pinaywifespeaks » Places

A Visit to Wat Vihear Sour in Prey Veng

Lui — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:55:59 +0000

Prey Veng is a Cambodian province not usually mentioned in tourist guides, and for some reason places like these appeal more to me. So when my sister-in-law suggested we go there, visit some family friends and also visit Wat Vihear Sour, a well known pagoda, I was all set to tag along. We also heard that in this pagoda, there is one temple that is home to a deity, said to be generous in granting wishes of good luck, wealth and specially fertility. I think this is one of the reasons why my in-laws wanted to make the trip. My younger brother-in-law and his wife have been trying for a baby for some years already and now they wanted to make an offering in that pagoda and ask for help to make their wish come true.

When I heard about this I was mighty curious. I’m not Buddhist but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to learn more or understand more of their beliefs. I always try to keep an open mind about these things and who knows if your wish can be granted. We’ve also been talking about having a second child, with the kiddo very eager to wear her little nurse uniform and be a ‘baby sitter’. Lol. So it wouldn’t hurt if we pray for one while we are there. And besides this reason, drives to Cambodian provinces is always delightful for me. You never know what you’ll see or encounter, aside from the lush, almost undisturbed countryside.

We left about 9 am and the drive was really pleasant. Just under 2 hrs with the roads all new and paved. To say that it was a picturesque drive would be an understatement. Most of the places around Phnom Penh are vast and unpopulated. Most are farmlands. Which makes me realize that Cambodia really has a smaller population compared to other places or perhaps majority are just concentrated on urban areas. Anyway, I’ll let the pics tell my story now…

Wat Vihear Sour has this huge ‘lake’..

This pagoda complex is huge and has several temples you can offer prayers and receive blessings. One can offer food, flowers, incense. In this pagoda you can also get some blessed water and wash your face with it for good luck.

A small temple located a few hundred meters from the big main temple is where the fertility deity is…Here you can make offerings, then a group of clergymen called a’chaa will pray with you. If you are wishing for a child, the a’chaa will bless a small lotus flower and put in the swollen belly of the deity and the girl will ‘pick’ it out of her. The couple would then wipe blessed water on their abdomen, then also drink three times. You will then be given the lotus flower to bring home and once you are home, to soak it in water and take a sip three times.

You can also ask for luck for business etc, by offering any bill and putting it inside the deity’s bag. Then after praying for a short while you can get back the bill and keep it for luck. It’s a pretty interesting ritual to see and I do feel privileged to see, experience and be a part of this. This is a part of Cambodia culture one doesn’t easily experience from your usual tourist places..

Sleepy, Picturesque Kampot City

Lui — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:25:00 +0000

We’ve been to Kampot a year or so before but it was only a passing visit. I didn’t even get to take photos and I had been forever lamenting that little incident and bugging Hi-ace about when we’ll go back there and soak up on the Kampot atmosphere. We finally made the trip three weeks ago during the Water Festival holidays. It was a rather spur of the moment trip with no real itinerary except going to Kep and Kampot and just wandering about. This is a pic heavy post, so be forewarned, it’ll take a bit of time to load up.

Kampot is a leisurely 2-3 hour drive from Phnom Penh. National Road #3 is newly re-built? and is in great shape so the drive is smooth and very very picturesque. I love unspoiled, green landscapes and I was seriously tempted to ask Hi-ace to stop driving and let me get down and take photos but I just had to restrain myself. Lol.

Here’s some gorgeous riverfront snapshots..

Kampot City didn’t disappoint. There something about the place that begs you to just relax and take a stroll. It’s quiet, very sleepy and very relaxing. The city is smallish, but with some interesting old colonial architecture. Were big fans of sleepy towns and almost untouched scenery so we loved Kampot. It’s like finding a sparkling diamond necklace in the wild.

And I could never get enough of taking photos of those pretty old colonial houses. I feel like I’ve stepped into a movie set from a different era…

But of course, there also dashes of modern in Kampot. Like this.. The Millenium Circle. I kinda find it interesting that the city has lots and lots of circles. Hahaha. I think they have the most circles in all Cambodian cities I’ve been to.

