Sus'a'dai from Cambodia
Hope everyone is OK. We are currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and have been for just over a week. Saigon was a bit of a bizarre place all things considered but very interesting. We did the usual tourist stuff; visited the American war museum which (disturbing and shocking but very interesting at the same time), the traditional medicine museum, went around the reunification palace (straight out of a 1960's James Bond film, well worth the visit), had an argument with an Rickshaw driver who took us to the wrong place and then wanted payment, lost our cash cards in an ATM and had to stay an extra day to get them returned etc, etc, so the routine stuff.
It''s a funny place Vietnam, couldn't quite get to grips with it, everything is moving at a million miles and hour but no one seems to be getting anywhere.
So we arrived in Cambodia last Tuesday. We had heard about an orphanage that needed some volunteers to help teach English to the kids so we thought we would offer our dulcet Boltonian throats. its called the S.C.A.O. (saving poor children in Asia organisation). We originally intended to stay a week, but are now going to stop for two. Its a fantastic place and I urge anyone to visit the website to see what they are trying to achieve. www.savechildreninasia.org There is also a second orphanage just up the road where we have also been helping out called the New Chance for Children Orphanage (formally the Cambodian Pitiful Children's Orphanage - we have helped him change the name!)
There are 19 kids living here from ages of 4-5 up to 19-20. Basically, we teach English to the kids from the orphanage and from the local village in four classes a day starting at 8:00am and finishing around 7-8pm in the evening. Sometime we lead the classes and other times we assist the local teachers (mostly the older kids from the orphanage). As well as this, we help out around the home, and help advertise the orphanage to other people in the city who maybe interested in volunteering. We are paying a donation to stop here and they provide us and the other volunteers with three square meals a day. As well as teaching English, Urvy has brought pancake day to Cambodia (very well received) and I have been coaching football and converting new Man City fans in the process (as if life isn't hard enough for them). Most of the time they don't have a clue what we are saying, but we are ingraining a good northern accent on them anyway.
If any of you kind hearted souls would like to make a donation to the orphanage it would make a massive difference to a people in a country which has really seen some indescribable horrors but is trying to get back on its feet. All the details are on the website. As we have spent most of our time at the orphanage we haven't seen too much of Phnom Penh as yet, but will be having a look around when we finish here. Its Khmer new year next week so we are staying around for that before making our next move, probably to Siem Riep to visit Angkor Wat (back on the temple trail).
Take care and love to everyone,
Pete & Urvy XXX
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Friday, 19 March 2010
Tuff Life Vietnamese! (one for Baz)
Hello all,
We are in Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City to give it its full name, and having a great time. Before this we stopped in Hoi An for about 4 days. This was a lovely place, we went on a boat trip to nearby Cham island and chilled out on the beach and did a bit of snorkeling, although much of the coral had been damaged by a storm the previous week. Saw a nice crab though....
Hoi An is full of tailors and clothes makers, and Urvy had a pair of pink shorts made for about 5$. She was measured up and we went back the next day to collect them. As we approached the shop we could hear raised voices (bad sign). We walked in to the middle of a massive domestic between the seamstress and her husband. Not sure if the pink pants were the cause of the argument, but we started to get a bit worried when she picked them up and began beating her husband about the head with them. Fortunately it didn't seem to damage the stitching. Her son stepped in and took the pants off her to finish unstiching the pockets, while his mum went to look for something heavier........ was probably the most surreal thing to happen so far. I'm a bit worried the pants might be cursed and I might be the next husband to feel the wrath of them, beware the pink pants wearer!
After that we had a spot of bother checking out of the guesthouse where the agro landlady was tying to overcharge us for the room. After much arguing she didn't want to compromise so we left it until the morning when we were leaving. When we went downstairs the following morning, the miserable cow had locked the front door and wouldn't open it. The threat of a phone call to the local dibble soon made here change her mind though, and we didn't feel to guilty about telling a fellow backpacker not to stop there on the way out.
