Arrived at the coast early in the afternoon and checked in to some beach huts before settling down for lunch.
I need to make a brief statement about food - I have been very good about eating. I have had more rice and noodles than I thought possible, I have tried Thai and Cambodian dishes when I've had the opportunity, I've eaten things which were unidentifiable before and after I put them in my mouth and I've had a hell of a lot of seafood, which is rare for me. In short, I am attempting "proper" cuisine.
But there are only so many times you can not order a $4 steak, so lunch was a holiday from the holiday with a beautiful peppercorn steak and chips. Dinner turned out to be red curry, so that makes up for it.
The afternoon was on the beach where I swam in a warm sea, a first for me. Lying in the sun would have been relaxing, if it weren't for the dozens of local touts trying to sell you braclets or massages or show repairs. Oh well, they're only trying to make a living.
Before dinner two of the girls and me tried Thai boxing at the local gym - we weren't properly sparring of course, but were being taught techniques. I was paired up with a fairly experienced native, who I suspect was playing a little "let's see how much you can take" game, as I had to tell him more than once to please stop repeatedly kicking me hard, what with me being unable to block and having a lack of natural padding.
Went to bed and had my first full night's sleep for days. Well, nights.
Saturday, 6 June 2009
Friday, 5 June 2009
Phnom Penh - S-21 and the Killing Fields
We took a tour to S-21, a school which was converted into a prison for Pol Pot's government. He had educated people sent there (doctors, lawyers, teachers etc) along with foreigners (all of whom deemed CIA agents), his own soldiers and anyone who disagreed with his ideas.
Of the thousands sent to S-21, seven survived. All of the others were tortured to give details of any other educated people they knew. They were then killed. The seven were in prison when the government fell, and stayed alive by hiding until the guards and army had fled.
We then went to the killing fields, where the mass graves for the prisoners were. The paths had bones and clothes from the executed ground into them, and thousands of skulls were in a huge glass memorial.
The afternoon was spent in the National Museum, home to many sculptures from Angkor Wat, at the Royal Palace which hosts dozens of huge ornate buildings, temples and residences for the Royal Family and associated paraphernalia, and finally Wat Phnom, a temple on top of a grassy hill in the middle of the city. Watching the monkeys there be fed and play on the trees helped take the edge of the morning's sightseing.
In the evening, we went out for drinks, and a bit of wandering found me and three of the girls enjoying a Cambodian jazz cover band, which was excellent. At four shiny dollars a cocktail it wasn't the cheapest place in Phnom Penh, and I didn't care about that for a second.
Of the thousands sent to S-21, seven survived. All of the others were tortured to give details of any other educated people they knew. They were then killed. The seven were in prison when the government fell, and stayed alive by hiding until the guards and army had fled.
We then went to the killing fields, where the mass graves for the prisoners were. The paths had bones and clothes from the executed ground into them, and thousands of skulls were in a huge glass memorial.
The afternoon was spent in the National Museum, home to many sculptures from Angkor Wat, at the Royal Palace which hosts dozens of huge ornate buildings, temples and residences for the Royal Family and associated paraphernalia, and finally Wat Phnom, a temple on top of a grassy hill in the middle of the city. Watching the monkeys there be fed and play on the trees helped take the edge of the morning's sightseing.
In the evening, we went out for drinks, and a bit of wandering found me and three of the girls enjoying a Cambodian jazz cover band, which was excellent. At four shiny dollars a cocktail it wasn't the cheapest place in Phnom Penh, and I didn't care about that for a second.
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Phnom Penh - settling in
Not much happened today - we drove 6 hours on a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. We never crossed an intersection -there was just one road all the way.
Dinner was at a restaurant where they had only two menus for the fifteen of us, it took forever to order and some of the food never arrived. Oh well, it happens.
