Shopping in Cambodia

Most of you know that I love shopping on my travels. However, I must admit that Cambodia offers a shopping experience that is not always typical nor comfortable. Have a read of my shopping list and you'll understand why...

• My first purchase were some guide books from a man with no hands. Top Vanna is a land-mine victim who was disabled in 1988 while training new recruits on jungle warfare & survival skills. He now earns a living by selling books to tourists outside the Pasr Cha (Old Market) in Siem Reap.
  
• Bracelets from this little girl (pictured here) outside the Ta Phrom temple. She followed me for about 200 meters and I finally succumbed to her sweet smile after she tripped and lost her slipper. Tourists will encounter hundreds of children hawking their wares and begging around the temples.
• One CD of Khmer traditional music by a band comprising victims of landmine victims
• Another CD of cello classical music by Dr Beat Richner, a Swiss paediatrician who has started four Kantha Bopha children hospitals, providing free treatment for the children of Cambodia
• An apsara carving from Artisans D'Angkor - a school specialising in teaching impoverished youngsters the skills of wood and stone carving. The items are pricier than the old market but profits go back into funding the school and bringing more teenagers into the program
• Purses made from re-cycled paper by the street kids of Siem Reap

I bargained very little on this trip.

Children of Tonle Sap

As beautiful and awe-inspiring as the Cambodian temples are, it's good to get away to admire some other natural wonders. Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater inland lake in Southeast Asia and is home to a large population of villagers who depend on fishing for a living. Life is hard and poverty is rife. Rithy, the driver, suggested that we purchase candy and some stationery for the large numbers of children who live on the lake. I'm glad we did. It was only a short 20-minute ride to the lake, but that was enough for me to catch a glimpse of the difficult living conditions for most people.

A little tub of joy greets visitors at Tonle Sap

The boat ride started on a narrow inlet of the lake and we saw house boats, supermarket boats, church boats, school boats - an entire community living on the river. One school even had a floating basketball court - how cool! All manner of boats came floating by selling vegetables, drinks and snacks - although the tourist boats sometimes threatened to outnumber the local vessels. A cheeky little boy came floating by in a green tub and started posing for photos - for a princely sum of $1. Isn't that a great photo?

Aunty Jo Jo visiting children at a floating school on Tonle Sap

We chanced upon a Cambodian boat school and were invited to board the vessel by the teachers. The children, who ranged from toddlers to teenagers, were very excited to welcome us. I started distributing the colour pencils and pencils that we had bought in Siem Riep. They were an absolute hit! I wish we had brought even more supplies and books. I am so grateful that the teachers allowed us to interrupt class to visit and take photos. It was definitely the highlight of my trip to Cambodia!

I must admit to a measure of guilt for slinking back to my 5-star boutique hotel when so many kids have so little. Hmmm....there must be an avenue to contribute more.

Ta Phrom

I arrived at Ta Phrom temple close to midday, and found it almost deserted. The canopy of trees provided welcome relief from the relentless sun and heat. As part of the Bayon complex, this temple was founded as a Buddhist monastery and university in the late 12th century. Giant tree roots have since invaded the temple creating a highly romantic atmosphere for visitors.

This impressive backdrop served as the set for Tomb Raider, the movie starring Angelina Jolie, in 2000. My guide, Thuy, proudly disclosed that he had seen her twice and she "was very beautiful". Thanks to the movie, Ta Phrom is known as the "Tomb Raider Temple" and guides are able to provide a blow-by-blow account of Lara Croft's encounter with the monster....or something like that (I haven't seen the movie, fortunately).

Angkor Wat

Aunty Jo Jo's Angkor Wat dream comes true

Every history buff dreams of becoming an archaeologist and I am no different. In many of my "Indiana Jones" moments, I have imagined myself either exploring the lost temples of Angkor in Cambodia or Petra in Jordan. As I gazed on Angkor Wat last Saturday 21 June 2008 at 2:20pm, the first of my dreams had come true.

Angkor Wat is the most majestic of all the temples in Siem Reap. It forms a giant rectangle measuring 1.5km by 1.3km that is surrounded by a moat. Its structure is imposing, its layout is highly symmetrical, its carvings are meticulous and the atmosphere is just...indescribable. And when one pauses to think that all this is 1000 years old and built entirely by hand, the glory of the Khmer (Cambodian) empire is beyond any doubt.

