Therapy!

I discovered my love for blogging just before my Turkish assignment last year. It's true I've always loved to write lists, scribble my thoughts downs, make those elaborate To-Do's.... Writing helps me arrange the thoughts in my mind and get things into perspective; writing helps me stay calm and focus on what the actual situation is. I'm sure other people go through this as well, when you're faced with emotional ups and downs, one thought leads to another and it can easily spiral out of control. Writing helps me focus on that one thought and deal with it, writing helps me put control points on my crazy traumatic thoughts so I can spend time on them and move on.                                                                                                                        So what happens when I travel and then write a blog... its brings back happy memories of my time in wanderland, helps me focus on where I want to do wander off next and fills me with lots of hope.

Travel + Blog = Therapy!

Une Colonie Française

Well, sort off! So, Pondicherry is known as the French Colony of southern India; but how French is it really?… I’d say that’s upto each person and what they discover.

Narrow cobbled streets around the white town area, old colonial houses and the mild heat leave you wondering where you could possibly be, a few streets down towards the sea is an overly crowded sea facing boulevard and a few roads towards the city, I might as well be in Chennai.

The quaintness of this place however, remains within those few streets with several bed and breakfasts and unique cafés.

Time sneaking past silently, chocolate mousse, wood oven pizza, coffee, rough seas beating endlessly against the rocks, apple crumble, more coffee, walking by the waves, steak and mash, hiding from the sun, lemon tarts, quiet gardens….. that best describes my weekend in Pondi.

To clarify, a truly culinary experience where time literally creeps along. I didn't specifically find the food to be French, but the food was always fresh and flavorful; and time, yes it just moved along slowly hoping no one would notice.

Driving in on a Friday afternoon, hotel checkins could wait, our first stop was Le Club to have grilled fish, sea food sizzlers and as much calamari as one can eat. Yes, its imperative that you eat seafood in a village by the sea!

The dessert was a pleasant surprise as this was definitely the best apple crumble I've ever tasted.

A few hours of sitting around and then we drove off toward the highway, turned into the dirt road that lead to Auroville (all this in the dark with no street lights) and found Tanto…. (I got better directions from my sister than google maps and discovered this word of mouth reviewed and highly rated eatery). Lots and lots of Wood oven pizza and finally dark chocolate mousse and espresso's to end the evening.

After waking up to omelets and toast, after a short stroll down the sea facing boulevard Goubert Avenue, after walking through Le Café to stare at the sea brushing up against the rocks, we discovered the quite café at the Promenande where we drank several cups of coffee and whiled away time. It was pleasant and an afternoon I didn't want to end, except.........

..............Rendezvous was calling with Chicken à la kiev and lots more apple pie and chocolate mousse.

By now my time in Pondi was running out so it turned out I needed two desserts to ensure I didn't miss out.


A farewell snack at the farmers café, sitting literally in a vegetable patch eating Lemon tarts and drinking fresh lemon juice as we headed out of Pondi.

It’s a good thing I love my food; the next time I plan an eating out weekend this will be top of my destination list.

The End, perhaps?

Or, A Cambodian Style Sunset!!!!

While a sunrise is quite symbolic of new beginnings, a fresh start and all things good; having witnessed both the Sunrise and the Sunset on many occasions from many different settings, I've come to the conclusion that sunsets are just truly magical.

On Monday evening, I arrived at the left lotus pond just outside the Angkor Wat Temple. The sunset itself is opposite the temple so you're not looking directly at it, but every minute between 5:15 and 6:0pm, the setting sun changes the colors of the temple walls and its reflection in the pond.

On Tuesday, I went down to the Tonlé Sap, the largest fresh water river in South East Asia and sat out on the edge of a boat watching the sun set in a distant horizon. I felt like the only person in the world at the moment - just me and the setting sun.

On Wednesday, I sprinted full speed up the Phnom Bakheng. A climb that normally takes 15-20 mins, took me just under 10; as I was late and didn’t have a second to loose… cause yes, a setting sun doesn't wait for you. When I reached the top of the mountain, I could see Angkor Wat in a distance and on the other side the Tonlé Sap. The sun sets somewhat inbetween both these in a far far distance and all you can see are miles of land between you and the sun as it changes the landscape of everything around from a golden orange to red to a bluish purple just as it disappears.

