Squeezing My Way Back To Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The only reason I returned to Phnom Penh was to get a visa for Laos.

For some reason the capital never appealed to me photographically but I decided to walk around while waiting for my passport and look around again without any pressure to take incredible photos.

One possible reason is the very different feel larger cities and touristy spots offer.

After being “spoiled” with genuine kindness and attention at less touristy areas the “walking ATM syndrome” does take away fromthe authenticity of the visit.

Battling An Acute Rambutan Addiction In Tra Vinh, Vietnam

Tra Vinh, Vietnam is a tucked away town in the Mekong Delta casually mentioned but not even listed as an off the beaten track stop by the popular travel guide.

I was looking forward to visiting this secluded area which is too far from Saigon for the hordes of daytripping package tourists to reach.

The area of Tra Vinh used to belong to Cambodia and is home of Khmer minorities who are unfortunately second class citizens in Vietnam. There also 140 some Khmer pagodas throughout the province.

Seeing What The Buddha Sees In Ninh Binh, Vietnam

This funny warning sign displayed in the garden of the Bich Dong pagoda outside Ninh Binh is the most appropriate photo I can use to illustrate a post about tourists not showing respect to a foreign country with different customs and religion namely Buddhism.

Wearing a suit and tie in 100 degree heat hopefully is only symbolic but it makes an important point.

Either because of pure laziness to read a couple of paragraphs in any travel book or due to lack of common sense or decency, some tourist are completely oblivious to their behavior.

All In Ruins At Ayutthaya Sukhothai Phrae Nan and Bangkok, Thailand

Usually every post in this blog covers one town and one stop but in the case of Thailand this one post covers 15 days and five places: Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, Phrae, Nan and Bangkok which account for my entire stay in Thailand.

Everyone loves Thailand so why could I not wait to leave after 15 days spite having a total of 4 months of Visas already paid for?

Yes, I know I am always the black sheep. But thank The Buddha my plan B is pretty nice: a return to Vietnam!

Black And White Photos Of Simple Life From Battambang, Cambodia

Battambang is described by Cambodia guidebooks as an attractive sleepy town with a few attractions nearby.

After the tourist hell of Angkor Wat and not knowing how touristy and commercial Thailand (my next stop) will be I decided to stop over for a few days.

They were not lying, not a whole lot going on in Battambang but it is an OK place to relax and even take some low key, practice photos (no, not trying to save face with that comment, really).

Postcards From Angkor Wat In Siem Reap, Cambodia

I was fortunate (and yes, quite skilled) to capture a split second of a Cambodian Buddhist monk performing an ancient self cleansing ritual at the Bayon of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. It is not an accident why I choose the above photo to be the first of this post.

Discarding all unnecessary from our lives will set us free, the less we own the more happiness we have; it is true wisdom and it is profound.
View my first photo, absorb its message, dig! Dig!! DIG!!! deeper within your soul and you will be on your way towards a better you! Congratulations! Your journey just began!

Photography Of Pagodas And Buddhist Monks In Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Big or busy cities have little appeal to me photographically or as a tourist.

The only reason I even stayed in Phnom Penh was to buy an external hard drive for my laptop. Fortunately there were some unplanned special moments during my stay.

I found the above sleeping cat nearby a pagoda; I choose this picture as my main photo for this post to demonstrate my deeply buried (but still existent) sensitive side.