Apsara carvings are featured all over the temple complex

Like most visitors, I too fell under the spell of the beguiling apsara (heavenly nymph) carvings that adorn the walls and columns of Angkor Wat. Every one denotes an individual expression, hairstyle and costume, although I was less fascinated by the bare breasted fashions compared to some of my fellow male tourists :-)

I returned on my last morning to view the expansive bas reliefs that surround the temple and they are truly astonishing. The scenes from the Mahabharata, Suryavarman's army and Churning of the Ocean of Milk have to be seen to be believed.

One day, I hope that you too will have your Angkor dreams come true.

Bayon

Let me start by admitting that the temple I expected to be the creepiest turned out to be my favourite of all the Angkor temples. The Bayon stands in the centre of the city of Angkor Thom and is smaller than the majestic Angkor Wat.

I had imagined 216 giant stone faces of a dead king smiling down on me to be quite scary. But the Bayon temple is far from that - it was a lot of fun to explore.

• The stone faces of King Jayavarman VII have an air of amused benevolence about them
• The carvings of apsaras (dancing nymphs), figurines and bas-reliefs are plentiful and really exquisite
• There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore including some very steep stairwells
  
• Every corner and framed window holds a surprising view of facial profiles or carvings
• Although the Lonely Planet says the Bayon "looks like a glorified pile of rubble from a distance", I caught a lovely view of it from a pool in the western corner - thanks to my alert guide Thuy
  

There were plenty of opportunities for a great photos, even for a less-skilled "snap & run" tourist like me. All in all, I took 108 shots of the Bayon and here's a modest sample that I'd like to share with you. More photos are available on Facebook.

Found - the best hotel ever

Aunty Jo Jo loves FCC Angkor!

I have just returned from Siem Reap after having one of the best vacations ever - and it's thanks to a little gem of a hotel named FCC Angkor. It is the best hotel I have ever experienced. As a hardened road warrior, I've had my fair share of business hotels, Four Seasons, heritage hotels so this is endorsement is not handed out lightly.

What was so special about this boutique hotel? Well, how about...

• Soriya, my ever-smiling hostess, who planned every last detail and anticipated every move during the stay
  
• Rithy, an affable and hunky driver who loves football and women (in that order)
• service staff who are pleasant, efficient and unintrusive
• beautiful grounds set in the old French quarter
• freshly prepared breakfast of the highest quality e.g. freshly-squeezed orange juice, French pastries with lemon curd, scrambled eggs & smoked bacon on French toast, fruit salad, Vietnamese pho
• superb meals that other tourists come in to enjoy...the dragonfruit pannacotta is to die for!
  
• fantastic fruit juices, wines and beer at half price during Happy Hours
  
• lemongrass-scented bedrooms
• custom-made soaps and bath gels
  
• a luxurious spa on-site

Most of all, it's the fact that I really didn't want to leave and have every intention of going back...SOON!

5 minutes of fame

Wherever I am in the world, I call my parents every week. While in Taiwan last week, I spoke to my highly-excited mother who reported that she and my dad had been featured in the local paper, while having lunch at their regular economy rice stall. Here's a snippet from the Star dated 11 June 2008.

No price hikes for now

By ANTHONY TAN

MANY economy rice shops in Penang, which are popular haunts for meals, are currently maintaining their prices despite the recent hike in fuel prices.

A check at some outlets showed that they had not increased the prices of their dishes and would only do so if the prices of raw items and cooking gas go up.

The shops had, however, increased the price of rice by 10sen to 20sen a plate since last month following the drastic increase in rice price.

Hawkers enjoying the economy rice at a stall in Bayan Baru.

Foo Soon Heoh, who runs an economy rice outlet in Jalan Tengah, Bayan Baru, said she would maintain the prices of her dishes for the moment.

“But if the costs of raw items and cooking gas go up, we will have to increase our prices,” she added.

Roland Yeoh, 65, and his wife, Chong Shing Choo, 64, who are regulars at Foo’s shop, said they were happy with the prices charged by Foo.

“It is not so costly for us to eat here,” said Yeoh as he and Chong enjoyed a meal of curry fish head, two fried fish, some vegetables and rice for just RM10.

Yeoh (left) and Chong enjoying their meal in Jalan Tengah.

The owner of an economy rice shop nearby said the price she charged customers depended on the amount they took.

“But I have not increased the price of dishes,” she said, adding that she had only raised the price of rice by 20sen to 80sen per plate last month.

Story of the camphor tree

I used to love rummaging through my grandmother's wardrobe admiring her collection of cheongsams and embroidered table linens. One enduring memory of those "treasure hunts" was the smell of the mothballs or camphor sachets that filled my nostrils for days on end.

