Wat country
It's been a while since I've felt inclined to write just a week after my previous bout of the typed equivalent of verbal diarrhea but it's been quite a week so....
Last Saturday afternoon Hannah arrived back in HK and after a couple of days doing the tourist essentials of the Big Buddha and local food it was time for the annual dragon boat festival at Stanley where I was racing for Hudson's recruitment (nothing to do with the new job just a mates company team that was trying to step up!).
As Hannah and I were due to fly to Phnom Penh the afternoon of the races I unfortunately only had time to guide the boat to a rather spectacular 7th place in the first qualifying race. Now out of 11 boats 7th may not sound too good but given we'd 1) hardly trained and 2) were late to the starting line so were knackered even before we started I think we did ok and it was certainly great fun. That said it was nothing on Cambodia.
Cambodia was amazing, the people are friendly, the countryside beautiful, the food's delicious and the modern history as horrific as the ancient history is spectacular.
We had about a day in the capital, Phnom Penh where we first ate amok (fish in banana skins cooked with coconut, lemon grass and chilies) and visited the Russian markets where you could by everything from north face rucksacks to H&M tops to local trinkets and fabulous food (no idea what was in it but the half savory cake/ half pancake was great and the magwistine - fruit but not as you know it - was even better).
The other highlight of Phnom Penh were the killing fields. As you might imagine not a fun place to visit given it was the site of the slaughter of about 17,000 men women and children under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and '78 and home to a gory shrine containing 8985 human sculls, but very interesting and a testament to the Cambodia people and their spirit as they deal with such a bloody past.
After Phnom Penh it was on to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Even the journey there was great passing though mile upon mile of farmland but the Wat (temple) ruins were something else. Angkor Wat - the worlds largest religious building - was spectacular at sunrise but my favorite Wat was Bayon, which has 216 faces carved into the walls meaning somewhat weirdly wherever you are in it you are watched by giant faces of the god-king of the day (Jayavarman VII in about 1200 AD).
If you're heading that way my other top tips are the temple of Banteay Srei and its carvings, Vong out tuck tuk driver, Ta Prohm of Tomb Raider fame, finding your camera that you thought had been stolen in the Russian markets, blind massages at La Noira hotel and aircon.
June is in the middle of the monsoon season but we were incredibly lucky to not be caught in the rain once but it was hot hot hot so escaping to the hotel pool and a nice air-conditioned room was a lifesaver - so pleased I abandoned my cheapskate tendencies for the week!
And after all that it was back to HK for me and London for Hannah, I have to admit I didn't envy her additional 12 hours flying time but hopefully the trip was worth it as we managed to cram an amazing amount in to a fantastic few days.
For me its Shenzhen in China tomorrow to get suits made for the new job then all being well
Lhasa in Tibet at the end of the week but after that who knows so watch this space.
Aw Kohn and good night.
JP
Last Saturday afternoon Hannah arrived back in HK and after a couple of days doing the tourist essentials of the Big Buddha and local food it was time for the annual dragon boat festival at Stanley where I was racing for Hudson's recruitment (nothing to do with the new job just a mates company team that was trying to step up!).
As Hannah and I were due to fly to Phnom Penh the afternoon of the races I unfortunately only had time to guide the boat to a rather spectacular 7th place in the first qualifying race. Now out of 11 boats 7th may not sound too good but given we'd 1) hardly trained and 2) were late to the starting line so were knackered even before we started I think we did ok and it was certainly great fun. That said it was nothing on Cambodia.
Cambodia was amazing, the people are friendly, the countryside beautiful, the food's delicious and the modern history as horrific as the ancient history is spectacular.
We had about a day in the capital, Phnom Penh where we first ate amok (fish in banana skins cooked with coconut, lemon grass and chilies) and visited the Russian markets where you could by everything from north face rucksacks to H&M tops to local trinkets and fabulous food (no idea what was in it but the half savory cake/ half pancake was great and the magwistine - fruit but not as you know it - was even better).
The other highlight of Phnom Penh were the killing fields. As you might imagine not a fun place to visit given it was the site of the slaughter of about 17,000 men women and children under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and '78 and home to a gory shrine containing 8985 human sculls, but very interesting and a testament to the Cambodia people and their spirit as they deal with such a bloody past.
After Phnom Penh it was on to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Even the journey there was great passing though mile upon mile of farmland but the Wat (temple) ruins were something else. Angkor Wat - the worlds largest religious building - was spectacular at sunrise but my favorite Wat was Bayon, which has 216 faces carved into the walls meaning somewhat weirdly wherever you are in it you are watched by giant faces of the god-king of the day (Jayavarman VII in about 1200 AD).
If you're heading that way my other top tips are the temple of Banteay Srei and its carvings, Vong out tuck tuk driver, Ta Prohm of Tomb Raider fame, finding your camera that you thought had been stolen in the Russian markets, blind massages at La Noira hotel and aircon.
June is in the middle of the monsoon season but we were incredibly lucky to not be caught in the rain once but it was hot hot hot so escaping to the hotel pool and a nice air-conditioned room was a lifesaver - so pleased I abandoned my cheapskate tendencies for the week!
And after all that it was back to HK for me and London for Hannah, I have to admit I didn't envy her additional 12 hours flying time but hopefully the trip was worth it as we managed to cram an amazing amount in to a fantastic few days.
For me its Shenzhen in China tomorrow to get suits made for the new job then all being well
Lhasa in Tibet at the end of the week but after that who knows so watch this space.
Aw Kohn and good night.
JP
posted by JP at 11:30 pm
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