Postscript: View from the Bangkok-bound train

Somewhere between Aranyaprathet and Bangkok, Thailand, the view from the train shows carabaos crossing rice paddies as the sun sets. Pretty much like the Philippines, Thailand's vast countryside is filled with rice fields like this one which could be a delight to Westerners. Had I chosen to take the plane from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Bangkok, I wouldn't have seen this. But taking the plane wasn't really an option since I am traveling on a tight budget. ;-)

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Remembering the heroes

Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valour in Bataan, Philippines.

Looking from afar, that huge cross on top of Mount Samat in Pilar, Bataan appears to be a religious monument to the uninitiated. Made more dramatic by the rays of the sun especially on midday, this place could easily pass as a Holy Week destination. But the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valour), in fact, is a historical shrine.
A word of caution, though: from the perspective of a tourist, there's nothing much to see in this monument. It's a seven-kilometer hike from the foot of Mount Samat, and when you reach the monument itself, it's nothing but a large marble edifice that would seem like a huge mausoleum. Further atop on the way to where the gigantic cross sits, there's nothing else than the, well, the cross and it's base with the names of the thousands of Filipinos who were part of the bloody Death March 70 years ago.
The first time I went here was in 2002. I was with my family back then. I didn't really get to appreciate this place at the time, and I was just thinking that the cool breeze and the breath-taking views from the mountain was actually the treat if you're up to see this place.
But just last Monday, I was sent to this place to cover the President at the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valour) celebrations.
It was only when I brushed up on my Philippine history that I got to appreciate this place. Scrambling for mobile phone signal (which is a difficulty at this place), I tried to look up on Google what's the celebration for since I know I'm gonna go live on national TV in a few minutes and have that risk of being quizzed -- on air -- what the occasion is for.
Just to explain briefly, here's what I've found on the Internet:
At exactly April 9, 1942, the Americans surrendered Bataan to the Japanese. It was the second world war, and the Americans and the Japanese were fighting over the Philippines. To make the long story short, this was followed by the Death March, wherein some 76,000 Filipino, Filipino-Chinese and American prisoners of war were forced to walk 140 kilometers going to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlace (imagine walking from Manila to Subic in Pampanga) wherein along the way, thousands of prisoners died of hunger and diseases. Others, however, managed to escape.
And the monuments now made sense to me. I remember going to the crater of Mount Pinatubo in 2008 where we passed by this historical monument in Capas, Tarlac. That was it!

The historical monument in Capas, Tarlac. Taken in 2008.

Well, cheesy as it may sound, but 70 years hence, what's in it for us? I have my own answers. And for sure, students are being asked to write lengthy essays on that. I do hope every Filipino has an answer to that.
But at least, for the point of view of a traveler, a certain place makes a lot more sense if one is aware of its history -- whether it's in the Philippines or elsewhere around the globe.
And as for this place, I do hope that these monuments give us Filipinos that sense of pride for our history, culture, and heritage.
As a traveler, should I go and check this place out again? Why not, if I happen to pass by Bataan again.

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No Man's Land: crossing the Cambodia-Thailand border

The tuktuk ride at the border of Cambodia and Thailand. This photo taken using my Nokia N70.

For someone living in an archipelago of 7,107 islands, crossing the border of one country to another is a thrilling experience. And so when I decided to embark on a Southeast Asian backpacking trip in 2008, I made sure that I'll do land trips just to be able to experience border crossings.

The first I did was cross the Mocbai-Bavet border of Vietnam and Cambodia, which entailed a 10-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap (read my previous post: Saigon to Siem Reap by Land).

I planned to take the train going to Bangkok from Aranyaphratet, right at the border of Cambodia and Thailand.

If you're gonna do it, here's how I went through. Please note that this is kinda dangerous. But yeah, I'm still alive:

1. Book a taxi that would take you to Poipet, the Cambodian town at the border, with your hotel or hostel. Mine costs $35 for the whole thing, meaning it would have been cheaper if I had companions to split the cost with. Had I decided to look for a cab myself, it would have cost $30 (because hostels or hotels take a cut from the cabbies). There are plenty of cabs at Sokimex, although I'm not sure which Sokimex station is that since there are a lot of them around Siem Reap. Better ask your hostel about it. The taxi ride, by the way, is about 3 hours. I passed by several Cambodian towns with dusty roads. The roads should have been paved by now as I've read that the Asian Development Bank lent millions of dollars to the Cambodian government just for this.

2. Have your passport stamped at the Cambodian immigration office.

Cambodia's portion of the no man's land going to Thailand.

3. Cross the border! This is it! And walk towards the Thai immigration office. I was asked what was I going to do in Bangkok. I showed the immigration guy my hostel reservation and he drew a conclusion that I was in transit. Whatever. And since I'm a Filipino, I don't need a visa to enter Thailand so better check with your respective embassies in order to secure a visa to Thailand ahead of time.

Looking back: That's Cambodia right there!

Inside the Thai immigration office at Aranyaphratet. It's a big no-no to take pictures there!

4. From the immigration office, walk going to the... well that place looked like a market to me.... and pick a tuktuk that would take you to the Aranyaprathet train station. The tuktuk ride cost THB 80 (or was it excessive?).

5. Third class trains without air-conditioning leave at 5:55 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. Travel time to Hualamphong train station in Bangkok is approximately six hours and costs THB 60. It's a slow but breezy ride, and the view of countryside is great (the view must be super scenic for Westerners. For me it's not as breath-taking since Thailand and the Philippines have the same terrain!).

At the Aranyaphratet train station.

The Aranyaphratet station.

Inside the third class trains. Not bad, eh?

So there you have it. But a piece of advice: as always be very careful, watch out for your belongings, and don't be too trusty.

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And... I'm back!

Sculptures right at the bank of the Singapore river (photo taken last May 2008, using Nikon FG and Fuji 400 film. Yes you read it right, film.)

It's been almost three years since I've made my last post in this blog. I've changed assignments, changed my career, met a lot of new people and of course, traveled to cities I couldn't count anymore.

When I shifted to the broadcast medium from print, I've just felt so tired of writing after doing it for more than six years.

But after unearthing heaps of printed photos from my film SLR aside from more than 20-gig worth of digital photos -- not to mention an upcoming fourth expedition to Europe -- I've realized that I have a lot of stories worth telling to netizens.

So here, I'm back with a bang (BANG!) and I hope you find this re-made blog worth visiting, and my travel stories and weekend adventures worth reading. And I hope you yourself will also soon embark on your own fab but pocket-friendly journey. 

Cheers!

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