And a pretty panorama shot from the riverside during sunset..

It’s just too bad we didn’t make it to Bokor National Park as we were pressed for time. But that will definitely be on our checklist the next time we go to Kampot.

Harry Potter – The Deathly Hallows II @ Legend Cinema

Lui — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:19:04 +0000

Are you a Potter fan? I am. Totally. Madly. My Harry Potter obsession actually started not with the movies but with the books. I remember rushing to National Bookstore in Manila every time a new HP book becomes available. I have all copies in paperback and I also have all books in e-book format. Just so I could read it again and again if the fancy strikes me. Perhaps some might say that is so geeky of me, but I don’t care.

See.. Even my Win7 Theme is all Harry Potter. Hahaha!

Why do I love it so much? Because it transports me to a different world. And whenever I feel like my imagination and creativity is on dead zone, I just read one of these books, and it makes me start imagining. Although I am not as impressed with the movie compared to the books, I still fell headlong into love with the Harry Potter movies as well. Not so because of the CGI effects but more with the actors portraying each role.

My favorite character in the series is Severus Snape. Perhaps I have a penchant for weird characters but I find him incredibly well written, and with a lot of depth. Plus Alan Rickman plays him superbly. From the onset, I always thought Snape must have some connection to Harry. And that there is more to him than simply being a grouch. And the last part of the series proves that. This movie is definitely Snape’s redemption. In the book, I cried buckets when he died and when Harry was walking thorough his childhood memories. While in the movie, it was tad less dramatic, but I was still affected. Yup, that’s how invested I am on Snape’s character. I find it incredibly sad yet happy {yeah conflicting emotions there…} that the last person he sees before he dies is Harry…The last words he uttered is just sooo poignant…”You have your mother’s eyes…” Sigh.

I’m thinking of reviewing the movie Deathly Hallows I and II but I’ll be posting it on my other blog – Unfiltered Musings. I think this is something much more nicer than just blabbing on about raypak heat pump at PoolSupplyUnlimited.com, don’t you agree?

Anyway, for Potter fans Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I and II is now showing at Legend Cinemas {City Mall}. Do catch it. Part II has a 3D release and I attended the advance media screening, it was superb. Check out the screening schedules in their website. Also, Legend Cinemas has a pretty fun and interactive Facebook Fan Page so do visit and who knows you might just get some freebies from hanging out there.

Fun, Fun Fun @ Legend Cinema

Lui — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 03:56:23 +0000

Duh?! If my youngest brother would read this he would probably laugh his head off and ask uh? why are you writing about a cinema? He is my worst critic you know. And he would definitely say, cinemas are so common place and perhaps I’m running out of blog topics. Hmmp, as if! A cinema is a big deal. Period. For me and I think for the rest of Phnom Penh. Why? Because after three years of living here without Hollywood movies on big screen…well..you sort of miss it. And celebrate the day, a bonafide cinema opens. Complete with the frills {the popcorn!!!} and real, not pirated Hollywood movies.

I’m a movie rat. Ever since I was in high school, I love going to the movies. At the height of my movie addiction I go to watch a movie at least twice a week. I was lucky coz when I was living in Manila, our house was just across a mall with an 8 hall cinema. So I guess you can imagine my dismay when we moved here and discovered the only cinemas around were the ones showing Khmer horror movies. So that left me hounding the DVD shops in the markets for the latest movies. But the experience is not the same, and yeah, it kinda needles that I’m watching a pirated film. This is really enough for me to think that I was living under a rock.

When I heard that a cinema was opening in City Mall here in Phnom Penh, my reaction was, ‘Are you for real?!’ Then a friend said, yes, its for real. Cue for a happy dance from me. Hehehe. Legend Cinema is located at the 3rd floor {right beside the food court} of City Mall, Monireth St., Sangkat Veal Vong, Khan 7 Makara, Phnom Penh. A friend and I got an invite for the media screening of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and you guessed right! We were giddy with excitement, {you know not just because we’ll be seeing James Franco on big screen..although that’s a great incentive}, but we get to experience the the latest talk of the town.

