Day 112: Temple wow, temple WOW

So here we were, Cambodia's premier tourist attraction. The big one. In many traveler's cases (however wrong 365 feels this may be) the only reason to come to this wonderful country.

Built over what would eventually span a 400 km² , Angkorian kings started in AD802 to build what would be known as Angkor Wat.

In fact Angkor Wat is but one of the thousands of temples that have survived wars, the force of nature and repeatedly being forgotten by their protectors only to be 'rediscovered' again; safe to say, this will not happen again.

With much to see, we left early so as to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, a grand entrance to this holy site. In the darkness we followed the crowds over a rocky path that we'd later discover was a beautiful walkway surrounded by a lily-pad strewn lake and into an opening lined with more Japanese tourists and protruding optical zoom lenses than I've ever seen in one place at one time. Ever.

The sunrise, as you can see, was stunning. There were points at which it was difficult to distinguish tree-tops from the temple turrets but as the sun shone bright and clear it was obvious, but none the less breath taking, to see the fullness of the temple.

All the more satisfying was the ability to climb all over the intricately carved stones. If the temples had been built in England, health and safety would have lost their tiny risk assessment minds and cordoned the whole thing off; but thankfully, not here.

The temples here are much more spaced out than at My Son so we had arranged for a tuk tuk driver to take us round (elephants, helicopters and even a hot air balloon are available but, of course, not budget friendly.)

We were sped onto the Bayon group of temples, which were my favourite. The main temple, built by Jayavarman VII in the 12th Century comprises of 54 gothic towers with no less than 216 faces carved into them, which apparently (though unofficially) look rather like the king himself. Should anyone at the time have had any doubt about his all-seeing but gracious power as leader, they need look no further than the gently smiling faces that adorn this magnificent structure.



Our final stop was at Ta Prohm, which has affectionately come to be known as "the tomb raider temple" since it's appearance alongside Angelina Jolie in the hit movie.

There the trees that once surrounded the temple have completely integrated themselves into the structure. Huge roots curl like fingers around the stone, holding walls in place and giving the site an organic and other-worldly feel. One cannot help but feel tiny, passing under trees and temples (here beautifully indistinguishable from one another) into this larger-than-life snippet of years gone by.

Since we had opted for the 1 day pass our time was up, real temple fanatics can purchase 3 day and even 7 day passes. There was much that we didn't see, but more than happy with what we had seen we called it a day and retreated back to Siem Reap for a cool Angkor beer while 'Dr.Fish' removed 3-months worth of bad skin from our feet (please see photos for further explanation of this.)

Another incredible day.

Lomographic Photos: Take One

So just before I departed on this wild adventure some of my nearest and dearest bought me a gift; a 35mm Diana Lomographic Camera. I'd been moaning about the impracticalities of carrying my 120 Fx with me on the trip when nowhere would sell the 120mm film and certainly nowhere would develop it bla bla bla...

Problem solved. Almost. With no time to get used to the new model I managed to (unfortunately) mess up a few films altogether and only get a small number of printable photos. And even less that are post-worthy.

But here goes nothing; scraping the photographic barrel here are two shots that I found vaguely interesting.

This one (r) was taken through the windscreen of a bus in Hampi, India just as some intense monsooning kicked in. I think it kind of looks like an oil painting.

This one (l) is of a gorgeous little statue that sat in front of a rather dilapidated fountain at a park in Bangalore. The black panel on the right is a by-product of my inaccurate winding-on, but I like how it sits against the blues and creamy textures of the figures anyway.


Massive apologies for the quality of these images; getting real film developed hasn't (thus far) allowed for the luxury of digital versions so these are photos-of-photos - I'm hoping to rectify this next time too.

Day 109: A walk in the woods

From Phnom Penh we traveled to Kampot, a comparatively small town that spends most of it's time chilling out near the coast of Cambodia. Come the wet season, however, the main draw of the town moves away from the sun and sand and towards Bokor National Park, situated in the jungle coated hill side that loom over the sleepy town's shoulder.

This is exactly the reason we were here, and although slightly worried by combining a day long trek up a mountain with Asian monsoons and over three months of no exercise, our concerns were soon put to rest by Brett; an American anthropology teacher and part owner of the restaurant we stopped in for lunch. We booked the trek for the following morning, only to delay it a day following Brett's offer to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view (he and the locals go wild for professional fighting) and take a cycling trip to the Kompong Traach caves on the same day over far too many 'Klang' (literally meaning 'strong' in Khmer) beers.


The day began early, being transported to the foot of the hill in the back of a flat bed pick-up truck. We checked we had enough water and insect repellent on us and off we went. Climbing over fallen trees, clinging onto hanging vines whilst navigating steep slippery slopes, squeezing through narrow gaps in trees and hearing gibbon calls layered over the sound of free flowing water... we really were trekking in a Cambodian jungle and it was truly magical. We would stop for water and our guide told us about how he was forced to escape imprisonment from the Khmer Rouge after witnessing his whole family be killed. He spent the following two years living in the jungle alone, not seeing another soul for the duration. Our insect defenses turned out to be a trifle underestimating too, the guide completing the trek with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder.


