Phnom Penh Part Deux

The Travelling Beruang

Well,  hello again.

Look, I've told you that I'm such a sloth when it comes to update the blog. But, I will surely get it done. As promised, this is the second part of my so-called adventure in the land of Tomb Raider.

Where was I... I've covered the arrival and the airport and how to stay connected. Now, let's move to accommodation and others.

1. Always, always (repetition here meant it is significant) do some background check and research on the place you are heading to. With internet, there is practically no excuse at all not doing so. Worst case scenario, there's twitter, FB and other social media accounts with whom you can interact and get some information. Imagine what it's like back in the 80s or 90s where the internet was still unreliable and inaccessible. I had that experience and trust me, it takes double or triple the effort to look for information. What more the latest ones.

The Tuk Tuk

2. Ok, enough ranting. I've booked the accommodation through Agoda.com (you may also want to try trivago.com or booking.com - both are reasonable good). Since the payment and confirmation has been made in advance, the check-in process went very smoothly. I stayed at New York Hotel for good 7 days and 6 nights. The good thing about NY Hotel is that it is situated at the heart of Phnom Penh. So, you won't face any problem going in and out. Plenty of tuk tuk around for short excursion and the receptionists are exceptionally friendly. More importantly, they can understand and speak English.

3. IMPORTANT: I forgot to mention this. From the airport to the capital; on a normal, hassle free day it's going to take you 30 minutes. Since we arrived during peak hour (about 5 pm), the traffic was bad (well, not as bad as Bangkok). It took us 1 hour to reach the hotel.

NOTE: Leave early to the airport especially during peak hour. Trust me, you don't want to miss your flight.That is just bad.

4. Did I tell you about what happened to our taxi driver on our way to the hotel? He made a daring move by making an illegal U-turn in the middle of the main road. Perhaps, he didn't realize that there were few Traffic Police by the road side. As you guessed it, our taxi was stopped just when he made the turn. To our surprise, everything was settle in less than a minute. He gave the traffice USD1 and called it a day. Efficient deal but ethically wrong. Hmmm.

The helmet free motorists.

5. For motorist, helmet is a requirement but not a necessity. I would say, more than 80% motorists that I saw were without helmet. And the police seem to care less about it. So, why bother?

6. Here in Phnom Penh, there is no such a thing as one way or two way road. Anything and any way works. Motorists, again, happily ride in every direction. The best thing about this whole experience is, there was no cursing, no middle finger, no angry face and not even a honk. It's more like a mutual understanding and everyone give way to one another. Well, so long you don't hit anyone. hehehe.

7. Like Vietnam, it's a challenge to cross the road. The motors are never ending and waiting to cross  is like an eternity. Just be brave and use the power of hand to stop and stall and slow the traffic. Trust me, they'll happily oblige. You will be safe.

To be continued.... again.

apekTravels

I survived!

I dunno whether this is true or not. But poking fun at ourselves is always good. Reality check too!

Ok now. In relations to the previous post, I think it's about right to write a little bit more about travel essentials. This time around, Imma write about:

Gila time nih. Just arrived at Moi International Airport, Mombasa. Masa arrived ni la coincide dengan IAAF Mombasa International Marathon. Waiting time: 3 hours. Pastu naik Kenyan Air yang mana sangat scary cos condition of the seat and lighting yang kelip-kelip. Macam dalam twilight zone.

 SURVIVING LONG HAUL FLIGHTS 

[crazy transit, unexpected delay, re-time and everything unimaginable in between]

You gotta remember. Dalam ketawa dan sengih tu kena pahatkan dalam diri yang kita kena berubah. Jangan nak forever last minute packing. Even in previous entry pun I've reminded that last minute packing could cause catastrophe and even more so if you travel in group - your problem would become everyone else problem. Kat airport dah buat hal... that kinda set the benchmark of what to expect for the rest of the trip, provided your group doesn't leave you la kan. hehe. Consider this my other warning. 

happy people, happy time, happening at the Buddha's Bar

Anyway, sharing from my personal experiences, traveling long haul flights are really exhausting. It tire your body and mind and by the time you reach the destination, you'll be half alive or half dead - depending on how you look like upon arrival.  Hiks.

Seriously. I've been to African countries with back to back trip with change of airlines to re-purchasing flight tix on the spot to spending the night at the airport countless times. After a while, you kinda get the hang of it and your body would adjust to the circumstances. 

Muka penat gila sampai kat Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Nairobi. Pastu kena tunggu lagi 45 minutes or so for the bus to the city. Bayangkan lah!

For instance, one of my trips to Kenya with 8 hours transit at Dubai and arriving at Nairobi very late in the evening. Spent 2 days in Nairobi then off to Mombassa with another flight before heading to Oman. We did it all in a course of 7 days. 

