Where is the timetable. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Walkthrough
Page 5 of 5
Let's stop a little on the capital of Corfu - Kerkyra. We have paid much less attention to this city than it is worth.
From the Potamaki Beach Hotel to Kerkyra can be reached by bus. Tickets can be bought from the driver or in markets. The driver is a little more expensive. The bus schedule hangs at the bus stop or is at the hotel reception. On the first day we went to Kerkyra by bus. Later they traveled by car.
On the narrow paths of Corfu, buses rush at a terrifying speed. When I was driving a rented car, I was always afraid of them.
The purpose of our trip was to visit the church of St. Spyridon. There are many stories and legends associated with this place. The relics of St. Spyridon are kept in this temple and amulets are distributed from pieces of his clothes. Anyone can venerate his relics.
The long presence of the Byzantines on the island left a big imprint on the architecture of Corfu.
Lots of columns. The architecture of the buildings is completely different from the architecture on the mainland.
There are many in Kerkyra interesting places, but as he said, we had no plans to visit them.
There are many small shops and shopping arcades on the streets of Kerkyra. There are a lot of leather goods for sale. In one of them I bought myself leather shoes, not cheap. When using them, I was not satisfied. If you want to buy something, bargain, the price can be significantly reduced.
We liked the dignity of the Greek sellers. No one imposes goods on you and does not try to sell you something. If you ask a question, they will answer.
Many of Corfu's houses have been significantly battered by time, and a fairly large number of buildings look completely abandoned.
There are long streets in Kerkyra, along the sidewalks of which, all along, there are small cafes.
Ahead is the bell tower on the church of St. Spyridon.
We approached the temple. It's always very crowded there.
I won't say it's very interesting, but it was worth a look. We did not ask for amulets, we are not so religious people, but we bought icons. There are many church-themed shops around the temple.
It is interesting to walk along the streets of Corfu, due to the fact that the houses are located close to each other, there is always a shadow between them. If the street is wide, then during the day it is quite hot there.
We got hungry, tried to find a cafe to our liking. Looked around, searched, but found nothing acceptable.
Just before leaving, we found a cafe not far from bus stop The tables were right on the street. Everything was delicious.
The old city in Corfu is not very big, it can be walked around in a day or two.
All the main life goes on a few central streets.
A beautiful bas-relief, but like the rest of Kerkyra, it needs repair.
Hanging on a shield bus timetable. Buses to this schedule are pretty cool.
A common transport in Corfu is a scooter. In the background, you can see rubber posts that should limit the parking of the bus from other cars. The Greeks spat on these columns. It seemed to me that they were deliberately trying to run into them. It is clear that some of them did not survive. I will talk about the peculiarities of driving in Greece later, but I will say now that one hundred traffic rules are clearly not written for the Greeks or they did not read them.
One day we arrived in Kerkyra by car, we needed to find out the ferry schedule.
Out of ignorance, we left the car for paid parking in the old port, and the ferries departed from the new one. I had to walk several kilometers to the ticket office where the schedule hung.
In the future, we drove directly to the port area, despite the fact that transit parking is prohibited there. And if you came to load on the ferry, then you can stand. But no one knows why we came there and no one paid attention to us. We did not abuse this and did not leave the machine for long.
From the port of Corfu, ferries go to many cities, you can swim to the mainland or, for example, to Italian city Bari.
With some difficulty we found the ticket office and the schedule. Ferries from Corfu to Igoumenitsa and back leave every hour and a half. But about this in another story about a trip to the monasteries of Meteora.
December 28, 2016 "Central suburban passenger company» solemnly congratulated 4 billionth passenger(report from 2006), which arrived at the Kazansky railway station from the Golutvin station.
More than one and a half million people use electric trains in the Moscow region every day, among which 100% are our readers. Especially for them, a selection of useful sites, applications and tips.
