24 September 2005 – Vientiane and Saigon

Woke up around 6:30 and strolled down to breakfast. By 9:15 my camera and I have hit the streets. It is going to be a terribly hot day. I had to the large public market to see what’s happening.

The market is more orderly and cleaner than the other ones I have visited on this trip. As usual, I head to the food stalls to see what goodies are being sold and bought. Food is more carefully and artistically arranged here than at other markets in Southeast Asia. Perhaps due to the French influence?

Cashew nuts, larger than any I’ve seen before, are being sold along with beautiful, dainty pastries. Even at this hour people are feasting at the prepared food stands on noodles and savory-looking soups. The fresh produce is vibrant and looks as though it was just picked an hour before. We certainly don’t have this stuff in the U.S.

I stroll through the alleys surrounding the market until about 11:30. It is so terribly hot I opt for the hotel pool, a light lunch, and a short nap. By the pool I enjoying an ice cold beer and the best beef and chicken sate I’ve ever had. The sauce is thick, chunky, and already slathered on the skewers of meat. Sprinkled on top is a generous portion of portion of crispy fried garlic – delicious!

After a short nap, I stroll around a bit more and visit the Notre Dame church and other sites. I stop by for a wonderful ice cream treat consisting of a scoop of caramel ice cream filled with caramel sauce, frozen hard, covered with meringue, and browned (sort of like a lemon meringue pie). Beautiful and wonderful!

Back to the hotel to clean up and go to the executive lounge for afternoon cocktails. While enjoying a martini I meet a German couple on a six week vacation here to Saigon. They are loving the visit but I wonder how one would fill six days in Saigon let alone six weeks. Of course, the Germans know how to vacation much better than the Americans.

After cocktails with the charming couple I go out for more photos. Families are out enjoying the warm, clear weather.

Traffic in Saigon reminds me of Beijing. The difference is that most of the bikes here are motorized. Most intersections, including many main ones that have a round-about, have no crossing signals. Each time I cross the street is a life-threatening experience!

I dine at a small French-style café near the hotel. I order crab spring rolls and a French dish that sounds to be crab crepes.

The spring rolls are delightful. Today I watched the ladies making the fresh rice paper wrappers. A thin rice flour batter is ladled over a fine cloth stretched over a steamer. When the thin layer of batter is set the lady peals it off using long chopsticks.

My main course is nothing like the crepes I expected. It is more like a gratineed crab dip with no a vegetable to be seen. Hello cholesterol!

Later I plan to have a beer at a nearby German-style beer hall. They will be celebrating Oktoberfest, but after I depart Saigon. L

This city appears to be a party town. Unfortunately I am a 10PM in bed kind of guy…

The German-style beer house is named the Lion Brauhaus and is as authentic as I think you can get in Asia. I order a 400 cl mug of the pilsner and it much better than the microbrews I have had in the U.S. Supposidly this stuff is brewed on the premises and it looks like all the necessary is present.

The menu is a bit of a giggle. They have standard German fare – sausages, pork knuckle, and pomme friites. But there is a Vietnamese selection as well that includes Eel Porridge, Salmon Head Hot Pot, and Russian Caviar (the communist ties are still strong!). Also, there is a stage that suspiciously looks as though it is karaoke-capable. I’d better drink my beer quickly before it starts up!

The prices are cheap. If my calculations are correct, my beer is $1.50, champagne pork ribs are $3.75, and the Eel Porridge is an economical $2.00.

I think I could adjust to living in Saigon for a few years quite nicely. The environment is not as friendly as Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand but given the history that is understandable. HCMC, or Saigon, is struggling to be visitor friendly. I think that due to the government management visitor information is not laid out or presented very well. Even at my hoste, questions that I think are fairly simple, such as getting a recommendation for a good tailor, are met with surprise. Yet the street children speak perfect English – better than some U.S. southerners – when asking me to buy postcards and such. Today one little boy, perhaps six years old and wearing a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, asked me to buy him milk. I told him if he could buy such a nice shirt then milk should not be a problem. I’m turning into such a mean old man…

23 September 2005 - Vientiane

The day was sort of “lost”. I woke up late and missed the monks collecting their donations. Basically, I had breakfast, packed, and went to the airport. At the Bangkok airport I enjoyed the free Internet access and barely made my flight to Saigon. The flight was uneventful and I arrived to the hotel in time for happy hour!

