Siem Reap Day 4

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Destination: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Duration: 4D3N, 31 May to 3 June 2018

Mode of Travel: Self-organised with 19 volunteers age 9 to 50+.  We had 2 private vans for transport and local guide (www.facebook.com/Jeepxplr) who's now a very dear friend to us.
Flight: Jetstar (round trip $292.68)

Hotel: Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel (Apsara Double Pool View Suite - $206.58)
Weather: Very very fortunately cloudy most of the time around 30°C

Currency: USD most of the time though Cambodian Riel can be use

Time difference: 1 hour behind Singapore

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For Day 1 click HERE

For Day 2 click HERE

For Day 3 click HERE

3.6.2018

It's our last day in Siem Reap.

My nephew was the cutest half awake puff.

Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel had left a wonderful impression, not sure if the next trip our Chairwoman will be booking here or not.

Our team was splitted into 2 groups.  The bigger group going to Angkor Wat had left in the wee morning.  Only a few us going to the Lotus Farm had the luxury of a normal morning around 9am.

Our local friend Chhay brought us to a temple as a surprise.

This is Po Krom Pagoda, which wasn't small, but I couldn't find the address or any other information online.

I screwed up the photo by chopping off the top of the entrance.

Here's the top but without the sides lolxx...  That's what happened when I am in a hurry. 

We had to walk in...

And further in...

Inside the temple was this very huge pond.

2 ducks on the surface but the number of fishes couldn't be counted.

Chhay bought a loaf of bread for us to feed the fishes.  Only one precious loaf, so we tore bite size by bite size throwing in slowly.   The fishes became half visible splashing around, I estimate them to be half a meter to a meter long.  HUGE!

The loud splashes they made was very stimulating waahaahaa.....

Workers in the temple came to us from nowhere and gave us 2 big cartons of bread to feed the fishes, waaahaahaaaa.....  It's a lot, we stunned like vegetables!

These bread were expired collected from bakery shop.

We stopped tearing dainty bite sizes, we tossed in slice by slice and each slice was gone, I am quite sure no fish got choked.

Towards the end, the bread loafs were mouldy, we didn't want to get into contact with mould, so we just held on the plastic bag and poured in the whole loaf.  Non-stop fish feeding for about 30mins was crazy.

If I am being thrown down, I think I'll be eaten by these monster fish too lolxx...

  If you want to visit, can look for my local guide Chhay, contactable at  www.facebook.com/Jeepxplr  Know him for a few years already, he is a honest and very nice guy, pretty much close to distinction and extinction.  You will be in safe hands to have him as the tour guide in Siem Reap.

Before we left, saw a lonely pink pig which ignored us.  It's so cute right, suddenly felt so guilty for eating pork.

10mins ride and we reached:

Lotus Farm

Phnom Krom Road Krong Siem Reap (opens 10am to 6pm)

The entrance fee was USD1 where we were allowed to pluck and eat the lotus seeds!

SEA OF LOTUS LEAVES.  Wow... we should had come here a few years ago!

The other side of the pond looked equally beautiful without any lotus.

This place got a magical calming effect.  The cool cloudy weather played a part also, if it's scorching sunny, probably I wouldn't enjoy so much, haahaa...

Sun or no sun, this place is worth a visit and worth repeat visits for me.  Depending on your personality, if you like to laze and stare, you will find it a sheer pleasure to stay over an hour or more.  If you are hyper and greens are not your type then half an hour is sufficient for some photo taking.

I took lots of photos which later on became a real torture to choose the best to post up here.

So picturistic....

These little huts were actually dining areas where visitors could sit in to eat or drink.

Chhay plucking a lotus for us.

Then we started eating.  It's hard but softer than peanut, mild sweetness, can eat non-stop without drinking water.

I couldn't get enough of this place, it's really beautiful here.  How many football fields this area I am not sure.

Some mud paths were wide and some were as narrow as this, about a foot width.   So had to watch where our feet lands.

