Monday, March 3, 2014
Day 2 Exploring - Siem Reap
This is a little bit out of order since I forget to write this post earlier.
On day 2 of exploring Siem Reap, we started the morning with a trip to Banthey Srei. It's a smaller temple that's almost completely in ruins. Even though it's small and there are better preserved temples, Banthrey Srei is still very popular. It's Sunday and we got there around 10 am. It was packed.
After Banthrey Srei, Linda and I went to check out a butterfly center. For those of you who know me, I am not a fan of butterflies. I dislike all things worm related.
The one really cool part of the butterfly center was that we saw some walking sticks. They're incredible. They are great disguisers.
After the butterfly center we went to check out Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm was sort of in Tomb Raider. The movie is a little silly but there were bits of it shot at this temple. One of the things about Ta Prohm is the banans tree have been tearing up the temple. The trees are enormous. They are as large as redwoods. The roots have caused a lot of damage and the trees have grown right through the temple.
On the way out we saw a teenage boy creating some great paintings with watercolors. He did it so effortlessly. I bought 3 paintings from him. I loved the splash of colors he used and the simplicity of the paintings.
It is out last night in Siem Reap so Linda and I went out again.
We went to a spa to get some treatments, massage for me and mani/pedi for Linda. Unfortunately the mani/pedi person wasn't there so we left without any treatments.
Linda and I agreed to go back to the fish massage place. I tried it this time. It's really weird at first but after awhile, you get used to it. I started with the smaller fish and that was fine. Then I got brave and moved to the tank with the larger fish. That one hurts a tiny bit since their mouths are bigger.
Overall, Pub Street was only fun on Friday night. The scene was rather disappointing on the other nights.
On day 2 of exploring Siem Reap, we started the morning with a trip to Banthey Srei. It's a smaller temple that's almost completely in ruins. Even though it's small and there are better preserved temples, Banthrey Srei is still very popular. It's Sunday and we got there around 10 am. It was packed.
After Banthrey Srei, Linda and I went to check out a butterfly center. For those of you who know me, I am not a fan of butterflies. I dislike all things worm related.
The one really cool part of the butterfly center was that we saw some walking sticks. They're incredible. They are great disguisers.
After the butterfly center we went to check out Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm was sort of in Tomb Raider. The movie is a little silly but there were bits of it shot at this temple. One of the things about Ta Prohm is the banans tree have been tearing up the temple. The trees are enormous. They are as large as redwoods. The roots have caused a lot of damage and the trees have grown right through the temple.
On the way out we saw a teenage boy creating some great paintings with watercolors. He did it so effortlessly. I bought 3 paintings from him. I loved the splash of colors he used and the simplicity of the paintings.
It is out last night in Siem Reap so Linda and I went out again.
We went to a spa to get some treatments, massage for me and mani/pedi for Linda. Unfortunately the mani/pedi person wasn't there so we left without any treatments.
Linda and I agreed to go back to the fish massage place. I tried it this time. It's really weird at first but after awhile, you get used to it. I started with the smaller fish and that was fine. Then I got brave and moved to the tank with the larger fish. That one hurts a tiny bit since their mouths are bigger.
Overall, Pub Street was only fun on Friday night. The scene was rather disappointing on the other nights.
on the road
Today, we were on the road for 12 hours. We left Siem Reap at 7 am and got to Sihanoukville at 7 pm. We stopped once to eat and a couple to times for potty breaks.
I hate road trips in this country. I had to use 3 squat toilets today.
So we're now at the coast. Tomorrow should be a pretty mellow day. I'm not really sure yet what we're going to do. Linda was really set on coming here so hopely she'll have something in mind.
It's almost midnight here and I am finally catching up on blogging. I want to upload photos to go along with the stories, but the internet here suck so I'll upload photos when I can.
I hate road trips in this country. I had to use 3 squat toilets today.
So we're now at the coast. Tomorrow should be a pretty mellow day. I'm not really sure yet what we're going to do. Linda was really set on coming here so hopely she'll have something in mind.
