Cambodia - War Museum, Siem Reap & Senteurs d'Angkor Workshop

Assalamualaikum. Chomreabsuor!

Baru dapat mood untuk update & sambung cerita trip Cambodia. Masih dalam mood post-holiday sebenarnya *puke*. Tapi considering kerja pun ndak berapa mau banyak, so lets finish up what I've started. Yes?

Previous entry (here).

Visiting the only War Museum in Kingdom of Cambodia. Tujuan aku pi sini? Of course mau menyibuk tau serba sikit pasal perang di bumi Cambodia ni. Untuk tau cerita lanjut, Zack suggested we should hire a guide whom will explained to us what really happened during the war. As per him; each of the guides have their own unique experiences. Guide tu free jak tapi ikut kitalah mau bagi berapa as 'saguhati'.

28 January 2015
War Museum

# Sungguh War Museum kan! Siap guna replika peluru berpandu as signage.
Entrance Fee: 5 USD

# Our guide.
Hampun, aku lupa nama dia. Could barely understood what he said actually. He survived from few mine explosions. Pasal tu his friends called him "Cat". Nyawa liat!

Our guide ni is one of the mine blast victims. Masa dia datang pi arah kami, I did noticed he was limping. But I didn't pay much mind to it until he folded his pant. And we went silent. He also showed us the shrapnel bullets embedded in some parts of his body i.e at the back of his left elbow, near right thigh. Scary gila! Tu memang sungguh kenangan perang. Kalau jadi sama aku, ntah tahap mana aku mampu bertahan.

His siblings were killed in mine explosions. And his wife died after years of suffering from the uranium contamination; a lethal pollution resulting from the explosion. Damn betul! Siapalah bijak bestari yang bentang idea untuk berperang ni?! Kalau diorang jak yang mati bergelimpangan ndak apa. Ini? Yang tiada kaitan pun kena tempias; sometimes lagi teruk. Some suffered for years & pastu; hello death.

Sebenarnya sampai sekarang belum dapat digest; apa tujuan perang ni. Or aku refuse untuk faham? Whatever the reason is, aku tetap disagree pertumpahan darah perlu berlaku in order to prove how strong one's power is. I totally dissented the idea; siapa kuat & banyak senjata hence dia yang paling berkuasa. Hemo!

# Field artillery guns. 

# It could take only one mine to destroyed dozens of tanks. So it is not surprised when its explosion could killed or harmed thousands of lives. 

# Photographs of the victims. Sakit dada tahan sebak tengok semua ni. Yang tidak berdosa, terpaksa tanggung akibat.

# The Khmer flag & their uniforms.

# Equipment used to detect buried landmines. A super tough job I must say. Nyawa oii taruhan dia.

#  Mind you, this scrap machine kalau jual boleh dapat dalam 300 USD tau! 

# Some of the destroyed evil machine.

# This area was once full with landmines. And the soil is the eternal witness to thousands of lives who were lost here. 

# Some of the war machines were used during the World War II. 

# Tank cars. Found aplenty at this museum.

# Solid-fuel rockets used during the war. Yang ni casing jak aku rasa; kalau recycle boleh buat telescope.

# Chopper perang.

Habis meronda War Museum ni in less than 2 hours I guess. Bahang panas di Siem Reap memang tiada ampun. Nasiblah dapat supir yang super prihatin. Terus lupa 'pantang' bila nampak air sejuk. Nyaman sekali bila dapat minum. Terus kurang tension di kepala kesan bahang matahari. 

And we left the War Museum ni dengan seribu satu luahan perasaan among Ms G & I. Part gini memang 'makanan' kami. Ntah apa jak yang kami discussed. Seriously, sakit ulu hati tengok the effects of war. Ok, sila simpan rasa amarah. Kan haritu sudah berabis meluah. Ngek!

# Zack super prihatin!
Tekak adalah kering & seeing this came out from the 'magic storage' gave so much relief to us. 

Next, Zack brought us to a workshop yang produce banyak products from local source i.e palm tree. Nama pun buang masa kan, jadi kita masuk jaklah whatever place si Zack bawa. Janji entrance adalah FOC. Tu syarat paling depan kami bagi dia. Pasrah dapat guest super calculator macam kami.

Senteurs d' Angkor Workshop

# To kill time, Zack brought us here. Gigih masing² ndak mau balik hotel.

# Benda ni memang serius sangat wangi. And proses buat pun memang nampak macam complicated.

# Lepas guna Amok powder, maka automatik akan jadi pengamok tegar.

# The ingredients used to make curry powder.
Aku adalah impressed sebab yes! Baru tau. Sekian.

# Dapat free drink jadi semua puas hati. 

# Like seriously kan? Tanam padi in the middle of the premise? Sangatlah applied konsep 'guna setiap ruang yang ada'. Kan?

Kami ndak lama di sini. Maybe in less than an hour. Sempat beli few of the local products sebab harga pun quite reasonable. Niat bantu yang bekerja sama workshop ni sebenarnya. 

Pastu Zack bawa kami pi Killing Field. Although sudah plan untuk jejak yang di Phnom Penh, tapi kami setuju jaklah untuk pi yang di Siem Reap ni sementara tunggu masa untuk masuk Cultural Village. 