Dinner was at a restaurant where they had only two menus for the fifteen of us, it took forever to order and some of the food never arrived. Oh well, it happens.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Angkor Wat - Now that's what I call a Temple Complex
Up at quarter past five this morning - quarter past five! - to try and watch sunrise over Angkor Wat. We miss it, but at that time in the morning the mood is pretty special. We take a few photos and get to know our guide - Phaaline (maybe?). Back at the hotel for breakfast and a nap, then straight to Angkor Wat again for a day of exploration.
I see an elephant and feed him some bananas. His trunk has shocking dexterity.
The temples are huge and numerous, and have very cool decorations - lots of stone relief depicting religious and historical events. There are lots of huge faces carved into the stone high up in the air and tonnes of Buddhas just sitting around. We see a temple which featured in a Tomb Raider film, which has trees growing out of the stone (not literally, there's a very complicated roots system going on).
About half the tour leave for the hotel, and the rest of us continue exploring. By this point the heavens have been open for about an hour, and we scurry about in warm but torrential rain getting soaked to the skin. It is brilliant.
In the evening a few of us sit round a "Dr Fish" pool - a small pool full of fish who seem to adore dead skin. We put our feet in and the industrious tiny fellows duly munch away on them. It tickles unbelievably at first, but is very entertaining. A few drinks later I head back to the hotel.
I see an elephant and feed him some bananas. His trunk has shocking dexterity.
The temples are huge and numerous, and have very cool decorations - lots of stone relief depicting religious and historical events. There are lots of huge faces carved into the stone high up in the air and tonnes of Buddhas just sitting around. We see a temple which featured in a Tomb Raider film, which has trees growing out of the stone (not literally, there's a very complicated roots system going on).
About half the tour leave for the hotel, and the rest of us continue exploring. By this point the heavens have been open for about an hour, and we scurry about in warm but torrential rain getting soaked to the skin. It is brilliant.
In the evening a few of us sit round a "Dr Fish" pool - a small pool full of fish who seem to adore dead skin. We put our feet in and the industrious tiny fellows duly munch away on them. It tickles unbelievably at first, but is very entertaining. A few drinks later I head back to the hotel.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Siam Reap - Welcome to Cambodia!
We were supposed to leave at 7am today, but apparently I slept through two wake up alarms and the hotel staff banging on my door. Luckily all the others took it in good spirits. I have just enough time to grab breakfast - rice on bread, because when you're hungry and in a hurry, anything will do - and pop into a very comfortable air-conned minivan. I doze as we head towards the Cambodian border, and we all have lunch (more rice for me) before braving the beaurocracy.
Just as we're in the final queue my lunch makes a fairly sudden and entirely unwelcome reappearance, but I feel mostly fine regardless so try and shrug it off. There's a repeat episode on the bus to Siam Reap but that seems to be the last of it. I don't know if it's tiredness, hangover, bad food or some combination but I'm here now and that's all that matters.
As it's raining and I'm still feeling a little delicate, I've not gone for a proper explore yet, but tomorrow I will be visiting Angkor Wat. This will probably be a highlight of my entire trip. The evening sees the entire tour getting some Cambodian food (apart from those amongst us choosing pizza or chips) and watching some traditional dance.
Just as we're in the final queue my lunch makes a fairly sudden and entirely unwelcome reappearance, but I feel mostly fine regardless so try and shrug it off. There's a repeat episode on the bus to Siam Reap but that seems to be the last of it. I don't know if it's tiredness, hangover, bad food or some combination but I'm here now and that's all that matters.
As it's raining and I'm still feeling a little delicate, I've not gone for a proper explore yet, but tomorrow I will be visiting Angkor Wat. This will probably be a highlight of my entire trip. The evening sees the entire tour getting some Cambodian food (apart from those amongst us choosing pizza or chips) and watching some traditional dance.
Monday, 1 June 2009
Bangkok - one man amongst many
Got up late today - I'm going to go right ahead and blame tourism; I should have been up earlier but the jet lag is a killer.
As I moved into the hotel I need to be in, I meet Richard who has been in Thailand for a month - we wander around for a bit, then join up with Alex who is also around for a few days. Both these guys are touring with the same company I'm with, but they are going in the opposite direction. I meet up with the rest of my trip - out of 11 of us, 10 of us happen to be girls.
