Young kid in village near Sapa, Vietnam

I will have a proper post on Sapa soon, but I wanted to post this image in the meantime.

After arriving in Dalat, Vietnam I quickly organized a Easy Rider tour through the Central Highlands of Vietnam.  I decided on a 3 day and 2 night ride that would end in Nha Trang.  At $65 a day it was by far the most I have spent on this trip, but at the end I think it was well worth it.  My driver, Huan, was a local who grew up on a farm, and was now working in the tourist industry.  He was a really fun guy to go with and participated in most of the activities that there was on the ride.  He had a lot of interesting information about the various places that we visited and the varying  landscape we were riding through.

Coffee Beans

We headed north from Dalat in the morning to Lak Lake.  The hills outside of Dalat are dotted with fields of rice, vegetables, flowers, coffee, and many others.  Coffee seemed to be the most profitable crop as there were some pretty impressive houses adjacent to many of the fields.  In addition to loving coffee, Vietnam is now the second highest exporter in the world.

Rice Harvest

About an hour from Lak Lake we ran into some rain, which to be honest was a bit scary but we took it slow and made it to our homestay for the night.  The next morning there was a lot of activity around the village we were staying in.  Harvest season had begun and people were bringing rice from all over to be processed.  After getting the rice from the plants they then spread it out on the road to dry in the heat of the day.

Waterfalls

Moving on that day we encountered a few villages on the way to our next destination Yok Don Park.  There were some pretty impressive waterfalls and pools of blue water that was quite refreshing after spending so much time on a motorcycle.  That night we stayed in the city of Buon Ma Thuot.  The last day was pretty much solid riding to Nha Trang.  I can’t tell you how glad I was to see the ocean that afternoon.

I would certainly recommend taking an Easy Rider tour if you are in Vietnam.  It really is a much better experience that riding inside a bus all the time.

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I spent a few days in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) a couple weeks ago after traveling from Phnom Penh by bus.  You can tell the city is really exploding with growth as there are construction sites all over the city including impressive sky scrapers.  There are still many small alleyways where people’s living rooms are right on the street next to the open air markets.  The swarming motos are also here of course dodging in and out of traffic.  I am getting pretty good at crossing the street now.  You just have to walk slowly and not make any sudden moves.  I think you could be blind folded and still make it across in one piece, but I’ll let someone else test that theory.

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Day Trip to Kirirom National Park from Midwestern Wanderer on Vimeo.

A few Top Banana friends head to Kirirom National Park in Cambodia.

Shot on a Canon 7D with a Tamron 18-270.

Edited on Avid Media Composer and color graded in After Effects.

Song is “Quittin’ Time” by Patrick Lee. http://www.patrickleemusic.com/

Angkor Wat is located in western Cambodia near the town of Siem Reap.  Angkor Wat itself is the main attraction that people come see but it really is just one of many temples spread across a huge area.  The easiest and fasted way to get from one area to the next is to hire a moto/tuk tuk driver the day.  You can also rent a bicycle if you are keen on doing that in 95 degree heat.

Wall carvings at Angkor Thom

I decided to spend three days exploring the temples in and around Angkor Wat, but took a break between each day, and I was glad I did because frankly I was pretty sick of seeing temples by the end of each day.  The main attraction of course is Angkor Wat and that was clearly evident by the masses of tourist buses parked outside of the complex.  The prime photo most people want is the sunrise shot.  Most people crowd around a small pond that is located in front of the main temple and offers an amazing, yet cliche, photo opportunity.  The walls here were once all covered in intricate carvings made right into the soft sand stone.  Time and the elements have eroded most of these carvings but there are still many places where they have survived.

East Mebon

One of the most significant aspects of the Angkor Wat was the immense irrigation system that was built throughout the large area.  In many places temples were placed in the middle of a massive baray, an artificial body of water, and had walls measuring several meters high.

There has been a lot of work done over the years to restore the temples and there seems to be men working constantly on scaffolding.  Even with the continuing work there are still many areas where you can see how nature has taken back much of the area.  Large trees can be seen growing right out of the tumbling walls and souring into the sky.  I was always amazed at how quickly nature can work once humans have moved out of an area that had so much development at one point in time.

Banteay Srei

Probably my favorite temple was Banteay Srei and lies about 20 km from Angkor Wat.  The best way to describe it is miniature version of Angkor Wat, and looks like it could of been used exclusively by children.  The first thing I noticed was how small the doorways were which were only a few feet tall.  The walls here are in remarkable condition and are all covered in fine carvings of Hindu gods and helped me imagine what the other temples would have looked like in the past.  Definitely worth the long tuk tuk drive and the highlight of all the temples for me.

You can view all the photos below.

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Phnom Penh has a way of drawing a person in with a mix of its raw energy and French colonial influences.

Independence Monument

Since arriving in Cambodia five weeks ago I’ve spent three of those weeks in Phnom Penh.  I had first arrived I figured I would only spend a few days in Phnom Penh before setting off to other parts of Cambodia.  Before I knew it I was back in the city.  I actually ended up having to get my visa extended for another 30 days.

I have overheard various people complain about Phnom Penh as being a dirty city with an unpleasant smell.  Of course, this is for the most part true, as it is for most big cities around the world.  If you are able to look beyond those initial quips that many first time visitors have for this city then you will find a city full of young people with energy to burn.

There is a great mix of those who are just traveling through and long term expats who are making a life here.  This gives someone who is traveling the chance to meet people from all of the world and really get a feel for the city.

Food Cart

Beyond the constant sound of tuk tuk and moto drivers vying for your business even as you are just getting off another tuk tuk are the street vendors selling an assortment of delicious foods for oh so cheap.  The food here is pretty incredible and range from noodle soup to chicken amok.  You they use the freshest ingredients and cook your food right in front of you while you wait.  It really doesn’t get better than this.

Siesta

You will find that by the time the early afternoon arrives most Cambodians are relaxing after lunch.  If anything they have mastered the art of the siesta by all standards, and who can blame them since most wake up around 5AM every morning.  I’ve seen tuk tuk drivers string hammocks across the back seat just to get some nap time in.

I will have more to share about Phnom Penh as I plan on being back in the city very soon.  You can view the rest of my Phnom Penh gallery HERE.

Whoever invented night markets is a genius.  I’ve been going to the night market on a daily basis in Thong Sala on Koh Phangan since I got here about a week ago.  It’s full of just about anything you want to from phad thai, to seafood, curries, and various meats on a stick.  I still haven’t tried everything you can there yet, but I plan on reaching that goal at some point before I leave this island whenever that might be.

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