Phnom Penh, Cambodia - 17 Apr 07

Halo! The Capital of Cambodia!

i woke up at 4.30am and left Singapore with Jetstar flight at 7am. Arrrived a Phnom Penh at 8am (time in Cambodia is one hour behind of time in Singapore). What i could said is, hot hot hot.

i took the motocycle taxi from airport to Capitol Gueshouse 3. i was wearing my Laos skirt and yogi loose blouse. Then i found that, people on the road was staring at me. So i noticed that, women is expected to sit side way on the motorbike. It is 'únsighful' to sit with both legs open, especially when you are wearing a skirt! The women here also wear in a very western way, probably just more covered, long pant or T shirt. So i looked really really foregin then. But with my small eyes, i guess nobody will think i am local too. So it doesn't matter.

Phnom Penh is basically very modern now. She has a few modern shopping centres and many foreign cuisine! My friend , Frankie, who has been working here for 10 years surprised me even more by telling me that, there is one huge casino and more than 30 electronics casino/game centre in such a small place like this! i saw some very majestic and huge houses near the Independant Monument. So i could say that, like Laos, Cambodia has as very big gap of poor and rich. Probably this is just true at every where in the world!

I first visited to National Museum. They charge a USD 1 for camera, but you could only take picture at the garden. So i think this is a waste of money. Bacause i have been to Angkor Wat, this made the exhibits in the museum sounds more meaningful to me. (Don't expect any great explainations in the museum, but you can get a guide if you want to.) The garden was really beautiful, since i paid for taking photos as well, so i took quite a few!

After that, i tried to look for a vege restaurant. After almost half an hour walking under the hot sun, then i found the place but it was closed! XYZ$^*)(_&
i went to the restaurant beside of the vege restaurant then. i told them in English that i wanted some rice without meat. But later i found that, actually in Phnom Penh, Chinese is more useful than English. Many businesses are ran by Chinese and even the Khmer can speak a few Chinese words. Then, i started to talk to the local in Chinese first rather than English.

i was a bit regret for not purchased the USD 2 camera fees for loyal palace and silver pagoda. Even though you couldn't take photo inside of the building, but the outside looked so nice that it was a waste for not taking picture. Of course i could just take picture like that, since nobody is checking inside to see whether you have bought the camera ticket. But i did not want to be dishonest! So i did not take any pictures (now i think that, may be i am a bit silly. I could always take and pay later! A lesson lernt). It was interesting that, the weather is so hot that even the birds were bathing in the pool of water!

Wat Phnom was a bit far from the town central, but i have managed to walk there as well. This is also the last destination that i walk to. Subsequently, i took only motorcycle taxi. The temple was very very 'smoky'with incense. I did not pay the 'çompulsory'donation of USD 1. Instead, i used the money to do liberation of 2 birds. Then i gave 500 Riel to a landmind beggar.

The last desitnation of the day was central market. It looked like an old Russian kind of railway station to me. It was around 5pm when i was there and most stall has closed. i bought my breakfast for tomorrow there, a dragon fruits and an orange for just 4000R. The other garment stall doesn't interest me though.

Frankie drives. So he drove me around the city area. It was interesting because i normally missed the night scene when i am traveling abroad. Further more, Ah Khoon keep saying it is dangerous to go out at night, so i better don't do so. We passed by the Casino, many shopping malls, some kind of local fun fair , night market selling roasted insects ....

I was really tired when i got back to guest house. But i took an hour to bath and do other 'body maintenance! This is record 'breaking to me! But i really don't want to fall sick or got any health problem, so it is important to apply body lotion, face toner, foot gel ...

* When i woke up in the morning, my body was sticky. i did not sure it is because of all the lotion that i applied or because of my sweat!

MONEY MATTER AND LOGISTIC:

1.) Transport:
- Jetstar Singapore - PP : SGD 139
- Taxi to Changi Airport: SGD 24
- Motocycle to guest house: USD 2
- Motocycle from Wat Phnom to Central Market: 1000R
- Motorcycle From Central Market to river side - 2000R
- Motorcycle from river side to Olympic Stadium - USD 1 + 1000R (i was charged double for this, but due to New Year, i don't care much for just a few cent. The driver gave me a name card and asked me to contact him if i need any further transportation service, but why should i? i don't feel angry doesnt mean i like to be cheated. :)

2.) Food n Water: SGD2 + USD 3 + 7500R

3.) Entrance fees for sigh seeing (including donation): USD 8 + 2000R

4.) Accommodation: Capitol GH - Fan, attached bathroom, clean, small but quiet USD 4

5.) Internet: 2000R/ hour

OTHERS:
1.) Taxi (car or motorcycle) from airport to town: The car counter is at the right side right after you come out from the main entrance. It is more expensive, at USD 5. Don't worry if you want a cheaper option. What you need to do is just to stand there and some motorcyclist will approach you. It will cost you USD 2.



The National Museum of Cambodia. There are many beautiful sculptures from different era.



It was just one week after Cambodian New Year. There was some kind of celebration just out side of the Royal Palace.

Singapore, 15 Apr 07

Chijmes is one of my favorite places in Singapore.
It used to be a school but it now houses bars and restaurants.
(Must be quite sad to the previous students though.)
It has a beautiful yard and very good dinning ambient, but is expensive.



I always like this kind of colonial time buildings.
You can find many in Penang but in Singapore, many of these buildings have been renovated and converted into some kind of expensive shop or bar or restaurant.