Saigon seems very lively based on the drive from the airport to the hotel. I chose to skip dinner, unpack, and read a book. Another hurricane is headed towards Texas and Louisiana – CNN is all excited…

22 September 2005 – Vientiane

I woke up at 05:45 this morning to “monk hunt” or “monk stalk” as it really turned out. The mist was exteremely thick and later in the day my Lao guide told me that the mist was unusual. The photos I took of the monks accepting their morning alms came out so-so and I will probably go out again tomorrow.

At 9:30 I met my city tour guide for our tour of the main sights of Vientiane. Several of the palces I had visited the day before were on the agenda but my young guide, “Nam”, gave me a lot of background on the sites and pointed out many details I had missed on my own.

In the afternoon I lounged by the pool and took a nap in my room. A perfect day!

Dinner at the hotel again but tonight it is French cuisine. I had the following:

~ Soupe á l’ Oignon Gratinee

~ Gateau de Foie de Volaille tiede, Sauce aux Echalutes (Chicken Liver Mousse with Shallot Sauce)

~ Magret de Canard au Poivre Vert et Croquettes de Pommes de Terre (Pan-Fried Duck Breast with a Green Peppercorn Sauce and Potato Croquettes)

~ Cinnamon Crème Brulé

The soup was very good – but not as good as mine! I find that restaurants don’t have the patience to carmelize the onions to the degree that I prefer. I accept that it is a long, drawn out process but I think that the result is worth it.

The liver mousse is light and perfectly accented by the caramelized shallot sauce.

The duck was cooked medium and the green peppercorn sauce was fantastic. The peppercorns added the right amount of heat to the sauce resulting in a sauce with many flavors that were nicely balanced. The meat was cooked to perfection – the meat pink in the middle and the skin crisp.

I completed som of my Christmas shopping today. Jackie, Barbara, Gretchen, and Robin got handmade Lao silver necklaces. I’m always as a loss at what to get them. Conservative, yet unusual, this jewelry seems a good choice. The kiddies get Peninsula bears from Bangkok. The men of the family are always a mystery although Krispen seems easier due to his broader outlook on life and the world.

I bought a carved stone box, very cheap, for myself. It has a butterfly motif on it and although I usually don’t like things like this it caught my eye. The cheapest purchase of the day, it will go nicely with my other Asian goodies in the house.

Despite foggy beginnings, the day turned out to be just beautiful despite the heat and high humidity. The sky was clear with puffy cumulus clouds here and there. I hope that a few photos turn out to be worth keeping.

In my mind, I was comparing Vientiane to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Vientiane seems to be better run. I have only seen one or two beggars on the street here whereas they are everywhere in Cambodia. Not sure why things are different, but they are. Vientiane seems to be very artisan-oriented with humble-yet-impressive shops reviving local crafts and showcasing Indochine style (I have no other way of describing it) all over the city.

Last evening young Wat told me that he was one of three boys in his family. The first two, of which he is the oldest, was directed to learn English rather than French. The third boy was told to learn French. I find this amusing considering this is a former French colony. My travels have taught me the French left little for their colonies where the British left, at least, solid infrastructures from which to build on. These people are smart and they know that the future international business language is English.

The music in the hotel bar is the worst, or at least amoung the worst, in Asia. Vintage Tom Jones is now playing. To make matters worse, Tom singing “Raindrops keep falling on my head” is some of the newer stuff. Augh!

It’s 8:30 PM, I’m exhausted, and another wild night for me in Asia concludes.

21 September 2005 – Bangkok & Vientiane

The morning started very early – 05:00 – with a 6AM drive to the airport. The service and overall comfort at the Peninsula far exceed what I experienced at the Oriental Hotel. In addition, it was cheaper!

The flight was uneventful to Vientiane. There were three American guys in business class that were either marine guards or former military personnel working at the US Embassy (AKA CIA). They behaved but stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Settha Palace Hotel is a delightful and exceeded my expectations. It is small, perhaps only 30 rooms or so, and exquisitely restored. My room is not huge but well laid out and spotless. Everything, including the moldings, appears to be teak and hand made and hand finished. The bed is comfortable and I nap the afternoon away. It was raining and not a good time to explore. Around 3 PM I venture out as the rain has stopped and the sun is shining.

Vientiane is a small and easy to navigate city. I stroll along the Mekong river. There are many shops and cafes on the two avenues that parallel the river the lanes that join the avenunes. The city appears much more tourist-friendly than Phnom Penh – still lots of dirt but very little garbage, police are everywhere, and there is very little traffic. I do miss the Phnom Penh moto-taxis though!

