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Tay Nguyen gong, a masterpiece of humanity

On November 25, 2005, Vietnam’s cong chieng (gong) culture of Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands) was officially recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible culture of humanity after the court music of Hue. This affirms that Vietnam has an age-old culture with many traditional art-forms that should be protected, preserved and developed.

Nobody knows when the gongs appear on the sunny and windy land of Central Highlands. Many people guessed that the gong culture originated from the Dong Son Civilization (3,500-4,000 years ago) with its bronze drums being well known.
The Central Highlands’ gong culture prevails in five provinces, including Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong and the owners of this unique art-form are the people of such ethnic groups as the Ba Na, Xo Dang, M’nong, Co Ho, Ro Mam, E De and Gia Rai.
The gongs are closely associated with the life of the Central Highlanders. They serve as the voice of the people’s souls and spirits, reflecting their joys and sorrows in daily life and activities. The gongs are used in the thoi tai (blowing the ears) ceremony to take a new-born into life and the bo ma (leaving the grave) ceremony to bring the dead to the sacred world. They appear in most rituals and ceremonies, such as weddings, welcoming of the New Year, new rice and new communal house, the farewell ceremony to the soldiers going to the front and the celebrations of triumphs and victories.
The gongs are a medium of communication between people and deities. According to the Central Highlanders’ conception, behind each gong resides a deity. The older the gongs, the more powerful the deities. The gongs also constitute a treasure and a symbol of power and wealth. A gong was once as valuable as two elephants or 20 buffalos. On festive days, people dance around a sacred fire or sit by the jars of can wine (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) enjoying the sounds of the gongs, which gives the Central Highlands a romantic and fanciful image. It may be said that the gongs contribute to creating the epics, songs and poems full of romantic and grandiose characteristics of the Central Highlands’ culture.
The sounds of gongs were beautifully described in the following excerpt from Dam San epic: “Beat the gongs with the purest sounds and the gongs with the deepest sounds. Beat the gongs gently so that the sounds are brought down to the earth by the wind. Beat the gongs so that the sounds spread everywhere. Beat the gongs so that the sounds go through the floor. Beat the gongs so that the sounds cross the houses to reach the Heaven. Beat the gongs so that the monkeys forget to cling to the branches and fall to the ground. Beat the gongs so that the ghosts and devils are so absorbed in listening that they forget to harm people. Beat the gongs so that the mice and squirrels forget to dig their holes, the snakes lie motionless, the rabbits are startled, the deer forget to graze, all of them listen attentively to the gong sounds of Dam San…”.
Existing on the grandiose Central Highlands for thousands of years, the gong art has developed to a high level. The gongs of the Central Highlands are abundant and diverse.
Each ethnic group and each area has its own gongs with specific characteristics. The gongs can be used in single or in a set of two to twelve units. There is a set of up to 18-20 units such as the gong set of Gia rai ethnic group.
The Central Highlands gong band is organised as an orchestra which can perform polyphonic pieces of music in different tunes. The specialty of this orchestra lies in the fact that each bandsman plays a cong or a chieng (cong has a dome in the middle and chieng has none).
The artists play cong and chieng in great harmony, producing different pieces of music with diverse and unique rhythms and tones. Each ethnic group has its own pieces of gong music to depict the natural beauty and people’s aspirations. Gia Rai ethnic minorities have such pieces as Juan and Trum Vang, while Ba Na people have their Xa Trang, Sakapo, Atau and Toroi.
At the ceremony to proclaim the gong culture of the Central Highlands as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible culture of humanity, UNESCO Director Koichiro Matsuura said: “I have enjoyed the traditional gong music of Vietnam and seen the unique musical instruments in the gong orchestras of the Central Highlands ethnic groups. This is a typical traditional culture of Vietnam, wonderful and special. The gong culture of the Central Highlands deserves the title a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
Rol.vn – Source: Vietnam Pictorial
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Thứ Tư, 6 tháng 4, 2011

