Cambodia

For those of you that are planning to go Cambodia.... If you think the photos are impressive, wait till you are there at the site itself. For your information...the photos are far from what you will really get when you are really there...

Ta Prohm -featured in Tomb Raider. Like most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found

Kbal Spean-Commonly known as the valley of a 1000 Lingas, A 45 minute steep walk takes you to the river and waterfalls where hundreds of phalluses are carved on the riverbed.

Preah Khan -Temple of the Sacred Sword

In harmony with the architecturally similar Ta Prohm, which was dedicated to Jayavarman VII's mother, Preah Khan is dedicated to his father. Like most of Jayavarman VII's monuments, the Buddha images were vandalized in the later Hindu resurgence. Some Buddha carvings in the central corridor have been crudely carved over with Bodhisattvas, and in a couple of odd cases, a lotus flower and a linga.

Banteay Srey-citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva

Banteay Kdei-a 12th century Buddhist temple surrounded by four concentric walls. It's a temple of towers and corridors.

Angkor Wat -er..don't think I need to elaborate further right?

Bayon-Over 200 large faces adorn the 54 towers at Bayon

Angkor Thom

a great, sacred compound enclosing many structures, of which three are paramount in importance: the Phimeanakas, the Baphuon and the Bayon.

Prasat Suor Prat-meaning Towers of the Rope Dancers

a set of twelve towers located in front of the Terrace of the Elephants. According to the 12th Century Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, legal disputes were settled by placing the contenders in the Prasat Suor Prat towers for a few days. The person to emerge in ill health is considered loser.

Pre Rup

-meaning “turn the body." This reflects the common belief among Cambodians that funerals were conducted at the temple, with the ashes of the body being ritually rotated in different directions as the service progressed. Some archeologists believe that a long stone container at the base of the main eastern stairs of the temple was used in funerals.

SRAH SRANG - The Royal Bath

A majestic platform which leads to the pond. The platform is in the shape of a cross with serpent balustrades flanked by two lions. At the front there is an enormous Garuda riding a three-headed serpent. At the back there is a mythical creature comprising a three-headed serpent, the lower portion of a Garuda and a stylized tail decorated with small serpent heads. The body of the serpent rests on a dais supported by mythical monsters

Most importantly...the best sunrise I have ever seen...especially before that...when the place is pitch dark and all that you can see is the stars-covered sky...

Well...of course, there are a lot of interesting photos and attractions that I have not highlighted here...so, do check out the websites for more information. They are really very informative.

=~ {

I MISS THIS!

desert

Imagine a 6 course meal for the price of approximately S$20. What can be more ideal when you are entitled to the following for the amount paid:

-Choice of your own function room for dinning

-Your personal performer

-Good and Generous serving of food

-Personalise desert to end off the dinner(check out the photo!)

-And ya..a change of venue to enjoy your desert-ie with a live band playing...

This is what I call VALUE FOR $$$$!

Count down day

Yes, I was sick like anything....but sure am excited to see them!

Don't really have the appetite for anything..but I ate a bit...

Don't really feel like walking around but I took a tour around the house....very tastefully decorated...so very his style...

Don't really feel like talking(cos' of my sore throat) but "as usual"...chatted like anything cos' it was a rare opportunity to meet all of them...somehow, no one was convinced that I was sick...haha...as usual....the power of makeup and a generous smile? keke...

Didn't regret going....

Didn't regret pushing myself to go for the next gathering too....very interesting people....

We finally met...now I know why the mention of them never fail to bring a smile to HIS face......=]

The End

Didn't expect the last day to still be so action packed...

Given that we were on the road most of the time..we are left with that few hours to meet up with the "fan club" members(so I was told)...keke...

The conversation in the car was really interesting. This is one part of the conversation that is still able to bring a smile to my face now....

Out of curiosity, we asked them if the driver did complain about us(or rather the journey), only to get this reply, "No, we asked him how he communicate with u, he's told us you have this blue book that u use to communicate with him"
Haha! Yes, the blue book which help my "tour guide" tremendously! In fact, I don't understand a single word that they were talking about and he actually used that to communicate with our driver thru' out the whole 7 days! *saluate*

Really interesting people I would say...As I waved them goodbye from inside the car, I can't help but ask myself , "Will I see them again? Will I be back here again? When?"

Part 7:Pasir Putih

I woke up feeling really stone…was woken up from my sleep. The driver was talking to us-something about the sea....but I really can't make up what he was trying to tell us…but there was the sea beside us….the next minute, he drove in to a parking area. I wasn't the only one..someone else was even more stone than me..keke….

Their traditional boats caught my attention. Bright sails. The boatmen were talking to our driver….after walking a stretch of the beach, having observed the activities going on there, we decided to check out the boat….

The launch was pretty impressive. Apart from the person to control the boat, we have around 5 person in the water helping to get the boat into the water, against the strong waves…it was harder than what we expected. It doesn't help when I was asked to take the first seat….-_- When I turned ard, the driver was patting his chest and telling us "scary"(in bahasa Indonesia)-haha!

This is Pasir Putih...we, out in the sea, with the coral reefs beneath us and the cloud covered mountains right behind us...

Part 6:Banyuwangi

Had intended to head back to Surabaya after Mt Ijen but given that we went all drenched after the climb downhill which took us another 2hrs plus, the 7 hrs drive back to Surabaya didn't seem like a wise choice. We could fall sick....not to mention that we needed a hot bath badly...

We were introduced to Ketapang Indah Hotel by one of the tourists that we met at Mount Ijen. Good recommendation I would say. Right across the water is Bali-West of Bali! We were tempted to take a ferry across to Bali. I must say-it's so much cheaper to do so....but well...we really don't have the time to. Not gonna risk missing our flight-haha!

Part 5: Mount Ijen

I almost died climbing Ijen!!!! arghhh....haha!

It took us around 3hrs to climb Mt Ijen.

Mt Bromo is definitely a more popular tourist attraction than Mt Ijen. Comparatively, you would get to see the jeeps lining up at the foot of the mountains, or horsemen leading horses towards u or even proper basement leading you to the crater..nope..none of these....somehow,we managed to get our driver to join us on our quest to conquer Mt Ijen...keke...

The slopes are really steep. We bumped into some tourist from Surabaya midway up the volcano. Apart from us(the only trekkers), there's a group of sulphur miners hurrying up and down the mountain. While we were there for leisure purposes, these miners were working really hard. Carry loads of approximately 90kg each! We noticed that there's a station, guarded by a foreman(I assumed..), to ensure that the average weight is maintained...by the way, we tried lifting the load but it won't move by a bit...

These were what we were rewarded with at the crater lip....well...the photos ccan't really describe how we felt at that very moment...it's really beautiful! Walking among the clouds, the crater beneath your feet, the scenaries, the cold and strong winds...the feeling is heavenly!!! REALLY!

I would have stayed on longer if it didn't start to rain and if it weren't so cold...

Mount Ijen from afar....(taken in the car, as we move on to our next destination)

Part 4: Ijen Resort

It took us aproximately 7 hours to get to the Ijen Resort. Hidden deep inside the mountains, Ijen Resort is beautifully "framed up" by Padi fields and mountains. In fact, these are what we are presented with during our stay at the Resort-just outside our villa.....