Options
When we were ready to
move on from
Mui Ne, Vietnam, we had a few options to consider: travel
north along the main highway and visit
Na Trang; go back to Ho Chi Minh City and fly to
Phu Quoc Island – a beach paradise they say; or travel overland from HCMC into Cambodia,
stop in Phnom Penh and then on to Siem Reap to revisit Angkor Wat. After
considering the logistics and getting input from other travellers, we opted for
Cambodia.
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| Mui Ne Bay |
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| Fishing boats in Mui Ne Village |
Bus to HCMC
First, we had to
return to HCMC, a 5hr bus ride. We opted for the Phoung Trang bus line. The
company was recommended by our hotel as well as others. All was well until the
last 30min. With the sun setting and the lights of HCMC on the horizon, the bus
came to a halt. It appeared to stall; however, the consensus was that the bus
had run out of gas!! So there we were stranded on a ramp onto a short section
of freeway leading into the city. Like rats leaving a sinking ship, the passengers were
quick to hail one of the many taxis passing by rather than wait for the bus to
start! We joined a group – 6 Vietnamese and a young couple from Australia – and boarded a taxi van.
We shared the cost, and for 30,000 dong per person ($1.50), we were dropped a
block from our hotel sooner than we would have arrived by bus!
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| HCMC is famous for narrow buildings. This one was likely built into a former alley! |
Phnom Penh
For the trip to Phnom Penh, we chose our favourite bus company,
Sinh Tourist (formerly known as Sinh Cafe). The trip was uneventful, well organized and on time. Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, has a population of 2.5
million. It is located at the convergence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. While it does have a good museum, a beautiful palace, and a lovely walk along the Mekong. It is dusty, dirty, chaotic and choked with traffic. Definitely not our favourite and not on the return list.
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| Lance as Buddha at the palace in Phnom Penh |
Seated Buddha: Perhaps the most common pose for Thai Buddha Statues
is the one pictured above, which is known as the attitude of Calling The Earth
To Witness or Subduing Mara. The story behind this image is that the Buddha was
about to attain Enlightenment and was attacked by a demon named Mara who tried
to both tempt and terrify him into defeat. The Buddha reached down to call the
Goddess Of The Earth to witness that he had not been defeated, but instead had
achieved Enlightenment and subdued Mara. Upon witnessing this The Earth Goddess
released flood water that carried away Mara and all of the temptresses he had
sent to defeat the Buddha.
Siem Reap – gateway to
Angkor Wat
In January 2002, we
visited Angkor Wat and several of the other temples in the Angkor group. Ten
years later, we came back for another look. No surprise, much has changed. The
temples are as grand and impressive as they were before. However, the hordes of tourists, buses and guides were a bit overwhelming. The town of Siem Reap, 8km from Angkor Wat, has grown to a city of nearly 200,000. As the gateway town for the Angkor complex, it has changed from the sleepy little town with mostly dirt
streets in 2002 to an international tourist destination in 2012. It is still dusty, but you can now choose from a wide selection of accommodation, from 5 star to budget, and restaurants serving food from every nation.
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| Karen as tree among the trees at Ta Phrom |