HIGHS AND LOWS IN HANOI

Our first night in Hanoi was crazy! We arrived in the evening, so after a walk we went to bed. Not too soon after turning out the light, bright floodlights were switched on outside our window (pointing in towards our window!). We think “what the?” and then we hear some engines turned on and the sound of bulldozers moving concrete rubble… so we look out the window and sure enough they’re bulldozing the place outside our room! And of course to save money of some sort they decided to START the work at 11:00pm! Sime went downstairs to talk to the hotel guys – they brushed him off saying it would all finish in half an hour or so… Of course it didn’t and they said this again, and it didn’t, and the next time Sime spoke to them they were sleeping on the couch downstairs and couldn’t be woken up! Sime said we wanted to change rooms etc – and they wouldn’t, so we asked for a refund. The guy said “yeah in the morning”…. So after a night of no sleep, we had to haggle with the hotel manager but eventually got a refund. We were sooooo tired that day – and after eating, spent a large chunk of the day trying to find a new room somewhere. Oh the joys of travelling cheap.

We loved the energy of Hanoi’s old quarter with it’s streetlife – people and food everywhere. But after a few days it also drove me insane – I was sick of the lack of respect for pedestrians which meant you could never go for a relaxing walk….always constantly checking around you for motorbikes about to hit you as you tried to manouvre the streets. The sound of the horns and the smell of the fumes means a constant state of noise and air pollution too – eeeeew :-(
But on the other hand, when we went to other “wealthier” parts of the city with wider footpaths (and were able to relax while walking) there was also a lack of that energy that draws you in to the busy parts… so a catch-22.

We really enjoyed the cheap street BBQs – where you sit down on teeny stools or chairs on the footpath and cook your own meal, while downing a cheap bia hoi. We also began our addiction for a morning Vietnamese coffee almost straight away ;-) Wow what a way to beat the heat! When you’re lacking energy and needing a relief from the tropics – a three way hit of (1) caffeine, (2) condensed milk (SUGAR!) and (3) cold ice is the best thing in the world. It is funny how the local coffee drinkers appear to men of leisure… they all sit and talk and just watch the world happening in front of them, drinking their coffee oh so slowly…and rarely a woman sits and has a coffee – all the women are off working really hard!

We did a bunch of the suggested touristy things in Hanoi…
* We saw the famous water puppets. A fun experience – we thought some of the show’s puppets were better than others. I enjoyed the live music/singing component of the show as much as the puppetry.
* We visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum which was bizarre (I’m not convinced it wasn’t the work of Madame Tussauds!). We lined up for a looooooong time to see him and at the time had no idea how lucky we were… We met some travellers in Hoi An a week and a bit later and they told us they were really disappointed the Big Ho had been sent to Russia for some R&R (apparently he goes there every year for a few months for some ‘maintenance’). We all realised that Sime and I had been to see him two days before they’d tried so we either saw him on the last day of the season or the second last day… either way we were lucky ;-) It was quite hilarious how intense the build up to see him was. It felt like we were in the army – as we were lining up, the guards would come and yell at us if we weren’t standing in perfect lines of two – people were scolded if they spoke and we had to quietly trek through army style – we entered the room, and were walked through past Ho at a steady pace – and before we knew it were back outside in the intense heat! Over so quick and not enough time to examine whether or not he was made of wax…haha…

We went to the Museum of Ethnology – which is an excellent museum exhibiting different ethnic groups of Vietnam – with displays both indoors (showing clothing, arts, artifacts) and outdoors with recreations of traditional houses. We thought the most interesting exhibit was a temporary show they had on about life in Vietnam during the Bao Cap/ Subsidy Economy (75-86). The exhibition included video interviews with Hanoi locals who spoke about life during this era – FASCINATING stuff! We sat and listened to/watched the majority of the exhibits and were surprised how honest some of these interviews were – especially with regards to criticising the government and life at the time. I read that the museum was considering putting this show on a permanent basis. I hope so – it gave me much more of an understanding of the people I was meeting on a daily basis in this crazy city. One thing that really stayed with me was the concept of transport changing over the years. In one personal story in the exhibit, a woman spoke of being extremely lucky to be the owner of a bicylce brought back from Russia – she was the envy of all her neighbours and friends – as not many people had a bicycle and certainly not very good ones if they did… I found it extremely bizarre to comprehend the intense change this place has been through – in only 20 or so years, these neighbourhoods have changed from streets full of peaceful pedestrians to streets crammed with bicycles and loud ‘abusive’ motorbikes with their constant horns blowing and dirty smoke forced into the faces of people working from the streets…. I wanted to ask these older locals how on earth they dealt with that change, and how they felt about it…? It bothered me so much and I was only a temporary tourist – I can’t imagine for those older locals what it must be like to reflect on what things were like in the recent past…