Anyway we are now staying the in the romantically named N-Dung Hotel in Siagon which is very nice. We have had a mooch around the shops and are going on a boat trip around the Mekong delta before heading on Cambodia.
I think I have managed to link so photos onto the blog, I have various e-albums for each place we have visited, so I will rotate them around every now and then (currentl showing Luang Prabang) Hope everyone at home is well and love to everyone.
Love Pete & Urvy.
XXXX
We are in Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City to give it its full name, and having a great time. Before this we stopped in Hoi An for about 4 days. This was a lovely place, we went on a boat trip to nearby Cham island and chilled out on the beach and did a bit of snorkeling, although much of the coral had been damaged by a storm the previous week. Saw a nice crab though....
Hoi An is full of tailors and clothes makers, and Urvy had a pair of pink shorts made for about 5$. She was measured up and we went back the next day to collect them. As we approached the shop we could hear raised voices (bad sign). We walked in to the middle of a massive domestic between the seamstress and her husband. Not sure if the pink pants were the cause of the argument, but we started to get a bit worried when she picked them up and began beating her husband about the head with them. Fortunately it didn't seem to damage the stitching. Her son stepped in and took the pants off her to finish unstiching the pockets, while his mum went to look for something heavier........ was probably the most surreal thing to happen so far. I'm a bit worried the pants might be cursed and I might be the next husband to feel the wrath of them, beware the pink pants wearer!
After that we had a spot of bother checking out of the guesthouse where the agro landlady was tying to overcharge us for the room. After much arguing she didn't want to compromise so we left it until the morning when we were leaving. When we went downstairs the following morning, the miserable cow had locked the front door and wouldn't open it. The threat of a phone call to the local dibble soon made here change her mind though, and we didn't feel to guilty about telling a fellow backpacker not to stop there on the way out.
Anyway we are now staying the in the romantically named N-Dung Hotel in Siagon which is very nice. We have had a mooch around the shops and are going on a boat trip around the Mekong delta before heading on Cambodia.
I think I have managed to link so photos onto the blog, I have various e-albums for each place we have visited, so I will rotate them around every now and then (currentl showing Luang Prabang) Hope everyone at home is well and love to everyone.
Love Pete & Urvy.
XXXX
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Good morning Vietnam!! (bet you couldn't see that one coming)
Xin Chao!!
Well, we finally left Laos a day before our visa expired and crossed the border to Vietnam to be greeted by the rain (boo). We arrived in Hue which is a pretty busy city and a world away from laid back Laos. It was a nice place all the same and a bit more westernized. We spent a few days just mooching around the city and seeing the main tourist sites, the imperial citadel, forbidden purple city and the octagonal pagoda. Its is quite easy to spot the American influence on the citadel (being that there is only about a quarter of it left!), although in general there are a LOT less American tourists here than in Laos.....wonder why? The people here are very friendly (as long as you are buying something) and again the food is amazing. A nice man has just been reading over my shoulder and corrected my spelling of Xin Chao!
After a few days in Hue we hit the road again, to make up for the extra time spent in Laos. we have moved down to Hoi An, which is another lovely place. very relaxed and another world heritage town (bit similar to Luang Prabang) with plenty of nice bars and restaurants where one might happen across the Man City match later.... We have been to visit some Cham ruins at My Son this morning (or whats left of them thanks to good old uncle Sam) and had a nice boat ride back. We will probably stop here for a few days before heading down to Siagon.
Hope everyone at home is OK, only about 7 weeks left until we will be back in May and will probable have lots of catching up to do. I have finally managed to get my hair cut for under 2 quid, so the afro is no more. I now look like I have been drafted for the Army. I have made a half arsed attempted to link the blog to the pictures on photobucket, but as you probably can see, it hasn't really worked to the desired affect. Anyway, Im sure I will eventually figure it out.
Take care and love to everyone.
Pete & Urvy.
XXX
p.s. Happy Mothers Day Mum, your card is in the post along with some more dirty washing!
