Cambodia (24 Mar 2006 to 27 Mar 2006)

• We are a group of six. Ric, Frank, Sylvian, Avis, Wendy and Luca.
  

General Information

• Siem Reap Airway (暹粒航空) flight ticket costed HKD 1950, plus fuel surcharge became HKD 2133
• 24 Mar 2006, FT 827, departure Hong Kong at 17:15, arrival Siem Reap at 18:45
• 27 Mar 2006, FT 826, departure Siem Reap at 10:00, transit at Phnom Penh, arrival Hong Kong at 17:30 (from 15:50 delay to 17:30)
• One day pass costed USD 20, Three day pass costed USD 40
• Rent one taxi costed USD 22
• Rent one tuk tuk around Angkor Wat (吳哥窟) region costed USD 12
  
• Rent one tuk tuk to remote area (eg Bantaey Srei) costed USD 24
• Landing VISA costed USD 20
• Siem Reap airport tax costed USD 25
• One photo for landing VISA, no passport photocopy needed
• Coke costed USD 0.6 in supermarket and USD 1.0 in shops near temples
• Local brand 1.5 litre drinking water costed USD 0.4
  
• Guest house twin room with air-condition costed USD 15  and room without air-condition costed USD 8.  Breakfast was included.
  
• Quite a lot of local songs by Hong Kong singers Choi Kwok Kuen (蔡國權) and Adam Cheng (鄭少秋). The songs were sung in local language.
• Old Hong Kong movies are quite popular, we watch Mok Siu Chung (莫少聰) and Leung Ka Yan (梁家仁) movies in the afternoon and at night.
  
• Local residents do not hold the driver and do not hold the hand rails when they travel with motor cycles.
• We saw many many Apsara (阿帕莎拉)  in different temples. Apsara was a girl who was born to sing and dance for the God. She just dance, dance, dance, ... sing, sing, sing ... for the whole life, so happy.
  

24 Mar 2006

• Drivers Danny and Sina picked us at the Siem Reap airport to the guest house (it is free of charge)
  
• The guest house was very clean and tidy.
  
• We booked 3 air-condition twin room, but only 2 a/c rooms were available. Frank and I had to stay in a non-a/c room for two nights.
• We checked in  and had some welcome drinks.
  
• Walked to the down town and had a Chinese style dinner at Kwong Yiu Kee restaurant (廣耀記大酒家). We had one soup and five dishes.  The bill amount was USD 25.
  
• Avis, Wendy and Luca had foot massage. Ric, Sylvain and Frank had body massage. Both kinds of massage costed USD 5 per hour. The massage shop closes at 11:00pm. That night, they specially closed at 11:30pm for us.
• When we walked back to the guest house, there were some beggers in the streets, all shops were closed and even the traffic lights stopped.
  

25 Mar 2006

• We had breakfast in the guest house restaurant.  We could order anything from the menu until we were full. I ordered one soup noodle (USD 1.2) and one banana shake (USD 1.0). Although, the breakfast was included in the rent, we could eat more than the rent of the room.
  
• Danny and Sina drove us to the Angkor Wat entrance. Though we had our photos, we decided to take photos by the staff because it was free of charge.    The photos  were stored in a IBM PC and then printed by a HP printer. Then the staff gave us the 3 day pass.
  
• On the way to Banteay Srei (仙女廟) , we stopped to take photos near the moat (not a lake).
  
• In Bantaey Srei , we had war game. We shot with cameras instead of guns.
  
• Then we visited a clean, beautiful toilet. This toilet was free of charge.
  
• We had lunch in a restaurant near Bantaey Srei. The prices for each dish was around USD 4.0
  
• We went back to the guest house to take showers and played mahjong  because it was really hot.
• Danny and Sina drove us to the Angkor Wat to watch sun set.
  
• The stairs were very steep and narrow.
  
• We watched a concert in a theatre with very strong air-condition. It was free of charge, but we donate some money for the local paediatric hospital.
• Drivers suggested us to have buffet dinner in a traditional restaurant and watch traditional dancing show. However, we had dinner in Viroth's Restaurant  which was recommended by John. We also celebrated Wendy's birthday there.  The bill amount was USD 83.
• We could not have massage because it was too late.
  

26 Mar 2006

• We got up very early at 04:30. Danny took all of us (a group of six) to the Angkor Wat by only one tuk tuk.
• Very few people in the Angkor Wat because it was still very early. We took sun rise photos  and also took photos in the podium without other tourists. Usually, everywhere in the Angkor Wat is very crowded.
• Danny drove us back to the guest house and had breakfast.
• We told the drivers our itinerary, but Danny had different ideas and we accepted Danny's suggestion.
• We visited Banteay Kdei and then Sras Srang. Sras Srang is a very beautiful lake,  but we were not in the mood to take photos because it was so hot that we nearly melted.
• Then we visited Ta Phrom. The Ta Phrom Temple (塔普倫寺或塔布侖寺) was built by Jayavarman VII to memorise his mother. It was famous for the tree-buildings.  Something like X-men, they were mixtures of living things and non-living things. It was said that the buildings will be collapsed within certain years because of the growth of the tree roots.
• We had lunch in a restaurant near Ta Phrom. It was around USD 16 because we did not want to eat in such hot weather. We just had some coconut shake.
• We went back to the guest house to take showers. Ric and Frank moved to another room with air-condition.
  
• We visited Bayon. It is very famous for the Khmer's Smiles (高棉的微笑).   Also, we find Chinese had assisted Cambodian  to fight against their enemy  in the carvings of the Bayon Temple (巴戎廟). Ric was forced to wear his tank top by the officers in Bayon.
  
• On the way to Phnom Bakheng, Danny suggested us to take photos in Angkor Thom (吳哥城).
  
• The stairs in Phnom Bakheng or Phnom Bakeng (巴肯山) were also very steep and narrow. The monks no need to climb, they went downstairs very quickly.
  
• Very very crowded in Phnom Bakheng. Everyone was waiting for sun set.  It was called the Magic Moment.
  
• Frank and Wendy went down through the human way. Ric, Sylvian, Avis and Luca went down through elephant way with an elephant.
• Danny rushed to his friends wedding banquet after drove us back to the guest house.
• We took a break and then walked to the down town.
• We all had body message, but both massagists and customers suffered because the room had no air-condition.
• We had an expensive (USD 248) dinner in the Meric Restaurant     of the Hotel De La Paix.  It was one of the best restaurant in Siem Reap.
• We had facial mask (provided by Wendy) before we went to sleep. We found that the size and shape of Neutrogena masks were customised for Frank's face.

27 Mar 2007

• Ric and Luca stayed in the guest house. Sina drove Sylvian, Frank, Avis and Wendy to the Angkor Wat for sun rise.  They took photos near the pond.
  
• We had breakfast in the guest house's restaurant.
• We played mahjong in Phnom Penh Airport Bangkok Airway's lounge.
  

Ric's photos (Casio EX-Z3)


Frank's photos (Canon IXUS 55)



Wendy's photos (Canon S45)



Luca's photos (Konica Minolta DIMAGE X50)



Avis's photos (Nikon F65 with Sigma lens)