Cambodia and the Angkor Wat

We flew into Seoul, Korea and then took Korean Airlines down to Siem Reap.  In Korea, there was no  need to clear customs or immigration.  You can go right to the transit area and through security, where your luggage is re checked and then into the main airport.  They are very strict in security and will even take nail clippers.  The airport is very modern and looks a bit like a shopping mall.  The transfer desk is above area B on the top floor, where we were checked in for our trip from SEL to REP.  They gave us a seat right there.  Beer and wine were free on the airplane, and a meal was served.  We arrived late, close to midnight, in the evening.  The airport is very small with a stair case off the airplane. The visa process in Cambodia is fairly easy, you just need to get 1 picture (passport) before you leave for your trip.  On the airplane they will give you an application to fill out for the visa, along with an immigration form and a customs form.  You get into line and they take your application and the picture your brought with you and $20.  After about 5 minutes, your visa will be in your passport.  There were enough people working the visa line to make the process go quickly.  It seemed even the Koreans and other countries had to get the visa done when they arrive.  There really seems no need to have to do it before you go.  I think everyone on the plane had the visa processed upon arrival.   You then go onto the  immigration and customs process.

We took a taxi right from the taxi stand inside the airport.  It was $7 to the hotel.  A booked taxi van from the hotel, was priced at $70 round trip.  I don't know if this was a mistake on the hotel's part or if this is really what they charge, but it is the price I received in an email.  We just booked the taxi right at the airport, upon arrival, with no problems, even at midnight, like in any big city.  The taxi driver offered to give you a tour for the whole day, and it seems that everyone is out for some sort of business.  We decided to be on the safe side and asked the hotel for the tour.  We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel, which was a four star luxury hotel, by Cambodian standards.  The tour booked by the hotel, will charge $18, for setting up the tour, another $18 to the taxi driver, round trip and $20 per person for each entrance to the Angkor Wat, and any other tourist attraction, in the tour circuit.  The taxi driver will stay with you the whole day as you do your tour.  You can buy up to a week pass, but there is no savings in buying a longer pass.  You may want to see, day by day, what you want to do so you don't over purchase the passes.  Decide if you want a tour guide with you, as we did have a tour guide the first day, arranged by the hotel, for the Angkor Wat tour but decided to just hire the tuk tuk for the second day tour without a guide, which was just fine also.  You will find that there are many "guides" (security guards, locals etc.) who hang outside the area, trying to get business as a guide.  The Angkor Wat is a 2 day tour in itself, but we saw the main temples in 1 day.  It would have taken about 3 days to see the whole area.  It is said to be about the size of Manhattan, with temples spread out.  It is necessary to wear sunscreen and better to carry an umbrella not only for the rain showers that are frequent, but also to protect you from the sun.  Lots of water should be taken with you, as well as sunscreen.  Humidity levels are high and so is the temperature.  The main attraction is this ruin and due to the fact it was built on a swamp, only brings the humidity levels higher.  If it is raining, your shoes will get muddy on the unpaved roads so bring old shoes that you can get dirty.  They take you for lunch, which came to about $10 a person, (out of your own pocket) in a local restaurant near the ruins. A lot of beggars, children and adults are in the area.  Not aggressive, but nonetheless, they are there.  The people are very modest and humble.   The town of Siem Reap is a small town, no so much a big city, still in the process of being built to handle the tourist crowd, since the end of the Khmer Rouge.   A lot of poverty still exists and can be seen along the roads where ever you go.

The next day we took a tuk tuk without a guide to Banteay Srei, which is a much smaller temple, about a 1 hour ride from the city.  The temple was found in 1914, having been built 1000 years before.  The details of the temple walls are much more preserved, but will take you only about 1/2 hour to see the whole thing.  The drive will give you at least a feel for the country side in Cambodia and the modest lifestyle of the Cambodian people.

