The Angkors and Self Timer
Short note: I'm organising Malaysia's first Bloggers Media Trip to Southern Thailand this July. Good news is, I have two one allocation left on this trip. Bloggers with 1000 uniques per day and interested to come on board are free to email me at nicootan@gmail.com.
Once, there were the gods,
And the asuras (demons), and they cooperated with each other to churn the Sea of Milk to create the elixir of immortality – amrita.
Asuras
But the teamwork ended when Amrita was formed and the gods went back on their words to give half a bottle to the Asuras, and hence the Asuras tried to steal it.
So is the great Hinduism myth, so you find at every gate of Angkor Thom (this is the Wat where Tomb Raider filmed one of their scenes), the cravings of the gods and the Asuras demons.
Why does the demon always look scarier?
These were the imprints and cravings at Angkor Wat, as I raised early the next morning and cycled all the way back to the Angkors (I missed the 5:30am sunrise shut up), there was barely anyone.
Angkor Wat
The front yard of Angkor Wat
Except for the few monks
It was the best time to tour the Wat.
Inner back garden
It was so empty, you could even sleep there.
Looking at the sleeping travellers.
What better time to test your self timing skill than now eh? :D :D :D
Chilling out in the temple
Resting and looking around
Omg I love my hair color in this picture, several wash later it actually became blondish brown T_T
Red Head
Shadow on Angkor - peter pan??
How big do you think this stone stair is?
Pretty big~
Peek-A-Boo 
Spider man on rocks!
Second take,
Spider woman on rocks closer view!
Phew, have to jump through gaps back and forth.
Okay next, how big do you think this stone stair is? Looking up!
Can’t imagine right?
Put a Nicole there.
I’d say pretty bloody BIG!
(This shot I have to run so very far away~ )
Walking on the stone street leading up to Angkor Wat, you’ll find many holes on the stones that were made to carry these heavy weights around.
Going through the temple, you’ll find yourself on the other side of AW which was meant to be the East entrance to the Wat. Here you can almost visualized how it used to be back in the days when Angkor was built.
The original road to Angkor
And how it was like few hundreds years later the whole Angkors were engulfed by the jungle.
Bayon
Further up north you will reach Angkor Thom – one of the largest of all Khmer cities (appropriately means “Great City”), or the four main gates surrounding it. This is the south gate, where most people enter and exit through.
No this is not the gate where the Tomb Raider evil guy pulled down.
One of the most prominent temples inside Angkor Thom is Bayon,
pretty much “the most enigmatic and powerful religious constructions in the world” according to this book,
This is a good book, not only it describe the details of each temple, it tells what is the best time to visit each temple (best lighting)
Which I bought from this girl who approached me during my lunch break.
I tell you, she was damn persuasive ok?!
More camwhore sessions,
First take, too close
Have to place on the top of the stairs and then run down in big steps and pose,
Second take, ah.. better!
Around the temple you will find a lot of face towers constructed to form an ascending peak.
More self timing
This is a difficult angel, an uncle from china helped me take this :D
They say there used to be 49 towers around the temple, but now there’re only 37 left.
Bayon, in my opinion, is one of the most visited temple among the tourists, why? Because when you see a bunch of locals in fancy themed costume are out to hunt for gullible tourists for over expensive Polaroid photographs, you know the place it’s over commercialised.
Seriously, the way she bent reminded me of these figurine carvings on every possible structure in Angkor.
yea bent it baby~
Even the monks love to take photograhs :D
Very cute Cambodian kid
Victory gate, Angkor Thom
On the way to the east entrance of Angkor Thom, I dumped my bicycle in the bush and decided to venture into the field.
Self timer on a rock
When it took you at least 10 mins to set up your camera, you take more than one photo.
I need to run pretty far for this shot,
first take, ran out of time, so turned around and pose first.
Second take, ran faster, leaped down the giant stone steps, across the field and up the stone steps again and POSE!
Haha, perfect!
I already cropped this photo, I appeared too small in actual one, you can view it here.
Thommanon
Exiting the East entrance (notice I didn’t say East gate, cause the east gate is hidden from tourists), on the way to Ta Keo and Ta Phrom temples, you will come by this little sweet elegant temple called Thommanon.
Post card worthy~ 
Obviously taken by another random tourist
This toothless grandma can climb better steps than me!
Don’t pray pray
Self timer pose at Thommanon!
How to take self timer pose at Thommanon!
Oh no, now my secrets are out!
Ta Keo
Now the Ta Keo is impossible to be missed. A giant temple-mountain made entirely, get this, sandstone.
It’s massive, tall and extremely towering, and it’s incomplete.
Also a playground for local kids
Shot of my feet
I'm getting used to standing at the edge
Resting after an intense climb.
The wind up here was magnificient!
Pose of myself chilling out at Ta Keo
Love the view~!
Phew, what a long post, total of 59 photos! I think. Didn’t really count. Lol
(I bet there are lame people who will count the photos after I mention it)
After so much climbings, so many running back and forth taking many shots of difficult self timing photos, I can feel water evaporating out of my skin.
I swear!! Those water drops were constantly there on my nose!!!
(more photos on the way~)
33 kissed Nicole
Reminds me of my trip to SR in NOV. Nice shots !!!!
ReplyDeleteLol, gawd, come on...