Well, although it's not a 24 hours long haul flight, the rush and the dash and the run from one airport to another was just insane. All that because of improper planning - this is another story to tell. Nanti-nanti la. You see, I am digressing, AGAIN.

Ni masa flight delay kat Dubai. Stranded kat airport for more than 7 hours. Gila! Dah mcm pelarian.

My point here, with you do not take care and prepare the body and mind properly before arriving, it may screw your travel plan. Pegi jauh-jauh.... in the end lepak kt bilik hotel. Baik tayah gi memana, dok KL je lah. 

Now, rules of thumb when travel. I am sure you've heard of this plenty of times:

1. DRINK LOTSA WATER

Advisable a glass for every one hour in flight to stay hydrated and active. Dah kenapa aku salin ayat atas? Demmit! hahah. Anyway, apart from allowing you to stay active and alert, it'll also prevent your skin from drying out. Dalam flight to air-cond and god knows what else in the confined cabin. Water reduces, if not eliminate any unwanted skin irritation and keep your skin moist. 

Korang mesti nak keluar dari flight looking FLAWLESS and RADIANT and GLOWING and FRESH and what not kan. Barulah cantek and macho. So, MINOM AIR! Tayah fancy drinks. Plain water is enough. Now, go and bother the flight attendant tu.

2. CARRY ON

So, what's a carry on? Well, basically it's the important stuffs you carry onto the flight. This is quite tricky in the sense that I could not tell what you should bring. Well, we are all different and have our preferences. But this,  I just have to shove it to your face. It is that important: BRING CHANGE OF CLOTHES ON YOUR CARRY ON for journey of more than 8 hours (include transit, change flight, etc.). 

To me, headphone or walkman is the utmost important item!!!

We often like to pack all of our clothes in the luggage and have it checked-in. There has been far too many cases nowadays that the airlines mysteriously lost your luggage or it reach to different location and this is a nightmare at its best. 

I've always packed additional clothing in my backpack to carry on flight. This is especially important during long flight and when you encounter delay. Urghh. I know. Annoying.  

Been there. Done that. Once bitten twice shy kaedahnya. Never again. Some individuals even change their attire once the seat belt sign is off. They dash to the washroom and change to pyjamas or track bottom or anything that allows your body to flex its muscle and relax. 

Tapi, jangan la buat camni, huduh sangat!

You want to relax, not to scare the bejezuz out of everyone else! Kang ada yang kena tangkap dengan air marshall pulak. 

Anyway, as long as you are comfortable, to hell with everyone else. I've seen many mat and minah salleh did this. Maybe we ought to give it a try too. Change back to your normal attire before the flight land and you'll be looking all fabulous again.

Your typical day at any international airport. I've been to many airports with many circircumstances and plenty of stories to tell. But, let it be another entry post.

 

3. FOOTWEAR

This may sound cheesy or unimportant but if you observe well, your footwear helps a lot in your travek. In fact, they are the unsung heroes during many of my travels. You gotta choose appropriate shoes for the kind of travel you are embarking in. Pakai Converse to snowy place is a no-no even though you are peminat susah mati. Kang ada yang kene gangren. 

It's cold in Edinburgh. Demi Converse and making mark punya pasal, I braved the cold weather pakai Converse. Pakai two layers of stockings ye FYI. Hehek. Crazy things people do kan!

Same goes wearing heels when you know that you are climbing the Great Wall of China. Walaupun ada boipren sado, agak-agak la nak menyusahkan orang pun. That is not the acid test of your relationship whether he is willing to carry you all the way or not. It's just a plain stupidity and the dumba** is you. Jangan sentap la kalo kena tinggal or worse kene humban pulak nanti. hahaha. You've been warned.

Hi-Tec Sierra. Bought in the UK with the assistance from Julie; friend studying there. Simply because Malaysia does not have this model. It comes with Vibram Technology - reduce foot fatigue. It works!

Ok2, coming back to footwear. I have few, well few is understatement of the year. haha. I've plenty of shoes to fit in my travel style. Before flying off, buat la research sikit on the type of weather you'll be experiencing upon arrival. 

Yup, Nike sandal pun sedap pakai buat travel

For beaches and islands trip, it's always good to bring sandals or buy one. In flight, sneaker is suffice. 

This! Simple, fast and easy. Converse for life. Eh.

 

If you are going to cold places, then boot would be my weapon of choice. But the ones with heat trap so that you won't get cold feet. Like, literally cold feet. I like Hi-Tec. They have range of footwear for travelers going to different type of weather. Visit their site here for range of products:

http://www.hi-tec.com/

Hi-Tec : My weapon of choice when traveling across Europe in 2013

Ingat: KAKI YANG PENAT, AKAN MENGGANGGU PELAN PERJALANAN ANDA. 

