Panoramic view from Olympic Stadium

After six hours of journey via the south-eastern countryside of Cambodia,Malinh Bus finally reached its main office at Sihanouk Boulevard just beside the south bay section of the Olympic Stadium.

 I presume it must be the stadium parking lot and not a bus terminal.
 As usual once you step out of the bus,the tuk-tuks drivers will be pestering you with their kind services.

 This is the first time I'm getting off beside the stadium where normally I will get a bus that stops at Psar Thmey central bus terminal.

 I overheard a tuk-tuk driver offering a ride for USD10 to a lady backpacker.I can't imagine such exorbitant rate. There was an afternoon shower and since it was just 1:25 pm as seen on the clock in Malinh's office,I sat in the office and reorganised myself looking at the handy map.

If you wished to go back to Ho Chi Minh City,this is the only place to book Malinh's bus ticket. The staff of Malinh Bus company were very courteous and will be very happy to show you the directions.

The Cambodia Map of Phnom Penh City which I got from the Airport lobby given free of charge.

The icon resembling the cross is the Psar Thmey central market.To walk there might take thirty minutes,paying a motordup if you're alone should be USD1.00 whereas a tuk-tuk USD2 should be reasonable.

By the way,airport to town by motordup is USD2 while tuk-tuk is USD5.

 Straight ahead from Malinh Bus office exit left say twenty minutes walk is the Independence Monument and the riverside. The hexagonal green patch north east of Olympic Stadium is the Psar Orussey market.





 The main entrance to the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.

It is on a very high ground off Sihanouville Boulevard just near the corner shop housing the Cambodian Public Bank Ltd.

Along this stretch of road are all the motorcycle shops.Most of the shopfronts are five-storey building with balconies on the upper floors.

I had the opportunity to walk up one of the building with a guesthouse on the third floor to check it out.It only has five fan rooms with bathroom attached costing USD5 but all are unavailable. The owner is a young sweet lady who owned the premises with her family living on the lower floor.

One thing bad about the place is that there are no lightings along the dark stairways.

Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium is very huge but unfortunately it was in a state of neglect.

The canteen is just like an ordinary night market pushcart stalls. In the evening,the stadium was filled with local joggers running round the tracks while on the upper platform near the seating areas are the aerobic dancers young and old partying to the tune of the folk songs blaring from their portable sound system.

 It will a very relaxing evening to spend your time here especially with the cool breeze and the panoramic view of the city.





 The Olympic Games is one of the world's most foremost sport competitions, a major international events featuring the summer and winter olympic.

They are held every four years and the next big one will be held in London,Great Britain.The olympic torch will be leaving Vancouver,Canada the previous games village very soon.

The Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh sounds glamorous but none of the Olympic Games has been held here ever since it was built in 1964. During the Khmer Rouge era, the stadium was used as the site of executions by the Khmer Rouge of officials in the administration of Lon Nol,a self-appointed premier after coup-d'etat against Prince Norodum Sihanouk.

The seats around the terraces are cement flooring and can hold a capacity of 50,000 to 80,000 spectators.

Cambodian footballers are the main benefacto of this huge stadium as they have a better edge in terms of training facilities and a bigger home crowd advantage if there's any football competition.

Cambodian football clubs joined FIFA's ranks in 1953. Their national team nickname is The Royal Khmer Angkor Warriors.

 In October 2007, Cambodia was eliminated from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, at the first hurdle, losing 1–0 to Turkmenistan at home in Phnom Penh and 4–1 away in Ashgabat.

So now let's see whether they do qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds.

Wat Preah Puth Mean Bon in the horizon. Hotels in that area around Street 336 are Salita Hotel,Hang Neak Hotel,Phkar Chhouk Tep Monireth,Star Wood Inn,Nokorsamreth Hotel,Lucky Star Hotel(casino with nightclub inside) and Phkar Chhouk Tep.
 Rates from USD8 onwards.
  

Cambodian currency is called the Riel which includes both bank notes and coins.

The Riel banknotes that are currently in circulation include the following denominations; 50,100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and the 100,000 notes.

The Riel coins that are currently in circulation are the 50, 100, 200, and the 500.

The currency is only tradeable within the country and not good for exchange at money changers outside the country.The United States Dollar is widely used here.

Being a former colony of France until 1953,its monetary policy was governed by the French and at that time a monetary union was created which is equivalent to a central bank of Indochina(a region containing Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos).

The current rate per USD is 4058 Cambodian Riels (KHR)
 The 5,000 Riel(equivalent to USD1.20) front face has picture of naga head serpent and His MajestyNorodom Sihanouk.

At the currency's back is the antique bridge of "Kampong Kdei" in Siem Reap Province which is 264km from Phnom Penh City.

