Angkor Wat. Not only are there not enough words but I don’t have the eloquence and grace to do justice to these architectural wonders. We gave ourselves enough time in Siem Reap that we were able to buy a 7 day pass to see the temples. Awesome decision. Continue reading
Taking in the sights of the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
After a nasty 9 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur airport from Tokyo where we slept on massage chairs like some new-age hobos, we arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It had just finished raining and the dust mixed with the water to give everything a pleasant, welcoming orange glow. Thankfully, for this leg of the trip we had our first offer of free accommodation, in the form of Tim’s relatives’ house. Embarrassingly, neither Tim or myself knew much of Cambodia’s history or the atrocities of the Khmer Rogue. So while we were in Phnom Penh, we visited S21: Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.
S21: Tuol Sleng Museum
S21: Tuol Sleng Museum
S21 was previously used as a high school before the Khmer Rogue regime took power and was transformed into a prison in 1975. The classrooms were converted into cells/torture chambers and they have been largely untouched when you walk through them today. Some even have bed frames in the middle of the room, surrounded by ageing blood stains on the floor. Walking from room to room, passing the hundreds of photos of previous inmates of the prison was absolutely haunting and I can’t even begin to convey how horrifically confronting it was. The next day, we took a tuk tuk out to the Killing Fields, an area out of town where the inmates from S21 were taken to be executed. Strangely, the fields were beautiful, green grass and birds everywhere. However, it is impossible to not be affected by the tragedies that were committed. As we were visiting in the rainy season, we had to deal with the unfortunate side effects that the rain had on the fields. Every couple of days, shards of bones, teeth and clothes would come to the surface from the mass graves that were dug in the ground.
Stupa, Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
At the end of the walking tour, you arrive at the Stupa, which is filled with bones of the people who were killed out at the Killing Fields. Rows and rows of skulls, leg and arm bones all piled right up to the ceiling. Walking around inside the base of the building, I have never felt so claustrophobic and just generally freaked out. It was one of the most confronting days of our entire trip.
Naturally, Tim was in his element. Ooo, look at all the angles.
We spent about five days in Phnom Penh, taking in the sights but also allowing ourselves to relax in the comfort of an entire house, especially coming from the shoebox of a room in Tokyo. After taking in the sights and domestic bliss of Phnom Penh, we travelled in wi-fi enriched style to Siem Reap. Yes, our bus had wi-fi. What a strange concept it was to be rocketing along dusty roads, avoiding pot holes, passing poverty riddled villages only to turn your attention back to Facebook and whine that your photo didn’t upload properly. First world problems, I tell ya. They really hit you where it hurts.
Bayon, Angkor Wat. Our favourite.
The travel gods had smiled upon us and for the first time in our trip, timing worked in our favour. We were able to spend a few days with friends of ours from back in Sydney. I speak for both Tim and myself when I say that it was so nice being able to talk to someone else for a change. Finally, someone was laughing at the jokes and stories that we had re-hashed one too many times to each other. The days in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat flew by in a blur of tuk tuks, temple climbing and late night oreo and camembert runs.
Best tuk tuk driver ever: ‘Bob’.
Miss Wong cocktail bar, Siem Reap.
Angkor Wat (from the other side).
Getting ready for the sunset shot.
The sunrise that never came.
….Stay tuned for Part Two….aka…the rest of the photos we took of Angkor Wat.
Speedy locals.
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Mollymook.
No country looks more beautiful to fly into than Australia. I’m not just saying it because I’m biased, I’m saying it because it’s true. Well, and the fact that I’m biased.
One of the spectacular views from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck – free admission!
Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo. Not only did you live up to my much anticipated expectations, you surpassed them in every way imaginable, and I love you for it.
The five foot way, Georgetown, Penang.
Penang; a hot, humid island off Malaysia’s west coast offering delightful views, primate filled beaches and a smorgasbord of Malaysian cuisine. Continue reading
The ‘BOH’ tea plantation, Cameron Highlands.
The entrance into the Cameron Highlands was filled with stunning, dramatic scenery contrasted with terrible motion sickness.
The indoor rollercoaster at Berjaya Times Square.
We landed in Kuala Lumpur and trying to be faithful to our budget, jumped on the Star Shuttle into the city. Despite the faint linger of cigarette smoke and the absence of lazy-boy recliners that Tim had promised on buses in Malaysia, the ride was very pleasant and before I knew it we were in the city. After a hot 10 minute struggle with our backpacks muttering the usual “sorry”, “excuse me” and “ugh my pack isn’t going to fit through that gate”, we arrived at our hostel.
Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai.
After our jaunt with the elephants, the rest of our time in Chiang Mai was spent walking around the old part of town, admiring the many beautiful temples, wats and eating as much as we could.
Good times at the Elephant Nature Park.
We caught the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and 17 hours later (it ran 3 hours late-though no one seemed to care) we arrived to the usual throng of taxi’s and tuk tuk’s. Continue reading
Erawan Waterfalls: Kanchanaburi.
We were told about Kanchanaburi by a fellow Australian on the flight into Bangkok. We hadn’t heard about it before but he said that it was a great place to learn about Australian history and to pay respect to our fallen soldiers. Kanchanaburi is known for its beautiful scenery and its unfortunate role as the setting for the construction of the death railway during WWII. Continue reading
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