BANGKOK PARTY MARATHON

Big hello 2 everybody who decided 2 spontaneously join our joyful crowd, especially 2: Kate & Adam, South Korea's 3 coolest Kims, Carolina de Valparaiso, Ole, Michael, Sarah, Raph & Jodi, Jun & Sunju, Andi & Vanessa, Catherine, Rajko & the loveliest bar staff on the whole continent! Those were nights 2 remember...

SKY TRAIN, BACC & ALL THAT MODERN JAZZ

Podniebna kolejka miejska, graffiti i centrum kultury i sztuki chilli lyk Bangkoku w modernistycznym wydaniu...

BACC = BANGKOK ART & CULTURE CENTRE

PLYWAJACE POCZTOWKI Z / FLOATING POSTCARDS FROM DAMNERNSADUAK

chilli bazarowe szalenstwo na wodzie rzut beretem od Bangkoku...

O SWICIE I ZMIERZCHU - TRIADA W ANGKORZE

Pochlonawszy kilogram grzesznie-slodkich liczi w autobusie do Siem Reap, docieramy do punktu kulminacyjnego naszej eskapady do Kambodzy a moze i nawet calej 5-cio miesiecznej perypetii z Azja Poludniowo-Wschodnia... Panie i panowie, ladies and gentlemen, mesdames et monsieurs, pane a panove przed nami trzy dni odkrywania, delektowania sie, kontemplowania, podziwiania i upajania sie slynnymi swiatyniami w Angkorze. I tutaj moznaby kwieciscie pisac i pisac, wiersze klecic i poezje wyspiewywac w najlepszym wroclawskim wydaniu ale prawda jest, ze zadne slowa nawet w polowie nie oddadza naszego zachwytu.





Podczas pierwszego dnia wytrwale podrozujac na rowerach (21 kilometrow!!!) odwiedzilismy zaledwie garstke glownych swiatynnych obiektow, wszystkich za to monumentalnie urodziwych w pieknej lesnej scenerii.





Poza "glowna bohaterka" pompatyczna swiatynia Angkor Wat - jeden z cudow swiata - najwieksze wrazenie wywarla na nas misterna Bay On z wyrzezbionymi w murach twarzami bostw i samego krola oraz Ta Phrom, porosnieta dzunglowa polacia, z zapuszczonymi w murach korzeniami drzew, swiatynia, ktorej unikatowa prezencja posluzyla jako tlo i scenografia do kilku hollywoodzkich produkcji.









Posileni swiezymi ananasami wracamy otuleni zachodem slonca przy dziwacznych niemal elektronicznych dzwiekach blizej niezidentyfikowanych insektow, ktorych wokalne decybele przekraczaly kilkakrotnie mozliwosci ich slynnych "kuzynek" cykad...
Wschod slonca nastepnego dnia przerosl nasze najsmielsze oczekiwania i modly o sprzyjajaca aure. Chyba bardziej spektakularnie, dramatycznie i fotogenicznie nam sie niebo nie moglo zaprezentowac. I te dziarsko przedzierajace sie przez nie pierwsze promienie slonca padajace na slynne na caly swiat majestatyczne mury Angkor Wat. Do tego kubek swiezo zaparzonej kawy w jednej rece, aparat w drugiej i stad takie wlasnie pozwole sobie zauwazyc nieskromnie foto-perelki.





Uwielbiam wschody slonca chyba jeszcze bardziej niz zachody. Ostatniego dnia wybieramy sie wlasnie posileni zdrowa dawka zakupow i lampka martini z liczi (narodowy owoc khmerski) admirowac slonce ukladajace sie do snu przy wspomnianej wczesniej Bay On gdzie nadal wydaje sie nam, ze odglada nas tysiace twarzy wkomponowanych kunsztownie w sciany obiektu. Kolorystyka, cienie, odcienie, finezyjna paleta barw...









Miejsce jak to, to marzenia, ktore sie spelniaja. Miejsce, gdzie zyczenia wyszeptane z goracym sercem, jak w ukochanych "Spragnionych Milosci" zapewne sie ziszcza...



Kambodza zaskoczyla nas pod wieloma wzgledami, frapujaca kraina, niepodobna do zadnego innego z naszych przystankow. Tym razem czasu i finansow starczylo na pospiesznych 10 dni ale pewnego pieknego dnia pojawimy sie tutaj znowu by zadziwic sie pewnie jeszcze bardziej...

TEMPLEFESTING AT ANGKOR...

We came to Siem Reap, the gateway town to the temples of Angkor, in the late afternoon and I for one was pleased to find a touristy centre with an array of tourist cafes, tourist bars, tourist shops and tourist acommodation. Sometimes in the quest for exploring untread paths, we backpackers forget that we are after all just pesky tourists. If the truth be known I think I was in need of some home comforts again and Siem Reap was able to produce the goods. Not a very authentic Cambodian experience but this tourist was perfactly fine with that!



Our three day pass meant that we had plenty of time to explore the many temples of Angkor. We rented ourselves some bikes for our first day and pedalled first thing straight to the piece de resistence - Angkor Wat. We cycled around the vast moat which surrounds it and, as we turned the corner leading to the entrance, Angkor Wat came into view. "Its nice but much smaller than I expected" I said out loud in my own mind. I then realised that it was just the entrance gate I was looking at as the massive spires of Angkor Wat sprung into view behind. It's so strange to see all these sights that you've seen so many pictures of in books. Angkor Wat is as huge, amazing, powerful and beautiful as it is in pictures.



Bayon was next on the agenda so on we pedalled. Bayon was for me equally as impressive as Angkor Wat. A bridge of stone soldiers leads the way and then large imposing faces start to peer down at you from just about every corner of the temple. Legend has it that the faces are modelled on the King who had Bayon erected so that he could keep an eye on his subjects. I would have been a very good boy with all these faces glaring at me all day I must say! As the light changes throughout the day the shadows make for some eerie portraits. Bayon is a maze of little corridors all in view of the kings beady eyes.







Our pedalling feet wheeled us along for about 20 kilometres during the course of the day. We stopped off at some and just wheeled passed others. Ta Phrom was another highlight, it was used to film some of (one of) the Indiana Jones films and has been reclaimed by the jungle. Massive roots curl through the walls and windows and gravity defying trees grow just about everywhere, very cool!



Up at 4.30 on day two to catch the sunrise and it was so worth it! It had already started to get bright when we got there and it looked a bit cloudy for our liking. The clouds broke however and we were treated to a most pleasurable rising of the sun thank you very much. Hawkers nearby offer cups of coffee and plastic chairs on which to enjoy them. Having not had my morning coffee yet, I took them up on the offer and I do not believe I have ever had my morning coffee in the face of such splendour!!! What an incredible experience, another one that I'm so so happy we got to see together. Sunrise at Angkor is a must for all I think. For the remainder of the morning we hired a tuk-tuk and temple-hopped til we were all templed out. Saw some more very impressive ones but having started with the sun rising over Angkor nothing could even begin to compete.







On day three we returned to Bayon for the sunset and that concluded our slow, easy, and wonderfully touristy Angkor visit.