Cambodia Backpack Trip

Yes people. It was long waited. A backpack trip to Cambodia!

Wanted to get away from the busy cities, get along with some slow paced life, experiencing the lifestyle understanding the culture, and of course see with my bare eyes the majestic Angkor Wat.

Tried my very best to note down every single thing which this short-memory-people wouldn't want to forget as I travelled.

*click click click*

Cambodia Day 1
Cambodia Day 2
Cambodia Day 3
Cambodia Day 4
Cambodia Day 5
Cambodia Day 6

Hmm... I guess I'm gonna get myself a video cam before my next trip got tired of writing hahaha...

Which would probably be...

Cambodia Day 6

Cambodia Day 6

It's the last day. Man. It's the last day.

Enjoyed a 5km walk to the riverfront for our brunch and another 5km back. Breezig morning. Blue sky. Shiny sunshine. Soft wind. Friendly tuk-tuk drivers.

This is indeed a good runaway from the hectic life, experience the difference in culture, food and people.

Things that I might regret about, might be not visiting the paddy fields and the rural villages to get away from the tourist-oriented areas. And not getting myself an upset stomach for trying the street foods. Stomachaches often make good stories to be told later on. Haha.

Simpleness of the people, taught us to be grateful.
Warmth of them, reminds us about affections between human beings, and appreciate love ones around you.

The history itself speaks it all.

Cambodia Day 5

Had a pretty good sleep compared to the night before. Got up feeling all refreshed.

Booked a tuk-tuk for a whole day around Phnom Penh.

Killing field. My goodness. It was freaking scary to be honest. Just as its name, it was a killing field turned memorial park. Not a normal memorial parks where they're nicely built and preserved. In fact there're still bones skeletons left on the grounds and could easily be seen once rain washes them clear. Mass graveyards. Trees where they believe the Khmer Rouge soldiers used to hit the babies head on it while holding their legs. Shocking and depressing.

I don't know but I find the whole story is just so sad. The innocents were sentenced the death in the past where the main men behind all these were just made to pay recently in 2011.

Royal Palace. Entrance fee which cost RM 18++ haaaaaa. Who don't get broke at the end of the trip. Hahaha. It was ok. Nothing really impressive.

National Museum. Oh anyone who might be here at any chance, should definitely skip this. The Angkor is more than enough. After all it's just statues.

I was so excited when I saw there were stalls selling books and there's one about India by lonely planet! Of course at a bargain price where u couldn't get basically in any edge of the earth. I bought one. Sat by the riverside, wanted to just enjoy reading before getting my dinner. Guess what...

It's a photocopied one! Freaking pirated! Okay okay... Fine... What do you expect right... I continued reading for a few pages, finding the maps were all blurry, words ain't clearly seen, and of course photos are in black and white. No, unbearable. Walked all the way back and got some of my money back. I could actually eat a meal with that amount of money. Than wasting the book away. Phew. What a day. Hate to get cheated. I'm like that. I would be very restless until I'm satisfied or being comfortable, will fight to the end in terms to get what I want. Haha.

One more thing. Tuk-tuk drivers could be found parking at the roadside calling for customers. And those in Phnom Penh are just so friendly as they'll let you go if you just wave and smile, they'll give you a bigger one in return. Loving this place. Totally.

Local foods were just too good we had them for the second time in a row. Haha.

Waiters from the cafe along the riverfront remember and greet you even a high-five everytime you passby....
Tuk-tuk driver who understands when you say, 'same old place'...
What a decent country...

Cambodia Day 4

Cambodia Day 4

Sneezed for the whole f night. The aircond? The dust? I don't know man.

Realizing that I over budget was another thing.

Oh man. It wasn't a nice morning.

On the way heading to Phnom Penh, the capital which takes nearly 5 hours from Siem Reap. Slept for the first 2 another 3 to go. No, of course there ain't any highways here... But at least an acceptable tarred road.

The Mad Monkey was our guesthouse. Kinda far from the city side but yeah much satisfied for a RM20 per night dormitory with the air conditioner!

Damn. The weather is totally the opposite of what we experienced in Siem Reap. It's so hot plus humid, but... Love it. Gives me good skin color. Hahaha. We decided to just wonder around the town by foot for today.

Relaxing at one of the roadside cafe, sip a cup of coffee, a cut of handmade pie, read a book, enjoy the busy traffic caused by reckless tuk-tuk drivers and the Mekong River at the other side was just perfect.

Central Market, where locals do their daily shopping and settle their meals.

Night Market which was really good. Local food stalls... And we had our dinner there on the floor mat surrounded by locals who never been stingy to smile. $3 for two. What a bargain!

Cambodia Day 3

Cambodia Day 3

We got off around 9am today. I bet no others would be as punctual as us. 10mins before time. Haha.

The Angkor Grand Tour today. It's actually the tour to those temples where people don't visit when they're on a short tour. A much better and detail one.



Weather was fantastic bombastic. Hahaha. Sun was sky up high. This time sweat instead of rainwater soaked up my clothes.

Of course my tension was totally different from the first 2 days! :P

Massive traffic! Haha.

Saw a bunch of kids playing on the sand.

Next thing happened, I was one of'em. We played tic-tac-toe. 

First attempt I won, but lost the rest. 

They're really good.

One by one they challenged me. Kids could be on top of the world if there's someone there to play with'em.

After lunch I asked to be fetched to the Angkor Wat for the second time. Just because I wasn't satisfied with the first day. Yeah the rain and also the tour guide who kept stuffing information into my ears I couldn't enjoy the view at the spiritual place.

What a view from the restaurant!

My favourite yoga pose in front of the mighty Angkor Wat!

We tried the local pancake with bananas and chocolate syrup. Tasted almost like a roticanai. Haha.
And yeah ca-ca-caffeine...

Our driver for the three-day-tour, Mr Chamnan Yee.

Met Mr Gordon, an Australian writer who visits Cambodia for the third consecutive year, and has been here for a month. You can get a cocktail at a price of $3 and get a free buffet at the Victoria Hotel between 5pm-7pm, he said. The traditional Cambodian women would bring 2-3 friends along if she's going to make friends with a foreigner, purely friends, he said. Educations are just for 3 hours for each morning and afternoon session, and kids wonder around the street after school, thousands of'em. Such a pleasant guy to meet and talked to. Thanks to the stinky bug who flew into my drink which got his attention. Haha. The next time we walked pass the restaurant we saw him talking to others again. What a guy.

Oh my. You won't believe it. My sister realized someone was pointing at me from the message center. '日本人ですか？'、'いや、違いますよ'. And then I realized it was the guy from the university gym! Haha! We met like 3 times per week before this but he never bother to say hi at all but here. LoL.