Cambodia

The joys of the chilly weather were unfortunately very short-lasting and here we are, back to the terrible summer heat - more unbearable here in the concrete-jungle of the city... I have had my days of such high-temperatures while being by the lake or the sea, and everything just feels so different...but except for a lousy river, not much else can save us here....

So let's see what have we got for today...

First we go to Cambodia....I know it is one of those really rare countries, but I have received quite a few from there...but I don't know why I haven't posted any since 2010...I really make some poor choices sometimes (and regarding postcards, another one will follow somewhere below...)

This super-super cool card arrived from my amiga Zarah showing a Khmer family of 5, riding a moto through the jungle...
Ok, this doesn't really look like a jungle to me, but then on the other hand, I've never been to one, so who am I to be playing an expert here :)

The moto is the most common mode of transport in Cambodia, and if 5 people seems like over the limit, Zarah says she has seen 8....I am trying to imagine how they have been all positioned...but I can't :)

the stamp is from a set of 5 issued in 2009, commemorating the 1st Anniversary of the Establishment of the Temple of Preah Vihear on the UNESCO World Heritage.

Hmm, ok, something to put on my to-visit list when one day I visit Cambodia :D

btw, note the cool 12.12.12 cancellation ;-)

muchas gracias amiga!! I know you've been busy, but hope you are doing fine! :)

Cambodia

Well, here is a nice start of the day....though it's 1pm...but being that i got up like an hour ago, and still having my coffee, it is yet a start of the day for me indeed...ive never been a morning person....esp. not on weekends...

Oh yeah, another map card :))) A fantastic one, from the faraway Cambodia! And from what I can see, at each place that is shown on this card, you can see the typical housings or what people do for living (fishing, crops, rice etc...) On the very right you can see 3 people, which according to me (meaning I dont guarantee it's right) are dressed in some traditional Cambodian clothing...and a few elephants walking around, and from what I read, this is supposed to be The Indian Elephant is the main type of Asian elephant found in Cambodia.
The famous Angkor Wat is on the very left top part....

When I once was mailing an envelope to Cambodia, the postal clerk who was working there, first stared at it for a bit, and then in a victorious but yet uncertain way said "Canada!"....I guess she was hoping to figure out whats written on the envelope without seeming as if she was clueless (and to make it clear, my handwriting may get sloppy in letters or the text on the cards but when it comes to addresses i always write them as clearly as possible in order to avoid misplacement or missending of mail). Anyway, there was another postal clerk who came and put on her glasses and then they BOTH stared at the letter trying to decipher it, me just standing there, sort of laughing, but refusing to solve their riddle...I am mean, I know, but I really have fun with clueless postal clerks....and eventually the second lady who came, said, 'ooohh Cambodia'....yeeeeyy!! she got it!
I still can bet they werent sure if they knew where that exactly was...I wonder what would happen if I hand them in an envelope going to Guernsey and Alderney or Akrotiri and Dhekelia for example....that would be an alarming state...even though they both are in Europe...

Id love to dedicate this post to my dear Zarah, whose delicious coffee im having right now, and thank her for it once again, and thank her for being there for me when ive been having those 'nervous breakdowns' during the tennis matches :)

The stamp is from a set of 7 definitives issued in 1998, dedicated to archaeology.

Happiness of the Girl with Fruit, Cambodia

A lovely card i received from my dear Zarah (who btw I hope is watching Indian Wells :))

The card is simply named as the title says "Happiness of the Girl with the Fruit".
Her smile feels so warm and genuine...while she is rowing this boat by herself which i HIGHLY doubt is an easy thing to do....moreover coz as Zarah says, underneath the brown water there are creatures to make you squirm. But she seems to have no fear and she is doing what she does with such an ease...I honestly really admire her and wish i was like her. I wonder how old she is...seems like only in her teen years to me...

And lest not forget, the fruit she has on the boat feels delicious and I would just LOVE to try it all!

