A Visit to The Lost City, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Now then I remember I haven't finish my Cambodia post after I realize I am going to visit another UNESCO world heritage soon. Ppppfftt. Synonym the post title, I lost my memories about some important facts that I gained during my visit to this lost city.

Ok, here we go. After my visit to Phnom Penh, Mike & I spent the rest of our Cambodian trip at Siem Reap and it is for one and only reason - Angkor Wat.

First of all, Mike refused to buy the tour from Travel Agency. He preferred to pay direct to the local TukTuk driver so at least it can help the local earning more for their hard work rather than giving to the commercial agent that pay peanut to the locals. So yes, we only had a TukTuk driver that droves us around without professional Tour Guide that can give us information about the site. But, if we read a lot, we do not need a Tour Guide for facts we already knew. Now we just need to see it with our own eyes.

That's my boyfriend. Sometime he is a saint, to me.

Although Cambodia is still considered the poorest 3rd world country, no tall building and great shopping malls unlike Kuala Lumpur, but to me they have  the most valuable list of monuments and relics which can't be rebuild. Well, maybe it can with the latest technology, but, the historical sentimental can never be recreated and replicated.

By looking at the amount of people visiting this site, I can guarantee it is more than amount of people visiting our Petronas Twin Tower. These old monuments and its old bricks capable to generate income for the country and put Cambodia on the world map just being moldy and old.

When you buy a site tour to Angkor Wat, it will include the other small wats (Temples) surrounds it which are equally significant to the history of Angkor Wat. So, on that one tiring day, we visited Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Preah Khan and Ta Phrom.

  

Go read more facts about Angkor Wat HERE. It's very fascinating, you know. Just don't fall asleep yet.

Mike and I took Sunrise Angkor Wat tour. (Here is a little tip for young traveler). We always figure it out that places like this should be experienced at magical hours, which is sunrise or sunset. And for high towers, we always choose sunset to the dark hours, so that we able to see the whole city glimmering with neon.  

We had to be at hotel lobby as early as 5am. The tuk tuk guy drove us into the darkness with cold breeze while I still have taik mata bertempek in my eyes :(

After 30 minutes tuktuk ride, we arrived Angkor Wat. Surprisingly there were hundreds of people already queuing for the entrance pass which costs us USD20 for a one day pass, (if you have more time, you can take 2 or 3 days pass)  complete with our picture taken and printed on the pass.

At first, I don't understand why those souvenirs and hot drinks sellers along the entrance keep on telling me, "stand at the left of the lake". I just nodded quickly and ran away from them or else they keep pushing me to purchase key chain, posters, postcards or a cup of coffee from their bag.

So Mike and I walked close to the entrance of central tower, took gazillion pictures in the dark and thought we got all the best shot already. Then when the sky starts to light up, I just realized it was too LATE.

No spot for me at the left lake!

And that point of time, I was starting to feel like an ultimate moron when I looked at those fancy big professional camera. BECAUSE I LEFT MINE AT THE HOTEL AND THOUGHT MY SAMSUNG S3 IS GOOD ENOUGH. FML.

To compensate my stupidity, my small body manage to slip in between the crowd and try to get the best spot to capture the complex shot complete with its reflection. THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO STAY AT THE LEFT LAKE! At that moment, I totally lost Mike. I don't know where he was and I don't care. WTF? 

So ALL of us waited patiently for the sun to come up. Sembahyang subuh pun kau tak gigih macam ni kannnn...

So, here, are the best shot I manage to take with my Samsung S3 and I was regret on every snap that I took because this is DAMN FUGLY.

As I heard the big cameras clicking on my left and right, I just keep on TAPPING my stupid android phone, praying the picture will turn out beautiful.

Trust me, I took more than 500 shot to and selected a few to put it on here and still, I hate the pictures and myself for it.

Look at how these people willing to get their feet soaked in the lake water just to capture the magical sunrise behind Angkor Wat.

