Hidden gem in Siem Reap

The reason anyone ever goes to Siem Reap is to visit Angkor Wat. The largest and well-preserved ancient Hindu temple complex in the world is reason enough to visit Cambodia, but there is one hidden gem near Angkor Wat: Bayon!

Nothing on earth could have prepared me for what I saw when I visited the temple, which went through periods of being Buddhist and Hindu, depending on the king of the day. The temple is full of human faces carved into stone. Some of them smile, others have plain expressions and I could even see a frown or two.

The entire temple consists of these faces and this looks like something right out of a fantasy fiction novel or film. Here is one such image from this temple

Musings on Angkor Wat

I have seen some spectacular temples and ruins in many Southeast Asian countries, from Bagan in Myanmar to Borobudur and Prambhanam in Java. Angkor was really the last of the great sites that I hadn't been to. It turned out to be the piece de resistance, not so much for the magnificent architecture per se, but for what was inside.

The intricate wall carvings of the story of the asuras and devas churning out nectar, as well as scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, set this temple out from anything else in Southeast Asia. It's amazing how much soft power and reach ancient India had far and beyond what are its boundaries in 2014.

Visiting this great temple, has awakened an interest in me to know more about Hindu stories. They really are a treasure.

The Angkor Wat carvings are the reflection of artistic genius and prowess that remains unparalleled to this day. It makes you realise one thing. The modern nation-state is a 19th century European construct that was imposed on Asia. We never had borders, passports and national id cards. When Buddhist monks wanted to come to India 150 years ago to follow the footsteps of the Buddha, no one stopped them to check for identity papers.

Culturally and spiritually, India and Southeast Asia are one. 

Impact of tourism on Cambodia's floating villages

The Tonle Sap is Cambodia's most important river and lake system, and being close to Siem Reap, is a major magnet for tourists.  The primary reason people visit the lake is to see the so-called floating villages with stilt-houses.

These were basically simple structures in the past, but tourism has helped the people in these villages become quite wealthy.  Many of the houses are large and some of them have even been converted into hotels.

I saw some houses that had gardens with bougainvillea plants! So how do these posh houses get electricity? By using car batteries of course!

The richest people in the villages, buy canisters of drinking and potable water, while those still down the wealth chain clean the water from the lake! Given that these villages are not very crowded, the water isn't terribly polluted and does not stink. Here is an image of a 'middle class house.'

Cambodia's dual pricing system

Many countries have a dual pricing systems for foreigners and locals at tourist attractions. India charges an exorbitant amount to tourists visiting the Taj Mahal, something I clearly oppose.

Cambodia takes this dual pricing to another level. Foreigners are expected to pay for everything in U.S. dollars. Right from "tuk tuk" rides to restaurants and hotels to entry at heritage sites and museums.

The logic behind this is that poor Cambodians need money from rich foreigners. I perfectly understand that the country is still recovering from the terror of the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese occupation, but it's about time that it ensured that the U.S. dollar is not legal tender. Only when it starts making visitors use the local currency, will the country ever rise to the level of neighbouring Thailand.

Don't follow an official rip-off policy, my dear Khmer friends!

E-visa for Cambodia

While doing some research on whether taking an e-visa or going for a visa on arrival, I saw a lot of people claiming the latter was a better option.  Many travellers were told that the e-visa was not valid when they landed in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.  The e-visa site was reportedly hacked a few times.

I decided to apply for an e-visa through the official website and I can vouch for the fact that this is a simple and easy process.

Once our flight landed, we zipped through immigration in 30 seconds. They scan the barcode from the visa and then stamp the passport. Fortunately the immigration officer did not ask me for a tip. Many travellers have complained about this.

The U.S. dollar is used as a legal tender for foreigners in the country, so don't bother exchanging currency in the country. 

Taking a flight from KLIA2

I was so used to the casual and laid back feel of the erstwhile LCCT in Kuala Lumpur that I almost missed a flight from the new KLIA2.

I made it to check-in just minutes before they were going to stop, and the Air Asia employee told me to not waste a minute and head straight for the gate.

He just wasn't kidding. There are 2 security checks, 1 just after immigration and 1 just before entering the gate. We walked close to 20 minutes just to get to our gate and we were there 2 minutes before they commenced boarding.

So here's some advice: If you haven't done a web check-in, get there 2 hours before your flight. The self check-in kiosks no longer work.

Gentrification of KL's Chinatown?

I love the city's vibrant Chinatown. It's an area with a lot of character and history.

Most people just walk in and out of Petaling Street and haggle with the peddlers for cheap goods. Others grab a nice Peranakan or Malaysian Chinese meal in the stalls or the small restaurants. 

I like to walk around the entire neighbourhood and observe day to day life. I still see the cobblers, traders, locksmiths and other small businessmen, but many of the older buildings are being restored and renovated and it looks like the new occupants of office space there are going to be trendy modern companies. 

The colourful neighbourhood is a nice place to enhance creativity, but I'd hate to see it go all corporate and plush. This is after all a prime location. Let's hope the area doesn't lose its character. 