This is the shrine hall of an Amernenian Church.
There is a cementry in the church compound. It took some pictures but somehow accidentally deleted them when i cleared my memory card.
I like those statues in the cementry. They gave the grave yard a kind of very peaceful and holy ambient.



One of the buildings of Singapore Management University.
It is proudly situated in the city area and if i am not mistaken, all school buildings are connected underground.



Clarke Quay is looking very nice after the renovation.
This fountain looks a bit like the one at Parco Bugis Juction.
Again, i like those old buildings.



One of the bar.
Some bar serve a kind of smoke. It has a mouth and a long tube.
I don't know what exactly it is called, but i saw the similar kind of smoking apparatus at some bars near Raffles Place too.
i am not a smoker, so this thing is not an attraction to me.
But somehow, i think public sharing the mouth of the tube is very very dirty and unhygient.



The roof changes from one color to the other.
When we passed by Boat Quay later, we could easily noticed that, the business here is very much affected by all attractions at the Clarke Quay now.
When you walk pass each bar or restaurant, the waitress/waiter will somehow ask whether you want to take a drink or eat something.

Tekek, Tioman (Day 3) - 12 Apr 2007

i graduated!
i am now a NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver.

* Sorry to Abect, my dive instructor, though. i put his photo here without consent. But i really wanted to have my graduation photos here!



The seaview looking from the dive centre.



Tekek Jetty. People were busying loading and unloading the goods from the ferry.



This is one of the resort/dive centre/restaurant at ABC village.



Salang Village. The chalets on the hill really looked nice in the picture.



Renggis Island. This was where i did my last dive before i left and saw the sharks. Last time, we saw turtles here.



My dive mate is very kind to send me some underwater photos for the dive at Renggis.
So, this is me with fishes swimming around.
More of the underwater photos can be seen at his blog:
http://sun.ap.teacup.com/alamshah/
http://www.geocities.jp/kuantannih/



We saw this blue spotted sting ray.



You won't miss to see clown fish! This is something 'die-die-sure-can-see" for every dive trips.



i was taking picture for whatever... (i couldn't recall now).
i brought a manual underwater camera.



Mersing street, near to the jetty.



EXTRACTED FROM MY DIARY

Time to leave.
i woke up late at 8.30am due to the late night yesterday. i took a quick breakfast and then started to have my photo sessions with staff in the dive centre.
One last dive before i am off and completed my course. The certification card will be sent to my address later and i guess i need to photocopy my dive certificate for my up coming dive at Vietnam then. (i planned to dive at Nha Trang)
The last dive at Renggis was good. A beautiful closing to my trip with the sighting of 3 blacktip sharks and a giant groupe. The visibility was the best in the past 3 days but no current, too bad. I was looking forward to a drift dive. A Japanese who dived with me offered to send me some underwater photos, so at least i would get other than the 'dried' photos.

i hope i will see more Asian single traveler like me, but it was really unfortunate that, i did not even see one Japanese single traveler. Probably this is why i always end up to hang out with some foreigners, as there are not many crazy Asian woman would do what i am doing.

Initially, i planned to leave at 2pm. But Akemi said, there is no ferry at this time, so i better leave with the ferry at 12.30pm. It was almost 12pm by then, so i took a quick lunch, bid farewell with them and Akemi sent me to the jetty using her motorbike.

As usual, the ferry was delayed. It was there at Tekek Jetty at 1.30pm. Then went here and there to drop and pick up passengers, so by only 3pm then we really headed to Mersing. With this, we got to Mersing at almost 4 hours later by 4.15pm.

It was embarrased that, i somehow put my ferry ticket in my pocket and i couldn't find it later. i almost emptied my pockets and sling bag, but couldn't find it. The ferry staff was waiting for me while everyone were staring at me. Then finally someone saw my ticket on the floor. Phew... Or else i would need to buy another one. Lesson learnt, always keep whatever ticket or receipt properly.

i learnt another lesson from this mini trip. i really should avoid wearing short or small T shirt during my long trip. This small shirt was barely covered my money belt so i had to wear my money belt inside of my pant! It could be really inconvenient if i wanted to ge something like my passport from there.

The whole journey from Tioman to Singapore took me 9 hours! i left for Tekek Jetty at 12.30pm and arrived at home only at 9.30pm. I was very tired, so when i got a call from my friend, i basically just told her that, "we will talk next time!" Sorry to her, but i had really no more energy to talk. Remember, i slept at around 3am last night.

i met two girls on the same bus from Tioman to Johor Bahru. When we alighted from the bus, a tout approached them for trip to Singapore. Out of good will, i told them that i am taking bus to go back to Singapore, so they could follow me if they want to. i think, they were likely to pay much for a trip to take a cab to the town then from there to Singapore. It would be better if they just take bus to Singapore and then take a cab in Singapore to wherever they wanted to go. They followed me to the bus 170 platform, but later decided to take a cab though. i think this is because their bags were really heavy and they did not want the hassle to on/off the bus and custom with their bags.

The encounterment with them made me think about, what will i do if a local girl told me that i could follow her? i think, i am likely to just follow the local despite of the hassle. In a way, this will definitely be cheaper and should be safer to follow to someone who knows. It reminded me also, don't bring more than i am able to carry with ease.



MONEY MATTER AND LOGISTICS:

1.) Food - RM 12

2.) Transport -
* Speed Ferry from Tioman to Mersing: RM 35
* Express bus: S & S International from Mersing to Larkin - RM 8.80
- The last bus is at 5.30pm and they don't go to Singapore directly now.