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Expedition Stories
Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…
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Previous Reports
1/26/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom, Siem Reap, Cambodia Today we began Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic’s very first adventure on the Mekong River. Our explorations commence, however, in the majestic heart of the ancient Khmer Empire of northern Cambodia. The city of Siem Reap (meaning “the victory over the Thais”) is the setting for the incredible temples of Angkor. Our first visit in the morning was to a temple that seems to epitomize the mental image of the days when these treasures were first rediscovered by western eyes—Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm has suffered at the hands of the jungle that surrounds it, as huge trees have sprouted from its walls and fortifications. These trees are now such a part of the environment that to imagine the temple without them is almost impossible. Ta Prohm was built around the turn of the 13th century and the huge trees that have enveloped it are its most defining feature. Admiring the incredible craftsmanship surrounding us, we climbed through and around its crumbling walls. This was a wonderful way to begin our explorations of Angkor. We returned to the hotel for a break and many took advantage of the pool or walking around the town of Siem Reap. Everyone reconvened for a beautiful lunch in the hotel restaurant before our afternoon excursion. In the afternoon, we took advantage of the most interesting form of local transport, the ubiquitous tuk-tuks. These covered, open-air carriages are set on the backs of motorbikes, and offer a great way to experience the surrounding landscape and city. Our tuk-tuk drivers carried us to the heart of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple. Bayon is famous for the multitudes of carved faces covering its towers. At the heart of Angkor Thom, it is a wonderful place to explore and photograph. After climbing the different levels of the temple, we continued by tuk-tuk to the famous Terrace of the Leper King and the Elephant Terrace. Intricately carved stone blocks make up these beautifully preserved examples of ancient Khmer architecture. Lastly, we returned to the hotel for a Welcome Cocktail Reception alongside the Lotus Pond and enjoyed an explanation of the significance of Angkor by our National Geographic Representative, Paula Swart. Following this was a dinner that offered us a chance to meet and chat with our fellow travelers. It was a wonderful day, filled with a multitude of mental images and fascinating religious history. For many of us, our visit today was a perfect way to begin our explorations of the temples of Angkor and it brought anticipation of the things yet to come when we continue tomorrow.
1/28/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Siem Reap to Kampong Cham Most of us were actually relieved to hear that our embarkation point for the Jahan was changed to Kampong Cham on the Mekong River, instead of Prek K’dam on the Tonle Sap tributary. This saved an hour of driving, and a few feigned disappointment that we would not pass through the infamous “Spiderville,” which is one of the main supply centers for the Cambodian delicacy of fried spiders. Actually the drive was a beautiful change of scenery after our first few days of unbelievable Angkor-period temples. The road followed the northern boundary of Lake Tonle Sap’s floodplain, which is dropping to its dry-season lows right now and revealing its fertile plains. During the monsoon seasons the entire lower basin of the Mekong starts to back up with rainwater runoff, and the bottle-necked delta plugs the drainage so that Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong delta fill like a bathtub. Even the currents are reversed upstream, and this past October’s peak filled to record levels and flooded the Angkor Wat temple complex! We saw the long rice paddies, the classic-shaped haystacks of rice straw, and enthusiastic fishermen taking advantage of the concentrating fish in the shrinking tributaries and pools. We drove through villages that seemed stretched with market vendors all selling the exact same produce and products, and we tried to snap passing pictures of Buddhist spirit houses along the way. Soon the plains gave way to rubber tree plantations, which meant we were nearing Kampong Cham (the banks of the “Cham” People), and the “port” where our ship awaited. The port was actually a sloped river embankment that we edged down with the welcoming assistance of the finely-dressed crew of the Jahan. What a luxurious anomaly the ship seemed in this subsistence landscape! The colonial classic décor seemed of another world as we walked the gangplanks from the muddy banks to the welcoming cold towels and smiling faces of the crew. This was Lindblad Expeditions’ first boarding of the Jahan, that was to be our home for the next week on the Mekong River, and the foundation of our Cambodia and Vietnam expeditions for the upcoming future. The remainder of the day was spent getting familiar with the ship’s layout, crew, systems, guides and the town of Kampong Cham, anxious to transition from the great temples of Angkor Wat to the backwater subsistence villages of the Mekong.
