Good luck??

"Bring us to a place where we can see a good sunset."

"O.k. We take you to Phnom Bakheng."

We were oozing with excitement. After having our photos taken for the 3 days pass, we were so eager to use it. Hey, it was going to be our very first temple visit. Our motorbikes zoomed on and passed Angkor Wat. Then, we saw the crowd. Hopping out from our bikes, we looked to the left and saw the mini hill.

"The temple is above the hill."

"Oh, o.k."

"We'll wait for you here. Good luck!"

Hmm... funny guy... wishing us good luck. Whatever for?

We trotted towards the foothill, showed the temple guards our pass and started the journey upwards.

This can't be that bad.

Oh yes, it was. We were extremely unfit. Not even halfway up, we were puffing and groaning. The hill was steep. It was rocky. There was no easy and well worn pathway. Selfishly, we found consolation in the huffings and puffings of other tourists.

Just a little bit more. The temple is just at the top of this hill.

Finally I reached the top. I beamed with joy. I congratulated myself on my success. But that was before I looked forward and saw...



I laughed hysterically to myself.

So that's what the good luck was all about.

Tomb Raider

Last night I managed to catch the movie Tomb Raider on Astro. I was so excited because this movie has scenes shot in Cambodia. I was eager to recognise the places that I have been to. And the movie did not fail me. As all movies are, it wasn't so realistic but the places are as it is. Of course their shots are better than my camera skills. I particularly like the part with the Angkor Wat as the background. They turned the moat surrounding the Angkor Wat into a real village with the people moving around in their boat houses. Something like the floating market.

The movie only showed three of the Angkor temples and these three are my favourites.


Bayon - the place where Lara Croft landed with her jeep when dropped off by a helicopter


Ta Phrom - Lara Croft followed a young girl into this place and then fell deep below the ground

The statues of the creatures (which came alive in the movie) and of Krishna (a Hindu god) with many arms and faces were exactly like the ones I saw in the museum. Well, a little bit fake though in the movie but purpose achieved.


Angkor Wat - Lara Croft meeting the monks here... quite laughable actually.

A piece of advice: When you visit the Angkor temples, spice it up with a dose of creative imagination and the place will take on another meaning. Have fun!

Mango shake

As I was sipping my ice-blended strawberry bubble tea during lunch today, I was reminded about the delicious yummy mango shake that I had on my last night in Phnom Penh. That night was really relaxing. I love the feeling of being able to just sit around, passing the time away and enjoying the breeze from the riverfront. We were at a cafe (can't remember the name) along Sisowath Road facing the Tonle Sap River, Cambodia's main river. The food in the cafe was reasonable priced and I had the spring rolls which were big and delicious.

That night was a huge big relief... to my pocket as I was on a very tight budget... to my physical self as I was tired visiting so many places... and most of all, being away from the busyness of my life back in KL. I remembered remarking that we should do this more often back home. But could we? Not even a week back here and I can give an answer... No, we couldn't. Life has gone back to its usual mode, always something to do and somewhere to go. Sigh...

Angkor Wat

The majestic Angkor Wat. Note the 5 towers of the Angkor Wat. There are only a few places where you can see all 5 towers at the same time. We took this shot standing next to a big tree. If you enter Angkor Wat from the main entrance, then the tree is on your left. I like this photo a lot because you can see the water-lilies in front. So, it sort of projects a sense of calmness before an imposing grand old building.

It's never enough

I must say I had an excellent trip to Cambodia. Angkor is definitely a place that I will return to in the future. And I recommend it to all my fellow travellers. Not much to say about Phnom Penh though. Still, at least drop by once in your lifetime. If you are planning a trip there and need any input, feel free to ask us.

How can I sum up my impression of Angkor?
Beautiful and peaceful.

In this blog, we will put up snippets of our thoughts and impression and anecdotes of our trip. No chronological order, just whatever comes to our mind. Hope you'll enjoy reading.