# Dari jauh sudah nampak tourism company yang famous di kampong.

# Berdebu & panas mengigit.
Memang warna gambar kuning macam tu sebab begitu jugalah keadaan sebenar masa tu. 

Cerita pasal Killing Field & Cultural Village aku continue next entry. Macam panjang betul sudah entry ni. Entri panas enjin lah sangat kan Bie. Sekali tengok terlajak cerita.

eryantierdabdulkarim

Cambodia - The Arrival / Muslim Family Kitchen, Siem Reap

Assalamualaikum. Chomreabsuor!

Memang back to back trip awal tahun. Suddenly jadi tamak. Siapa suruh bagi aku cuti dekat sebulan kan. Haruslah aku pulun guna cuti sebaiknya. Nasiblah flight ticket beli half year before; time promo pula tu so ndaklah rasa macam terbakar terus poket aku. Pi Korea tu pun sebenarnya aku tiada tukar duit sebab guna balance Won dari previous trips. 

So to those who endlessly cakap aku ni duit berkepuk, rentikanlah. Kau belum tau kegigihan aku buka web Airasia tiap kali promo. Aku cuma mampu beli tiket masa promo; walau pun travel time kena tunggu nearly a year. Itulah rahsia cheapskate travelers. Berkat tips dari para sunbae.

Anyways, back to Cambodia story. Trip kali ni consists of the ladies yang bersakura sama aku April last year. Kiranya Chasing Sakura ladies reunited for Angkor Trip. I've been singing the words 'Angkor Wat' to both Ms G & Ms H for quite sometimes already. Upon seeing the Angkor Wat replica at Grand Palace, Bangkok last year; aku makin confident that I'll be in Cambodia soon!

And alhamdulillah. One Sunday morning, Ms H texted me. Bagitau ada promo to Siem Reap. Lantas si Err bingkas bangun, switched on laptop. Tanpa mandi, tanpa basuh muka. Motifkan itu pun mau dihurai. Yadda yadda, berjaya beli tiket untuk 5 orang sekaligus in less than 10 minutes. Memang berani mati beli untuk Ms G walhal masa tu belum sure pun minah tu mau join or tidak. Betul² kan cari susah sendiri. Kunun boleh baca what's in her mind at that time. Nasiblah few hours lepas beli tiket tu she texted me. "Saya on saja!". Phew!

Malam sebelum our departure to Siem Reap, Ms G & I stayed at Tune Hotel (KLIA2). Sebab Ms G arrived from KK rather late malam tu. And esok pagi flight kami seawal Subuh (650am). Dari buang tenaga pi downtown KL (Angah's house) hence we decided to book a room. Mula mau stay di Capsule Hotel tapi rate mahal; and the idea untuk tidur dalam capsule is yet to be registered in my mind makanya ke Tune Hotel lah kami. Nasib baik dapat harga promo.

Pagi tu, berjumpa semua ahli rombongan di departure hall. Semangat Ms P & Ms C datang awal gila pagi tu. Diorang sampai masa aku tengah sibuk bersiap di hotel. Memang menepati konsep "Kami tidak sabar untuk bercoti". Flight departed on time. Masuk perut kapal, aku terus membuta lepas isi arrival card! System belum fully recharged sebenarnya. Kan baru dua hari balik dari kampong. P to the Yo! Aku perlu tidur sebab sesampai Siem Reap, kami akan terus 'start enjin' exploring. We only have two full days to enjoy the city! Makanya, once landed...aku adalah half-mamai. Yang aku ingat kami queued untuk passed arrival card sama imi officer tapi masa tu pun macam belum digest fakta yang aku sudah di Cambodia!

28 January 2015

Siem Reap, Cambodia

# Arrived Siem Reap International Airport at 0750am local time; as scheduled. For the record, Cambodia is one hour behind of Malaysia. 

# Right after exiting the arrival hall are these booths.
I bought the Smart simcard (green booth). Cost me 5 USD for 5G of internet data (no call). 

How's the data speed u asked? Super high speed. Titik! I paid merely RM 18.00 for a 5G of internet data. And how cheap is that? Laju, and coverage adalah tip top. Even di dalam 'hutan' Angkor Complex tu pun connection still full bar! Walhal, Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Malaysia negara membangun...tapi? Ok, sila abai kenyataan lupa diri. 

Like any of our previous trip(s), aku akan buat research pasal accommodation & transportation. Gigih cari info kalau part begini. Wonder apa jadi sama pointer aku kalau time study dulu aku segigih ini. Mesti tiap semester dapat masuk Dean List. Pastu gila kuasa naik pentas setiap kali majlis anugerah. Well, itu kalau! Hakikatnya? Sekian, terima kasih.

A week prior the trip, aku sealed perjanjian sama si Zack a.k.a Kariya Hassan. Dialah guide kami di Siem Reap. I got to know about him through DJ. Alhamdulillah, puas hati with everything he offered us. Anyone looking for a guide in Siem Reap, Zack is reachable via facebook & whatsapp (+855 16 944 387). Or via email zakariyasan@gmail.com

# Excited nampak nama aku di atas sekeping kertas.
Jadilah kan walau A4 cuma. First time disambut begini. Selalu keluar airport jak, aku melilau cari sign teksi or airport shuttle.

