tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80872326223120724442024-03-14T07:01:50.826-07:00Southeast Asia Travel Advice: CambodiaSoutheast Asia travel advice, suggested trips and destinations, helpful hints, advice, adventures and more from seasoned travelers and residents.Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-42833954954164759462012-08-21T01:19:00.000-07:002017-03-30T14:35:02.031-07:00Buying Gold in Cambodia: Chi, Damlung, Grams and Ounces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://goldprice.org/charts/history/gold_5_year_g_b_s_usd.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://goldprice.org/charts/history/gold_5_year_g_b_s_usd.png" /></a>
Gold is always a good investment. And while gold prices are more or
less the same around the world (it is a global market, and in Cambodia
shops
adjust the price of gold daily based on the global market), the price of
workmanship is not (for the current price of gold, you can see the price chart at the bottom of the page). <br />
<br />
So while you are not going to get a better deal buying gold bars in Cambodia, you can purchase gold jewelry at a significantly lower mark-up than in Europe or the United States provided the workmanship is local. There is a lot of Italian jewelry imported to Cambodia, and it will have a premium price attached to it. But you can expect a markup of only about $20 over the spot price for most locally smithed gold. Being as this is less that the above-spot price charged by gold brokers for bullion in the United States and Europe and well below the mark-up for gold jewelry, it means that gold is Cambodia is quite a good deal and one you are not likely to find in the West or India.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
Buying Gold in Cambodia as an Investment</h3>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIOuc_O0lzw4N-Ze51I9L-pVJP4Op_Grt4NBZwUH04U7CWrP37yGXbih0wc8LM8w5ivCAJSm_-yfW-Mzmdj5ZI4sT9ZlyUP-YRddFdYyu_6bDARW6nq3jAdjNEEgH3SGiFBFSJ2Wse_Ru/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIOuc_O0lzw4N-Ze51I9L-pVJP4Op_Grt4NBZwUH04U7CWrP37yGXbih0wc8LM8w5ivCAJSm_-yfW-Mzmdj5ZI4sT9ZlyUP-YRddFdYyu_6bDARW6nq3jAdjNEEgH3SGiFBFSJ2Wse_Ru/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A goldsmith in a market. Because the lower<br />
cost of workmanship, gold jewelry from <br />
Cambodia is a good investment. Image from <br />
<a href="http://cambodiasnapshots.com/">http://cambodiasnapshots.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You might be surprised to know that finding 24 carat gold is pretty easy to find, and for an investment it is your best bet.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It is known as <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class=""><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps">ទឹក</span></span>ដប</span></span></span><wbr></wbr><span class="">មាស, </span></span>"<i>Tuk Dap </i><i>Meas</i>" (<span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="">មាស </span></span>"meas" means gold in Khmer; <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps">ទឹក </span></span>"<i>tuk</i>" or "water," and <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="">ដប </span></span></span></span>"dap" means "ten"--and it just means</span> the gold tests pure and is and is pure gold--99.8% gold, at least). You will not find gold of this sort commonly in Thailand--only Cambodia and Vietnam generally sells pure gold like this. Pure gold will have a gaudy yellow look to it, and it is soft--you should be able to make a dent in it with your thumbnail. <br />
<br />
Most jewelry sold in the United States is at most 22 carat (91.6% gold) because of just that reason--pure gold is soft, and if constantly worn it actually wears down. And since most people do not want their gold disappearing, most opt for less than pure gold. You can also find more wearable jewelry, but the prices can be harder to pin down as well as determining just what percentage of gold you are getting. It is fairly easy for a novice to tell pure gold from 18 carat gold, but a lot harder to tell 22 carat from 18 carat and you probably aren't packing a gold tester with you in your suitcase. Also, the Khmer do not use the carat system you might be familiar with. Instead, gold is measured in parts of a thousand. Khmer by far prefer pure gold. As gold is viewed as a way of preserving wealth, they want it to be of the highest quality and most easily disposed of if needed. Most Khmer prefer gold to banks, and who can blame then when many lived through a time when money was actually abolished in their country--so any wealth in banks or cash disappeared overnight.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBSBNVQOX41udwbpE0t6Y9RaTV7tY8iMSd6D9wzrX9Vs3PYKSkx8q2qkWEbqBPcxbqDvwijjwXp6UIEFF-A2J-jUDCjxsYitnk_Pu7PhJwqqa210Y86iBIeyhl7dj92L5IoX9WuULnuGl/s1600/cambodia+284+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBSBNVQOX41udwbpE0t6Y9RaTV7tY8iMSd6D9wzrX9Vs3PYKSkx8q2qkWEbqBPcxbqDvwijjwXp6UIEFF-A2J-jUDCjxsYitnk_Pu7PhJwqqa210Y86iBIeyhl7dj92L5IoX9WuULnuGl/s320/cambodia+284+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly all markets will have gold dealers tucked away.<br />
Khmer buy gold to preserve wealth, and it is an <br />
an embarrassment for a Khmer woman not to be wearing<br />
a gold necklace. Hence you will see even the children<br />
of the well-to-do sporting gold jewelry. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Overwhelmingly, gold dealers in Cambodia are honest and will provide a certificate of purchase (in Khmer) that states what it is you bought and how much you paid for it. <u>These little slips are important if you think you might be selling or pawning what you bought in Cambodia</u>. If they do not give you one, request one. They should indicate the price per <i>chi </i>(we'll get to that below) as well as the total amount paid. They will also have modern scales and they should show you the weight on the scales of anything you decide to purchase. If you suspect you may have been ripped off, you can sell it back at a small loss as long as you have the receipt (usually no more than $5 unless somehow the price of gold plummets from the time you buy it and decide to return it). It is better to be safe than sorry, and if you don't know what you are doing or what you are buying, you probably shouldn't be buying.<br />
<br />
You may be able to negotiate a few dollars off the price, but don't expect the price to come down dramatically. As stated earlier, gold prices are fixed according the global market. That being said, you should know the price of gold before you go to buy and also understand how gold is measured and sold in Cambodia.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Gold Measurements in Cambodia: Chi and Damlung</h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPK4tSYy14rjuoNNvhvu36Q9ePMKhxvLKYNic-SkPHhKJWJK9HwgwnSaLwOJJUSp_ZfA8X2sKvr9rz6wYn4J_vrBM7dKRukXy87VTtdIZJ8SCavKD67Shn-_zSbZHE-j49MVPnXv9cJAp/s1600/Buying+Gold+in+Cambodia+24+Carat+Gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPK4tSYy14rjuoNNvhvu36Q9ePMKhxvLKYNic-SkPHhKJWJK9HwgwnSaLwOJJUSp_ZfA8X2sKvr9rz6wYn4J_vrBM7dKRukXy87VTtdIZJ8SCavKD67Shn-_zSbZHE-j49MVPnXv9cJAp/s200/Buying+Gold+in+Cambodia+24+Carat+Gold.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical 24K Cambodian<br />
gold; note the almost<br />
garish yellow color; <br />
the chain and medallion<br />
together are 8 <i>chi</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Gold is sold by the <i>chi (</i><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps">ជី) </span></span>in Cambodia (and Vietnam). Ten <i>chi </i>equals one <i>damlung</i> (<span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="km"><span class="hps">តម្លឹង)</span></span>. A <i>damlung </i>is 37.49 grams, meaning one <i>chi </i>is 3.749 grams. At today's prices that means one <i>chi </i>is selling for $149.96 USD. Of course, by tomorrow that could have changed.* We find it a bit annoying that many sites list one chi as 3.8 grams. If you use that figure, you are going to figuring one <i>damlung </i>as 38 grams, not 37.49, and so would be paying $70 extra per <i>damlung </i>in today's market for their mistake.<br />
<br />
Before you head out to purchase gold, it is a good idea to check the current gold prices (below) and covert it from grams to <i>chi</i>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Gram = 0.267 <i>Chi </i><br />
Number of <i>Chi</i> <b>÷</b> 0.267 <b>x</b> Price of Gold in Grams<b> =</b> World Market Gold Price</div>
<br />
<br />
Then, considering that there will be a $20-$30 charge above the spot price, that will give you an idea of what is a good price. So if you have $400 to spend, you can buy just a little more than two <i>chi </i>of gold or about ten grams. That is really a great deal considering that buying bullion in the states generally has a markup for $60 or more above spot for one ounce, and if you have to pay for shipping watch out as that will be an added cost (plus insurance).<br />
<br />
One thing that the comments on this article have reminded us of is that the price of gold shoots up around the Lunar New Year, and generally has a substantial dip in price right afterwards. During these times of very high (and very low) local demand, the spot prices on the ground may be somewhat higher or lower than the global price (just like around the Lunar New Year in China or Diwali in India).<br />
<br />
<u>Keep in mind that internationally gold is often dealt in troy ounces</u>. One troy ounce equals 31.1 grams (that is 8.23 <i>chi</i>). <br />
<br />
Also, keep in mind safety. Wearing something like this in public can attract the attention of thieves and pick-pockets. Travelers have had chains ripped off their necks by passing motorcycles or while sitting in a tuk-tuk or even had them cut off their necks without them even realizing it. If you are wearing $500 around your neck it can be a tempting target. And of course never, never put something like this in your checked bags when you fly! If you are buying <i>tuk dap meas</i> it is probably an investment, so make sure you protect it as one.<br />
<br />
A final reminder . . . remember that you are suppose to declare goods acquired while abroad. The United States, for example, allows you to import $800 of goods into the country without paying customs duties. Also, gold does <i>not</i> count as a monetary instrument in the USA. You should check on the customs for your country as you don't want to get charged a custom duty for that gold you got such a good deal on! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
Gold Prices Over the Last Three Days</h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://goldprice.org/"> <img border="0" src="http://goldprice.org/charts/gold_3d_b_g_USD.png" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://goldprice.org/">gold price</a> charts provided by <a href="http://goldprice.org/">goldprice.org</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
*The price of gold declined nearly $50 per <i>chi </i>since this was originally published. The price included here is from March 30, 2017. However, the rest of the article considers used historical prices.</div>
</div>
</div>
Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-14524449904561429702011-12-22T03:23:00.000-08:002017-03-30T14:30:01.597-07:00Shipping from Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV7CRAvb5zw/TvMPV8XCpUI/AAAAAAAABso/eh6WbjLOGQw/s1600/send+mail+from+cambodia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV7CRAvb5zw/TvMPV8XCpUI/AAAAAAAABso/eh6WbjLOGQw/s200/send+mail+from+cambodia.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Let's face it: shipping in Cambodia is difficult and expensive, but it can be done. However, when we first tried to send items out of Cambodia or get things delivered to us in Cambodia we found out that it is really hard to figure out with not a lot of information out there on the Web. Now that we've learned for ourselves, we've put together hopefully a one-stop shop for you to know what are the best options for you to ship things in and out of Cambodia.<br />