Day Trip From Saint Marteen to Saint Barts (St. Martten to St Barts)

There are a few choices for a ferry from St. Marteen to St. Barts.  Some people prefer to fly, and the trip is about 15 minutes by plane. There are a couple airlines doing the trip, and from what I have found, it is necessary to book the flight directly and cannot be combined with a major carrier as a through flight.  This may vary depending on the major airline.  Check your airline to see if you can book a through flight.  This is a matter of choice, as the ferry ride over can be very rough.  Regardless of how calm the water seems, the waters can be very choppy once you leave the bay area.  If you choose to take the ferry, it is best to take a sea sickness pill before departure.  Sick bags, paper towels and soft drinks are provided on board, free of charge.  Ok, past the bad part, the ride is really quite nice once you get past the waves.  The trip takes about 30 minutes.  (I left from Oyster Bay)  The fare for the ride is about 25 euros each way.  If you pay cash, you can pay in US dollars, but if you use a credit card, they will charge you in Euros.  Don't forget your passport, as it will be checked when you purchase your ticket.  This was a bit of a hassle at the Oyster Bay as the line is long, and it seems that only about 2 people work the ticket counter for the large number of people that are taking the ferry over.  The boat only runs  once in the morning, from St Marteen, and then once in the evening for the return.  You will need to show up about 45 minutes prior to the departure time to buy tickets and have your passport checked.  Once on board and coming into the St. Barts port, you will arrive in the small downtown area.  This is decorated with many of the best stores, such as Cartier, Hermes, Channel among the best.  Your passport is checked when getting off the boat and then if you want to rent a car, take a taxi or rent a moped, there is a group of people representing various agencies that will meet the boat.  If you just want to walk around town for awhile, you can just simply cross the street and walk through the shops.  Many areas for lunch are open and have inviting menus.  The closest beach, which is about 10 minutes walking from the port is Shell Beach.  A cute little beach, with a nice size restaurant and bar, called Do Brasil, on the beach.  I was told it was a bit expensive, and beach chairs start at $20, without an umbrella.  Feel free to simply put down a blanket and enjoy this quiet beach.  I took a stroll around the downtown after a swim on the beach and then took a taxi to another beach.  Taxi rides are expensive,  so decide if you want to rent a car or moped, rather than spending money on the taxi ride around.  A trip from the waterfront to a nearby beach, just behind the airport was $25 each way, for about a 10 minute ride.  The second beach I went to was at the Eden Roc hotel, a small but famous hotel, just off the very small airport on the island.  Famous for the number of celebrities that use the hotel, lunch was off the charts expensive, with a salad, soup and a bottle of Evian water costing $70 with tip.  The beach was quite nice but the side closer to the airport was quieter, as the other side has a loud bar and seems to attract more of a party crowd.  I took the ferry home late in the day.  If you are worried about public facilities, don't worry.  There is a public restroom, right on the waterfront, where the boats pull in, just beside the parking lot, across from the supermarket, and right behind the liquor store.  It is a little hard to find, but has bathrooms, and showers, which are clean and convenient.  Remember to bring plenty of suntan lotion.  Consider renting a home for longer stays, which seem to be reasonable, especially in the lower season.  

Trip to Prague and Budapest

March 16, 2013

Left for Miami Airport after David and Kenny’s party, but after getting business class on the airplane to London, the plane broke and we had to get off and get another plane.  After re-boarding, we were told that they needed our seats and I was unable to secure a jump seat.  We left for home 1:30 am and spent the night back in Kendall.  As I told Robert, we should have taken the Lufthansa flight that day, earlier.  

March 17, 2013

After losing a day of vacation, we decided to take the Lufthansa flight from Miami to Frankfurt and connect in FRA to Prague.  We easily secured seats on the new A380, a beautiful new airplane it seats around 500 people.  I cant wait for the chance to fly first class on this machine.  The coach compartment was divided throughout the whole airplane, and was separated in sections by curtains.  This made the coach flying experience a litter easier, as though the seats were cramped together, the cabin itself, felt quite comfortable.  There are two staircases, and one was located in the back of the plane, with a gate that guards the business class section from the lower class.  Dinner was not unlike American Airlines, and I got talking to a German woman who asked me the difference between the American Airlines food and Lufthansa.  I told her it was the same, but she said it was better on LH??? For me it was the exact same meal.  