I don’t know what it is about the sunset that makes me feel so at peace and so reassured of all things good in this world. Symbolically a setting sun might indicate an end and yes, as the sun set each evening it gave me time to look back on the day and reflect on things gone by as we near the end. That’s when I realized to me the setting sun indicates a period of darkness and a new beginning just around the corner.

(Alternate translation: The end of one great experience, back to work and new adventures up ahead)

An Ancient Temple, a Lost City and yes, some Lara Croft moments.

Angkor Wat

It is true that the term Angkor Wat is synonymous to any references made to Cambodia. However, Angkor Wat is just one temple amongst several that make the Cambodian experience truly magical. My saying that does not in any way indicate a visit to this large 12^th Century temple isn’t anything less than an unparalled experience, but just that this is the first step entering into a world like nothing else.

The temple for sure is breath taking at anytime of the day and the area to be covered is huge with something to see every minute. Just walking up the stairs across the moat reflects how huge this temple really is. Once in the central area, the somewhat 90 degree climb to the top is rewarding not just because of the views of the city, but because of the art and architecture at the top.

 

A temple sunrise and sunset from the left lotus pond is an absolute must. The sun rises behind the main temple so obviously sunset is across reflecting on the temple but the colors’ during those these times of the day are quite unbelievable.

Angkor Thom

Or, a royal city of Angkor that was lost and forgotten for over 500 years in the Cambodian jungle. Henri Mouhot in his book Travels in Siam, Cambodia and Laos (1858-1860), writes "At Ongcor, there are ...ruins of such grandeur... that, at the first view, one is filled with profound admiration, and cannot but ask what has become of this powerful race, so civilized, so enlightened, the authors of these gigantic works?"

The city wasn’t really lost as the local Khmers knew about it and frequented it, the modern world discovered it much later, and today it is still untouched and must still left to be uncovered.

Typically one enters the city from the south gate crossing the small moat looking up at the gigantic heads carved above the gateway. And we did what is typical and walked though this gateway into the city of Angkor Thom.

Once inside first stop was the Bayon temple and I for sure was absolutely speechless. The temple consists of massive stone carved faces and yet done in such a way that they look very very symmetrical. A lot of climbing is up and across and through is needed to study the detail of this temple

While most people have a Tuk Tuk waiting outside to take them temple hopping, we decided to do some walking and were fortunate to come across the Royal Palace, Baphuon and Phimeanakas all nestled behind the more popular temples. The architecture of each is special in its own way and surprisingly each different from the other. 

The Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper king are quite popular and agreeably so for the massive carvings along the base wall as well as the work on the main platform.

Apart from these, there are several smaller temples each unique and very quiet and unexplored. For those in search of inner peace, a spot in one of these temples for quiet reflection is a sure way to go!

Temples of the Forest

Think Lara Croft, Tomb Raider and that’s exactly where you’re transformed to…. While that’s how this area may have gotten popular for some, visiting these temples will for sure remain ingrained in my memory for a long long time and not just because I got to pretend I was Lara Croft for a morning.

The forest itself isn't very dence but there's no doubt about how old it must be.

Ta Prohm and the lesser popular Ta Nei and Ta Keo temples are all within this forest and amongst the ancient ruins are the huge roots of huge old trees growing over and above them. They need to be seen to believe they really exist.

Of course, the 2 1/2 days I spent was enough to cover only this set of temples; there are tons more,some smaller and some less significant but each one unique in their own way. Angkor is a world of its own and to survey the lost city in all its magnificence, I climbed up Phnom Bakheng on the last evening. It was a 15 minute climb on a dirt track to the top of this hill where at the top stood not just an ancient temple but a temple from where you could see the sunset  across the entire area.......

...... Angkor Wat on one side, the Tonlé Sap on the other and everything else ancient about Angkor and modern about Siem Reap that exists inbetween.

Same Same but Different!

