Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Angkor Wat is the "must-see" of Siem Reap.

Angkor Wat was built during the reign of Suryavarman II (1112-50) and at the peak of the Khmer Empire. The complex was built on 500 acres surrounded by a moat that is 650 feet wide. Amazing bas-reliefs depict great Hindu epics and apsara (celestial dancers). Kris especially appreciated the huge stone Vishnu, whose head was replaced with a Buddha head and is now also venerated by Buddhists.

Angkor Thom - Cambodia

Angkor Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Khmer Empire started in the early 9th century and at its peak was bounded by Vietnam (east), China (north), and Burma (west). The Khmer cult (“devaraja”) was founded on the belief that the Khmer kings were earthly incarnations of Shiva, Vishnu or the Buddha.

Angkor Thom (“Great City”) was the last Khmer Empire capital and was founded by King Jayavarman VII (1181-1215). It was surrounded by a defensive wall and moats.

Bayon was built on the site of a former Hindu temple in the late 12th century by Jayavarman VII and is famous for the serene stone faces and bas-reliefs.

Baphuon was an early Hindu temple built by Udayadityavarman II (1050-66) and is currently being restored.

Journeys Within B&B - Siem Reap Cambodia

We flew to Siem Reap and were picked up and taken to the Journeys Within B&B. In addition to having the cleanest pool I have ever seen, our room had every amenity including DVD player and free DVDs.

When the American owners arrived, there was a house on a dirt field similar to a photo I have taken of some adjacent land. It took an amazing amount of work to turn this property into a lush garden and fantastic accomodation.

Associated with the B&B is the Journeys Within Foundation that provides micro-credit and also works to improve water supplies and education. Many of the staff, who are gracious and competent, are involved with this Foundation in some way.

Tate Modern and Tate Britain

The Tate Modern has a wonderful Member's Room - perfect view of St Paul's Cathedral. However, Lucrecia and I did not enjoy the Gilbert and George exhibit at all. To save the day, we took the Tate Boat to the Tate Britain and did enjoy the Hogarth exhibit. What a contrast! (pictures courtesy of the Tate website).

AWC Day Trip to Longleat

It took a long time to get to Longleat, so our leader provided sandwiches and chips for us before we arrived so we did not have to "waste time" at Longleat eating lunch. We started with a guided tour of the fabulous Longleat house. Then another member and I took the safari boat, viewing an elderly chimp and sea lions (50 pence per bucket to feed them). There were a lot more activities for children. Then we got back on the coach and drove through the safari park to see giraffes, tigers, lions etc. Then it was a quick trip back to the shop (after learning about some bargains we had missed, some of us had to buy the 2006 Hudsons for £2 and some very nice costume jewelry at £5) before heading back to London.

Marrakech Day 3

We started our morning by walking to the Jardin Majorelle. This was a pleasant garden with many cacti.

We then entered the medina and walked round and round the souqs. Numerous children would insist on guiding us but only part way, and then be annoyed at the apparently insufficient tip Kris offered (although they always took it eventually). We exited and realized we were completely lost. A nice young man saw that we looked puzzled and got us started again in the right direction of the Djemma El-Fna (no tip requested). This time we kept the sun to the right (we might still be there had it been dark or a cloudy day) and finally made it to the square.

Using the Koutoubia Minaret as our landmark, we made it safely back to the hotel. Dinner consisted of olives, Moroccan wine (Carrie) and beer (Kris) in the beautiful Sofitel garden.

Marrakech Day 2

In the morning, we checked out the lobby / gardens of the Meridien and then walked to the Menara Gardens. The olive trees and Atlas mountains were pretty, but the reflecting pools needed a good cleaning (although there were jumping fish).


In the afternoon, Carrie checked out the hotel Hammam treatment and was thoroughly scrubbed and exfoliated. This was followed by an argan oil massage. Goats climb the argan trees to eat the berries (picture courtesy of Tamri website). Their manure contains the indigestible hard kernels that are collected by local women who, through a difficult process, extract the precious oil. Kris opted for a jasmine oil massage.

In the evening, we used the Lonely Planet guide to seek food in the Vieux Nouvelle (Gueliz). We ate a panini in a hip new restaurant, bought assorted baklava from the recommended patisserie and ate ice-cream for dessert at the recommend Olivers.

Marrakech Day 1

We woke up to a terrific view from our hotel balcony. The winter weather in Marrakech is perfect – sunny and warm during the day (70 DegF) and cool at night (50 DegF). We stayed in the touristy Hotel Andalous which is equidistant from Old Town (walled Medina), Menara Gardens, and New Town (Gueliz). Although the old town is a maze of tiny alleyways, our hotel was situated in an area of broad boulevards and gardens. Marrakech caters to the French and the grand boulevards reminded us of Paris.

After breakfast, we set off in the direction of the old City to visit the Cyber Park. The Cyber Park is a large garden of olive trees, orange trees and palms. This park was created about 300 years ago but is called Cyber Park because most of the major high-tech firms (e.g., Sony, Nokia) are current sponsors. Maroc Telecom provides wi-fi access in the modern building at the park entrance.

After visiting Cyber Park, we crossed the street to see the Ensemble Artisanal. This area was filled with a variety of Moroccan crafts shops with people actually working on their crafts. It was very interesting to see how many of the items were made.

