Siem Reap in 3 Days - Day 3

Today is pretty much my final day of roaming Siem Reap as I've got a mid morning flight out of here and the process takes about 3 hours, so I'm trying to think of what to do on my last day to make it a memorable trip. My original intention was to go play golf at either the hotel's course or the Nick Faldo course. Both have hosted Asia PGA tournaments but I only wanted to get half a round in so I could chill around the hotel pool. I've booked the Phare, the Cambodian Circus in the evening at 8pm.

I've decided to go the cheap option and go take a tuk tuk out to the water village, Tonie Sap Lake. This was around a 4 hour trip so another tuk tuk ride for 10 USD. It would cost another 23 USD because I was a single passenger on the boat ride for the cruise around the lake. Mind you this was compared to half a golf round costing me about 150USD for 9 holes, clubs and cart hire which included a caddy.

I was told it would take about 20 minutes from the hotel to Tonie Sap Lake. It was an interesting yet bumpy ride on the tuk tuk. I saw how people lived away from the city, and touristy areas. Roads were being repaired and relaid etc.

Many kids were on their way to school, I believe. The reason I am not so sure was that school must start late as I left the hotel after 9am. I don't believe they were truanting.

So here are the pics of the day

Kids double on a bike to get to school. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Houses along the river on the way to Tonie Sap Lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Happy kids walking to school. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

After being dropped off by my tuk tuk driver, I went in to the terminal to grab a boat. I paid my 23USD and was asked to head to the pier, where there were a stack of boats waiting for tourists. I was taken around by a set of brothers who were doing these tours part time. They are fisherman but the fishing season has finished. The Cambodian government prevents mass fishing during the dry season to allow the fish population to grow again. Most Cambodians in the area have the local food which as the tour guide on the boat told me is fish paste better known as Amok. I tried it in the evening and all I can say is I'd rather stick to the Khmer curries instead. The two fisherman brothers who took me around claimed that they were locals. The younger brother who was also the guide spoke very good English.

There is one catch to these tours. Since the water is low in the dry season, the boats you are taken to the village on are too big to navigate around the village, you can only see the outskirts. You get taken a 1/3 of the way there and you would need to change into a smaller boat. Basically all the fisherman rent out there smaller boats so you can go to the village. This will cost you another 20USD. I decided against taking the smaller boats.

One tip, close your mouth when on the boat and if you choose to talk do not talk outside the window. Otherwise you will get your free Tonie Sap Lake coffee in your mouth! The brown water will just cover your mouth if you are not careful

First stop was the orphaned children from a recent typhoon that ripped through Vietnam. The kids are taken here and are fed rice. They go to school here, sleep here and play here. It is quite a sad place to go to, but some kids are smiling and that gives you some comfort. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Some kids after their lunch are at the books. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

The fresh water barrel. No back wash allowed here that is for sure. The barrel contains fresh clean drinking water that they share, you can see here there are bowls to scoop the water and drink from. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Some kids just want to wander around on the boat in their lunch break. He is waiting his turn to go and have some fun. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

These kids are taking a ride on the boat before school starts again. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

I left the school, and we headed to get closer to the houses in the village area, but before heading there we stopped at a convenient store in the lake and as the guide said it is a 7 eleven on the water. The guide bought some beers to share. The local Angkor brew.

The convenient store in Tonie Sap Lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

This is as close as I got to the water village, maybe I should have spent the extra 20 USD to go inside, but in all honesty I was thinking about the huge pool in the hotel rather than this coffee coloured water at this stage. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

The life of a fisherman on his long break, resting up in a hammock. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

The rumor has it that all the crocodiles were taken and skinned to sell.  There are a few crocs on this float. It is a little sad to see, the crocs barely move and obviously some tourists get annoyed and throw beer cans at them. I'm just glad there are no crocs in the lake anymore as kids play and bath in the lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

Local fisherman boat, he is just transporting things around to get some pay. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

The guide said that this guy was allowed to fish in this shallow part of the lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

After my lake tour, it was time to head for some lunch. I decided to try Paris Saigon. I was thinking anything that had broth and was cooked hot would be safe for my weak stomach to eat and those who know me, know that I must have pho once a week LOL. So since Cambodia is so close to Vietnam, I was hoping to have some authentic pho.