1/30/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Tralach The alarm. It’s always too early, until you’re awake enough to think of what awaits. Today, after the normal struggle with the choices for breakfast aboard the Jahan, we board long small motorboats. Destination: a small town along the riverbanks called Kampong Chhnang. The orange life vests draped over shiny steel chairs make a stark contrast to the green grass on the banks, and the ochre color of the water – evoking scenes from the movie “The Lover,” based on the novel/memoir of the Mekong Delta’s most famous author, Marguerite Duras. Ashore, a short bus ride over flat red-dirt roads brings us to a pottery-making area. Rather than noisy factories with busy workers, we’re greeted by smiling dwellers in the Aundaung Russey Village. By now, we’re used to the openness of the people in Cambodia, but it’s still astonishing to feel the absolute warmth they offer to foreign visitors. It’s clearly in their nature, it’s engrained: the genuine smiles, the bright faces, the readiness to greet and accept us. We’re allowed to gather around a young woman working on some pots – interrupting herself every few seconds to look up at us, smile, nodding her head with a show of gratitude while we watched her. Then came the amazement when we saw that instead of spinning a platform around and around to work on her clay pot, she shapes it by walking around it herself, slightly stooped. “I can’t believe it,” says one of the tour members. “I can’t believe she’s walking around it like that.” Then it was explained to us that she’s adhering to an age-old tradition in Cambodia: you pat the clay with your hands, then with wooden pieces that look like miniature boat paddles. You do this more effectively if you’re standing up and walking around the pot. We continued the visit with a quick walk to more traditional stilt houses where women displayed small clay candleholders, bells, and piggy banks – made in the shape of elephants. One wonders what these are used for, as they’re too small for money bills, while coins aren’t used in this country. We milled around the village, visiting a few more houses where the open areas are filled with mounds of clay, as workers calmly but efficiently pounded blocks of clay into dozens and dozens of clay cookers, while others covered them with tin sheets and painted the inside a blood-red color. All throughout our visit, children gathered around—like children in other places we’d visited—curious about the foreigners, but also allowing themselves to be photographed, picked up and held, and all displayed the same natural hospitality. Back on the motorboats, we cruised past fishing boats, floating houses and trees rising up from the riverbanks, reaching for the sky, the stilt houses with corrugated tin roofs showing through the thin branches and leaves. Returning to the Jahan, we enjoyed lunch as we sailed down the Tonle Sap River. In the afternoon, we were challenged to a never-before-experienced ride: a two-wheeled ox-cart to the village of Kampong Tralach, north of Phnom Penh. “It was bumpy,” someone said. An understatement, perhaps, and there were fears that all photos taken on the ride were blurry – which would have been a shame as there were plenty of picturesque scenes with rice paddies, and villagers going about their day. Later, we sailed and docked at Prek Kdam, a silversmith village. We went from house to house, watching workers pound small sheets of silver into shapes. Of course, we created much commotion asking to buy little silver bracelets, elephants, or spoons that would later remind us of this moment. Here again, children were everywhere, and they and their parents were all smiles as we walked by. “Hello, hello,” many of the tour members said, placing the palms of their hands together in front of their chests, easily as if that gesture was customary and native to them. And of course, the Khmer villagers responded just as easily, breaking into an English greeting of “Hello” as if the word was a Khmer word.
2/1/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Cruising the Mekong River We spent a very relaxing day, making our way from the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, downriver toward the border with Vietnam. It was a wonderful opportunity to see life along the river and the people that make their home in this bountiful place. We passed homes floating on the river itself, as well as areas of agriculture that no doubt become flood plains during the monsoons that will come later in the year. It was lush, verdant, and bustling with activity. Paula spoke to us in the morning about modern day Cambodia and the Cambodian people. After the presentation last evening (by our guest presenter) regarding Cambodia’s turbulent history, it was nice to have the present perspective of the country and its citizens. Shortly after lunch, we arrived at the border of Cambodia and Vietnam. We anchored for several hours, as the immigration and customs procedures took place around us. Many of us also took the opportunity to rest, read, and catch up on relaxing a bit onboard! Later in the afternoon, many of us met in the Dining Room for a wonderful cooking demonstration, highlighting some traditional Cambodian dishes. We attempted to wrap our own Pork Spring Rolls, after watching our expert teacher demonstrate. Next, we learned about one of the most popular dishes in Cambodia, fish amok. Lastly, we tasted the fruits of our (and our Chef’s!) labors. It was a delicious break in the calm of our afternoon. We were treated to Duc’s first presentation of the trip in the later part of the day. He spoke about Vietnamese art and artists that have had incredible influence in the 20th (and the early part of the 21st) century. This is a subject about which many of us have little prior knowledge. It was wonderful to learn a bit about the artists, themselves, and the controversial art that many of them are producing. As customs and immigration procedures waned, we continued downriver, into the heart of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. We anchored just off the Mekong in the Bassac River, alongside the city of Chau Doc. Our Vietnamese guides, Son and Tri, joined us this evening and introduced themselves as new members of our little ship family. We passed a pleasant evening at anchor tonight, listening to the putt-putting of local motors as they passed alongside us in the dark. It was a lovely day to rejuvenate from our many adventures and explorations of the last week.
