Angkor Wat: A Wonder in Siem Reap

Upon landing in Siem Reap there was really only one destination I had in mind: Angkor Wat. Of course there are other things to do in the thriving Cambodian city, but our plan was to see Angkor and then figure out the rest as we went.

There are different ways you can go and explore Angkor Wat, but Mike and I opted to get our own tuk-tuk driver and a personal guide (allowing us to set our own pace and see what WE wanted to see). After a good night sleep and a hearty breakfast we were ready to be amazed. And amazed we were. I have been to a few Wonders of the World and other World Heritage Sites, but Angkor Wat is in a class of its own. I was instantly captured by its beauty, lost in the amazement and often found myself racing to catch up to Mike and our guide.

Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that occupies over 400 square kilometers and includes three large temples: Bayon, Ta Prohm and Ankor Wat. Once the capital of the Khmer Empire, the temple city contains temples and monuments that pay homage to both its Hindu and Buddhist past. Initially a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, it was later converted into a Buddhist temple and statutes of Buddha, along with other elements and symbols of Buddhism, were added everywhere. As a city deeply rooted in religion, Angkor was once the largest religious pilgrimage site in Southeast Asia.

The Bayon Temple.

Ta Prohm Temple.

The biggest temple – Angkor Wat.

Vishnu – The Hindu God.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva – the Compassionate Goddess in the Buddhist Religion.

Angkor is an architect’s dream. There is purpose and meaning in every structure, adding to the city’s brilliance. It has been the setting for some epic battles in Cambodia – first with the Chams and Thais, and then amongst the Cambodians during the Civil War – and it is tragic that some of the temples and statues became victims of the wars. During our tour, we saw massive bullet holes along bridges and structures and missing Buddha heads, all evidence of the violence and invasions the city endured.

Both sides of the bridge to the Bayon Temple is lined with buddha statues, but you can see some of the heads were missing.

Bullet holes on the left side of the frame.

It is hard to describe in words the beauty and magnificence of Angkor Wat, so let me show you with photos what I can’t do with words. But even these pictures don’t properly convey the magic of Angkor. It is something you really need to experience.

The enormity of Angkor Wat is a bit overwhelming, so here are some helpful tips for visiting Angkor:

• Hire a guide: the history and stories are just as important as the temples themselves, so hire a guide who can give you valuable information and provide context to what you are seeing. This will allow you to appreciate the site so much more. Also, a guide can show you where the more popular points of interest are or tricks to avoid bottlenecks, which are helpful especially if your time is limited.

• Give yourself plenty of time: there is a reason why Angkor is considered a temple city. It is enormous, so make sure you have enough time to enjoy yourself so you aren’t rushing from one temple to the next.

• Weather: it can get extremely hot, so it is better to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon (when the sun is not beaming down on you). A lot of people try to make it to Angkor for the sun rise, which I’m sure would be breathtaking, but given that I’m not an early riser (especially on my vacation) it was something we didn’t get the opportunity to experience. Also, bring lots of water, sunscreen, and a hat to shield you from the direct sunlight.

• Respect the dress code: there is a lot of walking, so make sure you are dressed comfortably but remember no sleeveless shirts, and pants and skirts must be below the knee. You don’t want to be in a situation where you are refused entrance to one of the temples.

• Be patient: there are a lot of tourists and it can get congested, especially in places where only “one-way” traffic is permitted and you have to wait for a good break in the flow before you go up or down. Don’t let this frustrate or annoy you, just accept it as being part of the experience. Also, it can be difficult to get the perfect picture in front of a temple or statue without tons of people being in your frame, but check out Travel Hack #3 to get the perfect shot.

• Enjoy and live in the moment: it is easy to get lost in the busyness of Angkor and want to move from one place to another, but find a place to sit back and soak in the wonder. Be present.

Buddhas sitting in meditation.

 

Angkor Wat: A Wonder in Siem Reap

The World In a Day - San Diego Neighborhoods

When planning a trip to San Diego, the first thing that comes to mind are the miles and miles of coastline, the sundrenched beaches, palm trees, and a city with a Latin flare. You wouldn’t be wrong, but San Diego is far more than that. Even with how often I visit, I’ve barely scratched its surface. And I’m still searching for the quintessential San Diego experience as you can see in my other post – I bet you don’t really know San Diego!