So apart from plenty of time spent walking about, people watching, drinking coffee, and eating taaaaaaasty food, we also went to Hoa Lo Prison (known as the Hanoi Hilton), Temple of Literature (heard some cool traditional music there), National Museum of History (half closed due to renovations!). I felt Hanoi is crazy place that can wear you down – the noise is relentless and not a place to hang out if you have claustrophobic tendencies. Having said that, it’s also lots of fun and I can’t wait to go back…

* All the photos (oh so many good ones! :-( ) from Hanoi were lost along with our stolen camera :-( See later entry with info about that!

- Annette

Such a vibrant city. Crazy pace. Total love and hate relationship with Hanoi…

We lined up for Uncle Ho twice actually – the first time we were too late….second time lucky! Extra lucky it seems as that was the last day before he was off to Mother Russia for a spring clean. That explained why it was sooo busy too.

Thứ Hai, 7 tháng 3, 2011

ISLAND IN NHA TRANG

There are many islands at Nha Trang Bay – Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. However, the most well-known ones are Mieu island, Mun island, Tam island, Tre island and Yen island.

Mieu island: It takes you only about 20 minutes to get to Mieu island (or B?ng Nguyên Island) by motor-boat. You can visit the Th?y Cung Tri Nguyen where many species of marine creatures live or relax youself at the unique beach – Bãi S?i (Pebble Beach). This Th?y Cung is a fossil ship model from which, tourists can enjoy the collection of multiple types of species taken from many regions of Vietnam.

Mun Island (Hòn Mun) is a small island in the Nha Trang Bay complex. You can realize that all the rock fields on the southeast of the island is as black as ebony. That is why the island is called Mun Island. According to research, Mun Island has great ecological diversification with regards to coral reefs. In the island, 340 out of 800 world species of coral reefs have bên found here. From 2001, Mun Island Sea Reservation Zone has been set up, covering a total area of about 160 square kilometers (include many other islands like Tre Island, Mieu Island, Tam Island, Mun Island, Cau Island, etc.). This is the first Sea Reservation Zone to be established in Vietnam.

Tam Island (Hòn T?m) is an attractive ecological tourist site where the original beauty of the landscape is still remained with evergreen tropical forests and long charming sandy beaches. On the back of the mountain is a newly-found attraction – Hang Doi (Grotto of Bats) where lots of bats inhabit. Coming to this island, tourists will have chance to take part in various forms of sport activities like Kayaking, mountain climbing, volleyball on beaches, etc. Especially, from February 2010, tourists can have opportunity to observe Nha Trang Bay from balloons. Nha Trang Bay observed from 150 meters high may have been really different from the one that you see on land.

Tre Island is the largest one in Nha Trang Bay with the area of more than 30 square kilometers. The island is located about 5km to the east of Nha Trang City center, 3,5km to Cau Da Port. Beaches in this island are among the most charming natural beaches in Vietnam. With original vegetaion, mild and temperate climate, Tre Island possesses favorable conditions for developing ecological tourism and sea resort. The island is receiving much investment to develop high quality tourism infrastructure.

Ðao Yen (Yen Island): Local people call any island where the salanganes build their nests Yen Island. Among the 19 islands in Nha Trang Bay, Noi Island and Ngoai Island have the largest number of salanganes. Although beaches in these islands is rather beautiful, they are not exploited for tourism purpose. In stead, they are used for producing and exploiting Y?n Sào (a specialty made from salangane’s nests).