So I gave up. I stopped at 501th picture, and when I turned back, Mike was already behind me, smiling. He got the sunrise recorded on video mode.

So he helped me to take the picture of me try to do calm down pose with the sunrise. LOL.

...and the sun is totally up, so my sleepy naked face without make up is revealed :(

Everything is still wet from the morning dew. It was the freshest sights I ever wake up to after so long staring at PC monitor for 20 hours a day, everyday, back at office and home. 

So, all the pictures taken here are by my Samsung S3. I hate the pixel when you zoom it in.

Anyways, if you are a fan of Lara Croft, Angkor Wat is one of the shooting location for the "Tomb Raider" for one week. The conservation authority charging USD10,000 per day to the Paramount Picture for using the location and the money used to conserve the temple. 

And I overheard 'Angelina Jolie' was mentioned over and over again by the tour guides to those tourists. In fact, Angelina Jolie was mentioned more than the real history fact of this sacred place. Man... 

Although 40% of this building is in restoration progress, you still can feel the Ancient World in here. If you wanted to experience "The alignment of Nine Realms" like in latest Thor movie, you should come here. I felt like I was teleported into another, ancient world in a 12th century where Khmer Empire was at its peak.

Although it is very old, but it didn't give the feel of 'Haunted' place at all.

If you pay attention closely, the white bricks are the new installation to the building in attempt to prolong the temple structures from being collapse.

A life size apsara finely carved on the wall. Apsara is not a God, but a celestial nymph, a dayang, pari-pari.

And now, some of the tower can't be climbed anymore due to safety of you, structures.  

Meet the 'guardian' of the temple :D

This place is still use for the religious ceremony and you still can see the monks and the 'sisters' coming to this place and keeping it alive.

One thing I noticed about 'the sisters' of the temple. They shaved their head bald while Christian and Muslim and Jews covers their hair.  

So I manage to edit the picture with some apps on my mobile phone. But I would be crazy to edit all pictures taken that day into something like this. I don't have time for that!

After 2-3 hours, still, we were unable to cover all 500 acres of Angkor Wat. We only managed to circle the first and second enclosure and headed back to our TukTuk driver for our packed breakfast and our next destination which is Angkor Thom.

To be continued.

What's Cooking? - Khmer Food : Starter

One of many ways to know the culture is through its food. The curiosity of what's inside that makes it taste so good is answered only through cooking it yourself. I am kind of regret realizing that I missed a lot of opportunity to learn different type of cooking style in my previous visit to various countries. Shopping, sightseeing and experiencing big nice hotel bed is now becoming quite a plain thing for me to do. I want something new. I truly wanna feel like home when I am abroad. I am finding the way of how to be the citizen of the world. While some other girls choose to fuck local guy(s) in order to taste or understand their culture, I choose to cook their food.


I will share the recipe and cooking step on here from now on. It is for my own record too. In case my kitties eat my recipe's paper note :( like they did on my bank statements, shopping catalogue and my bedroom slippers.

Every cooking class (I think so) always come with 3 dishes in 1 session. Which is Stater, Main Course and Dessert. In Siem Reap, cooking class price is as low as USD10 per person. It took about 2-4 hours and you will get to eat your "work of art". Ha.

Me and Mike choose different menu to cook so in total we have 6 dishes that day. For starter, I chose how to prepare Mango Salad while Mike chose Fresh Spring Rolls.

Yea, this is the finish work of art. My Khmer mango salad. And I get to learn how to set the food like a pro too!

The white thingy is actually lotus petals. Hhmmm tak do teratai kau pakai la daun halia ke apa.. janji cantik.

Mike's Fresh Spring Rolls. Like a boss.

Here is what you need for your Khmer Mango Salad;

1)Young mango + carrot + tomato + Onion + shallot + basil 2) 2 spoon of peanuts (grind peanuts)
3) Chicken or shrimp

Preparation step:

Boil the chicken/ shrimp for 2 minutes. Add half tea spoon of sugar and chicken stock powder - this to give some flavor to the shrimp/ chicken.