The bigger stamp on top is from 2005 from a set of 5 stamps showing the Khmer Culture and this one shows the very famous Angkor Wat...the other one is a definitive issued in 2001 (from a set of 7) simply called Cambodia.
Thank You Zarah, as always!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Morning everyone!! And its a real morning indeed...about 8:30 am at the time of writing this! And it might not be a big deal...i have been awake at this hour other times as well..but not days and days in row...at least not in the past years. But im telling you, my holiday had had a great effect upon me, and this waking up early actually comes from there...in general, i would go back to the same old habits once im home but for some reason, i keep waking up at an early hour even in Skopje (which ranges between 6 and 9am!!!).
And you know what....i feel good about it! Im not in the, oh God please let me sleep for 5 more minutes!!! Im amazing myself sometimes, really. I know when many people go on holiday they actually go there to rest and get enough sleep, but personally i love getting up early and going to the beach, instead sleeping till noon, and going to the beach at 3pm...plus due to a number of schedules i had to get up early, once even at 5:30am, but oh, it was all so worthy!
And yeah...back to the postcard....sorry for usurping the space with something else...as usual :)

I got this lovely surprise from my dear Zarah, who is not just my postcard buddy, but also my Rafael Nadal-supporter buddy :D :D :D I honestly love discussing tennis with her, esp when Nadal plays and while the match is on, she and i just ramble about it, get overjoyed or get frustrated....its just fun to have someone to share it all with  :))
Oh yeah...back to the postcard :)
I think the water brings some great summer-holiday motifs....it may not be a sea or ocean, but it still seems lovely. And this is actually a floating village in Siem Reap! Hmmm...i dont know if i had seen a floating village before....im trying to figure out how it would be to live in one, and what are the daily struggles these people need to go through....
Siem Reap is a province located on the shores of the Tonlé Sap Lake in northwestern Cambodia. In Cambodian, Tonlé Sap means "Large Fresh Water River," but is more commonly translated as "Great Lake". It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as UNESCO biosphere in 1997. Well, to avoid some confusion that might arise...UNESCO whs and UNESCO biosphere protected areas are two different things, so i cant label this one as UNESCO, since its simply not on the whs list....in case you wondered :)  or i can do it??

Anyway,Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: 1) its flow changes direction twice a year, and 2) the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons.
For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season  however, the Tonlé Sap river, which connects the lake with the Mekong river, reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a perfect breeding ground for fish.
Hmm, pretty unusual, but very interesting as well nevertheless...

and here comes the stamp...its not my first written and stamped Cambodian card, but it feels like a real treasure to have written and stamped cards from there!
the bad thing....except that it was issued in 1998, i couldnt find info about this...not even in a number of philatelic blogs i had searched...so your input is more than welcome on this one. Thanks in advance!

And thank you Zarah...both for the card and for the Nadal companionship :P

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

If i keep getting new countries at this pace, im gonna reach 100 in a blink of an eye!  And country no. 93 is reserved for no one else but Cambodia! Just amazing!

And apart from being a new, and according to some objective rating, a hard-to-get-country, it is also a UNESCO site...and it looks magnificent!  The sender says that she had been there many times so far, but each time she goes, she feels amazed.  No wonder...who wouldnt be at a site like this!

Angkor Wat is the main attraction of the  Angkor complex  whose hape is depicted on the Cambodian flag. It was built by king Suryavarman II (1113-1150) in the beginning of the 12^th century, and its construction lasted 37 years.  Angkor Wat (the name means 'The Pagoda of the City') was a funerary monument, which explains its orientation to the west in contrast to the sanctuaries dedicated to the deities, which are oriented to the east.
The temple was build according Brahman techniques to represent the entire universe. The central tower represents the sacred mount Sumeru, situated at the centre of the universe. The 5 towers make the symbolism consistent with the 5 peaks of mount Sumeru. The outer wall represents the end of the world and the surrounding moat represents the surrounding ocean.
If time permits, one should visit Angkor wat at least twice, once in the morning to admire the bas-reliefs when the light is bright and clear and once in the evening when the towers become increasingly golden as the sun sets at the horizon. Sometimes, in the twilight, bats leave the monument in large numbers, presenting the spectator with a spectacular view as if columns of smoke rise and are dispersed in the wind.

Thank You Zarah sooo much for this amazing contribution to my collection!!!