Ta Phrom

Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom

16 June 09 Tues

Tonle Sap
lake
US$15
Mekong
floating village
Crocodile farm
fish farm
school, with court
school for orphans, 7-11, afternoon and night sessions

15 June 09 Monday

We have finally put an end to our Angkor-climbing escapades, though we enjoyed it so much more due to our improved steps-conquering skills that see us negotiating steep steps more effortlessly now and generally visiting the temples earlier to catch the sunrise and later to catch the sunset....

....like the Bayon at Angkor Thom before we adjourned to Angkor Wat again for a futile sunset-viewing which was less derirable than even the day before as the clouds decided to shield the sun from the prying eyes of hordes of tourists....

What we did today was meaningful and interesting in its own way - to the museum for Angkor civilisation (?) with a frills-free yet highly informative exhibit on life in Tonle Sap, next to school for the deaf and blind (until grade 5), which exceeded our expectations with a wide classroom, computer lab, library. This free exhibit stands head and shoulders over the paid (US$11) cultural village which is more like an amusement park with its miniature wats, shows and tunnel where someone will jump out of the darkness to scare you.

Then we were off to the central market selling basically the same stuff as old market but gems stores. We learnt from a 3rd generation Cambodian Chinese how to differentiate real gems (basically using a 'diamond indicator''which rapidly lights up from yellow to red bars when the probe is pressing on the gem ... the technology having to do with the hardness of the material under probe). I bought 2 jade pendants,a jade ring and 2 books (US$2, orginally $5) for US$20. Basically he was willing to shed US$ 2-3 dollars for each. White silk shirts perfect for the scorching weather goes for US$5, while Apsara tee-shirts cost $2

14 June 09 Sunday

Angkor Wat sunrise
ta som
banteay ...
pre rup

13 June 09 Sat

Angkor Wat Sunrise
Ta Phrom

Angkor Wat

Visited Angkor archeological ruins today.... now i fully appreciate why my friend said you need more than one day there... for the first time, I realised Angkor Wat is just one part of it... it's a complex of temples linked by roads...some a hundred or so metres apart and others at kilometers arms-length...

But I think I have built up in me a frenzy of out-of-proportion images of the Angkor ruins. They seemed less imposing than Borobudur, being shorter and lacking the grandeur of multiple stupas housing Buddha figures as in the latter. However, the site is better managed with park guides casting a watchful eye over would-be offences and infinitely cleaner. The ticketing purchase was interesting too, with a photo being taken of you and immortalised next to picture of the heavenly structure..

I also visited Phnom Bakheng, which is overpopulated with tourists jostling for the choice spot to capture the Angkor sunset. It's supposed to cast a warm glow over Angkor Wat, which you can look down on together with a bird's eye view of the surroundings including the hot air balloon. But to get there, you need to climb this daunting-looking steps which are only half a foot wide, which is not an uncommon construction. it is supposedly for pilgrims, etc to go on hands and feet while climbing up which shows deference. The same is seen at Angkor Wat, just that visitors are no longer allowed to climb up the epitome which is the representation of Mt Meru the sacred.

1st day in cambodia

i fell in love with cambodia even b4 i touched down.... good to do so in morning as you can see how green the place is...


Even the airport has a resort feel to it and is so nice n free of planes that people take their time on the tarmac to take pictures! They are obviously prepared for the H1N1 with state-of-the-art(-looking) thermal scanners & health declarations....

Anyway, the road complements the first impression - clean and very few cars compared to its overly-crowded neighbours Thailand & Vietnam... even the currency is clean! compared to the dirty, tattered and indistinguishable rupiah and Thai Baht my mum criticises me for bringing back....

Siem Reap is a small town... we arestaying in a guesthouse paying USD15 per night with free coffee/tea n free internet (which is much faster than than paid Indonesia version). People here speak English well too, so I've only learnt one word - akun (pronounced á'-gun)'for 'thank you'.

And mum will be expecting a postcard from me... did so while walking along the lovely riverside boulevard with stone seats & animal scultures....chose the stamps myself too (2 postcards for US$1 & same amount for 3 stamps)...

hope it reaches cos I didnt see it franked (as Lonely Planet recommended) and the lady posted it for me....

m resting my legs tonite for Angkor Wat sunset tm...