Tonle Sap, Cambodia

Finally we reached our destination ~ Tonle Sap (the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia). Yeah, this was the muddy and dusty pathway we took. Those thatched huts were located along this pathway.

This was our "Tour Boat"~ bringing us to tour around The Floating Village in Tonle Sap.

The Floating Primary School

The Floating Church

During our boat ride, we saw quite a number of locals on their boats coming along side our boat selling stuffs like canned soft drinks, bananas, souvenirs etc.

The Floating Restaurant and Souvenir shop and Crocodile Farm.

What is that??? Yeah, those who have read my previous entry might know the answer. Yeah, that was a child beggar paddling inside the bucket or pail.

Remember the handicapped child beggar in the previous post? Several of these child beggars were seen in the lake.

Young mother selling banana, with her baby sleeping on her lap. Amazing...

Another pathetic looking baby girl hoping someone will buy the banana so that she can call it a day and go back home earlier. This is one of their daily routines...

The other tour boats which stopped by in this Floating Restaurant.

The mobile grocery store for the locals

Mmmmm... I have no idea what is this...

So many family members resting inside the small floating house. Can you imagine yourself staying in such a place? Nah....

Journey back home...

Some weird looking boat..

Related Entries :
* Thatched Huts, Tonle Sap
* Photo Hunters : Skinny

Coconut

How nice to have a sip of the thirst quenching coconut drink in Angkor Wat, especially when walking under the hot sun.

Finally my prayer was answered. Not only that, I found a new way to enjoy the coconut drink in Cambodia. A hole was drilled through the coconut husk till the core. Hahahha, is this method also known as sucking straight from the nut coconut? :P

Photo Hunters : Skinny

Today's theme is SKINNY.

Photo of a skinny young boy taken in Tonle Sap, Cambodia. I presume the boy is a victim of landmine explosion as he has lost his left upper limb and vision of his right eye. The devastating effect of war still continue long after the war and the innocent victims are still suffering up to this day. There are several child beggars paddling inside a pail or a container at Tonle Sap Lake asking for money or donation from tourists who visited the place. :(

Rojak?

This is one of the fruit stalls I came across in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Looks like a similar fruit stall in Malaysia, selling Assam/Tamarind (something different, although it's also available in Malaysia), Guava, Mengkuang (turnip/jicama), Papaya, Mango, Pineapple etc. Err, and I noticed something else..

Several slices of fruits and vegetable.. (and it somehow reminds me of our lcoal fruit rojak)

Upon closer inspection, you can actually see thin slices of cut mangoes, carrots, cucumber, mengkuang/turnips, sliced banana (with skin? huh? or is that something else?). Very Ocipala. I wonder how they eat this foodstuff? I am not so adventurous didn't dare to try it out as I didn't want to take the risk. Imagine having food poisoning while on a trip, really jialat loh. No joke :P

Thatched Huts, Tonle Sap

On our way to Tonle Sap lake, we came across and passed by several temporary thatched huts or straw huts on both sides of the muddy path road.

The Tonle Sap region is one of the poorest part of Cambodia. All the photos in this post were taken through the side window of our fast moving tour bus. Hence, u can see a "dark triangle" like thingy at the bottom of the left hand corner of each photo.

Nothing wrong with your eyesight. This is one of the distorted-looking thatched huts along the Tonle Sap tributary.

With the Cambodian girl standing next to the straw hut, u can roughly speculate the size of the hut. The entire families will perch and cramp inside these small huts.

The "bigger" thatched huts with several "compartments" and kids playing in the hut compound.

Cambodians resting at the entrance to the straw huts. Where are the doors? I didn't see any doors :(

Hut with mini garden ~ the flower pots

This straw hut has a "special" door.

After seeing the above photos, do you consider yourself lucky and blessed? Can you imagine yourself living and growing up in such an environment? We are indeed much more fortunate than many others out there.

Bayon and Angkor Thom

After leaving our foot prints in Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm in Siem Reap, our next destination was Bayon and Angkor Thom. Bayon is famous for the gigantic stone faces (the face towers) usually set in groups of four around a central prang (tower).

Statues on the alley along the causeway, in Angkor Thom

The carving of the Jayavarman head statue, taken at one of the Gates of Angkor Thom

Bayon of Angkor Thom, with numerous giant faces or face towers with enigmatic smiles.

A closer view of the headless Lion and the Broken Naga (Seven headed Serpent) with Smiling Face Towers at the background.

A suitable location for playing hide-and-seek? ;)

Apsara dancers again. Mmm... They are "everywhere".

Imagine if walking here in the middle of the night.. The only available light source is the moonlight, plus the torchlight. Mmmmm...

More ruins....

Smiling faces are seen everywhere.

*Smile*, You are on Candid Camera ;)

There are faces tower everywhere, which means.. Someone is watching at your steps ;)

How many smiling faces u see in this face tower? Two are visible here, out of four.

The serenity of the smiling faces. Don't you love Bayon and Angkor Thom?

If you are tired at the end of the day after a long walk, u can enjoy the elephant ride back home.

Ta Prohm, Siem Reap

The next temple complex that I visited after Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm, the jungle wat is probably the most atmospheric temple in the entire Angkor temple complex. The trees growing out of the ruins are the distinctive feature of Ta Prohm.

The collapsing inner gopura (entrance) to Ta Prohm. I can't help but to look up at the collapsing gopura while entering the temple compound.

Mini stone carvings or bus reliefs with posture similar of holding the collapsing gopura? :P

The ruins...

The silk cotton tree invading the ruins of the Ta Prohm temple walls

Look at the root of the silk cotton tree. Mother nature is indeed amazing !!!

I'm speechless. The power of mother nature. time I see such a scene... Wow

The strangler fig tree invading the ruins

Bus-Reliefs on the temple wall

These tree roots reminds me of the chicken feet or phoenix claw, especially my beloved tungku kai keok.. Hahahhaha

Massive tree roots intertwine with stone pillars and carvings of the stunning Ta Prohm temple complex.

The photogenic and atmospheric combination of the trees and roots growing out of, and cracking the ruins of the temple complex made it a scenic place for photo shooting. *Smile*

This is indeed an eye opening experience and I love this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Seeing all these gigantic trees and roots engulfing and cracking the temple complex, I had fully experienced the power of mother nature at Ta Prohm. And yeah, those who had watched Tomb Raiders would have seen Ta Prohm as this is one of the shooting location for the movie ;)