It's almost midnight here and I am finally catching up on blogging. I want to upload photos to go along with the stories, but the internet here suck so I'll upload photos when I can.
country
This is a great country to bike through. The country side is quite pretty. People are generally friendly.
Problems with Cambodia:
In the city, you'll see people collecting cans and bottles for recycling. It's sad to see little kids out late at night trying to find recyclables.
That's the other thing that's hard about this country, seeing all the kids. A lot of kids roam around without shoes. At the tourist areas, the kids roam around trying to sell everything. Also, child labor is very prevalent here. I'm not sure how education works here, I think you have to be able to afford to send your kids to school. For people who can't afford to do this, the kids seem to work at the family business. It's all really sad.
Problems with Cambodia:
- Lots of beggars
- vendors aggressively hock their fares at the tourist sites
- lots of garbage.
In the city, you'll see people collecting cans and bottles for recycling. It's sad to see little kids out late at night trying to find recyclables.
That's the other thing that's hard about this country, seeing all the kids. A lot of kids roam around without shoes. At the tourist areas, the kids roam around trying to sell everything. Also, child labor is very prevalent here. I'm not sure how education works here, I think you have to be able to afford to send your kids to school. For people who can't afford to do this, the kids seem to work at the family business. It's all really sad.
Dogs
When I read the stories on the Sochi olympics and they mentioned all the stray dogs, being in Cambodia reminds me of those stories.
There seems to be dogs everywhere here. I'm not really sure if the dogs belong to people, there's no dog tag on them. The dogs are rather small and seem to resemble dingos. They are all scrawny and mangy and seem to be flea infested. They don't seem to be aggressive at all. When we drive down the road and I see them near the road, it makes me nervous that they're dash across and get hit. For the most part, they are scared of cars and by honking it keeps them on the side of the road.
There seems to be dogs everywhere here. I'm not really sure if the dogs belong to people, there's no dog tag on them. The dogs are rather small and seem to resemble dingos. They are all scrawny and mangy and seem to be flea infested. They don't seem to be aggressive at all. When we drive down the road and I see them near the road, it makes me nervous that they're dash across and get hit. For the most part, they are scared of cars and by honking it keeps them on the side of the road.
exploring day 1
The rest didn't last long. I guess my dad was feeling antsy. He pretty much pushed us out the door. I was able to sleep for about an hour or so and was feeling a little bit better.
We started the day with a trip to a place called Borei Tlay Sap. There's a huge dam in this area and there's a lake. Of course there are tons of eateries so we had lunch here. The setup is similar to the place we went to before where it was on the water. There are bungalows and hammocks in the bungalows. In this area was the first time I saw bugs sold for food. There were crickets, silk worms and some weird flying bugs that I don't know the name of.
After leaving the area, we went to Angkor Wat. Linda and I went exploring the temple. It was funny that after walking through the exterior structure, Linda said, oh there's more? She told the exterior structure was it. The way it's laid out is there's a moat that surrounds the area. You walk through the first structure and then make your way to the center structure. We didn't climb up to the top since the line was way too long.
After leaving Angkor Wat, we drove over to Angkor Thom. On the way, we stopped to get some bananas to feed the monkeys. We didn't get out to check out Angkor Thom up close since it was after 4 and we had to get to Phnom Bakeng.
The big deal with Phnom Bakeng is that you climb to the top and watch the sun set into Tlay Sap, which is a big lake.
So Linda and I hiked up the hill and got to the foot of the temple. However, I was declined entrance to climb up the temple. I was wearing a tank top and the rule was no shoulders or knees showing. I didn't have anything to cover up with so we walked around to the elephant area. If you didn't want to hike up the hill, you can ride an elephant to the top. Linda loves elephants so we stood around waiting to see the elephants. After that we made our way back down the hill.
So word of warning to anyone who wants to come and visit the Angkor area: you must cover your knees and shoulders!
At night, Linda and I hit Pub Street again. However, it wasn't as fun as the night before. It was a lot more mellow and the live music options were pretty lame.