Is a term I first heard as I walked across the Thai border into Cambodia! It was initially used to describe the difference between the two countries but during the rest of my stay in Siem Reap it became a phase I heard quite often; so much so that after a point I’d started using it while making mental comparisons of my Cambodia experiences to all else familiar.

So what is it about Cambodia, or Siem Reap and Angkor that made it so similar, sorry “Same Same” to any other historic city now modernized and yet so "Different". I think for starters all the ancient ruins are left for you to explore on your own. The experience feels less touristy than many of the other historic sites I've been to; almost like you discovered them by yourself. 

And yes, there's lots more to Angkor than just ancient ruins; walk into Siem Reap and while the town may only be a few blocks end to end, it has bars, restaurants and cafe's comparable to any modern city I've been to.

After getting into the city and witnessing my first temple sunset, I decided to head to “Pub Street” and find out what options I had for dinner. Pub Street and the few alleys next to it are all that make up 

the town center and gosh was I pleasantly surprised when I got there. Yes, I found traditional Khmer food just as I hoped but I also found cuisines from all over the world, Indian French and Mexican included. And lets talk about Pubs like the ‘Angkor What’ for instance it could be picked up and dropped in any party city and would have totally fit in; except for the fact that shots cost just $2.50. Every little restaurant I walked into and ate at was well done up with décor to complement the food being served; it was perfect. 


But the one thing that stood out the most was the fact that everyone in the town was a tourist… never once did I see a local person walk in to have a meal or a drink; they were all the ones doing the hard work. There's a lot of foreign influence to train the locals to cook and manage a restaurant and they've adapted perfectly.

Tip: everyone speaks English and everything is charged in US$!

My Eating Recommendations:

- Khmer Amok (Fish or Shrimp or many other options) - It's one step better than Thai green curry and every restaurant serves it so you can't miss this dish.

- The Blue Pumpkin - Totally addictive ice cream, smoothies and brownies; they have several outlets of their own plus most restaurants serve blue pumpkin ice cream.

- Khmer Family Restaurant - I'm inclined to believe they have the best Cambodian food one can come across... Of all the places, this was my favorite

- Wood Oven Pizza - May not be traditional but they sure do know how to make them here and they smell excellent when you walk into the restaurant, try it at Le Tigre de Papier

“The old market” and the few other night markets in this area were exactly like street markets found in China town, NY or Central Market, KL. I remember the lady outside the blue mosque in Istanbul selling me scarves she declared were hand made in Istanbul, well in Bangkok they were marked Thai silk and in Siem Reap they were stacked neatly claiming to be Cambodian perhaps, I didn’t really want to ask! I have to admit among all the street markets I've seen these were a little less commercial but its getting there. 

There are some things authentic and rare that are definite must buys like the hand made wallets, napkins and cushion covers all from raw silk, locally made scarves and art work on Rice Paper capturing images from various temples in the region.

And finally, the Tonlé Sap... the largest fresh water river in south east Asia where the lake expands to
three times its size during the monsoon season. Like any other river and lake system except for the fact that 2.5 million people live on it. The 'locals' build their houses on bamboo rafts and have schools, temples, a basketball court, a fresh water plant, groceries and of course a floating mobile tower cause who lives without wireless these days. The floating villages were fascinating yet sad, yes same as the conditions in any other underprivileged neighborhoods but just so differently set up. 

Life on a river and I doubt the people of river actually sit out on their boats just watching the sunset as we and rest of the visiting people did, they kept working hard and didn't look up even once as the sun set that evening.

From Bangkok to Angkor Wat (And back)….

Just after Christmas in 1859, the French explorer Henri Mouhot left Bangkok to explore the uncharted regions of Indochina. It took him a year of hacking through thick undergrowth, fending off leopards, leeches and wild elephants before he arrived at Angkor Wat, the jungle-smothered complex of temples deep inside the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Just before Christmas in 2012, I left Bangkok to explore the fairly popular and somewhat discovered ancient city of Angkor Wat. Thanks to tourism and commercialization, it took me a little less than 9 hours to complete this journey.


This is the story of how I got there and back and why I choose the path I did…..


