In The Mood For Love epilogue
by: Dennis Ng
China
Hong Kong
Dec. 21 - Dec. 23, 2012
Thailand
Bangkok
Dec. 23 - Dec. 23, 2012
Vietnam
Contents: 3
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City Dec. 23 - Dec. 25, 2012
Cambodia
Vietnam
7
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Phnon Penh/Siem Reap
Dec. 25 - Dec. 30, 2012
Thailand
27
Bangkok
Bangkok
Dec. 30, 2012 - Jan. 1, 2013
China
31
Hong Kong
Jan. 1 - Jan. 4, 2013
Singapore Singapore
Japan Tokyo
Jan. 7 - Jan. 14, 2013
Thailand China
Hong Kong 37
Singapore Singapore
Jan. 4 - Jan. 6, 2013
45
Japan Tokyo
T T
he first time I encountered Angkor Wat was from the movie “In The Mood For Love”. At the end of the movie, the main character, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), walked up to one of many temples and whispered his deepest secret into a hole in a temple wall and then he filled it with dirt. That was what he had been told to do if he had something that he could not share with others. The whole scene stayed in my mind for a long time. I was wondering what his secret was. The movie did not reveal his secret at the end. I knew that I would like to visit Angkor Wat one day. A few years of collecting air miles and saving money, I finally got my trip all planned. After stopping over in Hong Kong for a couple of days where I visited a few old frineds, I started my South Asia adventure in Hoi Chi Minh City, Vietnam. My first impression was that everything in the city looked very basic, no modern architecture, no luxury boutiques — not like in Hong Kong. I checked into my hotel and got a good night sleep. The next day was the Christmas Eve. We toured around in Hoi Chi Minh City. At night-time there were thousands of people riding their bicycles and motorcycles. They were circling around the main square in the city to celebrate Christmas. The whole event did not seem like it had anything to do with religion. People just wanted to have good time for one special day. On Christmas day, we headed over to Cambodia where we arrived in Phnom Penh. The city was not much different from Hoi Chi Minh City, but it had less traffic. People here seem much friendlier in a good way. Cambodian food was so delicious. It mixed the local style with Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese. Cambodia was one of those unfortunate countries which got destroyed by one person with an evil ambition — Pol Pot. It was in the 70’s. He massacred thousands and thousands of his own countrymen. We visited one of many concentration camps and a killing field. It was a sad day for me to see all these places. Today, Cambodians are still picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild their lifes and their country. The next morning, our tour group drove up to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. As I was getting closer and closer to the main gate, my heart was full of excitement and pounding like crazy. The whole site was huge. Individual temples were everywhere with different styles and designs from different kingdoms. Many of them were connected and walls were decorated with beautiful relief. Artwork was depicting different events from different periods throughout the kingdoms. All of the kings are long gone. Nature was starting to take back the site. Trees were growing on the tops of buildings. Root systems were breaking through stone walls. I could not find the same temple, where Chow Mo-wan left his secret, because there were hundreds of holes in the walls. They might be part of the structure. People might have used these holes to help transport these big stones. So I simply found one nearby and left my own deepest secret. I instantly felt peace and release. After we said goodbye to Cambodia, we crossed the border to Thailand and headed to Bangkok. Bangkok was a more developed city with paved highways, big bridges and skyscrapers everywhere. I visited a few temples and saw the famous reclining buddha. I wanted to understand why all these Buddha statues had similar mysterious smiles. It was New Year’s Eve. I did not go out to celebrate because I had to catch my flight back to Hong Kong at 3 in the morning. Finally my dream of Angkor Wat was completed. I had a very good time and I experienced different cultures. Many faces I would not forget. Plus, I believe I had left the same secret as Chow Mo-wan at the Angkor Wat.
1
2
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City 3
Downtown Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City
Border between Vietnam and Camobia
4
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City 5
Mekong Delta
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City Mekong Delta
6
Cambodia – Phnom Penh 7
Royal Palace
Cambodia – Phnom Penh Tutu Ride
8
Cambodia – Phnom Penh 9
Concentration Camp
Cambodia – Phnom Penh
Torture Room
10
Cambodia – Phnom Penh 11
Deep Fried Tarantulas
Cambodia – Siem Reap Tea Farm
12
Cambodia – Siem Reap 13
Angkor Wat Main Gate
Cambodia – Siem Reap Inside Angkor Wat
14
Cambodia – Siem Reap 15
Cambodia Traditional Dance
Cambodia – Siem Reap Root On Top A Temple
16
Cambodia – Siem Reap 17
Angelia Jolie Temple
Cambodia – Siem Reap Smiling Buddhas
18
Cambodia – Siem Reap 19
Fortune Teller
Cambodia – Siem Reap Monks Inside Angkor Wat
20
Cambodia – Siem Reap 21
Inside Angkor Wat
Cambodia – Siem Reap
Girl Outside Angkor Wat Main Gate
22
Cambodia – Siem Reap 23
Angkor Wat’s Sunrise
Cambodia – Siem Reap Angkor Wat’s Sunset
24
25
26
Thailand – Bangkok 27
Wat Pho Temple
Thailand – Bangkok Wat Pho Temple
28
29
30
China – Hong Kong 31
View From The Peak
China – Hong Kong
Star Ferry
32
China – Hong Kong 33
Tian Tan Buddha
China – Hong Kong
Wishing Boards By Tian Tan Buddha
34
China – Hong Kong 35
Lippo Twin Towers
China – Hong Kong
Hong Kong Botanical Gardens
36
Singapore – Singapore 37
Marina Bay Sands
Singapore – Singapore
City Center
38
39
Singapore – Singapore Singapore Museum
Singapore – Singapore Boat Tour
40
Singapore – Singapore 41
Central Distract Sculpture
Singapore – Singapore National Orchid Garden
42
43
44
Japan – Tokyo 45
Downtown View From City Hall Building
Japan – Tokyo
Shibuya Crossing
46
Japan – Tokyo 47
Earthquake Memorial Temple
Japan – Tokyo
Tokyo Imperial Palace
48
Japan – Tokyo 49
Meiji-Jingu
Japan – Tokyo
Meiji-Jingu
50
Japan – Tokyo 51
Kaminarimon
Japan – Tokyo
Kaminarimon
52
Japan – Mount Fuji 53
Cultural Village
Japan – Mount Fuji Outside Ice Cave
54
Japan – Mount Fuji 55
Five Lakes
Japan – Tokyo
Narita Airport
56
57
58