the top, the sunset was blocked out by clouds, and my frozen hands were too cold to cut the mango that I brought up for a mountain top snack. Luckily coming down was much easier than going up.
On the positive side, I found one of the coolest things that I’ve seen in a local market in a long time. It was a lost exhibit from the “Body Works exhibit”. You know, the traveling museum which shows plasticized bodies sliced and diced in various forms to display the inner workings of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it as it was a fascinating, educational view of the human body in a rather innovative viewpoint. Well I entered the local market and in the meat section, low and behold, I find a cow’s head that had all the outside skin removed and the muscular and skeleton systems exposed. I have no idea what they do with it; perhaps they make a huge pot of soup. But it was definitely the first time I’ve seen a stripped cow’s head.
I made an attempt to climb up the mountain next to the city as I heard that the sun set from the top overlooking the city was something not to be missed. I use the word “attempted” because even though I’ve been in La Paz for a couple days getting acclimated to high altitude, trying to hike up a mountain is a much different task then trying to dodge cars and vans crammed full of people on the cobblestone streets of La Paz. I got half way up and the sun started to set and in conjunction my head started hurting. Then the heavy legs started and I had to sit down for a while. The altitude affects were sudden and noticeable. Taking more than 5 steps at a time was tough and I thought my head would explode. It was starting to get dark and to get bitterly cold, and I debated turning back. But I was half way up already and grandmothers were nimbly passing me, so I figured if I passed out the grandparents could probably carry me down as they did not seem in the less bit winded. When anybody over 75 can do something better than me, especially when it’s physical in nature, my hubris kicks in and cajoles me to continue. It took me another 30 minutes to get to the top, the sunset was blocked out by clouds, and my frozen hands were too cold to cut the mango that I brought up for a mountain top snack. Luckily coming down was much easier than going up.
On the positive side, I found one of the coolest things that I’ve seen in a local market in a long time. It was a lost exhibit from the “Body Works exhibit”. You know, the traveling museum which shows plasticized bodies sliced and diced in various forms to display the inner workings of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it as it was a fascinating, educational view of the human body in a rather innovative viewpoint. Well I entered the local market and in the meat section, low and behold, I find a cow’s head that had all the outside skin removed and the muscular and skeleton systems exposed. I have no idea what they do with it; perhaps they make a huge pot of soup. But it was definitely the first time I’ve seen a stripped cow’s head.
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| Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1 |
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Potosi, Bolivia - Day 1
I visited a silver mine today in Potosi, a UNESCO site, one of 700 mines in the area employing 2500 locals to slave away in the mines. These mines are co-operatives owned by the miners with the government taking a small percentage of the proceeds. Miners make about 1200-1400 bolivianos a month which is about $170-200 dollars a month. The average salary for non miners in Potosi is about 400 bolivianos a month which is about 55 dollars a month. So compared to other locals the miners are making a king’s ransom.
Until you consider that miners have a life expectancy of 40 years. We met a father and son team working in the mines. The father was 38 and his two sons were 18 and 15 with three other children at home; the youngest one being 1.5 yrs old. The youngest child will not remember his father who will pass away in 2 years. It’s poignantly heartbreaking. Even more so may be the fate of the two young boys who work with their father. Because they started working in the mines at such a young age, their life expectancy goes down exponentially and reaching the age of 34 may be a lucky scenario. We met children as young as 11 working in various roles in the mines.
The mines are filled with uneducated Bolivians lured in by the comparatively lucrative money to be made. Miners work reasonable hours as they have to be out of the mines by 5pm to allow for the large explosions to open up new passages. They have a large breakfast and dinner and do not eat lunch, instead macerating coca leaves which are purported to provide an energy rush similar to caffeine and to stave off hunger. In order to avoid putting their asbestos covered hands in their mouths while eating the coca leaves, they urinate on their hands prior to eating their lunch. As the mines are cooperatives, the miners get paid in accordance with as much ore as they can pull out of the ground and sell to refineries. Teams within the mines are in constant battle for prime real estate and physical altercations often break out. Miners go on years and years of experience in finding a vein of ore, and there are no regulations as to where you can blast. As a result, miners may accidently blast underneath other preexisting mines, causing cave-ins and casualties.
