One Sultry Japanese Summer

Cold seafood ramen (top) & ice cream desserts (bottom) from Azabu Sabo, Shinjuku to beat the heat

Hot! Very HOT! That was our first impression upon stepping into the underground train station beneath Narita Airport. Apparently, August is the hottest month in Japan. While we were there the average temperature ranged between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius in Tokyo, soaring to 37 degrees Celsius in Osaka and hitting a high of 40.5 degrees Celsius in Kyoto! Luckily, the temperature was more tolerable in Hakone as there was thunderstorm at night.

To combat the relentless heat, I embraced the whole arsenal of face & body sun-block, umbrella with UV protection, floppy hat, short sleeves tops and lotsa, lotsa water. Drinking Chinese herbal tea help to combat the heat. At XL’s suggestion, we even drank “ang moh liang teh” (i.e. beer) with breakfast, no less!

The heat finally took its toll on me hwhen I came down with a headache in Yokohama. Luckily, a good bento meal and iced water in an air-conditioned restaurant helped to rejuvenate me & I was able to enjoy the remaining part of the trip.

Konnichiwa! Japan, Here We Come

(Top) Ginza

Uhm, it’s kinda overdue… but I promised my travel mates to blog about our trip… Since I was the only one religiously taking notes on where & what we do (*hee* occupational hazard 职业病 ), I 身负重任 to put up our travel diary. Apologies for the delay… had to clear work after the 2 weeks trip and had to recuperate from sprained feet…

Although it's my 2nd trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I was still quite excited about my Japan trip from 10 to 22 Aug 2007. The 1st trip in 2004 was for a cultural exchange programme, so the highlight was homestay with a wonderful Japanese family in Yonezawa.

Having heard "horror stories" of how tourists were shepherded from one tourist attraction to the next to shoot a few pictures without having much time to fully enjoy the sights, we opted to do a totally "free & easy" tour. Didn’t like the 走马看花 style of travel packages where visits to many attractions are squeezed into a couple of days. Heard how 2 colleagues had to switch hotels everyday so they don't remember the names of the hotels they stayed in!

Being a totally free & easy flight, we have to do everything from scratch: from booking our plane tickets & accommodations at the 4 cities to figuring out where & how to go to the various destinations. Once our annual leaves are approved, planning starts! For three weeks before the trip, we decided on the airline to take, cities we are visiting, type of accommodation in each place (the cheapest possible so we can splurge on a ryokan), places of attractions, train schedule and how to get to each place. We gathered for after-work “reconnaissance” sessions to compare notes & confirm the itinerary. Finding a meeting place that provides both wireless Internet access (for us to book online accommodation) & have electric power-points (note: extra laptop or battery will be useful) in the witching hours proves rather challenging – we have to keep changing the venue & drag our bags from a library’s al fresco café, Macdonalds’ café, Hong Kong tea café to hotel lounge. Apparently, some places switch off their wireless networks when they close at midnight.

While information is readily available from print and electronic travel guides & from the preponderance of websites on travel in Japan, synthesising the information literally takes time. As my 3 travel companions & I were busy with work, we would discuss from 7pm to as late as 2am! We were super impressed with this 35-page pdf itinerary that was created by two people who travelled to the same cities. Complete with colourful graphics & exact timings, it sure beats the travel itineraries from tour agencies hands down!

Finally, the big day arrives for our flight!

Our general itinerary is as follows:

9 Aug 23.40 hrs: Depart from Changi Airport T2, Singapore on SQ 638
10 Aug 7.30 hrs: Reach Narita Airport Terminal 1, Tokyo
10-13 Aug: Tokyo
14-15 Aug: Osaka
16-18 Aug: Kyoto
19 Aug: Hakone
20-22 Aug: Tokyo
21 Aug (morning): Yokohama
22 Aug 11.30hrs: Depart from Narita Airport on SQ 637
22 Aug 17.35hrs: Reach Changi Airport T2

Other than SSEAYP, this was my longest vacation ever (shortest was the weekend jaunt to Batam in 2006). I also experienced the worst turbulence during the flights. Although turbulences are expected at night, the flight to Tokyo encountered lotsa rocky turbulences. Was surprised that we experienced more frequent turbulences during the afternoon flight home. The turbulence was so bad at one point that I had to hold on to my lunch tray & quickly finish the drinks to avoid spillage.