The food was nice here and I decided to make my way to Pub Street in the day. It was about a 10 minute walk in the heat from the restaurant. Pub Street is in the mix of the Old Market and Night Market. I couldn't find this last night so I decided to wander more. The key is to just follow the young westerners as that's where they all head to for a feed and a beer. It didn't take me long to find it. I decided I'm pretty tired of lugging my Leica M6 around so I pulled out and walked around and did some street shots. They are not ready yet so that is why you can not see them here.

After about 1.5 hours of wandering and making sure I finished a full roll of film, I tried to find the Blue Pumpkin, this is a dessert shop where you can sit up on sofas and relax with your feet up. I managed to stumble and find it. Things were harder for me to find as I didn't have a SIM card for Cambodia so no google maps for me. Grabbed myself a dark chocolate ice cream on a cone and it was a pleasant surprise. Just what the doctor ordered.

Took a few more shots and finished the roll of film, grabbed a tuk tuk back to the hotel. I had let my tuk tuk driver go earlier at lunch so this ride was not within the 10 USD, but from Pub Street I knew it was 2 USD back to the hotel. How you may ask, I realized how close I was to Pub Street when I bumped in to last nights dinner spot, Khmer Kitchen Restaurant!

So off to the pool for some R&R whilst sipping on my Pina Colada. Much better than my Bloody Mary on my first day and a tick above the lychee cocktail from yesterday. I spent around 2 hours around and in the pool. Pretty awesome, as the pool is not heated but the water temperature is very nice.

As the circus was in the outskirts of town, it was hard to get a tuk tuk to take me to dinner somewhere on the way and then take me to the Phare circus then wait for me and take me back. I had dinner at the hotel. I tried the Amok dish at the hotel thinking it should be safe to try here. It really was not my cup of tea. It was quite bland and apart from the prawns that accompanied the dish I did not think it was that special.

After dinner off I went on the tuk tuk, and with my luck the tuk tuk drove past the Red Crab Seafood restaurant. This was a place in TripAdvisor with reasonable reviews. Oh well.. It took about 20 minutes to get to the circus.

I got the concierge to book me a ticket on the first day of my arrival in Siem Reap. There are 3 ticket categories, A seats 40 USD, B seats 25 USD and C seats 15 USD. The tent can sit around 250 people I dare say. You all squeeze in for an hour of entertainment. The A seats are generally taken by tour groups so if you want that and your special gift that accompanies your A class seat book it early. I missed out and I got a B seat. It is very much best in first dressed in the B and C seating classes. Where by the earlier you get in the better seat you will get. I came and I managed to get an OK seat. i was about 40 minutes early. My seat was not front on but not too far off center. C seat have a view from the sides.

Here are some pics of the circus.

Hmm balancing act. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

A bit of acrobatics. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Some death defying stunts. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Brilliant acrobatics really. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

A it of brute strength. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Phare Circus. It is a budget kind of Cirque du Soleil. It is a mix of comedy, acrobatics and music. The only thing that is missing are the fancy costumes. It was a pretty funny 1 hour a show, and if you are in Siem Reap and do not want to get trashed at Pub Street, go check out the Phare Circus.

Managed to find my tuk tuk driver and it was time to head home and prepare to pack for the early morning check out of the hotel.

Siem Reap in 3 Days - Day 2

After a good nights rest I have my tour with the Angkor Wat Photography tour company and the assigned 1:1 photography tour/course is with Regis. I'm taking advantage of this tour mainly for composition and to see if I can get any tips from Regis to further my experiences with photography whilst i travel.

Today for the photogs I am bringing my Fuji X-Pro 1 along with my 14mm f/2.8, 23mm f/1.4 and my 56mm f/1.2, with the APS-C crop factor it is essentially in the 35mm format a 21mm, 35mm and a 85mm or thereabouts. Also I am armed with my trusty Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod and my Go Pro Here 3 Black edition for time lapse. For the long exposures i have got my cable release.

To start the day for sunrise, consists of me getting up at 4:30am and since my kit is ready I'm down at the lobby around 5am with Regis waiting for me at the lobby. Off to the tuk tuk and its pitch black and with a cool but pleasant breeze. It was a good idea to get my 3 day pass as this allowed us to get a quick start since at the checkpoint there was no need to go purchase a new ticket and get a photo taken. The pass is much like a visa and your ticket shows your face and the days you have entered thus far. After a quick validation at the checkpoint we are off to Angkor Wat. There is a lot of buzz around and I can sense that there will be a fair few tourists waiting to see the sunrise. 