<br />
Throughout our many ventures in shipping and receiving, from documents to gifts and larger items to moving from abroad and back, we've learned a few things. The first thing you should know unless you are sending a letter, non-essential package or shipping major ocean freight (and if you are planning on doing that, then you should be consulting a local logistics company) then you will probably have to bring your item to Battambang, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh to send it on out of the country. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="western" style="font-style: normal;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6WnGtIb7u54/TvMPwNUZCvI/AAAAAAAABs0/tu3XNFS_THo/s1600/How+to+ship+something+from+cambodia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6WnGtIb7u54/TvMPwNUZCvI/AAAAAAAABs0/tu3XNFS_THo/s200/How+to+ship+something+from+cambodia.png" width="200" /></a>Shipping Items From Cambodia</h2>
<span style="font-style: normal;">There are just a couple hints we'll share to help you get your package (safely) to your destination outside Cambodia.</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">Never send valuables or monetary instruments except through courier services that offer insurance, and then ensure the insured amount matches the customs declaration to avoid any hassles. </span> <br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">Carefully package anything fragile and consider sending it via DHL or FedEx rather than by EMS.</span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">If time is important, use a courier services. One blogger recently reported it took her brother's postcard more than a year to reach her. We've had positive experiences shipping with EMS, like our Emergency First Responders paperwork, and we've also had postcards that never arrived . . . or perhaps they will next year.</span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">Check out the <a href="http://www.fedex.com/us/international/irc/profiles/irc_kh_profile.html?gtmcc=us">Cambodian export restrictions</a> for what </span><i>cannot</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> be send out of Cambodia</span><br />
</li>
</ol>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Cambodia Postal Service</span></h3>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.ems.com.kh/indexhome.html"><u>Cambodian Postal Service</u></a>: We suggest you use the Cambodian postal service only for <span style="color: red;"><b>noncritical items</b></span><span style="color: red;">—</span><span style="color: black;">like postcards</span>. Actually, there is no real Cambodian Postal Service as mail in Cambodia is handled by EMS—Express Mail Service. <b>EMS</b> is an International Postal Express Mail Service offered by Postal-Operators of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The UPU, a specialized agency of the United Nations, promotes the harmonization of postal services worldwide. Despite this, it is infamous for being laid, delayed, and mishanded. <br />
<br />
Also, there is no real mail delivery service except for big, easily identified businesses. If you are coming to work, your best bet is to receive mail at your workplace with the understanding that only non-critical items should be sent through the mail service (since EMS will handle local mail delivery for items sent through United States Postal Service or Canadian Royal Mail, for example). You can also go to the local post office and request that they hold your mail for you. This is the best option if you cannot have it delivered to a business.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<h3 class="western">
FedEx Shipping Cambodia</h3>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8087232622312072444&postID=1452444990456142970&from=pencil" name="11_service0"></a><a href="http://www.fedex.com/us/international/irc/profiles/irc_kh_profile.html?gtmcc=us">FedEx:</a> Here is the deal on FedEx. <span style="color: red;">You can use it to</span> <span style="color: red;">ship </span><span style="color: red;"><i><b>out</b></i></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> of Cambodia, but packages can only be sent </span></span><span style="color: red;"><i><b>to</b></i></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> Phnom Penh</span></span><i>.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Technically, FedEx says that items can only be shipped from Phnom Pehn as well, but Siem Reap's <a href="http://www.fastglobaltransportexpress.com/">Fast Global Transport</a> does have an office that can handle FedEx shipping that is about one block from Lucky Mall on the opposite side of the street (if you cruise through, you will see a FedEx sign on the front of the shop-space—they can also handle <a href="http://www.ups.com/content/corp/worldwide/asia/cambodia.html">UPS shipments from Cambodia</a>). <br />
<br />
However, when we tried to arrange a FedEx shipment to Siem Reap from abroad, we were told it wasn't possible—that they would have to come to the FedEx distribution center in Phnom Penh to get their package (address below). Base rates are $60—that means, if you need to send a manila envelope with a single sheet of paper, it will still cost you $60. What FedEx does offer, though, is one of the best ways to ship larger items out of the country if you want minimal hassle, and you can arrange for home/location delivery service to most other locations. The cost is about $16 US per pound or $30 per kilo—that is for </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">FedEx International Priority. FedEx does <u>not</u> handle freight shipments from Cambodia. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">Here are the basic FedEx rates, shipping from Cambodia to the United States:<br />
<br />
Up to One Pound: $60<br />
Two Pounds: $73<br />
Three Pounds: $86<br />
Four Pounds: $99<br />
Five Pounds: $112<br />
Six Pounds: $125<br />
Ten Pounds: $160<br />
and about $16 per pound thereafter</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
FedEx Phnom Penh Office: Khan Daun Penh, </span><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Phnom Penh</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;">. Tel : (855) 23 216708: Fax : (855) 23 216721: Office Hours : 07:30-17:30 <br />
<br />
Fast Global Transport in Siem Reap: No. 540, St. 66, Sala Kanseng Village, Siem Reap City, Siem Reap, Tel: (855) 099 604 303</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">DHL Shipping Cambodia</span></span></h3>
<ol start="3">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.dhl.com.kh/en.html">DHL</a>: We think that DHL is one of the best international shippers that there is. We “discovered” DHL as a way to ship and be sure what we were sending got to India, and we've discovered that it is also the way to ensure things get delivered to us in Cambodia. </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>DHL can ship out of and to most places in Cambodia</b></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">. The prices are about the same as FedEx. They can insure your packages for you as well so if something is lost or damaged you can file a claim. Just be sure to check out “How to Get Mail in Cambodia” below some some tips and hints about how to actually get your package delivered while in Cambodia.</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">One thing that is a bit curious that you need to know--DHL may require a postal code to ship. Well, Cambodia has postal codes, but they are still a work in progress. So PHN is what you can use for the Cambodia postal code.<br />
<br />
DHL Phnom Penh Office:No. 353, Ang Duong (St. 110), 12201, Phnom Penh, Tel (855) 023 427 726, (855) 023 427 656<br />
<br />
DHL Siem Reap Office: No. F15A, Sivatha (St.), Phsar Kandal, Sangkat Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap City, Siem Reap, Tel (855) 063 964 949, (855) 012 799 432</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Freight and Relocation Shipments Cambodia</span></h2>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Camfreight Cambodia</span></h3>
<ol start="4">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Camfreight: Camfreight is </span><i>the</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> major <a href="http://www.camfreight.com/">logistics company in Cambodia</a>. If you are going into the import/export business or need to move an entire household, these are the first people you should talk to. They can arrange for air and sea freight and help clear major items through customs, et cetera. While most travelers won't need their services, businesses and expats will find them helpful.<br />
<br />
Phnom Pehn Office: Villa No 85c , 313 Street Beoung Kak 2 Ward, Toul Kork Dist, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel : (855-23)-883 901/ 902 Fax : (855-23)-889 888</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Siem Reap Office: #No 3c, Top Town Road Salakanseng Ward, Siem Reap Dist, Siem Reap Province. Tel :(855-63)-964 648 Fax :(855-63)-964 649</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Excess Baggage Cambodia</span></h2>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">World Angkor Transport</span></h3>
<ol start="5">
<li><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://worldangkortransport.com/">World Angkor Transport</a>: This company just might come in handy for the over-eager souvenir shopper who couldn't stop themselves from loading up at the <a href="http://www.angkornightmarket.com/">Siem Reap Night Market</a>. World Angkor can arrange shipping for your excess baggage at a rate that claim they can beat most airlines excess bag fees (Korean Air, which flies out of Siem Reap to Seoul, for example, charges $140 US for a third bag weighing up to 32kg). The also provide freight services both air and sea and also offer baggage insurance. They have a service center in the Phnom Penh International Airport in the check-in area as well as in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siem_Reap" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a> office but in town, not at the airport. <br />
<br />
Phnom Penh Office: In the Airport, Tel: (855) 236-320-338<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">Siem Reap Office: Salakanseng Village, Svay Dongkum, Siem Reap, Tel: (855) 63-966-210</span><br />
<br />
</li>
</ol>
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</a></div>
<h2 class="western">
<span style="font-style: normal;">How To Ensure You Get Your Mail in Cambodia</span></h2>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9DlyHan2L8/TvMQdeeL4QI/AAAAAAAABtM/PmDC3_rmq2g/s1600/how+to+get+mail+in+cambodia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9DlyHan2L8/TvMQdeeL4QI/AAAAAAAABtM/PmDC3_rmq2g/s1600/how+to+get+mail+in+cambodia.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-style: normal;">There are a few things that you can do to help ensure that packages, no matter how they are sent, reach you. For postal service delivery, it is often best to go to your local EMS office and ask it be held for you so that you can come there to collect it. Still, the following tips will help ensure your get your mail in Cambodia.</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">There are postal or zip codes in Cambodia, which can be located here: <a href="http://www.geopostcodes.com/cambodia_zip_codes" target="_blank">Cambodian Postal Codes</a>. However, as a colleague in India found out, DHL won't ship without a country postal code and the local India office was no help in finding it. After talking to DHL I found out you can use </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>PHN</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> (as in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh">Phnom Penh</a>) as the postal code for shipping anywhere in Cambodia.<br />
</span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">Include a landmark. So a typical USA address looks like this and gets delivered:<br />
Susan Anthony<br />
50 University Ave<br />
Des Moines, ID 34051<br />
<br />