I wore slippers and gotten mud on my toes.  But I am not sure if covered shoes are advisable, cos your shoes will get dirty with mud.

So you chose - 

Slippers = mud on your toes, 

Shoes = mud on your shoes.

The best advice would be: Don't wear your limited edition expensive brand shoes sia.

Narrow paths became extremely worth it when photos taken were like these:

Looked as if we were in the pond of lotus.

Me grinning like an idiot here, never so close to lotus before be it this life or previous life lolxx..

My local friend Chhay. 

And happy fat me in the lotus pond!

Beautiful big soft bloom.

Behind the scene lolxx...

Yup, the lotus leaf was a nice cap.

I will visit again if time allows. 

It's about 20mins drive back to the hotel.  Wanted to walk over to Blue Pumpkin but had no time, so we had dinner in the hotel.

Some spring rolls.

Almost vegetarian, egg plant with tofu and rice.

Taking a 3.55pm flight, we left the hotel after lunch.  The airport now has a Starbucks, price not much difference from Singapore.

There is also a small food court which I didn't take photo of.

The check-in counters...

Departure area...

My black dust coat super matching with the background.

Inside the departure hall...I bought some herbal medicated balms and a lemon grass fabric freshener.

Got one stretch of food, next time will try out.

Burger King is in Siem Reap now.  When is Mcdonald coming?

  

New shops that weren't around previously.

Bye bye Siem Reap.

2019 trip in planning...

So that's all for now, will blog again in Dec after my Thailand, unless there's sponsorship comes by.  Meanwhile I still update my Dayre with all my daily rubbish, do check out to make sure I am still alive ya!

Halloween in Woodgrove 2018

Date of event: 31.10.2018

Had been celebrating Halloween for about 10 years.  Initially was simply going to events where most of the time visitors were not allowed dress up.  To me is less fun but I understand some people don't like to dress up, ie. my hubby.

Tracking back to 2013, I was invited to Genting Highland and scared the hell out of ourselves.

The zombie dance was so awesome that it left an impression till today.  For the post click HERE

2014, participated in a zombie run.  Participants could chose to be "human" or "zombie".  "Zombies" get free make-over.  We wore old clothes to be ripped.

"Humans" were more violent than "zombies" so I became a relax zombie who's only interested to walk and rest lolxx.... To read the rest you can click HERE.

In 2015, my 2nd kid sis moved into Woodgrove and we gotten to enjoy Halloween in the neighbourhood.

The process of dressing up was fun and of course we enjoyed the attention from the crowd.  I was a scarecrow while my baby sis was a ghost bride.  Blog post click HERE.

It was still the best in Woodgrove, 大游走 Walk About continued on the actual day of Halloween in 2016.

I played Chucky while my baby sis was a bloody zombie lolxx... Life was choked up and I didn't blog about.

Gotten even more screwed up with life last year 2017.  I didn't have time to look for a costume.  I always blamed it on my previous job that takes up too much of my time.  Maybe it's the way I do things and my lousy time management, I don't know.... oh well....

Anyway, the very last minute I decided to do a illusion make-up.  Click HERE for more pics.

I finally left my job and have a better grip of my life.  I wanted to be a jelly fish like this:

I tried to find a transparent umbrella that can be worn on the head but failed.  I can't be carrying the umbrella on my hand the whole through right?  After searching for a few days online I gave up.

To be frank, I am quite upset with my weight gain.  Dress as anything also not nice.  I am too fat to be a ghost bride, bloody nurse, broken doll, some wonder woman spider woman, whatever....  I was considering fat pokemons like Snorlax but can't find a suitable costume.

When I saw a taoist master costume, I thought this shall be it!  I must be the shortest and fattest chinese ghostbuster ever but the costume was kind enough to accomodate all the bulges, at least.  Damn suitable for Halloween too.

I gotten everything from TaoBao except for the ice-cream bell, keeping a good budget of less than $20.