The bridge was erected by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century having a length of 80m and 14m wide and has twenty-one axes.

 In fact this is the longest ancient bridge among the many others in the province.

The watermark on the banknote is Four faces of Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom.




The 2,000 KHR (Khmer Riel) shows the 5th gopura of Preah Vihear Temple which is the Soul of the Khmer people.

The temple is perched on the edge of a giant cliff, 625 meters above sea level in northern part of Preah Vihear Province.

Of late this area has been a disputed hotspot but the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague awarded the temple to Cambodia.

On July 7, 2008, Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The other side of the 2,000 Riel banknote shows a woman harvesting rice in the shadow of Angkor Wat.

Roughly equivalent to half a U.S. dollar.

A Bayon sculpture is the watermark.

The 1,000 Cambodian Riel shows sculpture art of 10th century Banteay Srei temple printed in silver ink. 

Banteay Srei temple located around Angkor is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva.

The popular sculpture of naga serpent and Victory Gate at Angkor Thom is also on the background.

The back of the 1,000 KHR shows the Port of Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom) which is the main trade point of Cambodia.

The town of Sihanoukville was the place of the last official battle of the United States army in the Vietnam War.

The watermark is a geometrical repeated pattern of flower-like ornaments.

  500 KHR also has sculpture of naga head serpent and picture of Angkor Wat temple.













 On the back of the 500-note is the Spien Kizuna bridge (Cambodia-Japan Friendship) across Mekong River in Kampong Cham town.

This first bridge over the Mekong River was opened in year 2001.

The bridge which is 75km north-east of the capital Phnom Penh is an important trade route within the Mekong region.

Spien in Khmer means bridge while Kizuna in English means "tie" The watermark show some Khmer text.

Depart Ho Chi Minh City using Malinh bus.

Most bus tickets for the 6:30am, 7:00am and 8:00am to Phnom Penh,Cambodia were sold out one day before departure but I was lucky to get hold of Malinh bus the night before.

 The fare price was US7.00 which is the cheapest among all other companies.
 If you ever wish to travel out of Ho Chi Minh City to neighbouring Cambodia,always buy ahead as tickets were easily sold out.

 Ever since from day one while I was here in Ho Chi Minh City,the weather condition was not so friendly to all travelers.Either you walk with the raincoat on or choose to be a water buffalo.The moment you thought the rain has stopped,another intermittent downpour started again.It's a free shower practically this month of July and August.

 Vietnamese have rich folklores and fairytales.The local people were already capable of predicting the current month weather. It was about two lover,Nguu Lang and Chuc Nu.
Both were so deeply in love that the Jade Emperor diapproved their courtship thus separating both of them and forcing them to live on opposite side of the Milky Ways.
Their whole-hearted love thus made the Jade Emperor touched.
Both the couples were allowed to meet each other once a year on the 7th July (Chinese Lunar Calender).When they were united,they weep all day long in July so that's why it's a wet,wet ,wet month.






The vehicles here are all heading towards Ben Thanh market area and will subsequently turn right to the bus terminal.

From the vehicles oncoming directions,you can also walk to the terminal in less than 10 minutes.

This is Pham Ngu Lao Road and I'm standing near Malinh Office which is just beside the corner to De Tham Street.

 The zebra crossing is hardly being complied by almost all vehicles to and fro.One needs to just cross the road even if the vehicles were just inches away,just raise your hand and be your own self made traffic warden.

 Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) main green lungs right up to the junction where Tran Hung Dao Street and Le Loi Street meets.

So if you were to stay around Pham Ngu Lao area,it's just right at your doorstep. Joggers will be the early bird of the day while later in the evening,the locals will be having some sports activities. There are two section,one as in the photo is just across Ben Thanh Bus terminal where it has been partially turned into a motorcycle parking lot while the other section in front of Pham Ngu Lao Street is the main highlight area.

  Inside the Malinh bus the seats were equally comfortable and the compartment for hand luggage is not that big.
The bus has good suspension so won't feel the bump. I was allocated the middle seat at the far end despite booking a day earlier.
Most of the Vietnamese people book a seat via telephone call so that's why it was very fast taken up. There were three Filipinos onboard while the rest were local residents.

 Malinh Head Office at 201,Pham Ngu Lao Street,Tel:(08)39202929 while their ticketing offices are also at:
+15,Dao Duy Anh Street.Phu Nhuan District. +293,Tran Phu Street,District 5
+64-68,Hai Ba Trung Street,District 1.

 Daily Departure: Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh: 6:30am,7:30am,8:30am,13:00hrs:14:30hrs.

 Just in case you need a light snack for morning breakfast,a stall selling Vietnamese baguette sandwiches is available.

