Like a hurricane (Siem Reap-Singapore-Sydney)

Uncharacteristically Jayne woke before the alarm and, as a consequence, woke me. Why, dear reader? Because she could. We deposited the suitcases outside the door prior to 6am, as requested and walked to breakfast one last time. There were more people in the dining room than I expected at this early time. If they were heading to Angkor Wat for the sunrise, they had missed that opportunity.

As we made our way back to our room to collect our hand luggage, it was obvious that our larger bags had not been collected. They were waiting patiently by our door. We would have to do the unthinkable and manage our own bags. That, is certainly a first world problem.

Unlike the bustling foyer of Hà Nôi, the lobby area at the Siem Reap Sofitel exudes a perpetual calm. This morning was no different. We checked out and before we could even sit down, our guide was next to us ready to shepherd us to the car. A guide? Unnecessary? Absolutely, but he was heading to the airport to pick up the next group of guests, this time for little brother company, Travel Marvel.

The drive was about 45 minutes and we chatted about the trip, Cambodia and the new airport provided, as a gift, by China. It is beneficial because it removes air and ground traffic from the Angkor temple precinct which will assist in the preservation of this amazing, historic site.

The airport was almost deserted when we arrived. It has been in use for just over a month, having just been officially opened by the prime minister, and is still shiny and new, from the marble floors to the giant golden statue of Buddha that greets you on the happy side of immigration and security. 

The face of Buddha.

This facility along with the new road system infrastructure, is a source of great pride and the embodiment of the promise of a brighter future for the next generation of Cambodians, after such a dark recent past. Our guide told us that the vast area surrounding the airport, currently undeveloped 'jungle' as he termed it, is earmarked to become an urban area in the coming years, providing housing, jobs and community facilities.

Plenty of space at the new airport.

Inside the complex, the airline lounges are not yet open, although there is a generic user-pays option for $35USD per person. An option we did not take. We sat down near our gate and watched the crowd slowly build. In the next two hours we only saw two planes, both small discount versions of larger airlines. A very different feel to other international airports.

A busy day ahead.

Our plane was late arriving and the ground crew moved to a pace and rhythm all their own. There is no need to rush. After all, we have a significant layover in Singapore. The champagne welcome on the plane made the wait worthwhile. Qantas could learn a thing or two about short-haul Business Class. The trip from Sydney to Perth is twice as long as this trip and the seats and service are half as good.

Piper Heidsieck in hand, ours, the head steward then came around to take our lunch order. And refill our champagne.  All went well. We watched movies we either won't remember or won't admit watching. By 3:15pm we were seated in the Silver Kris Lounge in Singapore, counting down the hours until the flight home. The layover was longer than I thought it would be, at least 5 hours until we bored. Sorry, board. I was getting ahead of myself.

The last leg of the trip will also be travelled in style. The top deck of the A380, my favourite aircraft. I'm ready for my champagne, my pre-ordered lobster thermidor and a lot of sleep. In the meantime, let's talk toilets. Generally when I've been on a stopover in Singapore, it's been for work and I was in the Qantas Lounge where everything is westernised to cater for the clientele. The Singapore Lounge is, well, different. When I opened the door to the cubicle, the toilet seat rose to greet me. Then I was surprised by a heated seat. Not needed in this climate, I would suggest. Of course it came equipped with a Japanese style bidet and even a 'bum gun' that is popular throughout Vietnam. Naturally the  toilet also flushes itself. After a slight misunderstanding with one of the staff (not the Alan Jones sort), I was somewhat dismayed to find that I had to wash and dry my own hands.

Jayne remarked on more than one occasion how much better the Singapore lounge was when compared to the Qantas lounge. The choice of food and drink was both quality and extensive. And then there's the toilets. Jayne came back laughing. It really is quite the experience. A pity I couldn't take a photo.

The plane was on time pushing back but slightly delayed at take off as we sat in a queue. Regardless we arrived in Sydney on time. Dinner on the last leg, courtesy of 'book the cook' was Lobster Thermidor accompanied by several glasses of Piper Heidsieck bubbles. Very civilised. I watched a movie, sorted out my bed and went to sleep to be woken 30 minutes out from Sydney. Business class is the only way to travel on a long haul flight.

