Easy breezy party esk Sihanoukville, Cambodia... thailand's backpacker beaches about 10 years ago...
Sihanoukville sunset
Otres Beach Sihanoukville... cute little villa where our friend made us free delicious thai food for lunch
Wat in Phnom Phen
Phnom Phen
I'm currently on my back from Sihanoukville Cambodia... A very interesting beach town which is similar in comparison to Port Lucaya Bahamas, but the cambodian version, about 4 hrs from the Thai border. I'm on my 3rd transport of the day and began @ 7am... For the first half of the rode next to a really nice Swedish guy and we discussed eveything from evolution to urban dictionary, fun ride :)
Now about my week:
Friday night Luis my good friend I've known since my arrival in BKK, took the bus to the border town, he runs late like me and funnily enough we made it to the border literally at 7:58pm 2 mins from closing time! We taxied to Siem Reap, the town where the Khmer rule and kingdom/town of Angkor Wat (the largest religious building in the world) remains. We spent the day going from Temple to temple, only pictures can do this place justice. The temple ruins were partially Destroyed during the veitnam war time (same time as Cambodian civil war, the killing feilds etc). But they were gergeous!!! Huge buddah carvings etched into hidden crevices throughout the temples, beautiful ancient trees and vines swallowing the walls, towering temples with insanley steep stairs, hidden crumbled Buddhist statues, palm trees, moats surrounding the Wats, and hidden buddahs to pray to where people still practice and worship (we did as well too). We stayed in a 4 star hotel and got VIP treatment, amazing food, massages, great great time!!
Sunday we headed to Phnom Penh (PP), missed our bus and taxied with the cab driver and his mother whom was dropped off Iin a small village on the way to PP :) when we got there we went to the killing feilds for a few hours and we found a group of Cambodian teens who were having a birthday party at the killing fields, very interesting! There was a tower/temple of skulls, bones, and remains of clothing from the 2 million executed during the Vietnam war era, which was about a quater of the Cambodian population. Very sad and the effects of this are still widely seen today, lots of larger towns in Cambodia are still being rebuilt or they are just left in ruins. The killing feilds today are a peaceful place of solitude where people can come to remember and reflect in the gazebo and pond which over looks the temple tower of skulls.
Angkor Wat... the big temple in the background
One of the many temples... this is A MASSIVE statue as big as a small house
Amazing tree growth in the middle of an old temple
Me at the top of some insanley steep stairs
Now about my week:
Friday night Luis my good friend I've known since my arrival in BKK, took the bus to the border town, he runs late like me and funnily enough we made it to the border literally at 7:58pm 2 mins from closing time! We taxied to Siem Reap, the town where the Khmer rule and kingdom/town of Angkor Wat (the largest religious building in the world) remains. We spent the day going from Temple to temple, only pictures can do this place justice. The temple ruins were partially Destroyed during the veitnam war time (same time as Cambodian civil war, the killing feilds etc). But they were gergeous!!! Huge buddah carvings etched into hidden crevices throughout the temples, beautiful ancient trees and vines swallowing the walls, towering temples with insanley steep stairs, hidden crumbled Buddhist statues, palm trees, moats surrounding the Wats, and hidden buddahs to pray to where people still practice and worship (we did as well too). We stayed in a 4 star hotel and got VIP treatment, amazing food, massages, great great time!!
Sunday we headed to Phnom Penh (PP), missed our bus and taxied with the cab driver and his mother whom was dropped off Iin a small village on the way to PP :) when we got there we went to the killing feilds for a few hours and we found a group of Cambodian teens who were having a birthday party at the killing fields, very interesting! There was a tower/temple of skulls, bones, and remains of clothing from the 2 million executed during the Vietnam war era, which was about a quater of the Cambodian population. Very sad and the effects of this are still widely seen today, lots of larger towns in Cambodia are still being rebuilt or they are just left in ruins. The killing feilds today are a peaceful place of solitude where people can come to remember and reflect in the gazebo and pond which over looks the temple tower of skulls.
In PP I have a mutual friend, Matheiu, from a French/Thai friend who lives on BK, so we stayed with him in his great apartment which overlooks the tallest and in my opinion prettiest Wat in PP. He has this amazing terrace which overlooks the Wat and the city and is the size of my apartment and the kicker is he pays $100 less than I pay in BK for about triple the space!! Also odd side note: in Cambodia they use the Cambodian real (currency) but they also accept and greatly appreciate the dollar, and often ATMs spit out dollars not real!
