MY JOURNEY: CAMBODIA (5TH-9TH DECEMBER 2007)

5th DEC ~Finally reach at Phnom Penh International Airport. Took about 3 hours from KLIA. Very tiring. The 1st day all gone for that plane ride. Reach in the afternoon. Tour guide Mr. Nara from Phnom Penh waited at the airport. Then took us for a short visit to the Independence Monument and some sovenuir shops. Then at 6pm, he took us for dinner at a restaurant named "123". After dinner, we checked in to the hotel, PHNOM PENH HOTEL. Such a beautiful hotel.. 4 star. The Xmas decoration was so beautiful, with lights all over the places. And later that night, after a warm bath... we took a "tooktook", a so called motor ride around the city for about an hour... cost USD7 for that ride. The ride took us to the fruit market and all the night life in the city area. The road was obviously dusty even at night. We could see through the car beams. But the ride was an eye opener.

INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT at the city center

Dinner served at Restaurant 123. More like chinese dishes, right. But the fish was something new. Imagine... this meal costed 1 month salary for the poor Cambodians. Not many have the opportunity to enjoy such good food, as many Cambodians are from poor backgrounds.

Xmas decoration at the hotel. Lights everywhere.

PHNOM PENH HOTEL. Look at the architacture. Looks like a temple roof. If you come here by yourselves, a deluxe room can cost you USD160 per night.

This is what they call "TOOKTOOK". A motor ride around the city area. Will take about an hour, costing about USD7. But its worthwhile coz you get to see the night view of the Independence Monument, the Central Market, and the streets. But sometimes scary too, coz you never know where the rider might take you to. Just cross your heart, and pray that the rider is a good person. :p

This is the Fruit market. Lots of colourful fruits, arranged carefully. Most fruit looks familiar except for a few of them. All the stalls sell the same type of fruits.

This is the one I ve never seen b4 in my entire life. Forgot what its called.. smtg like "LAKAN". I think so. Didnt try it. Afraid of stomach pain.

6th DEC~ Our first destination was the ROYAL PALACE. This is the Buddha Tree. Where he meditates and was tested by the temptations. This tree is just at right after the entrance to the Grand Palace.

ROYAL PALACE constructed over a century ago . This is where the king lives. Now King Norodom Sihamoni is living there too. This building is call the Throne Hall. We visited all other buildings Chanchhaya Pavilion (public get to see royal events), Hor Samran Phirun (the king mount his elephant here), Damnak Chan (the current administrative office), Phochani Pavilion (for classical dance theater), 'Silver Pagoda’ (where the King meets with monks to listen to their sermons), Keong Preah Bath (got Buddha footprint).

The white building on the left is call the NAPOLEON III PAVILION. Build by Napolean III's wife. It is constructed entirely of iron.

A pair of couple, Dave and Jas joined us at WAT PHNOM. Wat Phnom is one of the most important pagodas in Phnom Penh. Built on an artificial hill by the wealthy widow Daun Chi Penh. The story goes like that, "Daun Chi Penh was a wealthy and prosperous widow who is a resident on a high land at the west river bank of Chrap Chheam River which nowadays is known as Sap River. Once during a massive flooding, plenty of Koki trees float pass her residential hut. She then found the five Buddha statues in one of the flowing Koki tree and ordered her servant to immediately build a hill to accommodate the holy stone. And that's what we call Wat phnom".

WAT PHNOM

This is TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM. Initially, it was a school. During the Vietnam War, taken over by Pol Pot's forces and was turned into the S-21 prison camp, where Cambodians were detained and tortured. You cant imagine the tools used to touture them. So inhuman. The tools are still there. Those victims photos are taken before being torture to death. Some being electrified, some skru their brains off... :(

THE KILLING FIELDS~1.7 to 2.3 million people died here, killed by the Khmer Rouge.
There were so many skeleton heads in that white building. Everyone goes there and pay their respect. The tour guide say he was one of the victim too. He was only 7 years old that time. I was terrified to see the way they kill babies. They hit those babies on the tree. They didnt want to waste their bullets. And they use the sugar palm leaves to cut people's neck. :(

It is said that many of those involve are still alive today. Some are those soldier who torture people too.

They were massively buried in these grave dug by themselves.

On the way to Melong River, I manage to get a glimpse of how pigs were caught here. They were tied in those nets.... very interesting way of transporting these pigs.

Taking the boat to see sunset at MEKONG RIVER. It is the 11th-longest river in the world.

Scenery of the sunset beyond the Grand Palace

We are back to our phnom Penh hotel.

7th DEC 2007~ Early in the morning, we headed for Siem Reap by bus. A 6-hour journey there. The country side was very dusty and the road was very narrow. We crossed a lot of pond and wood houses. We finally reach Siem Reap about noon time. We stopped nearby some streets for a rest and toilets. Heres what I saw selling nearby the market. ..Fried insects. One of the most weird looking food. 20sen one bug. Kids were surround asking us to buy for them. As they were very poor to even had a chance to taste it.

The kids there looks like those in movies. The strongers survive. They compete in asking for food and begging for money.

Some were abnormally born which make them hard to move around.

Finally we reach to our hotel~ SOMADEVI ANGKOR HOTEL

Our first destination was the ARTISAN D ANGKOR. Here's were those arts and craved sourveniors are being processed.

The whole piece of arts is craved slowly by this man. Highly skilled profesionals. But they are paids not so profesional... however they are considered well paid compare to other profesions....
Next we headed for the Tonle Sap River to catch the sunset. This is me looking behind those windows.... The village by the river..

Sunset behind us.

When our boat stop to view the sunset, Villages along the TonLe Sap River would come with their little boats to trade their goods.

Time for dinner at the Cultural night. The cambodia perform their cultural dance here. Most of the dances are very young.

8th DEC 2007~ TEMPLES BANYONThis is the big tree grown on top of the temples. It was impossible to get rid f it, as the roots has grown and act as a support for the roof of the temple.

This is the ECHO chamber. Looking at the chimney, I took a snap. This chamber is believed to give good luck by leaning against the wall and make a wish. After making a wish, hit your chest seven times hard and you can hear the echo goes through the chimney.