Blogs from Angkor, North, Cambodia, Asia - page 94

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Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 13th 2005

Disclaimer: As we are writing this entry we have just noticed that some other Travelbloggers have already used the title we had chosen days ago- 'Angkor's Away'. Not to mention that others have found the very same angles for photos we worked hard to find. It shouldn't be such a surprise, but "!@#%$^*". OK, enough of that. (!@$$#$%!! = 'So It Goes', Vonnegut.) So, we arrived back in Bangkok at 10:30pm after a very long bus ride, just in time to see the aftermath of the city's celebration for their King's B-day. It was a very big to do; with Thai flags and pictures of his majesty everywhere. We got a short night's sleep at a lousy airport hotel and were en route to Cambodia early the next morning. It must be said that we did ... read more
Siem Reap
Our official Angkor passes
Angkor Wat's South Wall

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 12th 2005

Hi, yey pictures! If you check the last two entries I've put photos on there now too! Sorry it took so long.Also. sorry this is a really long entry but i've done exciting things and you know i like to ramble!! Am writing this from Bangkok (again) but i've put Cambodia on the location as i think its exciting!! Well Cambodia, where to begin! We left Koh Chang on 8th December and got the mini bus at 7.30am, which we thought at that point was bad enough. The journey to Aranyaprathet which is the Thai border with Cambodia (the Cambodian border down the street is called Poipet), took about 4 hours. I had taken my maleria tablet when I'd got home that night and then another in the morning, both on an empty stomach so spent ... read more
As Poipet passes by .....
Cambodia At Dusk
Having A Drink in Siem Reap

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 7th 2005

Okay, it only rained for one afternoon out of our full 3 days of temple bothering but once you get to our age the damp lingers in the bones. Exploring Angkor has been a fascinating time. I can't imagine another historical site in the world where you are so richly rewarded for covering such a small distance. It seems incredibly shortsighted that tourists are allowed to traipse wherever they please over such precious ruins but it does allow you to get really close to these beautiful structures and fully appreciate the intricate carvings that adorn them. Angkor served as the capital city of the Khmer empire between the 9th and 12th centuries. King Jayarvaman VII (12th century) was largely responsible for the majority of the temples we have seen. He depleted the quarries of the country ... read more
maori greeting, Angkor
Terrace of the elephants, Angkor
Big boy, Angkor

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 6th 2005

Our visit to Cambodia was fleeting and as such we did not in any way do this beautiful country justice. It took the whole three days we were in Phnom Penh just for me to figure our how to spell the name of their capital city, and I am still not sure how to say it! Well, that's not all we did, we visited the obligatory Killing Fields and S21 prison museum and learnt about the horrific period of Cambodian history under the Khmer Rouge. Despite all this the people were the happiest, smiliest people we have met on our whole trip. (Simon disagrees and thinks they smiled more in Laos). We headed straight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the base for the famous temples of Angkor Wat. I say straight ... our bus was ... read more
Sunrise on Angkor Wat
The gruesome Killing Fields' Memorial
The Victims

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 6th 2005

Hello All I have finally given up the beaches and headed back to the mainland. I spent a couple of days on Ao Nang but was ill so I can't really comment about what it was like! I then went onto Kanachaburi - The River Kwai. This was a totally amazing place, I went on a guided tour to the Death Valley it was a very emotional place as over 100,000 men died working on the railway during the 2nd World War. I am glad I went but 'enjoyable' isn't quite the word to use. The group I was with were great fun, in the afternoon we were taken to the hot springs. This was in the middle of nowhere & we all jumped in a freezing cold river then straight into the hot springs - ... read more
Hot Springs
Local Traffic in Cambodia
Angkor Wat

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 4th 2005

We'd arranged to be picked up the next day by the motodriver that had hassled us all the way from where the bus had dropped us off to our guesthouse, but that wasn't until 4pm. Had a wander around siam reap, used the net, off loaded a load of photos onto my portable harddrive, got attacked by the rain, wandered through the market (all thoughts of bird flu momentarily forgotten (there are chickens *everywhere*!)), sat in a posh french cafe and had posh shakes (read same same, twice the price (you pay for the orchid)). Back at the GH the usual plans to extort more cash from the tourists began, 'oh we're early, we take you to shop first' yeah...... was fun to see the one girl ring the bell and turn on the lights in ... read more

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor December 1st 2005

Yesterday we hired a car (and driver) for a longer and more remote drive out to BENG MEALEA and BANTEAY SREI. BENG MEALEA is truly the Indiana Jones temple experience - in the middle of the Cambodian jungle it is a complete ruin that has been completely over taken by the jungle. Other then a wooden walkway to get you into the middle of the ruin - you are on your own. Following our driver and a local guide we climbed, scrambled and crawled up, around and into dark passages, piles of stone and trees, roots and jungle vines - fantastic. Returning via BANTEAY SREI a small but exquisitively carved and well preserved HINDU temple.... read more
Banteay Srei

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor November 29th 2005

Well its takem 10 years to come here and the temples are really as fantastic as imagined! Hired Kim Leng our "Remorque- Moto" driver for the day for a quick intro of the many temples of Angkor and around. Off we set early in the morning - befire realising that my camera had no batery No problem we could always rely on Emily's. We proceded past the "Mother of all temples" ANGKOR WAT - we would be returning later - straight through the south gate of ANGKOR THOM with its impressive stone heads and gate tower. We climbed up the BAYON temple with its 216 coldly smiling faces in the early morning sun. Pretty impressive we thought... and this was just the start... Rather than describe everything here you really should visit yourself. Highlights include PREAH ... read more
Monks
Angkor Thom
Gate to Angkor Thom

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor November 16th 2005

Howdy all, Today, we're taking an express journey through Vietnam and Cambodia...two very different places and totally different to Smarmore, Bellewstown, Drogheda, Shannonbridge, Ballycumber or Louisburgh...After deciding not to take a 24 hours bus journey from Vientiane (Laos) to Hanoi, we caught a plane instead (not literally)...Imp not messing when I say that Scotch Hall shopping centre in Drogheda is about 10 times bigger than Laos international airport in Vientiane. Security is very lax and we were walking through corridors that we'd have probably done time for if we walked through them in Dublin airport!!!! We booked the tickets at around 10.30 in the morning and flew at about 4 in the evening... Security tightened up a fair bit in Hanoi airport...On arrival you had to walk by some sort of camera which monitored your body ... read more
Blair Witch Donkey
Jenga, Beer and Pringles
Pressure's for tyres !!!

Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor November 15th 2005

Temples, temples, temples... We have just spent the last 2 days exploring the temples of Angkor. They were fantastic, so worth coming to see. There are actually over 100 temples spread over quite a large area. They are both Buddhist and Hindu so there is a mixture of carving and styles. We obviously only saw a small fraction of what was there. You can't see them all or else you would end up with serious temple burn out! On our first day we visited Angkor Thom which was actually the last city of the Khmer empire. It contains lots of temples including the Bayon. The Bayon is the one which contains all the giant stone heads. It was one of the reasons that I wanted to come to Cambodia and it did not disappoint. It was ... read more
The intrepid travellers!
The Bayon
The Comedy shot




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