Hoppas att ni hade en riktigt bra midsommar allihopa. Horde att det var varmt och svettigt, sa nu vet ni hur vi har det hela tiden. đ
Vi firade midsommar med att aka till Grand Palace, dar kungliga familjen bodde innan. Det var en hel del fantastiska byggnader, monument och statyer. Ni kan se bilder fran det i fotoalbumet.
Nar vi kom tillbaka gick vi upp till poolen och la oss for att fa lite farg och svalka av oss i vattnet.
Pa eftermiddagen kom nagra elaka moln sa vi gick ner till rummet. Mycket riktigt borjade det regna 5 minuter senare sa det kandes som en riktig svensk midsommar. đ
Vi at sen lite midsommar-middag bestaende av pad thai, fruktshake, baguett och Cola Light. Det finns ju inget IKEA i Bangkok… đ
Kl 4.30 pa lordag morgon lamnade vi hotellet och begav oss i taxi till norra buss-stationen. Dar traffade vi Emily och hennes kompis Sally som vi bestamt. Vi handlade var biljett till grans-staden Aranya Prathet. Kostade 178 Bath. Bussen avgick 5.30 och den tog ett antal timmar. Efter en lang stunds koande for att lamna Thailand kom vi igenom och gick over bron till staden Poipet i Kambodja. Vi hade last att det var valdigt tuff stamning i Poipet och att man inte skulle prata med nagon, inte lata nagon rora vid en m.m sa vi var ganska radda. Iaf hittade vi en taxi-chauffor som tog 1200 bath for att kora oss den langa vagen till Siem Reap.
Shaken not stirred, sager jag bara. Den vagen var inte det basta jag upplevt och vi satt och fullkomligt skakade i ca 4 timmar. Jag lyckades sova 30 minuter iaf, men det var inte bekvamt. :p
Vi skrattade ganska mycket for det var en draplig situation. đ
Efter ca 3 timmar var det stopp. Det var en massa lastbilar i vagen och var chauffor bestamde sig att kora en omvag ut pa faltet…
Saken var den att vi akte i en Toyota Camry, vilket ar en personbil. Den ar inte fyrhjuls-driven och han korde ut pa en lerig aker. Det sista hindret var en stor och ganska djup lerpol. Jag tankte att det har kommer aldrig att funka…Men var chauffor tvekade inte utan korde rakt ut i polen. Han klarade det galant, och vi appladerade precis som de gor pa lyckade landningar pa charter-resor. :p
Ut pa vagen igen och annu en timme pa skumpig vag innan vi kom fram till Siem Reap, dar vi tog in pa Two Dragons, ett mysigt hostel som tog $9 for ett dubbelrum med flakt.
Saken ar den att i Kambodja finns det inga ATM’s…Men man kan betala med Thai bath, US dollar och deras egen valuta, Rial.
Efter lite mat hyrde vi tva tuk-tuks och begav oss till Angkor Wat-omradet.
Vi bestamde oss for att se solnedgangen fran ett tempel som ligger hogt upp. Man kan antingen vandra upp eller aka pa elefant dit. A-M och jag ville garna aka pa elefant upp, jag har namligen aldrig gjort det, men det var sa lang ko sa det far bli en annan gang. đ
Uppe vid Banteai Srei Tempel var det fullt med folk. Vi traffade pa ett hollandskt par dar som var med pa Perhentian och festade med internationella ganget. Lustigt att de var dar just da. đ
Det var tyvarr for molnigt for att det skulle bli en bra solnedgang, men vi fick iaf se Angkor Wat fran langt hall.
Ater vid vart hostel pratade vi med ett australiensiskt par (Catherine och Dale) som precis varit i Vietnam. De gav oss en massa tips om vad vi borde se dar. Vi pratade aven om Australien och senare pa kvallen blev vi inbjudna att halsa pa dem nar vi kommer dit. đ
Traffade av en pa ett par fran USA, Brian och Nathalie.
