Khmer Photo Album::កំរងរូបភាពស្រុកខ្មែរ

Rin Yame Khmer Artist

2010-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

ខ្ញុំបាទឈ្មោះ រិន យែម ជាវិចិត្រករគំនូរធម្មជាតិដែល ខ្ញុំគូដោយខ្មៅដៃ ជាលក្ខណះសខ្មៅ ហើយខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តសែ្វងរករូបភាពថ្មីៗ ដើម្បីបង្កើនចំនេះដឹងខាងគំនូររបស់ខ្ញុំផងដែរ។

Angkor wat khmer temple in Cambodia

2010-03-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hang Pisey In Khmer Apsara Dancing

2010-03-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Hang Pisey was born in September 1983 at Phnom Penh city and she is the only daughter in family, she went to art school and studied hard on Khmer traditional music. Hang Pisey had archived such great singing competition since she first came to Khmer entertainment industry in the year of 2000. This photo below showing Hang Pisey in Khmer Apsara performance known as the most sinificant Khmer traditional dancing of all times.

Cambodian classical dance

2010-03-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

Cambodian girls learning classical dance

2010-03-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

A Cambodian family on a motor

2010-03-02T23:15:00.002-08:00

Workers on the Angkor site, Cambodia. Very shy, but once you talk to them, very smiling people

2010-03-02T23:15:00.001-08:00

Banteay Srei great temple of Cambodia

2010-03-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

Cambodian little girl

2010-03-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Dancer dressing in the national museum for a show, in Phnom Penh...Woooow!

2010-03-02T23:09:00.001-08:00

A woman's cooking in Floating village Chong Kneas, Cambodia

2010-03-02T23:08:00.004-08:00

Mountains and Villages along Mekong River

2010-03-02T23:08:00.003-08:00

This lily pond at our hotel outside Luang Prabang backed on to a view of rice fields and mountains

2010-03-02T23:08:00.001-08:00

The Killing Fields

2010-03-02T23:07:00.001-08:00

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Vietnam War.

At least 200,000 people were executed by the Khmer Rouge (while estimates of the total number of deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies, including disease and starvation, range from 1.4 to 2.2 million out of a population of around 7 million). In 1979, Vietnam invaded and toppled the Khmer Rouge regime, which was officially called Democratic Kampuchea.

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA License. It uses material from Wikipedia content.

Phimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស, Prasat Phimean Akas, 'celestial temple')

2010-03-02T23:06:00.002-08:00

Phimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស, Prasat Phimean Akas, 'celestial temple') or Vimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទវិមានអាកាស, Prasat Vimean Akas) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman (from 941-968), then rebuilt by Suryavarman II in the shape of a three tier pyramid as a Hindu temple. On top of the pyramid there was a tower.

According to legend, the king spent the first watch of every night with a Naga girl in the tower, during that time, not even the queen was permitted to intrude. Only in the second watch the king returned to his palace with the queen. If the naga who was the supreme land owner of Khmer land did not show up for a night, the king's day would be numbered, if the king did not show up, calamity would strike his land.

Tanei Temple (Prasat Tanei)

2010-03-02T23:06:00.001-08:00

a Nei (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតានៃ) is a late 12th Century stone temple located in Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, it is located near the northwest corner of the East Baray, a large holy reservoir. It was dedicated to the Buddha.

Khim Khmer music instrument

2010-03-02T23:05:00.004-08:00

The khim ( Khmer: ឃឹម; pronounced "kim," ) is a hammered dulcimer from Cambodia. It is made of wood and trapezoidal in shape, with brass strings that are laid across the instrument. There are 14 groups of strings on the khim, and each group has 3 strings. Overall, the khim has a total of 42 strings. It is played with two flexible bamboo sticks with soft leather at the tips to produce the soft tone. It is used as both a solo and ensemble instrument.

The instrument was introduced to Cambodia where a similar (though, since the late 20th century, usually larger) instrument is called yangqin; the khim produces a significantly softer sound. Traditional khims have two bridges, though in the late 20th century some players began using larger instruments with more bridges.

The Australian-born musician and vocal artist Lisa Gerrard specialises in the use of a khim hammered dulcimer, featuring its music on several albums and performing with the instrument live on tour.

Cambodian Monk Ben Bat at the beach Sihanokville

2010-03-02T23:05:00.003-08:00

Independence Monument, Phnom Penh (Vimean Ekareach)

2010-03-02T23:05:00.001-08:00

Independence Monument at Night

Independence Monument at Day Time

The Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach) in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, was built in 1958 following the country's independence from France. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city. It is in the form of a lotus-shaped stupa, of the style seen at the great Khmer temple at Angkor Wat and other Khmer historical sites. The monument was designed by the influential Cambodian modern architect Vann Molyvann.

During national celebrations—most notably, Independence Day—the monument is the center of activity. A ceremonial flame on the interior pedestal is often lit by a royal or high official on these occasions, and floral tributes line the stairs. Most of the year, however, the monument is visited by photo-taking tourists and locals looking for some quiet conversation.

Kbal Spean

2010-03-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

Kbal Spean (Khmer: ក្បាលស្ពាន) ("Bridge Head") is an Angkorian era site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills in Cambodia, 25 km from the main Angkor group. It is commonly known as the valley of a 1000 Lingas. It consists of a series of stone carvings in and around the Stung Kbal Spean river. The motifs for the stone carvings are roughly three: myriads of lingams, depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a rock; lingam - yoni designs; and various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of gods and animals.

Khmer Script

2010-03-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

The Khmer script (អក្ខរក្រមខេមរភាសា; âkkhârâkrâm khémârâ phéasa, informally aksar Khmer; អក្សរខ្មែរ) is used to write the Khmer language which is the official language of Cambodia.

It is generally thought that the Khmer script developed from the Pallava script of India. The oldest dated inscription in Khmer was found at Angkor Borei in Takev Province south of Phnom Penh and dates from 611 AD. Those inscriptions that have survived are engraved in stone and the evolution of Khmer script is as follows:
The Khmer alphabet has fewer symbols for vowels than the language has vowel phonemes. To account for this, each consonant belongs to one of two series, and the vowel produced depends on which series the consonant belongs to (making it an abugida rather than a true alphabet). Therefore, most vowel signs have two possible pronunciations, depending on which series the consonant belongs to. When no vowel sign is present, usually the inherent vowel of the consonant is used. Vowels signs can be divided into two groups: dependent vowel signs, which are written around a consonant letter, and independent vowel letters, which can stand alone. Dependent vowel signs are used more frequently than independent vowels and all independent vowel letters can be phonetically rendered with a dependent vowel. Khmer also has a number of diacritics, which can change the series of the consonant or change the pronunciation of the vowel. Its directionality is horizontal left-to-right, like the Latin alphabet.