ReplyDeleteI really don't know what to say, but the neverending shots of yourself in those 'wtf' kind of poses, reallllly tainted yr post. It is really....sickening and yucky. Just not consistent of a traveller, although the sweats droplets are, but since it was being broadcasted, it's no more consistent.
whore-cam-not
I'm lame... I admit it... but including the last sweat photo... I swear there's only 56 photos... Liar liar pants on fire nicole... :p
ReplyDeleteWei Nicole, you went secretly with Kenny Sia ah?
ReplyDeleteHe asked not to be in the picture ah!?
Aiyo he so two-timer wan!!
Aiyah, go all the way to Siem Reap?Angkor Wat and no picture of the sunrise to show? Wasted lah! Eh? No Banteay Srei and Ta Phrom (where Tomb Raider 1 was shot) temples one? Tengok apa temples worrrrr?
ReplyDeletedid u ever use any kind of mini-tripod for self-timer? otherwise if u place ur cam on those uneven rock, a strong wind might blow off ur camera n, thaz it! time for a new cam.. well, u do take pretty nice pic wif ur canon ixus 860IS, impressive~
ReplyDeletebtw, i rather belif KS is a gay then being wif nic.. she's too gd 4 him~! hah~!
I'm too lazy to count the photos, nevermind it hahahaha :D
ReplyDeleteAnyway, in response to rm2co, I don't think not going where or not having what is a problem. A freestyle traveller is supposed to discover his/her own nice spots..
It would be kinda boring if everyone goes to the same places and blog about the same things...
By looking of your pictures i can feel my traveling bug itching....
ReplyDeleteI swear you are on heck of a ger I would wanna travel together with!
ReplyDeleteYou really did all those crazy things?...(-___-)"
ReplyDeletewow... Angkor Wat... nice... being there during my CIP few years ago... Cool place man! Btw, the book you bought has no value at all... Mt friend got scammed when he bought for US$30 and I bought it for US$1... Bif diff sia... Somemore from the same person... Muahahaha...
ReplyDeleteGood to see you're working up a sweat for us.
ReplyDeleteSigh, i don't even have 100 unique per day.
ReplyDeletedun give the monks a hard-on lah....:P
ReplyDeletei like your blog, nicole:)esp the travel stories and your charity work.Tomb Raider was filmed at a couple of Angkor temples.The scene where she arrives is Phnom Bakheng.Its famous for sunset but warning:tourist overload when i was there.Then there was a scene with Angkor Thom,i think and the scene towards the end with lots of gigantic trees is Ta Prohm.that one is easily recognisable.i was there in Feb 2008.you shd have gone for the sunrise at 5.30am at AW.it was amazing!:)
ReplyDeleteGoodness me!
ReplyDeleteThose pics are AWESOME! It's BEA-U-TI-FUL!
Thanks for sharing Nic!
More please ;))
As an architecture student, there is my dream place. I wish to go there soon.. Really amazing construction right?
ReplyDeleteyou have amazing ability of self timer the camera (without tripod somemore!) Did you ever think if you place your camera too far someone will nick it while you pose??
ReplyDeleteNice effort you put in there on all your photos!
ReplyDeletesunrise that you missed :) click here
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the pics! I have been anxiously waiting for you to post them. Its my goal to visit angkor wat. Something i hope to do this year!
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteSob..Sob...
Feel so sad when saw the requirement as 'Bloggers with 1000 uniques per day'...
Nvm lah, read ur blog is good enough ;)
LOL, just ask uncle from China to take more photos of you! Dun get tired meh with all these self timer?
ReplyDeleteAgain, i dun think she went there by herself lar. Self timer won't capture some of the shots. As we all know even taking a pic in the living room with self timer got to spend lots of time. it would increase ur readers interest if u tell them tat u travel alone. On the other hand, u r just playing ur readers' emotions.
ReplyDeleteto anonymous above,
ReplyDeletefor a moment there i was tempted to reply ur message, but then again i realised there is no need to clarify with someone who is close-minded towards solo female traveller. :)
tat's true. No need to reply. It's just my opinion. You have your way to promote your blog. Hopefully, your "idea" of "solo female traveller" won't mislead any female readers to travel alone. You are leading your innocent female readers to the danger world out there. It's good to promote your blog this way but you are misleading your readers.
ReplyDeleteGee Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI wonder why you are so against the idea of female traveling alone? Are you sexist or something?
Hey peeps,
ReplyDeleteI met the lovely Nicole in Siem Reap and we travelled to Phnom Penh for three days together. There are many single female travellers globe trotting and now I know what she meant by the conservative Asian thinking in backpacking, especially for girls. Take a chill pill.
-Stuart- (London)
nicole sweetie is zen the handsome boy who is from bkk. follow her blog closely n read her previous entry. it all made sense!
ReplyDeleteStuart, i haven't seen any single female travel alone. Usually, they are in GROUP!!!
ReplyDeletehey anonymous, you are damn china lor. wth is wrong with traveling alone? you haven't seen? come out of your shell can?
ReplyDeletei recently came back from cambodia too and i was traveling alone for 4 days out of my 9 days there...and unlike what you think, it really is a safe place. :)
Nice shot but I'm impressed on how the shot be taken if you were traveling alone. I just wonder how you able to shot yourself from a certain angle. I believe some angle is not possible to use the camera timer. Any tips?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I believe you traveled alone. :> I traveled alone myself before in Europe but mostly the female lone travelers are from Japan, Korea and European. You definitely have the courage and adventurous. Once a person travel once or twice, one will able to do so in the future as experience is the benchmark for maturity.
ReplyDelete