And I was surely in for a pleasant surprise. Here’s what I liked:

Well lit and well appointed lobby.
Lounge seats for those waiting for their screening to start.
No long queues. {or perhaps we went during the early part of the day? and it was weekday?}
Friendly and accommodating cashiers.
Affordable snacks although the choices are a bit limited. But the caramel popcorn was yummy {it even deserves a post of its own, sigh!}
Clean screening hall.
Well groomed ushers – I actually thought I was seeing Matrix doubles when I saw their uniforms. Hahaha. But they do look nice.
Good sound proofing.
Seats were comfy.
Sound quality was superb.
And the movie was great!
And oh, they have 2D and 3D Screenings and also several types of seats you can choose from.

There are a couple of things I was disappointed with, but these are minor and I know that Legend Cinemas has been operating for just a month or so, so I think they are still ironing out the kinks and checking out what works or not. But overall, it was a great experience. One that would probably turn into an addiction for me hahaha.. To Legend Cinemas, you guys rock! Thanks for bringing Hollywood to Phnom Penh and do keep on improving.

the huge popcorn…called Fluffy. Just so you know, I didn’t eat this alone. I shared with a friend. Honest. You can ask Sreisaat.

Learn more about Legend Cinemas, visit their Facebook Page or check out their website – www.Legend-Cinemas.com. If you, dear readers, are itching to have your fill of Hollywood movies, or you just need some R&R and sometime with your family, a visit to Legend Cinemas is one activity I would really recommend.

Cambodia Snapshots: Preah Vihear Temple

Lui — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:16:36 +0000

Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn more about Preah Vihear here.

I was supposed to post this last weekend since my Cambodia Snapshots is scheduled every Saturday and Sunday. But I was out of the house and gallivanting about Phnom Penh so I missed this. It has been awhile since I posted some photos of Cambodia but I’m back in business. Lol. My files are all in a jumble coz I’m moving out of blogging from my good ole desktop {she has been sequestered by the Kiddo..:( } and now I’m blogging from my laptop and moving is as disorganized as only me can get, so I’m still trying to get my bearings.

So what’s the featured snapshot for today? The famed Preah Vihear temples. Shot courtesy of my husband who went there last year. I’m making it my goal to visit the place at least before I turn 35. Serious. The idea of that long winding climb on top of a 4×4 pick up intrigues me and of course, this beautiful and controversial temple is a must see..

Phnom Penh Sunset River Boat Cruise

Lui — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:12:42 +0000

Phnom Penh is such a laid back city. The pace of life is not crazy fast, and you can still actually enjoy walks in the parks, badminton on a side street, group calisthenics along the river side. It’s one of the things that I really love here. That you can enjoy free and simple things. I won’t be surprised when one day I might just be in my sport shoes and jumping/dancing with a group to whatever tune those boom boxes in some corner is playing. Lol.

river boats for rent…

Lately, when we don’t have have much to do we usually end up taking a lazy river boat cruise. These cruises are available at sun down about 5:00 pm and leaves every 30 minutes with the last boat at 7-8pm. We usually pay 5000 Riels {$1.25} and 2000 Riels for kiddo per ride. Expect to pay a little bit more if you’re a foreigner {about $2.} The cruise usually takes about an hour and is a wonderful spot for sunset watching. If you want your own boat you can rent one at the same place {along Sisowath Quay, beside Bopha Titanic Restaurant}. Bargain hard. Prices depends on how long you want to rent the boat. But average prices are from $20-$30 for two-three hours.

Here’s some photos from a recent boat cruise..

@the boat top deck..waiting for some more cruisers..

Royal Palace and riverfront…

fiery sunset..

floating houses..

lovely sunset..

Oh, someone mailed me asking about the photo effects on some of my photos. I usually like making my photos Black & White, Sepia or the Miniature Model Effect {tuts here and here}. My current favorite though is the Seventies look. For some reason, the lonely, old 70′s look appeals to me. You can check out Pioneer Woman for some Photoshop actions to get these effect much easier.