2/3/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Sadec and Caibe This morning a hard core group of 6 enthusiasts participated in the last Tai Chi class with Solida from the spa and the versatile Mr. Voant, the assistant cruise director. After breakfast we embarked smaller boats, or sampans, to visit Binh Thanh Island. It was low tide; fishing traps were visible above the water and boats were stuck in the fertile mud. Binh Tanh Island, with a population of 3,000 inhabitants, was a popular place to live during the Vietnam War, away from the turbulence and bombing. At a local temple, we met a lady and a gentleman, both in their seventies, who shared with us details about their lives. The lady runs a sage grass mat wholesale operation, but in her spare time she is one of the caretakers of the temple. She moved with her family to the island when she was two years old and has lived there ever since. The island has a kindergarten, elementary and secondary school, but students will have to leave Binh Thanh Island if they want to attend high school. Most villagers, as far as we can see, are occupied with the weaving of sage grass mats, which involves two people. Sage grass has a very distinct, fragrant smell. Before lunch we are treated to an interesting introduction and overview of Vietnamese literature since 1986 by Nguyen Qui Duc, who has personally met most of the authors and has translated some of their work. In the afternoon we were ready for our visit by sampan to the lively floating market of Cai Be. We passed the prominent Roman Catholic Church and made a stop to visit an old wooden house built in 1838, recently restored with the aid of the Japanese government. Our second stop gave us an insight into the various uses of rice: to be made into pop rice candy, rice paste to make “rice paper” used in salad rolls and of course, rice wine, which can be flavoured with herbs, fruits or a cobra – for medicinal purposes, of course. Next time you have a backache you know what to drink…. Happy Hour was upon us and the whole crew was presented and acknowledged for their cheerful service, making our stay on the Jahan so pleasant. Dancing around the pool on the Terrace Deck, staff and guests celebrated their final night together on the ship. We had one final presentation – a slide show after dinner – of pictures taken by a staff member of our excursions and life on the ship. It was a nice touch to receive a copy of the disc with these images at check-out time.
2/6/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Chau Doc, Vietnam and Cruising the Mekong to Cambodia How many fish do you have in your tank? Try 100 thousand. That’s big business, especially if you’re a part of the community in the Mekong Delta still struggling to make a living. This was our last day in Viet Nam and we started the day riding our motorboats from the Jahan, past the floating markets, to this village upstream that hosts several fish farms. The word is misleading as the fish farms really are humble wooden houses floating on plastic barrels. A deck with square holes in front of each house is where the frenzy is: throw a small bucket of food pellets into the square hole and see hundreds of fish leaping and diving and hunting. Some even land on the deck. There are small fish, big fish, many related to the catfish, or the basa. This is what is raised here for export, and it’s a reminder that these fish, often called Basa fish, have been a subject of trade disputes with the United States. Ironically the fishermen in places like Texas and Louisiana who first objected to the fish being imported from Viet Nam included fishermen who were boat people, immigrants who left Viet Nam in the late 70s and early 80s to build a new life in across the Pacific. The fish in this village, we’re told, are fed with all the proper vitamins and proteins required by international codes. It’s all big business, and the export is truly helpful to the local people, we’re told. A quick glance into their living quarters, however, can tell you that they’re definitely not living in luxury: a decade-old TV, a couple of chairs, a straw mat on the bed, and a rickety table. We visited Chau Doc, a border town with rows of houses on either side of the Mekong, and a major market. As we began the visit to the market, women were yelling out the prices of the dragon fruits, grapes, sour sops, and green mangoes. At times, many were yelling out the prices at the same time. “15 thousand a kilo of this, 30 thousand a kilo of this!” One of our tour members turned and said, “After a while it sounds like Buddhist chanting.” Many of us had trouble choosing between gawking, amazed at what’s going on, or snapping a few photos of these lively scenes. It was just 10 am, and people were starting to eat lunch—a bowl of noodle with fish cakes, or a few thin slices of pork mixed with vegetables and rice. There were also stalls serving porridge, and several selling sweet pudding of tapioca, jelly, and chopped up tropical fruit. The smell was strong, but inconsequential compared to the area a few feet again where people were selling a fish and papaya preserved in fish sauce and sugar, or dried fish in a glistening liquid. There were people everywhere, in the middle of the row of stalls, or to the side where there were hardware stores, fishing equipment shops, and yet more stalls selling