My Passport Experiences: Cambodia

Cambodia may be an underveloped country (a little like Vietnam), but it is a very sacred, very beautiful land full of wonders to see. I was in Cambodia for only about three days and only visited Siem Reap, but my mind was blown by the amazing temples and hospitality that many of the locals had.
Note: This post is longer than my Vietnam post, as I just have so much to say about Cambodia!

CAMBODIAN FOOD!!!!!

The Cambodian dancers from the buffet perform

I love to eat Cambodian noodles (a.k.a Phnom Penh noodles in Chinese), and going to Cambodia, I was not going to let me miss out on eating authentic Cambodian food! I've tried Cambodian noodles in Vietnam that was delicious, but I wanted the real thing. My first experience was at a Cambodian buffet dinner restaurant with Cambodian dancers. I noticed many of the dishes at the buffet were also Vietnamese or Chinese, but those dishes were very good too! I ventured out to find the noodles, but my mother and aunt had already picked some up. I tried some of their noodles, and they were amazing! The authentic Cambodian noodle taste was different from the Vietnamese-Cambodian noodle taste, as I expected, but was still a wonderful dish that I would love to try again. Though I sought the noodles primarily, I still tried other things at the buffet. There were many good food items like spring rolls, soup, and dessert. The dessert was wonderful, as I kept wanting more and more of it as I grabbed myself another dish. The dessert was similar to a Vietnamese milk based pudding-like dessert called Chè. The fruit was also very sweet and very fresh, as if the chefs had literally just went to the front to pick them just for me.

The next morning, we ate at the buffet in the hotel we stayed in, the Sokhalay Angkor. The food was like standard hotel food, it was decent, but not great. Next to the omelette table, there was also Cambodian noodles. I was so exited! However, the noodles were quite salty and not as good as the one at the restaurant. I found myself eating the Chinese congee the most because they had an abundance of my favorite congee topping: fermented bean curd.

The ice cream was not a Cambodian
specialty, but it was cute!

We also ate at a Chinese-Cambodian restaurant one day, but the food was only average. This was only a quick stop for us though because it was in the middle of our expedition. There was one final restaurant that we ate at that was delicious! I loved the Cambodian soup and the short ribs that they served. The sauce used for the short ribs had an interesting Cambodian flair to it. I didn't have Cambodian noodles in this restaurant, but it introduced me to different Cambodian foods that I have never even heard of. After we finished, my family and I were ready to head to the airport. However, we weren't done yet, we stopped by a Swensen's ice cream shop. Swensen's always has good ice cream, and Swensen's in Cambodia was no different. We left Cambodia on a sweet note. :)

LANDMARKS/TEMPLES 

Each side of this massive stucture
has a face facing all four directions

Looking at the Cambodian flag already gives you a preview of the magnificent temples in Siem Reap, as one of the largest temples, Angkor Wat, is on it. The Cambodian flag, along with the Afghan flag, are the only two country flags with a building on it.

Honestly, before I went to Cambodia, I had no idea what would be in it. Even though I love geography and history, I was next to clueless about what was in Cambodia (other than the noodles). However, on the second day there, we visited some of the more famous temples, as there are over 200 temples in Siem Reap. One of the first places I visited was Angkor Thom. It was a large city with one of the more famous temples, Bayon. Entering it, there was a massive "gateway" like structure built thousands of years ago. On the right, the bridge leading to it had warriors, each with a different face, holding a long snake with seven heads. On the left was evil that also head a long snake with seven heads.

Three faces seen at an
angle at Bayon temple

Carvings in
Bayon temple

As my group heads inside, we walk around to wait for our car to drive us to Bayon. Walking into Bayon was so overwhelming, as I was a tiny person in an establishment built thousands of years ago. It was unbelievable how detailed the carvings on the wall were, as seen on the picture. It was hot as we walked along in the temple, but I was more impressed every step. There were a few buildings that smelled terrible as a result of it being a bat nest.While we took pictures and sight saw, I was got more and more exited, but our tour guide directed us out so that we could see the famous Ta Prohm.

The sun shines on the tree in Ta Prohm temple

Ta Prohm was shaded by the forest that had massive, beautiful trees. It is unbelievable looking at pictures of Ta Prohm because of the large trees that are wedged in the temple, but when it is right in front of you, your heart can really skip a beat. It was very interesting how the trees did not destroy the temple, nor did the temple obstruct the trees. My tour guide explained that many Cambodians believe that the temple and the trees support each other as they grow.

