Siem Reap : Part 2

Pub Street by Night

Pub Street is 25 metres down the road from Molly Malones. After each full day of walking all our energy off and sweating all our fats off *just wishing*, we'd head back to our room, shower and lie in bed until someone's stomach starts growling something fierce followed by a "lets eat, i'm so damn hungry". So we are definitely grateful for the location.

On the 1st night we had hawker-stall-like food by the roadside but was not impressed.

2nd night we went to - AMOK Restaurant - which proudly states that they serve the best 'amok' in town. [Amok - is their local dish of ...................... - to me its more like a cross between Otak-otak and green curry but without the spice and the flavour - thin watery otak-otak]

Every lunch time we had 'local food'.

I have to say that i am not impressed by their 'local food' *notice the inverted commas. It was quite dull and bland in taste and coming from Malaysia with Thai ancestry, tasty dishes are a must.

Maybe the 'local food' has been angmohfied for the tourist so its unfair for me to judge and call it tasteless.

BUT

by my third night, i nicely had Grilled Beef and French Fries which i was very satisfied with at 'In Touch' Restaurant which had a very nice decor and ambience.

For the mornings, if you walk all the way down Pub Street, on your right corner there is a restaurant that serves good cheap breakkies be it Asian style or Western. They have noodles which remind me very much of Vietnamese Fir Noodles BUT me havin enough of Asian food settled for Bacon, Eggs and their local Baguette.

I wish i had remembered or written down the name of this place but its easy to find - right at the other end from 'In Touch' Restaurant.

There are a few photo galleries inside the alleys of pub street.

My favourite was the John McDermott gallery which is attached to a small cafe which boast a very beautiful 1 room suite hotel called "the One" that caters to your every little need with an iBook, iPod, music etc.

An advice is to visit the Gallery the first night if you have time and energy as it opens your eyes into taking better photographs of the places you visit.

I know i know, photo plaigerism but oh well, we arent going to sell this photo right.

By the way, you train your eye by studing others.

Next, massages, spa etc. I had a leg massage for only USD$6 and as well as a manicure&pedicure for only USD$6. A full body aromatherapy massage is USD$14.

I actually wrote this in May 07! And am only posting it now August 25. tsk tsk. Its ws in my draft for me to continue etc....but i just dun care anymore! :)

Coming Soon to the Photoblog Near You

Siem Reap 2007

Tour Penang Part 3

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi

ITs quite shameful, i am from Penang but i have never stepped foot into Khoo Kongsi and its said to be one of the more amazing buildings in Penang. I didnt even have a clue where it was. We somehow made our way there because Keng is a better Penangite than i am. Parking our car on this little alley road lined with pre-war houses was nice. We who hardly venture into the town area always forgets that there are many of this small little alleyways which were then considered proper roads. We walked towards Cannon Square which is where the temple is, walking there you find a restaurant modeled after old school China and there were prayers going on since it was CNY.Huge joss sticks ash flying everywhere and preparations for a big celebration the day after were going on.

As you enter Cannon Square, you see old pre-war houses lining the driveway entering into the square and once inside you see houses on your left and when you walk in more to your right.

Outside in the open square there is a stage where in the olden days old Chinese Opera must have been performed. The stage is still used for performances during occasions and celbrations.

Going into the temple is a wonder. You actually stop in wonderment to look at the intricate stone carvings on the walls and pillars....3D carvings. Then as you enter each "hall" its amazing as you can picture the place as it was many years ago. The temple is quite perfectly preserved together with some artifacts that have been donated by various Khoo families. It woyld have been nice it there was a proper mini guide book or panflet that tells you the stories behind the carvings and paintings and what each hall stood for. There isnt much information on where to attain a guide either so you kinda fumble your way through this little historical place to discover what you can about it.

Khoo Kongsi

Stage

Main Hall

Painting on the Wall in the Main Hall

Walkway

Wall Carving

Pillar Carving

The story of the smiling Buddha - at the entrance steps before walking up to the main area, there are 2 Buddhas. The Buddha on your left facing is smilling and the one on the right is frowning. If you look at the ledge of the stairs going up on the left, you will find a gold coin in between a crack, hence why this statue is smiling and the other is not.

This little fact i would not have noticed or known if ihad not overheard the trishawman telling the tourist who he brought over.

Frowning Statue

Genealogy book?

Keng telling me the story of how filial children should be to their parents.

In the Panel, there are carvings of 6 scenarios

whereby the Child should sacrifice himself for his mother

[maybe he is trying to tell me something...hmm :p ]

Keng being Keng pretending that the dragon is biting his head off. He wasnt posing, i actually caught him on camera doing this!