Save Big @ Used Office Furnitures

Lui — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:34:26 +0000

Here’s another second hand store here in Phnom Penh we chanced upon two weeks ago. We were going to the airport when we saw this. We usually pass by Schola Rd coz well, its less traffic and comes out almost near the airport already. So on the way back we checked out the store. It’s called Used Office Furniture, and they sell… tada! used office furnitures!

I was really pleased to see their items are really of very good condition. And they also take good care of them, most of them are wrapped in plastic or bubble wrap. They have office chairs, stools, ‘bar’ stools, office filing cabinets, and a lot of office desks. Most of the items are priced at below 50% of the brand new prices.

A few weeks ago, I canvassed for an office chair {the one that an turn about, adjustable etc} and I was quoted the price of $70. I saw a similar one in Used Office Furniture and its in top condition almost never used, and they are selling it for $35. I’m sure this price is still negotiable.

Used Office Furniture – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Schola Road {or St. 2004)

012 – 950-472 | 099- 693 -760

Food Trip Friday #42: Not Your Usual Pizza + More

Lui — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:00:26 +0000

I guess swimming non-stop for a few hours can make one go really hungry. This was last Saturday’s snack. I wasn’t really planning on eating a snack since we were supposed to have a shark’s fin soup dinner later on but the Kiddo wanted a hamburger and my tummy was growling too.

So we walked to resto’s lining Tola St. in Sihanoukville and settled on Happy Herbs Pizza. I wanted to try the SHV counterpart, Phnom Penhites are familiar with the Happy Herbs Pizza Phnom Penh, I’m sure. I like the pizza here, they have big servings and lots of choices. This time we tried out Happy Herbs Pizza Sihanoukville and ordered their ‘Happy Chef Pizza’ coz I didn’t want any meat or much toppings. Medium size was big, actually good enough for 3 I think, but hubby and I ate it by our lonesome. Burp!

yummy but not too heavy..

Kiddo was quite happy with her meal too. Chicken Burger and Fries + Creamy Chocolate Shake.

Beach Weekend..

Lui — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:17:18 +0000

Something spontaneous. That’s how hubby plans his trips so this is no longer a surprise. Last week he just came up with the idea of going to the beach coz Phnom Penh is too hot. So okay, we packed some swimming gear, called our usual hotel for a bungalow and set off early Saturday. We usually take Capitol Bus (near Orussey Market), RT to Sihanoukville costs just about 30,000 Riels (about $8). We left around 7:15 am, stopped one time somewhere in between for some snacks, and before 12 noon we were already settling in nicely at our hotel.

Orchidee.. Popular with expats. Good value hotel, really friendly service and just a few hundred meters from the beach and dining options, and yes they do have a lot of orchids..

a major reason why we always book with Orchidee.. the pool!

After a quick lunch, the kiddo was all excited to swim already so we just walked over to nearby Ochheuteal Beach. This beach is really popular and could get really crowded but I prefer swimming here as the water is shallow, the sand oh-so-fine and there are lots of seaside bars you can order drinks from. I plopped down on one cushioned recliner (rent it for just a dollar) with a huge shady umbrella while the kiddo and hubby frolicked in the waves.

seaside bars..

a stretch of the beach…

I was not yet even seated for 5 minutes and a couple of beach vendors began asking me to buy this and that. This used to annoy me but I learned that a firm NO they can easily understand. But I gave in to one lady asking if I wanted to clean my toe nails. I haven’t had a pedicure for ages so I said yes. So I got a little foot pedicure complete with scrub.

the pedicure lady…and she favors multi-colored nails!

the bead girl I had fun talking with..

A child sauntered near and asked me to buy some of her beads jewelry, I said no, but I can’t help but engage her in a conversation. She’s 12, goes to school in the morning, afternoon she spends her time selling accessories on the beach and also she said she practices her English with barangs and in the evenings she does her homework. I had a really interesting conversation with her and I found it admirable she speaks an almost perfect English.