Cambodia trip

Performers resting at Ta Prohm

Patiently waiting for a bird's eye view of the sunset atop Angkor Wat

....and the vertiginous

climb down afterwards

(Note the "Climb at Your Own Risk" yellow warning sign)

Ta Prohm, built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries

Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument




Singapore Hotel in Phnom Penh

Cambodian children with Angkor Wat reflected in the tranquil water

Yummy Cambodia fried noodles & warm lemon tea for breakfast

SIEM REAP

Travelled for the 1st time to Cambodia from 29 Apr to 3 May this year. At Siem Reap, stayed at quite a clean & quaint guesthouse "Jasmine Lodge" (www.jasminelodge.com). Paid USD 20 per night for a twin -sharing room with double beds, air-con, cable TV and attached bathroom with hot water - quite value for money. Comprising 3 separate wings located in close proximity, the guesthouse also offers a canteen, where we had satisfying meals between USD 2 to 5. Loved the Cambodian fried noodles, which are like Chinese-style stir-fried maggi mee, nuritious vegetable soup & refreshing lemon tea! The owner, a very friendly Mr Kunn, also offers English-speaking tours to Angkor Wat & other attractions.

Quite excited to view Angkor Wat as it is the 1st UNESCO Heritage Site I've seen. Went to Angkor Wat to buy a single day pass for USD 30 the evening before, which also allows us to enter to view the sunset that day at 5pm. As the sky was overcast, we nearly gave up waiting and were walking back to the main entrance when we glimpsed the gorgeous sunset. Woke up at 5.30am the next morning to catch the sunrise. We waited till 7.30am ... alas, to our great disappointment, there was no sunrise as it rained the night before.

Despite the crumbling facade due to wear & tear, I can't help but be overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of Angkor Wat & its surrounding temples. May happens to be the hottest month, so we were perspiring so much we kinda grew used to the heat & sweat after a while...

PHNOM PENH
We also took a 6-hr bus ride for a short 2.5 day stay at the capital Phnom Penh. While the lifestyle in Siem Reap is rather laidback (think of leisurely sipping drinks in an al fresco cafe while watching the world go by), Phnom Penh has the distinctive flavour that distinguishes capitals from suburbs: tall buildings, more people & traffic & lotsa tuks tuks (the most common mode of transport). Had a hard time crossing the road to the Central Market (Psah Thmei) - a Phnom Penh landmark.

The Central Market is a true haven for bargain hunters & souvenir shoppers as it sells almost everything! Right in front of the path leading to the entrance, there are food stalls selling barbequed food, fresh flowers, fruits & even earthenware. Along the path, there are stalls hawking T-shirts, postcards to silver curios. Inside Central Market, you can buy electronic goods, jewellery, gold, watches, T-shirts & flowers. And if you're weary of lugging back your shopping loot, simply hop onto one of the tuk tuks or motorcycles for hire at the roadside.

While on our way to Phnom Penh International Airport to catch the flight home, noticed this little piece of S'pore in Cambodia - the Singapore Hotel!

CAMBODIA TRAVEL TIPS
Travel tips: 1. Avoid travel in May; Go during cooler mths. 2. If u do go in May, take lotsa precautions to acclimatise to the intense heat, such as: drink lotsa water, put sunblock, wear hat, carry umbrella, wear thin long sleeved shirt to prevent sunburn, wear light coloured clothing.

Info on Cambodia's attractions:
1. Phnom Penh Sights
http://www.canbypublications.com/phnompenh/ppsights.htm

2. Angkor Wat Information Pages
http://www.angkorwat.org/

3. Tourism of Cambodia: Angkor Wat
http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Attractions/angkor/angkor_wat.asp