Phnom Penh - the Royal Palace

Lots of places in Phnom Penh reminded me of the scenes from The King and I.  But none more than the Royal Palace. 

It was more of a walled compound than a specific "palace."  Some parts of it are still used by the royal family today, so the visit was somewhat limited.  The building above was the main throne hall. Visitors were not allowed inside, but could look in through the end doors and windows. It was basically a large open room, with an area at one end for the King's throne and room for the court all around. Also no photographs of the inside, sorry I don't have anything to show! 

The next photo below is the Moonlight Pavilion.  This was about as close as I could get to it - visitors were also not allowed.  But it was closer to the river than any other building in the complex.  It was a very large, open-air pavilion meant for entertaining and in particular to showcase Khmer classical dance. Can't you just envision this all lit up at night with candles and torches while watching a dance?  Enchanting.   

Some of the greenery on the grounds. The gardens were very beautiful.

Phnom Penh - National Museum and Silver Pagoda

Day 1 in Cambodia!  I got a late start on my first day out.  My flight arrived near midnight the previous day and with the jet lag, I couldn't sleep until almost 3AM.  So I slept in until noon, then had a nice breakfast of toast and fruit at my hotel. Just in front of the hotel were several tuk-tuk drivers. 

Tuk-tuks were the main form of transportation I used in Cambodia. They are essentially small motorcycles with a little carriage attached to the back. They are EVERYWHERE and as I walked down the street I was constantly asked "tuk-tuk lady?" by drivers looking for business.  Outside my hotel I employed the same driver everytime I went out. They were cheap too, about $1-3/ride, depending on how far you want to go.  The drivers will also negotiate with you if you want them to wait for you. For example, one afternoon I went to visit a museum and then to a market and back to my hotel. I paid my driver $8 and he drove me to each and waited outside for me at each.  It was probably a 4 hour excursion altogether.  It was nice to use the same driver because we had sort of established a rate I was willing to pay, I knew he wasn't going to pull any tricks upon arrival (like demand more money than we had agreed) and I knew that he knew where my hotel was.  So no getting lost in translation. 

Anyway, enough rambling about tuk-tuks.  Here are some sights - starting with the National Museum. The building itself was a work of art, as you can see. It was mostly open air with big windows and doorways between the galleries and the courtyard where this photo was taken.  The museum was filled with artifacts from the past, over 1000 years of stuff.  Some were statues, paintings and lots of carvings that would have been removed from temples around Cambodia.  Similar to what I would see later in the week in Siem Reap, but in museum form.  I wasn't supposed to take pictures inside, so don't have much to show beyond the outside of the building. 

My second stop was just a 5 minute walk up the road to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.  They were all part of the same compound (and entry ticket) but I will show the Palace in another post.  For now, the large building at the left of this photo is the Silver Pagoda. It is called this because inside the floor was covered in solid silver tiles. Also no pictures inside here.  While I'm sure it looked very opulent at one time, now it is mostly very tarnished and covered about 90% with rugs to preserve it. So there wasn't much to see inside. They did also have a Buddha statue carved out of a large emerald, about 18 inches tall. 

I was more impressed with the grounds at the Silver Pagoda. Around the outer wall was this long pavilion that had elaborate paintings. I read that the paintings show Khmer history, along with scenes from legendary stories.  

There were tons of Buddha statues...

As well as elephants.  Sometimes the elephant head is for the Hindu deity Ganesh, who is known to be the remover of obstacles.  I readily admit that I don't know much about the religions in this part of the world. I did learn that the majority of modern Cambodia is Buddhist and the monks that I will show later pictures of (in the orange robes) are Buddhist. 

General splendor...

Cambodia - an intro

So I have been procrastinating on writing about Cambodia for two reasons.  First, it was such a big trip (not just long, but in significance) that I hardly know where to start.  Second, I want to not just post pictures but to give a real overview of what I thought about the country and my experiences while I was there.  But the thing is, I'm not really much of a writer!  Seriously, I'm an accountant - lists and spreadsheets. So I just felt like this was going to get short-changed.  (See how I made an accounting joke there?  I'm such a nerd.)  I was just reading a travel blog that I really like and decided to steal her format.  So here is an overview and then I'll get to some detailed posts later on with more pictures. 

What made you choose this destination for your travels?

I had enough vacation time left for a 10-14 day trip late in 2013. I had already been several places in Europe and wanted to try somewhere new.  Several years ago there was a TV show based on the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die" and the hosts went to Cambodia. It stuck with me and Angkor Wat in particular I wanted to visit.  So I started doing research and bought a plane ticket!  Important note here - I went alone.  None of my friends had enough time off in November to go with me, or maybe weren't interested, didn't want to spend the money, whatever.  I didn't (and don't!) want to let the idea of going alone to hold me back from going places at all. 

