Temple Run Day - Siem Reap

Today's post is brought to you by Mrs Pond...

I had been waiting for this day to come, as seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World really excited me. So with anticipation and excitement I headed down to the dining room to join my fellow RHAC Temple Runners! After a sumptuous breakfast of French toast, eggs, bacon, toast and cool pineapple juice, truly a breakfast fit for the likes of Angelina Jolie, we embarked on our Tomb Raider/Temple Run inspired day.

 

We departed the hotel on our little bus at 8am. The temperature was still quite cool (approx. 25 degrees), beautiful clear blue skies and an esky full of ice cold water would set us up for a great day of exploring. Our guide, Mr Phan (Pun) was cheerful and his usual greeting of "Good morning and Good luck" followed by his little eye roll and chuckle reassured us that a day of fun awaited us.

Ten minutes later we arrived at the ticket check point where we all disembarked to have our photo ID ticket made before beginning the Temple tour. Organised chaos is one way of describing the process. Back on the bus, count off, 1,2,3,4 .....19,20 woohoo! All present and accounted for, we were off on the adventure of a lifetime. 

The tour began with a ride on elephant back through the grand South Gate into the last capital of the Khmer empire, the ancient city of Angkor Thom, which is home to the first four destinations on our temple run. We sat like Kings and Queens atop padded seats and royal looking elephant blankets as we swayed or lurched along with the plodding of the elephant. The master of each animal played a leaf whistle as we journeyed and this song certainly added to the ambiance.  

  

Thirty minutes later we reached our first temple - The Bayon Temple. An impressive structure and as with all the temples we visited, was surrounded by a moat. These moats were once filled with crocodiles to ensure the security of the temple area. They now only contain friendly fish. This temple was built 800 years ago by the Buddhist king Jayavarman VII. It took 20 years to build and has incredible carvings of everyday life in Cambodia in the 12th century. Another defining feature of this grand structure are the four sided towers which depict Buddha, Brahma, Siva and Vishnu. Interestingly this king brought together the Hindu and Buddhist followers in the one temple. During 1117 many of the temple's statues were defaced by decapitation and removal of the hands during wars with the invading Muslim people from the east (now known as Vietnam and no longer a Muslim nation). These removed parts were often traded to Thailand and some have been returned to Cambodia and are now displayed in various museums. 

After a few of us posed for nose rub kissing with the Buddha face we continued on foot to the Baphuon temple, which was built 1000 years ago and was an equally impressive structure. This temple had us climbing extremely steep stairs (more like a ladder than stairs) to view the top levels and enjoy the extensive view of the grounds. The temple was commissioned by a Hindu king, Yudityavaraman II, and took 10 years to build. 

Site number three was the Elephant Terraces which were used as training facilities for the armies and also for praying. The carvings on the terrace span 350m consisting of many, many elephants which are considered good luck. 

As the heat of the day intensified the sweat began to drip, then pour off many! Preah Khan was our last stop before our much desired lunch stop. This temple was built by king Jayavarman VII for his father. It took 5 years to build and was completed in 1191.

Ooh the refreshing feel of air-conditioning! Lunch was a delightful three course meal of spring rolls, steamed fish and delicious local fruits and ice-cream. The freshly squeezed juices were also tantalising to the taste buds.

Back on the bus, fizzing coke exploded into my lap - awesome! Hot, sweaty and sticky :(. Lucky Mr Phan to the rescue with some cool water to rinse off.  

After a short ride we reached Angkor Wat built by king Suryavaraman II who reigned from 1113-52. I was quietly thrilled - well maybe not so quietly ...

This structure is massive! It is surrounded by a 190m wide moat and forms a giant rectangle (1.3km x 1.5km). It is hard to put into words my elation at being at this temple. Just to be in a 1000 year old temple and imagine the 100's of 1000's of people in so many eras to pass through this temple is utterly mind blowing, let alone the man power required to create it in the first place. 

All the temples were built using stone blocks transported from Siem Reap over 40km away. No trucks, no cranes just people, elephants and rafts! The enormity of the task is hard to comprehend especially at Angkor Wat. This temple took 40 years to complete. It has five main towers. The central tower is the holy tower and is surrounded by the four corner towers representing the elements, earth, fire, wind and water.  

The ground level of the temple is easily accessible, however, a small group of enthusiasts braved the steep staircase and headed to the upper levels for further temple run style exploration. The wall carvings are in such pristine condition in some parts you would think they were only completed recently.  

After leaving the temple we came across many wild monkeys (just like in Temple Run only these little guys didn't chase us down or attack us) with very cute mohawks - Mikelah thought that her little brother Cooper would have loved their hair style. When we reached the bus we had been swamped by local people trying to sell their wares. Scarves, bracelets, books, postcards all for " $1 - you buy madam, $1 you buy, I give good price, you want bracelet, you want bag...." A shopping experience many of us will not forget.

