Every Country should emulate the Cambodia E-Visa program

Having solidified my plans of visiting both Vietnam and Cambodia, with some apprehension I turned my attention over to the matter of procuring visas for both countries (which in itself surprised me, as most countries don't require visas for US nationals). The memories of schlepping to the Honduran embassy twice only to be given the runaround by ignorant staff are still fresh in my mind, despite occurring a few years ago (here and here). Luckily, my travel agent informed me that she could handle the Vietnam visa bit, and sent me the appropriate application forms and requirements. The steep cost ($125) caught me by surprise - but looking on the bright side, I guess this means they have shed their Communist ways and become capitalist pigs as well.

Turning to Cambodia, I learned somehow of their innovative e-Visa program, where the application process is conducted entirely online. Initially skeptical of a small, impoverished country managing to offer such a convenience, curious how anti-terrorist background checks can be performed and incredulous as to how visas can be "bought" online as if it were a book on Amazon, I decided to give it a shot anyway.

After filling in the standard biographical information, the website requires the applicant to upload a passport-size photograph, and provides several hysterical illustrations of unacceptable pictures. Digital camera in hand, I commandeered Indra who sat in the next cubicle and off we went in search of the suitable white background demanded. Eventually we decided that the pillar beside the printer would suffice, and Indra by trial-and-error managed to snap a photo that showed just the right balance of face and shoulders. Not such an easy task, what with other employees picking up their printouts and shooting amused glances.

Picture having been uploaded, the final step was payment. Amazingly enough, Paypal was an option, so I selected that. Compared to Vietnam, price wasn't so bad, only $20 + $5 fee. (The same cost as procuring the visa on arrival in Cambodia). A confirmation email arrived in my Inbox indicating that approval notification would follow in three business days. I was thoroughly impressed up to this point, but was blown way further when the approval email arrived the next day and I was able to download my e-Visa in PDF format!!! Not quite the emotional sort, but tears of joy almost (almost!) came running down my cheeks. Convenient? Check. Hassle-free? Check. Has the Honduran embassy made plans to copy this innovative program yet?!

Note: At the time this blog post was written, the Cambodia e-Visa site had recently undergone an upgrade process and encountered "problems" (sigh, those IT guys). In short, the site is off-line and non-functioning, and has been so for almost a month (uh oh). However, as the site states, "the government official in-charge of the Cambodia e-Visa operation currently rectifying the problem in order to ease the operation to the normal operational function". Let's hope so.

The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls

Sure, every tourist knows about Montmartre since the 2001 Academy Awards-nominated movie Amelie starring the irresistible Audrey Tautou and some bloke made this quaint Parisian neighborhood quite famous. Things have never been the same since - the Basilica of Sacre Couer is now on everyone's list of places to visit, and nearby Place du Tertre is constantly overrun with tourists quaffing overpriced drinks at the cafes and artists offering to draw your caricature for a hefty fee. In short, it has become a classic tourist trap.
We decided to visit Montmatre on a two hour walking tour by Paris Walks, as they promised to show not just the sights, but also the more quiet parts of the neighborhood where the artists Van Gogh and Renoir used to paint, as well as other lesser-known landmarks.


One such interesting sight is the statue of a man stuck inside a wall. The statue is based on the French writer Marcel Ayme's story, "The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls". The story tells of a chap named Dutilleul, who at age 42 discovered his ability to walk through walls. It didn't occur to Dutilleul to use this extraordinary power, until a year later when a new boss showed up at his office and instantly took a disliking to Dutilleul, insulting him at every opportunity. No longer able to bear the insults, one day Dutilleul decides to poke his head through the wall to his boss' office, at the same time declaring, "“Monsieur, you are a hoodlum, a boor, and a spoiled brat". He did this no less than twenty three times that day. After a couple of weeks of seeing this talking apparition, his boss was taken away to a sanitarium. (Slackers of the world, rejoice!).

For more on Dutilleul's exploits as a bank robber, his struggle to keep his powers a secret yet at the same time eager for recognition, his arrest and escape (duh) from prison, and his affair with a married woman that sealed his fate, here is a long, highly entertaining version of the story, about a 15 minute read. It is as riveting and enjoyable as it sounds.

All Roads lead to the Arc de Triomphe

No kidding. Sitting on the Western end of the Champs Elysees, this magnificent triumphal arch commemorates soldiers who died fighting for France, and is at the intersection of no less than twelve different avenues. Damn, those must be some of the longest traffic stop lights ever! (Note that the pic is not of the Arc de Triomphe, but rather Washington Square arch in New York City, which was modeled after the Arc...but you get the idea). Again, it was my first time to go up to the observation deck, and it was a breeze - only 284 steps - compared to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The observation desk afforded 360 degree views of the surroundings, with the Eiffel Tower seemingly close enough to touch. I especially liked looking down at the grand boulevards that led to the Arc and the greenery that lines them. Looking down the Champs Elysees reminded us of how far we had hoofed it - all the way from the Louvre museum! No wonder our feet ached, and our stomachs growled - a good excuse for a Berthillon ice cream stop ;-). On the upper right-hand corner of the photo on the left, the Sacre Couer is visible set on top of the hill in Montmartre.

The last two photos show, respectively, a view of La Defense, the Parisian business district; and the Louvre museum (the castle-like structure) in the distance just behind the Place de la Concorde. Everything looks so green, doesn't it?

Climbing up Notre Dame Cathedral

On the two full days we had before Roland Garros started, we managed to get in quite a bit of sightseeing. Like most tourists we decided to visit the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, shown here from behind as shot from my vantage point on the Pont de la Tournelle. There's always a throng of people lining up to get inside the cathedral (it's free, after all), and since I had done that on a previous trip to Paris, I wasn't eager to brave the crowds.

As an alternative, my brother P., who did his research, suggested going up the cathedral's towers where we can see the various gargoyles and the huge bell. (Insert obligatory hunchback of Notre Dame reference here. Whatever). I hadn't known about this option so heartily agreed. Oh, a minor detail - this endeavor involved climbing up over 400 steps up the circular staircase all the way to the top! As the Notre Dame website happily advises, "It's best to be in good shape!". They should probably add, "Proof of medical insurance required". After a brief self-evaluation, I deemed myself fit and started the ascent.

The views from the top were simply magnificent and one could see for miles around, including landmarks such as the Eiffel tower and the various bridges connecting the opposing sides of the River Seine. In the picture, I believe the building in the foreground is the hotel de Ville (city hall). I loved the gargoyles with their different poses as well, like this one who looks like a typical Frenchman eating a ham and cheese baguette. Despite the daunting and strenuous climb, lots of camera-toting tourists made it up there, including some who dragged their 300 lb. frame up the stairs, one slow step at a time. The views were well worth the exercise (and potential heart attack), as I'm sure you'll agree.