Lobster thermidor.

That, as they say, is a wrap. Until February next year. The northern lights, Scandinavia and Europe. 

Oh, the title? Well, dear reader, we commenced this trip with a song because it is a favourite of mine, so it is only fitting that we conclude in the same fashion. Like a hurricane by Neil Young. The man is a musical genius. He's also produced some pretty average stuff. Don't believe me? Try playing his catalogue from the beginning through till today. I did. Once. Epic fail. No one is that strong. So yeah, don't do that. No one deserves that much punishment, except maybe Morrison, Abbott, Howard, Dutton. Not necessarily in that order. Anyway, have a listen. One of the best guitar solos ever.

Until next time, stay safe.

Elevation (Ta Promh Temple, Cambodia)

Welcome back dear reader to part 2 of our big temple day. Today's title is a U2 song. Yes U2, the most overrated band in the world, but they did the soundtrack, Elevation, to Tomb Raider and that's where we headed, after resting up following our dawn visit to Angkor Wat.

Lets get it out of the way. Tomb raider.

Aside from Angelina Jolie's character, Lara Croft, running around the Ta Promh temple site, it has two major claims to fame. First, many sections have been restored, and second, the giant ficus trees that are, in parts, holding the walls together and in other areas, pulling them down. That really is a ying/yang situation.

Another face watching us enter.

This is the third temple we have visited and the first without a substantial moat, although there is a pond. The entrance is fairly typical, run the gauntlet through the souvenir stands with their hawkers and then enter the temple grounds through a gate in the sizeable stone wall.

The pond or lake. Whatever.

Unlike Angkor Wat, this temple does not have multiple levels, towers or spires reaching for the sky. It does have a more modest tower at the centre of the structure which has the centre point of significance. This area is said to have contained many pearls and gemstones, now gone. Lara Croft is almost certainly not to blame for this misappropriation; perhaps some were "acquired" by the British Museum? I was going to suggest that as the discussion ensued at the site, but being surrounded by colonisers, I kept mum.

The obligatory arty shot.

Some areas are still rubble although the restoration process must be lauded. It is like putting together a massive 3D jigsaw puzzle of moss-covered stone blocks. "Where would you start"? I enquired of Jayne. "Easy", was the reply. "Look for the corners and the edges and start there". Droll, very droll.

Before and after. Have a close look. Amazing.

The colossal trees that grow around the grounds, over the walls and buildings were identified by our guide as a variety of ficus. However, there is disagreement over the accurate naming of the tree. Regardless, they dominate the temple. The trees have an interesting relationship with the structure of the temple. Some sections, inseparable from the walls, are probably stopping it from further decay. In other areas, they have compromised the structure and once embedded, have fallen during storms, damaging the walls in the process.

Help or hindrance?

Excavations in one area uncovered over 400 statues of Buddha. Each one meticulously decapitated. A particularly Cromwellian manoeuvre. Who inspired whom? We'll never know.

Not thinking, jus sitting.

One of the reliefs that adorns a gateway on the major wall had what appeared to be, a carving of a stegosaurus. Pseudoscience and conspiracy theories abound. However, what appears to be the sails on the back of the stegosaurus, is actually the depiction of mountains and is common in this period. The beast itself is a rhinoceros. A great discussion point and one for the tin-foil hat wearing brigade. Or those that watch SkyNews After Dark. What's that dear reader? That Venn diagram would be be a circle. Yes, you are absolutely correct.

Here it is. Controversial.

The excitement of using U2 in a blog momentarily distracted me... En route to the temple, we had stopped briefly at ODA, a school for disadvantaged local children, either orphans or from single parent families. It is a boarding school. The children sleep two to a double bed, cosy in this climate. The girls' dormitory is downstairs and the boys' up a very steep set of stairs.

The main concept is to teach the children English, but the owner/founder is an artist, so art plays an important role in the day-to-day operation. Particularly as the children's artwork is used as a fundraising opportunity and is sold to visiting tourists. In fact, ODA stands for Opportunities for Development through Art and, what originally began as a haven for 34 children, has now mushroomed elsewhere to foster over 1000 kids. This facility, still capped at 34 with a one-out one-in policy, is partially self-funded but is also maintained by donations from the public and businesses such as APT, who match passenger contributions, dollar for dollar.