How did you get there?

I flew Korean Air from London Heathrow, connected through Seoul and arrived into Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.  Korean Air is lovely. The flight attendants are beautiful.  I know that is superficial, but they were skinny, had flawless skin and were smiley and polite the entire 11 hour flight. A complete change from the grumpy and frumpy flight attendants I usually encounter on US-based carriers.  (Sorry to anyone reading this who is one, but it's the truth.) The food was good!  They had regular Western-type options, but you could also get bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice dish. When I ordered bibimbap the flight attendant was very concerned about whether I had tried it before and even gave me a little instructional card (with pictures!) about how to mix the rice with the vegetables, sesame oil and pepper paste.  It was delicious!

Where did you stay?

I debated this ALOT before I went. The obvious way to meet other solo travellers is to stay at a hostel. Call me a snob, but I just couldn't foresee being comfortable in such a new place staying in a dorm room with strangers. Plus I wanted to be as safe as possible. So I went for mid-budget level hotels in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.  Both had a restaurant and pool, so I could opt for a relaxing evening in if I wasn't up for going out at night. Both also had good reviews on Trip Advisor, even commenting on things I would never have thought of like "this hotel's management doesn't allow guests to bring extra guests onto the property - so you won't have to deal with men bringing home prostitutes to hang out by the pool."  True comment on Trip Advisor. And apparently can be a real problem at some hotels in this part of the world. 

Tips for future travellers to this destination?

They use a combination of US dollars and Cambodian rials, but primarily USD. So bring lots of small bills ($10 and under) as most everything is going to be less than $10.  Also, bring cash to pay for your visa that you apply for upon arrival at the airport. I booked almost everything for this trip before I arrived, including my hotel, a taxi for airport arrival, day cycling tours and even my bus ticket from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. But it seemed you could do all of that upon arrival too, so don't feel like you have to get locked into everything before arrival.

Tips for packing for this destination?

It was hot and sunny most of the time I was there.  Low 90's, which seemed delightful compared to London and at the same time, unbearably hot.  Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat were important for my fair-skinned self.  One day was rainy all day long and a couple of evenings had torrential downpours, so an umbrella and light jacket are probably in order too.  I suspect the rain could be much worse if you went during rainy season.  Some of the temple sites require a bit of modesty so try to wear a long skirt or pants.  You could also buy these ridiculous hammer pants type of things for about $5 outside every place that needed knees covered. Tons of people wore them and they were very goofy looking.  I wore tshirts with short sleeves to protect my shoulders from burning, but it seemed most people in tank tops were ok. Somewhat sturdy shoes as you'll walk over lots of stones and rough terrain.  Be sure you have a secure travel bag.  More on that later. 

Must see spots?

Angkor Wat was my primary reason for this trip, but it is part of a HUGE temple complex just outside Siem Reap.  Think of Angkor like a national park in the US that goes on for miles.  And it was dotted with dozens of temples of varying sizes and in varying states of disrepair.  I only spent two days in the park, but you could easily do a week. In Phnom Penh, seeing the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda were my favorites.  Another popular visit in Phnom Penh is to S-21 and the Killing Fields.  These both commemorate the atrocities committed in the late 70s/early 80s by the Khmer Rouge. I only visited S-21, which was a school, then a prison and is now a museum. In both cities, the markets were fun as well - interesting just to walk around and see everything for sale from souvenirs to raw fish to motor engine parts and toilet paper. If you like bargaining, you'd have fun too - it's not my fave but I did some.

Final tips for this destination?

Get a massage - they are cheap!  As cheap as a couple of dollars on the street or I went to a nice spa for a private room and paid about $15. Great way to relax after a long, hot day of sight-seeing. Try to do something that gets you out of the main city centers and tourist tracks. I did a cycling tour from Phnom Penh that took us into the surrounding country-side and villages.  It was a completely different look at the normal lifestyles than what you get in the city.  Even taking the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap allowed me to see more than I would have if I had flown between the two. 

More to come in some forthcoming posts with pictures and details!

Disney Marathon



In 2013 when I ran Disney, I did the "Goofy Challenge" which means I ran the half marathon on Saturday morning and then the full marathon on Sunday morning.  It wasn't as bad or as tough as it sounds, but both races start at 5:30am. To get to the start in time, you really have to wake up no later than 3:30am and doing that two days in a row was hard! For 2014 I decided to run the full marathon only.  Here are a few photos from the race day...

 

Main Street USA!  This is the funnest part of the race - there is music playing and big crowds of people and everyone knows you are coming up on Cinderella's castle in a few minutes which is the most best photo op of the day.  And it's early in the race at about mile 5, so you still have the energy to be excited!

The castle!  Do you see the guy taking his picture behind me?  No?  How about his arms that appear from nowhere out of my shoulders?  Yep, that's awesome.  

