An Education: Angkor National Museum

Walking around Angkor Wat and taking photos and photo ops took us half of the day.  Come noon, we felt that we've covered all the important spots and taken enough pictures for posterity, we've decided to go back to the hotel and refresh ourselves.  The Cambodian heat, coupled with all those walking, has sapped all our energies...and melted my make-up.  After freshening up quickly, Cla thought it best to spend the midday heat productively yet being inside an air-conditioned building.  Hence, the Angkor National Museum. 

It was actually a brilliant move on our part.  Not only did we get to spend the intense afternoon heat in comfort, but we got a better appreciation and, most importantly, understanding of the Angkor Wat (and the other temples we were planning to see later on).   While my Lonely Planet guide book provided the 411, the Angkor National Museum provided the details, the purpose, the insight.   

I highly recommend that you put this in your itinerary either before, mid, or after your visit to the temples.  It doesn't really matter though.  It is the knowledge gleaned that is important. 

Oh, and get those audio guides so you get to breeze through the most important artifacts and the necessary info.  At US$ 3 only, its worth it.

My favorite gallery is the 1,000 Buddha Images.  Cameras are not allowed in this area so I lifted some pictures from the net (from authorized photographers, I presume) for your appreciation. 

Photo courtesy of Travel Pod

Photo courtesy of Blind Eye Productions

Believe me that the photos did not capture the beauty and the serenity that one feels in this gallery.  It was a truly magical, spiritual experience.

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For more information on the Angkor National Museum, visit http://www.angkornationalmuseum.com/

From the wise Paolo Coelho...

So, here I am, blogging again. 


Updates soon!

31st

April  7 was my 31st Birthday.  Hurray!

And, I'm spending it in the office.  Busy-busy, that's me!  Just my luck to have an important presentation and an event over the weekend.  But, that's real life for you.  It doesn't stop turning just because someone turned a year wiser. 

A lot of things happened the year that was.  Primarily, a new job (now, 1 year and 4 months with the company).  And we all like that, don't we.  After all, it means having a regular disposable income to accomplish the things that really matter in life. Of course, it leaves you with little time to do the things that really matter in life...but, yeah, something's gotta give.

So, for the year that was, I was only able to completely scratch off the following:

21) See the Angkor Wat

23) Take G and the kids to HongKong

26)Volunteer for charity work (that is not part of work)

So, yeah, that's 3 out of 35 for you. (And, I haven't even posted the complete deets of these 3 goals yet! Guess there's going to be a lot more of blogging to do in order to catch up.)

7 a year would have been the ideal number.  But, 3 is always better than none.  

Time to push the pedal to the metal! 

4 more years. 32 to go.

Good luck, C! 

Angkor Wat in Starburst Lens

Remember the Starburst Lens a.k.a the "uglymizer" (read it here)?  Well, I've got a few pictures of the Angkor Wat using this baby.  I still think it has its charms.  And, given that lomo effects can be so random, I was quite happy that some of the pictures here came out with that retro cool lomoesque feel that I sooo love!

Enjoy!

Angkor Wat in Redscale Negative

I'm sure you have seen hundreds of pictures of Angkor Wat by now.  Hence, I will no longer bore you with the same perspectives taken with a digital camera, especially since I know there are better photographers out there.

Let me share with you instead my Angkor Wat point-of-view using my Lomo LC-A+ using a redscale negative.

Enjoy!

Cambodia: Angkor Wat

So, we arrived in Siem Reap after a grueling 14-hour bus ride.  After settling in our Cambodian tropical heaven, the Pavillon D' Orient, we went out to grab a late dinner in some forgettable place then went back to sleep since we would greet the dawn at Angkor Wat, which tourists and locals claim to be the best time to view the grandeur of the temple. We're all in with this plan.  After all, there is nothing more romantic or awe-inspiring as watching the sun rise above the ruins of a majestic temple.  Oh, and there's the fact that we can beat the tourist crowd and get good photo ops. 

So, come the following day, we were up bright (although the clouds outside were still a dark gray) and very early (4:00 AM to be exact).  Come 5:00 AM, we were already on our tuktuk, enjoying the early morning breeze as we ride off to the Angkor Wat complex. 