For a big city, San Diego is unique amongst its larger cousins, like Los Angeles or San Francisco, whose skylines have been dominated by skyscrapers and where car horns make up for most of the ambient noise. Even its mass transit system, the Trolley, has a noticeably quaint quality about it unlike the subway systems of its east coast counterparts. There is a welcoming lack of hustle in the Southern California city. And that’s because San Diego is a neighborhood town.

San Diego neighborhoods form a colorful tapestry of ethnic diversity with each community playing a part in creating its mosaic. At first glance it’s obvious there is a strong Mexican influence. This is certainly in no small part to its close proximity to Tijuana. But apart from the obvious, there is a beating multiculturalism that most visitors don’t see. Officially recognized neighborhoods such as Hillcrest or Eastlake village are well trodden, but overlooked are the lesser-known ethnic communities. Communities that bring the true vibe of what makes the city amazing. It’s wholly possible to get Bun Bo Hue in the morning, a burrito in the afternoon, and top off the evening with a leisurely stroll through a piazza. You’ll think that you’ve traveled the globe in a single day.

 

My Favorite San Diego Neighborhoods:

Chinatown, Korea Town, Japanese Town: Although there is an official Chinatown, called the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District (yep, it’s a mouthful), it’s not where you’ll find San Diego Asian culture. Most San Diegans will agree that the Kearny Mesa Convoy St. corridor and its surroundings is the unofficial heart of the Korean, Japanese and Chinese communities. From dim sum restaurants and Korean all-you-can-eats to karaoke bars, you can eat, eat and eat, and then sing the night away in a drunken stupor.

 

Little Italy: Located downtown, bordered by Ash St. to the south and Laurel St. to the north, this trendy little neighborhood is probably the most well known of the ethnic communities. A hotspot ripe with authentic Italian fare, shopping and mini piazzas, you could literally do Rome in a day. Pedestrian friendly and safe, little Italy is a great neighborhood to visit day or night. Coordinate your visit with the “Taste of Italy”, a yearly event where you can go restaurant to restaurant and sample their best dishes.

Little Manila: Believe it or not, according to the 2010 US consensus, Filipino Americans make up close to 18% of the population in San Diego. Most of the shops and Filipino restaurants are concentrated around 8^th St. and Plaza Boulevard in National City, but there is also a large community throughout Mira Mesa Blvd as well. If you’re feeling particular adventurous try the Balut – A developing duck embryo boiled alive and eaten in the shell.

Balut – Developing Duck Embryo – Image Courtesy of Shankar S.

Little India: Located across from the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station off Black Mountain rd. Little India is a small but thriving community. It doesn’t have the same chaotic energy as Delhi, but it’s certainly a good introduction to Indian culture. Join in on a prayer service at the temple, or ransack the bazaar for hard to find spices. If you’re feeling hungry, go and gorge yourself on a Saag Paneer buffet. Yep…they have buffets.

Little Southeast Asia: Between El Cajon Blvd and University Ave in the City Heights district is a necessary stop for all things South East Asian. More commonly known amongst locals as East Side, the community is a diverse ecosystem with Thai, Laos, Cambodian and Vietnamese culture overlapping and flourishing side by side. Although recently part of the community has been officially christened as Little Saigon, you’ll be hard pressed to find exactly where the borders begin and where it ends. Early in the 1990s there was a pretty high crime rate, but since then it has redeveloped into a more modern urban neighborhood. It is hands down the best place to get Pho and Cambodian Pad Thai. You read it right – Cambodian Pad Thai.

Little Mogadishu: Also located in the City Heights district between, Winona Ave, and 54 St. is a growing neighborhood of Somalis, Sudanese, Ethiopians and Eritreans who have fled war-torn East Africa. To our benefit they have brought with them their rich culture which few of us will ever have the opportunity to experience. The Safari Market, an African bazaar, is the first and only of its kind in San Diego where you can buy home made African jewelry, rugs and ornately beaded scarves.   And if you get hungry, and I know you will, this is the best place to get fresh Ethiopian Injera or Sambussas.