Well, we finally left Laos a day before our visa expired and crossed the border to Vietnam to be greeted by the rain (boo). We arrived in Hue which is a pretty busy city and a world away from laid back Laos. It was a nice place all the same and a bit more westernized. We spent a few days just mooching around the city and seeing the main tourist sites, the imperial citadel, forbidden purple city and the octagonal pagoda. Its is quite easy to spot the American influence on the citadel (being that there is only about a quarter of it left!), although in general there are a LOT less American tourists here than in Laos.....wonder why? The people here are very friendly (as long as you are buying something) and again the food is amazing. A nice man has just been reading over my shoulder and corrected my spelling of Xin Chao!
After a few days in Hue we hit the road again, to make up for the extra time spent in Laos. we have moved down to Hoi An, which is another lovely place. very relaxed and another world heritage town (bit similar to Luang Prabang) with plenty of nice bars and restaurants where one might happen across the Man City match later.... We have been to visit some Cham ruins at My Son this morning (or whats left of them thanks to good old uncle Sam) and had a nice boat ride back. We will probably stop here for a few days before heading down to Siagon.
Hope everyone at home is OK, only about 7 weeks left until we will be back in May and will probable have lots of catching up to do. I have finally managed to get my hair cut for under 2 quid, so the afro is no more. I now look like I have been drafted for the Army. I have made a half arsed attempted to link the blog to the pictures on photobucket, but as you probably can see, it hasn't really worked to the desired affect. Anyway, Im sure I will eventually figure it out.
Take care and love to everyone.
Pete & Urvy.
XXX
p.s. Happy Mothers Day Mum, your card is in the post along with some more dirty washing!
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Still loving Laos!
Hello!
Well, we are still in Laos! We had planned to pass through the town of Savannakhet on route to Vietnam, but it has turned out to be a nice place so we have hung around a bit longer. Its not quite off the beaten track but is considerably less touristy than anywhere else in Laos. We have chilled out, been on a few excursions, seen some more temples. Savannakhet is also a bit of a dinosaur hotspot, so I have donned my geologist anorak and we spent the afternoon in the museum. It turns out, the French rock up every now and then before taking all the best specimens back to Paris, leaving the poor curator with a bunch of plaster casts and the odd manky foot bone.
Anyway, off the Hue in Vietnam tomorrow. We have to leave this time as our visas are about to expire. Hope everyone at home is well. Take care.
Love Urvy & Pete
XX
Well, we are still in Laos! We had planned to pass through the town of Savannakhet on route to Vietnam, but it has turned out to be a nice place so we have hung around a bit longer. Its not quite off the beaten track but is considerably less touristy than anywhere else in Laos. We have chilled out, been on a few excursions, seen some more temples. Savannakhet is also a bit of a dinosaur hotspot, so I have donned my geologist anorak and we spent the afternoon in the museum. It turns out, the French rock up every now and then before taking all the best specimens back to Paris, leaving the poor curator with a bunch of plaster casts and the odd manky foot bone.
Anyway, off the Hue in Vietnam tomorrow. We have to leave this time as our visas are about to expire. Hope everyone at home is well. Take care.
Love Urvy & Pete
XX
Friday, 5 March 2010
Communism is alive and well and living in Laos
Greetings followers,
Well our travel plans have changed somewhat! A day before our bus was due to depart we got a phone call at our guesthouse in Vientiane. The bus operator told us that the government had confiscated our tickets and given them to a bunch of Vietnamese soap dodging students how had to get back for new year. After further questioning they also said that the bus had broken down and wouldn't get here in time and is was four days until the next one???? if the excuse fits......
