nateniale's travels

{ June 2008 - Siem Reap, Cambodia } Seeing the houses on the Tonlé Sap lake was an eye-opener, and while the boat that we were in slowly move further down, I kept looking around, trying to get a glimpse of their daily lives. Some were taking a nap on hammock, saw some stoves on the small little boat hut, there were boats going around selling vegetable and fruits, a small restaurant (which looks like it is for tourists), and kids playing on the water. There was even a school with basketball court! If you take away the fact that all these are happening on the huge lake, this is just a village where the people live their day to day lives. Plus the girl with the snake, who smiled so sweetly and innocently that I could not help but snap a photo, and she turned to me to ask for a dollar after that!

{ June 2008 - Siem Reap, Cambodia } I think it is safe to say that the trip to Siem Reap back in June 2008 was the trip that started my travel bug. With numerous budget airlines that started sprouting in Asia, travels became cheaper and as I started to have more savings from my career, travelling became something that I really wanted to do -  seeing the world, experiencing culture and enjoying the journey. Siem Reap was a great starting point of this adventure of a lifetime, and Angkor Wat was the main star together with countless other temples such as Bagan and Angkor Thom. It was interesting walking among the temples, gigantic tree trunks and roots, climbing the steep stairs and hiking up the hills. Of course, the food and the people made the experience so much better.         

{ November 2012 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia } Spent three days in Phnom Penh - a much needed holiday after a long hiatus from travelling! Bought the tickets at the last minute, with minimal planning, but armed with Lonely Planet, of course. It was our second trip to Cambodia, the first being the amazing and fabulous Angkor Wat in Siem Reap about 4 years ago.   The trip was pretty relaxing. Walked around the town, with lots of tuk tuk rides in between. Visited some "wat" (temples) and walked around the markets. Had coffee in various cafes, and ate a lot of Cambodian food (no tarantulas, though!).  Just the right mix of culture and relaxation for us. Here are some snapshots taken from my trusty iPhone.