 

Disney characters!  Rapunzel and Flynn!

 

 

I like a Disney princess, but the lines to take your picture with them were all very long.  For some reason, it wasn't too bad for these guys - and personally I think Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck are about as "A-list" as a Disney character can be!

 

The finish line!!  That's my friend Beth on the right - she has been in several of my photos and was part of the group that came over to run in Lisbon last fall.  And Beryl on the left - Beryl is another Team in Training coach and she did the Goofy Challenge this year.  Another fun year at Disney!

Orlando!

The last leg of my US holiday trip was a visit to Orlando.  I had such a great time running the Disney Marathon last year, that we planned to make a return trip before we had even finished running the race last January. It was a great time to catch up with my running friends! 

 

Enjoying a pre-dinner drink with Ed and Marie!

 

 

 

If you haven't been to Disney World in years, or as an adult, you need to go.  It's hilarious - they take that "happiest place on Earth" thing very seriously!  Everyone is wishing you a Magical Day all over the place.  The wake-up call in our room was even a cartoon voice - maybe Mickey Mouse? We stayed at the Art of Animation Resort and specifically in the Little Mermaid building.  This was our room:

 

I would have died of happiness as a kid if my hotel room looked like this!  I was pretty amused even as an adult.  :)  They also had a Cars building and a Lion King building.  The pool and outdoor areas were equally covered with giant statues of characters from the movies.  There was actually a giant Ursula from the Little Mermaid near our pool and she is, and always was, scary!

 

On Friday we had to visit the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to pick up our race packets. Apparently the Braves are holding spring training here in 2014 and they had a decorated Mickey to celebrate!

 

Since we had no other agenda and it was a beautiful sunny day, Beth and I spent the afternoon enjoying snacks and drinks at the Sports Complex.  Good times!

New Year's Eve

After a week in Oklahoma with family, I flew back to Atlanta and drove to Greenville, South Carolina to spend New Year's Eve with Emily.  I have rung in the new year for several years at Emily's, so when I knew I'd be back in Atlanta, it seemed only fitting to make the trip!

 

 

The visit in Greenville was one of the best parts of my trip home.  We had a relaxing January 1st - went out for lunch, saw a matinee movie, put together Ikea bookshelves (who doesn't find that relaxing and fun?) and watched college football.  A great day!

 

I went back to Atlanta for another week and a half to work from my home office.  Stayed at my friend Wendy's and although we didn't get any pictures together, she took this lovely gem of me by her fireplace:

 

I was in Atlanta during round one of the "Polar Vortex" and it was FREEZING cold.  Actually, probably colder than it has been all winter in London - knock on wood!  So I was hanging out inside wearing my friend Rob's crazy hat.  Good times!  Next time I am there, need to get better pictures of me with Wendy and her family!

Home for the holidays!

So now I am going totally out of order! But I had all these photos on my phone and could easily write this post while on the move. Waiting for someone to inspect my old apartment - I've moved! More on that later. 

Christmas!! I flew to OKC on Christmas Day. The airport was surprisingly busy and my flight was packed. The first time I had been in the US of A since February!  A couple of key observations during my layover in Atlanta (and keep in mind I was probably tired by the time I thought these things):

 

1. The bathroom stalls are very impersonal.  Almost all stalls in Europe are full floor-to-ceiling walls and doors.  So there is no space for a curious toddler to crawl under and look at you while you are doing your business. Back in Atlanta it felt like everyone could see my knees.  Weird because I never noticed it before!

2. The whole Duck Dynasty thing has had a much more significant impact on American culture than I thought.  Particularly in the South, where I was my entire trip - Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida. Did everyone always wear this much camoflouge in the US?  Is that a new thing?

3. People are loud. You can hear all their conversations. And they yell at their kids down through the terminals and grocery stores, etc. 

4. In Europe clothing is much more fitted. Sometimes that means tight (and not in a good way) and sometimes it's just more tailored.  But rarely is it too big.  In the US, clothes are baggy.  Baggy jeans, sweats, etc.  The fit is just bigger in general. 

 

Enough of my waxing on about differences - here are some pictures!

 

I didn't actually get to Missouri, but Mom sent this nice one of her with Mimi and Papaw.

Grandpa (aka Dad) with baby Kendall - the newest Strunk at our holiday events!  She was really into that cardboard she is chewing on there.

In fact, Kendall is featured in this year's Christmas pictures because she was the only kid mostly sitting still.  I don't even have pics of Nathan and Gracie because they were never in one spot long enough!  Kendall with Aunt Anne...

Kendall and Aunt Amy!  Look at the little wrinkled nose!! - super cute.

And finally we caught Preston too, but only at Braums with an ice cream cone and he didn't want to put it down for the picture.  That's ok, I love the ice cream there too!