The classroom.

After a performance of a Cambodian traditional dance by some of the students, the principal spoke about the school's history and work and then we were taken on a tour of the place by students. This exercise was partly a vehicle for the students to practise their English. We were with two girls, one of whom had been at the school for 4 years and could converse pretty well. The other student was younger and had only been at the school for one year. She had far less English, but together they showed us where they learn, sleep and cook, finishing off in the studio where they showcased their artwork.

Our visit to ODA complete, the remaining 11 brave souls from the 'green family' returned to the bus and made their way to the 'tomb raider' temple. There were actually 23 people in our group, but as the trip continued, the numbers participating in the activities varied and most recently, dropped off completely. 

I have a love-hate relationship with tours such as these. FOMO, the fear of missing out, generally forces me to participate in every activity which can lead to being over-tired. Further, it can be emotionally exhausting spending time with people you don't know and really don't care about. Especially if they are not very personable or likeable. As a result, everyone needs some downtime as the journey progresses. Happily, we were most fortunate on this tour to meet some absolutely lovely people. I even forgave them for being Victorians. You know who you are 😉.

There's a function on tonight.

As you know my dear reader, while I might comment on random people we come across in our travels, it is even unusual for me to nominate a nationality. I prefer to leave that to your own prejudice. Consequently, I rarely pass commentary on those with whom I'm travelling. Not this time. We were forced to share our time with some extremely rude, entitled travellers from the 'mother country'. Interestingly, most of them did not look happy and did very little to interact outside of their clique. Sour faces, pushing to be first in line or ignoring the guide and wandering off on their own, or standing in the middle of the photo that everyone was waiting to snap. They also brought the germs and coughed, spluttered and sneezed their way around Asia, infecting others on the tour. Aside from that, they were a delight to be with.

The pool area at night.

APT, alert to the fact that many of us would have expended our 'social capital' by this point, did not schedule a group dinner. We opted for room service: spring rolls, a very tasty baguette accompanied by a bottle of red and an early night.

Until next time.

Leader of the pack (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Here we are, dear reader. We have reached the end of our 17 day APT journey. There are but two remaining experiences for us to share before we part company.

This morning is a Freedom of Choice excursion. Unusually, I found the options rather limiting. A 2 hour ride in a horse cart? Not sure my back could withstand that. A shopping trip? We're in Siem Reap for another 3 days so that isn't necessary. A traditional Khmer massage? We had a spa treatment on the ship and could organise one here after everyone else has departed. A cooking class? Tempting but no. A cycle ride through the countryside? Possibly, but that's a me-thing, Jayne wasn't interested. That left ... wait for it ... drum roll ... the quad biking experience. Why not. We signed up. As did many others. It was the largest of the groups. I want to be the Leader of the pack. Goodness, all the way back to 1964 with the Shangri-Las.

And away we go.

With so many activities, there was staggered start to the day. We were leaving at 8:30am. Quite civilised compared to yesterday morning. The quad bike centre was about 20 minutes out of town and the time passed quickly because our guide was practising to be a stand-up comedian. He was quite amusing. At one point he remarked that we all spoke very good English. "First time in Cambodia"? he enquired and was met with many loud statements in the affirmative. "Me too," he quipped. "I born here and never leave. So my first time too." And so it went.

The rice paddy of a wealthy family.

We arrived at the centre and had to sign indemnity forms. It actually indemnified the operators for negligence. Not sure it would stand up at home, but here ... Then it was time to get kitted up. Plastics bags were placed around your shoes. Mud, it was explained. No need for me, I was wearing my hiking boots. Then masks and helmets were allocated and we waited our turn to complete two test laps with a supervisor sitting behind us. No thumbs up, no solo ride. Jayne opted to have an instructor drive her around the course.

Constructing a house complete with elephants.

Everyone sat astride their steed for the morning and we were away. Predictably we hadn't gone 100 metres when one of my favourite problem people was flagged down to suffer the humiliation of being moved to a bike driven by an instructor. It was difficult not to enjoy the moment. Karma, I believe.