I am surprised that the riverside is so sparsely developed. Perhaps it floods often (and my mind turns to New Orleans). Still, it is very nice. I stop by a rooftop put for a beer and take panoramic shots of the Mekong River. I walk poas the Presidential Residence and stroll through wats and temple grounds. The sun is setting and the light is perfect for photography.

I returned to the hotel after sunset, got cleaned up, and visited the hotel bar. On the way to the hotel I surveyed the cafes and didn’t see anything that was better than what the hotel had to offer. After last nights late night, the early trip to the airport, and the very long walk to day, I am exhausted. Anyway, I want to get up early tomorrow and monk-watch.

The bartender’s name is “Wat” and he is a very friendly and helpful young man. At one point “American Pie” is playing and he made a remark about Madonna being the original singer of the song. I feel so old.

I ordered Lao food; spring rolls and chicken with cashew nuts. The seasoning is much lighter than Thai Cuisiine but the general recipese seem to be the same. The food is expertly prepared and presented.

Young Mr. Wat helps me plan out my morning of monk-watching before my 1/2-day city tour the hotel has arranged. Between monk-watching and the tour I hope to grab a shower and some breakfast. After the tour will be a noontime nap (this is a vacation after all). In the afternoon I hope to do a little shopping and photograph the sunset over the Mekong.

I am exhausted!

20 September 2005 – Phnom Penh & Bangkok

I bid farewell to Cambodia today. In a way this is my “goodbye to Asia” vacation. Europe is fun to visit but there is a special place in my heart for exotic Asia. I think that part of it has to do with how different it is from home. Another factor is the gentleness of the people – particularly in Southeast Asia.

Now in Bangkok for the night I see the city has not changed much. Staying at the Peninsula this time – the Oriental was a bit of a disappointment – and I quickly determine it is my favorite in Bangkok. Not as good as the original Hong Kong branch – but just wonderful.

I go to a place that I’ve always wanted to visit but never did, Jim Thompson’s house. I did not know that he was a former OSS dude. The house and its furnishings are beautiful and well worth the short walk from the skytrain station.

For dinner I go to Cabbages and Condoms. It has gotten much larger since my last visit and I was a little disappointed with the food. Either it quality has gone down or my palate has become more refined. I think it is the former.

Watching the activity on the Chao Prhaya river from my room is fascinating. Even late at night small passenger and boats are abundant on the river.

19 September 2005 – Phnom Penh

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel I met the owner of “Frizz” restaurant (www.frizz-restaurant.com) , Fritz, about starting my Cambodian cooking class. As it turns out, I am the only student and will be getting one-on-one expert training.

The teacher takes me through the local market to explain all the different types of vegetables, fruits, and herbs that are used in Cambodian cooking. Some are familiar – I see them in the markets in Taiwan. Some I’ve seen but never known what they are or how they are sused. Despite the smells and dirt, it was a very good experience.

The teacher is a little older than myself and survived the Khmer Rouge genocide. She spent 11 years in a Thai border camp and has lost many family members. While shopping she meets a friend from the camps that she has not seen since they left Thailand. They exchange phone numbers and plan to meet each other to catch up.

In the class we make traditional Khmer spring rolls (Num Chaio), fish cooked with red curry, eggplant, onions, and potato; banana in coconut milk with tapioca; and Amok which is steamed fish souffled with curry and coconut milk in a banana leave bowl.

The highlight for me was making the red curry paste used for both fish dishes by hand using mortar and pestle. Both dishes came out wonderful. They are much more subtly flavored than the red curry dishes I’ve had in Thailand. The homemade curry paste smelled so wonderful – much better than the packaged stuff.

During breaks where we are tasting the food we have prepared the teacher talks a little about her life. She is a widow and her husband died of AIDS. She has been tested several times and is confirmed negative. She has five children, three girls and two boys. The older boy has a heart condition, was adopted by an American couple. She says she is happy he is well cared for but I could tell that she misses being a part of his life. She currently has no idea where he is.

Later in the day she discussed life in Khmer Rouge Cambodia and her decision to escape the work camp she was in and flee to the Thai border camps. She described being bound and tortured, slowly being starved to death with tiny rations of rice, and hard labor in the rice fields from sun up to sun down.