After a few hours of swimming, we had to drag kiddo out of the water lol! and went back to the hotel, but I guess the few hours swimming wasn’t enough for her coz she went right into the swimming pool for another hour. Then we had a quick snack of pizza then met up with hubby’s colleagues for dinner.

We got up early the next day. Had our free breakfast buffet and headed over to where else but the beach again. This is the best time for me to swim, early morning till about 8 or 9 am. Then we moved to the pool.. Then it was time for lunch, I was too exhausted I just opted to have a tuna sandwich. Then it was time to head back to Phnom Penh. Hmmm, I wonder I feel so tired but relaxed at the same time..

too much swimming and this happens… hehe that’s the kiddo playing around.

Capitol Tours

14AEo, Street 182

beside Capitol Guesthouse

+(855) (0)23-217627

Orchidee Guesthouse

#23 Tola St Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville

+(855) (0) 34 933 639 | +(855) (0)12 380 300

www.orchidee-guesthouse.com

email: orchidee@camintel.com

A Budget-Friendly Khmer Buffet

Lui — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:45:57 +0000

Been meaning to post this last week but its keeps escaping me. Had the photos taken with the other camera and lazy butt me wouldn’t budge from the seat and look for the cable to transfer the photos. So here’s the post, almost three weeks late lol!

Before New Year’s, Hi-ace, me, Chinks and his work friends went to have buffet dinner in The Spoon located in St. 122 (It’s very near Russian Blvd). I was thinking why do we need to travel so far (we live near Russian Market) and had to drive a good 20 minutes when there were so many restaurants much nearer. It turned out his friends picked The Spoon because of their buffet. All Khmer food.

The restaurant actually has two areas, downstairs with the entrance right at the main street and offers an a la carte menu with Khmer and international choices. The buffet lunch and dinner is on the second floor with the entrance on the side (with a huge signage -Buffet Corner – so you won’t get lost anyway).

The buffet area has a pretty good ambiance, upholstered roomy chairs, freezing aircon , and I like the dividers placed between each table for more privacy and there are also small private rooms for parties.

The food: Khmer and a good selection. They have about 15 viands, Fried and Plain rice, free coffee and tea, fruits for dessert. They have free water for drinking, but if you want other drinks then you have to order separately. With all that food, I was beginning to wonder if do weight loss supplements work?

All of that costs only $4 per person, that’s why I’m calling it budget friendly. There are a lot of buffets in the city at similar prices but with less choices as The Spoon. I would definitely recommend this, especially if you’re on diet hahaha coz Khmer food is more on vegetables and more vegetables. There weren’t much meat in the selections except for chicken. And even the fried rolls were made of taro and other veggies.

my plate: salad, taro rolls, fried fish and egg, cucumbers..of course, I didn’t eat just this. Shhh, I went back a couple of times, if you must know.

Next time you wanna try out Khmer food, this is one way of sampling a lot of them at a low and affordable price.

Wordless Wednesday 13: Lamp Shop

Lui — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:23:29 +0000

This photo makes me dizzy A Lamp Shop in Tuol Tompong (Russian Market), Phnom Penh Cambodia

Angkor Wat Temples – Small Tour

Lui — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:42:41 +0000

I’m calling it the small tour coz we covered only the top temples, the ‘must sees’ for any new visitor to Angkor Wat. We only had a day to do it hence the small tour choice. It was also scorching hot, so we just picked the one’s conveniently located near each other so we won’t have a hard time especially since my 7 year old daughter was with us.

Moat surrounding Angkor Wat..

The Angkor Archeological Park is located a few kilometers from Siem Reap city. The first time I went there I thought the temples were close together but I was surprised to learn that the park actually covers a huge huge area with hundreds of temples dotted everywhere. Visitors either go by hired cars, some by bikes and more popularly by tuk-tuks. We made arrangements for our tuk-tuk for the day. Costs $15 for the whole day and we could take him anywhere except Banteay Srei and other far flung temples. We did not hire any guide since Hi-ace was with us anyway, and I had a guidebook in hand.