Miners have health insurance and a decent retirement plan. However, this plan comes with a number of stipulations. In order to get health insurance, the miner must work as a “helper” in a group for 4 consecutive years. After working as a helper for 4 consecutive years with the same team, he gets the insurance and is promoted to a “miner” with access to the more desirable jobs and potential managerial positions. What often happens is young miners do not feel the effects of the dust and asbestos filled air on their lungs, and because they are compensated based on how much ore they extract, they will often switch teams once their particular vein of ore has dried up. The impact is that their 4 year timeline to get insurance starts over. After doing this a couple times, a miner may not get insurance until they are 30 or ¾ of their life is over.
The retirement plan goes as such. If a miner is found to have 50% of their lungs damaged by working in the mines, the miner can retire and get paid the same amount of money (1200 Bolivianos) until they die. The stipulations are that they can only get tested every 4 years. So if a miner is 38 and gets tested and is found to have 45% lung damage he must continue to work until he can get tested again at 42. The problem is that they are often dead before the next scheduled test. Even if they manage to have 50% lung damage and retire and collect on the retirement plan, they are not expected to live more than 1 year past that point.
Traveling has definitely opened my eyes and adjusted my perspective. Things are not always as bad as they seem. Even though the US economy is in shambles, even though gloom and doom abound on every newspaper and news channel on TV, even though I don’t have a job, even though .......
My father is alive and lives past 40. I have a loving family. I have my health. I can afford to travel. I’ll get a new job, it may not be my dream job but I know I won’t starve. Count your blessings. Others are not so fortunate.
Everything is amazing and nobody is happy
Until you consider that miners have a life expectancy of 40 years. We met a father and son team working in the mines. The father was 38 and his two sons were 18 and 15 with three other children at home; the youngest one being 1.5 yrs old. The youngest child will not remember his father who will pass away in 2 years. It’s poignantly heartbreaking. Even more so may be the fate of the two young boys who work with their father. Because they started working in the mines at such a young age, their life expectancy goes down exponentially and reaching the age of 34 may be a lucky scenario. We met children as young as 11 working in various roles in the mines.
The mines are filled with uneducated Bolivians lured in by the comparatively lucrative money to be made. Miners work reasonable hours as they have to be out of the mines by 5pm to allow for the large explosions to open up new passages. They have a large breakfast and dinner and do not eat lunch, instead macerating coca leaves which are purported to provide an energy rush similar to caffeine and to stave off hunger. In order to avoid putting their asbestos covered hands in their mouths while eating the coca leaves, they urinate on their hands prior to eating their lunch. As the mines are cooperatives, the miners get paid in accordance with as much ore as they can pull out of the ground and sell to refineries. Teams within the mines are in constant battle for prime real estate and physical altercations often break out. Miners go on years and years of experience in finding a vein of ore, and there are no regulations as to where you can blast. As a result, miners may accidently blast underneath other preexisting mines, causing cave-ins and casualties.
Miners have health insurance and a decent retirement plan. However, this plan comes with a number of stipulations. In order to get health insurance, the miner must work as a “helper” in a group for 4 consecutive years. After working as a helper for 4 consecutive years with the same team, he gets the insurance and is promoted to a “miner” with access to the more desirable jobs and potential managerial positions. What often happens is young miners do not feel the effects of the dust and asbestos filled air on their lungs, and because they are compensated based on how much ore they extract, they will often switch teams once their particular vein of ore has dried up. The impact is that their 4 year timeline to get insurance starts over. After doing this a couple times, a miner may not get insurance until they are 30 or ¾ of their life is over.
The retirement plan goes as such. If a miner is found to have 50% of their lungs damaged by working in the mines, the miner can retire and get paid the same amount of money (1200 Bolivianos) until they die. The stipulations are that they can only get tested every 4 years. So if a miner is 38 and gets tested and is found to have 45% lung damage he must continue to work until he can get tested again at 42. The problem is that they are often dead before the next scheduled test. Even if they manage to have 50% lung damage and retire and collect on the retirement plan, they are not expected to live more than 1 year past that point.
Traveling has definitely opened my eyes and adjusted my perspective. Things are not always as bad as they seem. Even though the US economy is in shambles, even though gloom and doom abound on every newspaper and news channel on TV, even though I don’t have a job, even though .......
My father is alive and lives past 40. I have a loving family. I have my health. I can afford to travel. I’ll get a new job, it may not be my dream job but I know I won’t starve. Count your blessings. Others are not so fortunate.
Everything is amazing and nobody is happy
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| Potosi, Bolivia - Day 1 |
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Bariloche, Argentina - Day 4
Today I took a white water rafting trip. We had the best boat of athletes and managed the level 3 & 4 rapids with ease. The group included two Swiss architects, a German pilot, and a German flight attendant.