incense, traditional and western medicines. A few blocks away, an indoor market was reserved for clothes and household items. “Everything you ever need, and everything you don’t ever need,” one of us remarked. We gathered at our meeting point: a temple offering refuge from the sun, and a place to wait for fellow tour members still enthralled with the food stalls. By the sidewalks, a row of local pedi-cabs was waiting for us. Some of us had been to Ha Noi and Saigon and were wondering why the cabs here weren’t the same. In those other places, sitting inside a pedi-cab was like being in armchair. Here the seats are quite high; it was hard to get on the cab. Once you’re on, you felt like you were sitting on a stool, your knees almost blocking the view in front of you. But a couple of minutes later, you get used to it all, and the ride around town became a joy. We rode around for perhaps 5 miles, and there was not a house that didn’t have a shop front. Furniture, wedding shops, internet stations, hairdresser, motorcycle repair shop, or even a small restaurant. It’s all there, sucking up energy and spitting it out in the same moment. Back aboard the Jahan, the extraordinary friendly, extraordinarily hard-working staff offered us refreshing towels and iced tea before setting out a sumptuous lunch. As usual, they took our shoes and cleaned them to keep the boat clean. An extraordinary service and a healthy practice. The afternoon was devoted to a lecture on the history and current conditions of the Mekong, with images of life and the civilizations that have blossomed in this part of the world. There were warnings and thoughtful assessments of various dams up river, and the potential threat the present to nature and human livelihood. That was followed by a presentation on the post war literature of Viet Nam, and the issues preoccupying writers about a society in transition from strict communism to chaotic capitalism. After dinner, we watched a heart-wrenching documentary about a Cambodian woman from Texas who braves a journey to discover her parents’ painful secrets and struggles under the Khmer Rouge. Outside, the full moon was a bright round spot on the sky, and in the distance you could see the shining lights of Phnom Penh. Many of us will see in the lights the hopes of the peoples of Viet Nam and Cambodia for the future, knowing all the while that it will be a long while before the darkness of their recent past will fade away.
1/27/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Angkor Wat, Artisans d’Angkor, and Banteay Srei What an amazing morning we experienced! Our day began very early, with a departure from the hotel of 5:15am. Our goal: To arrive to the iconic Angkor Wat before sunrise. We drove to the famous temple whose name means “City Temple,” arriving to the moat and causeway in the dark. After navigating the old stonework bridge and steps of the walls and gates, we settled onto the inside walls of the outer structure. It was full dark, but the sky slowly began to lighten as dawn approached. Eventually, light pinks and oranges filled the void behind the great Wat and the sun came over the trees a bit before 7:00am. It was beautiful to watch the great monument to the Khmer empire become more and more visible in the growing light. We walked around the inner walls of the Angkor complex, making our way to the eastern side for morning sun. Along the way, rhesus macaques stole our attention (and attempted to steal our morning snacks!) with their comical mannerisms. Once we entered Angkor Wat itself, we explored the many long corridors, with walls completely covered in carvings depicting stories of Hindu theology. Many of us climbed all the way to the top section of the Wat, which overlooked the whole of the great structure. We returned to the hotel for a break, enjoying time to relax or shop in the Old Market near the hotel. We resumed our explorations in the early afternoon, beginning in town at the Artisans d’Angkor. Employing local people, some of whom suffer from disabilities, the workshops here produce many of the traditional handicrafts of Cambodia, such as woodcarvings, stone carvings, silver work, and lacquer painting. More than a few of our party also visited the gallery attached, adding to the collections of wonderful treasure acquired here. On our journey to our afternoon temple visit, which was farther afield, we drove through the rural landscape and many small villages. This intimate glimpse into the lives of many of the people in this country was wonderful. We saw a great deal of traditional architecture, rice paddies, the production of palm sugar, and many Cambodian people enjoying a peaceful afternoon. Our last stop of the day, and our last stop in the Angkor complex was the beautiful temple, Banteay Srei. Known for its pink sandstone and intricate carvings, this is one of the most unusual temples in the area. Its beauty is renowned and many visitors count it as their favorite Angkor locale. We wandered through in the late afternoon light, enjoying the pinks and light oranges of the stone. After returning once again to the hotel to freshen up, we made our way to AHA Restaurant, in downtown Siem Reap. We enjoyed a lovely, contemporary meal, served with beautiful preparation and a great deal of care. Tomorrow, we conclude our adventure in Siem Reap, and begin our travels down the Mekong River.