There were a couple of options I considered based on all my research which was:
• Take a 1 hour flight into Siem Reap straight from Bangkok either on Bangkok Air or Cambodian Angkor Air. While this seemed convenient and straight forward, I never did find a ticket for less than $200 one way even though I checking a month ahead.
• Or, break up my journey into two pieces. The first stretch from Bangkok to the Thai border by Bus, Train or Taxi; Cross borders and then the second stretch from the Cambodian border into Siem Reap (the closest town to Angkor Wat) by Mini Van or Taxi.

While I really did want to take the train from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station to the border town of Aranyaprathet, everyone I ran into kept telling me how slow the train is. The train runs twice a day but the one to take and not get stuck at the border overnight leaves at 5.55am. While tickets are only 48 Baht, the train isn't air conditioned and takes 5 ½ hours.

I could hire a taxi for around 2000 Baht, but eventually decided I was going to take a bus as the Mochit Bus Terminal was quite close to my Bangkok hotel and the government buses did sound reliable.

What I heard was that buses take between 3 to 5 hours and tickets range from 160 to 300 Baht based on the type of bus and how well you bargain. I also realized that taking a bus from a travel agent all the way to Siem Reap was a bad idea as they change from bus to mini van based on the number of people and the border stop can be over 3 to 4 hours since they wait for a large group to finish immigration and get lunch making the journey much longer.

So, at 5:30am I left for the Mochit Bus Terminal went to counter 22 paid 243 Baht for a 6am bus to Aranyaprathet. The station was well organized and while everything is written in Thai, it isn’t too hard to find what you need.



Four and a half hours later, I arrived at the border town of Aranyaprathet; there’s a turn off saying border 5 minutes before the bus station and had I known better I’d have probably gotten off there; Since I didn't, I took a Tuk Tuk back to the border from the bus station.



Typically, the drivers start off at 80 Baht for that 5 minute ride and while, I guess the right price to pay is around 50 I didn't argue much and paid 60. Of course the Tuk Tuk dropped us off at a ‘Visa office’ where they wanted to arrange everything from visas to a taxi into Siem Rep; I politely refused all help but did pick up the Cambodia arrival form and left.

Thailand immigration is a long long queue and took over an hour. It was then I realized that not taking the train was a good idea cause once the train reaches at 11:35 the queue gets even longer.

Crossing Borders
I was quite excited as I've never done this before, you literally walk across the Thailand border, 200 meters through ‘no mans land’ and then walk across the ‘Kingdom of Cambodia’ border.  It was also there that I met Samrat, a Cambodian student who spends time at the border. He was trying to be helpful so he kept making suggestions as to what I could do, talked about the local culture as well as the difference between the Cambodian and Thai people. He was definitely not what many travel websites described as annoying touts. In fact, none of the people around like him were annoying, just helpful and working for a small tip.

Cambodia immigration takes just about 5 minutes and is hassle free. I’d already paid the $25 online for an e-visa which I got in 1 day the earlier week. Post immigration a free shuttle bus takes you to the main Bus Station in the Cambodian border town of Poipet. Since there aren’t many tourists there, buses and mini vans don’t leave that frequently as they wait to fill up.

Taxis charge $12/person to Siem Reap while buses charge only $9. A taxi would wait to have 4 passengers before leaving unless you agree to book the whole one for $48 and leave right away. Thanks to the long line at the Thai immigration, I’d met enough people who could share a cab so we left right away.


It was a little after 12:30pm as we pulled out of the Poipet bus station and travelled 152 kms along a very very straight road with bare fields on either side. I arrived in Siem Reap in less than 2 hours and checked into a hotel just outside the town center. Local currency here definitely USD so I didn't even need a money changer.

The town is tiny but hotels are in plenty catering to the many needs of different people visiting this area.

There are a bunch of resort spa hotels on the road entering the town, the town center has many quaint smaller ones and then there's a few closer to the temples. All in a 15 minute radius of each other.



Of course I wasn't going to rest, I had to see Angkor Wat right away…. What I discovered is that while you can get a Tuk Tuk to drop you off for $2-$4 based on your bargaining skills the best thing to do is hire one for $20 a day or $10 for half a day and they take you everywhere you want to go without any hassle.