The Angkor Wat and other temples such as Ta Prohm (of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" fame) and Bayon are  all located in the Angkor Archeological Park.  At the main entrance, you have to purchase an admission pass for 1-day (US $20), 3-days (US $40), or 7-days (US$ 60).  The admission pass will serve as your entry.  Very much like a visa, your picture will be taken and printed on the admission pass.  You have to carry it with you at all times.  Although it is not checked in each and every temple, better to be safe than sorry as the penalty is a whopping US $100 for the 1-day pass. Securing the admission pass is quick and painless since the process is simple and straightforward and there are a lot of booths to accommodate the influx of tourists.  Plus, we went there extremely early. 

Apparently, all the guide books probably say the same thing -- to watch the sun rise over the Angkor Wat -- since there are a lot of tourists milling about the area already.  

Photo courtesy of Kaye Flores

Do not be disheartened though.  The tourists are still quite a handful when compared to the size of Angkor Wat (at 1 square kilometer, not including the river canal surrounding it on all sides) so there's plenty of photo op spots for everyone. 

  Photo courtesy of Kaye Flores

The best vantage point is at the edge of the moat -- the VIP seat to one of the most spectacular sunrises you'll ever see.

See the Angkor Wat?

Check!

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"Julie & Julia" and the Cooking Project

I eat. A lot.

And, although I am certified foodie (My dad thinks that I was brought to this earth to bring him to financial ruin by asking to be taken out to lunch and dinner REGULARLY...and in not-so-cheap restos at that. My dad even thinks that my desire to travel is brought about by my NEED to eat all sorts of food.), my talent ends with discerning taste buds, a bottomless pit of a stomach, and a never-ending love affair with food.

Bring me to the kitchen and the only use I can be is to wash the dishes (which I love doing!). Hand me a pot or pan and things are sure to get awry. Take it from my sister who claims that I can manage to butcher a simple thing as fried egg. You know those scenes in movies where the annoying career/city girl tries to make something in the kitchen but ends up messing up the place and serving something totally inedible. Well, that's me.

Not that I'm proud of this ineptitude of mine. I would love to know how to cook and make versions of whatever Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson are wildly concocting, . Or, even a simple 30-minute-meal by Rachel Ray. God knows I'm sick and tired of opening a can of Century Tuna or boiling hot water for my Yakisoba (Spicy Chicken!) whenever I go hungry in the middle of the night or early in the morning. And, I want to be able to host dinner parties with good food, cheese and wine, and themed decors to match.

So, after watching "Julie & Julia," inspiration hit me. Why not make a blog...and, on top of that, learn to cook by cooking my way through an entire fail-safe cookbook?

Genius!

I haven't decided on what cookbook to do yet (although the obvious shoo-ins are Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson) but I've still got 4 years and change to figure it out.

In the meantime, I leave you with the inspiring words of Chef Gusteau:

"Anyone can cook"...including this rat.

"Julie & Julia" and Inspirations & Aspirations

Just finished watching "Julie & Julia" on HBO. One of my favorite flicks. Don't get me wrong. I am no cook. I can't even fry a hotdog for the life of me, much more attempt to do something complicated as French cuisine. And, although I have heard of Julia Child and her quintessential cookbook, she is no heroine of mine.

I do like to eat. And, boy, do I eat well...and hearty! But food in this film was just a mere prop. The real star of this film was not Julia Child nor Julie Powell, rather the process of discovering one's self by immersion in a passion project.

Julie Powell was about to turn 30 but felt "lost" and "aimless;" stuck in a dead-end, thankless clerical job, feeling like she hasn't achieved or accomplished anything significant in her life while her so-called friends were in high-flying careers and raking in major moolah.

At the time I watched the movie, I was a few weeks away to turning into the big 3-0. If you've read my first entry, you would know that at the time I started this "project", I was feeling a tad bit depressed. Basically, you feel that you've come to the halfway point of your life and you look back and discover that the things you have always dreamed of doing when you were young(er) were still...dreams. And, although other people would think that you are lucky or successful, you always feel that the grass is greener on your neighbor's side of the field.

Just like Julie Powell who found redemption, a book deal, a film adaptation and 15-minutes-or-so of fame in her "The Julie / Julia Project" blog, I thought of starting a similar project to make sure that I get to accomplish my non-negotiables. At least my non-negotiables until I hit the next milestone -- 35 years young! And, since I have a knack for (or so I was led to believe by family, friends, English and Creative Writing teachers, and being accepted in my school's official newspaper) and have a shallow flirtation with writing, documenting my efforts and tracking my progress through a blog seems appropriate. Plus, it will push me to achieve something, anything for that matter, just to save face and not be declared as a farce.

And, although my progress has been a bit slow (achieving 7 goals a year should be the target), progress is still progress is still progress. And that must count for something.