The German pilot was telling us a story about how a pregnant dog got out of its cage mid flight and caused quite a commotion on the airplane. Apparently it was looking for some privacy to have its babies. It somehow managed to run into an open bathroom where she had her litter on the plane and the proud owner departed the plane with some extra baggage. She also told us a story about the time a porn crew got on board and started filming in the bathrooms and on the plane. They tried to pay passengers to join in on the filming. Despite numerous protests, the horrified crew and passengers could only stand by and wait until the plane landed and the authorities took care of the situation. Those would be memorable flights.
The German pilot was telling us a story about how a pregnant dog got out of its cage mid flight and caused quite a commotion on the airplane. Apparently it was looking for some privacy to have its babies. It somehow managed to run into an open bathroom where she had her litter on the plane and the proud owner departed the plane with some extra baggage. She also told us a story about the time a porn crew got on board and started filming in the bathrooms and on the plane. They tried to pay passengers to join in on the filming. Despite numerous protests, the horrified crew and passengers could only stand by and wait until the plane landed and the authorities took care of the situation. Those would be memorable flights.
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| Bariloche, Argentina - Day 4 |
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Puerto Madryn, Argentina - Day 5
The town of Puerto Madryn is basically a desert, receiving a miniscule amount of rain fall during the year. If it does rain it's usually a drizzle and then the sun comes back out. So for the last three days it's rained for some portion of the day and hard at times I might add. Then today we got HAIL?!?! Really? Two of the locals commented that they've never seen hail before...gotta love global warming.
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| Puerto Madryn - Day 5 |
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Montevideo, Uruguay - Day 2
I rented a bike and rode around the city and along the bike path next to the ocean. I was so sore from riding the bike that I was waddling by the end of the day.
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| Montevideo, Uruguay - Day 2 |
Friday, October 24, 2008
Vientiane, Laos - Day 1
So I traveled to Vientiane with some travelers from Ireland that I met in Vang Vieng and we decided to grab some dinner after touching down in town. We settled on a restaurant that was very nice, modern, and could have done business in the US. It has a rather extensive menu from Laos, American, Chinese, Indian, and Italian foods.
My new friends wanted to get the crickets and started to pop them like nuts once they arrived. Do I want some? Sure why not. They were crunchy and salty like most other snacks. The main difference was the distinct bug after taste, somewhat earthy like eating a handful of dirt, that you got which reminded you that these weren’t Cheetos.
My new friends wanted to get the crickets and started to pop them like nuts once they arrived. Do I want some? Sure why not. They were crunchy and salty like most other snacks. The main difference was the distinct bug after taste, somewhat earthy like eating a handful of dirt, that you got which reminded you that these weren’t Cheetos.
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| Vientiane, Laos - Day 1 |
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Hanoi, Vietnam - Day 2
It doesn't take much to be a pop star in Vietnam. I ran into a music video shoot at the Temple of Literature with a 5'6'' guy lip singing to a boom box and dancing with a girl. Wasn't really impressed but afterwards my driver told me that he's the biggest thing in Vietnam right now.
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| Hanoi, Vietnam - Day 2 |
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 5
Today I took a tour of the Cao Dai Temples where they combine Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism into one religion. Services at the temple, held daily at noon, 6 pm, midnight and 6 am, offer another glimpse of this East-meets-West eclecticism. An orchestra of 10 musicians and a choir of 20 youths lead the congregation in prayer. The hymns are much closer to Christian spirituals than traditional Buddhist or Taoist chanting, but the music is unmistakably Vietnamese. The mix, neither wholly Vietnamese nor wholly Western, is both very exotic and incredibly spiritual. During the forty-minute prayer session, a Cao Dai follower explains, the presence of God comes into the chapel and gazes out at the congregation through the Divine Eye.
Worshippers are separated by gender - men on the right and women on the left. In contrast to the vivid colors of the temple, lay followers and women wear pure white. Men with the rank of priest and higher are robed in solid colors depending on their spiritual allegiance within Caodaism: yellow (symbolizing Buddhism and virtue), blue (Taoism and pacifism) or red (Confucianism and authority). Bishops and cardinals also have an eye emblazoned on their headpieces.
I also went to the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Vietnamese fought the Americans during the war using a complicated system of tunnels and traps. I got to climb down into one of the original tunnel entrances and I got stuck - shoulders were too wide to fit through the hole. I also went 60 ft underground through the tunnels. I’ve never felt claustrophobic before…but those tunnels are tiny – in certain parts of the tunnels you had to crawl and are really hot - I was drenched with sweat by the time I was done.
