tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83274900172153959052024-09-14T04:51:58.952+08:00Vietnam and Cambodia TripFrom Manila to Saigon and Siem Reap and everything in between.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-52605173796782518362009-12-14T19:32:00.006+08:002010-03-02T19:08:35.550+08:00The Temples, cont.Day 1, Afternoon:
As I’ve mentioned in my previous post I was back in the temple complex again at about four o’clock, which was a bit late. I didn’t know that the temples that I would be visiting are far from their respective parking areas.
Banteay Kdei was the first. It is a temple with four walls, the outer is huge (700 by 500m) and its entrance alone indicates that it was created during the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-42193389451479812002009-12-13T20:58:00.003+08:002009-12-13T21:02:02.989+08:00The TemplesOne thing similar about the early history of the Philippines and Cambodia is the absence of written documents of our early existence. This doesn’t mean that our ancestors didn’t know how to write but the problem was due to the materials that they used. They probably used biodegradable materials. Thus, in our case, the first written account of life in our islands is by a priest, while in Cambodia,Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-2403873392809933512009-12-10T08:00:00.001+08:002009-12-10T08:01:16.865+08:00Photos: Yellow House Hotel Regulations
Posted inside the room.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-6257099775559207822009-12-10T07:58:00.001+08:002009-12-11T08:02:44.819+08:00Some Unnecessary Things•C2, a well-known brand of green tea here in the Philippines, is being sold in the streets of Saigon. I’ve also seen some TV commercials about C2 in some Vietnam TV channels. Unknown to some, the green tea that Robina uses in manufacturing C2 comes from Vietnam.
•I have seen some feed stores in Vietnam selling B-Meg which is a popular brand of feeds in the Philippines being produced by San Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-64893731355471824362009-12-08T13:00:00.002+08:002009-12-08T13:02:36.828+08:00Photos: Dongs
Vietnamese Dong (VND) bills has Uncle Ho in his many names and his image.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-26128034147041687532009-12-08T12:43:00.002+08:002009-12-08T12:47:47.954+08:00Photos: Bui Vien Street
This is the street at the back of Pham Ngu Lao St. At night, it is home to touts, prostitutes and everything in between.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-34086959476394259372009-12-08T12:34:00.002+08:002009-12-08T12:40:13.136+08:00Photos: Bus 152
Bus 152 which I found just outside of the Domestic Terminal of Saigon. The ride from the airport to Pham Ngu Lao is just 3000 VND, roughly 8.00 pesos!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-50949322874972811282009-12-07T16:27:00.002+08:002009-12-08T12:39:36.880+08:00Photos: Saigon Lady
A woman food vendor in Saigon. Note the small chairs for her customers. This photo was taken while on the 4th floor veranda of Yellow House.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-69646724362234799912009-12-03T08:57:00.002+08:002009-12-03T08:57:35.527+08:00SleepsSleeps
Yellow House Guesthouse
Bui Vien St.
Pam Ngu Lao, D1
Saigon
It is the first in the list of places to sleep in Lonely Planet. I was so glad that the staff is very helpful and willing to help. I booked through a combination of phone call, e-mail and YM and got my pseudo-reservation within minutes which I used as proof of booking required by the immigration officer in NAIA 2. Through the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-19271126019343530952009-11-30T20:36:00.002+08:002009-11-30T20:36:26.073+08:00I LikeWhat I liked about this trip are:
1. The relative ease of arranging for transport and tours in Saigon. Booking offices are left and right in Pam Ngu Lao. Almost all of the hotels can arrange for day tours and for trips. They were easy to talk to also. It is even easier to travel in Vietnam and Cambodia than in the Philippines.
