Christmas in Singapore

Location: Singapore, Singapore
NP: Inon Zur - Dragon Age 2 Main Theme
Mood: Indifferent

Hot (31 C), dry and bathed in sunlight... That is the Singaporean Christmas. There is quite a difference between this and home where it's -20 C, the days are 3.5 hours long and the ground covered with snow.

Chinatown celebrates Christmas with a tree.

They celebrate Christmas here. Obviously. But it mostly shows in increased shopping on Orchard and a few Christmas decorations here and there. It is like the plastic Christmas tree in front of a neon sign saying "Xmas sale. 15% off". With a dollar sign on top. Singaporean dollar.

Christmas at a mall in Marina Bay.

What is lacking is the feeling of serenity, of silence, the candles in the dark, and the snow that all combines to create an atmosphere of Christmas spirit, described by the silly Finnish word of "joulumieli". On Christmas, family here seems less important than in the West, while for the rest of the year it is the other way around.

Christmas decor on Orchard.

Two days ago, on the 25th, I spotted a cheery Santa downtown at Cafe Mosaic. Santa was prancing among the customers and handing out presents. I think it may have been a woman.

My Christmas dinner - Chicken curry with rice. And Tiger beer.

How different it is here, nearly half a world away from home, especially during this time of the year.

 

Information at a Price

Location: Singapore, Singapore
NP: In Flames - Goliaths Disarm Their Davids
Mood: Disappointed

I am currently reading Il nome della rosa or The Name of the Rose by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a book in which there is a monastery famous for its vast library, filled with learned monks studying all manner of sciences. But once the protagonists reach the monastery, they find that access to the library and all its books is restricted. You need approval to study there, to borrow a book or to even browse the collection of learning.

The irony is, of course, that a place famous of its books restricts them, and in the end a single scholar is able to access perhaps no more or even less books than at a regular place of learning.

This, unfortunately, is how it is here in Singapore as well. Perhaps Singapore is not in particular known for its collection of books as the monastery is, but the restrictions placed on local libraries remain similar.

Studying not allowed. A sign within the National Library.

Singapore's National Library was somewhat of a disappointment. The building is huge and impressive, but the heart of it, where the books are, pales to the mighty exterior in both content and looks. For the public library you can gain access (after a security check) and browse the books, but the collection is relatively small, mostly focused on economy, self-help books and religion (as are the bookshops). Borrowing a book will cost over 50 SGD for a foreigner like me. For the price, you can buy a couple of books at the overpriced stores here.

The library of the National University of Singapore has similar restrictions, but you can't even browse the books on-site without paying at least a monthly fee of 21.40 SGD. That is for access-only membership (blue form). If I actually want to borrow a book from the library, god forbid, the cost was over 300 SGD for a year's membership (which was the minimum, if I'm not mistaken) for an external member like me. And that is only if I first apply for the membership and am approved in due course. Instant access by cash does not exist, as I found out by foolishly going there and, seeing the gates, asking.

In the words of Brother William of Baskerville in The Name of the Rose: “The good of a book lies in its being read. A book is made up of signs that speak of other signs, which in their turn speak of things. Without an eye to read them, a book contains signs that produce no concepts; therefore it is dumb. This library was perhaps born to save the books it houses, but now it lives to bury them. This is why it has become a sink of iniquity.”

It seems that even in this day and age, in a city as modern as Singapore in many ways is, information is still restricted, barred behind a price tag or worse.

Gates of the Chinese Library of National University of Singapore.

This is a difficult place, then, for a student such as myself, who prefers to use books for their authority over the Internet. Disappointed as I am, next time I'll haul my own books with me from back home.

On the Road Again

Location: Singapore, Singapore
NP: Guns n' Roses - Civil War
Mood: Expectant

The smell of durian fills the air. People keep treading back and forth on the corridor. On the tv an old woman claims she cannot sleep.

Yes, I am back on the road again, this time in Singapore, where I'll be staying for a month. My original plan was to remain here for three months, but unfortunately duty calls back to Finland early next year.