After the class I return to the FCC one last time to wait for Lucky. Below me is an endless parade of students, moto-taxi drivers, monks on scooters, children begging, and people just living their lives in Phnom Penh. Depsite the filth and poverty I will miss being in this city. The atmosphere is friendly, hopeful, and lively. Fritz, the restaurant owner, remarked that Laos is similar buy maybe not as lively. I will see…

I think I have taken 15,000 photos of monks since this trip began (four days ago). The bright robes in such a drab place always catch my eye. I find it particularly fun when they are riding a moto, talking on the cell phone, or doing something else one doesn’t expect to find a monk doing.

Although it’s not the safest option, touring the city by moto-taxi is the way to go. There is nothing between you and the city. I really feel as though I have been able to experience the city up close. I dread the day I cannot experience things like this because I am too old…

I’m perched on along the railing of the FCC sipping a gin and tonic and watching Phnom Penh life go by. A minibus just went by with the following painted on its side in large letters (with nothing else written on the bus): “Passenger liability insurance included.” That would not instill confidence if I were one of their customers…

A mahut passes riding his elephant. The pace and gate of the elephant make me think the elephant wishes she could take the bus that just passed. A young lady dashes across the street with two French baguettes for the elephant, which are gobbled up in one swallow. Revived, the elephant continues lumbering down the avenue.

Sitting here, sipping Bombay and tonics, is so wonderful. I do not want to leave. What will happen when I return to the U.S.? Will I be happy? I certainly miss my family and many of the amenities the U.S. has to offer. I hope to get out to Asia once a year – but how will all these things balance out?

Well, althought my fat pants are feeling a little tight, I am enjoying one last meal at the hotel. I am staring with the lobster bisque with a Sauvignon Blanc followed by veal medallions with a Long Flat Shiraz from Tynell’s Winery.

I continue to think about the discussion I had with my cooking teacher today. Her vocabulary was very limited and yet her descriptions of life in Khmer Rouge Cambodia are haunting. I fill in the words she spoke with thoughts and ideas expressed in the memoirs I’ve read that detail similar experiences. The expression on her face as she described her being bound and threatened with death stays in my memory. During one of our tasting sessions she portioned out about ¼ cup of rice to show me how much they were rationed each day in the KR work camps. She told me on a good day they might get a pinch of salt with their ration.

While I write this I enjoy veal, lobster, risotto, and wine. My dinner tonight was inexpensive by American standards yet the cost could feed a Cambodian family for a month or more. Guilt is setting in…

I wonder what life is like in the provinces of Cambodia. Do they have electricity? Are they even aware of the Internet? Do they understand what a computer is? These things, these technologies that are supposed to be bringing the world together, are wonderful but how many people are being left behind? What is being done to help them catch up? What, if anything, can I do to help?

Perhaps I think too much…

So, what to do for one afternoon and evening in Bangkok? I’ve always wanted to see Jim Thompson’s house – the antiques are supposedly noteworthy. Right now food is not high on the list. But some wine and watching the Chao Praya River activity is desireable. Again, I will miss living in Asia…

18 September 2005 – Phnom Penh

I am awake early again today, meeting lucky at 8:30. Plans changed slightly with a trip acreoss the river scheduled for this evening. We stopped by a couple more wats today. I really enjoy strolling around the perimeter of the wat which hosts the monk dormitories. Young men coming from the rural provinces seeking work in the city also stay in these dormitories and it is a very interesting place to walk around, meet people, talk, and learn about local life. In addition to interesting architecture, it is a good place for photos.

After the wats we visited a local artist’s gallery. The gentleman is notable, having commissioned work at the best hotels and government offices. I ended buying three paintings and one silkscreen for the new house I have yet to purchase. The young lady running the shop was very pleased with the sale she made.

After returning to the hotel I take a swim in the pool, get cleaned up and walk to the FCC (www.fcccambodia.com) for a snack. Unfortuantely, I was seated next to a man and two woment straight out of “The Ugly American” novel. I was not quite sure if they were employed by the U.S. Embassy (they were American) or just teachers. They were jaded, miserable folks complaining and gossiping the afternoon away.

Shortly thereafter I experienced my first rainy season cloudburst. The rain (a downpour really) forced me into “The Riverside Café” for shelter. After ordering a beer I quickly saw why this was my first visit to this establishment. I was the only guy with a callgirl companion by my side. I’m sure that all these guys are nice enough gents, but it was a very sorry scene – something out of a film set in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war.