Torn Slippers

Shaved Ice in Chiangmai

2008-02-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

Dubai Jan 08

2008-01-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

New Mexico

2007-09-19T02:54:00.001-07:00

To be posted soon

Chinese New Year in S'pore

2007-09-19T02:52:00.003-07:00

To be posted soon

Hawaii, USA

2007-09-19T02:49:00.003-07:00

To be posted soon

Shanghai, China

2007-09-19T02:49:00.001-07:00

To be posted soon

Bali, Indonesia

2007-09-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

To be posted soon

Bangalore, India

2007-09-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

To be posted soon

Brastagi

2007-09-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Day 3 (cont'd)

Ordered room service for lunch and lazed in the room coz it was raining.

Left the hotel at 3pm for town. Hailed a Sibayak minivan in front of the hotel and stopped in town. Went to the Tourist Centre near the Fruit Market and the man in charge showed us a map of Brastagi and pointed out the places that we could visit including Mt. Sibayak. It's a 3 hour climb to the peak.

We took a public van to Gundaling hill and rode on a horse cart around the area just for fun.

In town, we bought some persimmons and oranges at the fruit market as well as some scarves for myself and Jai's mom.

Walked down and came across the bus terminal and a wet market. Explored the place a bit.

We stopped by a stall for dinner and ordered ikan bakar (grilled fish) among other dishes. It was delicious.

That's the owner of the stall!

Day 4 - Brastagi

Had breakfast at the hotel.

Jai and I decided to explore the foothills of Mt. Sibayak (but actually ended up climbing the mountain instead). The guy at the Tourist Centre advised us to get a guide if we decided to climb the mountain (apparently, some tourists have lost their way and some have even perished while attempting the climb the mountain. In fact, 2 months back, an Austrian got lost while climbing the mountain and his body was found 8 days later).

One thing, the road towards the mountain was tarred. We could've paid a van to drive us to the junction (the end of the road) but opted to walk up instead. Along the way (after much huffing and puffing) we met up with a local who happened to be a tour guide. Imagine our luck. And, speaking of luck, we even managed to hitch a ride to the junction. Imagine my glee!

That's the tour guide who was on a holiday (forgot his name).

The smell of sulphur was overwhelming.

With Jai and the tour guide is a tourist from Holland

The climb was pretty challenging towards the peak. Thank goodness I was a little monkey who enjoyed climbing trees and hills back in my younger days! That proved to be useful indeed.

CAN YOU SPOT THE DUTCH TOURIST?

Feeling ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

The climb down was also quite a task. All in all we took around 5 hours.

That's the view of Mt. Sibayak from ground level.

Jai kept telling how proud he was of me for climbing the mountain. Hehehehhehehheheheh.

Day 5 - Brastagi - Medan - KL

Did some last minute shopping in the morning. Packed our bags and thank goodness, despite the shopping we could still fit everything into the 2 backpacks! Ooo la la! Took a bus from the hotel to the fruit market to catch a bus to Medan. Unfortunately most of the buses were PACKED! So ended up taking the bus going on the opposite direction which brought us to the main bus terminal (20 mins away). Boarded another bus (which was ready to leave) to Medan. Managed to get a seat each coz those who boarded later had to sit on the roof of the bus! Omigosh!

Reached the bus terminal in Medan 2 hours later and took a beca (trishaw- not the pedal power kind but the motorbike kind) to the airport. We waited for more than 6 hours coz the plane which was supposed to take off at 8.10pm, took off only at 10.15pm. By the time we reached home it was 1am.

Breathtaking Toba and Brastagi

2007-09-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - Medan to Samosir Island

I lost the camera along with the 300 plus pix and videos on our way from Lake Toba to Brastagi, hence I do not have any pictures of Toba to post on this blog. However, do google for images of Lake Toba and I assure you, you will be blown away by the pristine beauty of the place.

Jai and I decided to travel light for our 5 day trip so we packed all our things into 2 backpacks (medium and small). We threw in a foldable bag just in case we decide to do some shopping. We decided to be more adventurous this time around and relied on public transport throughout our journey.

We arrived at Polonia Airport in Medan at 8.15 am (9.15 M'sian time). Met up with the rep from Ravelino Tours (booked our hotels through them) to collect our hotel vouchers. Took a taxi to the public bus terminal and were in time to catch the bus to Parapat. It was relatively comfortable (very much like our Metro bus back in KL) and only cost us Rp18,000 per person for the 4 hour journey. Towards the last 2 hours of the journey, the bus became rather packed.

