We love animals and it’s always fun to read about new and exciting things in the animal world, especially when they happen in Vietnam and the rest of Southeast Asia!
Two articles recently appeared on CNN.com and both feature some cool creatures that were recently discovered.
Laotian Rat, thought to be extinct
You can read about rare monkeys found in Vietnam or you can find out about all of the newly discovered species found in the region of the Mekong!
We were in the mood for some pho in the morning and drove into town searching for a place serving that wonderful morning dish. It seems pho is not as popular here as it is in HCMC and we ended up having baguette with egg. We drove once again to Vietnam Airlines and this time we got lucky-we were able to get tickets for a flight back to HCMC for the following day! Although we could have easily stayed on the island for another 2 weeks, we were relieved that we won’t need to spend a whole day journeying back by boat and bus.
Deer and Monkey Go Head to Head over Bananas
We’ve uploaded some new photos from the Royal Palace of Cambodia, The Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary near Phnom Penh as well as our Boat trip to Chau Doc, Vietnam.
At 8:30am we were picked up by Monin, a tuk-tuk driver who was recommended to us. We drove 2 hours south of Phom Penh to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary where we fed deer and monkeys who roam freely and ate from our hands. These and other animals, many of them wounded, like lions, tigers, bears, elephants and birds were rescued from poachers and are being cared for at the sanctuary.
We then went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where 17,000 detainees of the Khmer Rouge were systematically executed. A glass tower of 8,000 skulls stands before an otherwise peaceful and scenic rural landscape as a reminder of the atrocities committed there.
Back in Phnom Penh we met with Charis and Stuart, both Americans living and working in Cambodia. They took us out to a cool, modern bar/restaurant called Metro where we dined on a variety of Asian tapas. A pleasant walk along the Tonle Sap River led us to a night market where fried spiders, beetles, crickets, larvae, and tiny birds are sold to be eaten. We ended the wonderful evening at a monthly dance party at Elsewhere, a beautiful garden venue with a pool surrounded by lush local vegetation and people sipping cocktails.