A different angle of Angkor Wat, from the right

For the "finale" of the temples, we simply had to visit the main attraction of Siem Reap: Angkor Wat. The sun was starting to set, but the adventure still felt like it was only the beginning. It felt like the walk along the bridge to the temple took a very long time, but was definitely worth it. Besides, Angkor Wat is the largest temple. We took the right side path to enter the building and soon found ourselves looking up to a very large tower. I went up the tower, but honestly, was just a higher view from inside Angkor Wat. Heading down and out, I was tired, but definitely not disappointed by the amazing wonder in these temples.




Overall/ Final Thought

Traveling to Cambodia is definitely a unique adventure that can blow your mind. Many Cambodians that I have met spoke English very well! Though it is a country that I need a guide in because of many dangers outside tourist areas, Cambodia is a place that I surely want to visit again. Eating some authentic food and walking around the sacred temples of Cambodia is a thrill for those who seek culture, history, and adventure.
Note: All photos used in this post were taken by either my mom, aunt, or I. 

The beautiful flower outside my hotel room in Sokhalay Hotel

My Passport Experiences: Vietnam

Hello viewers of my blog! I have a new blog series I am doing called "My Passport Experiences." In these post, I will talk about my experiences in other countries. First off, I'm starting with Vietnam! I separate the sections into food and the beaches.

Though Vietnam is still an underdeveloped country, it holds a certain natural beauty to it. The cities are polluted with thousands of motorist on a single street and many mosquitos swarm me like I'm Justin Bieber, but I always love to go back to Vietnam visit my family. I have many uncles living in different parts of Saigon, and many nights, my family would gather together, have a drink, sing karaoke, and have fun. The originally white tables would become green with all the Heineken bottles on the table. While everyone is gathering downstairs, I am surfing the web upstairs to catch up with my friends. They are just waking up in the morning in America while I am just about getting ready to sleep. Vietnam is ahead 14 to 15 hours depending on day light savings time!

A little about the food:

Jackfruit grown right off a tree. It looks like
durian (which can also be found in Vietnam),
but is larger and has a sweet, cotton candy
like taste.

With $50 USD converted into Vietnam Dong, you can call yourself a millionaire, in Vietnam at least. Street food may vary, but you can always find affordable, delicious, and authentic (of course!) Vietnamese food around the corner. My personal favorite street vendor is right in front of my fifth uncle's house in District 8 (it's like the Hunger Games!...not really) that sells Vietnamese beef stew called Bo Khò. The famous Vietnamese noodle soup, Phở, is of course very good in Vietnam. It does taste slightly different from Phở in America because it has a stronger flavor and slightly different ingredients. Even the Chinese food is different in Vietnam! There are many Chinese people who live in Vietnam, but have adapted their cuisine to cater to a more Vietnamese taste. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken tastes different because of the chicken that is grown in Vietnam. Even though it is odd to eat American fast food in foreign countries, its good to try it once in a while to sample the different flavors on your favorite dish.

There are also many exotic fruits! Fruits such as durian, rambutan, jackfruit, and dragon-fruit are everywhere in markets. There are also the typical tropical fruits like bananas, longan, and coconuts. 

Coconuts grown from my
uncle's property

A banana cart. 

Vietnam also has many nice beaches!

On the day I went to Da Nang, the weather was gloomy, but
the beach was still very fine and the water was warm.

Although in the cities, motorcycles and smoke pollute the city, going to the beautiful beaches of Nha Thrang, Da Nang, and Phan Thiết expose warm, relaxing waters. You can do many things on these beaches! I like to simply grab a lawn chair, an oversized umbrella, and some sunscreen to relax to the sound of the ocean. After a nice break, I step into the fine sand that is finer than Morton Salt, and whiter than any sand I have ever seen. Every beach that I have been to in Vietnam was different though. Nha Trang has many small resort islands with its own individual specialty. Vinpearl Land for example was a small theme park in an island resort of the same name. The Fusion Hotel in Da Nang housed 50 individual bungalows, each with its own 10 x 20 pool. Phan Thiết has some of the freshest seafood that I have ever eaten. Phan Thiết is also near large sand dunes with golden-rustic sand that seems nearly untouched.

The sand dunes in Phan Thiết are absolutely massive! For about $2 you can slide down the massive dunes with a sled! If you do sled down these dunes, be prepared to find a lot of sand in your pockets when you are done!

The golden rustic look of the sand dunes in Phan Thiết.

Overall, Vietnam is a wonderful place to visit. Visiting Vietnam is not like any other country. It may seem like a havoc visiting it initially, but when you dig up its wonderful food and bountiful nature, it is definitely a unique country that one has to visit to feel its true experience.

Note: All photos used in this post were taken by either my mom or I.