Reached Parapat and took a ferry over to Samosir Island which is located on Lake Toba. We were so mesmerized by the beauty of the lake and its surrounding. Even if I had photos to show, they would not do justice to the place. You must be there to actually fully appreciate what the lake and the island have to offer.

Met up with a Malaysian Indian couple, Mr & Mrs. Sivalingam, on the ferry who were there on their honeymoon who would also be staying at the same hotel- Carolina Cottages at Tuk Tuk.

Arrived at the hotel 30 mins later and checked into our room which had a great view of the lake.

Rented a motorbike for 2 hours to explore the surrounding area within Tuk Tuk. We overshot a little and ended up at the Ambarita Stone Chair Village where criminals were executed back in the old days. The Bataks practised cannibalism in the past and criminals who were executed also ended up on the dining table. Along the way, we stumbled upon a quaint cottage called Penny's Place which sold second hand books (Jai's fav).

That night, we went for a free Batak dance and folk song performance at Bagus Bay located 10 minutes from Carolina Cottages.

Day 2 - Samosir Island

Rented a motorbike for the whole day today for Rp 60,000. Checked out the Tomok market first just to find out what time it closed. Rode straight to Simanindao where we watched a Batak performance. Met up with the honeymooners again and decided to ride the bikes to the hotsprings together. The place was quite a disappointment. After our lunch at the hotsprings, we headed to Limbun Suhi Suhi, a small village where they textile weaving is a specialty. Missed the village a few times as there were no signboards along the way. Jai and I headed straight to Tomok for some shopping while Mr and Mrs Siva made their way to Ambarita.

We had planned to find a nice restaurant for dinner with Mr and Mrs Siva but due to the sudden storm, we decided to dine at our hotel. Had a great dinner thanks to them.

Day 3 - Samosir Island to Brastagi

As there were not direct buses from Parapat to Brastagi (there were plenty of private cars), we decided to check out early - 7am to be precise. Waited for the ferry to Parapat and we were fortunate that Chandra (one of the employees at Carolina) was also on his way to Parapat. Thanks to him we managed to get public van from the jetty to the bus terminal. At the Parapat bus terminal, we boarded a minivan to Siantar (1 hour) and from Siantar,we got into a van called Sepadan to Kabanjahe (2.5 hours). It was in this bus that I lost my camera. I had it on my lap in case I came across interesting sights to capture but in my haste to disembark at Kabanjahe, I forgot all about the camera and it must have dropped onto the floor. Dang!

Anyway, from Kabanjahe, we took a minivan to Brastagi (20 mins) and got off right in front of our hotel - The Grand Mutiara Hotel.

I must say we enjoyed our rides from Parapat to Brastagi even though the vans were really packed and many of the men were smoking throughout most of the journey. It was really a great experience!

The Grand Mutiara was excellent! We paid USD32 per night and found out that the hotel was fully booked for the weekend (thank goodness we booked early). Moreover, the weekend rate was Rp600,000.00 (USD70) per night.

Hong Kong & Shenzhen, Shopping Paradise

2007-09-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

It was another overseas opportunity for Jai albeit a working one....so I tagged along as usual and this time...it was to Hong Kong and Shenzhen. I had already been to Hong Kong for a conference in 1999, but I was more than happy to get reacquainted with the place again!

Arrived in Hong Kong and the organiser brought us to Shenzhen in a luxurious MPV. Checked into Pavilion Hotel.

The swimming pool and many other facilities are located on the rooftop.

Went shopping at Lowu Shopping Centre. You can find anything and everything here and bargaining is a skill that shoppers should equip themselves with!

Had dinner at Sky Paradise on the 50th floor of Panglin Hotel. The view was magnificent and the buffet....scrumptuous!

Left for Hong Kong the next day.

The view from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Since Jai had to attend the convention at the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre, I walked from the centre to Causeway Bay (quite familiar with the place as I stayed at the Excelsior Hotel in Causeway Bay when I was there for a conference in 1999. He joined me once the convention was over.

Check out how clean the MTR station is.

Our hotel room at the Harbour Plaza Hotel

The organiser brought us shopping at the Women Street (Lui Yan Kai) and then dinner. Cannot remember where but the Peking duck was excellent.