Villages Tonlé Sap River

2010-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

The Tonlé Sap (Khmer: ទន្លេសាប;), i.e., large body of water (Cambodian meaning "Large Fresh Water River," but more commonly translated as "Great Lake") is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997.

The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: 1) its flow changes direction twice a year, and 2) the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.

Prasat Bayon

2010-03-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

The Bayon (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat bayon) is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.

Architectures of the ancietn Kambodia

2009-03-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

Bayon,the temple of hide and seek.Built by the great king of Cambodia,Preahbat Jayavarman 7th.

Women Citadel-Banteay Srei

Neak Pean

Phnom Bakheng

Koh Ker

Preah khan

Prasat Hin Pimai

Preah Vihear

National Museum

The Royal Palace

Monument of Independence

Animals and Plants as National Symbols of Cambodia

2009-01-14T01:12:00.001-08:00

1- គោព្រៃ= Kouprey (Bos sauveli): The National Mammal of the Kingdom of Cambodia

The Kouprey, an original Khmer species, has been recognized worldwide and named in Khmer version by international biologists even though English, Spanish and French call it Kouprey. Its scientific name is “Bos sauveli” with a size: HB: 2100mm-2300mm; H: 1700mm-1900mm and W: 700-900 kg. The Kouprey is similar to the gaur or banteng but they are unique in having a very long dewlap hanging from the neck, in old males almost reaching the ground. The bull and cow horns are distinctly different. In the bull Kouprey, the horns have cores which are closer together and considerably larger; the horns form a convex curve for the basal half of the horns, dropping below the base, then rising upward and forward, extending slightly above the head with split at the tips. The horns in the female are lyre-shaped, corkscrewing upward, the tips are never shredded, and the cores are thinner and farther apart than in the male. The lower legs of the Kouprey are white or grayish and dark grayish at old age. In the pre-war period, hunting of the Kouprey was prohibited by declaration No. 191 dated January 20, 1960. After the Pol Pot regime, hunting was again prohibited by declaration No. 359 dated August 01, 1994, issued by Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. Kouprey was classified as a critical endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. International Trade of this species is banned, following Appendix I of the CITES Convention and Migratory Species Convention.

In the 1960s, the King of Cambodia identified and declared the Kouprey as the Cambodia natural heritage symbol. It has been written about in popular Khmer songs, especially some melodies, describing the richness of nature and the important of comparability of human, animals, and nature for peace and prosperity. Kouprey were often found in herds of 20 or more and also found with gaur, banteng or sambar deer. They are more intelligent, more industrious and more easily frightened than other species in their family and they are strong, agile, and good at smelling and fast moving. Kouprey can tolerate sunlight, low quality food and Bovine Spongiform Encephalop Pathy (SBP) diseases.

2- ត្រយ៉ង= Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea): The National Bird of the Kingdom of Cambodia

The Khmer common name is “Tror Yorng or Kangor Yak or Aov Loeuk”. The scientific name is “Pseudibis gigantea” and English common name is “Giant Ibis”. Giant Ibis has dark grey-brown plumage, light red legs, curved downward bill and 104cm in body length. Hunting of Giant Ibis was prohibited by declaration No.359 dated August 01, 1994 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It was classified as a critical endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. Giant Ibis is one of the species that in the past distributed almost throughout Southeast Asia, but at present tine it can only find in the North and Northeast parts of Cambodia. It has been written about in popular Khmer songs and Khmer traditional tales. Cambodia people had believed that Giant Ibis is very intelligent, if a fail hunting on them in any places, they will never come to those places for ever. Their bloods were traditionally used for malaria treatment in the isolated villages. It is a popular bird, people like them a lots, especially it’s morning calls that connected to the heart of Cambodian farmers for love introduction as well as for remaining that it is time for going to the fields.

Google searches are costly to the environment, experts say

2009-01-14T01:08:00.002-08:00

អ្នកជំនាញនិយាយថាការស្រាវជ្រាវតាមហ្គូហ្គោល (Google) មានការប៉ះពាល់ដល់បរិស្ថាន

IF you want to help save the planet from carbon carnage, cut your Google searches, scientists say.

Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research, The Australian reports.

While millions of people tap into Google without a thought for the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2. Boiling a kettle generates about 15g.

“Google operates huge data centres around the world that consume a great deal of power,” said Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist whose research on the environmental impact of computing is due out soon.

“A Google search has a definite environmental impact.”

Seven Deadly Sin

2009-01-14T01:08:00.001-08:00

Philosophy of Life

2009-01-14T01:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T01:06:00.000-08:00

H ours of happy times with friends and family
A bundant time for relaxation
P rosperity
P lenty of love when you need it the most
Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber (you know - dont’ worry be happy)
E verything you need
W ishing you love and light

Y ears and years of good health
E njoyment and mirth
A angels to watch over you
R embrances of a happy years!

Survey Asks: Internet Access or Sex?

2009-01-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

Intel came up with a novel way to show how important the Internet and computing have become in the lives of Americans. In conjunction with Harris Interactive, the company conducted a survey of adults in the United States under the prosaic banner “Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy.”

But the first “key finding” from the study is a little more attention-grabbing. According to the study, 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men would opt to forgo sex for two weeks rather than give up access to their precious Internet for the same period.

More broadly, those surveyed said access to the Internet ranked highest among the discretionary spending items they could not live without. Cable television, dining out, shopping for clothes and gym memberships followed in declining importance.

Along similar lines, 61 percent of the women surveyed said they would rather go without TV for two weeks than lose access to the Internet for one week.

Using the data as a means of pitching products fueled by Intel chips, the company said: “The survey revealed that 65 percent of adults feel they cannot live without Internet access, and even more — 71 percent — responded that it is important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, netbooks and mobile Internet devices that can provide them with real-time updates on important issues including the state of the economy.”