1. In the car you can expand your horizons
When you go by train, it may seem that there is nothing interesting near the railways near Moscow. But that's not the case at all. Curious places from the point of view of history and culture are hidden on every corner. There are audio tours for the routes of Moscow and St. Petersburg trains / The izi.travel application has free audio guides developed by experienced local historians. So far, excursions are available only for 14 routes (in the Moscow region):
Moscow - Golitsyno (Belarusian direction)
Moscow - Tula (Kursk direction)
Moscow - Ryazan (Kazan direction)
Moscow - Dmitrov (Savelovskoye direction)
Moscow - Peredelkino (Kiev direction)
Moscow - Kaluga (Kiev direction)
Moscow - Necklace (Paveletsky direction)
Moscow - Mozhaisk (Belarusian direction)
Moscow - Vladimir (Gorky direction)
Dmitrov - Dubna (Savelovskoe direction)
Lyubertsy - Shatura (Shatura)
Moscow - Sergiev Posad (Yaroslavl direction)
Moscow - Volokolamsk (Rizhskoe direction)
Moscow - Alexandrov (Yaroslavl direction)
You should search for them in the application according to the words "Talking Express". Some suburban trains already have Wi-Fi, but it's better to download the tour in advance for offline listening.
2. There are excursions on trains
In the summer of 2016, the CPPK began to conduct excursions to the Moscow region several times a month. Participants get to their destination in special carriages with soft seats or on the Manor Express train. During the trip, a guide works in the car.
The idea is just brilliant! No traffic jams, nobody gets sick, you can walk in the car. The cost of the tour, including the ticket, is, on average, from 500 to 1000 rubles.
4. Tickets for some trains are sold online.
On the website rzd.ru you can buy tickets for travel between the stations Moscow Yaroslavskaya, Mytishchi, Bolshevo, Losinoostrovskaya, Pushkino, as well as on some routes of the Republic of Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Voronezh and Tambov regions.
5. You can find out the train schedule for free by phone, in social networks and using the Telegram bot
Unfortunately, almost every day some trains are canceled or delayed. There are several ways to find out about schedule changes.
You can install a mobile application service SMS informing.
You can subscribe to one of the pages of the CPPK in social networks. And the passengers Kyiv direction can call on free phone 8-800-200-59-79 , name the station or dial its code to hear the departure time of the next three trains.
6. Electric trains are a cheap replacement for Aeroexpress
Aeroexpress is a very comfortable way to get to airports without traffic jams, but not the cheapest. An adult ticket costs 420 rubles, and a child ticket costs 130 rubles. If you like to save money, you have free time and do not have heavy luggage, then you can replace it with a regular train that leaves from the same station.
Domodedovo: there is an electric train that goes directly to the airport (123 rubles / 1 hour 6 minutes), but it rarely runs.
Several times an hour (from half past five in the morning until half past one at night) an electric train leaves for the Domodedovo station ( bus number 30(journey time - 35 minutes, interval - 15 minutes).
Vnukovo: by train to Tolstopaltsevo station ( 82 rubles/39 minutes), and then drive 25 minutes by bus 32/878.
Sheremetyevo: by train to Lobnya station ( 82 rubles/36 minutes) and from there by bus number 21.
Zhukovsky: by train to the Otdykh station ( 102 rubles/57 minutes), and then on route No. 6 or No. 2 (travel time - 20 minutes, interval - 30 minutes).
7. With a train ticket, you can go to the toilet at the station for free
For many years I have wondered how many people do not know about this opportunity and dutifully pay for what is included in the ticket price.
According to the Charter railway transport Russian Federation passengers, an hour before the trip, an hour after and during the trip (at stops) access to the toilet should be provided free of charge. If you have a train or electric train ticket, subscription or Transport Card with a check that confirms its validity, then you are not required to pay 20-30 rubles for entry.
Usually, cashiers are silent about this (rarely where an inconspicuous ad hangs) and if you give them a ticket instead of money, then an expression of incredible resentment and anger appears on their face. But they skip without a single word, so as not to attract the attention of other passengers to this event, who stand in line behind you and count out a trifle, because they do not know the laws.
8. Electric trains will save you if there are no train tickets
9. No need to pay to enter the platform if you are not going to go
To stand with a friend on the platform until his train arrives, you do not need to buy a ticket. It is necessary to ask at the box office for the “Seeing Card” and leave 100 rubles pledge. With this card, you can go through the turnstile to the platform and back within half an hour. You can return your 100 rubles within an hour.
10. Prizes are awarded for reporting incidents on trains and at stations.
On the site or in the application, you can leave applications for cases of violation of public order at stations and trains. 100 points are awarded for each application. According to rating of people's informants, the most active of them has already scored 12 thousand points. The site says that these points can be exchanged for prizes or discounts. But which ones are not specified.
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Sihanoukville - amazing city Cambodia, beach resort and just an atmospheric place. Due to its advantageous location, in this city for vacationers is available as beach holiday, and leisure- excursion trips to the sights not only of Sihanoukville, but of the entire kingdom of Cambodia. That is why the lion's share of tourists who come to Cambodia flock here. In this review, I want to talk about the sights around the resort that you can visit on your own by bike, taxi or with a tour.
