For most people, Cambodia is Angkor Wat. But the country has so much more to offer than that. The Khmer Rouge genocide happened during our lifetimes, making the Killing Fields every bit as poignant if not more than the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the resilience of people who…
Month: December 2009
Buses and Beers in Vietnam
The Mai Linh Express bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh lasts about 7 hours including the border crossing. That’s about 2 hours longer than they claim but it was a smooth ride. Our bus was peopled with other peculiar passengers including a couple traveling on Cuban passports, and a Vietnamese-Australian family. Cambodian customs and immigration…
Cherry to Cup: A Journey Through a Vietnamese Coffee Heartland
Robusta coffee cherries are bunched like grapes on their trees in the hills outside Dalat. Vietnam’s central mountains are country’s backbone, running hundreds of kilometres in a north-south direction. Tropical mountains just happen to make wonderful coffee-growing territory, and that’s just what the French had in mind when they first came here. In the…
Some Nha Trang Notes
Nha Trang is Vietnam’s premier beach town. It’s scenic, surrounded by mountains and islands in the sea. It’s got a sizeable population and a (perhaps poorly deserved) reputation for good nightlife. All things considered, we really liked Nha Trang (all things = bad weather). We came during the rainy season and we got what we…
