Ice Skating in Cambodia?

The newest family attraction in Phnom Penh is Kid City.  For Halloween, they offered a special "No Kids" night, so we headed over for some adult fun.  Our first stop was the ice skating rink.  I cannot remember the last time I went ice skating, plus they rent out ice hockey skates rather than figure skating ones, so I was not very steady on my feet.  But I managed to stay upright the whole time, so I was proud of myself!

Next stop was the science gallery.  Our friend Kristin couldn't wait to try the human gyroscope, which turns you upside down and all around.  

Meanwhile, our friend Stacy showed no fear of heights by riding the high wire bicycle.  Overall, the science gallery was very well done and also has a impressive, high-tech exhibit on the solar system.  I hope that Cambodian children have the opportunity to go to experience the fun side of science.

Finally, we harnessed up for the climbing gym.  The gym has about a dozen climbing walls, all with different hand holds.  They also have a few special features including a Leap of Faith and a 9-meter free fall.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to play laser tag.  So we hope that Kid City has another "No Kids" night soon!

Happy in Ho Chi Minh City

With a long weekend available to us, Jeremy and I took the opportunity to hop next door to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.  On our first day, we prepped for a day of checking out the city, got down to the lobby...and looked out into torrential rain.  We waited around in the lobby for a bit, hoping the rain would let up.  Eventually, we decided we couldn't let a little rain coop us up in the hotel all morning.  So, we donned our rain coats, headed out, and promptly got soaking wet.  We persevered, ducking under awnings to sneak a peak at a map in our quest for the Pham Ngu Lao District.  After several wrong turns, we finally found it, just as the rain let up.

The next day was thankfully dry, since we had booked a 6-hour moto tour of the city with Tiger Tours.  The tour was an excellent way to see parts of the city off the well-worn tourist track.  It was also a delicious way to sample authentic Vietnamese cuisine.  We stopped at three different restaurants and sampled a range of dishes.  We even tried pig ear...I would not recommend it!

The most unique part of the tour was a stop at a local beauty salon, where we were treated to a relaxing hair wash and face massage.  I've never had that combination of beauty treatments, but we learned it's common in Ho Chi Minh City.  I also snapped this blackmail photo of Jeremy with cucumber slices on his face!

Next day, we boarded a bus for Cu Chi Tunnels.  This network of tunnels, stretching from Saigon to the Cambodian border, allowed Viet Cong fighters to move about undetected.  After watching a patriotic propaganda "documentary" filmed in the 1960s, we viewed various hidden tunnel entrances and deadly booby traps used to avoid detection.  Finally we descended into the tunnels and crawled a hot, dark 80 meters.  And to think fighters spent weeks down there!

 

Overall, we had an excellent visit to Ho Chi Minh City.  I think what we liked best was that it's a nice city to walk around in.  Each turn down an unfamiliar street offered an opportunity - a cute shop to explore, a restaurant to discover, beautiful architecture to admire, or a park in which to stroll.  Jeremy even got to try being a coconut juice street vendor!

Circus and Trains in Battambang

A few weeks ago, Jeremy and I traveled to Battambang.  Battambang is in the northwestern corner of Cambodia, not too far from Thailand.  In fact, Battambang has actually been part of Thailand a few times in the past, as recently as during World War II.

In Battambang, we were able to experience two of the things on my "must-see" list.  The first was the circus.  Battambang hosts the training school for Cambodian Circus students.  The circus is in the vein of Cirque du Soleil, but on a much smaller scale and with fewer bells and whistles and less makeup and razzle dazzle.  I kept my expectations very low going in, but was pleasantly surprised by the athleticism, enthusiasm, passion, and talent of the young performers.  Below is a picture of three young girls in one of those "how are they twisting their bodies like that" positions.

The second "must-see" was the bamboo train.  The bamboo train was developed in Cambodia a few decades ago as an easy way to transport goods and people on the rail lines.  "Train" is actually a strong word because it's more of a platform set onto two train axles with rolling stock wheels.  The rail lines are all single track, but one train can easily be disassembled and removed in minutes to allow the other train to pass.  Despite the noise of the rails, it was actually a peaceful way to enjoy a bit the countryside of Battambang.