Then we went up to Victoria Peak to enjoy the breathtaking view!

Then we took the ferry for lunch on Jumbo, the floating restaurant.

Yes! We also had the chance to visit the HK Disneyland. It's very much smaller than the one that I went to in LA sometime in 1998 but it was just as exciting nontheless!

We explored the Harbour Plaza hotel that night.

In the morning, we were greeted by the gorgeous view from our hotel window!

That's us...doing some last minute shopping near the hotel!

Kick Back and Relax in Phuket

2007-09-17T00:35:00.000-07:00

Jai had to attend a conference in Phuket. Being the dutiful wife that I am, I packed his clothes......along with my own!

We arrived in Phuket on March 4, 2006 and checked into Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket....a gorgeous hotel at Bang Tao Bay.

Here's what they say in their website :

"Built on an island surrounded by a saltwater lagoon and linked by a series of bridges, pontoon boats, overlooking a two mile stretch of white sandy beach on Bang Tao Bay. Three wings cluster around manicured tropical gardens, waterways and a series of interconnecting free form swimming pools. Effectively two hotels in one, offering both resort rooms and Grande Villas."

Check out our room.

Isn't the place beautiful? (More pix later)

We had a leisurely first day. The organiser brought us to Wat Chalong...

Check out the spectacular view along the way

....and then to Patong Beach.......

Night view of the hotel

Jai was so tired, that he totally knocked out the first night in Phuket!

Here he is....all bright and chirpy after a good night's rest. This is his out-of-bed look.

Since the poor ol' boy had to work that day, I kept myself occupied by exploring the hotel.

Took the hotel ferry across the lagoon to the Canal Village for some shopping.

This is me....all ready to go out for the evening.

We had dinner at this wonderful restaurant on a hill (of sort) and overlooking the ocean

With me is Shi Ling from The Star
One of the GO GO Bars

The next day was free and easy. Jai and I decided to use the hotel facilities and to explore the place further....so we went kayaking.....

and cycling......

There was a beautiful chapel by the lagoon.......

In the evening, Jai tried to teach me how to play pool....but gave up coz I just don't have the knack for it!

We took the ferry around the place...(this place is really fantastic...you can either cycle or take the ferry for a leisurely ride around the property). There are many places to explore:

1. Allamanda Laguna Phuket
2. LHC Phuket Resort
3. Laguna Residences Show House
4. Laguna Townhomes Show House
5. Allamanda Beach Club

6. Laguna Phuket Golf Club
7. Banyan Tree Spa & Gallery
8. Canal Shopping Village
9. Wedding Chapel
10. Quest Aventure & Camp Laguna
11. Angsana Spa & Gallery

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 5 & 6

2007-09-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

We booked a private trip to Hoa Binh, a local village on the previous day. Our driver and tour guide arrived at around 8am in a Toyota Unser. Hong, the tour guide, was very friendly and chatty throughout the entire trip and through him we got to know more about the local culture and the people of Vietnam.

According to him, his area of expertise is to take tourist on adventure tours i.e. travelling from one place to another by motorbike. Most of his clients are Caucasians. That was no surprise to us.

Reached river and boarded a boat that would take us to the village. We saw a few sampans on the river but the rowing mechanism was totally different from what we had ever seen. Instead of rowing using hands, they used their feet instead. Cool!

Reached the village and we were brought to a villager’s house where we were served the traditional wine. He showed us a few traditional musical instruments and played some music using these instruments. Took a few shots with him, his son and octogenarian mother. Bought a few scarves from him for remembrance.

We took the boat back to the mainland. Bought a grilled fish to eat with our lunch.

Stopped by a cosy restaurant for lunch which served buffalo meat cooked in different styles. Food was good but the servings were too large.

On our way back to Hanoi, we saw a young bride and her groom on a motorbike accompanied by a group of people who were also on their bikes. They looked so happy together.

Reached Hanoi. Freshened up and walked to Church Street. We decided to walk into the church and were surprised to see that they were having a mass that evening.

Had dinner and went back to the hotel.