March 18, 2013

Arrival in Frankfurt was nice and we just missed a connecting flight to Prague by a few minutes due to the fact that the Lufthansa flight was lat leaving Miami due to snow in Frankfurt the night before.  We stood by for the next flight which was full and did’t get on that either.  This is the last time that I try to travel in the spring, that is for sure. We decided on lunch in the airport, and wound up at a Pan Asian restaurant.  It was some of the freshest and most delicious Asian food I have ever had.  We tried the starter sampler, and then ordered a big bowl of fried rice.  Excellent food!.  We were finally able to get on a later flight that left about 4pm, so another day of vacation lost in travel.  Oh, well.  Arrival in Prague was easy, in a small airport.  We quickly found our way out of the airport, through doorway C, and to bus 119, which takes you right into the city subway station they let you know in english went to get off.  Because the bus was right there we simply jumped on, thinking that we could buy a ticket onboard.  It turns out that you are supposed to buy a ticket before hand and stamp it on the bus, but since no one asked and we arrived at the subway with no fanfare, we made out without paying.  I would not suggest trying this, since I imagine if someone had come around to check, the fact that we were foreign would have not been an excuse to get away with it.  The subway system was very easy to sue and well marked.  We found our way to our hotel which was on the Flora subway stop. A Marriott Courtyard, which was right across the street from a shopping mall, complete with a food court with McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken, among other varieties of food items.  The hotel was well located and was convenient for us to get around town.  The lobby was cute, standard Marriott, and the hotel was also located right across from a beautiful cemetery, which in the night, had been covered by snow.  It was so beautiful to see all the old headstones and the trees covered in snow, and was reminiscent of a post card picture.  

March 19, 2013

We shopped for groceries the night before in the shopping mall across the street from the hotel, and purchased yogurt, bread and some cold cuts and cheese, since the Marriott Courtyard breakfast was not included in the price of the room.  (10-14 euros).  After eating we set out to find a tour of the city, of course by hop on hop off bus.  We made our way to the Town Square, by subway, and found ourselves in a beautiful old world square there is a tourist information center right in the town square making it much easy, full of tourists, vendors and the Astronomical clock, so famous in Prague.  The clock chimes on the house and large crowds gather to watch the whimsical site.  Watch out for pickpockets.  It is not so hard to find a tour in the area, as you will find 3 or 4 different tour companies, each holding a large colored umbrella, with the name or their tour company, written on the side. (The hop on hop off bus company is a red umbrella.)  I prefer to use the Hop On Hop Off bus tour on all my vacations, since I have had a good experience with them on all my travels.  This was no exception.  .  The tour was about $27 and that was including a tour of the “Prague Castle with a tour guide.  The tour starts with a 20 minute walk through the town square, with an explanation of the sites and history.  Very informative, and English is easily spoken by the guides.  (If not, it seems, all the people of the city.)  The bus tour stops in all the major sites, but we opted to stay on the bus until we reached the castle for our extra tour.  This is a site to be seen.  A church built right inside the walls of the castle.  We took a very well narrated tour of the castle with a guide, and then got back on the bus after a delicious and rich coffee at a cafe right at the bus stop.  Our next stop, the famous bridge.  The hop on hop off bus does not stop exactly at the bridge, but about 1/4 mile away form it.  This stop is also down the street from the restaurant, xxxx, where Albert Einstein used to have coffee.  We decided to eat lunch in there, since it was a recommended restaurant on our guide book.  I had fish, and mashed potatoes, with carrots, in an orange juice sauce.  WONDERFUL!  Roberto had the beef with cranberry in a cream sauce with dumplings, a Czchek favorite, which was also good. Beer is a must here in the Czech Republic and a tall glass is very inexpensive.   After a nice dessert of black current sorbet, we went to walk to the famous bridge with statues all along to the big tower on gathic staly that use to be the entrance of the fortify wall surrounding the city.  This is a most beautiful site, and the pictures and post cards, can do no justice to the beauty of this city.  Thankfully it was not destroyed in WWII.  The funny part is, that amongst all this architecture, can be seen the left overs, of the communist system.  Every once in awhile, you can see a set or row of buildings that were obviously communist projects.  Uninspiring, and cold rows of square apartments, meant to house the masses, with courtyards, in between.  These days, the people have painted them in various colors, to liven them up.  We arrived late at the hotel, and ate at a nearby restaurant, called XXX.  Fantastic food also.  I had grilled lamb shank, with a pea and potato mash, while Roberto had Chicken, grilled with a risotto rice in cheese and served with Kale.  Dessert was blueberry cheesecake for me and Tiramisu for Roberto.  Another wonderful meal.  I can sure say that I have had a number of very good meals here while on vacation.  