We get to Angkor Wat and it is pretty darn dark, we are following people who have torches. Now to go to the perfect location to take the sunrise that occurs, there are two ponds at Angkor Wat. When facing the massive temple there is one on the left and one on the right. As I was told by a tourist the day before the objective is to see the 5 towers in the reflection which is not what I had done the day before. So on the way there Regis said we will try but it really is all dependent upon how many people are there. We took the left pond like yesterday as the right pond is full of lilies, which would ruin the reflection. I do not plan to wake up again so early tomorrow so I cannot stuff this up :)

After trying to find a spot where the 5 tower reflection is seen, it was now a matter of can I plant my tripod anywhere. We were lucky the crowd was not so big at this stage and another photography tour class had a nice spot but only could utilize one of their tripods. Regis kindly asked if we could dump my tripod next to theirs and then bang, we now had a location. It was so dark I could not even see a silhouette of Angkor Wat, so I had to take a 1.5 minute exposure just to see if I was lined up correctly. After about 2 or 3 test shots I was set. Mounted my Go Pro and it was set for 5 second exposures. 

Patiently waiting for the sunrise to hit around 6:15am, around 5:45 the long exposures started capturing some remarkable sky colours with the temple as a silhouette. I was pretty much taking one minute exposures every 5-7 minutes. It was pretty awesome. Mind you the crowd also had built up over time and behind me it was at least 10 - 15 deep around the pond by about 6am.

I had a bit of a scare I moved and bumped my tripod around 6:15am and trust me if it wasn't for holding my cable release my camera would have been in the pond. Holding the cable release gave me enough time to catch the tripod from swimming along with my camera. I swear there was a big sigh from the crowd as they saw it falling :(

I will take that as a bit of good fortune :) 

Enjoy the time lapse and the pics that trail. I apologise about the names of some of the temples as I did not take note of them all.

Sunrise at the magnificent Angkor Wat. The strange thing is that after you get the bright orange and blue skies, once the sun is almost up you get a grey haze. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4 

The back entrance of Angkor Wat is not often seen, it is peaceful at this time of the day. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

We didn't wait for the fireball sun appear behind Angkor Wat as it would ruin the scheduling of the other temples. I grabbed pretty much what I wanted, so it was off to the next temple. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Next stop was Ta Prohm, this temple is famous for Angelina Jolie :) I mean the movie Tomb Raider where she plays Lara Croft. Ta Prohm like many of the temples is in the jungle and you will see many of the trees growing over the top of the temples. The trees are very interesting in that they are huge and old yet are hollow but are still alive in most cases. Ta Prohm now opens at 7:30am. So we patiently waited for about 5 minutes and we were one of the first few to be let in.

After getting through the opening gate there is about a 5 minute walk to the main entry of Ta Prohm and this is the site that hits you first up. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

This reminded me so much of Europe, the first sculpture would lead to a photo of many sculptures. There is exceptional detail with each sculpture. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Some areas are now cordoned off for safety as the stone walls are by no means structurally sound. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The famous tree that wraps around the entry of one of the door ways at Ta Prohm. Everyone gets a selfie here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Looks like one of the towers has been destroyed here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An old lady setups her good luck bands inside Ta Prohm. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

More sculptures showing how well detailed they were carved out. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The exiting gate of Ta Prohm. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Off to a smaller quieter temple, the temple again is in the jungle but there are apparently 3 gibbons within the area. I cannot quite remember the name of the small temple but it is just as mouth dropping as the larger more well known temples.

What is left of a statue at one of the entry ways of the temple. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The temple in some places is in ruins but it is remarkable how some carvings remain fully in tact. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Off to the next temple, it is all about trying to avoid harsh light as best we can. The simple idea is to get the best light possible so I can take wide angle shots of the whole temple with a nice sky in the background and when the light is harsh we go to temples with nice small detailed carvings where by the light is strong but since we are going for details it will not wash away like the sky would in harsh light.

Off on to the tuk tuk to get to Banteay Kdei (I think). This was a really huge temple. It had a lot of everything but it was one place you had to be careful with your footing.