Tour Penang Part 2

Penang Hill

The ride up is crazy! First of all, you can only get a ticket for 2.30pm at noon...ah boy got the tickets before he came over to my place. Then you cram with all this people some who can't stand still eventhough its hot and packed because they wanna try n see "the view" which frankly there is none till you get to the top. Then there are parents who bring the screaming 1 year old, who come on, won't even remember the trip! Over all though, i had a really good time, we rented bicycles and cycled around the bungalows.....man do i wish i was rich enough to have a retreat up there but oh well.... Then we went to Bellevue Hotel [i think thats what its called, i forgot, in a matter of a week, getting older sure kills the memory] for afternoon tea.....sitting in the open garden overlooking Penang. It was beautiful and so serene. You could see the clouds move over the island and the shadow casted upon Penang where the clouds hovered and the lighted parts where the sun was shining.

Rail tracks from 2nd base station

Cable car/Train

When we finally got up, it was a gloomy day which thank god made the day cooler.

I remember when i was young and we were up in Penang Hill it was really cooling and nice but the temperature when we got up was disappointing, it was gloomy and it wasnt cold, it felt like a normal gloomy about to rain day at sealevel. Then a few days later, i actually read in The Star that residences which complained about the increase in temperature due to unplanned development which i wun even get into now...*cough*cough* ivory*cough chopped all trees in Feringghi*cough*.






An indian temple 50metres away from a mosque





Keng cycling in front of what we wish was our cottage-like house.

and me

Outside Bellevue Hotel above the garden. Such a retro hotel. Makes you think you were back in the 70s.

The view..

The clouds looming overhead

Keng looking all old skool

My yummy but expensive RM18- bacon & tuna sandwich.

Its worth paying to help the hotel survive.

Pretty flowers up in the hill.

There was a SNAKE coiled above the hotel terrace!!! So becareful if you decide to visit. They are quite harmless but it still pays to know whether they are above your head.

Penang Holiday Tour Part 1

Museum Seni Balai Lukis Pulau Pinang

So i didnt manage to get a van ticket to Koh Bulone or to Koh Samui or to any other island. Stuck in Penang i decided i was going to take this opportunity to be a tourist in Penang. Actually the idea was to walk around to take photos of street vendors or barbers or old buildings etc but somehow or other we ended going to the museum, to Penang Hill and to Khoo Kongsi. I guess photo ops on a trishaw will have to wait....

Anyway, we arent supposed to take photos in the museum but i was never one for rules. Nonetheless there were too many people so i only managed to sneak a few shots.

Our opium pipe smoking Ancestors? :p

aWw look at ah boy trying to act like ths distinguished gentleman


Look at me in Mini Penang!


I had to take a picture of this Bicycle....CHIN ENG...can u see it on the boz....thats the name of the firm i use to work in!

kay el BBQ

Birthday BBQ - Ben Chee & Shin Yi

As usual i was in KL for work and as usual i was a squatter at my very gracious Ben's house. To the point that i now have a key to his house! This Ben is Benjamin not the one whose burfday it is. He was away and the party people were bringing stuff into the house and i wasnt home but lucky lucky the squatter had her own squatter, my bitch, who was home to open the door to all and finally the BBQ day came. Ben arrived the day before from down under and packed as though he grocery shops in Oz wtih steaks and sausages and dips etc etc. I was taking a nap with my Bitch and we woke up to a house full of people. It was weird but nice. We ate, we drank [these people are serious alcoholics i tell you...ok not all...but you know who you are] we played taboo.....it was quite kiasu stress and i was the last fighting for my team....it was a tie.....and i fumbled! i cracked under pressure and gave points to the opposite team...NOOooooo...! Anyway, photos of the night for whoever wants to rip it.

The Ambience

The Professional BBQers - Ben&Ben

The food Efficient Mel prepared to keep our hunger at bay



The atmosphere



The eating





Cake Cutting of the cute jelly cakes



Efficient Mel




Shin Yi & Ben




Squatter's squatter



KL's Most sought after Bachelor

Ben and his babes [i know sounds like a bad 70s band haha]

The Double Ds - Dolly & Dave

The Penang Girls - Rutti, Tini & Joyce

Goes to show how small Penang is

this 3 chicks of different age time and social sets

found friends in common!

KL Boys in serious discussion

Jaime & Joyce

So looking at the food we had before the BBQ i figured we'd have BBQ again....and true enough we woke up we showered and we were gonna head out and suddenly it was round 2 BBQ. We ate so much. I think i am now afraid of meat! After breakfast lunch tea.....we watch Texas Chainsaw....not a good show i swear after you just had a super bloody rare steak.

the Efficient people

Mel making some seriously killer lychee vodka

Ben Chee, the birthday boy who had to BBQ the night before

and

the next day in the sun

Lazing on the couch watchin Texas Chainsaw