We started the day with a trip to a place called Borei Tlay Sap. There's a huge dam in this area and there's a lake. Of course there are tons of eateries so we had lunch here. The setup is similar to the place we went to before where it was on the water. There are bungalows and hammocks in the bungalows. In this area was the first time I saw bugs sold for food. There were crickets, silk worms and some weird flying bugs that I don't know the name of.
After leaving the area, we went to Angkor Wat. Linda and I went exploring the temple. It was funny that after walking through the exterior structure, Linda said, oh there's more? She told the exterior structure was it. The way it's laid out is there's a moat that surrounds the area. You walk through the first structure and then make your way to the center structure. We didn't climb up to the top since the line was way too long.
After leaving Angkor Wat, we drove over to Angkor Thom. On the way, we stopped to get some bananas to feed the monkeys. We didn't get out to check out Angkor Thom up close since it was after 4 and we had to get to Phnom Bakeng.
The big deal with Phnom Bakeng is that you climb to the top and watch the sun set into Tlay Sap, which is a big lake.
So Linda and I hiked up the hill and got to the foot of the temple. However, I was declined entrance to climb up the temple. I was wearing a tank top and the rule was no shoulders or knees showing. I didn't have anything to cover up with so we walked around to the elephant area. If you didn't want to hike up the hill, you can ride an elephant to the top. Linda loves elephants so we stood around waiting to see the elephants. After that we made our way back down the hill.
So word of warning to anyone who wants to come and visit the Angkor area: you must cover your knees and shoulders!
At night, Linda and I hit Pub Street again. However, it wasn't as fun as the night before. It was a lot more mellow and the live music options were pretty lame.
Pub Street
We got to Siem Reap about 4 pm. We went out to dinner at a Khmer BBQ spot and then Linda and I went out.
There's a section of Siem Reap called Psar Chaas which translate to Old Market. And in this area, there's a street called Pub Street. There are tons of ex-pats who hang out in this area. Linda and I walked around and the first thing we came upon was fish massage. It's basically a fish tank that you stick your feet into and the fish nibble away at your feet. Linda was gamed and went for it. It was rather funny. I didn't do it.
After the fish massage, we hit several bars on Pub Street. One of the bar was called Angkor What? It's a good play on word since the main attraction in Siem Reap, actually in all of Cambodia, is the temple Angkor Wat.
The other fun bar we went to was called X Bar. There was a live band performing rock tunes.
Overall it was a really fun night. The only problem, I drank a little bit too much. Plus, I had 3 menthol cigarettes. The cigarettes aren't as strong as the ones in the US. Well I think I had 5 Absolut on the rocks and the 3 cigars. It cost me less than $20 for the night. But boy did I pay the price the next morning.
My dad is rearing to go the minute he wakes up. So at 7 am, I was up and showered. I think we were at breakfast by 8 am. I was definitely hung over. My stomach was not feeling well at all. I thought it would help if I purged, but nothing happened.
The place we ended up at for breakfast was right across the street from the hotel, but we drove there. I barely made it to the restaurant's restroom in time. I ate a little bit of food but was definitely feeling green. Linda kept laughing at me since she didn't have that last drink the night before. I think it was that last drink that did me in.
Luckily, my dad agreed to let us go back to the hotel and let me and Linda sleep some more.
There's a section of Siem Reap called Psar Chaas which translate to Old Market. And in this area, there's a street called Pub Street. There are tons of ex-pats who hang out in this area. Linda and I walked around and the first thing we came upon was fish massage. It's basically a fish tank that you stick your feet into and the fish nibble away at your feet. Linda was gamed and went for it. It was rather funny. I didn't do it.
After the fish massage, we hit several bars on Pub Street. One of the bar was called Angkor What? It's a good play on word since the main attraction in Siem Reap, actually in all of Cambodia, is the temple Angkor Wat.
The other fun bar we went to was called X Bar. There was a live band performing rock tunes.
Overall it was a really fun night. The only problem, I drank a little bit too much. Plus, I had 3 menthol cigarettes. The cigarettes aren't as strong as the ones in the US. Well I think I had 5 Absolut on the rocks and the 3 cigars. It cost me less than $20 for the night. But boy did I pay the price the next morning.
