At Changi (again)

My flight is due to depart in a couple of hours and I'm sort of relaxing in the lounge. I say 'sort of' as there is some cover band playing somewhere in the terminal and the sound is leaking in to the lounge.

I've done my best to ensure I get some sleep on the flight home - I got up early this morning, I've been out in the sun, I had some day time drinking action, I had a good dinner and now I'm enjoying a relaxed glass of red wine.......

I'm already looking at flights back out this way later in the year. Somewhere in November, northern Vietnam being the favourite right now.

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Transit

I'm in Singapore now - so south then a sharp return to head northwest and home.

The hot and sunny weather in the Kingdom of Cambodia has been replaced by a carbon copy in the Republic of Singapore (maybe a bit cooler actually). As I type this, sat at Brewerkz with a cold beer in front of me, I can't see a single cloud in the sky.

The sun and lack of shade did cause some trepidation when I went for a swim earlier. Normally when I'm 'in town' I tend to get my swimming out of the way in the morning - when the pool I go to is normally in shade. At 2pm today it was in full blazing sun. I slathered on as much sunblock as I had on me (love the smell of my travel sized Coppertone) and ventured forth. So far my back doesn't feel too bad, but I've probably got random red bits where I couldn't reach though!

So the plan is to stay here for a bit, grab a bite to eat and then head back to the airport in the evening.

(Wi-if here is proving temperamental so I've no idea when this will post.)

 

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Russian Market

I went to the Russian Market - so called because that's where the Russians used to shop in the good old days of the Cold War etc.

It had the normal tourist stuff that I've come to expect: wooden and stone statues of Buddha, t-shirts, silk products, dubious quality 'art' etc. I actually bought a couple of t-shirts, but having tried them on back at my hotel I think they won't get worn much as they are a bit on the tight size (I was advised to get a medium).

At the market I was more interested in the wet market area which all kinds of butchery and fish mongery going on. Environmental health inspectors in the UK would go mad!

 

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Deep Fried Baguette

Last day in Cambodia and I've marked it by having the first below par meal of my trip. It sounded good as described in the menu but when it turned up it was a bit meh (deep fried fish on half a baguette deep fried with a tomato salad). It was so unremarkable that I didn't bother taking a picture of it!

Hopefully things will be better this evening when I plan to go back to Friends......

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Competitive

There was a middle aged guy at the pool showing off his swimming 'ability' today. Well I wasn't having any of that, I didn't bring my goggles just for fun! I few lengths later and there was only one victor.

It's actually a good pool for swimming in and I reckon it's not far off 25 metres. If I went for an early swim, I don't know how the people having their breakfast in the poolside cafe would feel about getting splashed if I did tumble turns at their end!

Just had a thought - when do I start calling myself 'middle aged'!

 

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Meteorological Update

Today was mostly bloody hot and sunny. Rain shower at 6pm. Not heavy or long.

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Torture and the Killing Fields

For a bit of light relief today I went to a couple of 'must see' places on any Phnom Penh itinerary - the prison once called S-21 (now the Tuol Sleng genocide museum) and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.

Both were interesting and not nearly as grim as I'd anticipated. I think S-21 was the more interesting, thanks mainly to the meticulous records the Khmer Rouge maintained. Each prisoner (and by default torture victim) had their picture taken and there are copies and translations of their histories and also the bogus confession's they made (as a result of torture). Ultimately a lot of the Khmer Rouge top officials ended up there as intense paranoia lead them to turn on themselves.

The Killing Fields necessitated a death defying tuk-tuk ride to get there. This is where the inmates of S-21 were taken to be killed and disposed of. It's the first time I've been anywhere where there are signs saying 'Don't walk across the mass grave'! You can see fragments and pieces of bone everywhere. The main memorial, or Supa, has collection of skulls, most of which show signs of fracture or wounding with axes etc. - bullets were expensive.

All of it just highlights how utterly bonkers and evil the Khmer Rouge were. And because this happened in an era before mass communication and the Internet the world was blissfully unaware.