Harris Interactive polled 2,119 adults on Intel’s behalf.

Pic_of_Robam_in_year_1658

2009-01-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Shadow Dance

2008-12-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

children watching shadow dance

Behide the scene

Cambodia Shopping

2008-12-17T07:45:00.002-08:00

Cambodia Shopping

Scared Caverns

2008-12-17T07:45:00.001-08:00

Scared Caverns of Cambodia

Sambo Preykob

2008-12-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Sambo Preykob ( Cambodia )

The Rubbish Show

2008-12-17T07:38:00.001-08:00

Rubbish Clothese Designer ( Cambodia )

The rubbish umbrella

clothese made from plastic wirese

Wow I can not imagine that, That so great !

Preparing before show

Ha ha I am the queen

Rubbish show in Cambodia ( 2007 )

Pol Pot house

2008-12-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Anlong Veng

way to Pol Pot house

The jungle house

Phnong People

2008-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Drinking becomes tradition

The nature alcohol makes from water and fruits

Phnong people life style

Marble

2008-12-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Koulen Falls

2008-12-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Koulen is a town in northern Cambodia.

Koulen Mountain(Khmer: ភ្នំគូលេន) locates at Districts of Svay Len and Va Rin in 48-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Siem Reap by Short-cut or in 50-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Siem Reap via Charles De Gaulle Road, small circle, big circle, Preah Dak, Road A66, then turning to the Malaysian Developed Road. At the mountain of Ku Len, tourists can visit such places as follows:

CHUP PREAH: Is the plain spot where having cool water flows and locates at the mountain’s valley. Next to it, there is a rare-big tree of Cham Pa having 0.7-meter diameter and 15-meter height. At Chup Preah, there is a big Buddhist statue and many other small statues made during 16th century.
LINGA 1,000: Locates on the mountain, along the river of Siem Reap and has a lot of figures of Yoni and Linga spreading out at the bottom of the river.

TERRACE OF SDACH KUM LING: Is the plain terrace having a small ruined temple made of solid brick at the middle; the study proves that the terrace covered by lava for hundreds years.

PREAH ANG THOM: Is a big statue of Buddhist who had achieved nirvana; the statue built in 16th century has eight-meter length living on a big rock. Preah Ang Thom is the sacred and worshipping god for Ku Len Mountain. There are also two big trees of Cham Pa at nearby. Besides Preah Ang Thom, we have seen Chhok Ruot, footprint of Preah Bat Choan Tuk, Peung Chhok, Peung Ey So and Peung Ey Sey.

WATERFALL: At Ku Len Mountain, there are two spots of waterfall. First Waterfall: Has four-meter to five-meter heights and 20-meter to 25-meter diameters during the dry and rainy seasons respectfully. Second Waterfall: Has 15-20-meter heights and 10-15-meter diameters during the dry and rainy seasons respectfully.

Khmer Boxing Tranditional

2008-12-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

Khmer Cirus

2008-12-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Kamping Poy

2008-12-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

Kachagn Waterfall

2008-12-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

Khmer Firework in Festival

2008-12-17T07:17:00.001-08:00

Khmer Kite

2008-12-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

Khmer Drum

2008-12-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

Khmer Dance Tranditional

2008-12-17T07:07:00.001-08:00

Strange But Delicious

2008-12-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

Pchum Ben's Day

2008-12-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Prachum Benda (បុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ) ("Ancestors' Day"), more commonly known as Pchum Ben, is a Cambodian religious festival, culminating in celebrations on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer Calendar.(In 2009, the national holiday falls on the 28th - 30th of September in the Gregorian calendar.)

The day is a time when most Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives. People cook meals for monks, bring offerings to the temple and throw rice near the temple early in the morning, believing that the ghosts of their ancestors will receive it.

Flowers and food to monk
( they think that offer food to monk their relative which died also get it ).

Teenagers during Pjom Ben's Day

Workers return home on Pjum Ben's day

The fifteenth day, of the tenth month, of the Khmer calendar marks the Pchum Ben festival. This is a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk the Earth. And the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat.

Many of the people throw sticky rice, which, apparently is easier for the spirits to consume.

At 8:00 AM, people return to the temple, with offerings for the monks. "They don't just give food," explains Mey Sameth, who was a monk for seven years. "They bring money and other things as well. As a monk we looked forward to this period all year long, because we could get new clothing and good food."

At 10:00 the people return with more food, which will be shared between monks and poor people. Os many of the Buddhist traditions seem to relate to feeding the poor. Disabled people also crowd around the temple tat is hour, begging alms. To give help to the less-fortunate, particularly during Pchum Ben, is to acquire merit. Many people explained that the offerings they made during the festival were to cancel out past sins.

Most modern Khmers will say that the festival lasts fifteen days, ending on the fifteenth of the month. In actuality, the ancient, traditional festival lasted three months, ending on the fifteenth day, of the tenth month of the year.

Jasmin

2008-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Floating House

2008-12-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Angkor Cookies

2008-12-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយស្រី Banteysrey Temple

2008-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Banteay Srei (or Banteay Srey) (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយស្រី) is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia, at 13.5989 N, 103.9628 E, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (15 miles) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.

Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art.

Consecrated in 967 A.D., Banteay Srei was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha, who served as a counsellor to king Rajendravarman. The foundational stela says that Yajnavaraha was a scholar and philanthropist who helped those who suffered from illness, injustice, or poverty. Originally, the temple was surrounded by a town called Isvarapura.

The temple's modern name, Banteay Srei — citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty — is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves.[5] Some have speculated that it relates to the many devatas carved into the walls of the buildings

Banteay Srei was subject to further expansion and rebuilding work in the eleventh century. At some point it came under the control of the king and had its original dedication changed; an inscription of the early twelfth century records the temple being given to the priest Divarakapandita and being rededicated to Shiva. It remained in use at least until the fourteenth century.

The temple was rediscovered only in 1914, and was the subject of a celebrated case of art theft when André Malraux stole four devatas in 1923 (he was soon arrested and the figures returned). The incident stimulated interest in the site, which was cleared the following year, and in the 1930s Banteay Srei was restored in the first important use of anastylosis at Angkor.

Banteay Srei is built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood. Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. The temple is known for the beauty of its sandstone lintels and pediments.

