Just got the last of my film developed (yes, developed :-) ) from Thailand/Cambodia.  This roll was b&w of Angkor.  I’ve posted the ones I liked.

On the camera front, some news:  I’ve just ordered my very first digital camera, a Fuji V10. 

This means I’m officially retiring my trusty 8 year old film point & shoot.  I’ll still be using my film SLR… but I suspect that once Nikon’s digital SLRs, like the D200, come down to a reasonable price (AKA not $1600) I will probably be swayed. 

The practicialities of digital are hard to deny…  Not carrying around a 10 lb SLR w/ a bag of film.  Preview capabilities.  Photoshop-ness.   

That being said, I still love the clarity, color, and crispness (I sound like I’m describing diamonds) of film prints.  I just finished my vacation scrapbook, and thumbing through it, you can tell which photos were film and which were digital prints… 

In Bangkok airport again, on our way to Ko Samui and some quality beach time.

The Angkor ruins were magnificient — truly amazing. I took something like 6 rolls of film.

The low-light of Angkor Wat? A flat bike tire about 2 miles away from help. :-)

Just got my black and white film developed…. 

The children running through wasn’t intentional… but ended up really liking the symmetry of these two shots

The above door is a close up of the following entrance. 

My favorite temple was Ta Phrom.

We got there at about 7:15am (by bike!). The place was entirely ours: there were (maybe) 6 other people there and it was cool (in contrast to the afternoon’s humid/sticky/unbearable afternoon heat).

Unlike the other temples, restoration efforts did not remove the trees that had grown in and around the ruins. The result was a sensation of stumbling upon an ancient temple in desolation while walking through the jungle.

The “Tomb Raider” tree.

Phnom Bakheng is one of the recommended sunset sites.  As such, we were definitely not alone:

You could see Angkor Wat in the distance.

We biked past Angkor Thom, famous for its “smiling faces.”

Checking mail in the Bangkok airport.  Waiting for our flight to Siem Reap.

The keyboard here are just crazy.  I feel bad for the little kids trying to learn to type… let alone spell.

This temple was beautiful…. The wat just shimmered with gold.

    

There were no flights out of Chiang Mai today…  So we’re staying an extra day.  :-)

Heading up to the mountain temple Dui Suthep in a bit (highly recommended by fellow travelers as well as my friend Liane).  Tomorrow, we catch an EARLY morning flight out to Siem Reap, Cambodia via Bangkok.  We’ll have 2 days to wander around Angkor Wat before we fly down to Ko Samui and the beaches!

Very excited about Angkor Wat.  As one travel poster advertized:  “Angkor Wat: Where you interface with God!”

Tomorrow, I start my 2+ week vacation in Thailand!  (Well, at least the long airplane ride portion of it….)

We’ll land in Bangkok approximately 2 hours before the new year.  The current plan includes a trek leaving from Chaing Mai, jot over to Angor Wat, and some major beach time down south.  But we’re not sticking to a schedule – so we’ll see where the trip takes us!

A few helpful facts about Thailand:

1. Timezone: GMT/UTC +7   (AKA: 15 hours ahead of PST)
2. Currency:  1 USD = 41.0754 THB 
3. Religion:  95% Buddhist, 4% Muslim
4. Weather:  High 90F, Low 73F (Saturday in Bangkok)