They are called Banh,a perfect Frence influenced in their cuisine. Delicious French-styled baguette are enriched with flavorful meats and are garnished with crispy cucumber slices,marinated carrot,daikon salad and ciliantro leaves.
The price range from 8,000 VNDong to 10,000VNDong.







 Sorya Bus was further down infront of their office at Pham Ngu Lao Street.
The previous night I tried to make a ticket purchase but early morning seats are all fully booked except for the 11:30am trip.
The fare was USD10.00 and the journey would take around six hours.

 It was a brilliant idea for the local tourism authorities to put up a signboard displaying all the guesthouses inside the alleys.

 Lookout for the alley which was just in between some the shops.

Example are Rainbow Guesthouse,Ngoc Linh Hotel,Red Sun Hotel,Ngoc Minh Hotel,Tan Ah Mui Apartment,Nguyen Khay Hotel,Lin Phuong Hotel,Saigon Cafe Guesthouse and Tan Loc Hung Hotel.
 The range are normally between USD8-USD12. Staying at the guesthouse among the alleys is a wonderful experience to be close to the Vietnamese families as they are the main operators of the premises.

 The lifestyle of the people are very interesting as they do operate small shops inside here as well.
Only the motorcycles are accessible but do not create any noise pollution.It is a very quiet neighbourhood. At times there will be peddlers on bicycle selling foodstuffs and singing to their best tones.

 Salam Restaurant and Lounge is located at No:280 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,Ho Chi Minh City which is quite near to the War Remnants Museum.

The entrance arch is a typical Muslim mosque architecture and this is a Muslim restaurant.

 "SALAM" is the most commonly used word in the everyday life of the Muslim which is a greetings sentence especially in most opening addresses and conversations.

 Assalamualaikum means "peace be with you" while the other party will reply as mu'alaikum salam.
Kirim salam means send my greetings.

 In Ho Chi Minh City there are also many Muslim Restaurants so Vietnam is also proud to have a multi racial society.
 Muslim Restaurants only sell "Halal" food,that is no involvement of pork products and the method of preparations are in accordance to Islamic Law.

 A list of Muslim Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City:

 1) Bombay Restaurant:- 66,Dong Du Street, near the Mosque Tel: +848 38233594
 2) Ali Baba Restaurant:-60,Le Thanh Ton Street Tel: +848 382335943.
3) Bon Mua / Four Season Restaurant:-2 ,Thi Sach Street, Dist 1 Tel: 84-8-382571864.
4) Satay House Restaurant:-35, Mac Dinh Chi Street, Tel: 090-39254755.
5) Sulayman Restaurant:-459/25/40 Tran Hung Dao, District 1,behind mosque Tel: +848-38385332
6) Tandoor Restaurant:- 103, Vo Van Tan Street, Dist 3, Tel: 84 8-39302468/ 39304127.
7) Zamzam (Taj Mahal):-26 Bui Vien Street District 1, Tel: 84-3883693638.
8) SAPHIGIAH LAN:-193 Hai Ba Trung St, Dist 3'
9) Kedai Shamsudin - Lê Hong Phong, Dist 10
10) Taj Mahal :-241, 265/1, Pham Ngu Lao Street. 11) Halal Saigon Restaurant:-31,Dong Du Street,Dist 1. Tel: 84-8-38274602





After completing all the immigration formalities at the Vietnamese side at Moc Bai,buses no matter which companies you're in will stop for lunch at a restaurant just after the border.

 This advertisement near the restaurant main road was sponsored by the Titan Group,one of the casino giants.

The Sorya bus leaving at the same time also arrived for lunch at the restaurant which was just opposite the So Nguon Inland Dry Port.
Inland dry port are actually inland custom clearance depots.

The Titan King Casino at Bavet near the Vietnam Cambodian border,about 110km from Phnom Penh.

This hotel and resort building stands elegantly tall among all the others here in Bavet.
A luxury five star hotel with built-in city of entertainment. It was opened on 26th February 2010 with over 6,000 employees.

 

Ferry crossing across the swollen Mekong River over to the other side of Neak Loeung town in Prey Veng Province.

According to Wikipedia,on August 6,1973 this town was bombed by mistake by the American B-52 Stratofortress 20-tons load bomb.

It happened during the Cambodian Civil War when the Americans were siding the Cambodia Republic and Republic of South Vietnam and having a conflict with the Khmer Rouge with their allies,Democratic Republic North Vietnam and Vietcong.




Neak Loeung Ferry Dockyard Administrative building. A ferry ride sitting inside the bus with no safety features is also a big concern if you were to think of the negative side.
 In fact there were plans to construct a bridge which will be funded by the Japanese Government to the tune of US131million.

 Ground breaking of the two kilometre bridge,the longest,biggest and most difficult to built was made by the Japanese Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki on 12 February 2010.





