Postcards for the weekend 30: Cambodia

Postcard sent to self from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sent 4 Oct 2015, Traveled 1,148 km

Our theme for this weekend is a country that you would want to live in if you have the choice/chance.

To be honest I have several countries in Europe that I've always dreamed about for this theme. However, since my partner moved to Cambodia, I've been moving a lot back and forth. As a matter of fact, I'm waiting for my flight to Phnom Penh when I started writing this piece.

Cambodia gained more international attention since portions of the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider were shot in several of its temple ruins. A couple of the filming locations can be seen in my previous posts: Angkor Thom and Bayon. These locations are in Siem Reap, approximately 6 hours away by bus from Phnom Penh, the capital. The latter is where my third home and most of the business & central government offices are located.

One of the choice of postcards sent out to friends around the world

There isn't much touristic sites here in Phnom Penh. There is however, a captivating good mix of Khmer and French architecture. Here are some of the distinguished buildings, standing out from the rest of the concrete structures. 

One of the choice of postcards sent out to friends around the world

When Siem Reap offers beautiful temple ruins, the buildings in Phnom Penh complete the storytelling about the tumultuous history of Cambodia. The country has many stories to tell from being once a powerful religious kingdom, a French protectorate, the Khmer Rouge, alliance with the Vietnamese, its rise from the conflicts and wars, and the journey towards stability. On the postcard below: The Cambodia-Vietnam Monument, The Independence Monument, The Choeung Ek Genocidal House, Leader of Cambodia Buddhism - Samdech Choun Nath, the Knotted Gun Monument.

 

One of the choice of postcards sent out to friends around the world

In addition to the monuments, one of the places that draw the curiosity of visitors to the capital is the Royal Palace. The complex serves as the resident of the royalty and also houses a collection of precious items that are distinctively Khmer. 

Postcard sent to self from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sent 18 Oct 2016, Traveled 1,148 km

Life in Phnom Penh is more relaxed and slower than Singapore. There is however, no established proper mass transportation system which I found annoying at times. There are no trains nor buses to go around quickly from one place to another around the city. For most of the residents, they own a scooter and the more affluent has huge big cars (always fascinating to watch this contrast while on the road). There is also of course the tuktuk, their local variation of the motorized rickshaw. A comprehensive guide of moving and living in Cambodia can be found on the same link for the tuktuk. I would say that it's a nice country to live in for a couple of years if you're curious about discovering more about its history & culture and mixing with a population on its journey towards globalisation. One needs an open mind though as the daily local life is totally different from the experiences of being a tourist. I really wouldn't mind completely relocating. I need huge savings though in order to do so as local employment doesn't pay too much in order to keep a lifestyle as in Singapore!

This is probably one of my longer entries for the linky party by far ... I hope it isn't a tedious read for the weekend.

Cheers from Phnom Penh,

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 21: Sunrise/sunset

Thank you to everyone who wished me well for my trip to India. I'm now in Malaysia and will be back to Singapore in 2 days. It feels like I've been chasing sunrises as for two consecutive days, I was on the plane very early in the morning. One was coming in and another departing from Singapore.

For most of my postcards that has sunrises or sunsets, I reckon the most beautiful ones are those that are coupled with a water reflection. From the country that I just visited:

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Dehradun, India
Traveled 4,710 km

On the above postcard is a Colva Beach sunset. Colva is in the west of India. It's a popular destination because of its powdery white sand beach, tall coconut trees, and yes, beautiful sunset. I've never been to this part of India and really keen to visit just for leisure and play.

Sent from Bangkok, 18 Sep 2016
Traveled 1,434 km

One of the many postcards I've sent to myself from Bangkok ... it's from September when I was really longing to watch the sunset while on a longtail boat ride through the Chao Phraya River. This wish finally came true before Christmas when I came back to Bangkok with my partner.