 

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Rain

No change in temperature between here and Siem Reap. The big difference is that there was a proper tropical rain shower. It didn't last long, but it was heavy. I was on a tuk-tuk at the time so was sheltered, otherwise I'd have been drenched

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Lunch for a Cause

I had another fantastic lunch today at a charity/training restaurant (Friends) - this one helps former street children to get a foot on the ladder of the hospitality industry.

The place was described as a 'tapas style' restaurant. In this case it was tapas as in small sharing plates as opposed to Iberico ham and Manchengo cheese. The plates were pretty eclectic with all kinds of cuisines represented. I stuck with an Asian theme and had an Asian mango coleslaw and a spicy grilled fish dish Really tasty and very well presented - in fact I'm thinking about going back there again!

 

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Fast Forward

The flight down here may have been short, but I feel as though I've travelled a couple of decades in terms of how much more developed Phnom Penh feels compared to Siem Reap. Lots more cars as opposed to motorbikes/scooter for a start.

The drive in from the airport was slow as we crawled along in traffic. The road infrastructure still needs to catch up.

My hotel is a little oasis near the Royal Palace. I think I can see the 'sights' of the city pretty quickly (there aren't many to be fair), so it's a good job my hotel has a nice pool to relax by!

In terms of 'sights' today I ticked off the Royal Palace, Central Market and the French Embassy.

Tonight I went for a drink at the FCC. I had a great spot with a view overlooking the Mekong river. Pretty cool. Just walking around afterwards I saw so many restaurants that I like the look of, but I'm running out of meal times! I need to chose wisely.

 

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Cambodia Angkor Air

So I swapped a 6-7 hour coach ride for a flight that lasted about 40 minutes. I was at my hotel in Phnom Penh at 10.30am - the only problem with this was that my room wasn't ready! So I spent an hour relaxing by the pool. Even with this delay I was I was still well ahead of where I'd have been if I had gone for the coach option.

On the short flight down we were served some water and a green cake thing (possibly lemon or lime flavour). The in-flight magazine was funny as it seemed google translate had been used to go from Cambodian to,English. Lots of curious turns of phrase!

 

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Hot

Did I mention how hot it has been today yet? Well it was an inferno again.

I was thinking about going back out to Angkor Wat this afternoon, but after drowning in my own sweat this morning I decided not to bother. The combination of the most powerful sunshine that I've experienced (even stronger than when I got sunburnt in Koh Samui in 2002) and a temple made of stone - brilliant at soaking up the heat and reflecting it back - didn't seem like fun.

So I spent a couple of relaxing hours by the pool of my hotel instead. I am on holiday after all!

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Tuk-tuk & Massage

I took my first tuk-tuk rides today. Previously for short trips I'd walked and for my temple touring I had a driver in a car.

It was certainly experience - quite slow, but I have absolutely no idea if there are any road rules that people obey. I was thinking about hiring a bike today, but I'm glad I didn't. I think I'd have been petrified at the first crossroads I came to.

My other interesting experience was a full body oil (ginger infused for muscle relaxation) massage. Pretty cheap and very good, and interesting because I've never had to get totally naked for a massage before (I had a towel for a degree of modesty). I did choose a place that was so far above board it was it was hovering in mid-air, but there are plenty of reports about massage places where all kind of 'extras' are for offer. Thankfully that wasn't an issue here!

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For the Kids....

Had a fantastic lunch at a place called Sala Bai today. It's a vocational training centre/school which takes impoverished adolescents and gives them skills in the hospitality industry which will hopefully lead to them getting jobs - so far a 100% success rate.

The criteria for selection are quite strict and there is a deliberate favouring of girls as they have fewer opportunities and are at greater risk from the sex trade and people trafficking (yes, it really is a problem here). 100 students between the ages of 17 and 23 are chosen each year and the school is funded via a French charity and by running a restaurant and small hotel (plus other donations).

My lunch was from the set (Asian) menu and it was delicious. The service was top notch as well. My three course lunch cost $9 (I also had a refreshing Sala Bai iced tea - cocktail of the day (non-alcoholic)). Total bargain for the quality.