Like most Khmer temples, Banteay Srei is oriented towards the east. It consists of three concentric rectangular enclosures constructed on an east-west axis. A causeway stituated on the axis leads from an outer gopura, or gate, to the third or outermost of the three enclosures. The inner enclosure contains the sanctuary, consisting of an entrance chamber and three towers, as well as two buildings conventionally referred to as libraries.

The third enclosure is 95 by 110 m; it is surrounded by a laterite wall breached by gopuras at the eastern and western ends. Neither pediment of the eastern gopura is in situ.

Angkor Night Market

2008-12-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Under the bright light which were being beautified with small tros [Cambodian Traditional musician instruments to catch fish] as well as Cambodia traditional music is being played by a disable band in front of the entrance to get some money from the visitors or buyers who goes shopping in Angkor Night Market.

In order to satisfy the visitors who like shopping at night in Siem Reap, Mr. Lim Num chief of Angkor Night Market said, “We make this market to ease tourists who want to buy something at night after their traveling at daytime. I often thought that if we have something to sell at night may be it is good. I am a guide so I know well about the tourists’needs.”

The noisiest sound mingle with different languages once they are asking about the product prices Mr. Num added, at daytime the tourists mostly visit temples so they don’t have enough time to buy some souvenir or goods. At night there is only one place along Pup Street which serves foreign tourists who want to drink beer or wine so this point is what I have thought.

While we step into the night market complex which stretched on 4,000 mqs, there are 130 stands which were made from bamboos and covered with thatches in the size of 2m x 3m and 2m x 2.30m each. In that, we see local products are displaying in those small stands to welcome the customers such as the wooden goods, Cambodian traditional skirts, rattans which all are made by Cambodian disables and people who live in Siem Reap.

Angkor Night Market was built in the normal style. The products which are being sold here mostly our local products but it does not mean that we don’t sell foreign products. For the foreign products are in a small number what we mainly want to sell here is our local products, said Mr. Lim Num.

He further more added that the businesspersons who sell their products here are our Angkorean citizen and just a few from the other provinces around Cambodia such as: Kampong Cham, Battambong, Banteay Meanchey, Kratie, and Steung Treng. The price of each stand is from $70 to $150; it depends on the stand size so the sellers have a lot of opportunity to display their products which they had made from their villages to sell to tourists and this is what we want to show to them.

The noisiness of Angkor Night Market begins from 4 o’clock in the evening till 12 o’clock midnight. It located in Steung Thmey village, Svay Dongkum district, Siem Reap province a long Sivatha quay and we have to drive about 100 meters more; we will reach the market. Inside the market, besides the stands there are some painting sites, theatre stage, and restaurants which serve European, Asian, and Khmer dishes a long with a very sweet Cambodian traditional music.

The chief of Angkor Night Market Mr. Lim Num furthermore added that “, if we talk about the businesspersons who sell tourist products in this market get benefit a lot because it is not only the shopping place but also the traveling place. The night market has just had in Asia. It had already in our neighboring country, Thailand, but it is new for our country.”

Meanwhile this market had been constructed; Mr. Kuy Song Siem Reap chief of Ministry of Tourism said, the establishment of the night market here is one of the new drives to draw more tourists because they can go shopping at night.

He furthermore added that this market benefits too much to tourism sector if we properly arrange it with a good policy. It will profits to the businessperson like sculpture which can be sold in the market as well. More over this night market not only to attract more tourists to visit but they can also buy the our local products.

The souvenir seller Miss. Hoo Boran said, “I sell so well in this market and most of my buyers are foreigners because my stand mainly sells hand-made-products in order to satisfy to my local buyers as well as foreigners. The customers here are getting increased from day to day because the night market has not just had in our country but their countries.”

“The reason that I want to sell here because this market is appropriately organized; it is not noisy like the normal markets at daytime. The tourists who visit here to buy our products because it is build to complete their desires. Any way the price of products here is same as the normal markets,” Miss Boran added.

As long as the opening of Angkor Night Market which there a lot of visitors come to buys some goods very day, and the motor taxi drivers are tirelessly awaiting to serve and to keep safety to the visitors till late night.

Khmer Marriage Tranditional

2008-12-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

Khmer Marriage

2008-12-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

Battambang Province Welcome

2008-12-17T01:31:00.000-08:00

We woke up early at around 6 am as we had booked a morning bus back to Phnom Penh. Our flight back to Singapore is on 12/12/06 from Phnom Penh.

A minibus brought us to the Capitol bus terminal and we boarded the coach that will take us back to Phnom Penh. Capital Bus is WAY better than GST which we took on the way to Siem Reap. The aircon is working fine unlike the stuffy GST bus and the legroom is spacious. All three of us succumbed to the comfort and gave in to the zzz monster after a while. I slept the least on the bus as i wanted to see the scenery along the way.

A rest stop

After about 2 & 1/2 hours, there was a lunch break and we ordered some food. As we were hungry, the food is delicious considering it is just a roadside stall. Love the spices and flavouring used in the soup. As we ordered quite a bit of food, the bus driver honked for all of us to get back onto the bus and we were the last to board.

I love the shape of the Cambodian coconut trees

The bus reached Phnom Penh at around 1 pm and we wished the trip would be longer so that we can sleep more. Haha..... Anyway, we got off from the Capitol bus terminal and walked back to our Sunday Guesthouse. We had booked our last night there as the staff is friendly and helpful. After unloading our backpacks, we set off for our last day in Phnom Penh. Actually we had visited all, if not most of the tourist attractions. So we decided to have a walking tour around the city.

Our walking plan in Phnom Penh

I was the chief navigator and we embarked on the journey across the city. The city was bigger than i expected and we took longer than expected to walk across the city as we stopped at any aircon places like shopping centres, supermarkets and bookstores.

We were enthusiastic and curious about the sights and scenes in the city. We passed by the guarded Singapore Embassy and asked if we can enter. Sadly, we were denied entry despite the fact that we are Singaporeans.

We were desperately finding entry to view the lake up close but there were many buildings and guesthouses by the side of the lake that prevent direct entry for outsiders. Then we barged into a guesthouse as there weren't people outside preventing outsiders from going in. We made the right choice as the view from the guesthouse is fantastic. We were a little late for sunset though.