Cambodia mixes up its land use.

The ride/drive I know not which verb to use, continued without incident. Through many deep puddles, quagmires of mud, beside rice paddies, swamps, fields, housing construction sites, past waving children to the next village. There we stopped in line outside a temple. Well, they are everywhere. I got off my bike and walked over to Jayne to be told to leave my helmet with my bike. In the 2 minutes that had elapsed, the people on the quads behind me had taken the opportunity to usurp my noble steed and move themselves up the line one place. Really? FFS. Childish. Once a coloniser, always a coloniser. I walked to the end of the line and placed my helmet on the last bike. Whatever.

A temple at the village.

The local village, had, you'll never guess, a market. We were offered a fresh coconut to drink which we both declined. Not a fan. had one too many coconuts in Malaysia when I was still working. Then we were escorted across the road and walked the length of the market. As usual it was a mixture of fresh food, clothes and other necessities. Then it was time for the return journey.

The temple wall.

Back on the bikes, I tried to drop back to stay as far behind the incompetent usurpers as possible. Their lack of expertise and seeming fear to cross every puddle or pothole made that an impossible task. It was still good fun and I would certainly do it again. 

The market.

Back at the bike centre, the others had their plastic bags removed from their feet, we rehydrated (water only), and wiped as much dust from our clothes and belongings as possible. When it was time to board the bus, some people actually ran. One must assume to gain a seat they believed was superior in position to others. I thought I was on a Year 8 excursion.

The afternoon was free until the Apsara dance performance and farewell dinner this evening. Tonight was a "free pour" night. That always makes me laugh because there is generally one person responsible for serving the alcohol and there were around 70 of us. It would be difficult to drink too much.

The musicians.

The dance performance and accompanting traditional music was held in the ballroom. The dances were similar to those we'd seen on the ship and at the ODA school. Except this time it was not students but professionals. Watching the performance proved challenging, even from the third row. Why, you ask, dear reader? Mobile phones being used as video cameras being held up to capture the whole dance. Jayne was constantly shifting her chair to try to gain a clear view. Is it really that difficult to be aware of others?

Traditional Aspara dancers.

The boys are fishing for wives. Not very PC.

The Monkey King.

After the entertainment, Long provided his last not brief briefing, once again relating departure details. Repetitive? Definitely. Unnecessary? Not at all. There was at least one amongst us who responded to so many questions with, "I don't know". What time is your flight? IDK. What airline are flying with? IDK. What activity did you choose? IDK. Do you have a Cambodian visa? IDK. Frustrating. Amusing at first. Then not so much. Also, never happy, with any experience, dinner, accommodation. Good one Irena (if you know you know, dear reader).

Being next to the door, I almost made it out first, only to pipped at the post by one of those who always has to be first. It did not, however, stop us scoring a table for six and being able to sit with the people we chose.

I'm sure dinner was lovely but I really don't remember it. We chatted away and enjoyed the company and were one of the last groups to vacate the restaurant. It was for many the last night in Siem Reap, with the first people leaving at 5:30am the next day and then a slow trickle of departures after that.

Until next time.

Here comes the sun (Angkor Wat, Cambodia)

Ah, sunrise, dear reader. It’s a special time of day. I love the quiet, the soft light, being able to listen to the world wake up. Mostly. Being forced from bed before 4:15am so we could be dressed and on the bus to Angkor Wat by 4:45am to watch the sunrise with hundreds of other people didn’t tick my usual early morning boxes.

The temples in the region are spectacular at any time of day and watching the light change over the main temple as dawn approached was pretty special. Honestly though, I would have preferred it to be a lot less crowded. I say this despite our local guides telling us that Cambodia’s tourism levels have still not recovered after COVID.

There is something out there in the dark.

There were some among us who opted to stay in bed, although I believe they later claimed illness. This is totally believable, given the number of people coughing and spluttering their way through the day. 

Sunrise was at 6:03 but we arrived well before that because the main show isn’t the sun itself but the changing light. Unless of course it is the equinox. That is a major event. The sun rises directly over the main tower of the temple. The link between the sun and many civilisations dates back thousands of years. There is Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt, the Mayan and Incan temples and numerous neolithic burial sites across western Europe. No doubt there are other examples.