On Monday my friend left :( to return back to the states/Mexico bc his 3 month adventure was over. So I spent the day traveling around PP: went to the Russian market where they sell nothing Russian but just normal market fair, walked by the Grand Palace, treated myself to a facial & pedicure and hiked up the tallest hill in PP to see the beautiful Wat which overlooks the city. Then I met Matheui for dinner... there is a huge French expat population in PP, the French at one time had control of Cambodia which explains the still very present French influence in PP. Needless to say, we went to a great French resturant and then to a french bar, very fun!
Next I made my way via public bus to Sihanoukville, the best beach town in Cambodia.. It's not really same same as the Thai beach towns, but it rivals in comparison to the fun times to be had there! I met an awesome French gal who I hung out with the rest of my time in Sihanoukville. We partied like spring breakers, rode a motorcycle to a quiet beautiful beach where we met the nice new owner of a resort who fed us free Khmer (what Cambodian people call themselves) lunch and let us lounge in the comfy peaceful chairs to sunbathe etc. We also went to this gergeous temple in town, away from the party scene, where we watched many Khmer people get blessed with holy water by a monk. We talked with a few monks about their lives as well. In the area of the temple was also a school for the monks and several beautiful Buddhist statues and gods of worship. The location was beautiful, it sat on a hill and overlooked the country side, also to make it even better we were the only 2 non-Khmer people in sight! Pretty awesome!!!
The rest of my time there was spent as a proper spring breaker, bar hopping on the beach side bars, chatting with folks from around the globe, teaching the Khmer bar tenders proper English (I got free drinks for helping with their homework) :), watching a Khmer wedding where they dance in a very non spring break style, eating delicious French inspiered food, and dancing until the wee morning hours with Pauline (my nice French girl friend) and with people from all over the globe oh yes and sun bathing too!!
On Monday my friend left :( to return back to the states/Mexico bc his 3 month adventure was over. So I spent the day traveling around PP: went to the Russian market where they sell nothing Russian but just normal market fair, walked by the Grand Palace, treated myself to a facial & pedicure and hiked up the tallest hill in PP to see the beautiful Wat which overlooks the city. Then I met Matheui for dinner... there is a huge French expat population in PP, the French at one time had control of Cambodia which explains the still very present French influence in PP. Needless to say, we went to a great French resturant and then to a french bar, very fun!
Next I made my way via public bus to Sihanoukville, the best beach town in Cambodia.. It's not really same same as the Thai beach towns, but it rivals in comparison to the fun times to be had there! I met an awesome French gal who I hung out with the rest of my time in Sihanoukville. We partied like spring breakers, rode a motorcycle to a quiet beautiful beach where we met the nice new owner of a resort who fed us free Khmer (what Cambodian people call themselves) lunch and let us lounge in the comfy peaceful chairs to sunbathe etc. We also went to this gergeous temple in town, away from the party scene, where we watched many Khmer people get blessed with holy water by a monk. We talked with a few monks about their lives as well. In the area of the temple was also a school for the monks and several beautiful Buddhist statues and gods of worship. The location was beautiful, it sat on a hill and overlooked the country side, also to make it even better we were the only 2 non-Khmer people in sight! Pretty awesome!!!
The rest of my time there was spent as a proper spring breaker, bar hopping on the beach side bars, chatting with folks from around the globe, teaching the Khmer bar tenders proper English (I got free drinks for helping with their homework) :), watching a Khmer wedding where they dance in a very non spring break style, eating delicious French inspiered food, and dancing until the wee morning hours with Pauline (my nice French girl friend) and with people from all over the globe oh yes and sun bathing too!!
All in all i had a great time in Cambodia and met many cool people! I will be back again before my southeast Asian adventure is over!
Next blogs: Nichole and Jennys adventures in Maylasia and then, drum roll please Christmas and New Years in INDONESIA!! To be quicky followed by my bday weekend in Singapore with Colie and our Thai BFF Pom :) I guess my blessed bracelts from the temples are working :)
Besos
Jenny
Next blogs: Nichole and Jennys adventures in Maylasia and then, drum roll please Christmas and New Years in INDONESIA!! To be quicky followed by my bday weekend in Singapore with Colie and our Thai BFF Pom :) I guess my blessed bracelts from the temples are working :)
Besos
Jenny
Also, promise to post pictures to go with this blog very soon!
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