Bizarre run but glorious end none the less

When my cell phone conked off and my Garmin watch wasn’t working this morning, I kind of had a gut feeling that these were early morning omens ahead of the Kuala Lumpur Marathon. 

The party revellers wished me on Jalan P Ramlee when I was going to the KLCC to take the light rail to the starting point.

At the start of the run at the Merdeka Square, it all looked well organised. There was a large turnout with over 5000 runners attempting the full marathon.

Although I felt a bit uneasy, I got off to a blazing start. I was running ahead of the 5-hour pacers hoping that I could maintain this pace until at least the 30-km mark. I loved the start of the run and seeing the Petronas lit that early in the morning.  

As I set the roads of KL on fire, I started thinking that this would really be easy. The air was cleaner than in Bombay and my lungs had an easier job.

The problem was that most of the route was on highways and flyovers. By the 14 km mark, I ran out of stamina and energy and was sure that I could not finish the run. It was really early and there was no chance of the sweeper bus picking me up anytime soon and since we were on flyovers without exits, I could not get off the route and take a cab back to my apartment.

On this nightmare path, before a flyover, I saw a gurudwara and was tempted to take refuge there, but I decided to keep going. So I continued on tired and out of energy up to the 21 km mark, where I approached the volunteers and said I want to pull out. When will the sweeper bus come, I asked. They replied that it could take hours as the bus would follow the last runner!! They said if I was sick or injured, I could get evacuated by medical staff. That would have been unfair since a really sick or injured person would have needed the assistance.

I asked them if there was an exit from the never-ending highways and they advised me not to exit the highway until the 31 km mark!!! There were some exits in industrial areas from where I would have never gotten a cab.

This was a bizarre run, since I desperately wanted to stop but had no choice!! Once I reached the 31km mark, we were parallel to a road with traffic, but none of the cabs agreed to stop for me.  And then came another flyover!! By the time I reached the 35 km mark, I realised that since I came this far, I just as well might finish off the run.. Slowly we reached the city again and I stepped up the effort and yes, I finally made to the Merdeka Square!  Yes, I ran my second full marathon!  I have mixed feelings.. On the one hand, I am irritated with the “prison route”, but I am glad I managed to finish.

I learnt a big lesson from this run. I need to run hard and fast during my training sessions to be able to sustain the speed on race day.  

On the whole, a big congrats to all those runners who braved out a tough route and hazy weather. It's just ironic that for hours all I wanted to do was quit and could just not do that!!

The Monkeys of Batu Caves

One of the added benefits of a visit to the Batu Caves for tourists from countries where you can only see monkeys in a zoo is the chance to see wild and adorable beasts. Some hawkers now sell "monkey food."

Tourists from different countries have different approaches to these cute animals. Indians ignore them, Russians try and take as many pics of them as possible, many Europeans feed them.  Yesterday, I saw a Chinese woman screaming her way down the steps! The poor monkeys would have been petrified!

A group of men from the Middle East thought it was fun to hurl bottles at them! I asked those thugs to stop when I saw them doing that. They gave me a dirty look but stopped as long as I was within sight. I wonder if that was their idea of fun? I have never seen such poor manners in public in the Middle East. I wonder what brings it out of them in a place like Malaysia.

Visit Malaysia Year.. Really?

2014 is officially Visit Malaysia Year. Under normal circumstances you'd think a country would make sure everything was in tip-top shape for tourists.  Welcome to KL, where everything seems to be a work in progress!

The musical fountain at the KLCC is not working. This is in addition to some construction activity inside the beautiful park. I already see the realtors grabbing land inside the park. Let's hope the peace and sanctity of the place don't vanish because of corporate greed.

Minutes away from the Petronas on Jalan Ramlee, there was a small food street with reasonably priced restaurants. This street has been temporarily closed for renovation since May 31!

I still love this wonderful city, but come on guys! 

Goodbye LCCT, Welcome KLIA2

The biggest change I witnessed in Kuala Lumpur since the last time I was here is that the Low Cost Carrier Terminus (LCCT), which was basically a pleasant hangar with some nice eating joints, is history. The KLIA2 has come up in its place and is basically a decent replacement. It's semi-lux, well laid out and efficient.

The KLIA Express line has been extended upto the new terminal making access to the city a lot easier.
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Another thing I like about Malaysia is that prices more or less seem to stay the same for a long time. You don't see the kind of inflation that is a part of life in Russia and India.

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I just had to start off my trip with a delicious breakfast of Nasi Lemak and kopi! I chose the latter over Tee Tarik, as the red eye flight from Bombay made me a bit drowsy.

Less than a week to go for the big day

I know at this time next week, every part of my body will be aching. Whatever the result, I'd be a few glasses of champagne down and enjoying a quiet Sunday evening in Kuala Lumpur.

This is the best I have ever trained for a marathon. I feel fitter and stronger than I ever have and there's definitely a wonderful feeling about the run.

It is probably going to rain on that day and since I am not sprinting, I welcome a downpour, especially if it comes after sunrise.

If you're a well-wisher of mine, please think of me on Saturday night and send me some positive vibes and energy.  The run starts at 4:30 am local time on Sunday, October 12.