this is the first time i traveled in another time zone.we left manila at 930pm, and arrived at bangkok 1145pm bangkok time, it actually took 3 hours to get there.
my travel buddy rhona and i had a short episode like Tom Hanks' movie "The Terminal," because we had several hours to kill before we leave the airport.we now have a mental map of the place. :)
all i can say about our 1st day is that the travel was epic.18 hours! bus rides fr the airport to mochit bus station then to aranyaprathet.border crossing was a bit overwhelming. the cambodian officials warning us of scams.we met a russian couple Yuna and Demetri to share a taxi to siem reap.we arrived dusk at Red Lodge, with a bit of rain.
the town center did not disappoint. think boracay without the beach, albeit smaller.our 1st real meal (dinner na) for the day is Hot Pot.
day 1, october 4, tuesday
5am-tuktuk picked us up and brought us to angkor archaeological park. one day pass 20usd. saw sun rise in angkor wat. teeming w tourists, but managed to take decent photos.cloudy, which was great weather to walk around the temples.took us 2 hrs to tour angkor wat alone.each temple has different character.can't stop taking pictures! we managed to see all major temples in a day, eventhough the park was huge!
there is a serenity in walking these temples, some has altars where you can offer incense.it would've been nice just to sit there and enjoy the quiet.sometimes it made me think of UP, with the vibrant green lawn surrounding the temples.visited ta prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed.we got lost inside Preah Kahn-exited another gate; didn't know it had 3 exits.Bayon was beautiful.Pre Rup is made of red stones, makes for pretty pictures.my last temple at sunset, it was only me inside.i didn't dare to make a turn in fear of getting lost and no one to help me get out.
the cambodian people are the friendliest.their voice has a soft singing tone to it, ang lambing! tuloy, lahat ng nagbebenta sa kin, lalo na bata, gusto kong bilhan. if i don't, i feel like i'm breaking their hearts.i end up giving them candy.
lunch was khmer dish amok, fish and vegetables cooked in light coconut soup.
we went home at dusk tired but happy.
we had an oil massage, but personally i didn't find it very good. parang mas okay sila kung dry massage,they use a towel and vigorously rub you.
 |
| cambodian border |
 |
| angkor wat |
 |
| Pre Rup |
 |
| mukhang tanga lang :) |
 |
| nakatira sa temple |
 |
| lokals |
Excellent trip! How much is a Tuktuk and bus ride? Have you visited the Choeung Ek monment? Good luck on your adventure! : )
ReplyDeletethe tuktuk fr aranyaprathet bus station to the cambodian border office is 80 baht for 2 people.bus fr airport to mochit bus station is 34 baht. we took a shared taxi fr poipet cambodia border to siem reap. fastest and most convenient. there weren't any buses operating when we arrived. 600 baht each. maybe 2 hrs long.
ReplyDelete