How to get to the sights and some subtleties when buying excursions
There is no public transport in the city, only tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis and taxis. Tuk-tuks are literally on every corner, the cost of moving around the city is standard - 1-2 dollars, don't give more, you should agree on the cost to the sights right away, just don't forget to bargain. To feel more free, I recommend renting a bike or a car. This can be done at any hotel, guesthouse, restaurant, and even with the same taxi drivers. The average cost of renting a motorbike like Honda, Suzuki is 90-110 dollars per month, daily rent will cost you 5 dollars. Daily rent car - 20-50 dollars (depending on the car), monthly rent - from 150 to 550 dollars (Deu Tico and Tayota Land Cruiser, respectively). Bicycle rental is also common here, which is very popular among foreigners - after all, the resort is small and you can easily move around the center by bike. The cost of renting for 1 day is 1-2 dollars, you can rent it in the same place as a motorbike. If you rent a car for a day or two, then you can ask the landlord to be your driver and part-time guide - the locals know every corner of Sihanoukville.
You can easily get to all the sights of Sihanoukville on your own by bike, having previously studied the map and set up navigation on your smartphone (we didn’t have one and we easily managed with the help of one map, road signs and tips from local residents). Well, if you don’t want to go yourself, then a tuk-tuk or a taxi will help you. It will be uncomfortable to ride a tuk-tuk outside the city (for example, to a waterfall) - red dust, road noise, heat, small pebbles flying in the face. Most the best option in this case - take a taxi that will take you directly to your destination, wait and bring you back. Price tags are set on the spot with a taxi driver, but the approximate cost of a trip to the sights of Sihanoukville, which are located outside the city limits (Kbal Chhai waterfall and national park Ream), will be 25-30 dollars.
If you are a fan of traveling on your own, then you should know that the cost of 1 liter of gasoline is $1. In Sihanoukville, you can travel around everything on your own, except for the National Park - it’s better to buy an excursion on the spot or arrange with a guide who will show you the most beautiful corners of this place. Group tours in Sihanoukville you can buy only in the National Park, for all other nearby attractions you can negotiate with one of the local guides, because excursions are not sold.
As I wrote earlier, public transport not in the city, buses run only between cities. The buses are very different - both double-decker, and like our Ikarus, and sleeper basses (it's like econom-class train trains, bus only: double or single berths are fenced off from the aisle and from each other with a screen). The bus route depends on the carrier, of which there are about 6 in Cambodia. you can go on an excursion to Siem Reap on a sleeper bus, or you can in a regular minibus - it depends on which tour operator you buy the tour from (different tour operators work with different carriers). Of course, its comfort depends on the level of the bus. But even the oldest ones have primitive air conditioners, and the assistant driver distributes a bottle of water to all passengers (you can ask for an addition).
From Sihanoukville you can get to the most "tourist" and famous corners of Cambodia - Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and national parks (there are 7 of them in the kingdom), the village of Kampot and nearby islands. Transfer to the island (they are located nearby, the prices are identical) will cost you 25-35 dollars, but some travel agencies offer package excursion tours, which includes visiting several islands at once. We somehow witnessed such an excursion to the island to the notorious Russian businessman Sergei Polonsky.
Also on the beaches where there are piers (Victory Beach, Serendipity Beach, Hawaii Beach) you can negotiate with the boat captain on certain time to take you and pick you up from any of the islands. Such a pleasure will cost 20-30 dollars.
The village of Kampot, which is located in the neighboring province of Sihanoukville, is famous for its French colonial buildings, Bokor National Park, Tyk Chhu and Popokville waterfalls, cave temples pre-Angkor period, as well as the fishing village of Kep. Various tour operators can offer you an excursion to Kampot and a tour of all its attractions for 70-90 dollars. The tour, as a rule, is a one-day tour, you leave Sihanoukville early in the morning and return before midnight.
Siem Reap is famous, first of all, for the fact that Angkoro, the capital of the ancient Khmer state, is located in its vicinity. Also here are the majestic temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Preakhan, Nikpean, Tasom, the Rolows temple complex, the Banteay Srei temple, the Banteay Samre citadel, Phnom Kulen (national park, Mount Kulen, temple, jungle).