I'm jetlagged. This is my sixth day in Singapore and I still find it very difficult to sleep at night and stay awake during the day. This is especially difficult while staying at hostels where other guests are likely to disturb your sleep during the day.

A sign on a backdoor of ABC Hostel.

Singaporean tv certainly doesn't help. Overly simplified, naive characters in foreseeable plots. I'm being unfair. It could just be these two shows on channel 8 I've been staring tiredly at today. I think they're Chinese.

The colours of Bugis.

Switched to a hotel again today, although I enjoyed Woke Home Capsule Hostel far more than the other two hostels I've seen in Singapore. Much more privacy and the place was clean - too clean for cockroaches, which is surprising here.

My capsule at Woke Home Capsule Hostel.

I will be writing some on this trip, though mostly I'm supposed to study here. Travelling alone now but staying put in a single city for all this time. There's so much Singapore to be explored.

Locations for Your Enjoyment

Location: Singapore, Singapore
NP: Prodigy - Voodoo People
Mood: Reminiscent

For a long time now I meant to write down the locations we liked best on our three months trip in South-East Asia. Choosing these magical places was surprisingly easy. So here we go. These are the places YOU should visit, too, in no particular order.

1. Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville.

A beautifully dispersed city in the midst of awesome beaches is a must see for those of us who enjoy proximity to water. Alas, you can get away from the shoreline should you stay in the center of the city, but why on earth would you? Sihanoukville offers tasty food, cheap prices, seclusion and a lazy way of life. Lacks a bit on the cultural side, though.

Dutch Square, Malacca.

2. Malacca, Malaysia

A sweet UNESCO World Heritage City, Melaka aka Malacca is a particularly fond place for us. Large yet quiet, Melaka has a particularly enticing Chinatown running along Jonker Street and the few blocks around it. The food in Melaka is absolutely delicious (go nonya, but don't shy away from the basic foreign dishes), some of the best I've tasted anywhere, and there's culture in the form of European & Peranakan buildings and signs of the earlier Malaccan sultanate. Beer and alcohol are, as Malaysia is an islamic country, unfortunately pricy. Go there for the food and the Chinatown.

Boat Quay, Singapore.

3. Singapore, Singapore

Modern, futuristic and strict, Singapore is a brush of fresh air - a welcome reprieve from the very different surrounding countries. It can be summed up with the word "nice", but that would hardly explain the vast complexity of social and cultural fusion of Singapore. Expensive but clean, strict but full of options, Singapore is the closest thing to home in South East Asia. Go there for the ultra-cool architecture and enjoy a little something for everyone in this massive city of lions.

Central Tower of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap.

4. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Rarely is a city so divided by a river, and all the better for it! On the other side is the center for the partygoing types and on the other a quiet, relaxing horde of habitats, restaurants and little shops. But the true attraction here, make no mistake about it, is the nearby Angkor Wat and the lesser temples and ruins that are being eaten alive by the jungle and the massive flocks of tourists that go there every day. Culture all the way, rarely is there so much of it about. It is still enjoyable, still not completely ruined by all the tourists, so go now and become a part of the problem, before it's too late.

These were not all of the locations we enjoyed on the trip, but they are the ones that are easy to place on the top of the list. Other possible places to name would've been Cha-Am, Thailand; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Pattaya, Thailand and Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand. However, these places can not compete with the ones on the list.

Rooftops of Cha-Am, Thailand.

If one looks at the countries we visited, a surprising favourite jumps up immediately. Cambodia, of which I wouldn't have thought to have liked the most of all, is my personal favourite. It is definitely a country worth seeing. Yet, the city/location is more important than the country.

Rambo Restaurant at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pick the place you think you would like most due to the descriptions given, and you'll be sure to enjoy your journey in sunlight.

I only suggest you enjoy your journey for a length of time that exceeds the normal 2 weeks limit. It is the way to experience and learn little. Try a month (or more!) instead, and the rewards will become obvious.