ISLAND IN NHA TRANG

There are many islands at Nha Trang Bay – Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. However, the most well-known ones are Mieu island, Mun island, Tam island, Tre island and Yen island.

Carving The Past, Catastrophes The Present

Today we ventured further afield to some more remote sites. Mr Bon drove us along smooth highways which soon turned into bumpy, dusty, crumbling tarmac. As we sat in the tuk tuk we watched everyday life go by. People were hard at work; men were fishing or labouring in the paddy fields, women cooked outside on huge metal pans heated by earth furnaces, children herded cattle. Frequently we passed markets where vendors sold exotic fruits, bottles of water, rattan baskets, multicoloured scarves, wooden furniture, chicken feather dusters in varying lengths and petrol in old Coke and Johnny Walker bottles. Brick villas, freshly painted in white, pastel pink or lemon yellow, whizzed past us and contrasted sharply with the timber houses on stilts and palm leaf bungalows.
A couple of rickety bridges later and we were at Bantray Srei. It was a pretty temple, with delicate and ornate carvings. It reflected attractively in a moat studded with bright pink lotus blossoms. Unfortunately, 5 minutes behind us were the tour buses, and as the deserted carpark filled up, the peaceful temple became a chaotic and immobile press of bodies. I was glad I was not claustrophobic.
Our next stop, Kbal Spean, led us onto a dirt road apparently too extreme for Asian tour groups to attempt. A climb up through the jungle led us to clearings filled with multitudes of butterflies- sulphur yellow, orange, black with white spots, swallowtail, brown with shining blue wing tips. After half an hour we were at Kbal Spean, the River of 1000 Linga. The linga is a phallic symbol which represents Shiva. The first carvings we saw had been created in the riverbed above a waterfall. Following the falls down took us past carvings of monarchs being sheltered under parasols and mischievous-looking crocodiles. A wobbly wooden staircase led us to the foot of the falls. There were more linga carvings and butterflies, which gathered to feed on minerals in the mud.
We climbed back and followed the river, which took us to more linga carvings on the riverbed and further detailed bas reliefs. Shivaites believed that pouring water over the linga sculptures in temples made it holy; I guess the water here must have been extremely spiritually potent!
The final group of bas reliefs were very fine. They depicted the god Vishnu. The site was very tranquil; dragonflies buzzed past, fish swam in the river, a skink dashed through the undergrowth and a gecko loitered behind a sign.
After lunch, we visited the landmine museum. It was started by a man called Aki Ra, who had fought with the Khmer Rouge as a child soldier after his parents were killed, and later fought for the Vietnamese army during their invasions. His story is shared by many others- killing without thought in a struggle to stay alive. Aki Ra's speciality was laying landmines. After the wars were over, the horrific consequences of this weaponry became clear; even in peacetime these hidden traps continue to exert an heavy death toll, with mutilation resulting for many more. Tragically, the group most at risk are children, who often think that mines, grenades and other unexploded ordinance are toys.
Aki Ra turned his expertise to finding and disabling the mines, clearing many thousands. Eventually his efforts gained international support, and he continues to work with teams to clear as much of Cambodia as possible. The landmine museum was an intensely moving experience; the figures of the amount of land still uncleared, and the number of people killed or injured each year were shocking. At an attached school were children who were the victims of mines, saved from a future as beggers by Aki Ra and his wife. Sadly, many will not be so lucky, but the message was positive- individuals can make a difference.
Travelpod
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Thứ Ba, 22 tháng 2, 2011

A TRIP FORWARD INTO THE PAST

John Olsen called and asked if I would like to return to Vietnam to help place a memorial plaque on Hill 362. This is like a bolt from the sky and I’m momentarily speechless. Finally, I say I will need to discuss it with my wife but I absolutely want to go. There was some talk about this kind of a trip at our last reunion. A number of us discussed what a good idea it was.