We reached before 5pm just in time to drive in before roadblock.

A game carnival was set up, targeting children.

Like what we had been doing the past few years, the first thing was to drive around the neighbourhood to take clear pictures of house and gate decors.

  We were kinda late cos the crowd was coming in already, I think we didn't manage to cover all the houses.

The same ice-cream mobile, this time he brought a helper.  He already got customers and more would be coming for his ice-cream like blood lolxx..

One of the more elaborate gate.

Decorated house were lesser probably due to a week day and most were simple like these:

Pumpkin garbage bags, haahaa...

Nobody knows why a witch needs to climb a tree when she has a broom lolxx.. but still cute.

The most massive coverage of cotton cobwebs ever!

The generous owner gonna give out popcorns and candy floss.

If you love to sit on a swing when you are alive, you probably will continue after dead.

This lady decided to give her dog the limelight by turning it into a lion, so cute de...

Sad children cos candies not ready yet.

Last pic, a man-made graveyard, heehee.....

Rushed back did my makeup.  I concealed the outer corner of my natural brows and drew fierce brows.  Could had made them more bushy but still ok lah.

I drew moustouch with eyebrow pencil which wasn't intense enough.  I topped up with liquid eyeliner.  After which I couldn't recognise myself, waahaahaaa.....

Half my stamina was gone laughing at my own self.

My kid sis's decor skill just failed, I think I should help her out next year.

She gave out books which my niece and nephew had outgrown.  The pile was cleared out by 8pm, what a relieve.

Chio egyptian queen and amazing monsters.

Live size chucky but can breath or not???

Could see their determination to fill up their pillow cases with candies lolxx..

Happy buffalo!  Buffalo horns right??

Qing Dynasty Emperor and Empress with his royal family and that 店小二 (chinese tea house waiter) at the corner, waahaahaaa....  The crowd take photos take until siao sia.

Selfie with my dashing kiddo.

He's now an expert in makeup and we have plenty to talk and discuss about cosmetics.

The crowd from day till dark.

In front of a haunted mansion stands a modern jap killer and a ancient chinese ghostbuster.

Screams when a 2 metres tall Baymax appeared!

Found my only chinese vampire couple, waahaahaa.... where did the rest go?  Last year got quite a few of them jumping around.  This year only chance upon this couple.

My kiddo looked like he was a character jumped out of anime cartoon.

Blur pic.

But here's a short video of the meteor shower lights

Everybody was having fun and I was enjoying the attention, tried to oblige all the photo requests, heehee....

When the conveyor belt sushi smiles at you.

Meet a doc who aborted a fetus which he bought from Daiso.

Encounter Dragon Ball Z, it's a pity that the photo didn't turn out.

Here's a good picture with a happy skeleton family.

The increase of crowd to this event was attracted by this game carnival nearby.  My little nephew played in the carnival until forgotten home while for us adults, there's nothing to eat or play so we walked pass and left.

Tickets to this game carnival was $5 each.

Many had been asking so I repeat again..........

Woodgrove's Halloween Walk-About it's FREE.  The residents had paid for the security and permit.  It's open to everybody. I went there from Tampines, you can come from Jurong or wherever but if you are driving, you have to park outside the compound and walk in.  Woodgrove is located in Woodlands next to the American School.  From the above photos, it's obvious that it's a private housing estate, you enter from any lane you can find, no specific entrance or exit.  Nobody judges whether you are dressed up or not, just come and enjoy yourselves and refrain from vandalizing the decorations.  Hope you guys can join in the fun next year!

Phew....glad that I had sort out the photos and posted them here though nobody will be reading this post till next year Oct when people start to do online searching near Halloween.

Now I am left with the last day of Siem Reap, haven't even edit a single photo.  But will be busy next week cos my baby sis is finally coming back from Oman.  It's getting close to my BKK/KhaoYai trip, follow by Christmas omg.... if time can slower itself a bit...