Phnom Penh - the capital of the kingdom, during the period of French colonization was the most beautiful city Asia and now it is not inferior in beauty to many Asian capitals. Must visit here National Museum, silver pagoda, Royal Palace, the central (main) and Russian markets, the village of artisans, ancient capital Oudong, Genocide Museum, Killing Fields, Independence Monument, Lotus Blooming Temple, Ounalom Temple, Wat Phnom. In Sihanoukville, literally at every step you can be offered excursions to all these and other places in Cambodia.
All these excursions can be both group and individual, you can also order only a transfer to the point you need, and buy an excursion on the spot. Excursions, depending on the saturation, can be one-, two-, and three-day with hotel accommodation and meals. Be sure to discuss all these subtleties with the seller. One day we almost got scammed. We went to a travel agency that offered excursions to Angkor at a price of $19.
We were embarrassed by such an unnatural low price, and after 5 minutes it turned out that this company only offers a one-way transfer to Angkor, and you need to buy an excursion on the spot and get back on your own. So be careful and careful. Normal prices are approximately the following: a one-day sightseeing tour in Pompen will cost 50-70 dollars, a small circle of Angkor - 60 dollars, a larger Angkor room (3 days and 2 nights) - 150 dollars, etc. The cost of many excursions may include lunches, water and other necessary things that a tourist may need. But, again, discuss this when buying an excursion.
Russian Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville, as I have written many times, is an attractive city for Russians. There are many not only Russian vacationers, but also Russians who organize their business, open hotels, and develop infrastructure. One of these companies, founded by our compatriots in 2002, is Snake House, which is located in the area of Hawaii and Victory Beach. It is a complex with a hotel and a mini-zoo, where different types of snakes live, a mini-crocodile farm, various birds and representatives of insects. Some terrariums are stylized as tables, and if you are not squeamish, you can dine in the company of creepers.
Bar-restaurant "Garage" is located on the beach of Hawaii (Victory Beach) in the complex "Oceania" - a long white three-story building that rents out apartments and floors. It is located, by the way, not far from the Snake house, if you drive down the road from this place, you can see this large white building.
To get to the "Garage", you need to drive to the territory of this complex. "Garage" just occupies one of the wings of this building and is notable for being a "biker" place. It is stylized exactly as a garage, inside there are expensive famous bikes (Harleys, Enfields, phantoms) as exhibits, there is also a scene with musical instruments, where jam sessions and all sorts of performances take place, and above the entrance hangs a “real true biker” on a Harley, in a leather jacket and grinders. The owners of this establishment arrange regular promotions and events.
Here you can get help not only in obtaining / purchasing / repairing a bike, but also any other help (consultation).
Wat Krom Temple, Wat Leo, St. Michael's Catholic Church
The road to all the sights of Sihanoukville always started the same way for us - from the Dolphin Junction (a large intersection near Victory Beach, in the middle of which there is a monument with two dolphins). If you climb 700 meters from it uphill along Ekareach Street, then reaching the intersection, where the road turns sharply to the right towards the bus station, you can get to the LHR gas station. It is located at the crossroads, from where you can get anywhere from Sihanoukville.
If you turn right near this gas station, then literally after 50 meters to another? on the side of the road, you can see a sign in Khmer and English, which translates as “Catholic? Temple of Sihanoukville. To get to this temple, you have to drive under this one? signboard?, and after 300 meters you will see a catholic? the parish is a large white building with a high roof, which makes the building look like an Indian wigwam.
To the left of it is a small siend, where the church's work schedule and announcements of ongoing events and promotions hang. There are several buildings on the territory of the Catholic church, the largest and richest of which is, of course, the church itself. The place where the parishioners gather and where the Khmer Catholics perform their religious rites, stands a little further than the temple and is slightly larger in area. Is this building equipped with two staff rooms and a stage? in crosses.
In addition, on the territory of the temple there is a small chapel, turned into a columbarium, where the remains of deceased Catholics are buried after burning. Their ashes are in cute burial urns, which, in turn, are arranged in neat rows on either side of the multi-colored image of Jesus? watercolor children. As far as I understand, the remains of not only Khmer Catholics are buried here, but also people of other nationalities who professed Catholicism and died in Sihanoukville. The very territory of the temple is located on a large observation deck, from which? visible waters of the Gulf of Thailand, acting? port of Sihanoukville founded? by the French in 1955, nearby islands, as well as several piers. On the territory of the temple, in addition to the house-palace of the priest, the prayer building and the chapel, there are several more, not so conspicuous, houses of Khmer Catholics with beautiful and picturesque squares near each of them, made in the Japanese style.
