Memories of Angkor

Siem Reap is indeed popular with tourist from all over the world, hence the proliferation of hawkers,stalls and street-side vendors almost everywhere you go. The thing is that you can easily find stuff to lug back home at heavily discounted prices depending on your bargaining skills.

I loved the friendly people and the great food. Think they are the friendliest people I ever met on my travels. I would even venture to say they are friendlier than the Thais.

I was kinda apprehensive about the food before going, but as it turned out the food was amongst the best I ever had all in one place. Being the hot tourist spot it is, hotels and restaurants are springing up like mushrooms after the rain. and most of them are world class.

But the main attraction for me going to Siem Reap was the Angkor Temple Complex...



spread over 400 square km, it is probably the largest collection of ancient ruins anywhere in the world. pictures justdo not do them justice. One probably has to go there in person to truly appreciate the magnitude and splendour of the temples, cities and castles.



Beyond the true scale of the structures, there is also an almost dogged attention to detail, which one will discover when one gets up close to the reliefs. on a wall or pillar you will see hundreds or even thousands of carvings of various scenes of hindu mythology.












even amidst the throng of tourist and the searing heat, there are always moments for contemplation.





conservationist decided to allow nature to take it's own course at many of the temple sites, resulting in some of the most surreal landscape ever seen. little wonder that it was featured in the Tomb Raider movie.


The highlight of any trip to Angkor is of course a trip to the eponymous Angkor Wat.















seems even the sunsets are more beautiful there.





Cambodia has a long history of war and suffering. Maybe that explains their eagerness to please and to be so hospitable to visitors.All around Cambodia you find remnants of their war -torn past...













besides the above, I also managed to do two other things which I never had the chance to do in Singapore...

RIDE A HORSE!




and drive a motor boat!!

SYDNEY 2009...

Been really neglecting this blog. my last post was just before I flew off to Siem Reap, and I have not updated since.

will probably post the pictures and links to the photographs I took soon. nearly a month overdue. although many of you may already have seen them since I uploaded them after my trip.

AGNES AND ME WILL BE IN SYDNEY FROM 15 to 21 DECEMBER!



I am now in the process of planning our itinerary. but should be a good one, if only agnes is able to leave her work behind.

we are also planning to be out of the country during the Chinese New Year holidays in February. no idea yet where we be going. but Japan and Hong Kong seem the more likely destinations.if we do decide to go after all.