 

When you visit, try to branch out from the touristy spots. Walk through the San Diego neighborhoods, try the food, engage with the locals and experience the real San Diego Adventure:

 

What are your favorite neighborhood experiences?

 

 

 

The World In a Day - San Diego Neighborhoods

Travel Hacks Friday: Find Cheap Flights Like a Ninja

We all know the cost of airfare is ridiculous, often eating up a huge chunk of our travel budget. For the uninitiated, there’s little rhyme or reason to how the pricing is established; oil price goes down, yet airfare goes up. Could it be market forces? Sure. But what about the never ending nickel-and-diming: “luggage? That will be 35 bucks. Oh…you want peanuts too? You’ll need to purchase more legroom first”.  The competitive spirit is also gone. Aggregation booking sites like Priceline and Orbitz tend to spit out the same ole results. We could call it an oligopoly, but that’s a subject for another post…

So, who can blame us for trying every known trick to get cheap airfares, from clearing your cookies, buying on specific days, private browsing, to clicking your heels three times (careful with this one, it’s known to have unpredictable results). The truth is though, some work and some don’t. And as the Airline industries become more sophisticated the battle for low fares will continue to get more intense.

Enter hidden city ticketing! Because airfare is determined by market forces (so the rumor goes), distance traveled doesn’t determine cost and you’ll find yourself routed all over the map in order to get to where you want to go. This neat little trick leverages that loophole in order to get you the lowest fare.

The idea is simple: Buy a ticket going from point A to point C, and get off at point B. For instance, lets say you want to go to Rome. Instead of buying a direct flight to Rome for $1900, you would purchase a flight to Milan with Rome as a stopover for $1000, and then disembark at the Eternal City.

It’s not particularly new, as the trick has been around for a while. But sites like Skiplagged has figured a way to make hidden city fares more accessible to people like you and me.

 

Here’s a test I did for April 15 2015 using Skiplagged:

Using Google Flights – San Diego to Rome

 

Using Skiplagged – San Diego to Rome to Milan:

 

Using Google Flights – San Diego to Rome to Milan:

 

So this is how you find cheap flights:

1. Go to your booking site of choice and enter your flight details. Note the price


2. Go to Skiplagged, or some other hidden city search engine, and enter the same details, and record the results. Note the final destination.


3. Go to the booking engines and enter in the same origin and FINAL destination you got from step 2


4. If the price is right, book the flight


5. If you can’t find the flight, try another flight combination from step 2

Notably, there are some bugs in the system, such as flight routes and price changes not being available at all. So make sure to do your due diligence as you would booking standard flights. Additionally, here are some other things to be aware of:

• You can’t book flights directly through Skiplagged – The site only provides information. It does have a booking function, but you’ll notice that it doesn’t really function.


• Prices on booking sites are different – In the end, booking sites and airlines still control prices and availability. So we are ultimately at their mercy. It requires a little bit of effort, but well worth it to save hundreds


• Purchase one-way – This only works for one-way ticketing, because there may be a possibility that airlines will cancel your return flight if you don’t complete the first half.


• Carryon only – you can’t check any baggage as it goes all the way through


• Sometimes round trip will be cheaper – The price can be cheaper for standard round trip tickets depending on your return date.


• Airlines don’t like this – You won’t get any frequent flyer points for the flight. In fact, don’t use your frequent flyer number at all, as airlines could revoke all your points in retaliation. Use it sparingly.

The travel hack isn’t fool proof; it doesn’t always find the cheapest flights; and results are not always up to date.  And although it’s not illegal, airlines and big booking sites may eventually mobilize their combined weight to put the kibosh on the practice. But until then free market reigns and, for the brave and stalwart, this is just one more tool to help win the war!

 

Got a hack to find cheap flights or have experience with hidden city ticketing?  Please do share!

 

 

Travel Hacks Friday: Find Cheap Flights Like a Ninja

10 MORE Travel Personalities (Which One Are You?)

Joanie had such a great time putting together her article “10 Personalities you will Meet While Traveling” that I just had to join in on the fun and do my own 10 personalities! And I know you’ve seen them; the haggling backpacker, the cantankerous ex-pat and the Bintang Brigade. If you have circled the globe for more than a few months these different personalities tend to pop out in your experience.