The Aftermath

Location: Oulu, Finland
NP: Kavinsky (feat. Lovefoxxx) - Nightcall
Mood: Lethargic

Having travelled in places I've enjoyed a lot before, most namely Japan in 2010 and Thailand in 2006, after the trip I knew to expect feeling an inconsolable longing for the places we had visited. It is a voice inside you saying "You must go back", and this voice is difficult to silence.

Nighttime in Malacca, Malaysia

I wondered if the most recently visited places would have a lot to do with The Voice, for I did not like leaving Thailand, but I didn't mind at all leaving Turkey behind. Returning to Helsinki I met my German cousin there, and all in all, it was an easy landing back to all those things I'd been away from for three months.

Sunset at Sihanoukville, Cambodia

I'd missed my friends and family. I'd missed the activities I used to do. And most especially I'd missed some of the western food I was accustomed to at home, mostly rye bread, potatoes and macaroni with minced meat. Strangely, I had not missed milk or sweets all that much.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Now, two months after returning home it seems the longing to get back out there was never as monumental as I'd expected it to be. There was no depression like there was after Thailand a few years earlier or Japan in 2010. Rather, I find staying in Finland relatively easy for the time being.

However, that doesn't mean I won't be going back soon. It is autumn now and winter is fast approaching in Finland. And Asia is just too enchanting to keep away from.

The Turkish Challenge

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

NP: Bonobo - We Could Forever

Mood: Down

By far the worst place we'd been to on our three months of travel was Istanbul in Turkey. Having experienced some of Thailand's cons in 2006, before the trip I did not expect Turkey to be worse. But it was.

The great challenge for us was whether we were going to be conned again. For the same kind of cons we saw on our last visit in Istanbul three months ago we would not fall for. That was what we decided. That would be our Turkish challenge. Would there be new kinds?

Yes, there would. Ahh the charm of Istanbul.

This time we decided not to visit Sultanahmet at all and went to the final stop we could get to directly from the airport by MRT. This stop was Aksaray.

There was nothing in particular in that part of town. Cars being parked badly, drivers honking furiously at each other and people walking about. There was a shopping mall and a couple of restaurants. We visited two of them.

At the second one there were already dishes on the table, basically some greens wrapped in plastic. "Free", the waiters said about them, and we ordered two dishes worth 12 Liras each from the menu. They brought a few plates of food to the table. At first we weren't certain if they were included in what we'd ordered or not. We decided to assume the worst - that they were not. And as we presumed (but did not ask), these extra plates were not included or free. In fact they cost a third of our meal. They showed us how to eat them as they brought them in. "You try", they said. The entire meal cost 37 Liras.

It was not unexpected, but it was still terribly disappointing. Luckily the food tasted good. And in two days Mika had fever and a stomach bug.

I did not care to stay longer. Home sounded just fine. Turkish Airlines' online customer service had been rude and Turkey in general not to my liking. However, I preferred Alanya over Istanbul.

We slept on the benches at the airport among several others. The flight to Helsinki could not come too soon.

Showdown in Pattaya

Location: Pattaya, Thailand

NP: Liekki - Pienokainen

Mood: Pleased

The key to a successful holiday is not hurrying too much. There should never be a haste to see many sights and experience many things. The only way to truly enjoy a place is to take time exploring it - not to rush through a plethora of sights and places only to mark them on your checklist: "I've been here."

Wrong. You haven't experienced it. You've rushed through it learning little.

That was what I'd done with Pattaya six years ago, on my first trip to Thailand. I'd only spent one day at Pattaya, hurrying off to the island of Koh Samet. The city had left an extremely relaxed image on my mind, but I couldn't know how truthful that image was until I visited it again now.

Amused, I watched as Mika stayed for two days and hurried off to his next destination as I remained put.

Bad boys go to Pattaya, huh?

I found three constants on my second visit to Pattaya: Swimming in the sea in the morning, hiding from the sun at noon and dodging ladies of the night near Beach Road in the evening.