Your chances of getting your mail delivered in Cambodia increase if the address looks something like this:<br />
Susan Anthony<br />
013 Sivutha Street<br />
</span><i>Near Takata Guesthouse</i><span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
Stung Thmei Commune<br />
Siem Reap Town<br />
Siem Reap Province<br />
Cambodia, PHN<br />
</span><br />
</li>
<li><b><span style="font-style: normal;">Put your local contact number on the package very clearly! </span></b><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">This is one of the most important parts of ensuring you get your package!</span></b> </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If your number is clearly visible then EMS or DHL can contact you if they cannot find you or, if rather that trying to find you, they want you to come and pick up the package. We actually make sure two numbers are listed on each package that is sent so that in a scenario where one of us loses our phone that we can still be reached. Even to have that proper address and not to have a working, local number where you can be reached is to risk never getting your package (we actually had a DHL package get returned to India because they had not included our phone number as we'd requested).<br />
</span></span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Put the local shipping office number on the package, too! If you are shipping DHL, for example, include the local branch (say, Siem Reap) on the package, too.<br />
</span></span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: normal;">Finally, make sure that what you are sending is allowed by checking out the <a href="http://www.fedex.com/us/international/irc/profiles/irc_kh_profile.html?gtmcc=us">Cambodian import restrictions</a>. Most of the restrictions are understandable, but tobacco and perfume are also restricted items for mail import to Cambodia.</span><br />
<br />
</li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Just to note, UPS and TNT both offer shipping from Cambodia with offices in Phnom Penh and there are a few more courier services you can try. We've put together a further list for you below and also included information on cities outside Siem Reap and Phnom Pehn, but be warned we haven't used any of these companies personally, nor have we heard any reviews of their Cambodian services. If you've used any of them, leave us a comment and let us know your experiences.</span><br />
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<br />
<h3 class="western">
Battambang Shipping</h3>
<a href="http://www.camboex.com/company.htm">Cambodia Express Group Inc</a>.<br />
No. 715, Group 29, Prek Mohatep Village, Sangkat Svay Por, Battambang City, Battambang. Tel: (855) 016 888 053, (855) 016 953 653 (they also have a Phnom Pehn office, and we are pretty sure they ship through DHL/FedEx to the west)<br />
<br />
TNT also has an branch in Battambang. We are waiting for TNT's office in Phnom Pehn to e-mail us the contact information for this, so we'll update this ASAP.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
Phnom Penh Shipping</h3>
Outside of some of the other companies with addresses and information already listed, you can also check out these reputable shippers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ups.com/content/corp/worldwide/asia/cambodia.html">UPS</a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">JVK International Movers Ltd, No. 27 Street 134, Sangkat, Vealvong, Khann 7, Markara Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel.: 855-23-724-746</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tnt.com/express/en_kh/site/home.html">TNT Express Worldwide</a><br />
No. 28, Preah Monivong (St. 93), 12201, Phnom Penh, Tel: (855) 023 430 922<br />
<br />
<h3 class="western">
Sihanoukville Shipping</h3>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
TNT has a branch here. We are waiting for TNT's office in Phnom Pehn to e-mail us the contact information for this, so we'll update this ASAP.</div>
<h3 class="western">
Siem Reap Shipping</h3>
Outside of some of the other companies with addresses and information already listed, you can also check out these reputable shippers.<br />
<br />
<u>TNT Express Worldwide</u><br />
Located near the Old Market next to the Ta Phrom Hotel. Tel: (855) 063-963758 We are waiting for TNT's office in Phnom Pehn to e-mail us and confirm these phone numbers, so we'll update this ASAP.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-88358534580596862002011-10-21T04:04:00.000-07:002011-10-21T04:07:17.359-07:00Angkor Area Map<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Trying to figure out which wat is what?<br />
<br />
Here is a handy (and easily printable) map of the Angkor Wat area, including some of the outliers like the Western Baray. While this map may not what you need to navigate your way, it will help you to identify where these monuments are in relation to one another and help you imagine what this ancient metropolis must have been like.<br />
<br />
<h2>Angkor Wat Map (Temple Areas)</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HaVw-4dwiy_W9A4KmH_nNWwZwNuPeioA9jVSl67BSEjK7vMD2hEoTRDxfmiMd5yEprzgEH43VzHI9ppQQmoni5brtBQpBhnmLFOa5a1Q09e54mGfz6OGeedPfDT8bo3xpGoi30ZdPdqi/s1600/Angkor+Wat+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HaVw-4dwiy_W9A4KmH_nNWwZwNuPeioA9jVSl67BSEjK7vMD2hEoTRDxfmiMd5yEprzgEH43VzHI9ppQQmoni5brtBQpBhnmLFOa5a1Q09e54mGfz6OGeedPfDT8bo3xpGoi30ZdPdqi/s320/Angkor+Wat+Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the image above to access the full-size (and printable) <br />
map.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Curious about <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/angkor_wat">Angkor Wat</a>? Check out some of our articles on this spectacular testament to humanity's ability, or preview it by reading what Wiki has to say about things:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKRL8Yz_ctu6Fbe__s-rAwEDthSKv3z0OzFGh2FV5gaWO7WYW5RrSFJeg_aG7T9RA0q6SqRRNS_yqQYVZ-6T84FGvIJrpftW2FIginiLpst_voWGJZ78vV607qTfMo5jED8aHNqw5-cqt/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKRL8Yz_ctu6Fbe__s-rAwEDthSKv3z0OzFGh2FV5gaWO7WYW5RrSFJeg_aG7T9RA0q6SqRRNS_yqQYVZ-6T84FGvIJrpftW2FIginiLpst_voWGJZ78vV607qTfMo5jED8aHNqw5-cqt/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" /></a>As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. It is the world's largest religious building. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.<br />
<br />
The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "City Temple"; Angkor is a vernacular form of the word <i>nokor</i> (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word <i>nagar </i>(नगर), Thai, Nakon, meaning capital or city. <i>Wat </i>is the Khmer word for temple (and also in Thai). Prior to this time the temple was known as <i>Preah Pisnulok</i>, after the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II.<br />
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</div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-62932684185778914952011-09-15T19:29:00.000-07:002011-09-15T19:46:53.531-07:00Visiting Phnom Kulen, Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aKbIzdWhM07PaUIpfkkt9BXKEMBEpZfoKlHnH_dcxVl9QKxoBlT1pzFdoG-7JrAGp54pl3pGBqgXXBin_HlChfw56S_KCCvCDUO2vixC5ecbQrG77sqJkIR_UIg1LRC8VQoiMN3E7UBU/s1600/monk+by+waterfall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aKbIzdWhM07PaUIpfkkt9BXKEMBEpZfoKlHnH_dcxVl9QKxoBlT1pzFdoG-7JrAGp54pl3pGBqgXXBin_HlChfw56S_KCCvCDUO2vixC5ecbQrG77sqJkIR_UIg1LRC8VQoiMN3E7UBU/s320/monk+by+waterfall.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0sWB20YDhl3QY9XEn3KkXGDLoSmzxtl6-mUDVPp4onKxwdqhar_5EbnxSq39CvpPM4bl9SuppAX70oerAJ2gws8xISHDtan6Mm82YmOzKc_JjXHJepDYKVM6AVgV2AT-W421ZNCruo5M/s1600/DSC09647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
Southeast Asia Travel Advice has just launched a YouTube channel! Now you can see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SoutheastAsiaTravel">Southeast Asia Travel Advice!</a> Any destination guides will be posted on our site here, so no need to go far. We hope you find them helpful and enjoyable, and our plan is to post about one per month for the rest of this year.<br />
<br />
The inaugural video (outside footage of the recent <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkdxUwUxJNQ&feature=related">flooding in Siem Reap</a>) is a destination guide to <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2011/03/visiting-phnom-kulen-cambodia.html">Phnom Kulen</a>. Check out the video, then pack your bags and come to Cambodia to see it in person!<br />
<br />
<h2>Phnom Kulen</h2></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/a6e81t6xNJ0" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
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Phnom Kulen is where the Angkorian era “officially” began, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayavarman_II#Java.2C_Chama.2C_Lava">Jayavarman II</a> initiated the cult of the king, a linga cult, in what is dated as 804 CE and declaring his independence from Java of whom the Khmer had <a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=ruins.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="240" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/ruins.jpg" width="320" /></a>been a vassalage state (whether this is actually "Java" or "Lava" (a Lao kingdom) is debated, as well as the legend that he was earlier held as a ransom of the kingdom in Java. An inscription from the Sdok Kak Thom temple recounts that on the top of the Kulen Hills, Jayavarman instructed a Brahman priest named Hiranhadama to conduct a religious ritual known as the cult of the <i>devajara </i>(Khmer: ទេវរាជា) which placed him as a <i>chakravartin</i>, universal monarch. The cult established him as the supreme ruler of the land, and therefore he succeeded in unifying the country--basically, he brought Cambodia into existence.<br />
<br />
See our video above or visit our earlier article about <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2011/03/visiting-phnom-kulen-cambodia.html">Phnom Kulen</a> to learn more.</div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-90876029423514694152011-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:002015-07-01T07:17:16.085-07:00Bantaey Chmar, The Mystery of Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2>
Bantaey Chmar Temple</h2>
Banteay Chmar is 12th century a not often visited temple ruin in Northerwestern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia">Cambodia </a>quite near the volatile Thai border. The ruin itself will immediately look familiar. It is one of two known temples with the mysteriously smiling four-faced deity, <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd27.htm" target="_blank">Avalokitesvara</a>, staring into the cardinal directions. This Bodhisattva, or Buddhist salvation figure, is better known throughout Southeast Asia in the form he took on after passing into China through Tibet—Guan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion. He was reimported into Southeast Asia in female form through Chinese influence and she is a significant deity in Vietnamese and Cambodian Buddhism.<br />
<br />
The other temple with this same memorable face is the spectacular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Thom">Angkor Thom</a>, usually one of the first temples visited at the complexes north of Siem Reap. Banteay Chmar also resembles the temple known as Bayon: its outer gallery is carved with bas-reliefs similar to those found at Bayon. There is a reason for this resemblance—their builder was the same, and likely many of the artisans who built these more visited temples also worked on the carvings at Banteay Chmar.<br />
<h2>
Jayavarman VII, The God-King</h2>