The main gate for Banteay Kdei. You have to wonder how to get in. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

One of the first buildings you reach after entering. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Not everything is structurally sound. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8 

How awesome is this path ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Detailed sculpture. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Man who helps you pray with buddha. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

The exit gate at Banteay Kdei. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

After Banteay Kdei it was about time for me to grab a bite. My guide and I decided to take a 2 hour break to recharge. I decided to check my photos, have a 30 min dip in the pool and then grab a bite and be ready at 1pm. 

It was now time to head off to Preah Khan.

Deliberately built narrow hallway ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

A combination of ruins and new structural beams to hold things in place. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

This looks like a fallen bell but it is a sculpture. Strangely now there is a crack in one of the towers surrounding it, and if you get the right angle it looks like a candle, pretty cool eh ? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An old gentlemen with a book of wishes and bands for good luck. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Without Regis I would never be able to find these shrines. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Contrasting colours, The temple is covered in green and red stone. The tree stands out with its orange tinge. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

More detailed sculptures. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An awesome site, a huge old tree, with roots and all grown on top of the temple, what came first ? the temple or the tree? Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Massive court yard before the main gate

We headed off to Angkor Thom, as the next stop. Another huge temple this side on the northern gate end of Angkor.

A pair of fisherman boats on the outside. The moat seems to have gone through a drought in the dry season. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

An outstanding structure still looking sturdy. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Decided to leave the temples for now, we have one more to go but my guide, Regis suggests we try to see something different before heading to Bayon. The northern gate side of Angkor has many things to see.

River in the forrest, water seems cleaner here with the reflection being quite obvious. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Local fisherman trying to find a feed tonight. The fish he caught were no more than 3 inches long. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

A perspective of how large the northern gate is. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

My guide decided we should try our luck at a very small temple. People come to this temple to be blessed with good luck or fortune. 

Ot lucky here to see some kids get blessed, good luck to them. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

An old lady within the temple making some traditional medicine Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

A young monk was willing to pose for a few photos as he scrubbed himself clean Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

12 monks reside in this temple, you can see their robes hung out to be cleaned. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Next was our final stop, this was Bayon which is one of the more easily identified temples since it has the large sculptured heads. 

Close up and personal. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

When lips touch. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Framed Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Apparently in wet season the temple is surrounded by water, not so much water here today in the dry season Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Decided to stop over and walk the bridge. The bridge has two sides one side of happy faces the other side of not so happy. The river has some skinny buffalos down below grazing on the grass

For those who want to take a more adventurous path to Bayon you can ride an elephant.

That was a long but eventful day, clocking close to 16kms on tour by foot. I get dropped back off at the hotel. Try to get a foot massage but I'm starving. I grab a shower and have a quick look at my pictures from the day. Pretty impressed by the snaps I took but I think I'm more blown away by the temples that I saw more so than the pics I took. 

Decided to head out tonight near the night market. I decided to try my sister's suggestion of the Khmer Kitchen Restaurant for their Khmer curry which I must say was very nice. Much better than the buffet from the previous night.

Had a bit of a wander around town and I'd managed to close close 20kms of walking today. Not a bad effort in the heat.

Time for catching some Zzzz's now.

Siem Reap in 3 Days - Day 1

Ok, it was time to take a break from the real job and enjoy myself again. The tough choices were do I go and just relax for a week or do I go and enjoy a passion of mine and find somewhere interesting where i can test my photography skills again.

Sadly shooting Sydney does not stimulate me much and going abroad tends to get my small peanut brain to think more creatively. Well that is what I think. Sydney is great but I've lost any creative ability there at this point in time.

So the announcement of the Fuji X-Pro 2 got me all excited and I was praying for it to be released at the end of February. With my luck, which I may add is quite rotten at the moment, it is to be made available in early March. A big SIGH !!!

I make do with my trusty Fuji X-Pro 1 and head off to Siem Reap to see the famed Angkor Wat. Well that's a lie I'm trying to find Lara Croft ... I mean her alter ego Angelina Jolie. Word has it that she was here a week before ... another big SIGH !!!.

Going to Siem Reap requires a short layover in Hong Kong, so departing Sydney at 10:20pm, I get to Siem Reap the next day at 10am. There is also a 4 hour time difference, Cambodia is 4 hours behind.

