Blogs from Siem Reap, North, Cambodia, Asia - page 191

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Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 9th 2007

First off, we're writing this post from an internet cafe in Phnom Penh - a small 13" dusty monitor reminding me of hostel days 13 years ago, and a keyboard where you need a hammer to get any key to work. So pardon the typos in advance. (More thoughts about Phnom Penh in another post). I love Cambodia. Reminds me so much of India, and more specifically South India, but instead of Mallu or Tamil script, their written script resembles the jalebis of the two neighbors above. The people are more friendly, helpful and nice. The weather, as hot and almost as humid. The roads - as crowded and chaotic and dusty, with so many motorbikes, mopeds, cycles, tuk-tuks (auto clones), cyclos (rickshaw with driver at back and seat in front), roadside dhabas, but not as ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 9th 2007

So, as this is my third attempt at trying to write this blog (the computer managed to lose my last two!!!) it will be short and sweet!! Having decided to travel overland from Phnom Penh to Siem Reapwe caught the Mekong Express. To our surprise we actually arrived 3/4 hour earlier than the scheduled time! We had by this point become acustomed to the fact that if the time was quoted as 3 hours it really was going to be 5 hours. Our first trip to the temples of Angkor (the reason for going to Siem Reap in the first place! was via "tuk-tuk" to see the sunset from Phnom Bakhong. Shame about the sunset as it made a no show!! However, we did get an apprecition of how many tourists the temples bring to Cambodia. ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 9th 2007

After jumping on the bus in Bangkok we started driving to the boarder however the driver decided he diddn't want to switch the air-con on as he wanted to save petrol. It was only until we were all sweating bukets and three people had asked that he eventually switched it on. The journey contiued with some hard braking and plently of beeping and the occassional emergency stop. That was until we had to pull over to get the bus mended, however I was more concerned that the back left tyre was completly bald. So they changed the fuel pump and then we were off to the boarder. Had a stop and had some lunch where they took our passports to sort out our visas. Then off to the border. It was pretty quick getting out of ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 7th 2007

Something we forgot to mention last time - HK was extremely colorful, and by that we mean that we saw lots of people wearing all kinds of bright colors put together, all in the same tie or the same outfit. We even saw a purple car, that Anand felt wld have been perfect for Govinda. He felt that if Govinda had been to HK, that he'd have felt that he fit right in! ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 7th 2007

This is a long story that we have to shorten to be able to write out from this internet cafe in some reasonable time. We had to fly from HK to Bangkok and then take another flight on a different airline to Siem Reap from Bangkok. So far so good. We didnt want to take our suitcases to Cambodia, so wanted to check them in at some left luggage in Bangkok and pick them up three days later when we landed in BKK again to spend a couple of days there. Again, not too much to ask, and not something one gives a second thought about. But Uncle Murphy is always just around the corner. We checked in our bags to BKK, to pick them up there and leave in some locker. We land in BKK, ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 7th 2007

After 2 days of bus journey from Banlung (I never left my hotel room in Komphon Cham as I was felling too ill, so can't tell you anything about it!) we arrived in Siem Reap. Its a bit of a different experience to the North-East of Cambodia, with more backpackers, more touts, more kids selling postcards/books/pineapples/cans of drinks, more tuk-tuk drivers and definitely more temples. The first afternoon we took a walk around the town, sent some e-mails and arranged what we'd do for the next couple of days. On Monday and Tuesday, we spent our time visiting the temples of Angkor - by bicycle on Monday, and Tuk-Tuk on Tuesday. These were the most impressive temples I've ever seen - and not by any small margin - they are unbelievably impressive. It's impossible for me ... read more
The trees are out of control!
Wall carvings
Angkor Monkey business

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap February 3rd 2007

hello strangers! I have now arrived in Cambodia, left Thailand and had to take a 10 hour bus journey. Our first bus was great there were only 4 of us sharing it and it had lovely leather seats and air con. I even managed a little nap to try and catch up on some sleep. The roads were very busy but all tarmac and we had a smooth ride! It was when we hit the Thai/Cambodian border that things went down hill. We had to change buses which was fine, but right from the world go the roads weren't roads as we know them, more of a dirt track. endless amounts of potwholes.it was a very long journey my bum was very happy to arrive at the hotel. But the time did seem to pass quite ... read more
our first night in Cambodia
me looking very tired!
the refugee village

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap January 28th 2007

Caught up with some mates in KL last weekend which was really great (Eric & Theresa, Fenella & Ethan, Dick & Hawlinn & kiddies. But not Denys as he was in Mumbai). Then it was off to Siem Reap Cambodia to catch up with Jason and Natalie (Sydney mates), and also attend the Cambodian wedding celebration of Natalie's brother Tony and his wife Solida. I was in Siem Reap 5 years ago, so visited all the temples then. Boy has it changed. The place is tourist central with tons of hotels, massage parlours, restaurants, bars and the like. It even has bitumen roads now. The sad part is that it all seems very cut-throat with everyone out to get a piece (or several bucks at least) out of you. For all the apparent prosperity there are ... read more
Bird lady
This is ridiculous!
Strike a pose

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap January 28th 2007

We (Alex, Jeff and I) have left Bangkok with much heartache and have now entered Cambodia. For the first time on this trip I’m actually somewhere new, somewhere that I have to figure out from scratch. Finally! Real travel! To enter Cambodia overland from Thailand we took a bus to the border town of Aranya Prathet. That part of the journey was fantastic: cheap, easy and hassle-free. The only hitch occurring when Alex left his wallet in the seat of the bus. Fear not, he did get it back, but only after suggesting to the bus driver that he call the police to report the loss. All of a sudden the driver did a second pass through the bus and lo-and-behold , he found the wallet. What a surprise. From there to the border was a ... read more
Cambodian Money
Obligatory Angkor Photo
The Grind

Asia » Cambodia » North » Siem Reap January 26th 2007

The overnight bus to Bangkok wasn't too bad aside from the rather large Buddhist monk I sat next to. He insisted on taking up at least a quarter of my seat with his arm and so he slept, and I didn't. Once I got to Bangkok I had to find my way into the massive bus station and book a local bus to the border. It took some doing, but less than an hour after arriving I was on my way to Cambodia. The bus journey went smoothly, although we stopped near the border and some military police came on board and removed half the passengers (I was not in the half that got taken off). Once we got to the border town, I joined up with two south korean girls, that were the only other ... read more
Dusty streets
Road from hell
Bayon




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