Like the smile of Avalokitesvara, Banteay Chmar is a mysterious place. It is believed to have been constructed by the prolific builder <a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Jayavarman-VII" target="_blank">Jayavarman VII</a>. It is known to have housed the largest Buddhist monastery of Angkorian times, but the purpose of its construction remains a mystery. Jayavarman VII rose to power after the Khmer kingdom was reduced to shambles by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champa" target="_blank">Cham invasions</a> from the East and some theorize that this temple was built as an offering to thank the Gods for the Khmers’ triumph over their enemies. Whether this is the case or not may never been known. What is know, however, is that Jayavarman VII was the second Buddhist Khmer king, and his identification with Avalokitesvara indicates that unlike the majority of Khmer today, Jayavarman was a Mahayana Buddhist.<br />
<br />
Like previous and subsequent Hindu kings, he sought to assume the role of <a href="http://www.britannica.com/topic/devaraja" target="_blank"><i>devaraja</i></a>, “God-King.” These mysteriously smiling faces bear a striking resemblance to the king himself. After consolidating his own power he embarked on many great construction projects in part to solidify his position as God King. These construction projects would continue to transform Khmer society. Requiring hundreds of thousands of workers, all of whom came to a centralized location to work, he helped continue the urbanize the kingdom. Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Bayon, Angkor Thom, Neak Pean are among his other constructions, and perhaps except for the last, they all bear some similarity to Bantaey Chmar. Visiting Bantaey Chmar is, however, singularly unique.<br />
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Its size is not readily apparent, but Bantaey Chmar’s outer enclosure, mostly tumbled down, is 1.9 by 1.7 km and that is surrounded by a moat that still holds water in the rainy season. To the east is a dried out baray—a man-made lake. Unlike the “Western Baray” west of Siem Reap, which still holds water some 800 years after its construction, the one at Bantaey Chmar is merely an impression. Within the first enclosure, there is a middle enclose mostly standing.<br />
<br />
Within the middle enclosure, and surrounding the main temple, is the inner wall that features some of the most beautiful bas-reliefs of any Cambodian temples with only Bayon and Angkor rivaling them. These carvings provide a snapshot back in time just like the paintings of the Flemish or Italians give us a glimpse into Western culture. The reliefs depict religious deities but also martial scenes and dipictions of everyday life, frozen in stone for over 800 years. Scenes of going to market, working, and fishing line the same walls as Buddhas of compassion and military campaigns.<br />
<h2>
Daily Life and Tomb Raiders</h2>
Notable is the relief of Avalokitesvara and the propitiation scenes of villagers delivering up offerings. They enforce the idea that the God King needed these rice offerings to feel his army of temple builders as well as secure the kingdom and fend off Cham invaders. And of course, there are the every present Apsara dancers, of the celestial dancers of the Royal Court. It was reported that the Cham’s kidnapped the court’s Apsaras in the raids before Jayavarman VII repealed them. No doubt their depiction here had an added significance to contemporary viewers. It was their God-King who had returned the Celestial Dancers. It modern times, however, it has largely been the Thais who have been stealing Apsaras.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW69rce-b5RY8K7arLjbYgWH_lfj1CDJfFKOywKnY8pBem0wU1ZofXpku1dT5F2w0X6q2RqYrCBpSbnA7Z3aw1fpfqcBVl16rOR33p4R3JytzWC4QU75GeTjY1AL7hkGVSbJNhuAsZ6iw/s1600/avalokiteshvara+bantaey+chmar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW69rce-b5RY8K7arLjbYgWH_lfj1CDJfFKOywKnY8pBem0wU1ZofXpku1dT5F2w0X6q2RqYrCBpSbnA7Z3aw1fpfqcBVl16rOR33p4R3JytzWC4QU75GeTjY1AL7hkGVSbJNhuAsZ6iw/s320/avalokiteshvara+bantaey+chmar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relief of Avalokitesvara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Since the end of the Khmer Rouge period, Bantaey Chmar has been heavily looted Bantaey Chmar was listed on the World Heritage’s Watch Sites three times between 1998 and 2002. A decade ago large portions of the western gallery wall were removed by looters, resulting in the loss of six of the Avilokitesvara reliefs. Cambodians claim it was the Thais who did it. Whether this particular accusation is true or is merely a part of Cambodia’s ongoing rivalry with its bigger neighbor is unknown, but certainly many Khmer artifacts can be found in Thai antiques stores as well as Cambodian ones. Be cautious, however, and buying Angkorian artifacts no matter where you are. The United States has a reparation policy with Cambodia, and bring these ancient artifacts into the United States without the proper import approval is illegal. This important legislation gave a way for these “tomb raiders” to prosecuted for their real crimes against humanity—deriving the whole world the opportunity to experience these sites intact.<br />
<br />
Preservation intends to change visitor dynamics as well as tomb raiders. While not planning on heavily restoring it like the structures of Angkor Thom or Angkor Wat, it will be preserved as a ruin. However, a suspended cable platform is planned, turning a visit to the ruin into touring it on a walkway.<br />
<h2>
Visiting Bantaey Chmar</h2>
Currently, however there are no suspended walkways and only one viewing platform made out of roughly hewn two-by-fours. There are not even the lurking guides who will give you a tour for a dollar or children selling guide books. There are a few Khmer boys who take your entrance fee—expect to pay $5 or $10. That is because there are not many ways to get to Bantaey Chmar, meaning that tourists rarely visit it. Some days none come at all, and sometimes there may be two groups of two or three. It is also too far out of the way to attract locale Khmer for a picnic stop. That means that here you find the idyllic peace that looking at a photograph of Ta Prom can give you—a sense of abandonment, of solitude.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BMCcHC0NRe1bVdzRpKhkAitunbonR1rIVUZ6tlYluE2WS04nrGg5qd5HLLAfzRzmlKOaXkTjxuKptr7AhemVNjW2tzMT8UGhu54wKyu5F0KM7jh_eQPBkF0lUQ0OOlT42vy1ca5YJO_5/s1600/Bantaey+Chmar+Cambodia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BMCcHC0NRe1bVdzRpKhkAitunbonR1rIVUZ6tlYluE2WS04nrGg5qd5HLLAfzRzmlKOaXkTjxuKptr7AhemVNjW2tzMT8UGhu54wKyu5F0KM7jh_eQPBkF0lUQ0OOlT42vy1ca5YJO_5/s320/Bantaey+Chmar+Cambodia.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
What you will actually find at Ta Prom is someone asking you to please move your elbow as it is in their shot, or waiting an interminable long time to take a photo while couple after couple has their picture taken infront of that “haunting scene” you wanted to capture. The sounds at Bantaey Chmar will be of the birds singing, of a passing tractor, of insects humming. Those God-Eyes staring serenely out over a largely tumbled down temple help one survey the history that stands before you, penetrated by trees and touched by time. You often will have the entire grounds to yourself. Outside a few shaky structures (that is what the single viewing platform is for), nothing is roped off. Your access if unfettered. Surely this would destroy the ruins if the hordes of Angkor stamped through here. As it is, it is an abandoned ancient ruin far in the Cambodian countryside.<br />
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One can’t be completely free, however, and there are grim reminders on the way there. Roadside landmine warning sighs with their “Death Symbol” mark areas just outside the outer moat’s walls. This area of the country is among the most heavily mined in Cambodia. The temple compound has been cleared of mines, but you should not explore too far afield from the middle enclosure. It is a real danger—landmines left by the Khmer Rouge still kill and main hundreds in Cambodia every year.<br />
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Most visitors reach this largely ignored temple through Sisaphon, a small, nondescript town about an hour east of the Thai border-crossing at Poipet. It offers a single hotel and a few guesthouses that really are extra rooms rented out to travelers, most of them locals. Don’t expect English to be spoken. Adventurous travelers who don’t plan ahead can stay at one of these accommodations and make the trip the following day. It can easily be reached by bus or taxi from the Arayanaprathet/Poipet border-crossing, about an hour drive east, and it makes an excellent stop to break up the right from Siem Reap to Bangkok. It is located about one hour and forty-five minutes west of Siem Reap.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU1p_XLSToGyYAJc3v07HQJ-o_227CC7wu45rvQPQ_JQjkYtST7RfJuawr8HSuLwm4jlnp2rrw5gGj_vh4OoLUmgcNylc667gM0I_05bFT4Akr8-AGa1Pc41tlzn7JbKpC5nrL8y1uXI6/s1600/how+to+go+to+bantaey+chmar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU1p_XLSToGyYAJc3v07HQJ-o_227CC7wu45rvQPQ_JQjkYtST7RfJuawr8HSuLwm4jlnp2rrw5gGj_vh4OoLUmgcNylc667gM0I_05bFT4Akr8-AGa1Pc41tlzn7JbKpC5nrL8y1uXI6/s320/how+to+go+to+bantaey+chmar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Bantaey Chmar</td></tr>
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Finding you way the next morning usually involved finding your way back to where you were dropped off—in front of the Golden Crown Hotel. At a small junction in front of the only real hotel in town is usually where you will find moto drivers, the taxi cab drivers of Cambodia. There are few tuk-tuks to be seen in Sisaphon, not that they could take the treacherous dirt roads to Bantaey Chmar. Only four-wheel drives, bikes, oxen and other farm equipment ply these roads, and unless you planned ahead you will be going there on the back of a Khmer’s motorcycle. Be prepared to be uncomfortable, and if you can bring a face mask or a bandana, you will appreciate it.<br />
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In the monsoon season, mostly between May and November, it can be at times unreachable. When it is, even during these rainy times, you will be showered by clouds of red dust. Sunglasses and something to cover your mouth and nose are not essential, but they are recommended. For the adventurous, the ride there can be as exhilarating as the ancient ruins. Of course, your drivers should fill up with at least a Johnny Walker bottle’s worth of petrol.<br />
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For those seeking something a little more chaperoned but just as adventurous, you can arrange homestays through the French NGO <i>Agir Pour le Cambodge</i>. You can also make arrangements with tour operators in Siem Reap to make the journey from Siem Reap and make in the day (a long day) in a four-wheel drive or even rent a dirt bike in order to make your own trip or even make arrangements for a stay in Sisaphon with transportation.<br />
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However you get to Bantaey Chmar, it is worth the effort. And while the preservation features planned for it will protect it for generations to come, for the moment you can walk through its ruined corridors and look at the images of ancient God Kings, alone, and it feels, if only for a minute, you are standing in a place that has only been touched by time.</div>
Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-57365150634920826922011-08-11T19:24:00.000-07:002011-08-11T19:24:52.051-07:00A Smart Traveler’s History of Cambodia, Pt. 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>This is the beginning of a three-part installment of "A Smart Traveler’s History of Cambodia. Part one is "From the Beginning of the Common Era to the End of the Angkorian Period." In part two, we'll cover the end of Angkor up to the end of the Khmer Rouge. The last part will be an up-to-date travelers current events for Cambodia. We hope you learn lots and enjoy!</i><br />