We contacted many different people and tour agencies, trying to find the best combination for what we want. Our goals are to do a lot of boots on the ground kind of touring, using vehicle transportation as little as possible, as well as to climb up Hill 362 one more time, for a memorial service. We communicated with ex-pats who live there and many others who have visited recently. We are getting all kinds of conflicting reports on what to expect from the people and the government.

We finally decide on working with Ngoc. She has outlined a very detailed trip for us. There are multiple e-mail communications between John and Ngoc which he shares with all of us. She says that there may be some difficulties about getting us to our hill 362, but she will do the best she can. The trip may include taking motor scooters from DongHa as far into the jungle as possible and then walking the remainder of the way.

April 25, 2008

I cannot believe it’s time to go already. I bought several new items to take. Clothes for hiking in hot weather, some camping supplies, including a hammock to suspend between trees for sleeping. Some packaged food and a fair amount of endurance food such as Cliff Bars and Power Bars. I borrowed a great back pack from my nephew and a fine stock of Dominican cigars. None of us know what cigars will be available once we are in country. I have packed and repacked so many times I don’t know what I should be taking any more. I am more nervous about this than I was willing to admit.

Our flight to Chu Lai is on a Vietnam Airlines dual prop job and we fly low enough to get good views of the northern delta area around Saigon. We land at ChuLai without problems and we are the only aircraft on the tarmac. One of the reasons we wanted to land here is that we guarded this air strip as one of our duties for a while back in ’66. There is much about ChuLai that seems like home.

Here is where we first meet Ngoc and Thuong. They are waiting outside of the terminal at ChuLai holding a very large, red banner that reads “Welcome Back”. We are all excited to meet. Ngoc is talkative and has a great smile and wants to tell us all her plans. She is very excited to meet us and can’t wait to get us started on our journey.Thuong seems somewhat aloof. He does not smile as easily.

About 2 pm we bus out to a remote area to find hill 66 and some other areas. We get off the bus and trek through back roads and trails. We pass an elementary school and the children inside are practicing an alphabet or numbers or something, in unison. Soon, they become aware that we are outside and they all come out to see us. Laughing and nearly all waving the peace sign at us, shouting in English “Hello! How are you?”

Walking through small vills and hamlets give us a sense of remembrance. Flashes of time gone by. Not all of it is bad, but the memories surface with a heightened sense of awareness that comes from having been in a life and death struggle – a lesson that never leaves. We remember hedge lines of cacti, palm and betel nut trees, walking along the elevated paths between rice paddies, and feeling over exposed and vulnerable.

As we walk from hamlet to hamlet, the word gets passed around about a group of Americans, and many of the villagers try to sneak peeks at us. The children collect in groups of 5 or 6 and giggle at us. This is a shy culture. They have little expectation other than daily needs. There are few demands on them. Their civility is so deep, so basic. It could not exist in the western world. I can’t help but wonder how they can be so calm, so open, and so polite after 100 years of war.

Dong Ha

We are much farther inland now. Vietnam is less than 50 miles wide here, near the old DMZ. Looking out the window of the train as we leave the coastal area and head inland toward the gentle eastern slopes of the Annamese range and the jungle, I get to watch the slow change of vegetation and elevation. It is an interesting mix of sand, swamp and lush vegetation rising to low mountain jungles. This is such a beautiful country. It feels so rich and deep. It has kept a missing part of my soul for over 40 years.

to be continued…

Published on 11/15/08

Best of the North – 141 USD

Vietnam northern tours:

Best of the North with Sapa- 224 USD

CAVES IN VANG VIENG

A full day excursion was booked in for today. A people mover was hired, with driver, for USD100. The family’s own people mover took the rest of the group. It’s good to see how well this family is getting on together considering the fact that, even though they are related, most of the Australian group had not met the Laotian group before this trip. And as for me – I am getting to know most of both groups for the very first time! Working out who is who is all just too much for an outsider to take in within a day or two…and trying to remember all their names – well, that’s another problem. But I’m slowly coming to terms with it all. A day out like this, experiencing the countryside together should help us all to get to know each other a little better despite the language differences.... READ MORE

CAMBODIA, CAMBODIA

Our second destination in Phnom Penh is the Royal Palace. This brings us as close as we will be to the king of Cambodia. Visiting the Royal Palace is really a visit to a walled compound. The royals’ actual residence is off limits for obvious reasons. From the outside, it looks very royal in a Khmer kind of way. The current king is Norodom Sihamoni, 57, who has reigned since 2004. Previous to this, he was a cultural ambassador to UNESCO, classical dance instructor, and oldest son of King Norodom Sihanouk. That last credential may be slightly more important than the other two.