I feel traveling brings out your true personality. Being pushed into uncomfortable situations makes the true you shine through. Whether you’re a haggler intent on not being taken to the cleaners by a shrewd hawker or you want to pound a few more Singha’s at the local pub you probably fall into a distinct category of traveler.

No worries though; contrast makes the world go round. We all fall into one category or another, even if you don’t see yourself on this list.

Let’s dive in to the fascinating travel personalities you’ll see on the road.

Here Are 10 More Travel Personalities

1: The TechTonic Type

I often see couples sitting across from one another at:

• airports


• restaurants


• various tourist spots

typing away on their mobile devices. Conversations between the 2 are WhatsApp’ed, or Facebook’ed, or Tweet’ed. No human interaction occurs.

This traveling species is known as the TechTonic. The earth shifts and rotates around tech, for these globetrotters. You know you’ve spotted a TechTonic if their eyes are regularly glancing down at a roughly 30 degree angle at a tablet, iPhone, iPad, or at their mobile device of choice.

2: Bingtang Brigade

This species is endemic to Bali. Members of the family/personality Bintang can be spotted by their:

• Bingtang tank tops


• farmer’s tan


• beer predilection (think, “Bintang”)


• nightly habits (think, “Going out to drink Bintang”)

This species/personality is rare, around the world, save Bali. Don’t put them on the endangered list yet though; the Bintang Brigade is thriving in Bali, with plenty of Bintang as a viable prey source.

As you might imagine if you love to party – in Bali – the Bintang Brigade is the crowd to hang with.

3: Haggling Backpacker

I recall seeing an all too common scene in backpacker neighborhoods everywhere around the world; the Haggling Backpacker fighting over the price of a $1 USD sandwich. Nobody would give in on the last few cents. No bartering on the Baht. No reasoning on the Rupiah.

The Haggling Backpacker knows a bargain when they see it. You better believe it, because the HB’s of the world survive through each carefully measured transaction.

Hagglers have loads of entertaining travel stories to share. Get to know them. They’re good people.

4: The Digital Nomad

Digital Nomads can usually be spotted by the number and quality of selfies uploaded to their social media sites. Digital nomads are full time traveling, professional online entrepreneurs. This traveler hits the road indefinitely with a full time source of income at their disposal.

Digital nomads are huge on spreading the proof of their lifestyle; enter the avalanche of quality selfies.

5: The Cantankerous Ex-Pat

Every traveler who’s been on the road for more than 2 months has met a cantankerous ex-pat. You know the guy or gal who only sees what’s wrong with the world, including:

• annoying short-time tourists


• annoying, corrupt governments


• annoying drinking buddies

The crotchety ex-pat doesn’t make for a good conversation partner unless you’re big on complaining. Or unless you’re eager to learn about the wide range of experiences – mainly negative – one may encounter on the road.

6: The Struggling Pantomime

Some travelers believe that mixing charades with alcohol is the best way to speak English to a local person. Or at least it looks that way.

The Struggling Pantomime is a well-meaning traveler who slows down their English to a crawl, who enunciates every syllable, and who could receive an Oscar acting out each syllable of each word.

Note; this traveler may use a similar approach when communicating to native English speakers. Old habits die hard.

7: The No Shoes No Shirt No Service Crowd

Some laid back travelers feel that it’s okay to visit:

• banks


• grocery stores


• department stores

sans shoes or shirt. The No Shoes No Shirt No Service crowd benefits from the Face Saving concept practiced in Southeast Asian countries and other areas where people are rarely if ever embarrassed or challenged intentionally.

This personality is easy to spot: look for the topless guy indoors.

8: The Wake and Bake Crowd

This traveler hits the beach at 8 AM. No sun block. Just tanning lotion. Expect to see Wake and Bake’rs at the beach from sunset to sundown. Or perhaps they’ll take a break for lunch to let their tan seep in.

If you want to travel with a beach partner the Wake and Bake personality type is probably at the beach already.

9: The Quick Connector

After spending 30 minutes at the local airport a Quick Connector has already made friends with 5 people. Lodging is taken care of. Travel costs are covered. The QC knows where to get everything, from food to clothes, at the cheapest price.

Note; Quick Connectors are a subspecies of the Haggling Backpacker family.

