bangkok is huge and as i wanted to stay for just a short time, i picked only a handful of attractions to visit. first i went to the dusit district. the ananta samakhom throne hall which later was the seat of the first parliament in1932 after thailand’s political sytem was transformed from an absolute into a constitutional monarchy. today… Continue reading bangkok
Category: locations
angkor
once the seat of the khmer empire 1000 years ago, angkor today is still impressive. it is big by our standards but for the 12th century it was gigantic. best to have your bicycle with you to get around. the main temple angkor wat… and the view from the top. these faces can be seen all over angkor… Continue reading angkor
the killing fields
choeung ek is the best-known from the sites known as the killing fields. right after the entry the commemorative stupa filled with the skulls of the victims takes away all illusions about this place. it is a weird atmosphere as the fields look like a garden or a park. but the pits in the ground where… Continue reading the killing fields
tuol sleng genocide museum
a former school was transformed into the s-21 prison for interrogation and torturing captives. in most of the rooms there are photographs of how it was found after the vietnamese army took control over the city. 14 victims were left dead by the khmer rouge before they fled the city. many of the former class… Continue reading tuol sleng genocide museum
royal palace phnom penh
early in the morning on my second day in phnom penh i made my way to the royal palace. the palace itself like about half the area is off limits but other buildings are free for visitors. like the throne hall with its mostly golden interior. photos were just allowed from the outside. frescoes, mostly… Continue reading royal palace phnom penh
mekong discovery trail
i stayed in strung treng for two days. after the relaxing week on the 4000 islands i was in no condition to get back to normal cycling life immeadiately. i fell asleep before the match between germany and uruguay but was awake for the final. the extra days gave me time to plan my further… Continue reading mekong discovery trail
khon phapheng waterfall
a last stop before the border at the khon phapheng waterfalls. mark uploaded to videos of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt9IMOnfU5k&feature=autofb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXm6aq1yuyM&feature=autofb procedure at the border was quite quick and soon i was rolling into cambodia.
4000 islands
we started quite early in the morning from champasak. there was a small breeze which blew away the humidity but once in a while i still wished to do it like the water buffalos. as so often we pushed ourselves forward as it was quite a distance to cover in one day but as we… Continue reading 4000 islands
champasak
on the way from the tad lo oasis i got confronted with sorrow a little too soon. as i stopped for a drink the earth shook and a bursting sound came from down the street. a house had collapsed and by the time i reached the scene, crying people were carrying their loved ones, dead… Continue reading champasak
tad lo
as soon as i left the main road i ended up with a dirt road which leads towards the bolaven plateau and its waterfalls. i ended up in tad lo. a place with only a handful of guesthouses and a laid-back atmosphere that embraces you. the guesthouse had a wonderful garden and when it rained… Continue reading tad lo