Picturesque view of sunset

The late sunset

We enjoyed the view for a cool 20 minutes and we were right up to the lake surface as the guesthouse has a platform that enables people to dive right into the lake. We bought some drinks from the guesthouse restaurant as we couldn't just leave without buying anything from the guesthouse.

We had chosen to sit on the upper deck of the boat as the view is better. We bought some bread from the locals selling fruits and bread as we did not have our breakfast. The bread was incredibly tasty as they had toasted it with some seasoning or spices.

The early sun

Fisherman and his family

The sky, the water, the boat and the church

Backpackers and us on top of the boat

Floating temple

Fishing equipment used for hanging nets

Floating village

4 hours into the journey, there was a break at a local floating provision shop and we got down the boat to take a walk. We were feeling the toil on our skin as the sun is scorching hot as it was around noon. We found ourselves seats on the lower deck after the break.

As the boat trip continues, the river gets narrower and narrower until it is just a mere passageway enough for just 1 boat to pass through. The branches and twigs were hitting on the sides of the boat repeatedly and poor Terence sitted by the side had to duck and 'siam' or else he would be hit by the passing branches or twigs. A few spiders found their way onto Terence's t-shirt as well when they dropped from the branches. It was an interesting and scenic experience on the boat though.

The narrow passageway

Finally after 8 hours, we reached Battambang. All 3 of us were sleeping and dozing off during the 2nd half of the journey as the lack of sleep had set in. We sat on the minibus as the hotel i booked had arranged transportation from the jetty. Actually we wanted to switch hotel to a cheaper one we had found out but didn't in the end.

After unloading our backpacks at Royal Hotel (US$6 per pax per night), we had our lunch at the hotel before setting off to explore the 2nd most populous city in Cambodia after Phnom Penh. There wasn't a lot that we can do considering that it is already 4 pm. I was the chief navigator and we headed on foot to the Central Market.

Central Market

There were not as many stalls compared to the market in Phnom Penh but the clothing their seems to be cheaper. I bought a plain tee for only 3000 riel which is equivalent to US$0.75. There were very few tourists in Battambang as the city doesn't have much tourist attractions. We received many stares from the locals and the streets were not as crowded compared to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. We then walked around the vicinity as we did not want to stray too far away from our hotel.

A street in Battambang

A statue outside a temple

A street with French Colonial influence

We feels that the streets were not as safe compared to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh and decided to cut down on any night activities or than having dinner. Many motorcyclists and passerbys stared at us when we were walking on the streets and made us slightly uncomfortable. We headed to Old Market where Terence bought a cute small watermelon. The fruits there are smaller than the ones in Singapore especially watermelons and pineapples.

Visiting Around Cambodia Part-2

2008-12-17T01:22:00.000-08:00

We had a very tasty lunch at Khmer Kitchen near the Old Market and headed to Cambodian Cultural Village. The entrance fee is US$9 and we spent the whole afternoon there.

There were miniature structures of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, as well as the Central Market, and the National Museum.

Miniature Royal Palace

A Brief History of Cambodian Currency

2008-12-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Cambodia’s first machine made coin — the Cambodian Tical

If you thought the Riel had always been Cambodia’s official currency, you are completely wrong. Instead, our currency has changed rather significantly throughout time, both in form and name.

According to Global Financial Data, from the ninth to tenth centuries, Cambodia imported Pyu and Mon coins from the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati, whose remnants can still be found in the central part of present-day Thailand. For a fact, coins were not produced in Cambodia until the sixteenth century. In the 1850s HM King Ang Duong of Cambodia (1841-1859) issued the first machine-made coins, known asCambodian Tical. The Tical was divisible into 8 Fuang and 64 Att.

12 years after Cambodia became a part of the French Indochina, the Banque de l’Indochine was established. A branch was set up in Phnom Penh, which became the note-issuing bank for all of Indochina from February 22, 1891 to December 31, 1951. It is in this period that Indochina’s currency, the Piastre, was introduced.

During the Second World War, French Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) and Thailand, though occupied by Japanese troops, did not have Japanese occupation currency; rather, they paid a kind of ransom by creating domestic currency and giving it to Japan to pay for local expenses. The Piastre was divisible into 100 Cents.

After the war, France initially revalued the Piastre to equal 17 French Francs, but the Piastre was devalued back to its old level of 10 French Francs on May 11, 1953. On December 31, 1951 the exclusive privilege of banknote issue was transferred to the Institut d’Émission des États du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêt-Nam, which also had its headquarters in Phnom Penh. Although separate notes were issued for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the notes were legal tender in all three states.

Upon gaining its independence, Cambodia issued the Riel (KHR) on January 1, 1955. The Riel is divisible into 100 Sen, and was issued at par with the Piastre which was completely replaced by September 29, 1955. The Riel was used in Cambodia until 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, eliminated all money, and introduced a barter economy. The Khmer Rouge had contracted for banknotes showing the Khmer Rouge defending the country against Capitalists, but they were never issued.

After the Vietnamese invasion in 1978, the riel was re-established as the Cambodian currency on April 1, 1980, initially at a value of 4 riel = 1 US dollar. It is subdivided into 10 kak or 100 sen. Because there was no money for it to replace and a severely disrupted economy, the central government gave away the new money to the populace in order to encourage its use. In rural areas the riel is used for virtually all purchases, large and small. However, the US dollar is also used, particularly in urban Cambodia and tourist areas. In Battambang and other areas near the Thai border, like Pailin, the Thai baht is also accepted.

Go to Siemreap Part-3

2008-12-17T01:10:00.000-08:00

We then walked around the large complex and stumbled into the ghost cave by accident. We had entered from the exit and came out from the entrance. An admission fee is required for entrance into the ghost cave and we had saved the money.

In the ghost cave, there is constantly screeching, wailing, ghostlike sounds and there were fake skeletons and other objects pouncing out of nowhere. All of a sudden, there was a human scream and i saw a ghostly figurine approach me. I lept out of its path and snapped a shot of it as it moved past me. The fast moving figure did rattle some nerves and i was shocked for a moment when it approached me. There was a bit of motor sound when it moved past and i think it was a ghostly figurine moving on a motor by the hanging wires.

Snapped a picture of the ghostly figurine

While shooting some random pictures inside the cave, there were exceptionally many 'spiritual orbs' photographed inside.