My dad is rearing to go the minute he wakes up. So at 7 am, I was up and showered. I think we were at breakfast by 8 am. I was definitely hung over. My stomach was not feeling well at all. I thought it would help if I purged, but nothing happened.
The place we ended up at for breakfast was right across the street from the hotel, but we drove there. I barely made it to the restaurant's restroom in time. I ate a little bit of food but was definitely feeling green. Linda kept laughing at me since she didn't have that last drink the night before. I think it was that last drink that did me in.
Luckily, my dad agreed to let us go back to the hotel and let me and Linda sleep some more.
It takes a village...
So it's day 2 of ceremony (last day, yah!). It seems like everyone in the neighborhood has pitched in to get everything set up and are helping to prepare all the food. There are GIGANTIC pots/pans of food.
So the ceremony is more of the same. Lots of sitting on the rocky ground and weird ceremonial rituals. Offerings made to the monks, old people and lots of chants.
We got done at noon and then got on the road to head to Siem Reap.
So the ceremony is more of the same. Lots of sitting on the rocky ground and weird ceremonial rituals. Offerings made to the monks, old people and lots of chants.
We got done at noon and then got on the road to head to Siem Reap.
Bats
we saw a really unusual sight the other night. It was about 6 pm and there were thousands of bats in the sky. There was a zigzag pattern of bats and the sky was blacken with them. It was crazy but pretty neat though. I'm disappointed I couldn't have captured it on my camera.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
busy busy day
wow, what a day. We started the morning at 7 with breakfast. The usual, noodles and porridge.
Afterwards we went to check out a old temple ruin called Wat Ek Phnom. It was cool, but the temple is in quite disarray since it's probably at least 1000 years old. It was neat to climb up the temple.
There's a giantic buddha statue that's in the middle of a (now dry) pond.
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On the way to the temple we saw hand made rice paper that was laid out to dry. Rice paper is used in spring rolls and such. Not sure I want it all dusty though...
Afterwards, we went to a sort of lake area. You can hang out there, there are hammocks and you can order food. It was totally sketchy. Some of the cabanas were made with bamboo and I was seriously worried that it wouldn't support our (my) weight. I made sure to step only on the areas that had a beam underneath.
And now onto the ceremony stuff. We picked up the monks and drove to the relative's house (in the sticks). We had rented some party supplies: tents, tables, dishes, etc. To make room for the tents, the relatives had to chop down two banana plants = (
So they set up some platform for the 10 monks, but the regular people sat on the ground. OMG, it was awful. The ground was NOT smooth at all. It was lumpy from all the broken pieces of cement.Think of golf ball to tennis ball size rocks underneath you. It's bad enough the way you HAVE to sit, with your legs tucked under. Sitting indian style is not allowed. But you have to constantly shift around to find a comfortable spot and not have a rock dig into your butt.
So the ceremony thing went on for about 4 hours. Tomorrow we go back for more. We have to leave here around 6 am and I think it should be over around 1 pm. I hope...
Afterwards we went to check out a old temple ruin called Wat Ek Phnom. It was cool, but the temple is in quite disarray since it's probably at least 1000 years old. It was neat to climb up the temple.
There's a giantic buddha statue that's in the middle of a (now dry) pond.
On the way to the temple we saw hand made rice paper that was laid out to dry. Rice paper is used in spring rolls and such. Not sure I want it all dusty though...
Afterwards, we went to a sort of lake area. You can hang out there, there are hammocks and you can order food. It was totally sketchy. Some of the cabanas were made with bamboo and I was seriously worried that it wouldn't support our (my) weight. I made sure to step only on the areas that had a beam underneath.
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| The biggest rooster I have ever seen. Probably the size of a beagle. |
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| Lunch time! |
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| Yeah, bamboo slates. |
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| some weird chicken soup. I didn't try it. |
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| This is a frog dish. It was tasty actually. Not sure if it tasted like chicken. |
And now onto the ceremony stuff. We picked up the monks and drove to the relative's house (in the sticks). We had rented some party supplies: tents, tables, dishes, etc. To make room for the tents, the relatives had to chop down two banana plants = (
So they set up some platform for the 10 monks, but the regular people sat on the ground. OMG, it was awful. The ground was NOT smooth at all. It was lumpy from all the broken pieces of cement.Think of golf ball to tennis ball size rocks underneath you. It's bad enough the way you HAVE to sit, with your legs tucked under. Sitting indian style is not allowed. But you have to constantly shift around to find a comfortable spot and not have a rock dig into your butt.
