the full moon was hanging in the sky last nite...caught it coincidentally while i was at the floating pontoon...had gone to the floating pontoon of Tonle Sap just before sunset yesterdae....it was christmas eve...and i would like some quiet time alone...
the tourist boat from siem reap to phnom penh...crowded!!!
on 23 dec...i took a boat from siem reap to phnom penh...the boat ride along tonle sap took 5 hrs...and we were baked under the sun from 7.30 am to 12.30pm...most of the tourists sat on the roof or front of the boat....as the inside of the boat was too caustrophobic for some....the window panes were tinted w yellow cellophane paper....so the whole boat looked orange!!! hahhaha.....i was at the front when the boat departed....after an hour on the front...when much of the scenery is gone....though on the river...it seems that the boat is out in the ocean....there is nothing except the horizon...i went inside to sleep for one hour....when some vegatation appeared...i went to the bow of the boat again....a group of farangs were sitting on the front of the boat smoking n drinking...it was so windy as the boat was travelling at some speed...but the group of farangs never give up in lighting up their cigarettes....they used watever means to ignite their cigarettes....i m not impressed by their effort....they brought a whole box of angkor beer onboard to drink too....wat a sight....i was on the front of the boat until the boat reached phnom penh....believe me...it was hot!!! i was burnt!!! but i dun wan to go inside as i dun wan to miss out on any beautiful scenery....hahhaa......
cruise along tonle sap...from siem reap to phnom penh...
scenery during the 5hr boat ride along tonle sap...
the boat arrived at phnom penh at 12.30pm...we were greeted by a sea of tuk tuk drivers asking if we needed tuk tuk....it was chaotic...imagine we were still on the boat but the tuk tuk drivers are trying to get u to board their tuks tuks...they were aggressive!!! hahaha......luckily we had arranged for a tuk tuk driver when we were in siem reap....it was easily to spot our tuk tuk driver....as he had a paper w my friend's name.....the place where we disembarked is right next to the floating pontoon where the tragic dragonboat accident happened one month ago...i could recognise that....the water looks calm.....
arriving at phnom penh tourist boat pier...
the tuk tuk drivers going all out to get tourists on their tuk tuks...yesterdae...it was christmas eve... i visited the central market....bought 5 stalks of white crysanthemum and walked to the tonle sap....followed the river and found the floating pontoon just before sunset....walked down to the floating pontoon....the water looks calm....but the water was moving quite fast....i could tell when i saw branches with leaves moving very fast towards the pontoon.....one by one....i threw the flowers into the pontoon.......no matter how far i threw....the flowers got swept to under the pontoon within seconds.....
the moon was much bigger than wat u see on the picture...that is the biggest zoom my camera can do...
the sky was dark by then.....i walked back....n caught this big round orange eye yolk hanging low in the sky incidentally....i thot it was the sun setting as it was hanging so low n so orange....i went to the titanic restaurant which was just next to the pier and floating pontoon....wanted to find some place to sit down n write some postcards.....i checked the menu...n decided to have some finger food...though there is a special christmas buffet for USD19...i did not go for it...as i already had noodles at the central market....so i ordered fried spring rolls and chocolate ice cream shake...4 fried spring rolls for USD2...and the ice cream shake for USD2....n i sat there admiring the moon!!!yes..it was a moon n not sun....the moon was rising higher and higher into the sky....casting reflection on the river....nice!!! but then the mosquitoes were attacking my legs....i thot i could not tahan for long....but i wanna sit there longer....so i applied my axe oil from singapore.....it works!!! hahhaha....i could sit there long enough to write my postcards without feeling itchy n need to scratch....hhhaaa......titanic restaurant is actually a restaurant....but then i went there in slippers n singlet n bermudas....hahhaa.....after i had written enough postcards....i made my exit quietly....n took a motobike back to the lakeside where i stayed....so i had a really good x'mas eve with the mosquitoes and the full moon....hehhee.....
the moon moved higher n higher while i was sitting in front of it...
my meal at titanic restaurant...i was feeding myself for the mosquitoes to feed me...
this morning...i saw on CNN that the moon is actually nearest to earth since 23 dec...no wonder it looked so big....the next time this would happen again would be 9 years later....wow...so lucky that i caught it!!!! and so that was my nice, peaceful, quiet christmas eve....
merry christmas...
sunset at siem reap...during first day in siem reap...
morning at angkor thom
faces of bayon