Road to Angkor Thom

We left early. A little past 6 we were already on the way. We missed out on the sunrise since Chinks was difficult to wake up and I didn’t have the heart to drag her while she was still sleepy. We decided to do this route:

Morning: Angkor Thom Gate, The Bayon Temples, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King, Ta Phrom, Banteay Kdei. Afternoon: Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakheng.

Angkor Thom Gate

At around 11 am it was already scorching hot so we decided to drive back to Siem Reap. Had a leisurely lunch in Pub Street, then we went back to the hotel for a quick swim and nap. Then at around 3:30 pm we were back exploring Angkor Wat and after that we were just on time for watching the sunset in Phnom Bakheng..

Bayon Temple

I’ve been to these temples several times already, but still it never ceases to keep me awestruck! Amazing, just amazing. I guess no matter how much I try, my descriptions won’t do all this grandeur justice, so I’ll just let photos tell my story..

Terrace of the Leper King

Baphuon Temple

Terrace of the Elephants

Ta Phrom Temple

Banteay Kdei

Angkor Wat

Phnom Bakheng..

More Photos? Check out my Photo Gallery page.

Technorati Tags: Cambodia,Siem Reap Cambodia,Angkor Wat,Angkor Wat Cambodia,Bayon Temples,Cambodia places,Cambodia Travel

Wordless Wednesday 09: That Red Building in Phnom Penh..

Lui — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:53:05 +0000

The National Museum of Cambodia located in Phnom Penh. Definitely one red landmark and a must visit!

A Bit of Siem Reap City..

Lui — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:26:47 +0000

I’ve finally gotten around to posting this! You see I find it so easy to string words together for a post but whew! editing pictures is a lot of work for me. I download photos from my camera by batches and more often than not I get too overwhelmed by the volume of photos I need to edit. I don’t take the best photos so all needs a bit of cropping, adjusting brightness etc and I also need to compress it to save on my server space and for fast loading..

Khmer Traditional Puppets on display at the Old Market

And a blog post without much photo for me is just bleh! Anyway, last May we took advantage of the few days holiday to bring Ouwie to Siem Reap. We had been wanting to do this but Siem Reap always takes the back seat whenever we hie off somewhere for the weekend.I’ll be dividing this into two parts, this first part will be all about Siem Reap City and the next one will be all on the Angkor Wat temples..

Alley St..Boutiques, galleries, restaurants, bars..

We left Phnom Penh early by bus. We find this a lot more convenient to go around as there’s plenty of bus services and its very affordable too. The trip was uneventful, the road in excellent condition and at around 1 pm we were already in Siem Reap. The hotel I booked has a free pick up service so it was an added convenience.

I love Siem Reap, not just the temples but the city itself. And Ouwie aptly described Siem Reap as ‘cozy’ and friendly place. I love those quaint little souvenir shops, almost endless rows of restaurants and bars, and of course, galleries, galleries and more galleries. Those who travel with me knows, I could just walk the whole day soaking up the atmosphere of the place, and I would appreciate it all the more if there are galleries and craft shops.

That’s actually what we did the whole afternoon after we got there. Once we checked in the hotel, we picked one that is close to the Old Market so everything was just a short walk away, we just wandered about different shops, eateries..

Check out more photos at my Photo Gallery page..

Technorati Tags: Cambodia,Siem Reap,Siem Reap Cambodia,Cambodia Places,Cambodia Travel

Laugh-Inducing Fish Massage in Siem Reap

Lui — Sat, 29 May 2010 04:00:52 +0000

I heard about this countless times before and I swore I won’t give it a try. But on our first day in Siem Reap, I jumped ahead and gave it a try. That should say something about my conviction eh?

I hope you understood at least a little of the above signage..

I was just so curious as to why this became a popular thing in Siem Reap and I was filled with pity with those little fishes begging to have some dead skin out of my feet. Looking at my unkempt feet gave me the last prompt to give this ‘fish massage’ a try.

And besides the signage says if the fish cannot make me happy I won’t be charged and I’ve also managed to convince Hi-ace to join me. Hehe..This has got to be one of the most unique experiences I had..

They are so hungry..