10: The Lonely Planet Guide

Some travelers masquerade as guides. They know where to visit, when to visit, where to eat, how to travel and anything you need to know about any one country or region.

The Lonely Planet Guide may be either a well-meaning, positive maven or stubborn know it all. In either case it usually doesn’t hurt to listen to their experiences for your own due diligence.

Your Take

I wrote this post from a playful space. All in good fun!

Are you any one of these travel personality types?

10 MORE Travel Personalities (Which One Are You?)

Got Banh Pho? Making Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Have you ever stopped to wonder how they make the noodles for your Pho noodle soup? That question had never crossed my mind until my visit to Nha Trang, Vietnam.

For those who don’t know, Pho is a Vietnamese soup containing rice noodles and meat. It is often served with basil, bean sprouts, green onions, and lemon and Hoisin sauce are added to taste (unless you are like my husband and add half the jar of Hoisin sauce – in that case it really isn’t Pho anymore but some form of Hoisin soup). You can get different types of Pho and various combinations, but the basic types are:

• Pho Dac Biet: Pho with everything in it


• Pho Tai: Pho with thinly sliced beef


• Pho Sach: Pho with tripe


• Pho Bo Vo Vien: Pho with beef meatballs


• Pho Ga: Pho with chicken


• Pho Bo Sate: Pho with beef in a sate broth


• Pho Ga Sate: Pho with chicken in a sate broth

Like I said before, I never really thought about how the rice noodles are made – just more concerned with the type of Pho I was going to order and whether the broth is going to be flavorful and free of MSG. When you are making Pho, it usually takes about 15 seconds to cook the noodles (assuming they have been presoaked) – just put them in boiling water to soften, throw them in the bowl and add the broth. Simple enough. But there’s actually a whole other process that is invisible to us Pho eaters before we can even boil the noodles to eat our favorite Vietnamese Pho noodle soup!

Making Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Step 1: rice grains are soaked in water for a long period of time to soften.

Step 2: once soft enough, the rice is ground up into a batter. Traditionally the rice is not mixed with any other flour, but now it is common for people to add tapioca starch to make it more chewy and flexible.

Step 3: the batter is then heated directly onto the drying racks (you can see the fire provides a constant source of heat).  Here’s a video that helps that shows you the art of making banh Pho:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4: the racks are placed out in the sun to dry.

Step 5: a machine is then used to cut the dried rice paper into noodles.

We were told that the factory produces all the Pho noodles for the City of Nha Trang, which is a lot of noodles. I have to say, visiting the factory makes me appreciate my Pho noodles that much more.

Got Banh Pho? Making Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Travel Hacks Friday - You're In My Shot!

Welcome to another travel hacks Friday.

As part of a new series, every Friday, we will be introducing new travel hacks for outdoor and urban adventures. We will scour the web for the best and most practical hacks, as well as dig into our reserves and share our own awesome moments of ingenuity!

 

Travel Photography Trick

We all love taking photos. I personally can’t go a day without getting a cramp in my finger. Photos are a great way to share and memorialize our epic round-the-world adventures, giving credence to the old adage of a picture being worth a thousand words. With social sites like Instagram and Facebook, the perfect photo capture has become the holy grail of social sharing.   But lets be honest, where there’s an ancient temple or architectural wonder, there will always be a healthy appreciation for them. Unless you have unwavering patience or can convince hundreds of vacationers to get out of your shot, having to jostle for that awesome photo op is just part of traveling.

So what can you do when you get that insistent photo bomber or throngs of tourist who believe their polka dot shirts and oversized sun hats warrant more frame time than say….The Trevi fountain? Don’t get me wrong, responsible tourism is a good thing, and I love the energy brought by fellow travelers, but every so often I want that postcard perfect picture. Well, short of applying for special licensing or waiting until after hours to take a low-light shot, there is a photo hack for this.

Through some easy initial setup and the use of Photoshop you can vaporize even the most persistent lookyloos (in pixels I mean, not real life). Before you run off and think, “Photoshop is too complicated”, this photography trick is unbelievably simple.