It was an excellent experience.

The sex industry is very visible in Pattaya, but it's not in your face in an aggressive way like it would be in, say, Vietnam. The most visible sides of it are the flocks of women hanging out near the beach when it gets dark, the signs of go-go bars and the open-air bars (and those are just pretty much normal bars). Very seldomly was I bothered anywhere, apart from the many inviting shouts from the staff of bars I walked past.

I saw many Western men with Asian women. Many of the men were old, ugly or visibly dull. The women were almost always younger and lean.

On my last visit, my friend's wallet had been stolen by some ladyboys at Beach Road in Pattaya. I wasn't worried. I thought I'd keep a clear head and not let that happen to me.

I visited a massage parlour. There were certainly naughty ones in Pattaya, but happily I noticed I'd managed to find a normal one. They say you haven't been to Thailand if you haven't experienced a Thai massage. I do not agree. The stretching treatment was mostly amusing, partially painful and partially relaxing. A little cooling menthol oil was used. But it had little to do with all that was Thailand.

My masseuse was a woman called Ni, 35 years old and seemingly quite experienced in what she did. She offered me a glass of water after the massage and sat with me as I drank it. Her name reminded me of an old Monty Python sketch involving some knights and a shrubbery.

I went back the next day for an oil massage. It was far more relaxing. And scary. You have to strip nude for it! But don't worry, you receive a towel to cover your privates. Ni used an oil of mixed flowers.

Sitting at a bar with a handful of locals, one other Western man, the small staff and live music was very pleasant. But it was bound to end in a clash between the Westerners.

Beer was cheap and tasty. The band wasn't very good, but just good enough to be enjoyable when they played a song you knew. They were taking requests. During a particularly poor performance the showdown was on. I rolled eyes at the Western man across the bar, and he shook his head.

And that was all the exchange that was needed. We were in silent agreement.

There are few places in the world like Pattaya. Life as a tourist is very easy there. You eat well every day, enjoy the nearby sea and spend your days as you please. And nothing of mine was stolen.

In that regard, I hope this little city never changes.

A Difference in Service

Location: Pattaya, Thailand

NP: DJ Tiesto - Athena

Mood: Reverent

Being accustomed to non-existent or downright rude Finnish customer service, Asia seems like an amazing place. Manners are reflected in all parts of social behaviour, from greeting people to hospitality and service. We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a rare occurrence in a restaurant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Me, Mika and Tero were sitting in our usual haunt (for the late opening hours and the cheap beer, a jug for 6000 Riel = $1.5, not so much for the food), Skypark Restaurant in Phnom Penh, when we noticed that a local man had passed out in the booth next to ours. He had also puked on the seat and the floor. One of the staff noticed him.

Now, in Finland the following would happen: A meat-headed bouncer would appear, grab the unconscious fellow by his neck and through him out on the street, preferably face-first. It would not matter if it was in the middle of winter and it was freezing outside. All the better, probably! Serves him right, or som nahm nah, as they say in Thailand.

The service was quite different in Cambodia, or anywhere else in South East Asia for that matter. The waiter called a couple of staff members to help him and ever so gently they tried to wake the poor man up. When he was barely conscious, they helped him to the toilet to vomit some more - and mind you, the door to the toilet was open so we actually saw the waiter assisting the man, holding him up because his feet would not carry him and even patting him gently on the back while doing so. In the meanwhile the other waiters cleaned the booth and prepared a make-shift bed out of two other booths in a darker corner of the restaurant! You guessed it: After the toilet episode, they gently escorted the poor drinker to his new bed for a comfy nap where he still lay when we left the restaurant.

In Finland this would never have happened.

Unfortunately it's not all roses in Asia either, or then there's supposed to be a thick chest hair and unchewable meat in a dish of pork with green peppers in Pattaya, Thailand. And the waiter is supposed to charge us extra for two moist towelettes we did not use.