2. The food in Saigon! It didn’t disappoint although I wasn’t able toUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-29348888306596276092009-11-26T23:30:00.000+08:002009-11-26T23:30:29.496+08:00Eighth Day PhotosThese are photos of signages and of the international airport in Saigon.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-83718435388080244462009-11-26T23:26:00.000+08:002009-11-26T23:26:31.927+08:00Seventh Day PhotosThese are photos I took while I walked during the morning and got lost and then followed by Cu Chi Tunnel and scenes around the city.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-17692570675633718102009-11-26T23:18:00.000+08:002009-11-26T23:18:15.845+08:00Sixth Day PhotosThese are photos of Saigon and some places and sights in Mekong Delta.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-36132168575508653152009-11-26T23:11:00.002+08:002009-11-26T23:16:19.346+08:00Fifth Day PhotosThis set of photos are of the following: Russian Market, Tuol Sleng Museum, the Independence Monument, people kicking shuttle cock, a park in Phnom Penh (I forgot the name), the restaurant where I watched the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, and some scenes on my way back to Saigon.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-31453692957664673952009-11-26T23:08:00.000+08:002009-11-26T23:08:13.788+08:00Fourth Day PhotosThis album contains photos of temples on the Grand Circuit. The latter part are photos of the Angkor Wat, beginning with the monkeys I saw at the road from the right side entrance. Also in the middle are some photos of the exhibits in the Angkor National Museum.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-22302575283089269702009-11-26T23:03:00.002+08:002009-11-26T23:03:50.997+08:00Third Day PhotosThese photos were taken during the first day of my tour around to the lesser known temples around Angkor.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-12849038976815614212009-11-26T23:00:00.000+08:002009-11-26T23:00:28.311+08:00Second Day PhotosI was on transit this time from Saigon to Phnom Penh then to Siem Reap.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-14359741535034290762009-11-26T22:08:00.000+08:002009-11-26T22:08:27.435+08:00First Day PhotosThese were the photos on the first day of my trip. This is the day I flew out of Manila and arrived in Saigon via Philippine Airlines (PAL). I arrived in late afternoon. I looked for the bus in the airport and went to the backpacker area of Saigon.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-21583980392270782962009-11-26T21:37:00.000+08:002009-11-26T21:37:59.337+08:00Travel Tales on a Per Receipt Basis: Part 4Cont.
I’m sorry I can’t upload photos as of this time because of bandwidth restrictions. I’ll find time to upload them later.
This one is from a tape receipt without heading but I believe this was from Pho 2000. The amount was VND 104,000.00. I remember that I ordered a big bowl of seafood noodles. Little did I know that “big” is really big as in ginormous! It as big as a small basin you use Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-47703165323781262562009-11-26T06:18:00.000+08:002009-11-26T06:18:01.539+08:00Travel Tales on a Per Receipt Basis: Part 3Cont.
$4.00 for a dinner in the Old Market Area of Siem Reap in one of the night restaurants there. It was for a well spiced and herbed grilled chicken and rice and of course Angkor beer. This was on the night I arrived from the very long trip from Saigon.
Php750.00 for the Airport User’s Charge paid in NAIA. Five hundred fifty of this is Passenger Service Charge and the rest is Security Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-12078378200867787632009-11-24T21:33:00.000+08:002009-11-24T21:33:48.852+08:00Travel Tales on a Per Receipt Basis: Part 2Cont.
$114.00 was the two-way airfare from Manila to Ho Chi Minh City via Philippine Airlines (PAL). It was a promo fare from PAL’s Halloween Madness which was lower than the Econolight fare by just $58.00 or Php2,784.00. Considering that this is not a budget airline, the fare was cheap but the next time I fly out of the country, I would take the any of the ASEAN budget airlines. It’s much Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-91598015198683439022009-11-24T07:09:00.000+08:002009-11-24T07:09:17.083+08:00Travel Tales on a Per Receipt Basis: Part 1According to the receipts I collected:
$40.00 (Php 1920.00) for 3 day pass for Angkor. Payment was thru a ticket booth halfway between Siem Reap center and Angkor. A photo is taken and is printed on the ticket; this is to avoid second-hand tickets. You loose the ticket in Angkor and they charge you $30.00. Pass for 2 days also costs $40.00, same same. Most of the temples have stationed guards Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-51157315705112108762009-11-10T17:59:00.003+08:002009-11-10T18:01:37.714+08:00And AnotherIt's now MLA-SGN-PP-SR-PP-SGN-MLA-CEB-TAG. Will be back Nov 22. Whew.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-10291323955333737602009-11-07T23:00:00.001+08:002009-11-07T23:00:43.216+08:00Siem Reap MapThis map shows some of my target sights.View Siem Reap in a larger mapUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327490017215395905.post-41268336677670159852009-11-07T21:50:00.000+08:002009-11-07T21:51:26.781+08:00Phnom Penh MapHere's a map of what I should see in Phnom Penh:View Cambodia: PP and SR in a larger mapUnknownnoreply@blogger.com