Pa sondags morgon blev det uppgang vid 4.30 for att forsoka att se soluppgangen vid Angkor Wat. Vi kom dit vid 5.40 med tuk-tuk och da var solen redan pa vag upp bakom en massa moln. Naja, det far bli en perfekt soluppgang dar nagon annan gang.
A-M och jag borjade var upptacktsfard pa Angkor Wat, http://www.angkorwat.org/ . Att ga omkring dar kandes helt overkligt och jag fick nastan be A-M nypa mig i armen for att fatta det. Vi gick upp for de valdigt branta trapporna till hogsta punkten dar man hade en fantastisk utsikt. Att ga ner var inte lika roligt dock, men de hade satt upp ett metall-racke for att gora det enklare.
Nasta stopp var Angkor Thom, dar vi sag tempel som Bayon (fantastiska stenansikten pa vaggarna), Terrace of the Leper King och Terrace of the Elephants. Dar traffade vi pa Dale och Catherine igen och vi sjong for Dale, som fyllde 36 den dagen. đ
A-M och jag for vidare med var tuk-tuk och Mr Pokia, som foraren heter, forbi Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei, men vi skippade dem for att na fram till nasta stopp som var Ta Prohm.
Vi visste att delar av Tomb Raider var inspelad har och hade hort mycket om det. Det var fantastiskt!
Enorma trad som vaxer genom och over murarna pa templet. Detta och Angkor Wat var definitivt bast.
Vi stack tillbaka till vart hostel for lunch och lite vila. Sen borjade det regna, sa vi satt och pratade med Catherine och Dale till kl 5 och sen stack vi till Angkor Wat for att ga en sista rundtur dar samt se solnedgangen .
Det var svart att slita sig darifran for atmosfaren var underbar, men till sist var vi tvungna att lamna efter att ha sett en bra solnedgang.
Vi traffade aven pa tva australiensare fran Brisbane. Debbie gav oss sitt mobilnummer sa att vi kan hora av oss nar vi kommer dit sa ska hon visa oss runt. Helt otroligt hur mycket snalla och hjalpsamma manniskor det finns i varlden!
Efter en snabb dusch, stack vi ut med Catherine, Dale, Emily och Sally for att fira Dales fodelsedag. Det blev pa en mysig restaurang i Siem Reap, och vi hade en underbar kvall. Nathalie dok ocksa upp senare. Kvallen avslutades pa puben ”Angkor What?”. đ
Morgonen efter var det dax att sticka till Phnom Phen men den historian kommer i nasta dagbok.
Igar anlande vi till Vietnam dessutom. Verkar vara ett mycket trevlig land med vanliga manniskor. đ
Kramar till er alla!
English version:
(and of course sorry for all spelling-and grammar-errors :p )
I hope the Swedish people had a really nice midsummer. We heard that is was warm and sweaty so now you know how we have it all the time. :p
We celebrated midsummer with going to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, where the royal family lived before. There was a lot of fantastic buildings, monuments and statues. You can see the pictures from it in the photo album.
When we came back we went up to the pool to get some sun and cool of in the water. In the afternoon some evil clouds came and we went downstairs to the room. Not even 5 minutes after it started raining heavily, so it felt like a typical Swedish midsummer. đ
We ate some midsummer-dinner consisted of pad thai, fruit shake, baguette and Coke Light.
There is no IKEA in Bangkok… đ
At 4.30 on Saturday morning we left the hotel and went with taxi to the northern bus-station. There we met Emily and her friend Sally. We got our bus-ticket for the boarder-city Aranya Prathet, which cost 178 Bath.
The bus departed at 5.30 and it took quite a few hours. After a long time of queing to get out of Thailand we got to the bridge and walked over to the Cambodian city Poipet to enter the country.
We read that it was a very tough atmosphere in Poipet and that you shouldn’t talk to anyone, not let anyone touch you and so on so we where kind off afraid.
