Riding the Bamboo Train in Battambang, Cambodia

Riding the Bamboo Train in Battambang, Cambodia, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

I’m in Battambang, Cambodia riding the bamboo train! A makeshift train composed of a wooden frame with slats made of bamboo and powered by a six horsepower gasoline engine. The bamboo train runs on a single, narrow gauge track built by the French in the 1920s.

To accommodate two-way traffic on a single line, custom dictates that when two trains meet, the one with the lighter load leaves the track. Drivers and passengers pitch in to disassemble and reassemble the trains to allow passage. Due to the lightweight materials this is all done in a matter of seconds. Cambodian engineering at its finest!

Rumor has it that the Bamboo train is likely to see its end within a few years. The Cambodian rail company is upgrading the tracks and when the new trains and tracks are in place the bamboo train will be stopped for safety reasons. Even more reason to ride the bamboo train today. Book your ticket for Cambodia!

A picture of my train operator and a view of the Cambodian countryside. A classic rail journey!

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Trying to Fit in as an American at the Cu Chi Tunnels

Trying to Fit in as an American at the Cu Chi Tunnels, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Vietnam is a unique country in many ways. First, it’s Southeast Asia’s “skinniest” country. Second, the country is still divided over geographical, political and cultural lines. The North and South divide is an active component here in Vietnam. They have a saying here, “Same, same but different.” Third, the Vietnam war (or the “American” war as some call it here) still lingers in the minds of most American travelers.

In Saigon (it is official called Ho Chi Minh City, but I like to call the city by its pre-communist takeover name), remnants of the war can be seen in its monuments, museums and day trips to places like the Cu Chi Tunnels.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast network of underground tunnels about 45 km from Saigon. The Viet Cong used these tunnels to not only hide from American forces, but used them as living quarters, a hospital, a supply route, weapons cache and as a base of operations for the Tet Offensive.

If you are claustrophobic and dark places make you want to scream, then the tunnels shouldn’t be on your list of places to visit while in Saigon. Since the tunnels are a popular destination for so many Western tourists, they have enlarged some of the tunnels to accommodate them.

Unfortunately, this is still a problem for many American tourists. We like our beers, juicy burgers and overpriced Starbucks coffee that contribute to our obesity. Fortunately, I’m not one of those Americans, but I still had problems crawling through the tunnels. You have to remember the average Viet Cong soldier was very short and skinny.

Normally the soldiers would duck walk though the tunnels, but due to my height I had to crawl on all fours and at times get on my belly. By the time I emerged from the other side, the heat, humidity and the dirt from the tunnels made for a memorable experience.

You can see from the photograph one of the secret entrances to the tunnels as demonstrated by one the guides. I also had the opportunity to squeeze in the tunnel entrance and believe me it was a close fit.

After crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels I now know why Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s “skinniest” country.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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Travel and Prejudice

Travel and Prejudice, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain

I photographed this little girl on my two day cruise on the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Lao. We stopped along the river to visit an ethnic minority village and this was one of many photographs I took of the photogenic children.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

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