1/29/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Wat Hanchey and Angkor Ban, Mekong River, Cambodia Our first full day on the Jahan starts with an optional Tai Chi class, which according to participants seems to have a faster pace than the Chinese Tai Chi taught in North America. Our first stop today is at Wat Hanchey, a Buddhist temple and monastery complex, built on a prominent hill with a commanding view of the Mekong River, which originally was the site of a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, also appropriately known as “The Lord of the Mountain.” An eighth-century brick structure still remains, but is completely surrounded by modern structures providing living quarters for the monks, a meeting hall and a temple. A row of oversized sculptures depicting a variety of Cambodian fruits form an educational component for visitors. To get there is easy, by hopping on a motorbike, or slower, by walking up. Kids are eager to great us and hold our hands. After lunch we arrived at Angkor Ban for a walk through the village with our guides. The first waft we get is of an alcoholic beverage sold along the main road, which is identified as palm wine, a milky substance with about 10% alcohol. The road is lined with small food stands and after crossing the bridge we come to the market, where locals buy fish, fruits and sausages. The stilt houses are constructed mainly of wood, with cows tied underneath chewing on grass. While most people use bikes or motorbikes, besides the more traditional oxcarts, we also see a couple of Lexus cars on the road. We are told they are cheap – only $12,000! The largest compound is taken up by the Buddhist temple, which also stores the three village long boats used by the villagers during the Water Festival, which is celebrated in the fall. It is a very relaxed visit with ample insights and information about life in a Mekong River village. The sun is setting with a golden glow reflected on the river. It is time to return to our home the Jahan.
1/31/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Phnom Penh Phnom Penh beckoned. We’d docked by its riverbank at night, and the blinking lights held promises of a break from the countryside. In the morning, the excitement was clear at breakfast, as we had been promised a ride on a pedi-cab—a three-wheeled contraption. Getting on was fun and we realized it was like sitting in a mobile armchair with a friendly driver pedaling behind us, pushing us forward into the energetic streets of Cambodia’s capital city. Some twenty minutes later, we arrived at a plaza in front of the expansive Royal Palace. “That was fun,” someone said. “Fantastic!” came the reply. We could visit the palace freely, as King Sihamoni was not in residence. He had accompanied his father, Norodom Sihanouk, on a customary medical visit to Beijing. The old king, though often ill and now 90 years old, remains feisty even if his life has been a rollercoaster ride through an eventful history. The tropical sun was beating down on us, but the tour members gamely walked the grounds, marveling at the golden roofs, the murals, the grandeur of it all. Then it was the Silver Pagoda, full of artifacts and Buddha statues of all sizes and postures. There were more statues of ancient kings and Buddha at the National Museum, a striking red building high off the ground. It is imposing and yet inviting at the same time: an open and airy space, with halls set around a large courtyard with cooling palms and greeneries. We spent an hour absorbing more history and seeing red and brown stone sculptures, somehow more revealing in isolation than in their original settings in the temples around the Angkor complex. Tapas seemed an odd if original choice for lunch—until we realized it was in fact a visit to the august Topaz Restaurant. “Only for VIPs,” said Sam, our guide. No Spanish food, but a traditional dish called Fish Amok, tasty, slightly spicy, and definitely presented with elegant style in an artfully folded banana leaf. Then it was time for a visit we all knew would be difficult but important and necessary: The Killing Fields and then S-21, code name for Tuol Sleng. Four buildings that had been a school until the Khmer Rouge turned it into a prison, S-21 was a torture center—and now is a devastating museum. It is here that one comes to gain some true sense of the madness, the enormity of the cruelty that had descended upon the Cambodian people. Each of the people that had been brought here were methodically photographed, then tied to iron beds, tortured, interrogated, made to write impossible confessions, and left to die, or executed not far away. An estimated 17,000 people suffered this unspeakable fate, and it drained us to walk past the brick walls that had held them, and to look into their eyes: portrait after portrait, lined up in rows and rows of photographs. A visit to Tuol Sleng makes you question humankind; it drains you, and it changes you. After that, an energetic lecture aboard the Jahan by the eloquent and unbelievably knowledgeable journalist and scholar Jean-Michel Filippi was an apt ending for the day. His hour-long presentation traced events in Cambodia since it gained independence from France in 1953, to 1993 when the United Nations successfully organized the first mass elections in this battered country. It was like reading an encyclopedia on the personalities, the historical contexts, and the wars and sick aims of sick men that destroyed a nation in a few years. Later, the devastation we all felt was temporarily and mercifully erased with a performance by profoundly graceful traditional dancers and musicians. It was obvious the extreme beauty—and the severe ugliness of the recent history—will remain inside each of us long after this Cambodian journey has come to an end.
