Friday, 16 May 2014

The long journey home

Few of you know that Shawn and I cut our trip short and flew back home to Canada rather quickly.
After weeks of receiving updates from home, the call that came from my sister in the middle of the night while in Siem Reap, Cambodia sent us packing our bags and booking the next flight home. That night we received the news that my dad's cancer spread.
We first heard of dad's diagnose of pancreatic cancer back in Christchurch, New Zealand (Post: The Long and winding road). I'll never forget sitting in the Christchurch airport as we received the news from my dad's wife. It felt as if time stood still and flew past all at the same time. All I wanted was to be home with my family but felt so far from them-and we were! Even as I write this, it's as if I'm sitting back on that airport bench trying to make sense of it all. Guess that's the way with cancer...it's hard to make sense of.
Our family kept us updated every few days and encouraged us to keep travelling and enjoy our time away-which we did every minute! However, once we received the call from my sister with the news of dad's hospitalization, we knew it was time to come home. After a 13hr bus from Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand to catch our 40 hr flight to Toronto, we were finally home! It took some time to get over it being the opposite time of day (11hr difference) with coming home so quickly but that's all in the past now;) Shawn and I are grateful to be home.
We are thankful for everything we experienced and feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be on such an amazing adventure with one another. One day, we will go back!
We are glad to be home and have been spending all of our time with family right now. With so many new additions to the family in the past year as well, were grateful for the time we've been able to spend with each and every one of them:) We are continuing to find our place and search for new opportunities in a new place. Thanks to everyone who followed our blog and supported us on our big adventure over the past 6 months.
On to the next...!

Our 3hr boarding crossing between Cambodia and Thailand in 48c on our 13hr bus to Bangkok.

More bags than we came to Asia with...

Turkish airlines rocks! By far the best flight we've ever takin'


Jolene (my younger sister) picked us up from the airport and we spent the next 4-5 days with their family in Klienburg recovering from our jet leg and spending lots of quality time with the kids. We were ecstatic to meet the newest member of the Gianakas family-Vivienne Alexandra born April 12th, sharing a birthday with Grandma Leendertse!



Lots of snuggles with our little niece :)


Uncle Shawn hanging out with the kids


Violet and Uncle Shawn

Grandma and grandpa with their newest grandchild. That's #8!

(photos coming soon!)
The newest addition to the Henderson Family-Mia Nihal born Dec 31 while Auntie Heather & Uncle Shawn threw a New Years Party at her home. She's so big now!😂

Our Arla Barla. She was a good girl for Grandma Nancy while we were away. Glad to be back with our fur baby😄

Sunday, 4 May 2014

Angkor Wat Cambodia

Described as the 8th wonder of the world, Angkor Wat is an incredible site(s) and should be on every travellers list when visiting SE Asia. As one of the largest ancient empires in the world, one needs more than a few days to explore all the temples surrounding Siem Reap. The following is our two day back-to-back tours to just a handful of the many temples of Angkor Wat.

Both days we hired a tuk tuk driver to take us around the temples. We meant to rent bikes the second day but the 48c and the possibility of serious dehydration was a pretty big deterrent. 

Angkor Thom South Gate & Preah Neak Poan Temple

Wondering through the maze of corridors of Preah Khan Temple


.
This used to be a two storey library.
The fusion temple (Buddha & Hindu) of Preah Khan

The many doorways of Preah Khan

Ta Som temple built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII.


Up down, up down. 
Amazed at how they built these temples using only manpower and animals...

Speaking of animals...
A few samples of the animal carvings and statues.
The 350m long Terrace of the Elephants wall has carved out elephants parading towards both ends (bottom right)

Maybe this is now they were invaded back in the day?

My favourite temple - Ta Prohm AKA Tomb Raider temple.
Nature takes over here...


Inside Ta Prohn. 
Couldn't figure out why people kept taking my photo? Then Shawn told me it might have something to do with my outfit choice and a certain movie. Funny coincidence!

Mother Nature runs wild here


Even the animals come to visit the temples :)

After day one, I was in desperate need of a little TLC ;)

Day 2 - first stop, Bayon. 
The surreal state temple of legendary king Jayavarman VII, where 54 gothic towers are decorated with 216 enormous faces which resemble the king himself. 

Entrance to the Terrace of the Elephants

Hard not to sweat through your clothes while walking through miles of temples in 48c heat :(

Wall carvings throughout many of the temples


Angkor Wat
The best preserved temple and the Khmer's national symbol (as seen on the Cambodian flag).

Angkor Wat as we approach from the less crowded side entrance.

View from top inside the interior walls.
Exploring Angkor's interiors.

Looking out towards the grand entrance.

The grand entrance toward the sacred temple of Angkor Wat

Two days exploring Angkor Temples: $80
Tuk tuk & driver for the day: $15
Beers: $1
Drinking icy cold beer in the tuk tuk on the way back to the hotel after and long, HOT day: priceless!
Cheers!





Thursday, 1 May 2014

The heaviest of days-Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Seems the deeper we travel into Asia, the hotter it gets. Reaching Phnom Penh, Cambodia in the late afternoon, the mid 40's really started to take its toll on us. "I know I always said love the heat," I explained to Shawn, "but I realize now that I have a limit!" This Canadian girl just isn't cut out for this...
As we walked around the Royal Palace shortly after arriving, the beads of sweat turned into waterfalls and drenched us right though our thin layers. Warning: some pictures contain wet shirts.

Miles of open fields in Cambodia. Our 8hr bus from Siagon.
So much of this country is flat as a pancake...

Travelling in Cambodia requires a little imagination.
Locals cram as many people and things into mini buses as they can even creating extra "seats" off the back and on the roof. That and 48C...?!

Cambodia still very undeveloped compared to their SE Asia neighbours. 
Many homes were simple wooden, stilted structures on farmed land. 

View of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh from our hotel room balcony.
Pretty sure I sweat through this shirt after 5 min...

Royal Palace.
Ladies required to cover their arms and legs while visiting religious sites which only increases the already continuous sweaty waterfall. 

Shawn's favourite way to escape the heat. I really enjoyed the air con:)


Cambodia's history goes from bad to worst to unthinkable. A short history lesson from the Lonely Planet guide book gave us the quick version but the visits to the historic sites really hit hard. After the American War (AKA Vietnam War), the Khmer Rouge took over power in Cambodia and during a span of 3yrs and just over 20 months, destroyed 1/4 of their own people. So tragic. For more of Cambodia's history on the Khmer Rouge and events, go www.cambodiatribunal.org/history.
Here are some photos of S-21 prison or Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh and the Killing fields; 15km from the city. This was by far our heaviest day yet...

S-21 prison Phnom Penh
Thousands of "prisoners" were tortured here during the Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979.
A graveyard in the courtyard for the last few prisoners that died here by the hands of the 
Khmer Rouge.

Inside the walls of the prison. 
Prisoners were chained inside makeshift cells made of brick and wood and only feed a spoonful of rice a day. Survives said they could count the grains if rice they received.

The only survivors (7) of the S-21 prison.

Tuk tuk ride from the S-21 prison to the killing fields. The last ride the prisoners made before they were brutally murdered at the killing fields.

The Killing Fields-looking out towards Phnom Pehn.
The only photo I managed to shoot at this now quite, very emotional place.