http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Cambodia , North , Siem Reap en-us Fri, 11 Dec 09 21:03:45 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 09 21:03:45 +0000 Day 5 Angkor WatWas nicely surprised today with the breakfast we get here at the hotel a big baguette scrambled or fried egg jam and butter very filling and would keep you going for a good few hours..Our guide turned up on time in fact he was early today we organised to be taken around in a tuk tuk with him his name is Darith Touch and I will say now he was great very obliging with our http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-458138.html Our trip from bangkok to Siem reap went very smoothly compared to some of the horror stories we had read at talesofasia.com. This was probably due in part to the fact that we arranged all of our own travel instead of going with a packaged trip from Khaosan rd which are supposedly riddled with scams. Our trip started at 515 am and ended at 2 pm whereas the packaged trips leave at 7 am and end at http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-457619.html CambodjaOnze eerste impressies van Cambodja lijken ons te doen geloven dat Cambodja het imago van armoede en de gruwelijke geschiedenis van 30jaar burgeroorlog en dictatuur van de Rode Khmer stilaan van zich af aan het werpen is.Als we in de tweede grootste stad van Cambodja Siem Raep aankomen vergapen we ons aan de enorme resorts die als paleizen naast elkaar staan te pronken met dure Franse n http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-456902.html We left crummy Dalat behind wishing wersquod never bothered and headed straight for the Vietnamese coast to a town called Mui Ne. The bus journey was much like all the rest long hot the bus driver trying hard to travel at the fastest speed possible and no toilet stops. On arrival we were greeted by the bluest of sunny blue skies and tallest palm trees beautifully placed along the seas edge w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-455910.html Well you know me. It was only a matter of time before I did something dumb. We awoke yesterday raring to go on our second day of touring Angkor. It was another perfect sunny day despite weather forecasts to the contrary. Kong met us downstairs at 9am and off we went in our little tuktuk passing finally a caravan of elephants on the road. Our first stop was Preah Khan a 12th century Bu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-455708.html Step aside Great Wall. Get out of here Yangshuo. Move down the list Ha Long Bay. You've been demoted Summer Palace. We have a sight that beats them all a sight that is really too fantastic to put into words. It trumps all else we've seen in Asia and honestly it trumps most ancient sights I've seen anywhere else in the world. The fantastic thing is this sight was buried in the jungle http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-455291.html Motorbikes and Camrys RuleIrsquove been wanting to comment on modes of transportation on our journey through Thailand Laos and Cambodia but never quite got to it. As we will be leaving for home in a few hours Irsquoll throw it in here. Each place wersquove travelled has its own preferred common carriers. Every country has had a vehicle called a tuktuk but the configuration has varie http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-455233.html Banteay SreiThe most popular sites at Angkor are overrun with tourists every day so we took the opportunity to go to two of the temples that lie some distance from town. The first is called Banteay Srei or ldquoCitadel of the Womenrdquo. It was built in the 10th century as a Hindu temple much like the temple we saw at Vat Phou. What makes it unique is that it was built of pink sandstone. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-454520.html Our first view of Cambodia from the window of our Lao Airways plane was totally different from what I expected. I had imagined a dry dusty haphazard landscape what I saw from high in the air was a lush green and very orderly scene with LOTS of water. I had imagined further that when we stepped off the plane we would be hit with a blast of hot air like a blast furnace instead it was mild http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-454382.html Up at 715 showered ate breakfast and jumped back on Dyrsquos motorbike. We drove about 35 minutes out of Siem Reap and into the countryside. Saw some interesting things a woman breastfeeding while riding on the back of a motorbike a man relaxing in a hammock hanging from a truck while his two friends attempted to repair it and a child two years old using a small machete to chop at a tre http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-453366.html I love traveling.No.I LOVE traveling. From the moment a trip idea materializes in my brain until the moment I step off the return flight home. I love the planning debating talking and reading about it. I even love paying for airline tickets hotel rooms and new backpacks. Therersquos nothing like throwing the bare essentials into a bag getting on an airplane and knowing you are about to have http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-452970.html As requested from many of our friends and family you wanted more videos and on this trip we took lots so here are some from the floating village visit located along Tonle Sap Lake which is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and Preah Khan temple built in 1191. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-452652.html Comme disait si bien Aimee nous sommes rendu au temple de Bayon surplombe par 216 enormes faces sculptees dans chacune des tours qui s'y trouve. Quand elle parlait de me defouler disons que la pire nationalite a avoir sur son chemin quand on visite ce sont les Japonnais... Les de Japonnais. Vraiment les americains de l'Asie J'ai du attendre plusieurs minutes pour prendre une photo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-452435.html Telegraphic ReprtDay 1 in Siem Reap A few Buddist temples inside the city Angkor National Museum Wandering aroundDay 2 first day at the Angkor Archaeological park Angkor Thom Bayon temple Phimeanakas temple Terrace of the elephants Angkor WatDay 3 second day at the Angkor Archaeological park Banteay Srei temple East Mebon temple Pre Rup temple Neak Pean temple Preah Khan temple http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-452385.html Hello guest blogger here so donrsquot expect the the great writing skills of my lovely lsquowifersquo Jess and wonderful daughter Jaz. This trip has far exceeded my expectations. The only real downside has not being able to talk to my BIG kids Marissa Skyler and Dylan as I often do at home. Itrsquos difficult to add to Jessrsquos entries so Irsquoll try to articulate why it has http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-452228.html As if figuring out all the unwritten dating rules of an American teenager isn't enough of a challenge Jaz has to figure out the cultural norms of dating in Cambodia. And I can tell you this much she cannot go out at night alone with a boy. It just isn't done. It would be like showing up at school naked or something it is just that unthinkable.She has been spending some time with a nice young ma http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-451977.html I am 4 days behind in my blog so will make this quick.Last day in Siem Reap and it was raining so lucky we did all our temple stuff the 2 days before. We had a look at the markets where I managed to spend about 70 on a dress a couple of tops some cambodian pants which rock and god knows what else.We ended up getting a massage for 7 each which was abit freaky at the start. They took us up to th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-451888.html We've had a few busy days since I last wrote so it must be time to catch up a little. Thanks to the occasional blog comment I have reason to think that at least a couple of people are reading this. Remember folks a little comment and here and there provides further motivation for me to write.We left for the wedding reception soon after I wrote the last entry. We didn't leave at 400 or 430 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-451850.html As we began our descent from 30000ft I was entirely oblivious to the aircrewrsquos requests to stow our traytables return our seats to the upright position and fasten our seatbelts as I was entirely rapt by the stunning views laid out for before me from my windowseat. A vast glistening blue lake was encircled by endless emerald green fields themselves sparkling with the waters sustaining t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-451554.html I had a conversation about religion yesterday with a Cambodian woman who happens to be Muslim. I suppose that in a country that is 99 Buddhist being in the 1 minority has its drawbacks and there has been persecution over the years. Given the current world attitudes fears and misunderstandings about Muslims and the risk of more persecution she chooses to remain private about her faith. And a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Siem-Reap/blog-451132.html