 

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Beer

I've had a few beers since I've been here - why would I drink anything else (apart from water) when it costs about $1 for a cold draught (about 330mls)? In fact at the bar I was at this evening it was $0.50 for a draught Anchor during happy hour (the distinction between Anchor and Angkor can be confusing when ordering!).

The beers sold in the various places I've been to have generally consisted of: Cambodia, Angkor, Anchor and Tiger. There is a place that was selling 8.5% Duvel (in a bottle), but that would be lethal out here - dehydration and all. Interestingly canned beer generally costs about $0.25 more than draught - no idea why, colder maybe? (When served a can of beer you usually get a frozen glass to poor it in to).

Anyway enough of being a beer bore......

 

 

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Poverty

One of the temples I went to today was about 30kms away from the main Angkor Wat temple area. The drive there was an eye opener - unmade roads and all kinds of crazy vehicles and mad driving behaviour (reinforces my decision not to go by coach to Phnom Penh).

Aside from the traffic, the real thing I noticed was how 'poor' the small villages we were driving through looked. No electricity and practically a subsistence existence. The sort of thing which probably exists in places I've visited like Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand, but have not seen or been conscious of.

It seems surreal that Siem Reap is a fixture on the SE Asian tourist trail - I wonder how much of the tourist dollar trickles down to those surviving in the countryside a short tuk-tuk ride from the bars of Pub Street?

Anyway, time for a beer (locally brewed Angkor Beer).

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Rain

Needless to say it was another roasting hot day stumbling amongst ruined temples.

I asked my driver whether he thought it would rain today - he'd been so sure on the previous day. This time he was a bit more hesitant and came down of the side of it staying dry. Needless to say his forecasting fallibility was proven when there were a couple of showers in the late afternoon/early evening.

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Dawn

The alarm was set for 3.50am. It went off and I sort of stumbled out of bed. Jet lag and lack of sleep be damned. The order of events for the next hour was: make coffee, do rehab exercises, shave, shower, slather on sunblock (with added insect repellant), pack bag, go to reception to pick up picnic breakfast. (There may also have been some toilet usage in there as well!)

My driver was waiting for me at 5am and off we set for "sunrise at Angkor Wat". Except we didn't got to Angkor Wat as that would be full of Chinese tour groups. Instead we went to Sra Sang (Pool of Ablutions) - much quieter and the potential for good sunrise reflections in the water.

Truth be told the actual sunrise was a bit underwhelming - the variability of the natural world. My breakfast picnic was good, I created a ham and fried egg baguette from the items I ordered and there was a load of fresh cut fruit.

One big bonus at being out at this mad hour was that when I went on to visit other temples they were pretty quiet - the Chinese tend to go back to their hotels for breakfast after sunrise!

 

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Early Bird

I had a day off from temples today. However, it is now almost 10pm and I'm ready for bed. The reason for this is that tomorrow I'm being picked up at 5am to go out to Angkor Wat for sunrise - one of the must-do things when in Siem Reap!

 

I've arranged from my breakfast picnic - the hotels are all geared up for this - and I'm just hoping that I'll be able to get to sleep ok. So far my jetlag has just meant I feel tired early in the morning. Tomorrow though I'll be getting up about half an hour before I normally go to bed. It better be worth it!

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Rat Murder

So there I was enjoying my second or third glass of ice cold draught Anchor beer ($0.75 for 330ml) at The Soup Dragon on Pub Street when I heard all kinds of shrieking and and a general commotion coming from behind me. I turned around to see a member of the kitchen staff chasing after a pretty healthily sized rat and then proceeding to stamp on it a few times.

Needless to say the shrill noise the rat was making stopped after a few stamps. I didn't witness the full rat genocide and I also didn't see where the dead (I presume) rat was taken.

I'd already decided I'd have dinner elsewhere!