This church was built in 1960 by the French Catholic priest Agadoberi together with the Khmer architect Vann Molyvann. As can be seen from the name of the church, it was built in honor of St. Michael, the patron saint of seafarers, and therefore marine motifs were very well reflected in the architecture of the building. As conceived by the architect, the church is a ship, and the roof is a sail. The interior decoration is quite austere, there is no place for excessive pomp and rich decorations, there are no benches, there is only a small altar, a crucifix, modest paintings on the walls and flowers.
It is quite spacious and on Sundays the entire Catholic flock of the city of Sihanoukville gathers here. This church is one of 2 religious buildings that survived after the rule of the Khmer Rouge in 1975-1979. (at that time, religion was outlawed and 71 out of 73 churches and temples were destroyed). During this "bloody" period for Cambodia, the Church of St. Michael was used as a prison or barn, and it was reopened only in 1993 with the help of the UN organization.
On Mount Sihanoukville, from where a wonderful panorama of the city opens, there are two Buddhist temples - Wat Leo and Wat Kraom.
Wat Leu is located on the very high point This mountain is called the Upper Pagoda.
This weather was built in honor of Prince Chourn Nath - the Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia, whose merits include the struggle for the preservation of the Khmer language, nationality and culture. He is also the author of the Cambodian anthem, as well as one of the authors of the explanatory Khmer dictionary. His contribution to the development of the country is truly enormous. In one of the buildings of the pagoda (we were not allowed into this building, it is closed) there is a boat, which is an annual participant in the Royal Races in Phnom Penh, which take place during the Return of the Waters holiday. Wandering doctors, healers and gurus often stop here as well. I would like to note that Wat Leo is a functioning monastery where Cambodian monks live, study and learn the secrets of being.
Our path first lay in Wat Leo along highway No. 4 to Phnom Penh, along which we drove 8 km to the Cambodia brewery, turned right near the Wat Leu sign. After this turn, you should drive for about 1 km and you will run into the “back” entrance of the Wat Leo temple. There we left our bike and went for a walk around the territory of the temple, which occupies about 20 hectares.
Surprisingly, on the territory of this temple complex there is a small village where the most ordinary Cambodians live. In the mini-village there is a golden Buddha statue. Having bypassed it, a long staircase appeared before us, which leads to the territory of the temple complex. The staircase is decorated with two five-headed cobras, whose bodies played the role of a railing.
There is a wonderful view from the stairs.
The main temple is located in the middle of this temple area and it is very difficult not to notice it.
We got there just at the moment when the temple was under reconstruction - internal work, "cosmetic repairs" were being actively carried out. We really liked these pictures on the walls.
And this, directly, the altar itself.
At the exit of their temple, you can see portraits of the Dalai Lama and Chourn Nath.
This is the view from the terrace of the temple.
And these buildings are classrooms where monks study.
And this is the monastic "teacher's room".
Very beautiful flowering tree and composition around it. It can be seen how weighty large pink flowers hang from the tree, which exude a fragrant pleasant aroma.
On the territory of the temple there is such a nice artificial lake. In it, by the way, monkeys love to swim.
View of Sihanoukville.
On the right side, you can see a one-story building where monks study. A little further - a small building, to which a ladder leads. Climbing up it and coming closer to the door, we saw an inscription that says that this is a "Fund for helping children whose parents died of HIV and AIDS." Here on the terrace offers a fantastic view of Sihanoukville.
This temple is notable for its ambiguous architecture: Buddhist and Hindu styles are wonderfully intertwined here.
Wat Krom is located at the bottom of the mountain, between the beaches of Independence and Victory and is called the Lower Pagoda.
Like Wat Leo, Wat Krom is also a functioning monastery, although it is dedicated to the goddess Ya-Mao (“black woman”), with whom many legends and myths are associated, and the Khmers have a whole cult dedicated to her. By local legends, Ya-Mao is a 19th-century woman from Kampong Som whose husband was a sailor who went to Hong Kong. She waited for him for a year and decided to go after him, equipped the ship, but a storm overtook her and she drowned, but her spirit remained alive. Since then, she has become a deity for all taxi drivers, sailors and other professions whose trade is connected with the road. That is why here all tuk-tukers, sailors and taxi drivers, before starting the journey, ask Ya-Mao for blessings and present her with phallic-shaped gifts - bananas, incense sticks. And on Route 4, near Pitch Nil, there is a chapel dedicated to her. All the inhabitants of Sihanoukville want to appease Ya-Mao, since she is considered the cause of many troubles and misfortunes (accidents, illnesses, etc.), but, naturally, men fall out of favor (because of a negligent husband, in fact, she died ).