 Traders selling betel leaves (thai:miang khum) at the market near the ferry terminal.

 In India the betel leaves played an important role in the Indian culture especially among the Hindus.

 It also has great influence among the Burmese,Thais,Cambodians and Vietnamese.

Specifically used for chewing purpose,festivals and ceremonials. Sometimes you might noticed that the people who chewed the betel leaves have red colour set of teeth after eating them.
If one were to go back to history,the Srivijaya Empire which is a Hindu Kingdom consisted of the coastal areas of Sumatera,Java,Thai Peninsula till Ayutthya,Champa in Cambodia and the Mekong Delta region as well as the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar. So chewing betel leaves is part of everyday life because of the Indian culture influence.

Enroute Ben Xe Mien Tay Bus Terminal.

A bus ride to Ben Xe Mien Tay from Ben Xe Cholon takes about 15 minutes with intermittent stops.
The fare is 4,000 VNDong.

From Ben Xe Mien Tay terminal back to Ben Thanh terminal also cost the same fare. The locals called the terminal as Minh Tai .

Passing via Hau Giang Street in District 5,the road is slightly wider and a busy business centre with many Chinese temples and churches as well.

 Hau Giang Road is quite a long stretch which starts from the Nine Dragon Park near Cholon terminal till a road circle connecting to Kinh Duong Vuong Road where the Ben Xe Mien Tay terminal is located.

  This arch entrance is to the Chua Tuyen Lam Buddhist Monastery off Hung Vuong Street.
 This must be related to the biggest Truc Lam Buddhist pagoda in Dalat City beside Tuyen Lam Lake in the high mountain.

 There are three types of Chinese religious beliefs namely Taoism,Confucianism and Buddhism.
In all they have the same kind of doctrines except for some principles.




  Bang Bo Chinh Quyen Road circle at An Duong Vuong Road and to Kinh Duong Vuong Road.

Ngu yen Van Cu-Cay Co Bookstore

  Lotte Mart is South Korea's leading supermarket.
Apart from Vietnam it has 6 stores in Beijing,2 stores in Tianjin and a takeover of 19 Makro-stores in Indonesia.

 Phu My Hung in District 7 is Ho Chi Minh's new uban centre and a vibrant commercial district.
There are lots of high rise condominiums and apartments in the vicinity.
A 3-room apartment in the area is renting around USD600 per month.
 District 7 is connected to District 2 by the Phu My Bridge, which was opened in September 2009.

Bus from Cholon only passed by the Mien Tay station and enroute to some other places.
The bus conductor will inform passengers who wish to get down at this point.
 Ben Xe Mien Tay is a very large bus terminal which serves the districts around the Mekong Delta region.

This huge station is about 10km west of HCMC in An Lac, a part of Binh Chanh district (Huyen Binh Chanh)

This is the new building ticketing area where most of the companies offer route to nearly the same destinations.
In one of the counters the fare prices were as follows: Can Tho :80,000 Dong
Trai Ninh: 110,000 Dong
Rach Gia: 95,000 Dong
Triton: 135,000 Dong
Omon: 90,000(1st Class),70,000(2nd class).

 Mitraco Bus to Ca Mau:120,000 Dong and Bau Lieu:100,000 Dong

 






The old section of the bus terminal.At the very end is a counter for tickets to Nha Trang,Dalat,Hue, Vinh and Hanoi.

To enter inside the bus parking bays,you need to show proof that you have a ticket in hand.

 Malinh Bus Company fleet of buses are in colour green which is very popular among the Vietnamese people.

 Phuong Trang Buses to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta.

Can Tho is a 4 hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City and buses here leave every 30 minutes.
The fares around 85,000 Dong.

A view inside the terminal which was very spacious with the minivans and taxis available.
The minivans leave every hour and cost close to US10.00 Vietnam

Map of the Mekong Delta Provinces also known as Cuu Long in Vietnamese meaning :" nine dragons" having 9 exit points that flow into the Gulf of Thailand.

The mighty Mekong River begins its journey from Tibetan Himalaya making its 4500 km through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Southern Vietnam.

 Its rich alluvial plains make it the rice bowl of Vietnam where paddy rice is widely cultivated.

 Can Tho is the capital of the Mekong Delta and home of the Vietnamese fish sauce (Nuoc Mam).It is also famous for the floating markets with the many canals that serve as a trading route.

Can Tho is 34km from Vinh Long, 62km from Long Xuyen, 63km from Soc Trang, 104km from Mytho, 116km from Rach Gia, 117km from Chau Doc, 169km from Ho Chi Minh City and 179km from Camau. The local ethnic groups includes the Viet (Kinh), Khmer, Hoa, and Cham people.