CAMBODIA | The Artist within the Ruins

One can see so many inspiring artist within the site of the ruins.

This is an art on its own, the reddish sandstone plus the green moss had turned this facade into an art.

Just look at those paintings, yeap, paintings, hand painted on site, those are no photos, no, not that guy on the left, those thing on the canvas on the front right that is.

Look at this sketch, or doodle, or call it whatever you want.

Another close-up, by a different artist, inspect those details.

Another artist seeking for inspiration?

But, what I found more interesting is the photo below, perhaps an engraving done hundred of years ago, by some inspiring artistic lovebirds.

Maybe someone could decipher this coded encryption.

SIEM REAP | Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is about an hour journey by tuk-tuk from Siem Reap, passing thru the local villages, experiencing the lush greens of the countryside.

Banteay Srei means, citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty.

The facade is bit reddish due to the material used for the structure, i.e. red sandstone.

Banteay Srei is famous for it's meticulously detalied workmanship, just as shown in the photo, just to show a sample.

A close-up of one of the remnants.

SIEM REAP | Along the way ..

The first Monday in the first week of 2010, schools re-opened, new and not so new students will be going to school and colleges.

Roads will obviously be busier than usual.

But when I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I don't think there is such a heavy traffic jam. As most of the road users are either on two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles, hence they can just manoeuvre easily on the road.

Just look at the gas station above, it's almost deserted, but I like this "aura" looks like those in the film. This photo was taken whilst on a moving tuk-tuk (3-wheeled vehicle) along the bumpy and dusty road here.

Some might prefer riding those cosy air-conditioned tour buses. But at this time around I prefer the local tuk-tuk, feeling the cool air brushes your faces, smelling the fresh aroma of the countrysides's air, and hearing those bells and whistles of Cambodia.

After about an hour or so on the bumpy road, you then reached the destination with a gleeming smiles from the local traders.

One of the hand painted signage, I think it says something about WC or thereabout.

SIEM REAP | Kamasutra?

Siem Reap is full of colours, from the item they sell to their various kind of food.


From their colourful signages,

To their colourful buildings, and errm nope, the signs and the buildings are not coloured coded.


While this is the place for Funky Munky with the monkey!

And speaking of those international franchise store, there are also some "recognisable" brands.

First, is this local "Mothercare".


Then, there is this local "IKEA".


And, this is their local "7-11", or locally known as the Seven Quick or Quick 7?

While walking along the street, I saw this "official" Playboy vehicle, imagine those bunnies riding in this ride, for sure they will attract attention.


This is obviously the local Kamasutra, and the fine dining is a bonus, perhaps, the actual action is inside?


Or, if you need to enhance your knowledge, you can grab those books along the street, by gaining more inside in the Life of Pi, (who/what is Pi? All I know Pi is 22/7 or 3.1415?), or in time of emergency and assistance, you can delve into the book of Emergency Sex (and other desperate measures)!

And if all fails, no worries, as Art Will Save The World!

SIEM REAP | Templed Out? Why Not?

After exploring those temple ruins, one will really need some break.

So what I did was, I walked the Siep Reap town area thru, and was amazed by their amusing yet creative signages.

Here sharing with you are just a few of them.


When you are out in the ruin, stumbling upon "Lara Croft" might be a dream come true, but stumbling with 3 "Lara Crofts" in the town?

And after those major temple exploration, no one should miss the most famous temple.


No argument here, the Famous Temple of all!


Or otherwise, you can go and hang-out at the Boom Boom Room! Heya Heyo, shakey boom-boom vroooom.


This one I found quite creative, I assumed combining the ancient name of Cambodia i.e. Kampuchea with cappuccino, or perhaps Kampung (village) + cappuccino i.e. a traditional village's coffee, hence Kampuccino.



As Cambodia was once under the Pol Pot regime, thus for does who wanted to feel how it is like to eat inside a prison, you can experience dining within the jail/ prison bars, and no worries, no criminal records will be kept here.


But of all, this is the "coolest" place to dine-in, as the name says, Cool Corner Pizza Restaurant.


So Why Not? Plus Hotsports!? WiFi!


Such bill as above are ubiquitous. Land for "sell", sometimes it made me confuse, whether to sell or for sale?


Otherwise, if you are tired of having coffee or such, you can go online at this eer, Potential Computer School, well they have got potential, but still unproven, or this is not a computer school, but it has a potential to be one, depending on how you interpret the sign thou.


But never be worried, technology is everywhere, even if it is in the rural villages, under the coconut tree, with a bare dirt ground floor, technology can be seen taking off.

So, Why Not?

SIEM REAP | Masjid Neakmah

Masjid Neakmah, or Neakmah Mosque, is the main mosque in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Before coming to Cambodia, I have made a research of the whereabout of the mosque, and my first day out in town, I have asked the tuk-tuk driver to bring me to the mosque, and even the driver himself was not sure of the place, and never heard of the mosque.

But I persuaded him just to drive ahead, and Alhamdulillah, after all those winding and bumpy ride we managed to get to the place.


Masjid Neakmah, also written in arabic, and their local alphabets.

The residents of this kampung or village, are mostly of Melayu-Champa or Cham Malay.


Located in one of the Malay Villages in Siem Reap, the road connecting it from the town area is quite a bumpy, non-asphalt dusty road, hence without determination, one might be hindered in detouring away from the town area.


When I arrived at the mosue, the doors were closed, so I only manage to capture the photo of the outside.


There is a Champ-Malay Halal restaurant next to the mosque, (the one with the red roofing).

I still remember vaguely, during my high school's History lesson, mentioning about the Cham Malay, whereby living in ASEAN, most of the nations were having more or less the same language, which predominantly is Malay.

There are many similarity in the Malay Languages, be it in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Phillipine, Singapore, not to forget the major Malay speaking country of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.

Example of the words in Cambodia that I can relate to the standard Malay is Psar (Pasar) meaning market, Kampung = village just to name a few.


Also next to the mosque is a Madrasah, or a religious school, the green signboard stated "Madrasah Qamaruddin Al-Islamiah, Kampung Stenmai, Siem Reap" , and it also stated the building as a Gift of Excellency Sieng Nam, 23.04.2002.


With that, I leave you with the overall view of the mosque.

Ta Phrom | Do U See What I See?

WARNING: Do not read this if you are alone at night! You've been warned!

Exploring more of the Ta Phrom ruins.

Tourists admiring the huge root "hugging" the ruins wall.


A wider view of the area where Lara Croft's did her action.


A different mystic view of the entrance, effect done in-camera.


Exploring inside the ruins. At times, there are no one in-sight, as I will try to avoid the typical touristy routes, hence I do came across some empty and eerie spot you might say.


Getting closer with the antique artifacts, sometime I do imagine that does "what if?" Just like those in the movie, which can gives you a crypt.


And finally, "something" came up, tell me what you see inside the trunk of that tree?

CAMBODIA | Ta Phrom a.k.a. The Tomb Raider's

A visit to the Angkor Thom area is not complete without stepping your feet to Ta Phrom.


As you can see from the above photo, tourists are flocking their way to Ta Phrom, it is quite difficult to capture a tourist free photo.


What is so unique about Ta Phrom if you may asked, besides the delicate carving on the walls?


Obviously, carvings can be seen everywhere, done in meticulous fashion.


But what actually stands out in Ta Phrom, are the huge tree roots that seems to hug the structure.


The tourists are captured in this photo to show the size of the tree roots!


And this is the infamous doorway where Angelina Jolie passed through in the film Tomb Raiders, as the ultra sleek Lara Croft.