Cambodia day 2 - Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is the ruins made famous by the Tomb Raider movie. It was a lot busier than the first temple we visited but our guide managed to steer us around the worst of it and knew all the angles to get the best shots with less people in them.

 

It is amazing the way the access to the temples is pretty much unrestricted, a great joy for Toby who loves running over all the ruins and climbing up the big piles of rocks.

I was quite impressed by the odd shape of the rocks making the wall, looks like a lot of work! Like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Ta Prohm is the one with all the trees growing over the temple. Our guide was a bit sad about all the restoration work going on, he likes them better unrenovated. I can relate to that after going to Angor Wat later in the week (the most restored, with no trees!), but I am also glad they are restored and stable enough to walk through (with a bit of scaffolding supporting parts of it).

Check out the carving above - much speculation about what a dinosaur doing....how long ago were these temples built? or is it a rhino or a buffalo with some decoration. I was super excited to see this having read about it in my research but Toby, despite being a dinosaur fan wasn't that impressed.

Dino above in a row of carvings.

Toby was usually super excited at the start of a temple but by about halfway through lost a bit of enthusiasm. As happened above, at one of the most popular tourist photo hot spots, he's hiding out underneath.

Below is some of the restoration work going on, was funny to see a crane in the middle of the jungle, you have to walk about 500m to get to the beginning of the temple complex from the main road.

Can't get enough of these trees.

Sunset cruise Angor Thom moat

What better way to finish the day than a river cruise with G&T or soft drink and nibbles. On the moat around Angor Thom. A very relaxing first evening.

Cambodia Day 1

Day 1 and we arrived early but had no temple viewing till later in the day. Toby and I made use if the 3 pools with multiple swims in each, it was like hanging out with goldilocks trying to find the perfect pool. After a dip, we headed into town and Pub street for lunch. The food is AMAZING. And of course it's fun to ride in a tuk tuk.

Later in we headed out to our first temple, Banteay Srei, described by our guide as "pretty average, I've seen better". We, on the other hand had not. It was mind blowing. You could climb over everything and Toby loved it. temple is from late 12th century, originally Buddhist but later Hindu and so most of the Buddhas had been scrubbed out.

It was a magical place and not too busy in the late afternoon. A great introduction to a temple before our sunset boat ride.

New 34- new country Cambodia

Yes that's right, a new country counts twice, due to all the research and a bit of bravery required to travel new places, esp with a 5 year old. Mind you the hardest part was probably getting to Cambodia. We were met at the airport by our guide and taken to our UNBELIEVABLE hotel, Navutu Dreams. We have a Grand Tourer room, big enough for a family of 5.

The biggest room I've ever stayed in.

Not to mention the THREE POOLS and delicious food. dinner was amazing. Amazing local food and Italian food due to the Italian owners. What a great combo. Great relaxing place to stay, a little out of town. There are lots of hotels on the main road to the temples with coaches pulled up outside but our hotel a lot quieter and surrounded by rice paddies, farms and some houses.

New 33: new country - Malaysia

Tony at airport playing skylanders on iPad. I watched three movies during the day flight, heavenly. We flew AirAsia which was unbelievably cheap. Per Bought some meals which were yum I thought and had a relaxing flight. We were the minority group on the airline and in the  low cost kl airport but it was the smoothest fastest entry to a country ever. No arrival cards, no visas. Easy.

Here was dinner after checking into the Tune hotel, which is a couple of hundred metres from terminal due to our early flight the next morning,  a microwaved meal. Tastiest one I've ever had, wish they were as good at home!!

The room was tiny, but convenient place to stay over and comfy enough.

Arriving in Siem Reap. In KL and Siem Reap, things were very relaxed for an International airport, just walk down the stairs and onto the Tarmac.

Four parties in four days

I am absolutely exhausted. Four parties in four days. Man, I'm not built for this anymore. Thursday Night, Daycare party complete with disco and GELATO stand (included in price). I saw Jake get at least 3 icecreams. there were probably more.

 

Above is Friday night around 9.45pm when the kids started a little show for us at the Station St 5th annual Christmas party. The best yet!! although survival of Sat arvo was tough with the kids having woken up at 5.30am even after being to bed kinda late the two nights before.

 

Saturday was a bowling kids party and Sunday we finished off with Connah getting his eyebrows burnt at a pool party for a 6 year old. It was awesome. there was pizza for lunch, cake, lots of pool noodles and almost 30 degrees of beautiful Sydney weather. Oh, and we got to go to a new pool (last time we tried it was closed). this is actually our closest local pool and it's a cracker. we'll be back.

 

I think I need a holiday. Oh yeah, only 4 more sleeps till departure.

New 32 - New digital photography course

A digital photography course in the rocks. It was a 4 hour walking tour with Click.Walk.Learn Photography tour which I tried to talk myself out of (too busy, going away soon etc etc) but Connah pushed me to do it and boy am I glad I did. It was phenomenal.

 

I did a 6 week course about 8 years ago and I learnt way more in 4.5 hours than I ever did on a 6 week technical course. Practical, easy to understand, heaps of tips and heaps of reviewing of our photos and great notes. what's not to love, if you're in Sydney do one. Oh, and if you're not convinced it includes a stop for coffee and cake.