<h2>Indic Influence in Cambodia</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlvcINbSVLdHitU4X7uK0fNvRD45y59gFn9ZQom9iRShpBf1U2BCGvhVnqgB2hUdERKNJ3MkcARyZKf4oZ-SvP2pp6-93AvPi11knO7qL_bpJ8JdgH6Anbjeivgyk1fKg-nFloMwbiR9w/s1600/DSC05281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmybUdbmNQNML9DnkZp795g26XMLsGo8ai8zHRS9H0sLXhtcuZh57Whhp32jeWY_HTdExExGQ3cSod3J13JHkjcXMKHO7-U-xesLZWItR6AzlFvKKyFCXzhfK1i5wyb1fDKCJYr4IaIO1/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmybUdbmNQNML9DnkZp795g26XMLsGo8ai8zHRS9H0sLXhtcuZh57Whhp32jeWY_HTdExExGQ3cSod3J13JHkjcXMKHO7-U-xesLZWItR6AzlFvKKyFCXzhfK1i5wyb1fDKCJYr4IaIO1/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cambodia has a long past that continues to shadow it. There are the sleepy placid faces of the Jayavarman VII of Angkor Thom and the stricken, stark black and white photos that line the walls of Tong Sleng prison, and waving, happy royalty. When most of us encounter a country like Cambodia, we are left with the taste of history in our mouths, as complex as any <i> kroeung</i>, the classically Cambodian curry. Even this common dish reflects the deep pool of history.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer">Khmer</a> cooking mirrors the history of this Southeast Asian kingdom from ancient influences of Vedic cooking to a modern legacy of fine breads borrowed from their French colonizers. Chilies were introduced into Southeast Asia in the 16th century by the Portuguese. <i>Kroeung </i>is a specifically Khmer blend of curry; it was not only religion that was imported from India, but also the art of blending spices (via Java). <i>Kroeung </i>forms the essence of Khmer cuisine with its more subtle flavors and distinguishes it from that of its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At about the beginning of Common Era, Cambodians underwent a process of cultural change as they imported “great traditions” from the Indian subcontinent. Today, travelers may still see much closer cultural affinities between South India and Cambodia than nearby Vietnam. Food is eaten with the hand and soup spoon, not chopsticks. Rural peoples wear turbans, their classically Khmer <i>krormas</i>. Larger <i>krormas </i>are often wore in the styles of <i>dhotis </i>or they wear <i>lungis</i>. The Khmer writing system, <i>aksar Khmer</i>, was borrowed from the Vedic script probably before India itself had been completely Sanskritized. Power Hindu kingdoms were established in Sumatra and the Indonesian islands that exerted strong Indic influence indirectly. Much like South Asia, leaders of particular martial prowess supplemented with religious stagemanship were able to carve out kingdoms of increasing expanse and sophistication and increasingly they relied on Indian notions of the <i>devaraja</i>, or god-king, and Sanskrit justifications for the institute of divine rule. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Various principalities rose and fell. However, about the same time that a strong Indic influence was being felt in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia">Cambodia</a> there rose to power one of the first recorded dynasty's of Cambodia, a kingdom known to the Chinese at the Funan. The Funan court was large enough and wealthy enough to offer gifts to the empirial court of China towards the middle half of the second century Common Era and claimed its origins in an inspired Indian brahman, Kaundinya. Archeological records and Chinese accounts inform us it was a Siva-worshipping state, but its relative strength and prominence among its neighbor states is less well known.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The monuments that make up the gem of Cambodia, Angkor Wat and the surrounding temple structures begin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlvcINbSVLdHitU4X7uK0fNvRD45y59gFn9ZQom9iRShpBf1U2BCGvhVnqgB2hUdERKNJ3MkcARyZKf4oZ-SvP2pp6-93AvPi11knO7qL_bpJ8JdgH6Anbjeivgyk1fKg-nFloMwbiR9w/s1600/DSC05281.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlvcINbSVLdHitU4X7uK0fNvRD45y59gFn9ZQom9iRShpBf1U2BCGvhVnqgB2hUdERKNJ3MkcARyZKf4oZ-SvP2pp6-93AvPi11knO7qL_bpJ8JdgH6Anbjeivgyk1fKg-nFloMwbiR9w/s320/DSC05281.JPG" width="240" /></a> to appear nearly a thousand years after the Common Era, when a great succession of Khmer kings controlled a centralized and powerful empire. The Angkorean period is generally dated between 802 CE and 1431 CE. The beginning date is marked by the claim of Jayavarman II to the title of <i>devaraja </i>and "universal monarch" (<i>chakravartin</i>) among the present day Kulen Hills. Through a program of military campaigns, alliances, marriages and land grants, he achieved a unification of the country bordered by China to the north, Champa (now Central Vietnam) to the east, the ocean to the south and a place identified by a stone inscription as "the land of cardamoms and mangoes" to the west. Phnom Kulen, an hour trip into jungle and countryside from Siem Reap, still contains some of the oldest Angkorian ruins as well as river <i>lingas</i> and other features carved into the riverbeds, early examples of what would emerge as the cultural brilliance of this early Khmer empire.</div><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Angkorean History</h2><div style="text-align: justify;">The kingdom of Jayavarman and his successors were not the only contenders of a great empire struggle that took place throughout Southeast Asia. Mon-Khmer kingdoms of the Burmese and Khmer, the Thai kingdoms, the Malay-related Champas, the Vietnamese, and the Malay kingdoms of Melacca and Sumatra. The Javanese were powerful through insular Southeast Asia and the mountains of Laos came to be home of the Lan Xang kingdom. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBGnkKApfz6PmJpux03CCTjC0aXMSHae96NaIAuINTLWoub2jjOfp0qg0_EX2Z5bm5ylc6DTds8LijwbN10qNkoYG7vImuNfh7atEKRmape-UVuA6T2oJgIZMMjal05hoyNd-MxGblhdQ/s1600/Ruins+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBGnkKApfz6PmJpux03CCTjC0aXMSHae96NaIAuINTLWoub2jjOfp0qg0_EX2Z5bm5ylc6DTds8LijwbN10qNkoYG7vImuNfh7atEKRmape-UVuA6T2oJgIZMMjal05hoyNd-MxGblhdQ/s320/Ruins+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phnom Kulen ruins</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The Thais and Champa each operated considerable influence over Cambodia, and one that can still be seen in playing out in contemporary Cambodian foreign relations with Cambodia and its neighbors. The Thai and Champa invasions and counter-invasions, the pushing the line of control back against the Champa kingdom and the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya, were central in shaping the Khmer kingdom. Indeed the <i>devaraja </i>was seen as a protector—<i>Jayavarman </i>literally translates from Sanskrit into “<i>Victory</i>+<i>Protection</i>.” The Angkorian dynasty eventually fell to the predation of the Ayutthaya kingdom, a Thai kingdom centered near present-day Bangkok. Within less than a century they climbed to power, and eventually in 1431 they sacked the great Khmer capital of Angkor. Today, border, cooperation and trade relations with Thailand and dominate the Cambodian news and continue to occupy present-day Cambodians. While the current regime has been hostile to the Thai democrats, it remains close to the ruling Vietnamese government as well as the Thai populist movement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake (Tonlé Sap). The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together, they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture. Visitor numbers approach two million annually. In 2007, an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that Angkor had been the largest pre-industrial city in the world, with an elaborate system of infrastructure connecting an urban sprawl of at least 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) to the well-known temples at its core. The principal temple of the Angkorian region, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><i>Check in next week for the second part, "From the End of Angkor to the End of the Khmer Rouge."</i></div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-12066326925348045022011-06-27T22:36:00.000-07:002011-06-29T09:34:12.022-07:00Best Books About Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cambodia can be a kingdom of mystery, but understanding its history from the grandeur to Angkor, through it colonial past, its struggles to stay out of the Vietnam conflict, its dark days of the Khmer Rouge and its emergence as the personal coffer of Prime Minister Hun Sen can help you understand more of what is going on behind that every-ready and beguiling Khmer smile. While just a beginning reading list, these titles are sure ways to deepen your understanding and interest in this mysterious kingdom and will surely lead to future readings.</span></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/History-Cambodia-David-Chandler/dp/0813343631?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="A History of Cambodia" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0813343631&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0813343631" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />David Chandler<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0813343631" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> is the Grandfather of Cambodian history studies, and practically nothing is produced that isn't reliant on some degree on his previous scholarly work. This work covers the earliest time up the the rise of Hun Sen.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060856262" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Did-They-Kill-Anthropology/dp/0520241797?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Why Did They Kill?: Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide (California Series in Public Anthropology, 11)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0520241797&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0520241797" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> This <i>tour de force</i> by anthropologist of genocide Alexander Hinton is the most detailed study yet to appear in English of the Khmer Rouge ideology and indoctrination that allowed them to indiscriminately kill their fellow country men, women, children and infants. Of all books about that black time in the history of Cambodia, we recommend this one the most.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cambodia-Report-Stricken-Henry-Kamm/dp/1559705078?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Cambodia: Report From a Stricken Land" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1559705078&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1559705078" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />While outdated--published just after the fall of the Khmer Rouge--Henry Kamm still gives one a sense of just what happened. As a journalist and well connected to the ruling party, he gives insights about the fall of Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge unavailable to others.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Southeast-Asia-Shoestring/dp/1741792339?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Southeast Asia: On a Shoestring" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741792339&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Cambodia-Country-Guide/dp/1741794579?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Cambodia (Country Guide)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741794579&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741794579" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />We love Lonely Planet. It continues to offer the best Southeast Asian Guides ever since publishing its first travel book--<i>Southeast Asia on a Shoestring.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741792339" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-They-Killed-Father-Remembers/dp/0060856262?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (P.S.)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0060856262&tag=souasitratip-20" /> </a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Broken-Glass-Floats-Growing/dp/0393322106?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0393322106&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><br />