Our last stop on the Official RHAC Temple Run was the much anticipated Ta Prohm temple which was the site for the movie Tomb Raider. Now this was certainly a temple with a difference. The tree roots that were so interwoven into the architecture looked like giant squid tentacles embracing many walls and doorways. King Jayavarman VII built this temple as a gift for his Mother. It took only five years to complete. Fantastic photo opportunities were around every corner and many in our group showed their inner Angelina, posing for shots that are worthy of Hollywood recognition! The heat at this point was extremely intense. My guess would be that the mercury would have been hovering around the 35+ mark and the humidity somewhere in the 80's. So, it was time to head home to Siem Reap, back on the bus ice cold water awaited us - so thankful for the esky today. 

A sleepy bus ride back to town was followed by a quick swim for some, game of billiards for others and a cold shower for many. 

The evening saw us heading to the Night Market and then a stroll to our dinner restaurant the Sugar Palm. Delicious food, good company and conversations flowed. 

What a day! My favourite so far. Nothing beats the experiences that challenge you both physically and mentally, and today sure ticked those boxes. I feel so very blessed to be able to explore this wonderful world as part of my job. 

KL to Siem Reap

Today's post is brought to you by Miss Clarksmith and Ms Hetherington...

An early start today, as we needed to be dressed, all packed, breakfasted and on the bus by 8.30am ready for our commute in Friday morning traffic (the heaviest traffic day of the week) to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). After five flights of escalators we made it to our check in counter. It was a smooth run through all the airport checks (apart from the man at the check-in counter who was convinced Emma-Jane and Shalea were twins and that Miss Clarksmith had something to hide - hence the pat down searches). In our wing of the airport there were very few people. It was almost eerily quiet, but it turns out this section of the airport is only for short international flights. 

Some of the staff were VERY glad to find some real coffees, brewed by no less than Harrods. The flight to Siem Reap provided the opportunity for some quiet time, reflection, reading and thinking about our week ahead in Cambodia. The flight was brought to an end with a very loud thud as we hit the run way, and some screams followed. A bit like on a roller coaster ride really. Walking off the plane onto the tarmac was quite a shock. There is nothing that could prepare you for the wall of heat, even coming from the heat of Malaysia, or the humidity which was akin to being hit in the face with a wet tea towel. 

Our e visas worked a treat and saved so much time, we were very glad to have them and not stand in the lengthy queues for the regular visas. We were met at the airport by our new guide, Mr Phan and our bus which was decorated in a uniquely Cambodian style with very colourful curtains and had the standard safety feature of all Cambodian vehicles - a loud horn. We all climbed into the bus and our bags were packed into a truck for the ride to our hotel, Prince D'Angkor. The experience of being on the roads in Cambodia was a whole new experience. It appears that any road rules are there as a guide only, and it is really about survival of the fittest (or biggest). There are constant close calls, and lots and lots of driving on the wrong side of the road if other vehicles are not travelling fast enough. Motorbikes are everywhere and it is common to see a whole family travelling on the one bike, all loaded up. Cars too can be packed full of people. Safety does not feel like it is the highest priority in Cambodia and there are many things that present as concerns, that would never be permitted in Australia. Thankfully though, traffic does not move quite as quickly as it does in Australia and this must assist in avoiding accidents. 

We were delighted to walk into our cool hotel which was richly decorated in timber and had spacious rooms. It wasn't long before the whole group was poolside and enjoying a swim, although a tropical thunderstorm caused an early end to this activity. 

A quick trip to the supermarket allowed everyone to stock up on snacks and drinking water and to become acquainted with some of the local delicacies, many of which you would not see in an Australian supermarket. Bananas can only be purchased by the hand (see Mrs Pond if you would like some), prawns individually, if you were happy enough to fish them out of the iced water, and a wide variety of nuts, dried fruit and dried fish. 

Our evening meal was at a local restaurant that showcased both traditional dancing and traditional food. The restaurant seated about forty people and it felt as if the show being staged was just for us.  The dancers wore traditional costumes and were accompanied by musicians playing Cambodian musical instruments. The dancers movements were very delicate and controlled but there was a fair degree of humour in the stories being told in the Peacock, Coconut, Fisherman's and Apsara dances. At the same time we were being served a four course meal that gave us a real taste of the local fare and the delicate combinations of Cambodian flavours. Spring rolls, soup, rice paddy fish wrapped in banana leaves and less traditional slices of citrus and chocolate tart.