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 4

2007-09-14T02:45:00.001-07:00

It was pretty much a day of walking and shopping today. Walked towards Hoan Kiem Lake again today. Decided to explore the area within its vicinity. Checked out a street market. We were so fascinated by the sight. A vendor recommended a local coffee place which serves excellent coffee. Found the place and sat by the balcony on the 1^st floor. We had a great view of the surrounding area and the street below. But I didn’t really enjoy my coffee. It was too bitter for my taste.

After the coffee break, we continued our walk around the area and had our lunch sitting on the low stools outside one of the restaurants selling a kind of yellow rice. Ong was crazy over it so much so that until today, she still keeps talking about it.

Found a few shops which sold attractive local products such as table lamps, hanging lamps, table runners, cushion covers…etc. They were so beautiful and reasonably priced that we went berserk.

Then we went to the puppet theatre located in the same area to watch the water puppet show. We’d never seen anything like it. Imagine a team of puppeteers controlling their puppets behind a curtain while standing in the waist high water.

The show lasted for an hour. Continued on our walk. Went into a few art galleries. I must say, there are quite a number of art galleries in the area and at the Old Quarters.

As we walked on and on, we decided to try out the snails and local “lala” that were sold along the street. Love the snails. There something about the broth and dips that makes the food in Hanoi so appetizing.

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 3

2007-09-14T01:47:00.001-07:00

Woke up early this morning and had breakfast in the hotel. Then a van came to pick us up for our trip to Halong Bay (awarded the status of world heritage site by Unesco), 170km away. Our hotel was the first stop and the next 30 mins or so was spent picking up passengers from their respective hotels in and around the Old Quarters. The van stopped by a beautiful street – Church Street and Koh immediately got down to take a few shots of the area.

Arrived at our destination approximately 2.5 hours later. The place was packed with people. Everyone was waiting to board the boats. Unfortunately the weather was not favourable as it was drizzling throughout the entire trip.

It was quite a task just getting onto our boat. We had to climb and walk through a few boats that were parked near the bank before we finally found ours.

It was such a shame that there was a thick mist throughout boat ride. We couldn’t see much of anything. We had our lunch on board the boat. Koh and I shared a table with 2 students from Denmark - Malte and Rasmus. They were on a 3-4 month trip to parts of SEAsia. Prior to Hanoi, they had already gone to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. And after Hanoi, they would be visiting Malaysia and Spore before boarding a plane back to Denmark from Thailand. Lucky blokes.

We had the opportunity to explore a limestone cave – much like Batu Caves back home.

Reached the hotel pretty late in the evening and we were totally worn out from the journey. Decided to have a quick dinner and hit the sack.

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 2

2007-08-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Woke up bright and early the next morning. Looked out the hotel window and saw some interesting sights. Couldn’t resist taking a few shots.

We were surprised to find that the hotel actually offered free breakfast for guests (what a bargain –only RM700 per person for return air tickets plus 5 night stay….and we even got free breakfast!).

This is how the back lanes look like

As we exited the hotel, we spotted a stall selling piping hot noodles. Despite just having had our breakfast, we made ourselves comfortable and order 2 bowls to be shared between the 4 of us. That was our first taste of street food at Hanoi and believe me, it tasted better than the beef noodle we had at the café the night before.

We contacted Stephanie Nguyen (one of our students from Alfa International College) who was back home in Hanoi for a holiday. She agreed to meet us at the hotel at 11am. Meanwhile, we decided to walk around the Old Quarters to get ourselves acquainted with the place.

Checked out the market nearby. They were selling lots of fresh fish and vegetables. We were so fascinated by the charming buildings and came across more food. Decided to try out a kind of food that is similar to Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun. To call it delicious would be an understatement.

Most of lots are tall and narrow.

Couldn't resist trying out another delicacy. Similar to Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun.

Stephanie arrived at our hotel on time and she looked gorgeous in her outfit. She was staying at her mom’s 30 mins away with her two kids. Apparently, she grew up at the Old Quarters and the old place had been rented out.

We walked to Hoan Kiem Lake located nearby and crossed the bridge over to Ngoc Son Temple on the lake.

Stephanie is the one on the left with a hat on!

Then Stephanie brought us to a great place to eat – Quan An Ngon. There were so many variety of food served in that place that we were spoilt for choice! We walked around the stalls with the menu in our hands trying to match the descriptions to the actual dishes. With Stephanie’s help, we ordered as many varieties as we could possibly consume (by this time we were hungry and GREEDY at the sight of so much food).