While some how called into doubt just how well Loung Ung could have recalled the earliest recollections, <i>First They Killed My Father</i> along with <i>When Broken Glass Floats</i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0300105134" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0393322106" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> are both haunting tales from Khmer Rouge survivors. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cambodia-After-Khmer-Rouge-Politics/dp/0300105134?ie=UTF8&tag=souasitratip-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Cambodia After the Khmer Rouge: Inside the Politics of Nation Building" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0300105134&tag=souasitratip-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=souasitratip-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0300105134" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />While a bit outdated, published in 2004, Gottesman's book <i>Cambodia: After the Khmer Rouge</i> covers the important formative period after the fall of the Khmer Rouge up to recent years. For a better understanding of how Cambodia became the personal playground of strongman Hun Sen, this is highly recommended.<br />
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</div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-79248072864374977682011-06-25T05:05:00.000-07:002011-06-25T08:59:38.698-07:00Cambodian Photographs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jarrod Brown, our intrepid scholar-adventurer-editor, put together this collection from his photos taken over his years living and traveling in Cambodia. His photos move us from haunting black and white images of abandoned Khmer temples and lonesome, desolate scenes to explosions of life and color from food to flooded paddy fields. These photos offer a glimpse into what truly is a kingdom of wonder.<br />
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We hope you enjoy.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><h2>Cambodia Photographs</h2><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGNoAbZhiEWrYjDZ2d7-gsMKkfpVGcvj39V4nZlPpng7oiRAFHd5Tce1E4oGb2oTb2BJ232m5FpUWv2mRNv-i617DRXeB_d8Vit7T1aMfBMSQICl1Yg7AN_QC6UrPWI1sQQp6cxI0QOrb/s400/6170_130439771304_569506304_2451961_4061771_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqw8XCBtTNeLt35_wNfN0lFZY6gsstc5LxLAEkNlt-SITZ60Kb4qs-nwnP2HrpIa4aFVrqVFMw330_dBgtKpqljpWL8GEaV-HfJNS4Olr42X_J-wP0DGVHQToYcmQQyr74iDVhTCTGjA4c/s400/DSC05645.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof376CChTa020ygK-kT_sqFmddTf613GBfzaRqLoVRUchKIfMpb718hYPFudDmuuzT3Dns6lM7dSmBa8zIHM1xIPN9Nf091ZOzRRCCfKoY3zxrYtbI6odkPDNgw6lJn5KiVFI76YrA7R0/s400/tongue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUD01wUML2r9zwMzCHxPYlpqypHYVQmAvkeIL9Pj2rY7fB0hGvCH-pm1GIIdBX7FnxBur4yxAKZTq14mxMoW8GwXljxvANK-MSQ-_GzzeckiA_lpL-LgBc-H06YSORK0OnQ555o5HqP-9/s400/waterfall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIc6AHlWduysQF9e7CWigV6g-NXp-pp94uaBivKKyDabMrhR9uEnFHnnHIzKC43zyP-h_LII0ZYsgzbSVazAdqxaPYKV66NXOPPkmR4zDMBR7y04mv5o4VAXaNRUtMeomRMqhBHl-TrdV/s1600/rural+cambodia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIc6AHlWduysQF9e7CWigV6g-NXp-pp94uaBivKKyDabMrhR9uEnFHnnHIzKC43zyP-h_LII0ZYsgzbSVazAdqxaPYKV66NXOPPkmR4zDMBR7y04mv5o4VAXaNRUtMeomRMqhBHl-TrdV/s400/rural+cambodia.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWDvM1rNA84hjW4Lk1DuWe7QpatuuNhw8vYcgQKgVtT7t_5NLKYtqmvlc_k-2eynM2EMe2lMj4BDPqGQvWyBmbsOkFkvR1hJZLvrrVgLWBcn7tETOSRpfOj_vq0-sACgqQMw3Uv6eBoxZ/s1600/cambodian+lantern+festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWDvM1rNA84hjW4Lk1DuWe7QpatuuNhw8vYcgQKgVtT7t_5NLKYtqmvlc_k-2eynM2EMe2lMj4BDPqGQvWyBmbsOkFkvR1hJZLvrrVgLWBcn7tETOSRpfOj_vq0-sACgqQMw3Uv6eBoxZ/s400/cambodian+lantern+festival.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinV46xC9OeL5qJoV5mbXg2cMtIsiCQ4COwgfZ1pYquFeZEvAPutCRFXQSD6ORAZ7b1UkyvbSiYM-PiXrIOo9yudnAzWqvQRnn4jxeaZReVkk3ha-3N4oBlp4dEK3MahOVIU7PmhpNAqXgv/s400/Banteay+Chmar+Apsara+Dancers.jpeg" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Jarrod Brown, 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-69374098752012900222011-06-24T01:51:00.000-07:002011-06-25T01:55:15.416-07:00Cambodia Travel Itinerary: Two Weeks in the Kingdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </h1><h1 style="text-align: justify;"> Cambodian Travel Itinerary</h1><div style="display: inline; float: right; margin: 5px 10px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Location_Cambodia_ASEAN.svg/733px-Location_Cambodia_ASEAN.svg.png"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Location_Cambodia_ASEAN.svg/733px-Location_Cambodia_ASEAN.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> C</b>ambodia is a wonderful place to visit or make an extended stay. Tourist visas are good for 30 days, and can be renewed once for an additional 30 days. Tour operators charge $45-50 dollars to arrange an extension and is worth it to avoid the trip to do so yourself. We also suggest getting a visa on arrival rather than an E-Visa. We have give one itinerary for travelers, assuming you are entering from Bangkok. The suggested time for the intinery below to two weeks. Beginning at the border in Poipet, you will first go to Sisaphon where you will stay for two nights as you set out for the remote ruins of Bantaey Chmar. From there, you will travel to the provincial capital of Battambang, and then by boat to Siem Reap where you will take in Angkor Wat and other unique treats. From here you will go to the bustling capital of Phnom Penh with local markets and glistening malls.</span><br />
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</span></div><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </h2><h2> <b>Banteay Chmar and Sisaphon</b></h2><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Two Nights</b> </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVO8PTVacdxiBp8NmVx3mXV2l2SNCk8CiVdVu5OHqruOIevRlhoInQ93tpS0DJFV0-MFRuN39DVzMYHTDP4nofJCDDymcbnKv1zu4tse9wzree53A189fJ-PZ3I7_ufIyVtatQx-VOoAh/s1600/DSC05172.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVO8PTVacdxiBp8NmVx3mXV2l2SNCk8CiVdVu5OHqruOIevRlhoInQ93tpS0DJFV0-MFRuN39DVzMYHTDP4nofJCDDymcbnKv1zu4tse9wzree53A189fJ-PZ3I7_ufIyVtatQx-VOoAh/s320/DSC05172.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poipet Border Crossing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most travelers coming from Bangkok will enter enter through the Aranyapathet/Poipet border </span><span style="font-size: small;">crossing. You can simply walk up the window and get your tourist visa. There will be touts trying to convince you that you have to get your visa from them. They will charge you $10-20 more than the price of simply doing it yourself. The border crossing is clearly demarcated. Aranyapathet and its acres and acres of market is interesting for a night if so feel like hanging in Thailand another day. The border is an easy walk from the market—they connect. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A tax costs $30-40 all the way to Siem Reap. However, for an adventurous look at Cambodia that you will never forget is breaking up the journey with a dirtbike ride to <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2010/11/banteay-chmar-travelers-tale.html">Banteay Chmar</a>. Don't pay more than $15 or $20 for a shared car. You will need to tell the driver to let you out as Sisaphon (pronounced Sis-a-poon), and as Poipet is a lifeless city, I'd go there immediately. On the other side of the border, though, is There is one decent hotel and two very basic guesthouses. You are actually dropped in front of the main hotel where there are usually a few motorcycle taxis to hire. After a night here—the ride from Bangkok and crossing the border and getting here takes 10 hours—you will come back here to find a moto to take you to Banteay Chmar, a remote temple ruin.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21EFmOVtcOeIHPxHcBOe-ZinhZ0b3p4nVtzDH5qwLAFuPPEr_aqi6FaVl3gV4FjvaIQcHykh0RbLUr0ukHBynqgKY1pyaB1kIUwChMWCGvC3stVRUwSkxO8vZ0LjdURUa1GSYJg6aVvjC/s1600/DSC05338.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21EFmOVtcOeIHPxHcBOe-ZinhZ0b3p4nVtzDH5qwLAFuPPEr_aqi6FaVl3gV4FjvaIQcHykh0RbLUr0ukHBynqgKY1pyaB1kIUwChMWCGvC3stVRUwSkxO8vZ0LjdURUa1GSYJg6aVvjC/s320/DSC05338.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_18"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_17"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_16"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_15"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_14"></a></span> <span style="font-size: small;">The 12th-13th century temple of Banteay Chmar, built in the Bayon style, if far off the beaten </span><span style="font-size: small;">track. It takes more than an hour or an hour and a half to reach. The route is all a red dirt road, and it is all on the back of a Khmer motorcycle. It is not for the faint of heart, but the contrast it provides to the hordes at Angkor is amazing, and it would be appreciated by all who might find Angkor just a little too crowded than they had dreamed.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364528235920561570"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_20"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3310963952707004476" name="SPELLING_ERROR_19"></a></span> <span style="font-size: small;">The temple itself is in disrepair. Most of the jungle has been cleared from it, but the task of putting it back together is still years and years from being complete. There are ancient halls, partially standing, pillars rising up from tumbled down stones, reliefs carved into standing walls and scattered about where other walls have fallen, pushed out of place by roots and time. As such, it provided a glimpse of what Angkor and surrounding temples might have been like before their 40+ year restoration process. There were tumbled down towers, ancient halls.</span></div><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </h2><h2> <b>Battambang</b></h2><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Three Nights</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back in Sisapon, you can easily arrange transportation to Battambang from here. <a href="http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/battintro.htm">Battambang</a> is an interesting colonial town and in the middle of Cambodia's breadbasket, having some of the most productive rice paddy as anywhere. It is not frequently visited by tourists, but enough that it has ample accommodations available for backpackers and luxury travelers alike—it is actually Cambodia's second largest city. Of it, however, Canby Publications notes that, “unlike more touristed towns, the local economy is truly local, based firmly in rice, wood, sapphires and food crops, and [this] is reflected in the character of the town.” Taking in the colonial architecture of the town, observing the bustling life of the Khmer farmers and business people around you can be a great way to relax after the hustle and bustle of Bangkok or the hordes of beach tourists. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">You could make an outing to nearby <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/northwestern-cambodia/wat-ek-phnom">Ek Phrom</a>, an 11</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-size: small;"> century ruin. Not often visited by tourists, it is popular as an outing location for locals. Phnom Banan could also be taken in from Battambang. The Provincial Museum </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,sans-serif; font-size: small;">(hours: 8AM-11AM/2PM-5PM) is also not to be missed. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arranging transportation from here to Siem Reap by boat can be arranged. It is much more expensive than bus fare, and takes six to eight hours—about twice that of a bus—but offers a change to glimpse river life as well as exotic birds. Just try to get a seat inside—otherwise, you will sun burn on top of the boat. And also, choose your board wisely. Otherwise, bus transportation is easy to arrange from your guesthouse or on your own.