We go out for a meal as a tour, and as we're wandering about Khao San road I bump back into Richard and Alex. We leave the group - I'm feeling the need to get as much male bonding done as possible, given the demograph - and drink quite heavily. I don't remember quite when I went back to the hotel, but I do remember stopping off at the internet cafe on the way back. Thankfully it seems like I don't have to do too much damage limitation.
As I moved into the hotel I need to be in, I meet Richard who has been in Thailand for a month - we wander around for a bit, then join up with Alex who is also around for a few days. Both these guys are touring with the same company I'm with, but they are going in the opposite direction. I meet up with the rest of my trip - out of 11 of us, 10 of us happen to be girls.
We go out for a meal as a tour, and as we're wandering about Khao San road I bump back into Richard and Alex. We leave the group - I'm feeling the need to get as much male bonding done as possible, given the demograph - and drink quite heavily. I don't remember quite when I went back to the hotel, but I do remember stopping off at the internet cafe on the way back. Thankfully it seems like I don't have to do too much damage limitation.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Bangkok - paying the tourist tax
Didn't get up as early as I'd have liked today, but I'm going to go right ahead and blame that on the jet lag. When I did get up I started wandering about to see some sights.
I was just taking a picture of the dominating Democracy Monument when a friendly young Thai came up to me and offered me a tuk-tuk tour of the city for very, very cheap. Now I'm not so dense as to figure there was no catch, so a bit of gentle probing revealed I'd be dropped off at one of the tailor shops in the city for the driver to pick up some free petrol. This seemed reasonable, so I hopped in.
Unfortunately there were slightly more shops than advertised, but in fairness they were spaced out around some genuine city sights (such as a HUGE standing Buddha and a HUGE reclining Buddha and several SMALLER Buddhas). I may have accidentally ordered some tailor-made shirts for much less than it would cost me back home. As long as they arrive tomorrow, I'll be happy.
In the evening I watched some muai thai - Thai boxing. I was persuaded to buy a ringside seat, which cost a touch more than I really wanted, but I figure you're always ripped off on the first day in a new country, so I might as well get ripped off properly. Not being an affectionado of Western style boxing, I'm not in the position to make sensible comparisons, but after a couple of rounds where the fighters seem to get to know each other they get positively brutal. Seeing surprisingly lightweight Thais kick each other repeatedly was oddly compelling, not that I'll be adding boxing to my list of "must tries". Still, I've now attended my first blood sport, which had to happen sooner or later.
The evening saw me grabbing more spicy food and head to bed. See you tomorrow...
I was just taking a picture of the dominating Democracy Monument when a friendly young Thai came up to me and offered me a tuk-tuk tour of the city for very, very cheap. Now I'm not so dense as to figure there was no catch, so a bit of gentle probing revealed I'd be dropped off at one of the tailor shops in the city for the driver to pick up some free petrol. This seemed reasonable, so I hopped in.
Unfortunately there were slightly more shops than advertised, but in fairness they were spaced out around some genuine city sights (such as a HUGE standing Buddha and a HUGE reclining Buddha and several SMALLER Buddhas). I may have accidentally ordered some tailor-made shirts for much less than it would cost me back home. As long as they arrive tomorrow, I'll be happy.
In the evening I watched some muai thai - Thai boxing. I was persuaded to buy a ringside seat, which cost a touch more than I really wanted, but I figure you're always ripped off on the first day in a new country, so I might as well get ripped off properly. Not being an affectionado of Western style boxing, I'm not in the position to make sensible comparisons, but after a couple of rounds where the fighters seem to get to know each other they get positively brutal. Seeing surprisingly lightweight Thais kick each other repeatedly was oddly compelling, not that I'll be adding boxing to my list of "must tries". Still, I've now attended my first blood sport, which had to happen sooner or later.
The evening saw me grabbing more spicy food and head to bed. See you tomorrow...
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