Otres Beach

Last night we again strolled the beach and found a nice beach front restaurant. The shade temperature during the day had been 28c, and the evening 26c. Again had BBQ, Janina had a pineapple shake......the best she had ever tasted. Walking back to our hotel we passed the stage where the concert and New Year Celebrations will be televised from. They were doing rehearsals, already lots of Cambodians crowding around. We could still here it as we climbed into bed, with fireworks still being set off from the beach area, but after a long day we soon went to sleep. Woke up this morning with temperatures set to be the same, so decided to take a tuk tuk to Opres Beach after breakfast. Walked out from the hotel and expected to find the usual tuk tuks hanging around. But no......the roads which had been turned into a one way system overnight was heaving with traffic. Thousands of Cambodians were flooding into the area, tuk tuks waiting for passengers were nowhere to be seen. Lots of police on duty directing traffic and temporary car parks had been set up, but still cars parked in any spare places along the roadside. Finally managed to flag down a tuk tuk, he was not keen to take us to Opres beach and when finally saying yes wanted 10 dollars. After a bit of bartering and pretending to walk away he agreed to 6 dollars.......still pretty good for 15 min journey. So now laying on our sun loungers, the restaurant behind us has wifi so able to get on line. Will switch from my iPad to Janina's net book to try and add pictures.

We both had a massage (I had a pedicure as well)

 

The tuk tuk from the beach had trouble reaching our hotel because of the traffic which is worse than when we left this morning, and we agreed to walk the last 300 metres as it was quicker.

Normally a quiet 2 way road

The main TV channel is showing all the activities which are happening around the beach area and on the stage.
Just been for a walk about,(6.00pm) the Cambodian end of the beach is very crowded mainly with families having their picnics on the beach or in large covered areas laid out with tables and chairs.



Beach food sellers


 As we walked towards the tourist area it became quieter.........too early to start partying for us westerners. Back at the main stage the entertainment was on hold as the band for all the performing artists were having technical problems.....so much for the rehearsals. 30 mins later all was under way. We watched three acts and noticed there was no applause.....how strange!



Cambodia's top male singer on stage

Just 4 hours to go for us, so we'll be tucked up in bed as you celebrate.

So from us a very

HAPPY NEW YEAR

xx J & J 

Sinhanoukville - Day Tour

Wifi here very slow so may not be able to upload photographs.
The day started with breakfast at one of the beach restaurants. A mini bus transferred us to the pickup for the hour and half boat ride down river, mangrove swamps on either side. A bit boring, but for the occasional sea eagles flying overhead and one swooping down to catch a fish.
Arrived at an island and landed on deserted beach for an hour. The sea was nice and warm, it was nice to relax after the hard seats of the boat. The depth of water was no more than 3ft however far you walked out, Janinia was happy she could swim and not feel out of her depth.
From the beach we strolled......... trekking it said in the itinerary, across the island for an hour. Saw several new butterflies to us ,so we were kept amused. Came to a local village where we had lunch in a hut built out into the sea. Barracuda fish, salad and a crispy bread roll washed down with a coke......shame they had no draught beer.
From here the boat headed back up river, stopping at a tower for a view across the canopy. Not very high but the spiral staircase was very steep and did not always have a hand rail on the outside Only 8 people at a time were allowed on the structure at a time in case it collapsed.

An interesting day in parts, but it only cost $20 including transport drinks and lunch.

Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville

Our last night in Phnom Penh, we will not be sorry to leave. Not because of the what we have seen away from this capital city, but Phnom Penh is just the pits. The streets are dirty with rubbish and rubbish bags littering the edge of the roads. Buildings in general are dirty and in a poor state of repair. Tuk tuks, motorbikes and cars park on the pavements, which along with the rubbish means everyone has to walk in the road. The quality of food is good from the cheapo to the expensive, but overall is more expensive than are previous destinations. Time for bed, now watching The Queens Speech on telly.
Up bright and early this morning ,decided to have breakfast at the guesthouse. Ordered 2 poached eggs on toast, that should be easy. But no, they had spooned water out with the eggs when putting them on the plate and then laid the toast on the water......soggy toast.