Looking back across the moat.

We arrived somewhere, not a carpark. It was dark, I couldn’t see. Reaksmey distributed torches and we made our way to the rainbow bridge that was lit up by many other torches. It resembled some bizarre pilgrimage. The sky was already changing colour and the traces of cloud were picking up the rays of the coming sun.

The gate.

After we passed over the moat that surrounds the temple, we walked through the gate in the wall and out onto the grassed area for our first glimpse of the silhouette of Angkor Wat. We were shepherded to the coffee area where we were to reassemble at 6:30, after our sunrise photo opportunity by the two ponds in front of the temple. Historically, these ponds were for ritual cleansing purposes, prior to entering the temple complex proper. The closest one still has a fence around it, covered in some sort black shade-cloth like mesh, even though rectification works finished quite some time ago. Along the bank above the pond stood over 100 people, cameras poised.

Pity about the fence.

I snapped a couple of pictures on my walk to the next pond. The view here was not impeded by an annoying fence. However, the many hundreds of people here meant my pictures would have revealed the top spires of the temple and the backs of many heads. I returned to the other viewing area in front of the fenced pond.

Here comes the sun.

The changing light as the sun dawned, did indeed colour our view of Angkor Wat. The reflection in the pond, through the fence, changed from black through to golden as the image of the temple sharpened in focus. Of course, this inspired today's title, another one from my favourite group, The Beatles. Here comes the sun.

We returned to our assembly place and passed up the opportunity to have what would have been an appalling cup of instant coffee. Once there was sufficient light, the hoards of tourists moved forward, swarming over the structure like ants. We stood back, waiting for the first wave to subside, while our guide explained that we were approaching the centre of the universe, the home of the gods, originally dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu the Preserver. 

Light on the main wall.

Then we moved into the temple itself, up one level, to begin our guided exploration of this ancient marvel, built by King Surya II (meaning sun) over a 30-year period. As with Bayon Angkor Thom Temple, the first level’s outer walls of carved stone, tell the story of glorious battles in intricate detail. After the depictions were explained and examined, we eventually moved through the next wall into the inner courtyard.

It's clearer in person.

A relief on the ceiling.

We climbed to the second level to pause and look at four pools that were part of the ritual cleansing for the more privileged who were entitled to go deeper into the complex. It was explained that these pools, along with the outer ponds, are part of a drainage system that is designed to maintain moisture levels in the sand foundation upon which the stone temple is built. If the sand were to dry out ever, the stability of the temple would be compromised.

One of the cleansing pools.

From there, we walked to the east to climb the 40 wooden stairs that have been built to allow access to the top part, the king’s inner sanctum, the third level of the complex. These stairs were steep enough, especially on the downward journey but I wouldn’t have been keen on using the original stone staircase. The view from the top was worth the climb and it would have afforded the king the opportunity to survey his kingdom.

Steep. No handrail. Clearly a WHS concern.

The view from the top.

Once we had reassembled as a group on the second level, our guide led us into the very heart of the temple where a square stone in the floor pinpoints the exact centre of the complex. To illustrate the accuracy of the stone’s position, he placed his mobile phone on the floor to reveal the zero degree reading and the centre of the universe.

The centre of the universe. Smaller than I expected.

We then edged our way past adherents who had come to pray in front of the statue of Buddha that was positioned towards the front of the first level, facing the ponds. We walked down the central causeway, out through the perimeter wall and, this time, traversed the moat via a modern pontoon platform that bounced disconcertingly as you stepped on each tile of the pontoon. 

Where have all the people gone?

A Buddha in the King's sanctum.

One last photo opportunity to capture the entirety of the five towers of Angkor Wat, and then it was time to reboard the bus to return to our hotel, while the 9am group tour of Angkor Wat was conducted.

The pontoon.

One last look.

Although this was not only excursion for the day, I feel you have read enough, dear reader, and I’ll save the ‘tomb raider temple’ for the next post. Back at the hotel it was breakfast and time for a rest.

Until next time.