angkor wat

I have come to the magnificent and ancient temple of Angkor Wat and the lost city of Angkor which now lies in ruins. I had read about this city and this ancient civilisation that was so powerful and advanced that it ruled over most of Southeast Asia; countries now known as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. The city was built for King Suryavarman II in early 1200 as the state temple and capital city and was populated by as many as 750 000 people. Angkor Wat was to be a symbol of the Khmer empires' immense power and wealth. In the 12th century the Khmer architects had become particularly skilled and confident with sandstone, so much so that Angkor Wat has been compared to the architecture of ancient Greece or Rome.

I visited this UNESCO world heritage site at sunrise to get the full benefit of the building breaking into the daylight. The sheer size of this complex is really quite difficult to comprehend before you visit as is the actual number of temples, all of which are unique and surprising. The skilled stonework is still evident to this day; carved faces, various animals and murals, some are huge and some are small and intricate but all are equally impressive. The Bayon temple complex was particularly interesting as it is made up of 54 stone towers and on each tower there are four huge faces carved into the stone. Its incredibly intimidating, even now when all the walls are collapsing. I cannot imagine how these buildings must have looked in their heyday. One of my favourite temples was one which lies in ruins and is almost hidden in the trees. Over time the trees have taken over the temple and become intertwined with the stonework, almost becoming one.

Below: The steps were scarily steep

Below: Some examples of the intricate stone carvings

living afloat

What a lovely day i have just had in Bangkok. I decided to escape the hectic city centre and visit the floating market which was full of cheerful Thai women serving up lots of delicious fresh food.

I then hopped on a boat for a trip down the river and observed the population of Bangkok who live and work on the water. The houses are interesting and range from rudimentary to elaborately decorated structures, and although it seemed there was only basic infrastructure and is most probably a difficult way of life for these people, i enjoyed the terraces hanging over the water, the hammocks hanging from the trees and the children playing in the river. It was a refreshing to see a different side of this manic city.

Below: A wee bit worrying when your driving is getting stuck into the beer though!

melbourne Vs sydney

Visit Melbourne first, you love it more. Visit Sydney first, you love it more. The two cities lie approx.850km apart, which in Australian terms is not far, and have enjoyed a (mostly) friendly rivalry ever since they were first conceived.

Today, Sydney has a population of 4.4million, is the largest in city Australia and is seen as the finance and media capital whereas Melbourne is trailing slightly with a population of 4 million and is seen as the arts, cultural and sports capital of Australia. Both cities continue to march side by side in terms of population however Sydney does remain the leading tourist destination.

For me it is about the cities as destinations rather than thinking about population or growth. On paper i am definitely a Melbourne girl, i love the arts and so gravitate to cities or settlements that seem to be nurturing the arts, have interesting buildings, theatres and of course a young, independent and creative population. I think Melbourne is this city. However, unfortunately as things worked out, i was only there for a few weeks and so i did not experience living and working in this city.

In practice i became a Sydney girl. This may have something do with the fact that whilst in Sydney, besides the fact my sister lives there, i lived and worked on a tall ship in Sydney harbour, a dream job for any backpacker. This job definitely shaped my view and my experience in Sydney. I see it as a city with two main sides to it; firstly there is the beach life where everyone has a suntan and enjoys the laid back way of life it provides; secondly it has its cbd which props up Australia's finance and media sectors. Together this creates a glossy city with monied inhabitants who have many a beach on which to pose at the weekend! I hope this doesn't sound too harsh because i loved my time there, i really did come to love Sydney (although HATED the suburbs).... who doesn't love the beach. And also, that harbour is a fantastic asset for a city; with the massive and imposing harbour bridge, the iconic opera house and then the many bays and islands which makeup the rest of the harbour. On the weekend the waters are so busy with yachts, its fantastic.

So for me, i don't feel like i can choose because i didn't spend the same amount of time in each city. But as they say, you have to chose one or the other and most people that i have had this conversation with have not spent the same amount of time in both cities, they just go with gut feeling. So anyway, i suppose the very fact that i still haven't chosen Sydney as a favourite despite spending so long in it means that i prefer Melbourne. Or perhaps I'm just not as cultural as i thought, perhaps i love the idea of Melbourne and nurturing the artist in me however in real life i fell for the glossy glamour of the beach in Sydney mixed with my historic, rustic and beautiful danish tall ship. The debate continues.......

Below: Federation Square in Melbourne is just one of the cities modern buildings

Below: Melbourne Street Art

Below: Melbourne is renowned for its creative inhabitants and is always hosting new arts festivals

Below: The wonderful beach huts on Brighton Beach, Melbourne

Below: The unforettable Sydney harbour

Below: Sydney CBD

...... and of course Bondi, reported to be the most photographed beach in the world

northampton, WA

I felt that this little town deserved a mention. You really don't come across many charming towns in Australia, infact by coming here i am constantly reminded of how spoilt us Europeans are; i think we often take our beautiful towns and cities forgranted. Anyway, it was lovely to stumble across this village, a real gem.