Grate all number 1) items

Mix the grind peanuts in. Toss everything together with dipping sauce  (scroll down on how to prepare the dipping sauce)

Easy? Of course! you think I like to learn difficult menu? I don't, even in my own dream.

One thing I notice about Khmer food. It looks and smell similar to what Thai foods are. BUT! They are sweeter have mild flavor in term of spiciness and zesty-ness compared to Thai's. If you are so used to Thai's flavor - you can use the same preparation and ingredients - with extra slices of chilly padi and a squeeze of lemon/lime. 

Khmer Dipping Sauce.

Apparently Khmer dipping sauce can be used in Khmer Mango Salad as well as Fresh Spring Roll.

Ingredients:

1) 4 ladle of water (1 1/2 of tea cup?) I think so.. they used that big ladle in that cooking class!

2) 2 spoon of sugar palm or brown sugar

3) 3 table spoon of fish sauce

4) A bit of sugar and chicken stock powder for extra taste

5) Minced garlic + shallot + chilly

6) 1 table spoon of vinegar (cuka lah!) and lime.

Preparation Step

Heat up the sugar palm and keep on stirring it until it thicken.

Add water. Just make sure you don't burn the that sticky sugar! You need to be quick! Once the mixture of sugar palm and water is boiling, then add the fish sauce, a bit sugar & chicken stock powder.

Bring it to cool just like the picture above.

once it is cooling down, you can squeeze the lime juice in as well as minced garlic, shallot and chilly.

Add more chilly if you wanna burning taste. This one has a very mild taste of hot & sour.. well.. it's KHMER's..

Last one for starter is - Mike's Khmer Fresh Spring Rolls.

Ingredients :

1) A TRAY full with grated Carrot+ lettuce + cucumber + Boiled bean sprout + sweet basil

2) Minced beef and baby shrimp

3) Onion and chopped garlic

4) 1 teaspoon Grind black paper + 1 tablespoon fish sauce + few pinches of chicken stock powder 

5) Rice paper

Preparation Step:

You need to cook the fillings - Fry the garlic then followed with minced beef + baby shrimp and onion.

While stir fry it - add black pepper + chicken stock powder + fish sauce. Cook until you are confident enough that the beef is well done :) I think you can opt for virgin oil to turn this dish into healthy munchies. Good for low carb dieter.

Look at our chef Mike. He started to sweat already!

Vietnamese rice paper :)

Dip your rice paper into lukewarm water for few second and lay it on the plate or in our case - wood block chopping board.

Here comes the fun part!! Stacking the fresh vegetables onto the paper rice.

Im not sure if there is the exact sequence for stacking on the vegetables and the fillings, like carrot first and cucumber second.. but fillings must be the last part onto that wet rice paper

For those who so used to roll the weed, your skill comes in handy here.

The slim nice one on top was roll by the cooking instructor. The fattie roll was by Mike.

I know this menu is Mike's. But I couldn't refrain myself to join the rolly roll activity! So, I kicked Mike to the side and took over the entire paper rice.

Ah, before that, you need a small cup of coconut oil with a little bit of fried minced garlic -  for garnishing.

Cut rolls into 2 right after you oiled the rolls with coconut oil.

No brush needed. Just use lettuce as a tool to oil the rolls. Au naturel.

Set it around dipping sauce bowl like that... (told you, I've totally kicked Mike out.)

Woot.. woottt.. Like a PRO. Oh, for the dipping sauce, you can add fried grind peanut to give it more flavor.

BOTH STATER DONE! I think this stater alone can be my lunch already. HHmm.. Im thinking to do this and bring it to my office as my healthy lunch snack, next week.

Below is the action flop - by me. I was so greedy. I tried to put as much as filling as I can till it burst. Smh. 

I love the taste. Crunchy and meaty. 3 slices of this already made me full!

Hope you will try it. Good Luck!

...to be continued with main course and dessert.

#CookinglikeaPRO!

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