Final Days in Cambodia

I am now back in Bangkok - still one of my favourite cities in Asia. The final days in Siem Reap were very enjoyable. And the pictures I've gathered will be a testament to the memories I've had.

On Day 6, Pilu and I went to one of the oldest temples known to exist in Cambodia, called Beng Mealea. It is mostly untouched from the way it was discovered, other than some walkways and safety supports put in. Most of the walls have tumbled down, and what remains upright are largely covered with strangler fig trees. The whole temple is shaded from the surrounding forest, and most of the stones are green with moss. Because this temple is about 90 minutes drive from Siem Reap, it is not that popular with tourists. We saw only a handful of Japanese tour groups, and pretty much had the place to ourselves.
On Day 7, we took a tour of Tonle Sap lake by boat. This lake is the heartbeat of Cambodia and is the largest fresh water lake in SE Asia. The lake changes in size depending on the season. During the wet season (May - Oct), the Mekong River rises rapidly, and flows into the lake. The lake can swell from 2m to 10m in depth, and increase in size from 2500 sq km to over 13000 sq km. During the dry season (Nov - Apr), the flow changes, and the lake drains out to the Mekong River, lowering the lake and reducing the fishing.

There are entire villages that thrive on the lake, complete with restaurants, schools, churches and livestock pens. As the lake changes size, the villages move along with it, to follow where the fish are. When we were touring the lake, there were countless women with small children begging for money wherever tourists would be. It was kind of sad to watch, because there were so many. It was strong evidence of the poverty in Cambodia and how vital tourism is to the country.


So, now I am back in Thailand. I will spend the next month or so in a final push to locate some work. I will be concentrating my job hunt on Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. And of course, I will be taking photos of Bangkok with every chance I get.

Angkor What?

Day 5.
I have to say, I've been blessed with perfect weather since I've been here. It rained a little bit on the first morning, but not since. I was expecting rain every day. It's hot and sunny with a few white puffy clouds - perfect for photos.
Yesterday, I hit the Big 3 temples. They are the ones that tourists go to for a 'must see' tour if they only have one day. They include the eponymous Angkor Wat, the tree covered Ta Prohm, and the iconic Bayon. When people see photos of this region of the world, it's likely that they would see images of one of these 3 sites. They are the most popular, and the most overrun with busloads of tourists.
Angkor Wat
Ta Prohm

This time, I hired a tuk tuk to get me back and forth. Since I've been there before, I didn't really need a guide. Besides, this time it was purely a photographic journey. I was on the hunt for images for my stock portfolio. That means, I would plant myself in one spot, patiently waiting for the crowds to disperse for that split second for a photo. Despite the crowds, I still managed to get lots of photos with no tourists. I think it was because of the time of day I was in the temples. Whatever the reason, I am happy with the results.
Bayon
Bayon

Today, I visited another set of temples to the southeast of Siem Reap, called the Roluos Group. It was 3 temples dating back to the 9th century, and is in an area that was once the capitol of Angkor. These temples were pretty much tourist free. But they are all quite small, in comparison to the Big 3. The best of the 3 temples was one called Bakong. It is very well preserved, considering the age. The other 2 temples were very small, and largely destroyed from age and weathering.
Bakong

When I was leaving Bakong, I decided I wanted something to drink. When I made this somewhat clear, I was surrounded by young girls, all trying to sell me a beer. They were all yelling to get my attention - all competing for a $2 sale. They were ravenous. It was hard to figure out who deserved the coveted sale. One young girl - she must have been 12 - suggested they compete for my $2 by playing a game amongst themselves. They gathered in a circle and started playing a game that seemed like rock/paper/scissors to me. They were got louder as the game progressed. Eventually, a winner was determined, and the losing girls sulked away. With the beer finally in my possession, I opened it, and it sprayed everywhere. I guess it was shaken during the excitement of the competition.

Tomorrow, I am traveling far afield from Siem Reap. I am going to a temple that is also overgrown with forestation. It's known to be popular amongst photographers. So, I am looking forward to it.

Reap-ing the rewards of Cambodia

It's day 3 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I've really enjoyed my time here so far. And I am learning a lot. For instance, I learned that the name "Siem Reap" means "Siam Defeated" - a reference to the ongoing feud with Thailand next door. Though, the name is somewhat ambitious, since Thailand has conquered this part of Asia many times over. Even today, I read in the paper about border and temple disputes between the neighbouring countries.

I spent my first full day, exploring a wide range of different temples and Wats around the region. I hired a local guide name Pilu - an intelligent young man that speaks English very well (not to mention Khmer and Mandarin). I gave pretty loose instructions to my guide: I am here to take photos - show me the photogenic parts of Cambodia. He told me that he enjoyed having me as a client, because he didn't have to talk so much, explaining the history of the temples. I am somewhat interested in the history, but not that much. I am mostly concerned that I get the name of the temple spelled correctly.


So, on day one, I visited 7 temples. I could list them all here, but even I can't make sense of all the names. Lots of temples have similar sounding names, that only locals can tell apart. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every temple for different reasons. What I found particularly interesting, from a photographic point of view was that all 7 temples are seldom visited by the hordes of tourists that you see in the main Big 3 temples.


On day two, we took a longer journey into one of the local mountains, called Phnom Kulea. The attractions on this mountain are plenty. There is a Buddhist temple (or is that Pagoda?) carved into the mountain side. There is a famous river where there is reportedly more than 1000 lingas carved into the bedrock in the flowing river. (For those who don't know: Linga = penis). Much to my disappointment, we didn't see many of them, because the water was too high, thanks to the rainy season. Oh well, you see one carved penis, you've seen them all, right?

The highlight of the mountain though, was the waterfall. This is a very popular leisure site amongst the Khmer people, and understandably so. It's a very long drive up a treacherous road, but very much worth the trip. The waterfall has many levels, with some that are safe for swimming in. It was a nice day, and not at all what I've assumed I would see in Cambodia.



Over the next few days, I will be spending more time visiting Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayan (those are the Big 3). They are bound to be overrun by tourists, but I will make the best of it.

Onward...

It's my last day in Hong Kong. After more than 3 months here (with a few side trips), I've decided that I have to move on. I've been looking for work here, but have had very little success in my search. I know I will miss Hong Kong, and especially the many friends I have here. I wish that things were different, and that I was able to find permanent work here, but that just wasn't to be.

So, today I have a flight south to Bangkok. I've decided to reposition myself in Thailand for a month or so while continuing my job hunt. Thailand is considerably cheaper to live in than Hong Kong. And when you don't have a steady income, that's a big factor to consider. I will continue to hunt for jobs in Hong Kong, while I am in Bangkok. But I think the best chances for me lay in Thailand and Singapore.

But, before I settle in to Bangkok, I am going to take a side trip to Cambodia. I was in that country for a week last November, and I really enjoyed my time there. On that trip I spent time in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. This time I will spend a whole week in Siem Reap. Siem Reap is the closest town to Angkor Wat - considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. I will be exploring the many temples of the area for the whole week. Last time I was only able to spend one day in Angkor. And considering the area is about 400 square kilometers, that is not nearly enough time. I really only saw the highlights. This time I hope to see all the hidden areas only locals see.

It will likely be raining most days when I am in Cambodia (it is the rainy season), but that won't dampen my spirits for photos. It will likely only rain for a portion of the day, so I will still be able to get some shooting in. Then, on to Bangkok!