Travelexp 4- Cambodia

This was one trip I will cherish for a long, long time. Very impressed by a lot of things including their simplicity, cleanliness, and heritage. Also the use of U.S. currency everywhere-and an easy visa process.

 Just so you know where it is- Managed to go to Vietnam too, later on..

 Rooted to the camera (above) and nose-touching (below)

 Entering a complex. and posing (below)

 I was not the only one- Angkor Wat (above) and Phnom Penh poser.

 Ok, if there's a garuda around, I have to be seen in his company.

and the last one shows the beauty and the symmetry of Angkor temples once again.

Cambodian Fantasy- Pics

Phnom Penh, near and in Royal Palace. Above, and two pics below.

Standing tall. Angkor.

Apsaras (not kidding, they are called Apsaras) on walls.

Poetry in stone- Angkor Wat temples, Siem Reap -below (with the Missus) and above.

Angkor Wat Temples

Angkor Wat has been on the (bucket) list for a while, and a conference in Phnom Penh provided the opportunity. You can go there straight (and not via Phnom Penh), as the nearby airport is an international one- Siem Reap. The temples are a great place to wander around for a couple of days (with a tuk-tuk to drive you from one temple to another)...a bit like the Hampi-Vijaynagar complex in size. The temples are in worse shape than Hampi, but some are being restored with help from Germany, India and France. Anyway, here are some pics-

 Shot on the go, from tuk-tuk.

The moat around the main temple.

 Three on the rock, and two in front.

 These are Apsaras (celestial nymphs). There is a German project to restore all the Apsaras (!)

 Our tuk-tuk, a contraption with a bike pulling a cart.

 A long shot!

 Walls full of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

 Bayon temple..against a blue, blue, sky.

 Interesting point of entry.

 This one has entangled roots of large trees. Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider was shot around here.

Closer look at the faces.

First Impressions- Cambodia

Just returned from a conference on Emerging markets in Cambodia, Phnom Penh..OK, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. My fist impression is that it's worth a visit. Cambodia's major temple, Ankor Wat, is built in the Hindu style with Brahma type four-headed figures, and Vishnu and Shiva in most places. That's a major attraction, and not located in the capital city-it's at Siem Reap, 300 kms. away. But Phnom Penh is on the banks of two rivers, Mekong and Tonle Sap, and has a lot to offer also.

Peaceful, English-speaking, squeaky clean, and with the US dollar as its major currency for day-to- day dealings as a tourist. Damn convenient. And you can take a tuk-tuk (a tonga with a motorcycle or scooter in front instead of a horse) almost anywhere and bargain, like with the auto-walas in India-what fun!

More photo-essays will come up, but I must say the conference itself was truly multi-cultural. Kenya, Norway, Philippines, Canada, Austria, USA and Slovakia being some of the countries represented. Besides India and Bangla Desh, I mean.