Cambodian Heaven: Pavillon D' Orient Part Deux

The lush tropical haven that is Pavillon D' Orient is just the icing on the cake. The sponge cake that holds this hotel confection together are the freebies, the service, and the attention to detail that you get upon checking in. For US$ 100 a night, they managed to pull-out all the essential stuff you need for a hassle-free Cambodian getaway, plus a couple of small niceties thrown in for free.

For starters, we had this uber-comfy bed to come home to every night...

And, it comes with that bed canopy drape that's just very princess-y!

We also had a tea corner, where they put our daily supply of huge water bottles every day.

Every morning, we had a fresh basket of sweet tropical fruits.

And, at night, we had a bedtime story -- of Cambodian legends -- laid out on the bed.

Never mind the grammar though. Its the thought that counts!

On top of this, we still had free buffet breakfast everyday where we get to stuff ourselves with fresh fruits, assorted breads, delish Cambodian mixed fried rice OR Cambodian congee, AND a Continental-style breakfast of eggs and breakfast meats (bacon, ham, sausage).

Photo courtesy of Cla Mallari

Photo courtesy of Cla Mallari

And, free tuktuk rides from sun-up to sun-down going to the Angkor Wat complex...and wherever else in Siem Reap we want! The piece-de-resistance though is the ice chest waiting for us with bottled waters and cold towels. Genius!

Before we left, they gave us scarves and mini Angkor Wat wooden pins as souvenirs!

Awww! How sweet!

How could you not love this place?

For more information on Pavillon D' Orient, visit http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

Cambodian Heaven: Pavillon D' Orient Part Une

Cla, friend and acting tour director, decided to go all out in our Cambodia trip. Instead of booking us in a backpacker hotel, she decided that we needed a slice of heaven to come home to after spending days walking and climbing ruins under the heat of the tropical sun.

And, rightfully so.

Pavillon D' Orient is a boutique hotel with a resort-like feel. You forget that you're in the middle of Cambodia, in a quaint little city very very very far from the sea. Everything smacks of beach elements -- a cornucopia of tropical plants; a profusion of palms; the open-air lobby, resto and hallways; the abundance of wicker furniture...even the pool is salt water! Love, love, loved every bit of this Cambodian paradise! I'm sure you will too!

Check it out:

The Hotel "Lobby"

The pond centerpiece is such a beaut!

Le Planteur -- the hotel's oh-so lovely breakfast nook

The cool salt water pool

The rooms are housed in the aptly called "The Mansion"

Very very beach-y!

For more information on Pavillon D' Orient, visit http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

Note: All pictures from Pavillon D' Orient website http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

The Long but Not-Winding Road to Siem Reap

From Phnom Penh onwards, the beauty Cambodia is renowned for slowly emerges. Every few kilometers, we were greeted by the sight of a temple. Some were old and gray and brown with crumbling facades and overgrown with weeds. Some were like freshly minted coin, all bright and shiny all over. But, old or new, they were all hauntingly beautiful.



Once we've hit the last few hours of the trip, the road gets rough, dirty and dusty due to road constructions. Scenery becomes blah once more -- rice fields, small wooden houses, small roadside shops -- typical scenery you find in the Philippines (of course, if I were from the West, these would surely captivate me).


By the 10th hour, I was already crazy with boredom...and this was coming from a person who made 8-hour bus trips weekly for 2 straight years! I have drained my iPod's battery. Read the Cambodia, Vietnam, and even the Laos and Yunnan province sections of my Lonely Planet guidebook. Dozed. And, made meaningful and senseless conversations with friends.

By 8:00 PM (or about 12 hours or so later), the gods have finally heeded my call: we have FINALLY reached Siem Reap. By this time, I was tired and wilted that I just couldn't muster the energy to be excited.

Oh well.

But tomorrow is a different story.


Note: Photos taken by my friend, Cla, using the Hipstamatic application of her iPhone.

6 Hours Later...Phnom Penh!

6 hours later, we've arrived at our halfway point, Phnom Penh. Here, we would have to transfer to the bus that would take us to Siem Reap. Since we only had 30 minutes before the Siem Reap bus arrives, we didn't dare go elsewhere.

Boredom started to sink in. So I decided to while away the time out on the street, experimenting with my Starburst Lens (or, as my dad calls it, the "uglymizer"). I still think it has its charms.

Judge for yourself...

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

Untouched Scenery

Only 6 more hours to go! Then, its "Hello, Siem Reap!"