The remnants of old French colonial buildings lay scattered on the summit of Bokor. The buildings have not been used for years and just the shells survive now. The thick fog of the clouds swirling in and out of the remaining weathered concrete structures create an incredible atmosphere. It's as if it's straight out of a horror film. As we approached the ruins - including a particularly eery Catholic Church - they would just appear from the fog, only visible from 10 meters or so.

We walked/slid our way down after exploring the summit and finished our day with a relaxing boat ride down the Kampot River. We had dinner at our new favourite restaurant with some new friends; pretty much soaking wet from a day in the clouds. No beers and pledges to watch people knock each other out this evening, it was early to bed and early to rise for a whole day of travelling to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat.

Not another 'Top 5' list: How to cook authentic Vietnamese

1. Keep it on the down-low
Remember that nothing above knee-height will be of any interest to anyone. Ensure your food is slaughtered, stir-fried and served curb-side in close proximity to a busy street.



2. Pick a speciality and stick with it
Why offer any choice at all? Decide on your dish and do not deviate from it. Everyone's happy.

3. Keep ém guessing
Make sure your menu represents in only the vuagest way what diners will actually receive upon ordering. Especially when this means making incredible dishes sound bland and boring (see Kat's pho en chay)

4. It's oil good
If you cannot see a shiny reflection of yourself in the grease that clings to the plates and lips after finishing a dish; you haven't used enough oil.

5. Make a meal to remember - even half way down the street
Feel free to sneak the hottest of chilis into every dish for the unsuspecting tourist and watch with pleasure as their eyes water at your creative cuisine.


**List lovers may also enjoy: Top 5 Things not to say in India

Day 105: Keeping it Riel

You have read correctly; without any sort of visa-based disaster on this border-crossing we have made it into Cambodia! Hurrah! We weren't even ripped off, what a bonus...

We have been very busy since arriving on Phnom Penh indeed; visiting the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek straight off the night bus which was something of a sombre awakening in many respects. This blog isn't about regurgitating history, but it was harrowing to see the skulls of thousands of Cambodians who were killed by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge army...as recently as the 70's.

Following their reign of terror, which deliberately wiped out the intellectual population of Cambodia - a tally that reaches around 2 million of Cambodia's then-total population of 7 million - the nation now has an average age of 22. Twenty two. It's a young country, a war-torn country - and you can see this walking the streets.

But what I've also enjoyed seeing is that this is a proud nation; the architecture is the most beautiful I've seen. Ornate Pagodas sit aside ultra modern hotel complexes and tarpaulin market stalls with ease. And everyone is smiling.

As well as sampling the local specialty - specialty beer that is - Angkor, at around 2000 Riel (ahh yes, that's the reason for the obscure title spelling) or 30p a pop, we've been exploring the city at large, and loving every moment.

First impressions of Cambodia are more than favourable; they're bloody fantastic. The photos are up so why not have a browse yourself and see what we mean?

Food for Thought

There are, of course, many ways in which Vietnam differed from India but none so much as the cuisine. Here we have a nation of meat-lovers and no animal is sacred. No land-dwelling, sea-dwelling or sky-dwelling creature is safe from the butchers' knife or a guest-appearance (often un-named) in a bowl, on a plate or on a skewer. But the French have left their mark too and (thank you French invasion!) freshly baked baguettes and delicious pastries are also readily available - if often stuffed with the afore mentioned mystery meat stuffs.

With restaurants, cafes and streeet stalls open on every inch of pavement it is impossible to go hungry in Vietnam, so here is our Vietnamese all-star menus.

Rob's Menu

BREAKFAST

Baguette with omlette & cheese (from Hoi An)

ELEVENSES

Dragon Fruit

LUNCH

Veg & egg fried rice with aubergine fry (from Ninh Binh & Hue)

AFTERNOON SNACK

Duck Skewer (from Ninh Binh)

DINNER

Cao Lau (pork with noodle and veg) with veg spring roll (from Hoi An & Cat Ba Island)

Dessert

Vitamilk frozen yoghurt

Drink

4000 dong Bia Hoi

Kat's Menu

BREAKFAST

Pho en chay (noodle soup with tofu, tomato, spinach topped with peanuts served with fresh lime and chilis - from Hoi An)

ELEVENSES

Ca Phe (Vietnamese-style super strong coffee filtered into super sweet condensed milk)

LUNCH

Fried tofu in tomato sauce, spinach, green salad (boat lunch in Halong Bay)

AFTERNOON SNACK

Blueberry & Almond pastry (from Saigon - better than any I've had in France)

DINNER

Veg fried noodle with roast pumpkin topped with peanuts
Dessert

Same yoghurt as Rob, because it tastes like a dutch dessert; fla
Drink

Saigon Green (Saigon's own Bia Hoi)

Day 100: A hundred days in Asia

We're in triple figures! We've hit the century-mark and we're VERY excited!

To mark the occasion - and because we had to get some more passport photos done for the impending Cambodia boarder crossing (we're making sure nothing can go wrong this time) - here for your viewing pleasure is the effect that 100 days has had on us:


Ha!

A hundred kisses to all xx