We found a taxi-driver anyways that was willing to drive us all the way to Siem Reap for 1200 Bath.
Shaken, not stirred, I say! The road wasn’t the best I experienced and we sat and shook almost the whole 4 hours.
We laughed a lot because the situation was so funny. đ
After about 3 hours there was a stop on the road and a lot of trucks in the way. Our driver decided to take a little detour out on the field.
The only problem was it was a Toyota Camry, no 4-wheel drive and he went out on a muddy field.
The last obstacle was a rather deep muddy-puddle. I sat there thinking that this will never go well…But our driver never hesitated and went straight through it. He fixed it with honours, and we applauded like they do on successful landings on Swedish charter-trips. :p
Out on the road again and another hour on bumby roads before we finally came to Two Dragons in Siem Reap.
It’s a cosy hostel that charges $9 for a double room with a fan.
An important thing is that in Cambodia there are no ATM’s…You can pay with Thai Bath, US $ and their own currency, Rial, tho.
After some food we rented two tuk-tuks and went to the Angkor Wat-area.
We decided to see the sunset from a temple a bit higher up than the others. You can either walk up or ride on the elephants. A-M and me wanted to ride with the elephants, because I never done it, but there was a long cue so we have to do that another time. đ
Up at Banteai Sreai temple there was lots of people. We met a couple from NL that was out partying with us and the international gang on Perhentian. Funny to meet them there. đ
Unfortunately it was too cloudy to see a good sunset, but at least we got to see Angkor Wat from a long distance.
Back at our hostel we talked to a Australian couple (Catherine and Dale) that just came from Vietnam. They gave us lots of tips of what we should see there. We also talked about Australia and later that evening we where invited to come and see them when we get there. đ
We also met a couple from US, Brian and Nathalie.
On Sunday morning it was rise and shine early at 4.30 to try to get to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We arrived at5.40 with our tuk-tuk and then the sun was already rising behind a lot of clouds. Oh well, have to see a perfect sunrise another time at Angkor Wat then.
A-M and I started our exploration trip at Angkor Wat, http://www.angkorwat.org/ .
To walk around there felt so unreal and I almost asked A-M to pinch my arm to understand it
We went up the steep stairs to the highest point where you had a fantastic view. To walk down wasn’t that fun though, but the put up a metal-rail to make it more simple.
Next stop was Angkor Thom, where we saw temples like Bayon (terrific stone faces carved on it), Terrace of Leper king and the terrace of Elephants. We met Dale and Catherine again, and we sang to Dale, who celebrated his 36-year birthday that day. đ
A-M and I went on with our tuk-tuk and Mr Pokia, the driver, passed Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei, because we wanted to go to Ta Prohm, which was the next stop.
We knew that parts of Tomb Raider was recorded here and had heard a lot about it. It was amazing!
Huge trees growing through and over the walls on this temple. This and Angkor Wat was definitely the best.
We went back to the hostel to get some lunch and rest. Then it started to rain, so we sat and had a chat with Catherine and Dale until 5 and then we went to Angkor Wat again to take a last walk around and to see the sunset.
It was hard to leave it because the atmosphere is wonderful, but at last we had to leave Angkor Wat after seeing a great sunset.
We also met two Australians from Brisbane there. Debbie gave us her mobile phonenumber so that we can call her when we get there. She wants to show us around. Amazing how many kind and helpful people there are in this world!
After a quick shower, we went out with Catherine, Dale, Emily and Sally to celebrate Dales birthday. We spent it at a nice restaurant in Siem Reap and it was a great evening. Nathalie also showed up later that evening. We ended the night at the pub ”Angkor What?”. đ
The morning after it was time to go to Phnom Phen but that story will be in the next diary.
Yesterday we arrived in Vietnam and so far it seems to be great with a lot of nice people. đ
Hugs to you all!
LĂ„ter fortfarande jĂ€tteskönt. Ăven in ols Swedala var det fint till midsommar.
Massor av kramar Tobbe