Worshippers are separated by gender - men on the right and women on the left. In contrast to the vivid colors of the temple, lay followers and women wear pure white. Men with the rank of priest and higher are robed in solid colors depending on their spiritual allegiance within Caodaism: yellow (symbolizing Buddhism and virtue), blue (Taoism and pacifism) or red (Confucianism and authority). Bishops and cardinals also have an eye emblazoned on their headpieces.
I also went to the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Vietnamese fought the Americans during the war using a complicated system of tunnels and traps. I got to climb down into one of the original tunnel entrances and I got stuck - shoulders were too wide to fit through the hole. I also went 60 ft underground through the tunnels. I’ve never felt claustrophobic before…but those tunnels are tiny – in certain parts of the tunnels you had to crawl and are really hot - I was drenched with sweat by the time I was done.
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| Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 5 |
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 4
So today I took a tour of the Mekong Delta, which was quite possibly one of the worst tours ever…I mean most tours have some kind of filler (take the dumb tourists to a candy store, toy store, art store, something where they’ll buy useless junk and the tour will get a commission store)…if that’s what you’re looking for then this tour did not disappoint. We saw how honey was made, how coconut candy was made, rode a cart pulled by a miniature donkey (poor thing), and listened to some Vietnamese band. Needless to say, wasn’t too impressed with the Delta region.
An interesting thing that I noticed today’s tour were the vendors lined up on the side of the street. There would be 15 of them on one side of the street spaced out perhaps 10 ft or so apart selling the EXACT same products whether its bread or fruits. Like perhaps diversification may help? I mean who drives by the same road every day on the way to work and says “hmmm…I’ve seen a 10 bread stands by the side of the street…perhaps I’ll stop by the 12th one?” I suppose the power of persuasion works well here….
When a city has 12 million people and 8 million motorbikes, motorbikes tend to be the only transportation available; and it’s amazing what a little resourcefulness will do when loading them to capacity. I’ve seen couches, bales of trees, loads of lumber…and now flocks of ducks and geese…like 50 of them on a motorbike…
An interesting thing that I noticed today’s tour were the vendors lined up on the side of the street. There would be 15 of them on one side of the street spaced out perhaps 10 ft or so apart selling the EXACT same products whether its bread or fruits. Like perhaps diversification may help? I mean who drives by the same road every day on the way to work and says “hmmm…I’ve seen a 10 bread stands by the side of the street…perhaps I’ll stop by the 12th one?” I suppose the power of persuasion works well here….
When a city has 12 million people and 8 million motorbikes, motorbikes tend to be the only transportation available; and it’s amazing what a little resourcefulness will do when loading them to capacity. I’ve seen couches, bales of trees, loads of lumber…and now flocks of ducks and geese…like 50 of them on a motorbike…
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| Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 4 |
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 3
So today I took a city tour consisting of: two temples, the presidential palace (extremely 70’s and rather dilapidated for a palace), the Vietnam War museum, market place (amazing foods and spices), Notre Dame Cathedral, and the post office.
The most interesting stop on the tour was the war museum…which wasn’t referred to as the “Vietnam” war museum but the “American” war museum. It’s interesting to see Vietnam’s perspective on the American war. The pictures and videos of the bombing, torturing, and murdering that went on by the American army was horrific and ghastly. You could easily identify the Americans in the museum by their somber demeanor and saucer-wide eyes. I guess the atrocities of war are never fun to discuss but just like so many other countries that have wronged another (Germans and the Nazis, Chinese and Tiananmen Sq, and Japanese and Nanjing) the history is often glossed over in school and in the history books…until you see and talk to the affected parties…and then a whole different story comes out…
On a more positive note…I almost got ripped off…again…by a girl…who couldn’t have been more than 11 years old. I saw a girl selling miniature grilled rice cakes on the side of the road and figured that they would be between 4,000 and 8,000 dong (25-50 cents) or perhaps 16,000 dong (1 dollar) at the most. When I asked her the price, she said 200,000 dong (12 dollars). My jaw dropped when I realized she had marked it up nearly 25x the going rate. I thought perhaps I heard her wrong; maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt. So I pulled two 100,000 dong bills out of my wallet and confirmed the price with her…she just smiled and nodded…wow…well I guess to a budding entrepreneur its better to sell one rice cake for 200,000 dong to a sucker than 25 rice cakes at 8,000 dong apiece. If she sells two of them, she can probably close down shop and head home for the day. But wow, tourists pricing is taken to a whole new level here.
