Our Tale Of 2 Cities

We Started With Serene & Ancient Angkor Wat

Mr. Gecko & I took a week long break in Siem Reap & Ho Chi Minh (locals prefer the more exotic sounding old name - Saigon) earlier this month. We came back almost 2 weeks ago... and I would have written our travel entries out by last week if not that I am still recovering from a bout of dengue fever.

Yeah... we think I got bitten by mozzies in Siem Reap. It was fortunate for us that the onslaught of the dreaded disease hit me only when I came back to Singapore. Fortunate because I needed the energy for the next half of our Saigon trip and I couldn't imagine seeking professional medical help either in Siem Reap or Saigon - both cities still a long way to recover from post civil war poverty.

In a lot of ways, the physical characteriestics of the 2 cities are very similar - not surprising as both are communist countries emerging out of their genocide through booming tourism; especially Siem Reap. Gosh...! I shall write about my experience getting through the Vietnam custom upon arrival at Saigon later.

Being economically poor, there are hardly any common modern infrastructures in both Siem Reap and Saigon. There're absolutely no skyscrapers, proper tar roads are limited to the city / tourist areas, there's not even a decent shopping centre anywhere in both cities.... even public transport's a big hassle for the locals themselves since most own and get around easily by motorcycles anyway.

In a way, it's a kinda travel blessing *for me lah* coz for the first time anywhere other than my own homeland - Malaysia, I didn't have to navigate around train stations and got around in either a hired car or cabs. For our usual travel standards, tis's luxury to us.

But the more physically comfortable I was, the more uncomfortable and guilty I felt inwardly as we took in all the extreme poverty we saw around us silently. Like how everytime the moment we got out of our sedan to new temple grounds in Siem Reap, we would be surrounded by local children begging us to buy souvenirs from them... we never buy or give money to children in groups as there was no end to such toutings so we really have to bear with the determined children in dirty and tattered clothings who would even walked some distance with us just for that US$1. Same goes for Saigon when the children roamed the streets and begged all the foreigners in sight to buy their wares and their parents just watched them from a near distance.

It was heart wrenching to know that adults often make use of children to gain tourists' sympathies just to put dinner on the table. I mean, there are such child beggers everywhere... but never that staggering amount of child beggers I had encountered over there! Mr. Gecko told me India has it far worse... I really cannot imagine. That kinda feelings hit me real bad when I was visiting Tonle Sap river at Siem Reap. But that's how poor they are...

Despite these close similarities, I was more surprised and mildly amused by the vastly different tourist treatments / social interactions we encountered between the 2 cities - their service disparities really could not be more distinctive. The Cambodians in Siem Reap are all heart into the tourism business - very eager to please and their locals friendly and polite - we gave alot of service tips in Siem Reap but hadn't bother to dispense any in Saigon. Though they were never rude, the locals in Saigon seemed somehow indifferent to foreigners - like how they don't really bother to smile or how we would sometimes be pushed aside suddenly from behind just because we were blocking their way. Oh, their indifferences certainly don't stop the ang mohs from chatting up with the local women at any opportune moments... hahaha... there must be something about Viet woman that ang moh men really like.

Between Siem Reap and Saigon, we certainly enjoyed our temple sightseeings at Angkor Wat slightly more than our stay at Saigon. Maybe it was because we had a really knowledgeable guide, maybe it was pure comfort to be chauffeured between temple sites but certainly big credits to the Cambodians who made me feel like a VIP anywhere...

But at the same time, we were gratified that we were not swamped by must-go touristy places of interests in Saigon and could take our time to experience a raw city relatively untouched by mass tourism hypocrisy common almost everywhere - yet.

We went and came back; and our tale of the 2 cities?? We hope we will never have to live through any war.

And We Ended With Busy & Noisy Saigon

P/S: More pics & travel sentiments to come in the next 2 entries