</span></div><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </h2><h2> <b>Siem Reap</b></h2><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Six Nights</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arriving after a six hour boat ride, you are going to want to find a place to relax. Accommodation is readily available—there are literally hundreds of places to stay from the suites only sheiks can afford to two dollar a night dorm beds. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmybUdbmNQNML9DnkZp795g26XMLsGo8ai8zHRS9H0sLXhtcuZh57Whhp32jeWY_HTdExExGQ3cSod3J13JHkjcXMKHO7-U-xesLZWItR6AzlFvKKyFCXzhfK1i5wyb1fDKCJYr4IaIO1/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmybUdbmNQNML9DnkZp795g26XMLsGo8ai8zHRS9H0sLXhtcuZh57Whhp32jeWY_HTdExExGQ3cSod3J13JHkjcXMKHO7-U-xesLZWItR6AzlFvKKyFCXzhfK1i5wyb1fDKCJYr4IaIO1/s1600/angkor+wat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angkor Wat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">The next day, get yourself a tuk-tuk early and hit the temple circuit and see <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/ancient/lost-tombs/angkor-wat-video.html">Angkor Wat</a>. Three days to do the temple circuit here is perfect. While it may be almost too many temples to take in, if you just see Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat, you will be missing a lot of amazing art and architecture. There are other things to see and do around Siem Reap. For your next two full days in Siem Reap, we recommend you take in some other activities besides just temple exploring.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We suggest spending a morning learning to cook a Khmer dish at the <a href="http://www.letigredepapier.com/">Le Tigre de Papier</a>. Usually classes cover a unique Khmer dish, like </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">amok</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">, and a side like fresh spring rolls. The cost is under $12 at time of press, and the proceeds benefit students at a local hotelier school. It begins with a guided trip to the psar (market) at 10 AM, and then you return to the kitchen to cook. Exploring <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2010/11/eating-angkor-adventures-with-cambodian.html">Cambodian food</a> is a true adventure in itself! You get to make your own lunch!If you are a bigger spender, <a href="http://www.helicopterscambodia.com/scenic.php">helicopter rides over Angkor Wat</a> begin at $90 for 8 minutes up to $300 for 30 minutes. Or perhaps hot air balloon ride would be more to your taste—your tuk-tuk driver can take you there. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9JWEfh9rI7HHk2FwsSCT_oPJcfSNr3nJK8-7GqlzsICA9oBFBYzV7_AWPPn-0ut8368pWZzYveet8q-mF0DN5t259eQAM0O4_9xQ6JFiR2YBSEVi4XTYYg7rSFd8WL7TXDbfWQNenrg0/s1600/bike+siem+reap+country+scene.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9JWEfh9rI7HHk2FwsSCT_oPJcfSNr3nJK8-7GqlzsICA9oBFBYzV7_AWPPn-0ut8368pWZzYveet8q-mF0DN5t259eQAM0O4_9xQ6JFiR2YBSEVi4XTYYg7rSFd8WL7TXDbfWQNenrg0/s320/bike+siem+reap+country+scene.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have a bike ride to take in the country scenery<br />
at your own place</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Renting a <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2011/06/siem-reap-bike-routes.html">bike in Siem Reap</a> or morning or afternoon for a leisurely bike ride through the Cambodian countryside is also a great way to get exercise if climbing around in temples wasn't enough. It costs about $2 a day to rent a bicycle. An evening massage before having drinks on Pub Street is wonderful. Most massage parlors really are just massage parlors, and massages cost $5-7 per hour, but you should always tip your masseuse. There are also some excellent spas, and thirty dollars will go a long way towards getting you pampered. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">You could go to the Western Baray, about thirty minutes outside of town. This Angkor-era man-made reservoir is popular with Khmer families and is also visited by the occasional bus of Korean tourists. While we don't recommend swimming in fresh water in Southeast Asia, it is up to you if you'd like to get your feet wet or take a boat to the Linga Island in its center. </span> </div><h2 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </h2><h2> <b>Phnom Penh </b></h2><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Three Nights</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Phnom Penh is the last stop on our itinerary, and is 30 minutes by air and six hours by bus. From here, you can arrange transportation to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam or Chau Duc in Vietnam or transportation on to Laos as well as the needed onward visas. The international airport here also offers flights linking Cambodia to regional travel hubs as well as to major international carriers. That includes Bangkok Airlines and Thai Airways to Bangkok, Lao Airlines to Vientiane, Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Dragon Airlines to Hong Kong, Silk Air to Singapore, Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur, EVA Air to Taipei, Asiana Airlines to Seoul and multiple Chinese airlines flying to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It can also serve as the next logical jumping off point to other Cambodian destinations like <a href="http://www.southeastasiatraveladvice.com/2011/02/sihanoukville-hotels-and-activities.html">Sihanoukville</a> or Krati. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGJXAIeduHMmJmEl0eELM5CjXIrJ-3Vh_BeqwMSNDmPajLZTznQak-XLFhGiD93XNH6TUVRG5TTWLeZXZeLTDWgdOjTxMBhO6X52uXc2FkwS4e5GGk0vtFeH2EhrFePGoyvFftGhZ98B7/s1600/Psa+Thmei+-central+market.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGJXAIeduHMmJmEl0eELM5CjXIrJ-3Vh_BeqwMSNDmPajLZTznQak-XLFhGiD93XNH6TUVRG5TTWLeZXZeLTDWgdOjTxMBhO6X52uXc2FkwS4e5GGk0vtFeH2EhrFePGoyvFftGhZ98B7/s200/Psa+Thmei+-central+market.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Central Market Before Its Make-Over</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">We suggest you begin your journey in the recently remodeled Central Market, a structure that was emptied by the Khmer Rouge but stands as a testament—the market will survive. It is a contrast both in goods and in price from the sleek Western-inspired mall just a hop, skip and a jump away. Sorya Mall, the largest mall in the country and a place to see happening Khmers hanging out. It also featured a very hygenic and really quite spectacular food court and is a great way to go street fare in a clean albeit more pricy establishment. Starting in the Central Market in the morning and then having lunch in the air conditioned mall can be a wonderful way to beat the heat for a little while. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The riverfront area along Sisowath Quay is an excellent place for fine Western cuisine, although a few of the establishments are overpriced due to the cost of rent in an expensive real estate area. Places to avoid include McPaddy's and the Green Vespa. French cuisine is predominant, but Thai and other Western dishes are well prepared all along the riverfront. More cultural sites in the area include the Royal Place, also in the riverfront area. The huge compound is a full city block and features the Silver Pagoda. The temple's official name is Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot but is commonly referred to as Wat Preah Keo in Khmer. It houses Cambodia's Emerald Buddha and is the official temple of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Cambodia">King of Cambodia</a>. Nearby the National Museum houses Angkorian artifacts and other exhibits mostly about Cambodia's glorious past and not the more recent, darker days of the Khmer Rouge. For that, many tourists find themselves at <a href="http://www.tuolsleng.com/">Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum</a>, also known as S-21. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN87oxYYsNq_wL7VlSujDjEvdJG5uPgd0BuUjNkfDzBBTgxFOoYMH5cX-A5ET3oeRfCmPcRJJ4kSJh_PIRiRLp_l2ydKJZnfnKuvbW5u67hMTNQvGsETSYC_IyzuKd4ytErs3y0HnpVlsy/s1600/S-21+prisoner.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN87oxYYsNq_wL7VlSujDjEvdJG5uPgd0BuUjNkfDzBBTgxFOoYMH5cX-A5ET3oeRfCmPcRJJ4kSJh_PIRiRLp_l2ydKJZnfnKuvbW5u67hMTNQvGsETSYC_IyzuKd4ytErs3y0HnpVlsy/s200/S-21+prisoner.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo © Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Tuol Sleng, </span><span style="font-size: small;">the former torture/prison death camp, is a grim reminder of just how recently the genocidal Khmer Rouge terrorized this nation. The Khmer Rouge's surviving leadership is only being prosecuted today with the leader of S-21, the notorious Comrade Dutch, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khang_Khek_Ieu">Khang Khek Ieu</a>, already convicted of crimes against humanity. The Khmer Rouge obsessively documented their killing machine, and haunting photos of the 10,000 victims who came through these walls now line them. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choeung_Ek">Choeung Ek</a>, the infamous "Killing Fields," are located 15km south of Phnom Penh. Visitors walk between excavated mass graves, the land still littered with pieces of clothing and bone shards. It also houses a three story stupa filled with human skulls, a mound of clothing at its bottom. It is a chilling and emotional tolling experience to visit, and sensitive tourists often tear up when confronted with the enormity of human suffering the Khmer had endured in the last forty years. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Three nights or two full days is enough to take in many of the prime sites of Phnom Pehn, but an extra day can make your visit more leisurely. It costs about $7-10 for a tuk-tuk to the airport from about anywhere in the city, and there is an airport departure fee of $25 for foreigners that will have to be paid in cash. Transportation on to Ho Chi Minh is $12-15. To other Cambodian destinations, the price varies accordingly. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Safe travels, and enjoy your time in the wonderful Kingdom of Cambodia.</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div></div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-17607507704730577442011-06-10T23:16:00.000-07:002017-03-30T15:17:26.290-07:00Cambodian Street Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1>
Cambodian Food</h1>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5JqL836hE8E2az-AT1_q3HnU-50QYhKJqfPPqx0nGnKdDNEuwH7JSB2ZPXuS9E1l4mDKnHFhqbtUPT2T1x_L2rT033S2JLLchjm8EmTRrx_G0MEaMGVHVCr1vT1SvqD-kUbOm_vKHnXW/s400/cricket.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5JqL836hE8E2az-AT1_q3HnU-50QYhKJqfPPqx0nGnKdDNEuwH7JSB2ZPXuS9E1l4mDKnHFhqbtUPT2T1x_L2rT033S2JLLchjm8EmTRrx_G0MEaMGVHVCr1vT1SvqD-kUbOm_vKHnXW/s320/cricket.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bucket of fried grasshopper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <span style="font-style: italic;">real </span>adventures in Khmer cuisine won't take you just into the kitchens of restaurants. For adventurous eating, Cambodia is without parallel and its street foods push the limits like nothing else. From bugs and spiders to snakes and dog, Cambodian cuisine spans the mild to the harrowing.<br />
<h2>
Street Food Safety</h2>
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There are also "rules" to eating street food if you don't want to spend the rest of your vacation in bed or on the toilet. The first rule is eat where locals are eating. While they have a much hardier immunity to some of the potential local food pathogens, even they get food sick from eating bad food. The second rule is eat hot and never raw. Foods that have grown cold have a much more likely chance of doing something nasty to you, and raw foods may <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1NxECfKB2WNlfI1K7cfhM-kQW0rgd_oNVJkfAV33rc-hm2KDUqlE1pfDTzTX3PZi7DWHcnicnsr7Ulpy9_pQZAjAAzG3CYlQnD79gSH_HxVezGEuPZou_rLfz8h_jbn9SUQv71tXbSqb/s400/marketfoodnight.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>be washed with unsanitary water. Having said that, I do break all of these rules, sometimes simultaneously, for the pursuit of something that might just be delicious.<br />