This postcard is from Thailand's neighbor, Cambodia and had been shared here in my blog in the past. It's one of my favorites to send out whenever I visit Phnom Penh, where my partner currently lives. Siem Reap, the city where Angkor Wat is more accessible is approximately 6 hours from Phnom Penh. Angkor Wat is truly magnificent! 2D photos like on this postcard isn't enough to give justice to the wonders within this religious and cultural complex. It's a sight to behold though with the silhouette of the towers amidst the fiery sunrise sky.

I'm traveling again to Phnom Penh at the end of the month. If any of you wishes to receive a postcard from there, please send me an email to avi_resha@yahoo.com and I'll happily mail you one! :)

Thanks in advance for sharing your sun!

~maria

Cambodia in my mind

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: My twin (bestfriend)
Sent: 25 June 2015 from Phnom Pehn Airport

Should / If you have / had the time to check out my previous posts about Cambodia, you know that Cambodia was just a dream back in 2009.

Fast forward to this year, 2015 -- my mind has been constantly wandering into being back to that country. The possibility to witness the above with the magnificent silhouette of Angkor Wat during sunrise in Siem Reap is slim. But I would be happy, even just with the sunrise in Phnom Pehn, seen in this photo below. The photo is also from "my twin". He captured this while we're having breakfast on a wooden boat, cruising along the Tonle Sap River.

Check out an amazing collection of photos from around the world, by clicking here.

~maria

C is for Causeway of Angkor Thom, Cambodia

When the first two entries were about temples, it is quite different for letter "C" --

On the postcard above is the causeway leading into the entrance of Angkor Thom, which according to Uncle Wiki, "is the last and most enduring capital city of Khmer Empire". This fact actually didn't sink in to me while I was doing the tour. Through reading, I learned that Angkor Thom literally means "Great City". I thought Angkor Thom is the name of that temple we visited inside the complex. We were brought to that temple specifically because it is one of the locations for Angelina Jolie's famous Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie. 

For a closer look into the figures on the towering gate and the causeway:

The postcard in the middle is viewed from one of the sides of the tower gate. There are Buddhas facing all four cardinal directions. For the causeway, it is lined with asuras (power-seeking deities) on one side and devas (benevolent deities) on the other side.  They are "holding a naga in the attitude of tug-of-war.". The causeway appears to be from the Hinduism myth, Churning of the Sea of Milk.

~maria

B is for Bayon Temple, Cambodia

I am happy that for the first three letters of the alphabet, I am able to share Buildings and Structures that I've both visited and kept or received in the mail a corresponding postcard. Oh wait, I think not just for the first three letters but for the first five actually! ;-)

For the first three though, all are from Cambodia. Now for the second letter, "B" --

Bayon Temple looks a bit chaotic for me, judging from the view from the outside. On top is a photo I took in front of the temple. It is impressive nonetheless for the countless towers with carved Buddha faces. Our tour guide said there are around 200 but since a lot might have fell into ruin over the years, there is no actual count. Below are two close-up looks to two of the Buddha faces: one was courtesy of our tour guide and the other one is on a postcard.

~maria

A is for Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The Buildings and Structures on Postcards that I will be sharing for the April 2015 A-Z Challenge will be a mix of those I've had the pleasure to visit and those I have not. Although, fingers crossed for the latter that I'll have the chance to see them for real.

For the entry for letter "A" - 

Angkor Wat is one of the temples I've visited back in October 2014. I went with my bestfriend to fulfill a dream I had since 2009. 

We had the pleasure of being toured around the temples of a local, Mr. Vann Seila. The plan was to see the sunrise so we started off really early. Alas it was raining on the day we picked to go. Now, my feet are just itching to go back there during the dry season. I couldn't wait to experience the sight below in person.

Normally my postcards are labeled, with information about their travel through the post. Please check previous posts for reference. However, for these 2 and the ones I'll share for letters "B" and "C", I couldn't label. These Cambodia postcards were from a pack of 10 that were hand-delivered to me by a friend who visited Cambodia back in 2013.

~maria