Anyway, this turned out to be a stroke of luck as we swapped our tickets to Hanoi and went to a place called Si Phan Don (4000 islands) on the Laos Cambodia border. This turned out to be a fantastic place, probably the the nicest we have been to so far. As the name suggests, it is a shed load of small idyllic islands in the Mekong river with plenty of cheap guesthouses, bars, restaurants and other backpackers. We chilled out on the beach, hired inflatable tubes and floated down the river, cycled to the waterfall and went swimming and finally went on a boat trip to see the Irrawaddy river dolphins. This was fantastic, they are very shy creatures and are only about 12 left in the Mekong, however we saw them breaching within minutes of arriving. Aparently the Khmer Rouge used to fish the river using grenades which killed them all off. (Monsky, maybe we should try this on our next trip, seems to work but not very environmentally friendly). The sunset on the boat trip way back was beautiful and almost worth the 2 hr cycle ride to get there with a flat tyre, no brakes, and Urv getting stung on the arm by something evil on the beach. Still, we had a few beer Laos on the beach that evening to chill out (covered in DEET).
Anyway, as there are no banks or cash machines on the islands we ran out of money and had to leave after about 4 days. We are now on route to Vietnam and stopping in Savannakhet for a few days before going to either Hue, Hoi An or Danang. Not sure which one yet, anyone got any suggestions? Savannakhet is a nice sleepy place on the river, very french.
We are uploading some photos of the trekking to photobucket but it is a bit slow and haven't quite figured out how to share it yet, but will hopefully get it sorted soon enough. The big news is Pete has finally had a shave this morning, just under 2 months growth. He covered his face with milk and let the guesthouse cat lick it off. It had to go; apart from looking ridiculous, it was making me sweat like a dog in a Vietnamese take away. The Afro is staying though, despite the comments to the contrary. I don't care if I do look like Leo Sayer, and it makes me feel like dancing, get used to it.
Take care and love to all,
Pete & Urvy
XXX
Well our travel plans have changed somewhat! A day before our bus was due to depart we got a phone call at our guesthouse in Vientiane. The bus operator told us that the government had confiscated our tickets and given them to a bunch of Vietnamese soap dodging students how had to get back for new year. After further questioning they also said that the bus had broken down and wouldn't get here in time and is was four days until the next one???? if the excuse fits......
Anyway, this turned out to be a stroke of luck as we swapped our tickets to Hanoi and went to a place called Si Phan Don (4000 islands) on the Laos Cambodia border. This turned out to be a fantastic place, probably the the nicest we have been to so far. As the name suggests, it is a shed load of small idyllic islands in the Mekong river with plenty of cheap guesthouses, bars, restaurants and other backpackers. We chilled out on the beach, hired inflatable tubes and floated down the river, cycled to the waterfall and went swimming and finally went on a boat trip to see the Irrawaddy river dolphins. This was fantastic, they are very shy creatures and are only about 12 left in the Mekong, however we saw them breaching within minutes of arriving. Aparently the Khmer Rouge used to fish the river using grenades which killed them all off. (Monsky, maybe we should try this on our next trip, seems to work but not very environmentally friendly). The sunset on the boat trip way back was beautiful and almost worth the 2 hr cycle ride to get there with a flat tyre, no brakes, and Urv getting stung on the arm by something evil on the beach. Still, we had a few beer Laos on the beach that evening to chill out (covered in DEET).
Anyway, as there are no banks or cash machines on the islands we ran out of money and had to leave after about 4 days. We are now on route to Vietnam and stopping in Savannakhet for a few days before going to either Hue, Hoi An or Danang. Not sure which one yet, anyone got any suggestions? Savannakhet is a nice sleepy place on the river, very french.
We are uploading some photos of the trekking to photobucket but it is a bit slow and haven't quite figured out how to share it yet, but will hopefully get it sorted soon enough. The big news is Pete has finally had a shave this morning, just under 2 months growth. He covered his face with milk and let the guesthouse cat lick it off. It had to go; apart from looking ridiculous, it was making me sweat like a dog in a Vietnamese take away. The Afro is staying though, despite the comments to the contrary. I don't care if I do look like Leo Sayer, and it makes me feel like dancing, get used to it.
Take care and love to all,
Pete & Urvy
XXX
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