For local residents, this temple plays a big role - Buddhist festivities are held here, and high-ranking officials and important people of Sihanoukville are buried here. When we found an apartment and settled in it, we did not know that this temple was located nearby, but at the onset of the first Buddhist holiday, we felt all the delights of such a “neighborhood”.
It is located near our "Dolphin Junction" opposite the "5 men" bar. The area of the temple is small, on the territory there is the temple itself, a sculpture garden, an observation deck, various buildings in which the monks are trained, and the dwellings of the monks themselves.
The cemetery I wrote about above is chaotic here. This means that the "graves" and monuments are arranged in random order and you can understand whether this is a monument or just a sculpture by the presence of inscriptions on the tombstones.
Sculptures and headstones.
We did not ignore such sculptures. The fact is that they very much reminded us of characters from Indian mythology (here you can see the prototypes of the god Shiva, Ganesh, Durga on their fighting animals).
Ream National Park
Ream National Park, also known as Pre Sihanouk National Park - favorite place recreation not only for tourists, but also for local residents. It was founded in 1993 and is one of the 7 national parks kingdom of Cambodia. It is located 18 km from Sihanoukville.
The territory of this park covers 200 sq. km and there are 2 islands, the mouth of the Prek Tuk Sap river, mango forests, jungle, wild beaches and underwater reefs. You can buy a tour of this wonderful place, you can ask for the help of a guide right on the spot, or you can enjoy the beauties of this reserved place on your own.
Do not forget that they charge money for transport here. The fare is as follows: motorbike - 2,000 riels (0.5 dollars), car - 8,000 riels (2 dollars), bus or minibus - 10,000 riels (2.5 dollars). Here you can offer 2 types of excursions - water and foot.
The cost of a walking tour with a guide is 5-10 dollars (the price will depend on the route you choose). However, the most popular boat trips along the Prek Tuk Sap River, along both banks of which you can see mangroves and pile houses of local fishermen.
The cost of this type of excursion will depend on the duration and the chosen route. For example, a 2-hour boat trip to observation deck, where the Mount of Worship is located, will cost 30 dollars, to the island of Koh Runk (it is very beautiful nature: two waterfalls, jungle), Koh Runk Samloem (a paradise for divers), Koh Trang (there is a freshwater lake and medicinal thermal springs) - 25 dollars, and an 8-hour trip to the island of Koh Ses will cost you 70 dollars.
We drove to Ream National Park from our wonderful LHR gas station (which, by the way, is the cheapest in Cambodia). We refueled a full tank - 3 liters - and drove along highway No. 4 towards the airport (you can see it on the map). Drive approximately 18 km in a straight line without turning.
On the way, you will see the familiar Cambodia brewery, near which there is a turn to the Wat Leu temple, we drove to the airport (you can’t help but notice it) and saw the blue sign “National Park Ream” with an arrow pointing forward. We went there, but first we decided to go around the park and see if there were other entrances besides the main one. To tell the truth, we liked this detour and the beauties that opened from it even more than the park itself. I have never seen so much greenery as here, although our trip to the park fell on the driest period of the season, I can imagine how the vegetation rages during the rainy season.
To the right one could see huge green mountains, to the left - plains, on which one could sometimes see the shacks of local residents. After driving 10 kilometers, we arrived at a beach called Ream beach.
Here they were like deserts quiet places and places full of local shakes. In one of these shakes, we were offered a trip to any of the islands (except for private ones) for $ 25 - we are picked up in the morning, driven to the island and then picked up at the agreed time. We really liked the idea and we decided that we would certainly take advantage of this chance, especially since the price, compared to the price offered by any tour operator, is almost two times lower. Few people know about this beach, and there are no people here at all, only locals lounging lazily in hammocks, drinking coconut juice while waiting for crowds of tourists.
For the sake of curiosity, we went into one guesthouse (in truth, he was really alone there), which was located right on the shore of Ream beach and asked about the cost of housing. The cost of a room for 2 people for 1 night is 20 USD. By and large, this is very good price: quiet, own kitchen, security and right outside the threshold - the sea. I repeat, while this part of Sihanoukville is very quiet, there are practically no guesthouses, no hotels, and the fishing village called Koh Kchang is quite small (the houses of the local natives are randomly scattered along the coast), but the land here is being sold at a rapid pace. I think it will be very crowded here soon.