One of the reasons for choosing Siem Reap was to also witness the life of people who are not as well off as Sydneysiders. My life has not been the easiest but by no means the most difficult yet the life that some of the locals live here to make ends meet and to provide shelter is something that reminded me back to some trips of India. There are less beggars here but the people here definitely do not have the same luxuries as we have here.

That said I am a bit of a snob and decided to make sure I lived in a nice clean hotel room with a nice pool. I choose the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa resort. I wish i was sponsored by them but anyone going to Siem Reap the hotel has a nice pool and it is almost tempting not to get out and see the sights and just sip on cocktails pool side.

I was pretty fortunate, the airport process was quite smooth, since I already had an e-visa made up before leaving. I had a driver for airport/hotel transfers waiting as there are really no taxis and in a foreign environment I prefer to get to the hotel safely and also I don't want to wait in the 36 degree heat. I had reached the hotel by 11:30 am and I was lucky enough to score a pool view. Before I go further the resort is filled with mature people in their 60s and older. The demographic during my stay was making me feel young.

I decided to have a swim and bite before heading out on a tuk tuk to Angkor Wat. The plan was to try and catch the sunset at Angkor Wat, as I had arranged for a photography tour the next morning to catch the sunrise.

4pm soon came around and I was ready to get a tuk tuk to Angkor Wat. The tuk tuk driver would charge 10 USD for 4 hours of his time. So that meant he would take me around and wait for me for 4 hours. It is the standard fee. In the process I had to get myself a 3 day pass to visit all the Angkor temples. A 1 day pass was 20 USD and a 3 day pass was 40 USD.

So letsget on with this tour ... oh decided to try something different and use my Go Pro Here 3 Black edition for something more than just selfies. Please enjoy the time lapses and pics.

Time lapse of Tuk Tuk to Angkor Wat 28th February 2016

The ride from the Sofitel and the detour to get my Angkor temple ticket took about 20 minutes. Note the tuk tuk driver must get your ticket validated before proceeding to any of the temples.  Apparently there are police that patrol near the ticket station / validation checkpoint.

With some luck I managed to catch a few Buddhist monks leaving the temple for the day. For reference it was a round 4:30pm.

Buddhist monk leaving Angkor Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Buddhist monk also fascinated by Angkor Wat and is prepared with his selfie stick. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Many of the monks are asked to pose for photos but also enjoy their time. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Many of the tourists are intrigued by the life styles the monks lead. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Almost reaching the famed temple, can spot 4 out of the 5 towers from here. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Pass through the gate entries and cannot believe the size of the temple. Buddhist reflecting on their days prayer. Fuji X-Pro 1, 56mm f/1.2 R

Appreciating the architecture. The attention to detail is great but many say that Angkor Wat is by no means the most prettiest temple in Siem Reap. It definitely has the size. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

People queuing late in the day to get up one of the towers of Angkor Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 14mm f/2.8

Me patiently waiting for sunset. I've decided to take this view, it is not perfect as a tourist had told me as I was supposed to see the 5 towers in the reflection, I only see 4.  None the less it will make do. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

I got kicked out around 6:15pm and am not pleased as the sunset was just coming out with some purple and blue hues which I was hoping would wrap around the back of Angkore Wat. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Angkor Wat - Sun setting 28th February 2016

Some obliged some did not. I asked for the photo and I am not going to complain. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Everyone including the monks have been asked to leave the main gate, so I cannot be that disappointed by being asked to leave. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

With the little research I did prior to the trip, umm that's called TripAdvisor research LOL.  I read that some of the bigger hotels had nightly shows of the traditional Apsara dances.

I was lucky enough to have the show at the hotel I was staying in so I took advantage of it and I needed a good nights sleep for my early sunrise start tomorrow. The show started at 7:30pm and the hotel suggests if you watch it, you should have the buffet feed also for 40 USD to get the best view. If I was not interested in photos I would not be bothered with the buffet, and like what some forum people have said, you can watch the show from the balcony or the bar as the show is out doors and you are not barred from watching the dance show if you do not pay for the buffet. I got a front row table but to the side, hence the angle of my photos.

I'm not a dance person but it seemed elegant. I think that is the correct word. The show last about 1 hour. There is a story behind the show but don't ask me what it is about. To me it just looked like a man who was trying to pursue a woman.

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R

Apsara dance at the Sofitel. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4

Anyways, that's a wrap for today. It was an exciting day but I truly am looking forward to the tomorrow's tour.