After our hearty lunch, we decided to walk around to alleviate our guilt for being such gluttons. We came across many beautiful buildings such as the Opera House and quaint cafes.

As we were walking we saw a crowd at a field. They were watching a few young men trying to outperform each other in tap dancing. We watched in awe as they tapped their feet to the rhythm of the music. Wow!

Arrived at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but couldn’t get in as we had missed the visiting hour. But we managed to visit his house on stilts and the one pillar pagoda.

Stephanie brought us to a café at the West Lake for coffee and cakes before sending us back to the hotel. Thanks Stephanie for your wonderful company!

Went back to the hotel to freshen up and then headed down for dinner in a nearby restaurant.

The interior and exterior of the hotel.

Food Glorious Food - Hanoi Day 1

2007-08-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hanoi is definitely a HAVEN for food! The variety is unbelievable and the taste….sigh! I may have forgotten some of the sights but the taste of the food still lingers on. I am not referring to food served in cafes or fancy restaurants. On the contrary, it is the street food that beckons me for a second visit to Hanoi in the near future.

My colleagues and I booked the Air Asia free and easy package 6 months ahead of the trip in March 2007. So you can imagine the anticipation as the date grew closer. We arrived in the late evening of March 10^th, 2007. It was dark, wet and cold and we were caught by surprise by the whizzing motorbikes (we would soon find out that crossing the streets of Hanoi requires skills and the nerve of steel). Checked into the Hanoi Plaza Hotel located within the Old Quarters. A friendly hotel staff showed us to a restaurant for dinner as it was too late to explore the place and we were too hungry from our journey.

Meet my 3 friends – (from far left) – Ong, Chou and Koh. Yes, that’s me on the right.

We ordered the typical Vietnamese meal – Beef noodle soup. Yum.

Explored the place for a bit (actually we got lost trying to get back to the hotel) and returned to the hotel to unpack and retire for the night. Another thing, I was thrilled to find 3 PCs with internet connection at the hotel lobby coz that meant that I could email Jai during my stay in Hanoi.

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 5 (Final Day)

2007-08-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 6am-again! Walked towards the Central Market. Along the way, we saw an interesting building which houses a bar called Broken Bricks.

Stopped for breakfast in one of the coffeeshops. Had plain porridge with side dishes of pickled veg, chicken floss and salted egg. Yum!

Continued on our journey towards CM. Reached and walked around. Spotted a baby sleeping peacefully in a hammock. Asked for permission to take a shot of her. So cute.

You can find anything and everything in Central Market - meat, veg, snacks, clothes, pickles, hardware, kitchen utensils, souvenirs.....EVERYTHING!

Hmmmm...wonder if she was taking orders through her mobile phone!

We combed the entire market and bought more souvenirs. Stopped at a stall selling desserts. Tried 3 different kinds of hot desserts and packed 2 cold ones. Ooo la la…delicious!

Then we walked back to the quay. Drank our 2^nd sugarcane drink with a twist of lime.

This is how petrol is pumped in Phnom Penh!

Then headed to Art Street (St 178). Love the boutiques there. Went to the first one and fell in love with one of the bags but it cost USD18. That’s like more than RM60. Decided against buying it (but Jai went back to the store later to get it for me as a surprise gift! So sweet!)

Walked on and saw a few teenage boys working hard on their wood carvings. The owner greeted us and invited us into his shop. Saw a picture of him receiving an award in his shop. He must be a well-known sculptor and wood-carver in Cambodia.

Saw a few galleries selling paintings but was attracted to one gallery in particular which was located at the street corner. Asasax Art Gallery. Went into the gallery and I was immediately taken in by his paintings. So vibrant and bold. The colours and movements in the paintings were so captivating! He has another gallery in Siem Reap. I will definitely visit the gallery when we go to Siem Reap in Feb next year!

Had our lunch and delicious iced coffee. Headed back to the hotel to pack and freshen up before leaving for the airport.

On our way to the airport, we noticed that a building had been burnt to the ground. What a terrible sight.

Simple but modern airport!

We enjoyed every minute of our stay in Phnom Penh and we look forward to more Cambodian hospitality in our visit to Siem Reap in February next year. But meanwhile, we have 2 more trips to tackle - Medan in Sept and Chiang Mai in Jan '08! Oooo la la! Life is GREAT!