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Transport

I Booked my transport to Phnom Penh today. I was originally going to go by coach, but after reading a few recent mixed reviews of the various bus companies, and the fact that because of roadworks the journey takes about 6 1/2 hours at the moment, I decided I'd fly instead.

So this morning I booked a one way ticket to Phnom Penh on Cambodia Angkor Air. I've gone for a higher cost ($97 v. $13) but hopefully something more comfortable and a load faster (40mins v. 6 1/2hrs).

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Thermostat

Another hot day. The driver that took me to my hotel on Sunday and then drove me around Angkor Wat yesterday said on both days that it is the rainy season and seemed certain that the merest hint of a cloud in the sky meant rain was coming.

So far his forecasting accuracy has been poor. Maybe it will rain later in the week, but whatever happens it will continue to be properly hot.

 

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Nutrition

I ate far too much last night, fortunately I was able to have a relatively light breakfast of fruit and a croissant (French influence).

My morning sweating in the sun as a tramped over various temples didn't kick start my appetite as I'd hoped. I think the vast amount of water I was drinking didn't help. I had no say in where I had lunch as my driver for the day dropped me off at restaurant -- it seemed to be the spot where lots of people were taken to by drivers/guides, I reckon the drivers get some kind of commission. Anyway I had pretty decent beef salad which was had the benefit of being quite light.

For dinner I had a tasting platter of Khmer food from Angkor Palm restaurant. Very good, and importantly I didn't feel like I was going to burst afterwards!

 

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The Killing Fields

There are two DVDs in my room. One is a history of Angkor Wat and the other is The Killing Fields -- one of my favourite films (I have the DVD at home).

So tonight after my tiring day, instead of propping up a bar on Pub Street drinking cheap Cambodian beer I'm going to watch a film about the horrors of the Cambodian civil war and the Khmer Rouge. If this was twitter the hash tag would be #perspective.

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Temples

A roasting hot day spent visiting the temple complexes at Angkor Thom and then after lunch the mighty Angkor Wat.

Saying it was hot is an understatement. I was on the Bayon temple at about 8.30am and about 10 seconds later I was drenched in sweat. The combination of jetlag and extreme heat wasn't pleasant. But I struggled on.

I was at Angkor Wat at about 12.30pm. 'Mad dogs and Englishmen' as they say. This was a sort of deliberate ploy as the fierce sun and sweltering temperatures mean that the Chinese tour groups stay away until later. In fact as I left the site at about 2.30pm I passed some big groups as they were heading in.

After clambering amongst the temples -- some in good condition, others being restored -- it was paradise to cool down with a dip in my hotel pool. Practically a religious experience!

 

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Mind the Gap

Not the points difference between Spurs and Arsenal but the gap year traveller types that are all around. I guess Cambodia is part of the Indochina circuit with Thailand and Vietnam (and maybe Laos).

Anyway lots of tanned young people who probably aren't counting down the days until they are back in work.

Not jealous at all!

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Siem Reap

A short post as I'm majorly tired and the Merseyside Derby is adding to my desire to go to sleep.

So after the long flight to Singapore and then the 2 hour hop to Siem Reap I got a nice big Cambodian visa in my passport (it takes up a whole page). I got a taxi to my hotel and had the big sell on hiring the driver for a whole day to take me around Angkor Wat. I caved in and agreed on a 8am start tomorrow and a $25 fee for the day!

It is hot here. 35+ degrees hot. I spent the afternoon slowly walking around the centre of Siem Reap - lots of water consumed and turned in to sweat. I did a small loop and ended up on Pub Street. Lots of bars and restaurants - I stopped at the Warehouse for few draught Cambodia beers.

I was in need of something more powerful to cool me off. So it was back to my hotel for a quick dip in the pool.

In the evening it was back to the Pub Street area for a Khmer meal and then a couple more beers whilst watching the football. The Khmer meal was coconut rich (as well as there being a lot of it), so I was struggling to drink my beer.

I left the bar I was in at halftime and walked back to my hotel.

Time for bed now, and hopefully some decent sleep before temple overload tomorrow!

 

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