Ta Phrom & Banteay Srei

Categories: Cambodia · Siem Reap · TravelTags: · · · · · · 2 Comments

Two of my favourite temples in Angkor are Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei. Ta Prohm is a classic example of the power of nature and the jungle. Built in 1186 and originally known as the Monastery of the King, Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of the King. Ultimately, its crumbling walls and towers ended up locked in with the vast root systems of trees. Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft — as scenes from the Tomb Raider movie was filmed here. Considered the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei is made from pinkish…

Angkor Wat

Categories: Cambodia · Siem Reap · TravelTags: · · · ·

The biggest draw for tourists into Cambodia is the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, which means “Temple that is a City“.  Considered as the largest religious building in the world in a complex that covers 97 sq. kms., Angkor Wat represents Mount Meru of Hindu mythology as the home of the gods and the kings. Built in the 12th century, this temple is the pinnacle of Khmer architecture with its highest tower at 669 feet. Virtually abandoned for 600 years, until French naturalist Henri Mouhot stumbled into it in 1861. Angkor Wat is dedicated to Vishnu and the only…

Angkor Thom

Categories: Architecture · Cambodia · Siem Reap · TravelTags: · · · · · ·

One of the world’s magnificent marvels are the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia. Angkor used to be the capital of the Khmer Kingdom from A.D. 802 until A.D. 1295. Meaning “The Great City” in Khmer, Angkor Thom is an impressive temple complex famed for its 148-ft central temple, Bayon and nearby Baphoun. Angkor Thom covers a vast area with over a mile on one side and filled with elaborate reliefs, statues and carvings. The Bayon is the centerpiece of the Angkor Thom complex, with its classic 216 huge stone carved smiling faces, typically set in groups of four and each…

Siem Reap

Categories: Cambodia · Siem Reap · TravelTags: · · · ·

Siem Reap in Cambodia means “Siam Defeated“, referring to the 16th century victory that solidified the Khmer Kingdom from the Thais. Located in western Cambodia, it is a small town located 6 kilometers south of the world famous temples of the ancient city of Angkor. Siem Reap is now populated by large five-star hotels and resorts, numerous restaurants and shops catering to the many tourists visiting the temples. An international airport handles flights from Southeast Asia. A break from all the temples is the floating village of Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia that provides a…

Huānyíng huílái

Categories: China · Travel · XiamenTags: · · ·

“Welcome back” to Xiamen! Ranked as the most attractive city in the Fujian province of southern China, many of Xiamen’s old colonial buildings have been carefully restored and its lively waterfront area give it an alluring old-world charm — together with many new modern buildings rising throughout the city. PS : I had a difficult time accessing my blog while in China. Seems like blogging is restricted. The Nanputuo Buddhist Temple is famous in the province and is a pilgrimage site for many in Southeast Asia. The temple has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, with the latest reincarnation from the early…

Del Mar

Categories: California · Del Mar · Travel · USATags: ·

Luckily, there is no sign of the polar vortex in Southern California! The small affluent coastal city of Del Mar (“Of the Sea”) is located twenty minutes north of downtown San Diego. With a population of less than 4,500 people in a 2.1 square mile area, Del Mar has two miles of pristine beaches. Home to the Del Mar Racetrack and the San Diego County Fair in the summer, its historic downtown village dates back to the 1880s and has over twenty-five restaurants. Because of an active resident group, billboards and high rises are not permitted within the city limits. The city is immortalized in…

USS Midway

Categories: California · San Diego · Travel · USATags: · · ·

The giant USS Midway aircraft carrier was one of the U.S. Navy’s flagship vessels with close to 50 years of history from 1945 to 1991. It was commissioned towards the end of World War II and has been through the evacuation of Saigon, Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War, and into evacuating 1,800 Americans from Subic Bay in the Philippines during the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Before being moored in San Diego and turned into a museum in 2004, this “floating city” with a 1,000-foot-long flight deck accommodated a crew of 4,500.

San Diego Zoo

Categories: California · San Diego · Travel · USATags: · · · ·

The world-famous San Diego Zoo is one of Southern California’s major attractions. The zoo showcases more than 4,000 animals, representing over 800 species, on 100 acres of beautifully landscaped lush setting that is an accredited botanical garden. Located in the northern section of Balboa Park, the zoo originated with the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-1916. San Diego Zoo is privately operated by the non-profit Zoological Society of San Diego and is one of four zoos in the U.S. which have giant pandas on display and the most successful in terms of panda reproduction.

Balboa Park

Categories: Architecture · California · San Diego · Travel · USATags: · · ·

The country’s largest urban park with 1,200 acres, Balboa Park in San Diego, is home to 15 museums, performing arts venues, gardens and the world famous San Diego Zoo. Balboa Park was the location of the First World’s Fair of the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition (in commemoration of the opening of the Panama Canal) which created many of the stunning Spanish-Rennaissance architecture. Named for the Spanish maritime explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the park was also the location of the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition.

La Jolla

Categories: California · Food · San Diego · Travel · USATags: · · · ·

With advance apologies to my friends back in the northern part of North America, I escaped the -20C windchill and snowstorm on the weekend and headed to Southern California, where it is a gorgeous +22C sunny day in La Jolla. My system seems to be in a state of confusion, but I am not complaining! La Jolla, or “The Jewel”, is a hilly seaside community in northern San Diego occupying 7 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean. For real estate watchers, this neighbourhood is one of the most expensive in the. U.S. Voted one of the best restaurants in San…