Birthday Bludge

Today is a perfect day for doing very little, I have been catching up on podcasts of the Science Show, I had a slow lunch, I can now have a Siesta and then head to the pool later in the afternoon, Come early evening I will wander into town and get some dinner and a few beers. This process seems to describe how most people (Westerners) around spend their days. Who am I to rebel against protocol.

LB

Wat temple was that?

Today was Temple day and decided to take everyones advice and only try to do three temples in one go, called the mini tour, it covers the three major temples around Ankor. These Being Ankor Wat, the Tomb Raider Temple and the other one. The whole temple complex of Ankor, which was the Khmer peoples capital and this is where the king lived, at least up until about 300 years ago when everybody seemed to disappear and the place melded back into the jungle.

Pics

The front of my hotel

The bumpy dirt road in front of hotel

Ankor Wat-The big one

Gate to the other temple

The other one

Elephants on the fence

The Tomb Raider one -overgrown with trees and falling apart

If you look closely in the centre, a little smiling face is peeking out.

Templed out

Pub Street (by day)

Yes folks, they have s street here called Pub Street, and as you may have guessed, it is full of cafes, bars and restaurants. At night, this is very colourful place with lots of lights and movement, By day it is a little more sleepy. See pics. The nice thing is though, at lunchtime, you can get a cold draft beer here for US$0.50.

Afternoon swim in the pool, iced coffee, write this blog, siesta time.

Tomorrow, I will visit the temples.

New Temporary Phone No.

Hi all,

I now have a Cambodian Sim card for my phone, which means another channel to contact if needed.

My Cambodian Number is +855 96 628 2839

Regards from a hot place, I did hear it is only 13 in Melbourne and feels like 9.

LB

Siem Reap - Cambodia

First impressions are normally a good start and my first impressions of Siam Reap are good. It is hot and sunny, but the people seem laid back and friendly. It does not seem overly crowded and hectic like other places. The country side around here is different from what I was expecting, which was; a jungle type place with lots of small hills. Instead, as seen from the air coming in, Cambodia seems to be mostly farming land, generally flat with occasion patches of denser forest.

The Tuk Tuks here are different, rather than a 3 wheeled covered trike as they mostly are elsewhere, these Tuk Tuks are carriages, attached to a motorbike.

The view from inside the Tuk Tuk as we left the airport.

Another Tuk Tuk that we passed to give you some idea of what I meant by carriage attached to motorbike.

The pool at the B&B (tried this out about 2hrs ago, very nice.)

The dining breakfast area

Tonight I am meeting up with Doug South, an Ex Telstra guy I know who moved up here to live about 6-7 years ago. As a near local, I am hoping he can put me straight about what to avoid and how much I should really pay for things. He seemed to get me a good deal on the B&B which so far, has been very good. The other thing I noticed here, which is something I don't like, is that everything is done in US$, no one seems to use or trust the local currency. Not a good thing in the long run.

Also, on the way in from the airport, I noticed lots and lots of Ritzy hotels, all looking rather empty as it is off season at the moment. But the Dead Kennedy's must have got it right all those years ago when they wrote 'Holiday in Cambodia", because years later. its a tourist town.

More pics tomorrow after seeing what happens tonight and tomorrow.

LB

travel day back to Colombo

Today there is not much to report, Late  check out at 12.00, tuk tuk into Galle and then highway bus back to Colombo. The bus was a very pleasant trip for most part, it was a little more expensive than the train, but it was faster (sort of) and I had a seat on an air con bus. The road (freeway) from Galle back to Colombo was a very nice new dual lane freeway, 100km all the way and virtually no traffic. The bus was on the outskirts of Colombo in about an hour, but thats when the fun stopped. The "highway" busses don't actually come into Colombo, but stop on the outskirts about 20k out. From here it was change to a normally crowded smelly noisy bus, in heavy traffic and lots air horn blowing, but I got here eventually and I didn't have to stand. I would like to the train again someday, but definitely with reserved seat.

Only one pic today, a Japanese Pagoda which was just down the road from the Hotel I stayed at in Anawatuna/Galle.

Tomorrow I have a day to kill in Colombo again, then a late flight tomorrow night from Colombo to Bangkok and then transfer flights and airports for another flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Big day/night travel coming up.

Communications Update

When I arrived in Sri Lanka, Customs and Immigration gave me a welcome to Sri Lanka pack, which included a local SIM card. So on Saturday, I thought I would install the local SIM card, so I can call local numbers etc.

Well it turns out, silly me, I seem to have lost my Australian SIM card and now cannot be contacted on my usual Australian Mobile no.

This is an inconvenience but not the end of the world. I will get a new  SIM card when I get to Cambodia and will advise of the Number. When I get home, I can get a replacement Sim and things should be back to normal.

duffer

Galle Fort Area

Well this morning I was feeling much better, still a bit sleepy, but no trouble staying awake. I went into Galle early to beat the heat/rain. A good strategy. Galle is a dutch colonial town and like Colombo, has a Dutch Hospital restaurant and shopping area. I did cover the whole of the historic town, but had a look at the lighthouse, the dutch hospital, the administrative buildings and a fish market.

Here are the Pics, unfortunately, it was  bit grey and overcast.

Light house

Local Mosque

A wedding was occuring

Fish Market and boats