Below, some of the footwear that I have over the years:

Ok, selain kasut, flight socks juga equally important. It helps with your blood and muscle circulation especially when you moves too little in flight. Ye la, sitting in the middle or window aisle susahnya lahai nak bergerak fearing you are disrupting other people. So, the answer is, use flight socks. Readily available in travel shops or even Guardian and other pharmacies. A bit pricey but helps a lot. Ala, spend ribu-ribu on tepon boleh. Yang ni cost less than 100 buck je pun. Tamo berkira pls! 

Hah, read below for thorough explanation:

I hope this snippet shed some light and provide some useful tips to you guys (chewah, macam la ada yang membaca. hahaha). Until next post, tata!

[apekTRAVELS]

Seek. Then you will find me.

 

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

- Gustave Flaubert

Being able to travel opened my eyes ever so widely and made me realize that we are nothing and insignificant in this tiny universe we live in. So much so that I pause and wonder why such cruelties among other livings are still rampant. The world is a beautiful place and it offers a majestic view to each of us. 

My journey to Ireland was truly an eye opener. Despite challenging weather (well, typical Asian I am!), I was in full gear and anxiously ready to go out. The trip to Cliffs of Moher was a highlight and the first sight of it made me scream quietly in admiration of the Almighty's creation. The 3 hours drive through one of the most picturesque landscape was all worth it. The nasi lemak and fiery sambal ikan bilis was heavenly delicious against the cold weather of Galway.

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

- Henry David Thoreau

We venture into the unknown not to prove that we are adventurous or that we are different or even a thrill seeker. We delve into uncharted territories in pursue of self discovery and discover ourselves. The treacherous road to Mount Merapi was quite scary but it did not match the solemn atmosphere of the shelter camp that killed the villagers when Mount Merapi erupted. It was eerie and you could almost felt the fear and sadness of the deceased. Afar, we saw this huge mass of desolation, a testament of Merapi's wrath. In silence, we wept.    

"Twenty year from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail.Explore. Dream. Discover."

- Mark Twain

Travel is dubbed as escapism and means to free oneself from the torturous life one's lead. But, travel is also a way for us try something new and see the world in different perspectives. Instead of going to densely populated tourist spot, let yourself loose in the midst of locality for that is when the hard truth lies in. There has been far too many cosmetic outlet which offer a glimpse of culture which has not been a true representation of what it should be. Mixing with the locals would make you realize that the real gems are woven at the heart and soul of its people; not the exhibit shown at the tourist center. 

I had the opportunities to dine with the local in Omdurman. We drove into a housing area, not your typical brick house, but aisle of houses made of mud. We stopped at a makeshift tent near the white Nile. There were few ladies busy prepping the food for our lunch. The weather was hot but not humid. In Sudan, you don't sweat but the heat was quite unbearable (imagine the heat of bonfire hitting your face. Yup, that's how hot it was). Well, after 20 odd minutes, the lunch was prepared. No table, no chair and no fancy China. What was served was a grilled lamb in basin, a chilled drinks in plastic cannister and a bowl of jarjil (rocket salad). That was it. BUT IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS THAT I COULD STILL TASTE IT. So tasty that so far, no Arabs restaurant could match it. And, I've tried so many Arab cuisine.

EDINBURGH, Part II (because one entry is not enough)

Ok, this time, I shall not rant too much. Instead, I'll be posting photos (warning: lotsa 'em) and will write a line or two information bout it. Boleh? Sikit2 je la... ehehek.

Ok, bangunan ini adalah sangat obvious if you are across the the old town. From new town, these three famous lines of building mmg eye-catching. 

Yang ini pulak, the 300++ years old apartment where we stayed. Terletak betul2 sebelah St. Giles Cathedral. Keluar2 terus jumpa cathedral ni. Apartment ni korang kena ascend down a lil bit and its on the 2nd door to your left. ada 3 bilik. Don't be fooled by its age, because interior dia adalah sgt hype okeh. Yang cantik lagi, dlm apartment ni penuh dgn lukisan2 klasik age between 100-200 y.o. Kat sini lah kitorang lepak n tido n masak2 (jimat belanja pls). 

TIPS: kalo nak travel, make sure sorang dua geng travel tu pandai masak. untuk okeh! dlm kes ni, REZAL and HUSNA terrer gila masak. gua terrer makan jeh. hehehe. 

Ni among old road, nooks and corners at the Royal Mile. Aihhhhh pegi la 100 kali pun, you will never get bored and tired of Edinburgh. 

