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When I had the opportunity to use frequent flyer miles for an overseas trip, I decided to use them to go over a different sea than usual for a trip to Asia in November 2002. Here is a report on that trip to Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
TRIP TO ASIA, NOVEMBER 2002
Amc2004-09-13 14:42:34
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reportedly being killed for knowing foreign languages, now in public service in Siem Reap it was essential to speak English; I noted language schools where people learned English and other languages. I also noted the presence of international relief organizations and hospitals. The driver said the roads were well paved thanks to international attention; there was a lot of bicycle traffic.
On the second day the driver had arranged to pick me up at 7 a.m. to beat the crowds to the more distant temple of Banteay Srei, very well liked for its nice decorations and good state of preservation. He also told me that his fee for that day would be $40 because of that distance and the long ride in the afternoon to get a boat at Tonle Sap. From what I read, that is a normal charge. We made short stops at some more temples; there was a certain appeal in hearing the chants of women in the souvenir or snack stands across from the temple entrances, as opposed to peddlers getting right with me and blocking my way. The last highlight among the temples was Ta Prohm, a whole complex with part of its charm in its disrepair. It was nice to see entryways of the same size in so many consecutive walls that it seemed like a hall of mirrors, although it wasn’t. About the temples in general, it is noteworthy that they are still active sites of Buddhist veneration, with monks set up burning incense (although many were originally built as Hindu shrines).
There may have been more temples to see, but the driver decided that other things were standard for a trip of this length, after lunch in town. We stopped at a local handicraft making place, another job-creating place for the populace. Then we left to catch the boat trip; on the road there, I saw many people out and had a sense of the poverty there. So I got to the boat trip; with some doubt about whether I wanted this at all, I asked about taking the one-hour trip at $10 but got persuaded that to do it properly
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See photographs from:
Vietnam Gallery
,
Macau Gallery
,
Hong Kong Gallery
,
Cambodia Gallery