March 20, 2013

Our day today started with breakfast at McDonalds at the mall across the street.  Our old standby.  We had a plate of scrambled eggs, two sausage patties, and an English muffin.  There is no actual egg Mcmuffin , here , as in the United States.  Coffee was good and hot.  (Actually, the italians have a lot of influence of over the coffee here in the Czeck Republic.)  We took a train to the nearby town of Kutna Hora.  There are a lot of day trips that you can take out of Prague, and this was chosen due to the proximity, about 1 hour by train from the city.  Using the trains in Check Republic has a little learning curve, and we had to change trains in a city called Kolin.  We were told to wait on the wrong platform, and boarded the wrong train, at the guidance of the conductor.  Only after asking someone on the train, were we told we were on the train going back to Prague.  We jumped off and watched the other train for our destination pulling away.  The next train was coming in an hour and a half, so we used the time to check out the city.  There was a lovely church and and small square in the center, just about t5 minutes walking from the train station.  We strolled back to the train station and took the next train on to Kutna Hora.  Upon arrival, you can take a bus from the train station to the main center of the historical town.  About 20 krowne for the fare.  Watch for the stop as the bus drivers seem to think that the people in the bus know exactly where they are going, and didn’t announce the stop until the bus had been sitting at the stop for a few minutes and he chased everyone off.  The gothic style church is so beautiful on a hill looking down the river and the hall town a site to see the town have around 7 churches  It remind me of the inspiration for the sleeping beauty story somehow.  We went through the old town, quaint shoppes, and restaurants, some of which were closed, due to the season and had lunch in a small cafe, recommended by Fodor’s travel guide. It was so hot inside that restaurant, and I couldn’t wait to eat and get out.  The food was good, chicken with roast o fried potatoes for both of us.  A little more walking around the town and back on the train to the city.  While I thought that the church was beautiful and was glad to have been able to see such a beautiful site, I think that I would have preferred to go to the city of XXX which was a recommended side trip in Frommer’s guide book.  This however, would have meant a longer trip and the guide book also recommends that you stay overnight in order to get all the views in.  The round trip was reasonable at about $8 per person you can buy a round trip at the ticket center if you wish, plus the bus fare.  Upon arrival in the city we decided to eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken, just to make dinner a bit easier.  It tastes nothing like the US, probably to bend to the local tastes.  Not bad, but not the real thing either.  We took an early night to bed, since we had to get up in the morning to pack and leave Prague, by train to Hungary.  

March 21, 2013.  Up in the morning and breakfast in the room with some more yogurt, cheese and meats with bread.  Off to the train station and we purchase first class tickets for our journey which included free coffee and a small bottle of water, to avoid the previous mistakes of past.  2nd class tickets usually find you in a cabin, hot and stuffy, with other people and if you are really unlucky, as we have been, with someone who has not taken a shower in a week.  Worth the extra few dollars, to be in a quiet area.  There is a pretty uniformed attendant on board, who brings free coffee, waster, soda etc anytime you wish, and seats are comfortable, and spacious as opposed to the cramped cabin of 2nd class.  There is a beautiful dining car in the mid section of the train, which I will be going to soon, for lunch.  It is so beautiful to watch the changing scenery, and see the various castles on the hill, churches and small but picturesque homes as the mountains pass by.  Soon we shall be passing through Slovakia, the former partner of the Czchek Republic.  As I travel, and look out the window, I am reminded of how beautiful this county is.  I am so glad I took time to come here.  