Photos from Crab Island and the blue mosque

Departing Port Klang

Our boat, ready to take us to Crab Island

Arriving at Crab Island

Crab Island

Houses on Crab Island

Houses on Crab Island

Local transport - no cars on the island

The markets

Thursday in KL

Today's blog brought to you by Ms Hetherington...

A bit of a sleep in on our fourth day in KL which was great considering our busy schedule so far. Our breakfast has been in the hotel dining room each morning and there have been so many food choices it's difficult to make a decision sometimes (especially for those of us not firing on all cylinders first thing in the morning). The smorgasbord available is probably a good reflection of the traditional food choices available as well as catering to the tourist market. Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and western fare are all on offer. You can have a chef cook you up an omelette or poached eggs or watch as he makes you a noodle soup using a local recipe. Fried rice, rice porridge, tropical fruits, curry or sausages are all available or you could just stick to toast and cereal. Our search for the perfect cup of morning coffee continues however.  

We hit the road about 9:00 for a one hour bus trip to Port Klang to meet our ferry for a half hour trip out to Crab Island or Palau Ketam, so named because of the shape of the island. On the trip we were able to get a bit of an idea about river traffic and some local scenery. The buildings on Crab Island are all on stilts and at the highest tides there would be very little, if any, land visible. It's a fishing village and this is really the only occupation for its 7,000 residents. It was also evident in our luncheon menu - sweet and sour crab, steamed fish, mussels, prawns, fish soup and rice. Yum! We were able to stroll around the village on the boardwalks and saw the neat houses, some local temples and paid an impromptu visit to a preschool when we heard the excited voices of the students as we passed. Not quite sure if the teacher enjoyed our visit as much as the students appeared to. As a contrast to most of Malaysia the dominant religion on Crab Island is Buddhism, reflecting the culture of the Chinese fisherman that have settled there.

As we returned to the hotel we called in at the Blue Mosque, the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere. The mosque can accommodate 24,000 worshippers and was a gift from the Sultan of Selangor to the people of his province in 1988. The mosque takes its name from its blue dome made from aluminium and baked enamel. Most of us were required to don garments that covered our arms, legs and heads before we toured the mosque. Inside it was very spacious and quite an insight to the practices of Islam.  

Our evening was again spent on retail therapy with many of us filing last minute orders for shoes and clothes.

Reflections from our time in Malaysia

During our stay in Malaysia, we have spent time acclimatising, learning about the historical and geographical aspects of the country, experiencing the culture, visiting landmarks, temples, mosques and other significant buildings. Malaysia is an eclectic mix of cultures and religions, stemming from a long history of trade. It is a mix of Malays, Indians, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and British. The numerous influences contribute to a multicultural city, which means there is no one dominant influence in architecture or culture. 

While there was some evidence of poverty, the city itself felt quite affluent. Certainly the dominance of sprawling shopping centres in the city was a notable feature. The Malays are quite friendly and always keen to engage tourists in conversation in the hope that they will purchase whatever it is they are selling. Moving out of the city, particularly our time in Crab Island provided a contrast to this apparent affluence in the city. Although, the people working in the shops are probably paid poorly. 

On our last day in Kuala Lumpur, the students were asked to reflect on what they learnt about themselves over the last week and what they learnt about the first country they have visited. These thoughts are shared below:

Alannah - I'm responsible enough to handle myself in a foreign country and confident enough to talk to strangers. Malaysians are very friendly, and their country is very hot.

Tegan - I've learnt that I don't handle heat well and I have learnt that in Malaysia, their religion is very important to them. 

Zoe - I have learnt that I don't like the heat very much and that I find shops that you can't try things on annoying. I have learnt about Malaysia and have seen how important their religion is to them and how polite people are (minus the people in the markets).

James - l learnt that I really like and enjoy Malaysia and don't mind the heat too much. I have learnt about the history of Malaysia and that it is a very interesting cultural mix (Portuguese, Zheng, He etc)

Jacob - I learnt that in Malaysia the majority of people are Muslim. I have learnt that I don't mind the heat as much as what I had originally thought, 

Serena - I enjoyed the bargaining and markets a lot more than I thought I would and I am more confident when people selling things approach me. The people in Malaysia are quite polite and that they are good at dealing with the heat. They also try really hard to sell you their products. 

Claudia - I've learnt that there are three seasons in Malaysia sunny, rainy and moody. I have learnt that I can manage money well. 

Mackenzie - on this trip I have learnt so far how easy we have life in Australia. It is not as complicated. I think that they are not used to visitors because of the amount of looks we got. I've also learnt that their culture is tied up in their religion.

Sam - I learn that the culture is extremely strict. If you pray at a mosque and you don't have long pants you have to water a robe and take off your shoes. I learnt that it is hard to get a good price unless you bargain. 