Or the night buses by Virak Buntham Express Travel company from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap in Cambodia are supposed to be undersized, so that you can't straighten your legs, and overcrowded, so that you'll have plenty of company, making sleeping quite difficult.

In general terms, however: Finland 0 - SE Asia 1.

Border Crossing

Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

NP: Pariisin Kevät - Tämän kylän poikii

Mood: Indifferent

Border crossings are unfortunate necessities I'll probably never learn to be comfortable with. Then again, giving fingerprints, being questioned and filling arrival forms... Does anyone really enjoy those?

Just a few days ago we arrived from Cambodia to Thailand via the Poipet-Aranyapathet checkpoint. It was the most chaotic border checkpoint I'd ever seen.

Purchasing tickets for a minivan to the Cambodian border from Peter in Tropical Breeze Guesthouse (the bus company was Ratanak Angkor Express) for $17, our ride was actually a normal car being driven by a very long-nailed man, probably a Thai. Expecting a comfortable ride, we ended up picking two more passengers and thus space was again an issue. Thankfully Mika took the middle seat and suffered in silence. The driver didn't seem to speak any English at all.

Suddenly we stopped at a point where the road made a circle around a small pedestal. Where the hell were we? Before that we had stopped once or twice so that the driver and the male passenger in the front seat could run some errand. No one told us anything, but as the other passengers left the car, we figured we were in Poipet.


We were. The border was near, but the system at the checkpoint was anything but clear.

When in Poipet, head this way to the border (between buildings).

Immediately upon stepping out of the car, a guy came to talk to us, insisting he could get in touch with our bus company on the other side of the border and would like to change our tickets to stickers that would be good as tickets, he claimed. Having heard all kinds of tall stories on our travels, I didn't trust him. I showed him my ticket, but when he wanted to take it and give me a sticker instead, I refused and walked away.

"If you don't trust me, I can't help you. You're on your own", he said.

So we were. I had noticed a sign saying "Departures" on a building nearby, so I figured it was the way to go. It was a passport control point, but after I had qued and got to the official at the booth, he pointed at our blank departure cards that we would have to fill before he'd stamp our passports.

We occupied a small counter nearby and started filling the cards. A card for leaving a country? Bah! Pointless byrocracy.

As we were filling the cards another young guy came to talk to us. He said he could find our bus company for us on the other side of the border and guide us through the checkpoints. I was again suspicious. "What will it cost us?" I asked him. "Nothing. If you want to tip me afterwards, it's up to you."

I was still suspicious so he explained it to me again.

The border looked so chaotic with people coming and going everywhere and with no clear guidance on what to do or where to go. I decided to agree to his terms of help with no payment. He assisted a little with the departure card, though it wasn't necessary. Handing the card and my passport over to the official again, I received a stamp but no instructions on where to go next and got the feeling the man spoke no English at all. Also it was hard to hear anything through the small slot in the glass in all the ruckus.

With the help of our guide, we headed straight onwards from the left side of the passport checkpoint. There was a gap between the buildings with a path that was in no way guarded and vehicles and people were going to and fro.

Behind the gap between the buildings we found a wide area with small shops selling souvenirs and food. Our guide asked us if we wanted to buy anything or needed to go to a toilet. We didn't. He took us beside a casino and told a little about the local habit of gambling. I found out that he was from Cambodia, not from Thailand.

About 200 or 300 meters later down the road he instructed us to take the left side of the road to the next checkpoint. There were actually signs instructing to do just this there, which was relieving. I guessed we were now on the Thai border. We crossed the Friendship bridge on the left side to the checkpoint. Going through the metal gates really meant nothing, as there were no officials there to check anything, and they all lead to the same spot where our guide had walked to already.

Next up ahead was a building with the proper checkpoint. A crowd of people prevented all access inside, but our guide told us just to get through them because they were Thai and as non-Thais we needed to use ques 4 or 5, unlike them. He also told us to fill in arrival cards when we got inside and then go to the que. He'd wait for us on the other side of the building.