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 4

2007-08-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 6am again. Explored the morning market nearby. The best way to know what the locals eat is to visit the market! They sold fresh fish (by fresh I mean, those that are still ALIVE), a huge array of vegetables and fruits, fresh frogs – we were horrified to see one skinned and beheaded frog leap out of the container!

We had breakfast in the market. Rice with pork and pickled vegetables and it was GOOD. We had difficulty opening the mineral water bottle and the lady at the stall offered to open it for us using her knife. That’s how hospitable the Cambodians are!

We were surprised to find hair salons and beauty salons in one section of the market.

We took a tuk tuk to the Russian Market for some last minute souvenir shopping for friends and family back home. Then we took the same tuk tuk to Boengkak Lake where most of the backpackers lodges are located. Quaint place. On the way there, spotted a local carrying his sleeping child while riding the motorbike. Gestured to him requesting permission to take a photo of him and his kid, and smiled and nodded his approval. Nice of him, yeah?

A mosque at the Boengkak Lake

Took the same tuk tuk back to the hotel.

At 4pm, we went downstairs and hung around the area next to the Tonle Sap river. The place was bustling with locals, tourists and street vendors. That was when we had our first sip of the sugarcane drink with a twist of lime! Ahhhh…I cannot describe the taste. You’ve just got to try one on your own!

There was so much of food to sample – cooked snails, chicken wings and bishop's nose, sugarcane sticks, a local salad, snacks…etc.

They were selling flowers near a temple along the river.

Couldn't resist taking a shot next to our national flag!

We booked for 1.5 hour cruise along the Tonle Sap river. Boarded at 5.30pm. The ride offered us a different perspective of the area.

The cruise ended at 7.30pm and since we still had time to walk around, we headed to Jai's favourite bookstore - BOHR Bookstore.

Nightlife along Sisowath Quay

See how he was smiling from ear to ear?

Looks like my mom caught the Jaibug!

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 3

2007-08-07T00:30:00.001-07:00

Woke up at 6am. Walked around looking for a shop or stall selling local food. Found one opposite Jai’s favourite bookstore (BOHR bookstore). Yes, he bought 11 books to bring home. We had porridge and soup noodle. The food was great. Really, the local food is excellent!

Sima picked us up at 8am and we started on our 52km journey to Phnom Chiso, a smaller but similar temple to Angkor Wat built in the 11th century. It was great sitting in the tuk tuk feeling the wind in our faces. Throughout the journey, we noticed that almost every stall, shed or house had at least one hammock hung up. Cambodians seem to love lying or sleeping in their hammocks. Wish I had taken some shots but was never fast enough to capture a good shot.

Meet Sima, the tuk tuk driver (he is currently studying Marketing in one of the universities in Phnom Penh and drives the tuk tuk to support himself through uni!)

The last 5 km was very bumpy with puddles and potholes on the road. Poor Sima. Obviously, it was not an easy task manoeuvring the heavy tuk tuk to avoid the potholes. Finally we reached the site. Imagine our horror when we realised that we had to walk a few hundred steps up to reach the temple. Believe me, for a city person who loves driving and being driven around, it was not a welcoming sight. But, since we had already endured the bumpy ride, it would seem such a waste not to make our way up, so up we went….huffing and puffing.

Reached the temple and we met so many local kids there. Many were bare-footed. They brought us around explaining some details along the way. We were fascinated by their confidence in speaking in English and the fact that they were not shy at all of strangers. If given the opportunity for better education, I believe these children can go far in life.

Four of the children walked with us all the way down. Asked them how old they were – the youngest was 10 and the oldest, 12. We gave them some ang pow before we left.

Next, we headed to Tonle Baty- a lake where locals love to go for picnics. There were several bamboo shed on stilts built above the water along the banks of the lake.

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2 Part 2

2007-08-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sima dropped us at the hotel after the trip to Central Market. Freshened up and headed down to do some walking around the city. Spotted a street vendor selling a kind of salad (similar to Somtham in Thailand) and couldn’t resist the temptation!

Visited the National Museum....

...and then the palace & the silver pagoda.

Later in the evening, we went for a shadow puppet performance by the Sovanna Phum Art Centre. The place was packed with tourists. Understandable as they only hold performances on Fri and Sat. It’s totally different from our local variety. They cleverly combine shadow play in the background and stage performance in the foreground. That gives me ideas on what to do with my Graphic Design students next semester.