Kings used to be chosen by Brahmans (wise men) who rated king candidates in ten categories. Of course, in many cases it did not hurt the candidate’s chances if his father happened to be the current king. If wise men choosing kings sounds archaic, consider that the US constitution orders pretty much the same procedure. Voters do not vote for president. They vote their instructions to electoral voters, who vote the will of each state. The idea was that electors could use their very sound judgment in choosing the president instead of leaving the decision to John Q. Gullible. We have pretty much gutted the system, so presidential candidates appeal to most of us but not necessarily the best of us.

Frankly, I am surprised that Cambodia still has either a Royal Palace or a king. Start with the fact that the current king’s father, Norodom Sihanouk, abandoned the throne in 1955. It was two years after the French had granted Cambodia its independence. He preferred real political power to the safety of a neutered monarchy. He became prime minister in elections that might not have been free or fair.

Twenty six years later the US was embroiled in the war next-door. Sihanouk figured the US was backing a loser. He agreed to let the Viet Cong set up permanent training camps on the Cambodian side of the border. He allowed Chinese arms to be shipped through Cambodia to the Viet Cong. He was in the ring with heavyweights and doing what he could to keep his country from being knocked out.

Cambodian General Lon Nol preferred the South Vietnamese side of the war. Or maybe he liked the fact that supporting the South Vietnamese meant the US would support him in a coup. When Sihanouk left town, Lon Nol seized control. He would lose it five years later. In the mean time, the exiled Sihanouk worked to get his job back.... READ MORE

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VIETNAM NORTHER TOUR

HANOI CAFE CULTURE

In Hanoi, drinking coffee has become a culture. And if you visit this bustling and antique city, you should check out the street pavement coffee shop instead of drinking the same old same old coffee at your hotel or big restaurant to have an authentic taste of Hanoi coffee.

For many Hanoians, the most important factor of a café is not its luxuriousness but the quality of the product. Old people love cafés which have been around a long time, located on old streets or inside deep alleys. Office workers like cafes with romantic and quiet styles like those in Pho Co Quarter. Young people prefer the noisy and busy atmosphere of modern and luxury or pavement cafés.

There are so many famous coffee shops in Hanoi, like Nang café (6 Hang Bac), Nhan (39D1 Hang Hanh), Quat (Quan Thanh), Quynh (Bat Dan) to Giang (Hang Gai Street) and Lam (60, 91 Nguyen Huu Huan)… Chairs are small, literally child-sized, and are sometimes made of blue plastic or painted wood. The tables are covered with glasses of ca phe den (black coffee) or ca phe sua da (iced coffee), which come with their own individual drip top. Not only just for connoisseurs, these places are idea for having gossip, meeting old friends, talking to pass time of day, stealing precious moments for romantics.

* * *

A good example of the authentic Hanoi cafés is Hang Hanh, an atmospheric slender street veering off the city’s central Hoan Kiem Lake. In the afternoon, one may find himself inexplicably drawn to its’ wall-to-wall cafés which unfold below the shady boughs of leafy trees. Here, the annoying young and cool Vietnamese often sit and watch the world in front of their eyes. In late afternoon, with the last rays of sunshine, the place starts to buzz. At weekends, it is positively heaving with dating couples or gangs of youths desiring to be couples.

The next stop is Lam café – the perfect refuge for artists, poets and thespians to refresh their minds for creativeness. Situated on a shaded street, it will bring you the relaxed moments by the simple but artistically-decorated bamboo furniture, colorful framed oil paintings on the wall, ceiling fans as well as wooden table with a lot of tiny china teapots.