                                                OUR GUESTHOUSE AT PHNOM PENH

Pick up for the coach was on time and the coach left only 10 mins late. Although we had not picked the cheapest coach, we noticed there was no toilet. Hopefully there would be a stop during the 5 hr journey. Unfortunately a young Swedish girl needed to go after 90 mins of travelling and asked the driver if he could stop, the nearest rest room is of course the edge of the road. So over he pulled, the girl followed by several other men and women followed.

Arrived in Sihanoukville, the bus station was outside of town so you have no choice but to use a tuk tuk. They started at $6 for the 15 min journey, we had just paid $7 each for a 5hr bus ride!!!! Eventually managed to get it for $4. The driver told us that Sihanoukville would be invaded by 100,000 people on New Years Eve. The President would be staying in the hotel next to ours and the celebrations would be broadcast on television. There would be a concert and fireworks along the seafront, beautiful white sand beach with bars and restaurants all along, just minutes from our hotel...looks like we will be in the middle of it. Walked down to the beach this evening for dinner, all the deckchairs had been replaced by tables and big wicker armchairs. We had drinks and a wonderful BBQ with the sea lapping a few yards from our feet. Kids were already selling fireworks so the night sky was lit with exploding colours of light.

The Killing Fields

We knew today would be an emotional and profoundly disturbing day, but one which anybody in Cambodia must do to understand what they have been through and how well they have come out of it.
The visit to to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and then a tour of The Killing Field is an experience that brings you close to the darkest depths of mankind's capacity for brutality. From 1975 until 1979, an estimated 17,000 prisoners were tortured at Tuol Sleng and died, or were executed in the nearby Killing Fields.
The museum is the school which back in 1975 was converted to a prison of torture where all but 7 of the detainees died of starvation, torture and suicide,or being found guilty of being a traitor and taken to the Killing Field for execution. The Khymer Rouge kept details of every prisoner, perhaps what is most haunting is the look in the eyes of the newly arrived, one wing of the buildings is dedicated to these very arrival photos. Thousands upon thousands of people staring at you across history....... some terrified, some bewildered.
We also watched a 60 min documentary of a family over that 5 year period, it was difficult to watch in parts very sad and emotional, and for me sometimes difficult to hold back the tears.

Back at our Guesthouse we stood at a cross roads for 15 mins or so and took these photographs.

ANOTHER ROAD SWEEPER CLEARING LEAVES

STREET SELLERS

CYCLO CARRYING PASSENGER

CYCLO WITH PASSENGER AND HIS MOTORBIKE

MOTORBIKE WITH PASSENGER AND HER BIKE

MOTORBIKE TOWING LONG LOAD

Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Woke up early this morning to pack and have breakfast before being picked up and taken to bus station for journey back to Phnom Penh. Don't think I mentioned the cost of the coach when booking includes tuk tuk or mini bus picking you up......saves lugging all the bags around. Also when booking they assign a seat number against your name, hotel and room number, so will not leave without you. Very efficient, but they are always 15 to 30 mins late picking you up and the coach leaves up to 30 mins late.

Last night.........not being seasoned travellers, we discovered that the cheapest place to drink ( 1/2 Litre of beer 50 cents, a gin and tonic $1 ) is seldom the cheapest place to eat. So you start in one and then move to the other. Also you can take a small bottle of spirits in your pocket, order just a coke and add you own spirit.  These savings can add up over 2 to 6 months which seems the average length of backpackers travels
The previous night.....Christmas night we tried the open air restaurant, always seemed busy with up to 200 people. The popular dish appeared to be BBQ. Maybe it was our fault for ordering insufficient, but the potato was very small and only just warm, the skewers of chicken and pork were 95% red and green peppers and onions, with just 3 small pieces of meat. The salad was just 4 leaves of lettuce, and our chosen sauce just lightly brushed over the top.The skewers cost $.90, & the potato $.75, but that wasn't the point.Janina was craving a potato for Christmas dinner! If we had complained I think they would have claimed not to understand.