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Day 2

2007-08-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Woke up bright and early (6.30am local time). The sun was up even before 6am. Had our complimentary breakfast of French toast for me and toast and eggs for Jai and mom. I must say that the bread is good there, thanks to the French influence!

While we were having our breakfast, we were approached by a tuk tuk driver. He asked if we would be interested to engage him for a trip to the Killing Field and around the city. Jai tried to negotiate for a better price but the price was too low for him and he gave up on us after a while – but mind you, he was pleasant throughout the entire negotiation process (in fact we found most Cambodians very friendly and pleasant throughout our entire trip, even when we declined their products or services). Another tuk tuk driver agreed to our price and so the deal was sealed!

First stop – Killing Field located 16km from Phnom Penh. This is one of the many killing fields where the locals were brutally killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge. There mass graves of women and children, men, people who were beheaded…etc. Some of the skeletal remains have been exhumed but many more remain buried. In fact, we could find bone fragments along the path.

Next stop was the Toul Sleng (S21) prison (also known as the torture centre). Once a high school, it became the main prison during the Khmer Rouge period. Apparently only 7 survived from this prison. The others were taken by truckloads to be executed at the killing field. The deserted corridors seemed endless and seeing photos of the victims and illustrations on how they were tortured was mentally and emotionally disturbing. It’s a wonder how the people, despite their brutal past, could still remain so pleasant and positive.

Sima, the tuk tuk driver, brought us to the Russian Market after that. Once a place where firearms were sold, the Russian Market has been transformed into a shopping haven especially for tourists. They sell all kinds of handicrafts, clothes, bags, shoes...etc…there. Had our lunch in the market itself. A simple but delicious food consisting of soup, eggs, pork and rice. Ordered the local orange juice. Gosh! It was simply divine!! We’re not talking about the usual orange juice made with Sunkist oranges, they used the local orange with green skin). Was so tempted to order a second glass!

Then we headed to another popular market – Central Market. Just like the one back home in KL, the building is of Art Deco style. They sell items ranging from meat to jewelleries in the market. Cool huh?

Sugarcane drink with a twist of lime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-08-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

DAY 1

Touched down at the Phnom Pehn International Airport at 4.20pm (5.20pm Malaysian Time) on 26^th July 2007. We were pleasantly surprised by how modern the airport was.

Paid USD7 for a cab ride to the hotel in Sisowath Quay overlooking the Tonle Sap river. On our journey there, the sight of 5 people on a motorbike caught our attention. But it was a sight that we would soon get used as we stayed on in Phnom Penh.

We had booked our hotel via the internet. Judging from the positive reviews posted by several tourists, we thought that it would be a good place to stay…but we got there, it turned out tobe rather disappointing.

Freshened up and headed down to check the place out before dinner. Found another hotel not far from our hotel – Cozyna Hotel. Looked impressive from outside and decided to ask for the rates. USD25. Not bad! Checked the rooms out to avoid another disappointment….nice! Immediately booked a room for the following 3 nights. Feeling more cheerful with our discovery, we looked for a good place to eat. Since it was our first night there, thought we’d splurge a bit and try out the stalls and street food during the next few days. Found a nice place that served Khmer food (as well as Thai and western food) – Lemongrass Restaurant - located just next to a halal shop selling Malaysian food!

The food was excellent. Had rice with pork, chicken in peanut gravy and a kind of seafood salad! Ordered a Cambodian cooler (a non alcoholic beverage made up of pineapple, mint, coconut milk..etc – all blended together to form this perfect smoothie).

Explored the place a bit and found a café which screened documentaries on the Khmer Rouge era. Booked our tickets and to kill time, we sat on the riverbank watching people go by.

Finally it was time to watch the documentary. It gave us an insight into the history of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge period. It would prove to be useful for our trips to the Killing Field and Toul Sleng the following day.

Torn Slippers

2007-08-01T22:48:00.001-07:00

Funny how most people are willing to walk quite a distance while travelling when back home they'd rather drive than walk to the grocery store 50 metres away. I am one of those people! Torn slippers is about my travelling experiences - places that I've been and people that I've met along my journey. And as the name suggests, most of the time it involves a lot of walking at my own free and easy pace (and yes, I literally tore my slippers in my most recent trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia). No, tour packages are not for me, thank you.