I pushed through the angry mob with a sword in hand like Moses through the Red Sea... Err, minus the anger and the sword, and Moses and the sea. Inside we filled in our arrival cards (Name: Mike, Sex: Male, Occupation: Assessor, Annual income: Low, Embarking from: Siem Reap, Disembarking at: Pattaya, Address at destination: Apex hotel, First time in Thailand: No, Visa number: -, etc.) which took us at least 15 minutes, and then qued at line 5. A tourist came to us and asked if he was supposed to have a departure stamp from Cambodia before queuing here and if he needed a visa for Cambodia when all he wanted to do was do a visa run. We didn't know, but I told him we'd gotten our stamp about 200 meters "that way". He went. From his looks and his accent I'd guess he was from New Zealand.

After another 10-15 minutes of queuing the immigration official asked a most difficult question and expected an explicit answer from me.

- Finland?
- Yes.

And after a fingerprint scan I was through. Nothing but my passport was inspected. A waste of time for the individual really.

Our guide waited for us outside the building and guided us about a hundred meters further. He asked for our bus tickets but I only wanted to show them to him, not give them away. We came up to a guy sitting by a desk just on the side of the road and our guide asked us to give him our tickets. So we did, though I got suspicious handing them over. It lead to no problems though, as together the two of them escorted us to a travel agency to arrange our ride onward to Pattaya. The woman there didn't speak a word to us, only to the two guys with our tickets. Quickly we heard that there'd been a minivan to Pattaya at 5 PM and it had just left 5 minutes ago. Oh great. But not to worry, "They are calling for it to come back", our guide told us as he sat down to rest with us.

And surprisingly just a few minutes later a minivan arrived to pick us up with just two passengers on board before us.

I paid our guide three US dollars and a couple hundred Cambodian Riel (only worth a few cents). He didn't look happy or sad, just wished us a good trip.

On the way the minivan picked up more passengers, but not so many that we'd have only one seat per person available. No, the whole back of the van was ours for the entire trip.

All the other passengers got off before we came to Pattaya. On the last stop the driver pulled up on the side of a large road, pointed to some guys nearby and said "Taxi".

I noticed a plastic locking system from my backpack had fallen off. We looked for it for a little while with the driver, but couldn't find it. Thanking the driver we headed for a direction along the road that we thought would be correct, estimating from where I thought the sea was. But I couldn't see the sea because it was already dark. There were hardly any roadsigns either, but at least there was a sidewalk for pedestrians usually.

We went to a 7-Eleven to ask for directions. "Where are we?" Mika blurted out to a female cashier. "We in Pattaya", she replied happily. They couldn't pinpoint our location on the map, but another customer gave us instructions to Walking Street...

Circling around Pattaya for an hour and asking for directions to Apex Hotel (it has a swimming pool!) at least four times ("Ahh, Apec", they replied. Some of the directions were wrong, as usual), we suddenly found the place. But it was too expensive for us these days. 650 Baht for a double room, since they had no twin rooms... We decided to head outside where I'd seen the sign for Ice Inn (which was always our second choice) right next to Apex Hotel's sign. It was a far better choice. Even though they had no single or twin rooms available, a double room cost 490 Baht and included air-con, free wifi, en suite bathroom with a hot shower, complimentary water, a fridge and a spacious room where I now sit, writing this.

Another change of scenery was behind us. Though it was nothing as bad as the night bus from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap, I was getting too old for them.

Two Faces of Siem Reap

Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

NP: The XX - Intro

Mood: Pleased

A river separates the two sides of Siem Reap. The other a flamboyant, loud, tourist-infested and filled with bars and restaurants, and the other a quiet, dark and relatively serene (apart from the barking of dogs) place in the middle of locals.

You can guess which side appealed to us more.

The difference between them is almost like night and day. The separation is a boon, for one can enjoy the benefits of mass tourism (the services) when needed without the need to absorb all the bad side effects of it. The river ends the ruckus of the city center like a brick wall.