2/2/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Chau Doc, Mekong River Delta Chau Doc, off the upper branch of the Mekong River, is FF. An acronym is big, since, last night, one of our two charming guides for the Viet Nam portion of the trip mentioned she is an MBA. We all thought, “An MBA for a guide?” We were all fooled. She explained a second later that she what she meant was that she was Married But Available. Good one, Sonny. (A name she’s adopted, preferring it over her real name, Son, which would be a male moniker in English.) So FF for the town of Chau Doc. Friendly Frenzy. We’d taken two small boats from the Jahan into the town, with a quick stop at a floating market where boat after boat were selling coconuts, bananas, jackfruit, watermelons, and the pungent durians. We hit the town’s market just as the morning local grocery runs were ending. Still, it was busy and raucous. We could barely walk in between the rows of shops and stalls, and we could barely take it all in. There was so much: Oranges, kumquats, sour sops on the right. Apples and green mangoes on the other, then loaves of French bread, then more fruit, and a stall overflowing with strands and strands of plastic beads in a kaleidoscope of colors. Then dried fruit, and rice paper in all different shapes, and a merchant selling clothes next to a stereo shop. All this suddenly turned into an area where fish and shrimps large and small were displayed in large tin buckets, interspersed with stalls selling bowls of noodle and fish cakes with bean sprouts. Before we could figure out what’s what, there’s a turn, and in all directions, more stalls. Spices, bottles of soy and fish sauces, a pudding cart with jelly made with seaweed…. Yes, this is a major Frenzy—but the people were Friendly. They were always smiling and explaining things and enticing us to taste all sorts of things. Best of all, although we were told to bargain, the market folk simply told us prices which were clearly marked on the packages. They didn’t hike the prices, and it’s all rather inexpensive anyhow. Following the market tour, we hopped on locally made pedi-cabs for a tour of the town. The seats didn’t look so, but they really weren’t comfortable—and surely some of us thought the cabs would serve nicely as an impressive conversation piece in a Hollywood home. We rode around the town, marveling at how people are creative in setting up such small homes that also served as shops. Back on the small motorboats, we detoured toward a fish farm. Nothing much but a floating house with a square hole in the patio. And yet it represented a serious livelihood. Someone threw down a handful of pellets, and it was now MF. Major Frenzy. The fish went wild for a few minutes. Our visit was short, but informative, letting us learn more about the fish trade between Viet Nam and the outside world. Aboard the Jahan, lunch and a rest before a tour of the boat, the engine room, the inner workings of a new but well-appointed boat, which does invoke a time past both in India and in the old "Indochine." That history was later brought forward in a presentation on the culture and history of Viet Nam, expertly offered by our guides—who bravely explained that current-day Viet Nam is a one-party state. “One party, one problem. Two parties, two problems,” he said to great laughter. Earlier, he and his colleague had led us to his friend’s home—a series of wooden houses surrounded by a betel garden with bright green leaves growing up toward the sky like vines. Below, rows and rows of chili plants were sprouting and competing with the occasional Coc trees. No one could tell if there’s an actual name in English for this fruit which is sour—but delicious once treated in salt water for a couple of days. The people treated us also to guava, sweet corn, and water apple. Some of the tour members braved a walk across the tall monkey bridge, others of us had another treat: Tri, our guide, persuaded his friend’s father to give us a mini concert—both on the monochord and an electric guitar with carved fret, both with plaintive and piercing notes to lull us in the retreating afternoon. It seemed the whole village had come to play host to us, adding tea and honey to the music and the fruits. This was clearly the famous ougoing and affable nature of southern Vietnamese we’d been promised, and we went away deeply happy and grateful for the experience.