Looking at this part National Park Ream, we drove back and noticed several "side" entrances, one of which we entered. The jungle with rich vegetation is a very beautiful and rich place. Of course, we, having been savvy with information in advance, decided to inspect and study everything on our own. Unfortunately, there is active deforestation here, there are a lot of paths. Be sure that you will not regret this journey: huge trees, bizarre lianas, guarded and almost invisible animals (maybe we saw a wild boar, maybe a wild dog, or maybe even a bat).
About 200 species of birds live in the protected area, many of which are listed in the Red Book, and rare dolphins lead in Tonle Sap Lake, which is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and provides most of the population of Cambodia with fish and fresh water. Of course, there are a lot of monkeys here, who are already accustomed to tourists and are not at all afraid of them. The “control shot” for us was the Mount of Worship, from where a magnificent panorama of the entire park opens.
As a national treasure, Kbal Chhai Falls first became known since 1963, when the Khmer Rouge established their main camp-type base there. Until that time, he (together with the lake) supplied the Sihanoukville reservoir with water, which provided the needs of Sihanoukville in fresh water? water. Since 1998, has developed as a tourist? private attraction? companies? Kok An Company, which created a small tourist infrastructure there: parking lots, walkways, a crossing, ladders, retail outlets and parking. A little later, the "national treasure" was returned to the state authorities of the kingdom. Currently plays a role as a source of drinking? fresh? water for the city of Sihanoukville, and tourist attraction and places for recreation.
Is there another way to get out of there? road, which after 3 km, a fairly steep descent will take you to the intersection with the upper? old? Sihanoukville? expensive? If you turn right on it, then after 2-3 km you will reach the LHR gas station - our starting point.
There we were guided by the greens? a sign that showed us 2 directions: Victory Beach and Phnom Penh. To get to the beaches, you need to turn left, and if you want to get to the Kbal Chhai waterfall?, then you need to go right towards Phnom Penh, right on the sign. After driving 11 kilometers, on the right side you will see a stone stele, on which? it is written in Khmer and English that this road leads to the Kbal Chhai waterfall.
In the middle of the road, right on the road, there is a blue wooden chicken house, improvised checkpoint, in which two young Khmer sit and demand a fee to visit the waterfall. But, we were informationally savvy, and I have never seen information that visiting the waterfall is paid, besides, we did not have a penny of money. Turning out our pockets, defiantly showing that we have nothing, we drove on.
Having passed this "checkpoint", almost immediately you will find yourself at the lake with incredibly blue water. fresh? water?, the end and edge of which is invisible. If you turn left behind this lake and drive along the valley coast, you can find a secluded place for contemplating the miraculous? and untouched? nature.
There are also many creeks and swamps.
After driving another 4 km and soaking through the red? dust, we ran into a parking lot in front of a waterfall.
By the way, this parking lot has local fast food (quite exotic for us - shellfish, chicken paws, etc.).
leave yours there vehicle and walk along the wooden bridge to the waterfall itself for about 100 meters.
Kbal Chhai Waterfall is a confluence of two rivers that form several picturesque cascades that merge into a lake.
From one? On the sides, this lake has huge boulders, a kind of natural stone dam, consisting of several rapids. We counted four "floors" at this threshold: the two upper ones, not very high in height, are platforms with a difference? about 2-3 meters in height, through which water flows in several gentle streams, between which, sitting on one of the boulders, you can arrange to cover a beautiful “glade” with food, which, in fact, is what some of the visitors do? waterfall Kbal Chhai?.
The lower floors of the waterfall are 20-30 meters below the upper ones. Getting there on slippery stones is quite dangerous, but if you still decide to go down there, you won’t regret it, an amazing sight will open before you: a small stone plateau where you can sunbathe, and a grotto in the rock, the entrance to which? hidden by falling from the big one? heights with streams of water, having bathed in which fatigue from the road is like a hand? will remove.
On the plateau itself, you can find beautiful place for sunbathing. On the uppermost "floors" there are specially equipped places for recreation, which are? wooden sheds with ass mats and hammocks, and a large number of sheds selling souvenirs, water, blinders and food? any? - all sorts?.
