vikram

July 11 Bangkok I think I found a nice motif that sums up Bangkok well. It may not encompass every aspect of this bustling city, but certainly does convey the main theme. The seemingly comfortable blending of the traditional and the modern. I found this on the coaches of every SkyTrain (Bangkok's elevated light rail system). img=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qtqq3C6i0D0/UAJU6yyTiII/A... read more

July 9 Ta Keo Cluster This morning Angelina Jolie was on my mind as Samadeach and I headed to a temple complex farther north east of Angkor Wat, and east of Angkor Thom. Ta Phrom is the temple where parts of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed. The restoration work at Ta Phrom is a joint project undertaken in conjunction with Archeological Survey of India. Banteay Kdei is ruined in such a way that it has been stripped down to the just the foundation for the most part. A few stone archways and enclosed structures have survived the centuries. The first stop was Ta Keo. The guide book dubs it as a Design 101 for Angkor temples. This is another of ... read more

July 8: Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom I had made arrangements with Samadeach to pick me up from the hotel at 8.30 am on he morning of July 8. He was waiting for me outside when I stepped out of the lobby. The ride to Angkor takes about 40 minutes from most city center hotels, and 25-30 from Tara since it is closer and on the same road that leads to Angkor Wat, but might become longer depending on the lines to buy entry ticket. three visit pass valid for a week costs $40, which is what I purchased. The first stop of course was Angkor Wat. The area has several temples and a walled city called Angkor Thom which itself has a multitude of temples within it. All are of different periods and architectural styles. ... read more

July 7: Mekong Express Early in the day, I set out on my trip to Siem Reap. In truth, I set out for the lobby of Frangipani. The Mekong Express bus company had a shuttle picking me up outside. The shuttle arrived at around 8 am while I checked for an acknowledgement from my hotel in Siem Reap about the pick up arrangements. This of course was after the breakfast. The shuttle had another group of 4 on it. The seats were low and cramped. I remarked that at 5'5", I was feeling claustrophobic and asked how they... read more

July 6 - The Royal Palace and evening hours on Sisowath Quay I must confess, I am drawn to promenades with rows of lamps at night time since they provide a great opportunity to try out long exposure photography. I was back near the Royal Palace from Tuol Sleng a little earlier than planned since I decided to skip the visit to the Russian Market in Phnom Penh. I spent the next couple of hours visiting the Royal Palace, which was open on the 6th. The grounds have well manicured gardens. The various dwellings and assembly halls are large and well spaced. The rooftops are all a golden yellow color. In one corner of the palace grounds is the Silver Pagoda, which houses two spectacular Buddha statues. One, a roughly 2 feet jade statue with the ... read more

July 6 - I see dead people, and it’s darn depressing The first morning at Frangipani saw me waking up quite early. I was awake by 5.30 am and got out of bed around 6 am. This gave me time in the morning to catch up on emails, call my mom in Bangalore to check-in and say all is well and update my coordinates for the days to follow. I got ready and headed downstairs for breakfast, which was exceptionally good and filling, for a complimentary one at that. Fresh baguette slices deserve a special mention, a legacy of the French colonial occu... read more

July 4 - Departure day(s) and the dancing air-hostesses What point of one’s travel is it the norm start the accounts in a travelogue ? Whatever the convention may be, I am compelled to recount mine from the time I left my house in Bangalore, India for the airport. The scheduled departure of my Bangkok Airways flight out of Bangalore was 0135 hours on July 5 2012. Given the travel time to the airport from my house and the regulatory 2.5 hour early check-in, I had to leave my house at 9 pm on the 4th of July. The trip to the airport and the check-in itself were uneventful. The flight to Bangkok was on time and I completed the usual boarding procedures in practice at Bengaluru International Airport and settled in my assigned ... read more