2/5/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Cai Be, Mekong River Delta, Vietnam Hats off to those of us aboard the Jahan who were disciplined enough to start their day with a Tai chi session at the crack of dawn. After breakfast, we mingled around getting to know others on the ship, checking out the books in the library, or spending a few moments connecting with home via email and the internet. By 9am, home and the outside world were forgotten with the first boat ride of the day. We rode on two motorboats, 25 aboard each, to discover the Mekong and its small canals, gliding among the ever-present water hyacinths—serving both as a way to stop soil erosion, and a trap that attract fish for the ready fishermen. A while later we found ourselves in the town of Cai Be, amidst one of the many floating markets in the delta. You could begin to understand the gregarious and outgoing nature of the local people: there were plenty of (water)ways for them to travel from their small villages or their small islands outward, to meet others, learn new things. “The big boats are like a home,” one of our guides had explained. “The small boat is like a car.” The small boats brought stacks and stacks of fruits and vegetables—mango, watermelon, tapioca, longan—and offer them to the big boats that are moored and ready to sell the harvests. One looks to the top of a pole pointing skyward. Whatever is on the pole, that’s the fruit offered by that boat. Other small boats carried bags of the fruits to the markets on land. There were also boats that carried fish in big bags half-filled with water and oxygen, destined via land routes to Ho Chi Minh City, to markets and restaurants. Perhaps it was because Lunar New Year was just a mere ten days ago—many of the boats had large pots of bright pink bougainvilleas next to pots of yellow apricots. They stood out on the decks of the boats—which cost about 2,000 US dollars to buy, we were told. It’s amazing how people live so calmly on such boats, their living quarters cramped; their kitchen a mere counter. These are resourceful people with no sofas or big fridges or washing machines. They seem content enough to rock back and forth in a hammock hanging inside a few square meters, and perhaps enjoy a breeze blowing through the cabins. Outside, they are surrounded by the ever-present coconuts, water apples, pineapples and jack fruits and sacks of watermelon. On larger sections of the river, barges carry huge mounds of freshly dredged sand, destined for construction sites abroad. Other barges are full of rice or salt. Along the banks of the river, hundreds of houses on stilts make up residential villages, but the markets, small factories, petrol stations and the buying and selling are clear signs of the energy of the region. In other stretches there are just green trees and shrubs. The one anomaly is the tall Gothic cathedral left behind by the French. It had been built a century before to serve the needs of religious French officers and soldiers. The final destination of this excursion is Phu An hamlet, host to a few cottage firms making coconut candies, rice papers, and other sweet treats. It’s all hand-made: on one side, a few workers shoving rice husks into a small furnace, keeping the fire going under the woks, melting the sugar and rice to make candies that are sold in markets throughout the south of the country, and exported to unknown corners of the world. On another side, a couple lines of women—and children—wrap candies in paper and stuff them into plastic bags, a kerosene lamp used to seal the bags. In the middle of one room, several men take turns molding a paste-like substance—gluttonous rice, sugar, coconut, etc—and placing it in a grid to cut up into bite-size pieces. Done with watching the workers, tour members are invited to visit another part of the house where a few women turn a liquid mixture of rice flour into the thin paper used throughout the country as wrappers for traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. The workers don’t seem to mind the visitors walking around their workshop. Visitors are invited to sample the candies, of course, along with local brew of tea and honey. A few tables are set up to sell artisan products—chopsticks, spoons, combs and handbags made of coconut shells, paper fans, and a few bottles of rice wine with longan or jackfruit flavoring. February isn’t a hot month, the humidity isn’t so bad. Still, on the motorboat ride back, we welcomed the breeze, and we all are left to think of the stoicism, the energetic spirit, and the hospitality of the people in the villages along the banks of the Mekong. Lunch and a quick rest, then it’s another tour to enjoy the scenic rides on yet more canals. We ride for about half an hour to the island of Binh Thanh to arrive at a village untouched by tourism. Here, local people are known for their rattan mats—a humble cousin to the Japanese Tatami. On a narrow street, house after house reserve their thatch-roofed front porches as a work area where women and children squat on the floor or on benches. They weave strands of rattan into simple mats that are sold and also used locally in place of a mattress, which would be