In the afternoon, we hired a guide to show us the Old City. We started at the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa which was founded as a centre of Quaranic learning in the 14th century. By the 16th century, hundreds of students lived in 130 dorm rooms. The school closed for a variety of reasons in 1962. The architecture is ornate and incredibly beautiful. We then were taken to the Mnebhi Palace and Musee de Marrakech.

After a refreshing mint tea, we visited a variety of shops in the souqs – a maze of streets and shops in the medina. Our guide gave tips on what to look for when buying while the shop owners demonstrated their wares – wood boxes, leather shoes, fabrics and dyes, herbs, oils, wrought iron, etc.

We ended the tour at the Djemaa El-Fna or main square. After admiring the cobras, dancers, and other entertainment – we ate dinner high up on a terraced restaurant. We enjoyed our omelette (Kris) and lamb couscous (Carrie) and the sights below. We tossed scraps of egg and lamb to a begging cat waiting on the ledge. A beautiful end to a great day.

AWC Trip to St. Albans

We met at the West Hampstead Thameslink Train station and travelled only 22 minutes to the charming town of St. Albans. We were met by a Blue Badge guide for our day tour.

St Albans sits on the site of what was once the 3rd largest Roman City in the United Kingdom, Verulamium. We saw one mosaic floor but we need to return to spend time in the museum. The grounds are now a beautiful park.

People used to come to St Albans when on a pilgrimage. We walked through the Cathedral, viewed the Abbey Gatehouse (1365), and took pictures of the Clocktower as well as the "oldest continuously inhabited pub in the UK" named "Ye Olde Fighting Cocks".

The Wed / Sat St. Albans open air market and typical high street shops were not so special, but I loved the small and expensive boutiques. Also, the station area was questionable but there was frequent bus service between the town and the station. We had a lovely day and I look forward to bringing Kris back to see St. Albans.

Kew Riverside Has Snow Too

OK, so it is not quite as spectacular as Denver but this is a lot of snow for London!

Windy London - Fallen Tree and Winter Daffodils

It was very windy in London yesterday. Kris heard reports of gusts of up to 75 mph. That afternoon, I did hear an enormous crack. I looked out the window but could not see what tree had fallen. I was afraid to go out for fear of being blown away!

When Banjo and I went out for a walk this morning, this is what we found across the Thames path in front of our house.
I just had to return home to get my camera, much to Banjo's annoyance.


We continued to the Doggy Park where I admired the lovely daffodils, marvelling on how well they survived the wind relative to the giant tree I had just photographed. Banjo showed that he thought the daffodils were special too, in his own way.

Kew National Archives - Alcohol in Britain Exhibit

Since I practically live next door to the National Archives in Kew, I visit fairly often. I wish I had known about the free internet access when we had moved to Kew but my computer had not yet arrived or been set up. There is also a nice cafeteria and great shop. Last year, I enjoyed the free tour of how the National Archives operates, including the complicated system to request and then retrieve books and materials (similar to what is used by the British Library).

In addition to the Domesday book, there is always a somewhat "quirky" exhibit. This time it was on the love-hate relationship Britain has had with alcohol. It only took 30 minutes to see but it was fun.

AWC National Art Gallery & The Art Fund Card

I joined the AWC tour of the National Gallery Sainsbury Wing. As we walked from Embankment to the National Gallery, I enjoyed our guide's references to "King Elizabeth" and "Queen James" as he explained how the Duke of Buckingham acquired so much property. We all enjoyed the tour and dialogue (vs. straight lecture).

After getting our Tex Mex fix at the Texas Embassy, I returned alone to the National Gallery to finally see the Velazquez special exhibit and to test out my new Art Fund Card. I am happy to report that my card was honored and I was given 50% off of the regular exhibit price. The exhibit itself was very crowded and it was a bit difficult at times to get close to some paintings. But I enjoyed the exhibit and was grateful not to have missed it.

KCWC Royal Fashionista Michael Talboys

Michael Talboys talked about what it was like to design for Queen Elizabeth II, as an assistant to one of her two primary and of course British designers - Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies.

Michael described the challenges of matching the gowns to country flags and themes, not always knowing how hot or cold it might be, the compromises Queen Elizabeth made to perhaps celebrate a joyous occasion in one country while in personal mourning, the constant struggle to convince her to wear larger hats, and the practicalities of sewing little weights so that a dress NEVER blew upwards in public. And yes, Queen Elizabeth had a fabulous figure as a young woman: 5'4" tall -- 36" bust -- 22" waist!


Michael also introduced a woman who was involved in the embroidery of every major gown, regardless of the designer. She brought samples of her work and described how the work was done. She is not training anyone to follow in her footsteps but was scheduled to demonstrate her craft at Kensington Palace later that week.

Michael joined us later for lunch and graciously circulated between tables, so we all enjoyed those extra tidbits of gossip that are best reserved for more intimate groups.

AWC Hike - Idyllic Shere and Armed Robbery

Our AWC hiking group took the train to Gomshall and walked to idyllic Shere, where the movie Holiday was filmed. Our leader insisted we take a short stroll through the village because it was so peaceful and cute. As we rounded the corner, there were police cars and police tape blocking the road. Apparently, there had been an armed robbery of the Lloyds TSB just minutes before we arrived.

BBC reported that no shots were fired and no staff or customers were hurt. However, the robber himself may have been injured when he was struck by a vehicle while fleeing. He was described as a swarthy-looking white male, between 5ft 3in and 5ft 5in tall, and of slim build. He was wearing a dark blue coat and dark scarf, and carried a dark holdall.