First, I had my feet washed with warm water, then toweled dry. Then, its time to submerge my feet on the water and feed those fishes. The fishes looked so hungry and fierce that for a minute I got scared. Hi-ace telling me that the fish will probably eat the meat off my feet bones was not helping either, but it’s not like were violating the gulf coast jones act, so I just closed my eyes and plunged my feet in.

please just ignore my humongous feet..

hi-ace’s feet.. Why does it look better than mine? ugh!

Then I screamed! God, it was so ticklish.. Not painful. More like a thousand fingers tickling your feet. I couldn’t help but laugh like crazy the whole time.

Definitely a recommended and unique experience. Of course, the dead skin is still there. But at least for 20 minutes I could laugh my heart out. And oh! they also give out free drinks =). Chinks got so jealous of us laughing like that so the next day she gave had her own tickle fest too..

Chinks.. she’s complaining why there’s less fish eating her dead skin..

There is No Use Having Regrets…

Shopping in Phnom Penh: Boeng Keng Kang Market

Lui — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:43:28 +0000

Just a quick aside~~~~~

I’ve just been back from a few hours of coffee and girl talk with some really cool friends I have here in Phnom Penh – the Peluka Sisters. Thanks J, C, Z and E! Just some time spent with them (I call it my decompression time..) is really enough to rev me up, so now I’m blogging like mad.

One of our fave places to shop here is the Boeung Keng Kang Market located where else but the Boeung Keng Kang area also well-known as the NGO quarters. So what’s in BKK that got us hooked? Aside from the usual wet goodies, some clothing stores, there’s a lot of second-hand stuff you can find in BKK.

a typical store in the market..

A few weeks ago, I was having some blogging/writer’s block from trying to research mesothelioma survival rate with no apparent success so I dragged Hi-ace there because I was looking for a belt that would go with a black turtle neck dress I found in another thrift shop. Of course, BKK did not disappoint. I found this…Only 6000 Riels ($1.5)

my belt!

Second-hand belts galore

Second-hand brand-name bags

And of course,there’s more. Second-hand men’s shoes. If you’re lucky you can even get pricey brands at super low prices. Hi-ace found an Esquire men’s shoe that fit him (which rarely happens) and he’s seriously in seventh heaven with it!

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Men’s shoes..

Second-hand ladies shoes

And one of my favorite things to look for here..Rugs, carpets, bedsheets, comforters, pillowcases, toilet seat covers, towels, curtains etc..Jeans, shorts, polo shirts are right next to the rows selling second-hand shoes. You can also find some second-hand clothes in makeshift tents outside the market.

Relaxing Kep Cambodia

Lui — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:35:36 +0000

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Kep, Cambodia that I didn’t stop bugging Hi-ace to go there. He’s usually always so busy and we could only go somewhere when there is a holiday, so the Labor Day was our ‘Kep’ time. I promised myself I’d eat a lot of seafoods and really take advantage of the time to de-stress.

We just took the bus going to Kampot which passes by Kep. Travel was pretty straightforward and quick. We left around 7:30 am and before lunch time we were already in Kep. My first impressions of the place, it was soooo quiet and so unlike other Cambodian towns where you’ll be confused by gazillions of moto’s, in Kep the streets were wide and almost devoid of any traffic. I was still on the bus but I already had the feeling it was going to be a super relaxing holiday, just what I needed.

We stayed at Kep Lodge, a quaint little place about 700 hundred meters from the main road, with airy bungalows nestled among the greens and a really nice view of the Gulf. A plus was the infinity pool which Chinks enjoyed to the fullest. Me? I just loved the hammock on the bungalow’s veranda. Perfect for lazing around.The lodge also has a restaurant with friendly and attentive staff, with lots of books you can borrow, no foosball tables here but the billiard table was great and the bar serving a good variety of drinks and cocktails.

There’s not much in terms of entertainment in Kep. So if you’re in the mood for a wild party best head over to Sihanoukville, coz Kep is really a place to relax, be lazy, enjoy nature and of course, seafoods.It’s quiet, serene and it reminds me so much of our place in Bicol. No wonder this place is where the Khmer elite used to vacation before the Khmer Rouge years.