Eerie photo?

The ghost cave also displayed the punishments in hell for sins like throwing away food of monks, committing adultery, fishing beyond limit, robbing and killing people, etc.

Punishment for making sport of animal fighting

Punishment for robbing and killing people

We left the ghost cave after some time and visited the Chinese Village next and waited a while for the performance. There were chinese troupe performers and they were practising stunts like balancing porcelain plates, do acrobats, etc. We left before the performance ended as there were too many people and we have definitely seen the similar kind of performance before.

Chinese Village performance

We headed to Kroeung Village next and there were lots of people there as well. All the seats have been occupied and we were thinking Cambodians seem to be as kiasu as Singaporeans. We were at the bottom of a wooden stilted house overlooking the performance as even the standing crowds hadblocked our views.

Before the performance was about to start, 2 of the performers wanted to take a photo with me. Ha... I was surprised that a stranger would walk up and take a photo together. Some Cambodians are naturally friendly indeed.

We left the crowded village after a short while and headed to Khmer Village next. There were a lot of people there even though the performance was due to start in 20 minutes.

Khmer Village

There were people walking on tightropes during the skit and i wasn't rather interested in watching the performance after some time. We jointly decided to stay for the final grand performance although i would have preferred going to another temple in Angkor Archaelogical Park for sunset. Nevertheless, the sunset is quite nice at Cambodian Cultural Village.

Sunset @ Cambodian Cultural Village

We headed to the grand auditorium where thousands of people are seated there. It was only 6.15 pm and the show was only starting at 7 pm. We were seated at the corner despite the fact that we were 45 minutes early. After waiting for a seemingly long time (as the seats had no backrest and the lighting was very dim), the show finally started. It was much better than the mediocre performances at the various villages but i can't help myself dozing off several times during the performance as we woke up very early the past 2 days.

Apsara dancing

Giant props and sets

We left after the final performance and headed back to Siem Reap. We went to Viva!, a Mexican restaurant and we had a taste of authentic Mexican food which i have never tried before. It was a fulfilling and satisfying meal and we headed back to Golden Temple Villa where we will be spending our last night in Siem Reap.

Visiting Around Cambodia Part-1

2008-12-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII and was dedicated to his father. It is a large monastic complex and i believe that significant portions of Tomb Raider was filmed there.

On the tuk tuk on the way to Preah Khan

The entrance of Preah Khan

Close-up view of the stone bridge statues

Indoor ceiling of Preah Khan

Defaced buddhist faces during the conversion to Hindu era

Pillars amidst the ruins

Resembles Parthenon of ancient Greece doesn't it?

Collapsed and standing structures after 1000 years

Preah Khan is one of my favourite temples in Angkor Wat as there isn't a lot of people touring the large complex and there are many places which we can explore in the temple. A large portion of the structure is sheltered from the hot sun as well.

Next, we headed back to Angkor Thom as there are still some parts where we have not explored yet. We stopped at the Terrace of the Leper King and walked over to Terrace of the Elephants.

Khmer Art Works

2008-12-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

Down the terrace walking back to our tuk tuk

This concludes our 2 day visit to the Angkor Archaelogical Park and we headed back to Siem Reap after that. We visited Artisans D' Angkor which is the venue where we can see artisans at work carving sculptures, painting silk prints or polishing carvings. There are tour guides who can guide us around the school and a very friendly guide brought us around the area furnishing useful and interesting information to us.

Our tour guide telling us on how to make the carvings look authentic

Painting intricate designs

Polishing and coating room for sculptures

An artisan at work sculpting statues

We had a 1 hour tour around the school and learnt quite a bit from our tour guide. We were quite hungry and proceeded to have our lunch next.

Visiting Around Cambodia

2008-12-17T00:59:00.000-08:00

We woke up at 4.15 am and were set to go at 5.15 am. We had arranged our own cheaper transportation with a tuk tuk driver outside and he drove us to the Angkor Archaelogical Park to see the sunrise. We had picked Srah Srang to be the temple we see the sunrise after recommendations with the driver we had yesterday. Upon arrival, we realized that it will be the sunrise which we will never forget. It is incredibly beautiful, incredibly beautiful.

The picturesque picture of early sunrise

This photo is one of the best photos that i have ever taken

Look at the contrast of colours, simply beautiful

The sunrise was only marred by the persistant persuasion of children asking us to buy tea or coffee or t-shirts. They practise good tactics in front tourists for us to part our money to them. Firstly, they will ask which country are we from, then they will ask us for our name, which we will kindly supply them the info. Next they will offer us a ratten wristlet for free and they let us off to enjoy the sunrise for a while. They will target us after some time if we have not decided to buy their tea, coffee or clothing. They recognise us with the wristlet they have given us and will say phrases like "If you don't buy, i'll cry." with a dejected look on their faces. We salute their numerous tactics and all of us bought tea from the children except me who bought a t-shirt which costs only US$1.

Next, we headed to Pre Rup. It is another temple mountain but not very large compared to those temples we visited yesterday. The route which we will be travelling is not often frequented by tourists which is a very good thing as Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom which we visited the day before was flooded with tourists.

Pre Rup

The domes and the moon

The temple is serene and quiet, and all of us were enjoying every moment in the building which was built about 1000 years ago. The complex only contains the 4 of us plus only a few other people. Words can't describe the serenity and peace while on the temple mountain.

We then headed to East Mebon, a structure architecturally similar to Pre Rup. There were only a few differences between these 2 temples and we did not spend a lot of time there as it was becoming slightly warmer.

East Mebon

Although some temples may be similar to one another, it is still exciting to venture and see the temples in real life, enjoying the hard effort the people of the past put in to design, build and sculpture each wall, each pillar, each temple.

We proceeded to Neak Pean next and it was serene and beautiful with only the 4 of us walking around.

Neak Pean, a temple surrounded by 8 water bodies

A sculpture separating 2 water bodies

Cute children we encountered on the way back to the main road from Neak Pean

It was an enjoyable time touring these temples without the chatter, without having to avoid other people taking photos, and without people blocking our view. We were feeling hungry already and the tuk tuk driver took us to Preah Khan's roadside stall for breakfast next.

Go to Siemreap Part-2

2008-12-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

After touring most of the Angkor Thom region, we departed via the Victory Gate and proceeded to Thommanom. It is a much smaller temple and we did not spend much time there.