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Cambodian Street Food</h2>
Perhaps the cuisine of street food is also a testament to the hard history of the Khmer people, the blackest period of course being in the late seventies when famine claimed thousands of lives under the oppressive regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. With many of the members of the regime now on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity, Cambodia seems ready to face its dark past and face a brighter future of wider prosperity. While poverty is still rife in the kingdom, today for those who can afford it there is an abundance of food ranging from buttery baguettes to what the Western palate would find exotic and perhaps even unpalatable. <br />
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Frogs feature prominently in street vendors smörgåsbords from small whole fried ones to <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuXNUVEpfQ7irQig9Wwypd92hjWLRmVRweF3mN1HvskpKKv292Vdn63ZWYl1tD6Pfe3aK2qkT6Mzy4GR2EmT4RQshpCVSO_GB4vBDmwq_MzX9XTqT_RTOoabeuAydM65A2dfkuP9FGiw6/s400/frog.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuXNUVEpfQ7irQig9Wwypd92hjWLRmVRweF3mN1HvskpKKv292Vdn63ZWYl1tD6Pfe3aK2qkT6Mzy4GR2EmT4RQshpCVSO_GB4vBDmwq_MzX9XTqT_RTOoabeuAydM65A2dfkuP9FGiw6/s400/frog.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 229px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 306px;" /></a>chunks of hot roasted frog flesh. Duck eggs are also common sights. One of the more interesting dishes are the duck and chicken eggs that contain--guess what--a nearly developed chick! These are consumed out of the egg with a spoon, down and all.<br />
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Catfish roasted on a splint are omnipresent, and most of these have only been out of the water for a few hours. Snack foods include a variety of roasted meats as well as fried arthropods like grasshoppers, water beetles, and even enormous spiders. Fortunately or not, most of these treats simply taste like crispy (or gooey) bursts of oil. The snakes pictured (like the chicken legs and organ meats) are not meant to be eaten as is, but are used in a variety of Khmer dishes from curry to soups. More heartier street food includes a seemingly numberless range of soups, fried rice and noodle dishes, as well as curries and even fish head souffle. Many of the vendors go through some lengths to make their food displays appealing such as the carefully arranged platter of tongue and other organ meat pictured below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof376CChTa020ygK-kT_sqFmddTf613GBfzaRqLoVRUchKIfMpb718hYPFudDmuuzT3Dns6lM7dSmBa8zIHM1xIPN9Nf091ZOzRRCCfKoY3zxrYtbI6odkPDNgw6lJn5KiVFI76YrA7R0/s1600/tongue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof376CChTa020ygK-kT_sqFmddTf613GBfzaRqLoVRUchKIfMpb718hYPFudDmuuzT3Dns6lM7dSmBa8zIHM1xIPN9Nf091ZOzRRCCfKoY3zxrYtbI6odkPDNgw6lJn5KiVFI76YrA7R0/s320/tongue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Other foods you won't find even in the streets or on a menu. Rats, mice and dog are also Cambodian fare. Dog is easier to find than the former two. If you are interested in eating traditional Khmer-prepared dog, ask a tuk-tuk driver if he can take you somewhere to eat this dish. The meat has a strong flavor, but you will find it to be unlike anything else. It has a bit of a gamey taste, and has a toughness much like mutton, but the taste is truly unique. The North Korean run restaurants also serve dog prepared in a traditional Korean manner, but it will cost you dearly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihObb6xJVvtXReA7Y1rtFX38qykqqrNHB9nCOMinm9zbuXWZdEGeLBHHiKfNY7fgyQRL3gLVDaskxBdxC6PRonaLifuonF24jR9a4CFHTGdqeKP2_v1OiUFv0CEHYn20NLGQIhzMAaylZ3/s1600/spiders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihObb6xJVvtXReA7Y1rtFX38qykqqrNHB9nCOMinm9zbuXWZdEGeLBHHiKfNY7fgyQRL3gLVDaskxBdxC6PRonaLifuonF24jR9a4CFHTGdqeKP2_v1OiUFv0CEHYn20NLGQIhzMAaylZ3/s320/spiders.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When you eat dog, you know it is dog but it looks like any other meat dish. The flavor, though distinctive, wouldn't alert you to the fact you are chowing down on a chow-chow. Other foods, though, can be more challenging to consume. Tarantulas are case in point. These delicious treats (think soft-shelled crab) are a bit hard to bite into, whole, fried, and undeniably a big hairy spider. But, when in Cambodia, do as the Khmer do . . . while nothing notable here, eating hairy tarantulas definitely earns you bragging rights back home.<br />
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Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8087232622312072444.post-9889028408242519242011-05-25T01:44:00.000-07:002011-06-25T01:50:04.977-07:00Phnom Kulen, Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2>Going to Phnom Kulen</h2>Getting to Phnom Kulen is a bit of an adventure in itself. While not necessarily off-roading, there was about ten miles of dirt road, recently grated, that went from two lanes to a single lane pretty rapidly. In the rainy reason, however, parts of the road would be impassable to a vehicle without a high axle and four-wheel drive. In the rainy season, you should check the road conditions before starting out. Tuk-tuks cannot make the trip as some of the ascent is quite steep, so you will likely have to hire a car in order to go here unless you have a dirt bike.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=jungle.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="240" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/jungle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kulen Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It is beautiful. It is in the mountains, and like so many places in Asia there is a mysteriousness to the mountains. In Southeast Asia, they are where people who don't cultivate wet rice dwell, this being a major civilization divide through insular and mainland <a href="http://www.twitter.com/#%21/southeastasia4u">Southeast Asia</a> alike.<br />
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Mountains are not the paddy; they are wild, undomesticated, foreign. This means that unlike most other places, they have not been bared of their forests and still are wild even if one sees paths penetrating them or gathers taking what they are allowed from the controlled forests, like fallen limbs and plant resins<br />
<h2>History of Phnom Kulen</h2></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Phnom Kulen is where the Angkorian era “officially” began, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayavarman_II#Java.2C_Chama.2C_Lava">Jayavarman II</a> initiated the cult of the king, a linga cult, in what is dated as 804 CE and declaring his independence from Java of whom the Khmer had <a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=ruins.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="240" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/ruins.jpg" width="320" /></a>been a vassalage state (whether this is actually "Java" or "Lava" (a Lao kingdom) is debated, as well as the legend that he was earlier held as a ransom of the kingdom in Java. See Higham's <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>The Civilization of Angkor</i></a> for more information about the debate). An inscription from the Sdok Kak Thom temple recounts that on the top of the Kulen Hills, Jayavarman instructed a Brahman priest named Hiranhadama to conduct a religious ritual known as the cult of the <i>devajara </i>(Khmer: ទេវរាជា) which placed him as a <i>chakravartin</i>, universal monarch. The cult established him as the supreme ruler of the land, and therefore he succeeded in unifying the country. But Hindu civilization had existed already for centuries in the region; the fact that Jayavarman was the second monarch to carry that name was an indication that there had been a powerful king of an earlier epoch.<br />
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This is also near the river head of the Siem Reap River. In the bedrock of the river are carved hundreds of linga images. There are also some minor ruins. It was not long after the declaration of independence that Jayavarman moved his capitol, not yet to Angkor but to what is known today as the Rolous Group, among the oldest temples with the Angkor area.<br />
<h2>What to do in Phnom Kulen</h2></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Kulen_National_Park">Phnom Kulen</a> is also a national park, and it houses a few very impressive waterfalls. On the weekends, it is very popular with Cambodians. However, if you'd like the place to yourself for at least a little while, try arriving by 9:00AM on a weekday. It is about 55 KM from Siem Reap, and the trip takes anywhere from an hour to ninety minutes. By 11:00AM on our last visit a few Cambodian holiday-makers showed up, and by noon foreign tourists began to pour in also. Also, be sure to view the carving of Vishnu in the river bedrock above the first falls, with Lakshmi as his feet and Brahma seated on a lotus growing from his navel.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=monksatwaterfall.jpg" target="_blank"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=waterfall.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="400" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/waterfall.jpg" width="300" /></a>We spent most of the morning at the waterfalls as outside of these wonders there is little to see. There are several Khmer eateries (as well as a few souvenir stands) that serve typical Khmer dishes. And the flocks of chicken running around the area are also available for your plate.<br />
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The ruins, while not particularly impressive in terms of structures are in terms of age—they are among the oldest Khmer ruins in the Siem Reap area, and no real restoration work has happened. Seeing the rubble makes one appreciate what a difficult job just re-visioning the temple would be. After having a lunch (or without), one can go for a swim at the bottom or the very impressive Kulen waterfall. Stay on the trial. While not known to be a mined area, parts of Kulen <i>are</i> undergoing de-mining. As elsewhere in Cambodia, stay on well-trod trails.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After the waterfalls, you can visit a very active temple, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Kulen_National_Park#Preah_Ang_Thom">Preah Ang Thom</a>, that has a 16 meter long reclining Buddha carved on the top of a huge bolder—maybe itself 20 meters tall. The carving dates to the 16<sup>th</sup> century. This is the largest reclining Buddha in the country. On the way, you can also stop and quickly view the "1000 Lingas" also carved in the river above the waterfalls.<br />
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There were about 100 steps climbing the hill to the pagoda and carving, and the first 75 were lined with beggars, mostly children and old women. There are a few money changers at the bottom so that you can get small change to pass out as you make the walk up, handing out between 100 riel notes and 500 reil bundles to the beggars. And at the bottom and top you can have an incantation recited for you over the loudspeakers for just $1—for luck, they say. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/?action=view&current=Buddha.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="300" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/jarrodwbrown_photo/Buddha.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is carved into the top of about a 20 meter tall boulder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It can be a long trip, so set aside at least a half day in order to visit. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></div>Indigo Velvethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08337208714109341577noreply@blogger.com0