Yes! Seafoods! You can either go to the seaside shacks fronting the provincial capitol building, or those lining the road in front of Kep Beach. The staff in Kep Lodge gave us a map of places to go in Kep, and they also recommended we dine at the Crab Market. And that’s what we did for the next two days, eat a lot of seafoods. If in you’re eating there try KimLy Restaurant and Kep Thmei Restaurants.

It was a really, really lazy and relaxing weekend and for sure well be going back there sometime soon. I’ll be uploading more photos once I get a hold of the copies coz my desktop has been acting up..

Food Trip Friday 09: Seafood Lunch, Kep Crab Market

Lui — Fri, 07 May 2010 02:17:45 +0000

One of the reasons I wanted to visit Kep was Seafoods! And it didn’t disappoint. It may be a little bit pricier than in Sihanoukville, but the food was definitely worth it! We got there around lunch time, the receptionist at Kep Lodge gave us a map and recommended we have our lunch at the Crab Market. These are all shacks cum restaurants lining a portion of the beach.

Since it was on lunch hour, almost all restos were jampacked and I we were already starving. We settled on the not-so-crowded Kep Thmey Restaurant. Hi-ace wondered if the food will be any good coz how come this was the only one not full. But whatever, we were hungry so we ordered..

Ever tried fried crab? My first time and it was sooooo good! This was one of those few times that I felt the urgent need to eat without spoon or fork! Fresh crabs were stir fried with vermicelli, a bit of chili sauce, and topped with peanuts and spring onions. Truly yummilicious.. That’s one Khmer cuisine trademark, adding peanuts to dishes, it adds a lot of flavor and crunch..

Deep Fried Fish. I forgot to take a photo of the sauce. But this one was good too.

Prawn Soup with Mint..Made me sweat but it was really good too..

And we got free pineapple slices too.

We also finished off a big pot of rice. Even Chinks (who loathes getting her hands dirty when eating) ate with her hands lol! Total bill? 83000 Riels about $21.

Wordless Wednesday 05: Sompiah

Lui — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:58:44 +0000

A cute statue making the traditional Cambodian greeting called the ‘sompiah’ and welcoming guests in Kep Lodge, Kep Cambodia.

In Sihaoukville: Lunch with Reptiles..

Lui — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:28:09 +0000

On the last day of our Sihanoukville trip, we dropped by The Snake House. My friend Netcy, have heard about this place and that it has a mini-zoo and we wanted the kids to see it.

The Snake House was built by a Russian biologist and we were surprised to find a really lush forest-like place with a unique theme restaurant, a collection of birds, fishes, crocodiles and of course, reptiles specially snakes. Of course, the kids had a blast looking at the different snakes (and thankfully they were all in secure glass terrariums..) if not you can imagine me hyperventilating all the way..

I’m not posting most of the photos of the snakes here as I know some of you might be a little queasy about it, but those who want to see the pictures, go check my PHOTOS page and browse the album Sihanoukville 2010. It was a really interesting place, specially when I saw these dining tables with terrariums in the middle and what else but snakes inside.

Hmm, I know that is an interesting concept but somehow staring at the writhing snake while I’m munching on my dinner is a little off for me. For sure I won’t be needing any nuphedragen to control my appetite if I ever eat on this table. I would definitely be busy looking at that snake..Luckily there are still a lot of other seating options you can choose inside the restaurant.

And I just love this beautiful aquarium with lots of fishes and stunning lighting that also serves as a bar. We settled on sitting near this aquarium and I diligently stared at those nice display of corals with a another small aquarium with a turtle inside and tried to forget that there were snakes on the other part of the restaurant.

And you know what, I managed to eat, a lot actually! The food is not bad, a bit pricier than other Sihanoukville restaurants but with that unique atmosphere and things to see, it was worth visiting. This one is definitely going to ‘unique places’ I’ve visited.

Snake House is located near Victory Beach, Sihanoukville Cambodia. They also have cottages you can rent in very elegant Khmer design and at good prices too. Check out their website – www.snakehouse.org.

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