Cambodia & Vietnam! That's right! It will be more of exotic Southeast Asia for me come Christmastime! I'll be traveling with my good friend Tabi and we'll be going from Seoul to Hanoi Vietnam, onto Siem Reap, Cambodia, and then back to Saigon, Vietnam. It will be a week long trip, leaving on December 27th and returning on January 2nd. I'm SO EXCITED!
When I tell people that's where I'm going they usually ask the following questions so here is some information in case you are wondering the same things...
Q. What's in Cambodia??
A. ANGKOR WAT!
Q. What is Angkor Wat?
A. Angkor is an ancient city that still stands in Cambodia. It's most popular structure is the magnificent "Angkor Wat" - a magnificent temple complex built in the early 12th century and said to be the Ancient World's equivalent to The Vatican. The Smithsonian has named Angkor Wat one of the 28 places to see before you die, alongside The Pyramids, The Great Wall, and The Taj Mahal. Angkor Wat is just one of thousands of ancient structures built in Angkor between the 9th and 15th Century. It is said to be the world's largest single religious monument.
In 2007 an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that the ancient city of Angkor had been the largest preindustrial city in the world with an urban sprawl of 3000 square kilometres - that's roughly the size of Los Angeles. Angkor was abandoned after Siamese invasions and the great city and temples remained hidden by the forest until the late 19th century when French archaeologists discovered them and began a long restoration process. Here are some photos - these are just of the temple, not the rest of the city which is HUGE!
Q. What's in Vietnam?
A. Saigon! Also known as Ho Chi Minh City. It's home to excellent museums, beautiful gardens, breathtaking waterways, as well as elaborate temples, pagodas and churches. There is so much history and beauty, it's incredible!
One site we will be visiting there are the tunnels of Củ Chi - an immense network of connecting underground tunnels that underlie not only Ho Chi Minh City but most of the rest of the country as well. They were used by guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as for communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon storage and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The tunnel systems were critical to resisting the American troops and eventually persuading them to withdrawal.
We also plan to visit the Reunification Palace where the joining of North and South Vietnam was made official. Our itinerary gives us a free day in Ho Chi Minh so we are currently doing lots of research as to what will "make the cut" on that day.
Here are some pics of Ho Chi Minh.
A fruit market
Most people travel by motorized scooter
The reunification palaceI'll write more about these places and preparing for the trip in the coming months. For now, I'm working on getting through a busy 10 days before I'm back in NJ!
2 comments:
I guess I'll have to cancel my plane ticket to come visit you in Korea over my birthday.
I happen to stumble on your blog. I'm on my 2nd month in Paju City and so far loving it! I teach at two public elementary schools. maoloinkorea.blogspot.com
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