Thommanom

Our next stop is a temple mountain ruin, Ta Keo. The structure is basically rather similar to Angkor Wat but there are much lesser carvings and less impressive. We climbed up all the way to the peak and it was quite high indeed.

Ta Keo

Central Peak of Ta Keo

Derrick and Terence photographed descending the temple mountain

We did not stop by some of the more minor temples and we proceeded to Ta Prohm. This temple is dedicated to one of the Angkorian kings, Jayavarman VII's mother. The distinct difference between this temple and the others is that the jungle overgrowth is not entirely cleared and some of the ruins were intentionally unrestored.

The entrance of Ta Prohm

Unrestored ruins of Ta Prohm

Look at these intricate carvings!

A tree consuming part of the building

We got lost in the large monastic complex and got out from the entrance at the other side instead. We only realized after we cannot find our driver and the vehicle. We then spent 15 minutes walking to the other side of the temple.

Banteay Kdei was our next stop and we did not spend much time there as we were rather tired from all the walking, all the climbing and all the sweating. We walked to the other side of the temple which is near a temple by the water, Srah Srang.

Banteay Kdei

Srah Srang

A picturesque view of the square lake at Srah Srang

Go to Siemreap Part-1

2008-12-17T00:51:00.000-08:00

The number of people seeing the sunrise at Angkor Wat is astounding but luckily the temple is very huge to accomodate the number of tourists and locals. The view is breathtaking and incredibly beautiful, only marred by the incessant sound of people chatting and people walking about.

Postcard perfect view of sunrise at Angkor Wat

The West Gate of Angkor Wat in the moonlight

View from Angkor Wat Towers

Angkor Wat Tower

Intricate cravings on the walls of the towers

A view of the treacherous steps to climb up the temple

We spent a few hours admiring the carvings, the view, the beauty and the scenery of Angkor Wat. The steps up the temple is really quite dangerous as they are steep and narrow. A misstep or slip will cause you plunging down the stone stairs from a height of around 20 metres and it will either cause multiple bone fractures or concussion which can lead to death. Luckily, there are railings on 1 of the 4 sides of the stairs leading up to the temple. Ascent is easy if you have strong thighs and calves but descent needs good balance as well as good grip. There were significantly less people on top of the temples compared to the people at the bottom due to the safety level.

The only thing lacking in our visit was a tour guide describing all the details and history of Angkor Wat to us as we were merely just looking at these carvings, structures and buildings without much understanding of their origin and purpose. We asked our driver if he knew all the stuff about the temples but he did not know much as well. After contacting our guesthouse to see if there is any available tour guide, we found out that they were fully booked as it was the holiday season.

We had followed a few of the tour guides showing other tourists for a while and read the temple guide which our driver provided us as an alternative. We then headed over to numerous roadside eateries beside Angkor Wat for breakfast. They were screening the History of Angkor and the video deepened our understanding of the history.

The driver then took us to the South Gate of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom consists of more than a dozen temples and the most famous one is definitely Bayon.

South Gate of Angkor Thom

We then went inside Angkor Thom and headed to Bayon, a temple with many stone faces.

Near the entrance of Bayon

Exceptionally intricate 3D carvings on the walls of Bayon

One of the many faces of Bayon

The massive structure of Bayon

There were many tourists at Bayon as well and we tried to explore most of the temple. Another breathtaking temple comparable to Angkor Wat. We went over to Baphuon and there were many pieces of stone that were not assembled yet. In Angkor Archeological Park, many of the famous temples have been restored but some of the less famous ones like Baphuon are still undergoing restoration works. It is indeed a phenomenal task to assemble all the collapsed stone pieces (super many) and i believe the restoration will take years to complete.

Baphuon

We did not spend much time there as there wasn't much to see since half the temple was closed for restoration works. We crossed over to Phimeanakas, the king's royal temple, beside Baphuon and conquered the peak again. The view from the top is not that impressive as we can only see trees and tourists below. We are gradually getting used to climbing the steep steps and all of us were covered in sweat from the climbing, walking and the intense afternoon heat.

Go to Siemreap

2008-12-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

Some roadside stalls selling fruits

Passed by some stone carvings village

The landscape taken during the 6 hour bus ride

A lunch break stop at around 11 am

A taxi driver from our guesthouse, Golden Temple Villa, picked us up from the bus terminal which is quite some distance from the city. The guesthouse tried to overcharge us upon our arrival but i had printed the online receipt from Hostels.com and showed them the exact amount which we should pay. The rooms are actually quite comfortable and nice like a hotel. The best part is that we only need to pay around $8 a night per pax only.

After we unloaded our luggage, we went to the restaurant in our guesthouse for our lunch. We had not eaten breakfast and were quite hungry. The food was quite delicious but we waited about 45 mins for the food to arrive. After fulfilling our empty stomaches, we headed to the Old Market area just 5 mins walk away from the guesthouse. We bought some silk scarves or shawls there.

Old Market

We proceeded to walk around the shops around the Old Market area and decided to take a tuk tuk to Cambodian Cultural Village. When we arrived at around 5.45 pm, we were told that the tourist site closes at 7 pm. We all agreed that we should go back another day instead and visited the souvenir shop there as well as taking some photos outside.

The sunset behind the silhouette

The entrance of Cambodian Cultural Village.

Followed Cambodia's independence

2008-12-16T23:48:00.001-08:00

BUILDING CAMBODIA:
‘NEW KHMER ARCHITECTURE’ 1953-1970
authors Helen Grant Ross and Darryl Leon Collins The Key Publisher, Bangkok December 2006

Everyone has heard of Angkor Wat, but very few are aware of that other great flowering of Khmer architectural genius, namely, the New Khmer Architecture that emerged in Phnom Penh amid the heady national pride that followed Cambodia's independence from France in 1953.

Building Cambodia documents the tragically short-lived style that resulted in a spate of striking buildings until its demise amid civil war and genocide not two decades later. Taking seven years of research to complete, and packed with rare photographs and illustrations, the 360-page hardback pays tribute to this remarkable cultural interlude when King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated the throne to personally oversee a 17-year construction boom. Implausible as it may seem amid today's frenetic construction of soulless apartment blocks and shopping centers, Phnom Penh was dubbed the "belle of Southeast Asia" in the 1960s, its buildings blending Le Corbusier-style functionalism with Cambodian artistic traditions. No other country in the region could then claim architectural standards as high as those practiced in the Cambodian capital.