So the ceremony thing went on for about 4 hours. Tomorrow we go back for more. We have to leave here around 6 am and I think it should be over around 1 pm. I hope...
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| The biggest pot I have ever seen. I think they made porridge in it. I think it's larger than a wheelchair. |
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| One of the altars. |
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Night Market
photos from Psar Reathrey
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| eating area |
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| pressing sugar cane. They sell the juice over ice. |
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| I've heard that they recycle the sugar cane fiber into paper. |
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| Angry Bird fish cake |
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| pick whatever you want and they will fry, grill, or boil it |
marketplace
photos of the market place. I didn't take any photos of the seafood or any other meats. The fleas were a turn off.
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Food
here are some food photos
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| the fuzzy one is rambutan, the other one is mangosteen |
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| bao filled with meat and egg |
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| cambodian pho |
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| seafood pho. I took this photo for Jean - look at all that lettuce! |
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| curry with noodles |
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| knock-off pringles |
Bugs
The bugs are eating me alive. I have probably 10 bites on my left leg alone. I think most of bites came when we were visiting the relatives and we have to go back there in a few day. I brought a hydrocortisone liquid which helps the itchiness a little bit.
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Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Phnom Banan
Today we are back in Battambang. We got in yesterday afternoon. Yesterday around 4 pm we went to check out Phnom Banan. Phnom means mountain. Phnom Banan is a temple that's on top of a mountain. You have to climb up 358 steps to get to the temples on top. It's a neat area. The temples are in ok shape considering it all. The climb was intense. The stone steps were pretty steep and boy am I out of shape!
Going up took a lot of energy, but going down wasn't much easier since the steps were so steep.
When we got up the top, there was an old man and woman tending the temple. So Linda and I did the traditional thing. We made cash offering, lit some incense and repeated after the old man some chant asking for good fortune and such. Afterwards, he sort of gave us our fortune, but I didn't really understood he said. I kind of wish I did...
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| half way to the top |
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| opening of the temple area. |
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| half way to the top |
Going up took a lot of energy, but going down wasn't much easier since the steps were so steep.
When we got up the top, there was an old man and woman tending the temple. So Linda and I did the traditional thing. We made cash offering, lit some incense and repeated after the old man some chant asking for good fortune and such. Afterwards, he sort of gave us our fortune, but I didn't really understood he said. I kind of wish I did...
Sunset Cruise
When we were in Phnom Penh, Linda and I went on a sunset cruise. In Phnom Penh, the river converges into the Mekong. The cruise was neat. You could drink beer and wine on it. The cruise cost $10 per person. The guide pointed out some sights, but with her thick accent and rapid speech it was really hard to understand her English. I understood her Cambodian better.
Along the river area there were people living in these tiny little boats. I found it hard to belive that a whole family could live on it. These boats made the smallest SF apartment look grand. There were also people living on floating homes on the river.
We saw these two floating homes that were way grander than anything else on the river. One of the house had a boat and two jet skis. Apparently, it was a garage for the house next door. The guide said that it was called a bungalow and it was available for renting. Sometimes, people would rent it just for parties.
It's a weird way of life on the river.
Along the river area there were people living in these tiny little boats. I found it hard to belive that a whole family could live on it. These boats made the smallest SF apartment look grand. There were also people living on floating homes on the river.
We saw these two floating homes that were way grander than anything else on the river. One of the house had a boat and two jet skis. Apparently, it was a garage for the house next door. The guide said that it was called a bungalow and it was available for renting. Sometimes, people would rent it just for parties.
It's a weird way of life on the river.
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| aren't we cute? |
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| these are the boats that people live on |
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| this is the nice bungalow for rentals |
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| floating houses |
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| sun setting behind the silver palace |
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