The photos above and below only came about through suggestions from Christine who led the course but even though she suggested the plants as a photo, we all took completely different views of them. Loads of fun. And my way of seeing the world in permanently altered, TV shots even look different.

Just in time for my holidays....hope I snap some good shots there.

Slowly slowly

 

Things are progressing slowly here but much research is going on and guess who has a new passport...Toby and I. Which is lucky since Toby, Nana and I are off to visit two new countries on Thursday. Whoo hooo. Didn't think I'd fit any new countries in this year but a couple of months ago, I was getting pretty tired at work and realised I'd only been having week holidays for the last 18 months and was getting pretty tired so decided to pop an extra holiday in.
Yay!!!

School banking

Definately the son of a banker. He's running the program! He knows way more than me. I'm actually the back up plan as Connah is taking the lead on this one. Certainly is a new experience doing school banking, you even enter them all in on the website after and put the each of the coins in different bags. Sadly school has started by then so Jake doesn't get to help with that bit.

No 31 - New swim centre

I have been meaning for some time to take the kids to a local swimming pool so when Sarah Potter suggested a catch up at Leichardt aquatic centre recently, I jumped at the chance.

It's not the closest to our house, probably around 30 min drive but it was fun to try a new pool out and Bianca took to the round floatie that belonged to Sarah's youngest, Freya. In fact she took to it so much we bought one and tried out a more local swim centre a week later.

 

Below is Hurstville Aquatic centre, complete with waterslide for an extra $2 a kid. Kids had a blast and best of all, wore themselves out so much they took themselves to bed that night. Hurstville Aquatic centre is not our closest pool, that is Bexley which we are yet to enter though we did try to go the day we went to Hurstville (which was 30 degrees) but it WAS CLOSED FROM 2PM on sunday cos it was officially still "winter" on the October Long weekend. Humph. We'll try again later.

Moral to story, swimming pools are cool and it is good to visit them.

Sculptures by the sea

I hadn't been to Sculptures By the Sea for a few years as the parking situation is usually a nightmare and last time I went I was underwhelmed by the sculptures. This year I'd seen some good looking sculptures and set off early one Sunday, to beat the crowd.

 

Unfortunately we ran into the Nippers crowd (below photo) hundreds and hundreds of them meaning NO PARKING. Anyway, dropped the kids off with Nana and set off to see a few of them (once I got back to the beach 25 minutes later after parking somewhere back near home).

 

Below see the mirrors which are dogs. The kids were quite taken.

Though this was my favourite that we saw, you could watch people surging upside down in it. Quite fun. we didn't make it all the way but got to see a few. Definitely not recommend on a Sunday morning though.

Hair fascinator

Melbourne Cup Day.
 Not something I normally really participate in of late. I used to do Melbourne Cup day lunch, back in the days before kids when I had more time. This year it was time to return. And once in, why not go all in? So I got in the spirit with a borrowed fascinator from Bronwyn. Who knew you could fit a fascinator in my hair?  A bit of fun.

How is it so?

Toby is off to school next year. They are having lunchbox day at pre school so he is going all out and wearing his uniform. And he is excited.i love watching his happy dance, captured below.

Fleet review

I'd kind of like to claim this as new as usually I wouldn't be bothered to take all the small folk out on a ferry on a Friday. In fact I never have taken then all on a ferry before but I did have Ukki to help. We took the ferry to Watson's Bay in the far end of the harbour which was a delightful way to see some of the 50 fleet/ navy boats on the harbour for the fleet review (celebrating 100 years of the Navy with boats from all over the world visiting and some fireworks we watched at the neighbour's on the Sat night).  

 

We weren't the only ones with the great idea and so the ferry was pretty packed and we bolted back onto a returning ferry with no queue rather than wait for another 45 minutes to come back. Worked out well as we ended up back at the Cliffe Café in Arncliffe a little over an hour after leaving Watson's bay with a run of perfect connections. Go Public Transport. And the harbour was looking spectacular. Lots of fun.

This is not new

Picnic dinner in the backyard. The boys set it up. Nice and colourful, everyone gets a towel was their thinking. Ukki (Grandpa in Finnish) was visiting though and Daylight savings has just started so our 5 am starts have moved to a much more respectable 6am. Yay!

It started with a snail - new no 30 park performance for the kids

It started when I saw this Blue Snail on the way to work the other day. He's kind of hidden from usual sight see - ers, being behind town hall in a place mainly frequented by us office workers buzzing to and from work. I wondered what he was about and where I could find more, if I could find more (I could there are 24 in Sydney CBD). They are part of Sydney's Art and About festival run by the City of Sydney council.

 

this year is a cracker, gotta love the snails in different colours all over town. I've found 14 of the 24.

Part of the festival was happening in Sydney Park (a 10 min drive from us). Called Spill, it is a performance by 4 dancers/acrobats in park equipment. Jake and Toby were completely captivated by their dancing and flips and twists. I'm claiming it as a win/ new thing as until this year, I'd look at such a thing but not get around to going. With my new can do, will do attitude though, I was there for the first performance I could get to.

 

Followed by a trip to see the Sydney Park snails.

And a bad case of helmet hair.