The camphor tree is native to Southeast China and is a symbol of Jiangsu province. In ancient days, parents used to plant a camphor seedling when a baby girl was born into Suzhou families. Since most females weren't allowed to venture out in public, camphor trees in the backyard were the only clue of the number of female offspring in the household.

When a camphor tree started to blossom fully at around 16 years, enterprising matchmakers would knock on the doors of the household to discreetly offer marriage arrangements. Once the wedding was arranged, the parents would have the camphor tree chopped down and fashioned into a trunk for their daughter to store her dowry of silks, jewellery and embroidery.

This scenario may no longer have a place in today's emancipated world, but it still makes a good story - don't you think?

Imperial History

The history of China can be quite mind-boggling - especially if you've spent most of your life as an Anglophile, as I have. And because the study of history is so vital to the understanding and appreciation of literature and art, I've done a quick search on Wikipedia regarding the centuries-old imperial dynasties of China.

Xia (2100 - 1600 BC)
Shang (1600 BC - 1046 BC)
Zhou (1046 - 221 BC)
Qin (221 - 206 BC)
Han (206 - 220 CE)
Three Kingdoms (220 - 280)
Jin (265 - 420)
Southern & Northern (420 - 589)
Sui (581 - 618)
Tang (618 - 907) - often known as the Golden Age
Song (960 - 1279)
Yuan (1271 - 1368)
Ming (1368 - 1644)
Qing (1644 - 1911)

Tai Hu Lake

Having written about my awe of Chinese history and art, I now turn to its natural wonders. I recently made a trip to Tai Hu, the third largest freshwater lake in China. According to our guide, Rachel, it's about four times the size of Singapore and could take up to 2 days to cross!

There really isn't any need to embellish the beauty of the lake with more words. Enjoy the view as these pictures speak for themselves...

Aunty Jo Jo enjoying nature at Turtle Isle on Tai Hu Lake - that background is worthy of a Monet!

Aunty Jo Jo struggling to look taller - as always :-)

Good things come in small packages

Suzhou is famous throughout China for its classical gardens. The smallest of these is the Garden of the Master of Nets or Wangshe Yuan. It is widely regarded as the most impressive garden and I have to agree after visiting it last Sunday morning.

The main courtyard is accessible through a narrow alley filled with tourist memorabilia. It feels as if you are entering someone's home - through the front porch, stone gate, reception halls and inner courtyards. The charming nature of this residential section lulls a visitor into a sense of complacency. You're made to feel welcome, comfortable and vaguely amused at all the hullabaloo that surrounds yet another "wonder of Suzhou". You enjoy the little bonsai trees, maple trees, bamboo arrangements when suddenly....you stumble upon the piece the resistance...

The central garden of Wangshe Yuan

This 360 panorama of the central garden represents everything you would expect to see in a classical Chinese garden: pagodas, mountains, rivers and plants. It is a beautiful oasis that delights the soul. Despite the large numbers of tourists and visitors, one can still find a sense of tranquility in every corner of the garden. Everything feels so balanced and connected, from the kois in the pond to the weeping willows to the 8-moon pavilion.

It truly is a wonder of Suzhou, so I shall cease my mocking and enjoy its simple splendour.

The Grand Canal

With 5,000 years of history, China is a haven for history buffs like me. As I learn and marvel at the ancient architecture, I am beginning to feel a twinge of pride about my Chinese heritage. This civilisation is part of my DNA and it's been such an exciting journey of discovery.

Last week, I got to spend a couple of days in Suzhou & Wuxi before the start of one of my leadership courses and took a trip on the Grand Canal. It is China's second largest man-made structure (after the Great Wall) and it's a shame that many of us have yet to hear of it. This amazing engineering feat was dug entirely by hand!

Aunty Jo Jo's maiden voyage on the Grand Canal from Suzhou to Tiger Hill

(Excerpt taken from the Lonely Planet - 9th Edition)
The world's longest canal once meandered almost 1800km from Beiing to Hangzhou and is a striking example of China's sophisticated engineering prowess Today, only half of it remains navigable. The Grand Canal's construction spanned may centuries. The first 85km were completed in 495 BC, but the linking of the Yellow River and Yangzi River was undertaken by conscripted labour between AD 605 and 609. The canal enabled the government to capitalise on the growing wealth of the Yellow River basin and to ship supplies from south to north.

Today, the Jiangnan section of the canal (Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou) is the most accessible part of the Grand Canal and still used for delivering supplies (and some tourists!), as it has been for over a thousand years.