Shalea - I have learnt that the people are very nice and helpful. I also learnt that Malaysia is not a rich country like Australia and that the people that live in Malaysia are Muslim or Buddhist. I don't go we'll with the heat and I know now how lucky we are to live in Australia. 

Emma-Jane - I learnt that I can get along well with my sister (don't put that in the blog!). I shop way too much and take for granted being able to choose my own clothes and not have to wear a head scarf. I learnt that Malaysia is a great country with lovely people, most of whom are Muslim although wearing a head scarf in Malaysia is optional. 

Mikelah - I learnt that you can't be quick to judge a place because in the outdoor there is a lot of traffic congestion and warnings about theft and bag snatchers (luckily we didn't experience this!!), once you are sight seeing or in your hotel or shopping, the people are so happy and really nice and helpful. I learnt to accept the different cultures, religions and ways of living and instead of being afraid of it, embrace. 

Photos from our day in Malacca

One of the many decorated trishaws on the streets of Malacca

The ruins of the gates of the fortress La Formosa built in 1511

The walk up to St Paul's church

The remains of St Paul's church - where Francis Xavier was once buried

A busker inside the church

The view (through the smog) from the top of the hill at the ruins of the church out to the harbour

Waiting at the fountain - a tribute to Queen Victoria

With the guard outside the state house

Crossing the canals - walking done the narrow streets of Malacca, a quaint little town

In the Dutch Square, Malacca

Owen on the opium bed in the foyer of our lunch venue

Mikelah and Emma-Jane reflecting the serious expression of the portraits in the foyer

Lunch

The narrow streets of Malacca - sometimes tricky negotiating parked cars, drains, pedestrians and moving cars

Jonker Street, Malacca

Cheng Hoon Teng - the oldest functioning Chinese Temple in Malaysia, founded in 1645

Kuala Lumpur, Day Three

From Serena and Alannah...

After breakfast, we began our two hour journey to the city of Malacca. The bus dropped us off and we prepared ourselves to spend the next few hours in the heat. We started our tour at the old gate which was the only remnants of a fortress which was built in the 1600s. After taking some photos, we walked up a steep hill up to St Paul's Church. There were some buskers providing some music as we walked around looking at the church and at the statue of St Francis Xavier (whose hand had been chopped off due to a falling tree branch!). As we walked back down the hill, we noticed lots of colourful trishaws decorated with flower bouquets. The group took a photo with a security guard and his horse, and also a magnificent water fountain, a tribute to Queen Victoria - the oldest operating fountain in Malaysia.

We then made our way towards the traditional restaurant where we were having lunch. We walked down very narrow streets, negotiating the absence of a footpath and an open drain that ran in front of the shop terraces. The food served at lunch was a sample of local cuisine flavours - delicious! There was honey soy chicken, vegetables in chicken broth, spring rolls, spicy chicken rendang, rice, octopus fried in egg and a noodle dish. For dessert we were served with watermelon, pineapple and rockmelon. The tropical fruit flavours are so rich. 

After filling ourselves with food, we got the chance to walk down some more of the streets and look in some shops. There were many lovely clothes shops and nifty souvenir shops, mixed with traditional dried food, local ice creams, furniture and wood carvings. Again the streets and footpaths were very narrow and quaint. 

On the way back to the bus, we stopped at a Chinese temple which is the oldest functioning Chinese temple in Malaysia. While there we observed many locals coming to bring offerings and also to burn incense. 

We then got on the bus for a two hour drive back to the hotel. On the way back we experienced true Malaysian rain for the first time on the trip. It was completely dry one minute, in the next it was pouring! And about 15 minutes later the rain had subsided. The rain also cleared a lot of the smog that has been thick in the air for the duration of our stay.

In the afternoon everyone took a break before going out to dinner and shops at 6:30. We went to the large shopping centre again, and had a great time! Some rode the roller coaster, others played some games of ten-pin bowling, whilst others shopped. 

Photos from our afternoon at Royal Selangor

Jacob and Jack sporting new hats

Mackenzie, Zoe and James waiting patiently at a toilet stop

Lunch at Royal Selangor - with free wifi!!

A display showcasing some of the pewter crafted by Royal Selangor

A pewter scale model (1:50) of the Twin Towers

A wall of pewter handprints, with Mackenzie, Kirrily, Claudia and Mr Conoulty

What is pewter?

The production area

Creating the 'dimple' effect in a tankard

The school of hard knocks - the flat piece of pewter that was the  starting point for our bowl

Hard at work - it was so incredibly noisy!

Taking shape

Miss Clarksmith - finishing her bowl

The finished product 

Mr Fowler outside the factory