Like how we visited the Kbal Chhai waterfall not in best time- the height of the season, when everything "dries up", then in full beauty we didn't get him. To do this, you need to go here in August-September, when the munmun (rainy season) ends and the waterfall literally overflows with seething streams of water.
As a conclusion, I may repeat: Sihanoukville is a great place for lovers of a varied type of holiday.
Here you can soak up one of the beaches (according to your taste, you can choose both an equipped, expensive, private paid beach, and a “wild” beach with bounty palms), go for a day to relax in the cool waters of the Kbal Chhai waterfall, and if you want something something new and unknown - you have a direct road to Ream National Park or to one of the islands, of which there are plenty. If you want to join the local culture, go to one of the temples and learn more about the life of the monks, chat with them, they will surely tell you a lot of interesting details about local shrines. not wallpaper
Mark Semenovich Efetov
The train is coming
Vitya was going to travel by train for the first time. He was very afraid of being late. That is why Vitya and his father came to the station before the other passengers.
First of all, they went to the big board with the train schedule and checked what time their train left.
In the first room, where the schedule hangs, there are many small windows. These are cash registers. Tickets are sold here.
Vitya's father handed the cashier money, and Vitya heard something clapping outside the window: "clap-clap." After that, they were given two tickets: one - for Vitya's father and the other - for children - for Vitya. A composter was clapping at the box office - an iron dog that bites through the train number on the ticket and the date when this train leaves.
Having received the tickets, Vitya and his father went to another room. There were many passengers, porters, pedlars. After all, thousands of people come here every day and every night, who then have to go further. They are called transit passengers. They have to transfer from one train to another. So it happens in the city: you ride one tram, and then transfer to another. But the tram needs to wait only a few minutes, and the train - several hours, and sometimes the whole day. All this time transit passengers live at the station.
Previously, before the revolution, there were three classes of halls for passengers at the station: landowners and manufacturers sat in easy chairs in the first class hall, those who were poorer sat on hard benches in the second class hall, and the poorest sat right on the floor in the third class hall.
Now at the station all the halls and rooms are the same: beautiful, bright. The best room was given to the children. It's called "children's room".
And there are more than a hundred different rooms at the big station.
On the way from the ticket office to the train, Vitya and his father passed by a bookstand, a restaurant where the passengers dined, a children's room where the children of the passengers played. They also passed by the storage room, where passengers' belongings are stored.
Vitya and his father walked past the ticket inspector, who was checking tickets and letting passengers onto the platform.
The train goes straight to the platform. The station attendant keeps order on the platform, listens to what they tell him by phone, gives orders and checks by the hour so that each railway worker does his job on time. The voice of the attendant through a large horn is heard throughout the station.
When Vitya and his father approached the car, a loud voice of the duty officer rang out from the horn:
Attention! The train leaves in five minutes...
All the passengers heard these words and hurried to the train - from the restaurant, from the hairdresser, from the children's room, from the storage room ...
Vitya and his father approached the carriage. Here they were met by a guide. They gave him their tickets and went into the car. Before the train departed, the conductor asked the mourners to leave the car, and he himself stood on the platform.
The attendant raised his hand high with a folded flag. It means: "You can go." But still, it is not he who gives the command to the driver, but the chief conductor. The inspectors and the oiler had already reported to him that everything was in good order. The chief looked along the train - all the passengers were in the cars, all the conductors were in their places. And after that he whistled: “You can touch it.”
After the whistle of the chief conductor, the driver set the car in motion and pulled the handle of the horn: “I’m coming!”
Huge wheels slowly turned: the locomotive moved a long train from its place. Now the locomotive is breathing more and more often: “Walk, go, go, go.” And the wheels began to speak: “Run, run, run.”
The driver looks out the window of the locomotive - checks to see if the path is clear. The assistant takes care of the car. The stoker breaks large pieces of coal, and then throws them into the furnace. And the firebox of a steam locomotive is so large that a passenger car could easily fit in it.
throughout railway installed special signals - traffic lights. They show the driver the way with colored eyes. They say: is it possible to drive, how to drive - fast or slow, where to stop. Along the way there are more posts indicating where the turn or rise begins, how many kilometers we have driven from one station and how much more to go to another.
The driver must be very careful all the time.
The train is on the right track. And towards - on the left path - there are other trains.
When the trains meet, the driver gives a horn, as if greeting an oncoming train: "Hello!"
The passenger train, in which Vitya was traveling, was also buzzed by oncoming trains in response.