This one, my personal tribute to Scottish great poet, Sir Robert Ferugsson. Being an art graduate, I cannot help but appreciate and pay homage to those who have contributed significantly to the world of literature. Below excerpt taken from Wiki (where else kan!) about him:

Robert Fergusson (5 September 1750 – 16 October 1774) was a Scottish poet. After formal education at the University of St Andrews, Fergusson followed an essentially bohemian life course in Edinburgh, the city of his birth, then at the height of intellectual and cultural ferment as part of the Scottish enlightenment. Many of his extant poems were printed from 1771 onwards in Walter Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine, and a collected works was first published early in 1773. Despite a short life, his career was highly influential, especially through its impact on Robert Burns. He wrote both Scottish English and the Scots language, and it is his vivid and masterly writing in the latter leid^[1] for which he is principally acclaimed.

Ni masa aku tgh jalan2 jmpa gadis dan bunga. High probability, tourists from eastern european countries cos they couldn't speak English that well. Despite the challenges in conversing and constant lost in translation, they were quite a chatterbox and very friendly. We ended up having coffee at MacDonald's across town. *Didn't get their details. Things I regretted most. puih. 

Eheh. Abaikan gambar dpn tu. Yang ni betul2 kat bawah Scott Monument. And that gut belakang aku tu Sir Walter Scott, another famous Scottish author. The monument was erected to honour him. 

TRIVIA: The Scott Monument is featured prominently in the movie Cloud Atlas. Chekidout! 

Ramsay Garden ni apartment paling posh kt Edinburgh, terletak betul2 sebelah Edinburgh Castle. Nampak je besau... bangunan ni cuma ada 16 unit apartment je ye. Korang boleh perasan bangunan yang cantik ni daripada Princes Street. 

Yang ni lupa nama apa dah. Rose Street ke apa tah. Banyak jugak butik2 posh kat sini. Jamie Oliver restaurant pun ada kat sini. And, this is at new town. bukan kat Royal Mile.

Ni saje2 fefeling kt scotland travel agency. jakun pls... 
nak jugak yg ada sign scotland. hahahaha

Typical saturday evening. Street Bagpipe player in action. Tipping is expected.

 ok, yang ni bukan Bagpipe player and I donch wear kilt. hehek. 
I was just happy to be there.

This beautiful building is actually Bank of Scotland. 
Kiranya, Bank Negara la kalo kat Malaysia

You typical night out in Edinburgh wouldn't be complete without bar hopping and of course, watching Rugby match. 

Shops and bars along the Princes Street, about 500m to the Royal Mile. Dekat je.

Ni dlm kul 7 mlm depan St. Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile. Pix seround sblm blk apartment. Yup, dawn set real fast when you travel during autumn. 

Idup tak sah la kalo travel tak pegi Hard Rock Cafe kan! hahahah 

There you go, HRC, Edinburgh

Yang ni kt Cockburn Street. Nothing much here, but if you fancy posh victorian architecture, this would be the best area for walkabout. Masa ni kitorg just merayau2 pastu ujan. 
Pastu basah. Pastu pusing2 lagi. 

Penat tapi best. 

Tiga gambar atas tu adalah Edinburgh Castle. Memang cantik untuk amik gambar. You'll get the bird's eye view of Edinburgh from up here. Nak masuk castle ni korang kena bayar around 25 pound. Tp aku tak masuk pun eheheh. Mahai la!

Terjumpa William Wallace wannabe otw down from the castle :)

Levitate much?

Among favourite pictures that I've taken! Dunno why. Simply stunning, in my opinion-lah.

"The world is your oyster. TRAVEL!"

Pirates of Carribean: At World's End. Ring any bell, well it is originated from here.

This pub takes its name from the City Walls which once surrounded Edinburgh. Back in the sixteenth century, following the Battle of Flodden and Scotland’s defeat by the English, Edinburgh had become a walled city for protection. The gates to the City, which formed part of the wall, were situated outside the pub and the brass cobbles in the road outside represent their exact location. As far as the people of Edinburgh were concerned, the world outside these gates was no longer theirs and hence the name, The World’s End.

(source: http://www.scotlandspubsandbars.co.uk/location/the-worlds-end/ )

 

Stroll with Mr. Fergusson

eh eh. this was in front of the Queen's Gallery. At the end of the Royal Mile, whereby behind it is the famous 
Holyroodhouse Palace.

tau penat! hahaha

Lord Cockburn. ahah! just because he could!

Freemason anyone?

This is Scottish National Museum

Playing tourists, yes?

Gambar-gambar ni aku snap masa lepak depan Garfunkel's sambil curi wifi diorang (sebelah dia Starbuck, and wifi diorg suck). heheh. Hari-hari lepak sbb it is located less that 20 feet where we stay. And, along the stretch of Royal Mile, lots and lots of people walking around; be it tourists or local who work there. Let me check later if I have photos of Garfunkel's. If not, jap gua google. eheh. 

ok, jumpa dah. pix kat bawah ni:

Garfunkel's all over Europe, just so you know

hehehe ni la batu bersurat tempat curi wifi free. keh keh.

The Witch Tavern. Another famous pub situated down the hill, very near to Edinburgh Castle.