Materials/Equipment:

1. Digital camera or Smartphone with Tripod attachment

2. Tripod

3. Photoshop or equivalent program with median script

The first and probably most difficult task is finding that postcard worthy spot. Once you’ve elbowed your way into the perfect vantage point, stake your claim by setting up your tripod and follow these steps:

1. Attach the camera to the tripod for stability

2. Snap a photo every 10 to 15 seconds ensuring each subsequent shot is the same as the first one. Frequency and number of photos depends on how fast the people are moving

3. Upload all the photos to your computer

4. Open Photoshop (or equivalent editing program)

5. Go to Files >Scripts>Statistics

6. In the dropdown menu select Median

7. Browse for all the files

8. Once all the photos are selected, click Ok

9. That’s it!

Image Courtesy of Improve Photography

Photoshop will then begin to bring the photos together, eliminating all the noise or non-static objects in the picture. The hack won’t work for quick one-off shots as it does require a series of photos in order to sew them into one image. Lastly, the subject of the photo has to be still, as the hack works to eliminate the moving elements.

And just like that, you’ve one-upped everyone on Instagram.

Travel Hacks Friday - You're In My Shot!

I Bet You Don't Really Know San Diego!

Whether you visit San Diego regularly, or happen to have lived your entire life in the famous southern California city, I bet you’ve barely scratched its surface. A collection of distinctly unique neighborhoods, gorgeous beaches, and the home of Ron Burgundy, San Diego is a destination where time slows down, and where the days meld together into one long endless summer.

Although a metropolitan in its own right, San Diego has uncannily managed to maintain its small town appeal by keeping a slow relaxed pace. Most know it for its miles and miles of beaches and sunny days, but few are aware of its distinct personality.   San Diego is a city that has defined the meaning of being chill, embracing an ultra cool relaxed vibe as part of its culture. In fact, as I write this, I’m lounging on the beach, debating if I should put my laptop away and just enjoy the ocean breeze and the hypnotic lapping of the waves. The San Diego swagger is so distinct, that you know when someone’s from SoCal. But with its trademark beaches, and laid back familiarity it’s easy, even for locals, to overlook the beauty and uniqueness that surrounds them; to become lost in the busyness of life, and take for granted what other’s travel far and near to experience.

I’ve lived in San Diego for a number of years, and just recently stopped in after 6 months of traveling North America. I visit San Diego so often to see family that I’ve become a creature of habit, never venturing too far from my own comfort zone. I’m the first to admit that I’ve squandered my visits. And so just this weekend, while entertaining a friend from India, I realized how little I actually knew about the coastal town beyond its own commercialized identity. Normally I would recommend the usual suspects like the Zoo, SeaWorld, Balboa Park, Seaport Village, or even the Gaslamp but this isn’t its authentic pulse. We needed to do how locals do; we needed to experience it, as would a San Diegan, and see the city through new eyes.

This is the true San Diego experience:

 

• 
  

  Motorcycle ride out to Julian for MOM’s Apple pie

  
  

 

• 
  

  Get out to Fonts Point and Witness Where They Faked the Moon Landing

  
  

 

• 
  

  The Food experience: Extraordinary desserts, Phils BBQ, Carne Asada Fries, Tacos

  
  

 

• 
  

  BBQ and Bonfire at the Beach

  
  

BBQ and Bonfire in San Diego

 

• 
  

  Surfing

  
  

Image Courtesy of Senia L

• 
  

  Go to a Tanning Salon to Even Out Your Tan

  
  

 

• 
  

  Workout at 24 Hour Fitness

  
  

 

• 
  

  3am Pismo Clam Hunting at Coronado Beach

  
  

 

• 
  

  Grunion Run at Ocean Beach

  
  

 

• 
  

  Complain That 72°F is Too Cold

  
  

 

• 
  

  Gamble $100 at the Casino, Followed by Drowning Your Sorrows at a Buffet

  
  

 

• 
  

  Watch the Sunset at Sunset Cliffs Point Loma

  
  

Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Although we only knocked out a handful of the activities above, it was an incredible weekend. Part of the fun was trying to make it all happen, while the other part was being able to travel off the typical tourist circuit.

It didn’t matter how often I’ve physically been to San Diego, it was only with new eyes that I finally experienced San Diego.

 

 

What are your authentic San Diego adventures?

I Bet You Don't Really Know San Diego!