Arrival at the hotel.  We are staying at the Boscolo Hotel, by Marriott in Budapest, from The Autograph Collection.  This is the most amazing hotel I have ever been in.  We are in room 219 and have both a balcony in our bathroom and a huge balcony in our room.  This overlooks the main street below.  The restaurant, the New York, is famous for being one of the most beautiful coffee houses in the world.  This hotel is amazing and a must for a hotel if you are in the area.  The front of the hotel is beautiful and the room is even more spectacular.  We were upgraded to a superior room.  Upon entering the room there is a  foyer, with a desk, then a small room with a closet, the bathroom is huge with double sinks, all in marble, and the bedroom is round, with a huge walk in closet.  I am very impressed.

March 22, 2013

Up early in the morning and off to our old standby McDonalds for breakfast.  Interesting that they do not have hash browns here, but french fries, this early in the morning.  I skipped it for a McMuffin and a great cup of coffee.  We purchased tickets for the hop on hop off bus.  For about $25 USD you get two bus lines, and a 1 hour boat ride down the Danube river.  The tour takes about 2 hours, on the main “RED” line, and about 1 hour on the “YELLOW” line.  The boat tour takes about 1 hour.  It is necessary to plan the tour carefully.  The yellow line runs on limited hours and we found it better to complete the red line tour, followed by the boat tour at the end.  We then decided to do the yellow bus tour the next day.  The other thing to know is that the boat tour is subject to the tides and will not operate when the tide comes in.  We were the last boat tour given that day, and the people that were waiting when we came in were told that the boat would not go out again.  Best to do this part of the tour early in the morning.  The city sites are spectacular, and the tour covers most of the great sites.  A recommended walk, is to go through the castle district.  Another thing to remember is that the busses end the tour about 5pm, so make sure you are back on the bus by then or you will be forced to find your own public transport back to your starting point.  Around 5 pm, we were in the area of the Rudas Baths. These are beautiful Turkish baths, and although for both men and women, you must make sure what day of the week you are going, since women are admitted only on certain days of the week.  You are given a watch type device which you wear on your wrist, which is your computer operated key to get into your assigned cabin to change.  You leave your clothes in the cabin, put on a small piece of cloth, which you tie around your back, about the size of a table mat, and go into the baths.  There are separate steam room areas, with varying temperature, and massage areas.  This is the most beautiful of the baths that I have been in, and is very relaxing.  I would highly recommend this bathhouse to anyone traveling to the area.  

March 23, 2013

/we took the yellow line tour today, which completes the 2 days ticket.  The yellow line takes you past more of the beautiful sites of the city.  The yellow line runs a little more infrequently than the red line and covers a shorter area.  The highlight of this part of the tour, was an in depth tour of the Castle district, which was worth the time we took to walk around.  After 5pm, we went over to the Gelert Baths.  These baths are located inside a beautiful turn of the century hotel.  This is a mixed men and women bathhouse at all times.  The interior is beautiful art nu decor, with an outside pool, as well as inside.  

March 24, 2013.  

Today we took a side trip to a city outside of Budapest called Szentendre, which was about an hour of town.  This involves taking a tram to the train station, and then catching a city train to the city, followed by a bus ride into town.  The city is a small artist community, with cute boutique stores and little restaurants.  We enjoyed a wonder meal of Hungarian Goulash at a restaurant called Muvesz Cafe, which I highly recommend.  We then spent the rest of the afternoon touring the small town and boutiques.  Our trip home took place about 4pm, and we then went to the last of the baths that we planned on seeing on our tour called the Hilary Baths.  These baths are also Turkish and also co-ed on all days.  They are similar in the interior to the Rudas Baths. 

March 25, 2013

We were able to take the train to the airport.  The important thing to remember is that there are 3 train stations in Budapest, and this one is accessible by the tram service in the city.  The train ride takes about 30 minutes from the city and then it is necessary to take a bus, just outside the train stop to the airport.