too expensive and uncomfortable in the tropical heat. One can’t help but notice that the men were all sitting around, smoking, drinking, taking care of roosters while the women worked. But perhaps it’s a Sunday, or perhaps they are taking a rest from their own jobs fishing or cultivating fruits in fields elsewhere. At the end of the narrow street, we turned the corner to find ourselves in a communal hall over a hundred years old. The back part of the hall hosts a temple supposedly inhabited by divine and kind spirits, while the front is a large room under a tin roof that serves as a meeting place. We were asked to share a few moments with a man and a woman—neighbors—who are keepers of this communal hall, and who told us about their personal history as well as the history of the area. The woman, 70 years old, and the man, 76, have lived through a lot but clearly have maintained a healthy diet, and an accepting and cheerful outlook. They looked much younger than their age. In their words, and in their eyes, we could see how they appreciated the chance to meet us and share their stories and meet the visitors. We left also grateful to them and those in the village who welcomed us. Back to the Jahan, we took in the sunset then returned to our guides who helped end the day with a quick slide show that summed up life in the Mekong Delta and the great efforts of the local people through times of turmoil and development.
2/7/2012
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The Jahan
From the Jahan in Southeast Asia
Phnom Penh It is 6:30am and the Jahan’s engines are starting up, signalling that we will be moving up river to dock on the bank of the Mekong in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. This is a full day with a wide range of experiences. Guests are organized for the cyclo ride past the old colonial Post Office, via Wat Phnom, the sacred hill and historical centre of the city. We continue through lively markets and finally back along the Tonle Sap River, ending right before the Royal Palace, marked by its magnificent yellow tiled, upturned roofs with soaring spires. The Throne Hall is under reconstruction and closed for visits, but there are numerous other buildings to explore, a highlight being the Silver Pagoda, named because of its silver tiled floor. Numerous Buddha statues of different sizes are on display in this building, but the most beloved statue is the jade Buddha, known as the Emerald Buddha, which looks luminous high up on its stand. Today Cambodia’s Buddhists are celebrating the birthday of the Buddha, and this is the year 2565. It is an auspicious and festive day, on which people visit temples and liberate birds and turtles. The walls surrounding the compound of the Silver Pagoda are painted in great detail with continuing scenes from the most beloved Hindu epic the Ramayana, known as the Reamker in Cambodia. On the way out there are displays of various objects used by the royal family, as well as photographs of former king Norodom Sihanouk. After a brief rest stop we take the bus to the other side of the Royal Palace complex, where the National Museum is located, established almost a hundred years ago by the French. Hindu and Buddhist statues, some in bronze but mainly in stone, form the highlight. The collection is fabulous coming from various early temples in Cambodia, but mainly from the temples of the 10th-early 13th century Angkor site. We have a brief city tour looking at the oversized Naga world gambling paradise, with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s compound strategically located opposite the Independence Monument on the way to lunch. It is time for some serious reflection visiting the Choeung Ek genocide site to the South of Phnom Penh, one of more than 300 sites that have been identified as “killing fields.” Is it really necessary to have a tourist shop on this solemn site with so many markets and shopping opportunities in Phnom Penh? Personally, I find the visit to Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21, a former high school used as detention and torture centre during the Khmer Rouge period from 1975 to early 1979, more appropriate to reflect on the Khmer Rouge period. The classrooms are stark and empty where once people were shackled together lying on the floor. There were only 7 survivors, all artists, who were deemed useful to Angka, the Organization. One of them, the painter Vann Nath, who stood as witness during the Khmer Rouge Tribunal trial of comrade Duch, died recently. The Archives of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum were inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Memory of the World register to honour their historical importance. Back on Jahan we return for an excellent lecture by Dr. Jean Michel Filippi on the recent history of Cambodia from 1953-93. It is a lively and informative presentation, which reflects his great knowledge of the subject. To close the day we have an elaborate BBQ buffet on the Terrace Deck of Jahan, while viewing a beautiful and fun performance of court and folk dances accompanied by instrumental music and dreamlike songs.
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