A selection of people pictures takenover the last two days.

COOKING BY THE ROADSIDE

SELLING DRIED FISH AND BUGS

A BIKE FOR TWO

A BIKE FOR THREE

                                                                OR EVEN FOUR

Kompong Pluk Village

At the end of yesterdays trip to the temples we were asked......as usual, by the tuk tuk driver could he take us anywhere tomorrow. I was about to say no when he mentioned amongst other places the Flooded Forest of Komponk Pluk.  I had read about this village in the lonely planet book so agreed a price of $10 for the tuk tuk and he said it would be $15-20 each for the boat ride to, and back from the village. Before settling down for bed I searched the Internet for reviews, as usual a mixed bag of good and bad with comments of the extortionate cost of the entrance to the village.
So today when picked up by the tuk tuk we quizzed him on what we would see and the costs, in his broken english he said every thing would be ok. Still a little hesitant off we set, after 40 minutes of driving we left the main roads for a dirt track. The normal  bamboo and wood shacks of the poorer class were dotted along each side of the road.



Live pigs on back of motorbike


We stopped to pay for the boat and it was only $20 each. Feeling happier the tuk tuk took us further down the dirt track which became rather bumpy and uneven. We reached the end of the track, a busy dock with small to large motorised boats waiting to take passengers the final couple of kilometres along the Roluos river to the village itself which sits on the edge of the Tonle Sap lake.         ( We were lucky to arrive before the tour buses started to arrive, by the time we left the place was heaving with tourists and boats going up to the village. )

As we rounded the final bend the village came into sight, we had never seen anything like it before The houses of Kompong Pluk are built on top of wooden poles and stilts between six and eight metres high and tower over the boats moored along the river. This is because the  the lake and the rivers rise and fall up to 6/7 metres between wet and dry seasons. In the dry season they leave their stilted houses and build temporary houses down on the river bed, only to tear them down again as the water rises.

  


At the end of the village we reached a docking area, and were asked if we wanted a boat ride round the flooded forest for $ 6. Another extra, but we agreed when he said $6 for the two of us. We climbed in to a dug out boat and were paddled by a young woman from the village around the flooded forest.. It was cool and peacefully quiet with only the splash of the oar or song of the birds.

Time for a drink before cruising back to pick up our tuk tuk.

On the way we picked up an old woman who went back to where the boats started from to collect drink cans and plastic bottles which she could exchange for money or food.

We arrived back at the hotel 1.30 pm, one of our best days.

3rd visit to Angkor Wat Temples

After yesterdays day of rest we decided to spend some of Christmas Day at Angor Wat. We only visited 3 temples but in the reverse order to try and have the sun in a better position for taking photographs. Left the hotel at 10.00am..... no christmas presents to open, spoke to the tuk tuk drivers waiting outside and negotiated a price for his services up to 4.00pm. .........you have to barter for everything, but I'm sure they always win.

Many of the larger temples have 3 or 4 floors, and as well as the main outer walls have an inner walled area which houses the main temple.The steps which the original occupants used to enter the outer or inner areas are very steep. Each step is only 8" deep, but 16" high. In most cases wooden steps have been added over the top to make it easier for tourists to climb, although on many their is only a hand rail on one side.

The picture below shows tourists......mainly Japanese and Korean climbing up the left hand side.

Many of the temples have corridors with walls or columns supporting the roof. Some temples are constructed with  many corridors crossing over each other. at each crossing point there are steps on either side, which makes it tiring for walking around but an interesting a photograph.

Fed up with temples!!!!!!!!!!