Down in a quiet side street, Quynh cafe‘s unassuming entrance is marked by a simple red lantern and ornate ironwork doors. Stepping inside, you not only see the bamboo furniture on tiled floor but also the tiny plants adorn wooden shuttered windows. Looking on damp-streaked walls, you may surprise with wooden arrows and trumpets, farming implements and ancient hunting pistols. Breathing the cool air from the antiquated table-fan, wallowing in soft French background music, you will desire to stay longer…

Thứ Ba, 15 tháng 2, 2011

TO CAMBODIA WITH LOVE

Excerpted from To Cambodia With Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur.

How do I describe my love of Cambodia? I’m not the world’s greatest wordsmith, so I’ll keep it simple. In 1994 I came to this country for five of the most exhilarating, nerve-jangling, and frightening days of my life-and that was it. I was hooked, completely, by a country and a people who’ve subsequently enriched my life to a degree I never thought possible. Those five days sparked a passion that grew with each of my annual visits, culminating in my migration here three years ago. I truly feel at home, I belong, I love every day of my life here, and I want to share my passion for this country with everyone. To Cambodia With Love is the perfect vehicle to do just that.

Fortunately, you don’t have to read my inadequate prose to understand the essence of Cambodia. I’ve joined forces with more than sixty contributors who know this country as well as I do-better in many instances-and who I’m convinced will inspire you to come and see for yourself why this beautiful land is so alluring. Whether it’s acclaimed memoirist Loung Ung eating chive rice cakes in the Russian Market inPhnom Penh, journalist Karen Coates exploring a bird sanctuary in Preah Vihear Province, pioneering guidebook author Ray Zepp riding a traditionalnorry along countryside railway tracks, or scholar and Angkor historian Dawn Rooney explaining her favorite time to visit Cambodia’s most celebrated temple, there are essays to feed your obsession if you’re already hooked, or spark a love that will continue to grow after your Cambodian baptism.

I urge you to discover and unearth Cambodia’s secrets, some of which you will find within these pages, others you must find for yourself-and you will, I assure you. Wander amongst the crowded maze of its markets, absorb the slow pace of village life in a rural landscape where few travelers venture, discover the unique lifestyle along the Mekong River, and above all, appreciate a culture and setting that spawned the incredible temples of Angkor, the jewel in Cambodia’s crown. Fifteen years ago, I was blessed to see the Angkor temples without the crowds, to experience sunrise over the pineapple towers of Angkor Wat in glorious solitude, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Though the secret of Angkor is now well and truly out in the open-it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world-there are still many opportunities to grasp your own special memories and lock them away forever, as I have … beginning with a few suggestions in this book.

I know it’s a bit of a tired cliché that it’s the people of this and that country that make it such a wonderful place, but the truth is, they really do. Cambodia is no different. After weathering decades of bloodshed and civil war, poverty, and instability, the Khmer have proved their incredible resilience, and their smile remains as bewitching as it has throughout time. The friendships I’ve developed over the years will last forever. No one will leave Cambodia without a large chunk of admiration and fondness for the people they encounter. You have my guarantee.

This is not a definitive guide to Cambodia. Far from it. It is about inspiration, discovery, sharing, and above all else, a love and a respect for a country that has changed my life forever, as I hope it will change yours.

Andy Brouwer
Editor, To Cambodia With Love

Central Highland Grand Trekking Tour

Day 1:

Meet on arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Transfer to hotel. Lunch.
- Afternoon : City tour: Chinatown, Heavenly Lady Temple, Big Market. Dinner and entertainment. Overnight at HCMC.
Day 2:
Breakfast. 10:00 check out for flight to Pleiku (VN342 11:20-12:35).
Afternoon: City tour, "Bien Ho" Lake, Ethnic Culture Museum, shopping. Dinner and overnight at Pleiku.
Day 3:
Breakfast. Drive to Nhon Hoa Village (62 km from Pleiku). Enjoy riding elephant (3 hours) for a distance of 15 km for visiting Jarai villages, paddies, through a young forest, passing by la Lop stream, stop at la Nhi stream in jungle. Picnic lunch about 1 hour. Riding elephant back to Nhon Hoa village. Drive to visit a village of Plei Oi, King of Fire. Drive to Plei Bloum village (JARAI ethnic group), dinner and overnight at this village.
Day 4:
Breakfast. Walking to visit around the village about 1 hour. Leaving Bloum village for boating to Bahnar Honga village in 3 hours. Lunch. Trekking through a forest for a distance of 8 km to Yang Nam village (Bahnar ethnic group). Dinner and overnight at Yang Nam.
Day 5:
Breakfast. Trekking to YaMa for a distance of 10 km about 3 hours. Through a characteristic forest, fields on mountains. Picnic lunch at Chaam Yang Waterfall. Trekking back to Yang Nam. Joining the ethnic gong music, dinner with ethnic rice (rice put in the bamboo pipes and roasted) and special ethnic wine (a big jar containing wine put in the middle of the house on stilt and there are lots of pipes for tourists to drink wine simultaneously). .Overnight at Yang Nam village.
Day 6:
Walking left Yang Nam for Kon Chro about 14 km in 4 hours. Visiting along the roadsides : ethnic tombs, Rong house (Communal house of ethnic groups), Holang & Topong villages of Bahnar ethnic groups. Lunch at Kon Chro. Drive to Qui Nhon. Dinner and overnight at Qui Nhon.
Day 7:
Breakfast. Check out for driving to Nha Trang (250 km from Qui Nhon). Lunch. Visit Ponagar Cham Towers, Long Son Pagoda, Overlapping rocks. Sea-bathing. Dinner. Overnight at Nha Trang.
Day 8:
Breakfast. Sunbathing and boat trip to islands (Tri Nguyen aquarium, Mun, and Tam islands). Lunch on Tam island. Disembark. Exploring Oceanographic Institute. Overnight at Nha Trang.
Day 9:
At leisure, sea-bathing. Overnight at Nha Trang.
Day 10:
7:20 check out for flight to HCMC (VN451 8:35-9:25). On the way to hotel, pass by Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Lam Son lacquer-ware shop. Lunch. Visit Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, pass by US Former Embassy, Historical Museum with water puppet show. Dinner on Saigon Floating Restaurant. Overnight at HCMC.
Day 11:
Breakfast. Departure to My Tho. Boat ride on the Mekong River and visit Thoi Son island-orchard, Vinh Trang Pagoda. Drive back to HCMC with stop over at Binh Tay Market, Thien Hau Temple. Overnight in HCMC.
Day 12:
Breakfast. Morning excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels. Return to HCMC. Evening: Check out and transfer to airport for departure.

VISIT VIETNAM WITH ASIANWAY TRAVEL
Vietnam tour and Vietnam Hotel , Vietnam hotel
VIETNAM NORTHERN TOUR
VIETNAM CENTRAL TOUR
VIETNAM SOUTHERN TOUR

HAI PHONG BUFFALO FIGHTING

Thousands of people annually gathered at the stadium of Do Son Town, Hai Phong City to witness the attractive performances of buffalos within the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, an outstanding and unique festival one in Vietnam which is associated with different legends.

Published: Wednesday, 05 January, 2011.

Objects of worship: Water Genie.
Time: the 9th day of the eighth lunar month.
Destination: Do Son Town, Hai Phong City.
Characteristics: Buffalo fighting, slaughtering buffalo to worship the genie.

One of the legends has it that long time ago, one Creator caused a severe drought. All living things looked toward the sea, praying for Creator’s favour. In the most miserable moment, suddenly, people saw two buffalos fighting fiercely on the wave crests and the rains started to pour down, revive all creature. The local people organise the fighting performance annually to show, not only their great gratitude for the Sir Buffalo but also their desire for the immortal vitality and strength of coastal people of Haiphong. Being held officially and annually on the ninth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar since the 18th century, the festival is a chance for local people to pray for prosperity and happiness.... Read More