Times have certainly changed, and what remains of New Khmer Architecture is under threat. Its founding father, Vann Molyvann, is now 80 years old and one has to wonder if his buildings will last as long. While the great architect's views on the current development of Phnom Penh are still respectfully listened to, they are seldom acted upon. The hope is that this beautiful book will not simply be a record of his work and that of his peers, but an inspiration to future generations of Cambodians to preserve and evolve an architectural style that has no parallel.

Country Side Cambodia

2008-12-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

This memorial is used as a national center for the consecration of the spirits of over 3 million people who had lost their lives in this regime. There are some places with descriptions showing the exact location of mass graves, torturing & murdering tools storage room, killing trees, mass graves with headless bodies, etc. May their souls rest in peace.

A padi field nearby

I love the shape of this tree which is abundant in this country

Mass graves of the victims

We headed to a shooting range nearby as some of the backpackers in our tour minibus wanted to go there. All the 4 of us did not try shooting the rifles, throwing the grenades or the rocket launcher as some of us like Terence and i have been through NS while Derrick and Meibin were not very interested in these metal.

Visiting Phnom Penh

2008-12-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

We then headed back to our guesthouse and had our "brunch" at the restaurant. We had hired our friendly tuk tuk driver who fetched us yesterday. Our first stop is the Central Market as we did not get to shop there yesterday when it closed at around 5 pm.

Interior of Central Market (Nice dome with clocktower)

Most of us did not buy anything other than Meibin and we headed over to Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. When we entered the large complex, i was amazed and fascinated by the traditional grandious architecture.

Distant view of the palace, wats and structures

Stone Elephants near the exit

We spent quite some time admiring the carvings, the drawings and the architecture in the large complex and we headed over to Wat Phnom next. It is a temple built on top of a small hill and requires an entrance fee of US$1. Locals can get in free of charge and there were quite a lot of beggars asking tourists for money. We spent only 15 minutes there as there isn't much to see at Wat Phnom.

Wat Phnom

We asked our tuk tuk for some recommendations of good food and he brought us to Friends, a restaurant where students are taught by teachers to prepare traditional Khmer dishes as well as Western dishes.

Colourful paintings decorate the restaurant

After our dinner, we headed to Sisowath Quay and took a walk along the riverside. There are quite a lot of restaurants and pubs by the riverside and we saw the sunset near the Royal Palace. There are a lot of locals and couples dating by the riverside.

Beautiful sunset behind the pagoda

We went to a nearby shopping centre to replenish our supply of water and bought some food at the food court. We then headed back to our guesthouse after that and used the internet for a while. Meibin wanted to register for her exchange electives while i checked my timetable for next semester. We then headed to La Croisette by the riverside for cocktails and beer. The price of liquor there is very cheap (compared to Singapore) even at decent pubs cum restaurant.

Some Place in Cambodia

2008-12-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

Our next stop was S21, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The site used to be a high school and it turned into a torture and massacre prison during the Khmer Rouge regime. We were given pamphlets which described the horrific sins which the Khmer Rouge inflicted upon their own people.

The graveyard of some of the victims

One of the numerous torture chamber for the victims

The faces of the unfortunate people who perished at S21

The photos and the description of some individuals who had been killed by the Khmer Rouge

The prison cells of the victims

The weapons used to torture the victims

A memorial to respect the dead (skulls in the cabinet)

For more information on the Khmer Rouge regime, please click here for more detailed information. The atrocities they committed are astounding and they killed more than 1 million people during the regime. The worst thing is that it happened less than 30 years ago and no one intervened until the invasion of Vietnam in 1979 which ended the 4 year regime. Khmer Rouge actually evacuated the city of Phnom Penh and ordered them to live in the countryside, capturing the educated, the powerful and the rich, executing most of them in cold blood.

After the sad history trip, we headed to the Russian Market and there are plenty of foodstuff, silk, cloth, fruits, motor parts, cds, etc.... It is like the assorted pasa malam with more cramped alleys in a sheltered building. We bought some silk scarves as they were very cheap at only $1.50 to $2 a piece.

Russian Market

We then passed by the Independence Monument which commemorates the departure of the French in 1953 (Cambodia used to be a French colony).

Independence Monument

We passed by an impressive Wats (means temples)

We headed to the National Museum next.

National Museum

The entrance fee is US$3 and we spent some time looking at the statues of Buddha, the ancient Khmer culture artifacts, religious artifacts and some carvings and stuff. We did not really know how to appreciate all these and we spent some time there resting instead.

Phnom Penh City

2008-12-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

We then headed to Sisowath Quay for dinner at the expensive FCC (Foreigner Correspondent Club). We had the set dinner (US$10) which consists of the incredibly delicious appetiser, and a rather normal main course and salad. There were quite a lot of houseflies flying around and it was rather distracting when we were having our meal. The seaside view is rather nice though.

We headed to Central Market next and the architecture of the building is rather unique. It has a dome-shaped structure which has outlying arms at the corners. There are a lot of shops selling clothes, jewellery, bags, cloth, food, fruits, etc. However, we came at the wrong time and many of the shops were closing by the time we reached.

Art Deco Central Market

Spiders, cockroaches, worms, beetles on sale for consumption!!! We did not try eating them of course! I feel gross even just looking at the fried insects.

We headed to Sorya Shopping Centre next and bought some fake-but-look-very-real Nike ry-fit t-shirt for only US$5. We then bought some chicken wings and headed to the supermarket to uy some water before heading back to Sunday Guesthouse.

We played Bridge in our rooms for about an hour as we did not know what to do at night. We then headed downstairs for some supper at the restaurant. By the way, Cambodians cook very slowly but their food is tasty and does not feel mass-produced. We will normally spend around 1 hour for each meal.

Independence Monument Present

2008-12-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

Psar Thmey (Phnom Penh)

2008-12-16T23:09:00.000-08:00

Cambodia Friend Live in Australia

2008-12-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

Cambodia's independence in 1953

2008-12-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Cambodia's independence in 1953

Angkor Wat

2008-12-16T20:27:00.000-08:00