Eco's Within and Without

Type: Walking tour Date:  29 June 2019 Mode: by foot, conversation with locals Distance: >5 km Duration: 3 hours (3:10pm to 6:10pm) Fare: Free Difficulty: Backpack getting heavy, language barrier Highlight: Famous places passed by, government buildings and universities, Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Central Post Office Lesson: It is easier to have money exchange in Siem Reap, Exchange rate at HCM city center is low, they don’t usually change Cambodian riel to Vietnamese dong, grab ride is available in HCM, public bus transport ends at 10pm Mobility can be a bit difficult in Ho Chi Minh (HCM). Like other Southeast Asian cities, I think that HCM lacks interconnectivity of transportation modes. It also prioritises mobility of private cars than public transport. HCM is the old Saigon by name. It reminds me of the Miss Saigon theatrical play that I watched back in 2001. Since I am on a tight budget and I want to set a "walking along the cities" as one...

Route: Phnom Penh to Ho Chi  Minh Date:  29 June 2019 Mode: Bus (seater) Duration: 7 hours (8:20am to 3:10pm) Phnom Penh to Bavet border (4 hours) Bavet Border to Border Check and Ho Chi Minh City Bus Terminal (3 hours) Fare: 10 USD Other expenses: 4 USD breakfast, 5 USD lunch Difficulty: First time land border check, language barrier Highlight: Places passed by, see land border checking, new travel visa stamped Lesson: Stay with the bus group, do not rush to do your own move at the border, trust the immigration officer collecting the passport I reached Phnom Penh again at 4:25 am the following day. It was still dark but there are dim streetlights along the way. I decided to have a walking tour towards the Phnom Penh Post Office again because I planned then that I would get my ride to Ho Chi Minh (HCM) from there. But the travel to HCM should still be in the evening because I still had plan to explore other parts of the city. There was no de...

Route: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Date:  28 June 2019 Mode: Bus (Sleeper box) Duration: 11:30pm to 4:25 am Fare: 7 USD Difficulty: None, only longer than airplane ride Highlight: Smooth travel, sleep lying down with ample space, with curtains for personal space, see places passed by during the day, smooth ride (less bump) Visiting the pagoda and exploring the artisans' place at the heart of Siem Reap is the highlight of the day. I also saw Siem Reap by the day as it turns itself into a sleeping bat amidst quietness, slow movement of vehicles, people sheltered in buildings and closed shops and boutiques, and the timid Tonle Sap River. Slowly, the day turns into an alive colony of bats as it becomes busy towards the night. By the dark, Siem Reap becomes completely charged with teeming energy. It is as alive as the restless bats hunting for food at night. At the end of the day, I met my driver friend and has few shots of beer before departure. ...

Type: Siem Reap City Center Tuk tuk tour Date:  28 June 2019 Mode: Tuk tuk ride and some walks Duration: 3 hours (10:00am to 13:00pm) Fare: 5 USD (voluntary) Other Expenses: Offerings, Lunch Difficulty: Air and noise pollution Highlight: Wat Preah Prom Rath (Buddhist Temple with Garden), Buddhist Monastery, Artisan D’Angkor, Tonle Sap River by day,  Angkor Wat mesmerised me and the Bayon Temple invited me to feel the mystical ambiance of the past. The experience in the Angkor was like a travel inside a time machine where I was led to see one thousand years back in time. I had a night at my drivers lair and he gave me a safe haven amidst darkness. Then was the morning of 28 June but I didn't have itinerary yet. My driver told me that we can go around the city once again. I gave him a voluntary amount as a gesture of gratitude for the night stay. After morning preparations and a light meal, we roamed around the city again. We had with us Booleap his...

Type:  Seam Reap City Centre Tuktuk Tour Date:  27 June 2019 (night) Mode: Tuk tuk ride and some walks Duration: 5 hours (5:30pm to 10:30pm) Fare: 10 USD (Included in the day tour to Angkor Temples) Difficulty: Air and noise pollution Highlight: Pub Street, Night Market, shopping for give away, Tonle Sap River by night, street food After a long day walking cum tuktuk ride tour, my driver picked me up at the western side of Angkor Wat. The location was just at the road near the bank of the moat. His return and subsequent touring around the city had laid the foundation for my trust in him. We then bought some pre-cooked meat at the market, returned to his house and ate for dinner. I immediately took a bath after dinner and at 9:00 pm we started to roll and went to Siem Reap city center. The center is around 10 minutes  away from his house including traffic during the early evening rush. We then passed by the usual road entering the city center, went ...