15 minutes later, I picked up a 3 day entry pass to the Angkor Wat Archeological park. This is valid for all the temples in that area for multiple visits on any three days in a week, perfect since I intended to see the sunrise and sunset from various locations and I had tons to discover.

Once I got my pass, the Tuk Tuk driver took me past the temple walls where the colours of the walls and the reflections of the large trees in the water were unbelievable. As I walked up the steps towards this 14th century temple of Angkor Wat, it was definately one of those moments in my life where I stop and stared in awe.

Coming back was fairly easy. For one the town center has several tour agents offering trips to Bangkok that leave all day and night. As with everything here I discovered you can even bargain and get a good price for the ride; the lowest price I was offered was $9 all the way to Bangkok! My only concern with this was while most of them say they reach in 8 hours, some seemed to think it could take upto 11 due to the border crossing. So, I finally decided to break my journey up into two parts just as I did coming in.

I got one of the tour agencies to arrange a taxi to the Cambodian border for $25 (and no sharing needed). The cab picked me up right on time the next morning and in less than 2 hours, I’d finished Cambodian immigration and was back at the painful Thai immigration point.

Thailand immigration was another 90 minute process, since I already has a visa else it would have taken longer. I do wonder where all the people come from; there’s a stretch of no mans land between borders that has Casinos, hotels and restaurants, but there’s almost no one at the Cambodian immigration, yet, there’s tons of people crossing into Thailand.



After walking across the Thai border, there were plenty of Taxis offering to go into Bangkok for 1900 Baht. The taxi takes only 3 hours so is the fastest at that point, but since I had time I decided to look for buses which meant going to the Aranyaprathet Bus Station first. I kept walking till one of the Tuk Tuks followed me agreeing to the 50 Baht I offered for being dropped  there and I have to say I had the most perfect timing ever. As I was pulling into the Bus Station, the government bus service that dropped me was just driving out. I waved at the driver wondering if he’d stop and yes, he actually did stop so I jumped on and paid the 234 Baht onboard for my ticket to Bangkok.

As I got on I realized that even if I missed this bus, there seems to be many more that leave every hour or so. I hoped the bus would drop me at the closest point to the airport so I could take a cab from there, but it seemed easier that he just drop me back at the Mochit Bus Station.

Travel between Bangkok and Siem Reap was extremely hassle free, yes it did take a good 9 hours each way but it cost me less that $40 round trip. And absolutely, Cambodia was so worth the journey.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

So, asked Alice as she wandered along not knowing. And is this a phase I'm going to be using a lot, well maybe not!

They say not knowing is half the fun. For some people I suppose, but apart from the fact that I have a really hard time adjusting to “Not Knowing”; in this world you can’t just show up unannounced.

I've always wanted to go to Cambodia and do it rather differently; without a care in the world and not knowing how I’d get from one place to the next, but planning is inevitable.  For one, you can’t just turn up without a visa and to get one you need to explain how you intend to get there and leave and where you’re going to stay and why. So, yes my unplanned adventure had to be rather planned to some extent.

Step 1, Return tickets to Bangkok.

Step 2, A hotel in Siam Rep (If you’re roughing it out, can a $300/night hotel really be considered as an “I found it and camped out here”? Well I google found it and negotiated really well and got it for $70/night, so of course)

Step 3, Visas for Thailand and Cambodia. A "double entry" visa for Thailand because visa on arrival is only for people who fly into the country not walk across the Cambodian border; Who knew! And an eVisa for Cambodia so that you don't have to worry about the touts trying to hassle you when you try getting a visa at the border.

Step 4, But how do I get from Bangkok to Siam Rep? I have no tickets or reservations but I do have a lot of research. Research that’s ensured I know what the station looks like, what the road conditions are like and what alternate options I have! Between the train, the bus, walking across the border and a short Tuk Tuk ride, I know I'll get there eventually.

Step 5, Explore “The Lost city” of Angkor  Wat. Yes, I’ve seen tons of pictures and read up on travel ideas but as William Hazlitt once said “You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.”

It’s true with the amount of information I have and the planning done, I may not have to ask people for directions or what to do next …. But travel brings about unplanned experiences no matter what, so of course I’m leaving home “Not knowing”.