The most interesting stop on the tour was the war museum…which wasn’t referred to as the “Vietnam” war museum but the “American” war museum. It’s interesting to see Vietnam’s perspective on the American war. The pictures and videos of the bombing, torturing, and murdering that went on by the American army was horrific and ghastly. You could easily identify the Americans in the museum by their somber demeanor and saucer-wide eyes. I guess the atrocities of war are never fun to discuss but just like so many other countries that have wronged another (Germans and the Nazis, Chinese and Tiananmen Sq, and Japanese and Nanjing) the history is often glossed over in school and in the history books…until you see and talk to the affected parties…and then a whole different story comes out…
On a more positive note…I almost got ripped off…again…by a girl…who couldn’t have been more than 11 years old. I saw a girl selling miniature grilled rice cakes on the side of the road and figured that they would be between 4,000 and 8,000 dong (25-50 cents) or perhaps 16,000 dong (1 dollar) at the most. When I asked her the price, she said 200,000 dong (12 dollars). My jaw dropped when I realized she had marked it up nearly 25x the going rate. I thought perhaps I heard her wrong; maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt. So I pulled two 100,000 dong bills out of my wallet and confirmed the price with her…she just smiled and nodded…wow…well I guess to a budding entrepreneur its better to sell one rice cake for 200,000 dong to a sucker than 25 rice cakes at 8,000 dong apiece. If she sells two of them, she can probably close down shop and head home for the day. But wow, tourists pricing is taken to a whole new level here.
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| Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Day 3 |
Monday, August 11, 2008
Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2
I really treasured my time in Cambodia and saw it as one of the highlights of my trip. I enjoyed exploring the temples in Angkor Wat and valued it more on my subsequent trip as I could appreciate some of the minute details that I missed the first time while battling temple fatigue, oppressive heat, and throngs of tourists.
On my second day in Phnom Penh, I spent time at the killing fields and the S21 high school. The Khmer Rouge turned a high school into a torture facility and holding pen for prisoners before shipping them by the bus loads to the killing fields for mass executions. In some cases, the Khmer Rouge wanted to save bullets so they would beat the victims over the head with shovels and buried some people alive.
The bifurcation between the amazing culturally breathtaking monuments at Angkor Wat and the horrific destruction brought upon a cruel dictator in a country which once ruled most of what is now south east Asia is stunning. The fact that the Khmer Rouge ravished the country less than 30 yrs ago and that the country is still trying to replace the void left by the educated doctors and scholars being whisked away never to return is heart wrenching. The somberness is taken to another level when you experience the genuine joy, hospitality, and sincerity of the Cambodian people while living with meager trappings, few material luxuries, and in some cases downright squalid conditions.
On my second day in Phnom Penh, I spent time at the killing fields and the S21 high school. The Khmer Rouge turned a high school into a torture facility and holding pen for prisoners before shipping them by the bus loads to the killing fields for mass executions. In some cases, the Khmer Rouge wanted to save bullets so they would beat the victims over the head with shovels and buried some people alive.
The bifurcation between the amazing culturally breathtaking monuments at Angkor Wat and the horrific destruction brought upon a cruel dictator in a country which once ruled most of what is now south east Asia is stunning. The fact that the Khmer Rouge ravished the country less than 30 yrs ago and that the country is still trying to replace the void left by the educated doctors and scholars being whisked away never to return is heart wrenching. The somberness is taken to another level when you experience the genuine joy, hospitality, and sincerity of the Cambodian people while living with meager trappings, few material luxuries, and in some cases downright squalid conditions.
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| Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2 |
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Siem Reap, Cambodia - Day 5
I took a cooking class today and learned how to make tom yum soup and fish amok. Then I walked around and got a massage. While walking around a night market I managed to find grilled snake on a stick.
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| Siem Reap, Cambodia - Day 5 |
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Bangkok, Thailand - Day 6
After flying back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai we went out to dinner at a awesome bbq place with tons of seafood and good food. And then I was going to take a bus at 6 am to Siem Reap which is about 10 hours away to meet up with my friend Jason. But unfortunately I got really really bad food posioning in the morning and spent about 5 hours in the bathroom. I missed my bus and ended up taking a flight to Siem Reap which was a ended up working out better than the bus.
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| Bangkok, Thailand - Day 6 |
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