Riding bicycles along both banks of the river offered a nice glance of the city. Step away from the center and there's really very little else than residental areas, with a hotel and a temple thrown in here and there.

Our Siem Reap was a nice, quiet place made for resting and relaxation... had it not been for the noisy family (probably British) staying at Tropical Breeze Guesthouse, just like us, and the Finnish couple (Tero and Nina) who would again lure us down dark pathways for cheap beer and drinks...

On a different note, Peter the receptionist at Tropical Breeze Guesthouse seemed to me like the Cambodian version of Stephen Bonnell II (aka Destiny), for those few who might know the name.

I will miss Siem Reap.

My Name is Jones

Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

NP: Infected Mushroom - Symphonatic

Mood: Impressed

Siem Reap - a town that stands as a testament to an age-old conflict with Thailand, previously known as Siam - resides near the number one tourist destination and sight in Cambodia. Angkor Wat and a plethora of old Khmer Empire's temples nearby easily offer even the most disinterested tourist hours of exploration.

We spent over ten hours at the temples.

Someone who takes a keener interest in history might even stay in the region for days just seeing the sights without a thorough study. For us, however, paying $20 for a single day's pass to the area and another $15 for the tuktuk driver's services, ten hours (from 5 AM to past 3 PM) of constant walking and wondering without food (by our own folly) was enough.

Still I can't quite shake the impression Angkor Wat by itself made on me.

We watched the famous temple at sunrise, which was not as spectacular as hyped. Yet the temple itself was a marvel to behold, and would've certainly left an even deeper impression without the flocks of tourists that spoil one's need for solitary exploration. Walls lined with bas reliefs depicting battles from ancient Indian tales, apsaras shaped on the walls and walls shaped in decorative patterns for a purpose unknown... Even the stone floor I stood on was in many parts decorated with odd shapes.

And then there was Bakan, the principal sanctuary of Angkor Wat's uppermost terrace... To reach it, you climbed steep stairs newly built on top of the old temple steps on one side. Inside one found a garden of stone built of pillars and slabs, open to the sky. Gazing out the window you could spy over all of Angkor Wat, all the way to the outer walls behind the long pathway of stone to the temple.

Leaving Angkor Wat behind our tuktuk driver took us to the gate of Angkor Thom, then to Bayon (from which we walked to about eight smaller temples, including Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King, and climbed up Phimeanakas). Bayon was an impressive structure with its giant faces and I liked it second best after Angkor Wat.

After Angkor Thom's temples we were already quite tired and ready to call it a day, but there was much more left to see. Chau Say Thevoda and Thommanom would be our next destinations, followed by Ta Keo temple-mountain, which was an interesting climbing experience not recommended for the elderly or careless people, as the stairs are very steep, partially broken and there are no hand-rails to hold on to. Good luck breaking your neck! But the view from the temple's top was decent.

The stairs of Ta Keo temple-mountain.

At Ta Prohm I just wanted to pass through it quickly, but I now regret my haste, as Ta Prohm was the perfect Indiana Jones experience - ancient ruins swallowed up by the jungle in its most visible form. Huge trees had penetrated the temple floor and thick roots ran through the broken stone pavement and partially collapsed buildings. It only lacked pit-fall traps and gigantic, rolling stones.

After Ta Prohm there was still Banteay Kdei and Sras Srang to explore... both of lesser importance, claimed my aching feet and exhausted head.

Angkor Archaeological Park offered by far the roughest yet most rewarding day of all on this trip. A large bottle of water does not for ten hours last - making me a sad individual just trying to survive in the heat at one point on the trip. Luckily, unlike the food, water and soft drinks were not always overpriced in the park.

The unfortunate thing is that the battery on my cell phone died already at Angkor Wat, and Mika's new camera shut down somewhere at the smaller temples.

So Mika bought a t-shirt with my money ($2.5) to remind him of the place.

I would've preferred a whip and a fedora.