# Purposely chose tuk tuk as our mode of transportation.
This was our first experience riding a tuk tuk. Haritu kempunan mau naik tuk tuk di Bangkok. 

# Plan asal untuk ada group photo di sini. Tapi plan ke laut sebab si Err kelupaan. Told so; aku half mamai. Tapi ingat pula mau beli simcard kan. 

Dari airport first destination kami haruslah hostel. Aku bagi address hostel sama si Zack jak. Pastu dia congceng² sama kawan dia yang bawa tuk tuk Ms P & Ms C. Di awal pagi, kami 'membelah' jalan pi city center. Masa ni nampaklah motosikal yang mendominasi jalan raya di Siem Reap.

# Sebab kami datang berlima, jadi perlulah sewa 2 tuk tuk kan. 

# Main snap apa jak aku nampak along the way. Rasa deja-vu gitu sebab aku sangat rajin belek map-orang-kuning before menjejak Cambodia ok. 

# Hangul?

Ok! Drama occurred when suddenly nampak something very familiar & readable. Mamai no more! Lantas aku paniks. Motif untuk panik? Rasanya aku landed di Siem Reap International Airport. Tapi kenapa perlu sepanjang² jalan dari airport pi hostel; berderet kedai dengan signboard bahasa kampong ku? Tu belum campur lagi tour buses yang berlambak² parking tepi restaurant ni. Inilah berkat ndak buat kajian menyeluruh sebelum datang. 

# Hatta lori sekalipun bertulisan Hangul?
Ini confirmed mainan jiwa!

# Sorang staff dedikasi CIMB bangga kembang hidung nampak 'ofis'. 

# Lorong masuk pi hostel kami. Opposite this road (left side), the new night market. And only walking distance from Hard Rock Cafe, Angkor. Paling gumbira adalah Ms H. Pelanggan tegar HRC.

# Laundry service memang bersepah di Siem Reap ni.

Kami sampai hostel; tapi sempat sesat sekali sebab Zack salah nama hostel. Actually, kali kedua tu dia terbabas. Pastu aku pula yang tunjuk jalan, boleh? Sampai hostel tapi ndak boleh check in lagi sebab still awal; bilik pun belum ready. So we left our bags & tibalah masa untuk isi perut! Semua kelaparan gila. Belum menjamah apa pun since dari Malaysia lagi. 

# Ninja!

Makaseh Ms C sudi sponsor face mask hospital. Pasrah sama diri sendiri. Penat lelah pilih face mask di Seoul haritu, kunun mau digayakan di Cambodia. Sekali si Bijak Bestari ni ndak bawa! Tinggal nun di Cheras. Ntah siapalah aku suruh pakai di sana. Sobs.

# First tempat makan kami terjah.

Senang sebenarnya cari tempat makan halal di Siem Reap. Especially dekat area masjid. Tapi sebab sudah alang² ada guide, haruslah aku serah 100% sama si Zack untuk bawa kami pi mencekik. Mula tu dia suggest kami nasi lemak + lauk Khmer at this one pondok depan masjid. Malangnya masa sampai, Kakak kedai bagitau lauk sudah sold out. So, back up plan adalah ke Muslim Family Kitchen. Located just few meters from pondok nasi lemak tadi. 

# Nampak pedati kuda terus aku ingat cerita Pancha Delima. Jiwa Melayu klasik sangat kau ni Bie!

# Suka tengok ceiling restauran ni. Idea; perhaps?

# Mostly menu memang beef memanjang. Balik Malaysia, BP naik oii. 

# Group photo
Tapi Ms G sibuk atur fon. Booo!

# The two 'giraffes' among us. 
Gigih aku hangkut kek dari Malaysia tau. Dapatlah alas perut sebelum our order sampai. Perut happy bila dapat makan kek. Yumms!

# My first meal di bumi Kampuchea.

# Siem Reap Mosque

# Reason why wearing mask is a must! Unless kau naik kereta berair-cond that is.

Lepas makan, Zack suggest untuk kami balik hostel & rest. Maybe dia kesian tengok muka kami yang ndak cukup tidur. What he didn't know was that; part bersengkang mata during travel is what we love the most! Tidur boleh pulun malam nanti. Time is golden when we travel so haruslah setiap saat diguna sebaik mungkin.

# War Museum

Next in the itinerary is War Museum. Bertabah sungguh; dengan perut kenyang...naik tuk tuk meredah jalan berdebu. Certain orang cakap ndak pi War Museum ni pun ok. At first aku pun mau skip juga but memandangkan traditional performances at Cambodia Culturul Village will only start at 2pm; haruslah kena buat something to kill time. Sebab balik hostel & berehat adalah nehi kabi nehi. 

Aku update cerita War Museum in my next entry. 

p/s Nana Mak Elsa, insha Allah tak sempat lapar kat Siem Reap ni. Sebab makanan halal sangat senang nak dapat.

eryantierdabdulkarim