If you are not sure where to go skiing next year…here is a thought, why not go to Colorado USA. Vast expanses of ski areas, huge amounts of powder each year…these are just some of the things you might expect while skiing in Colorado. It was my second time in Vail and I must say, that there is no better place for skiing (so far ). And did I mention that the snow in Colorado is so much different from the snow here in Europe. “There is no substitute for altitude!”

Taking off at Frankfurt

Greenland

Forests of Colorado (Breckenridge in the background)

Vail

At 3970m, Breckenridge

After one month of “summer” in southeast Asia, I was on my way to Verbier, Switzerland. I arrived in Ljubljana on 18th of December and on the 20th I was already on my way to Verbier. It was quite a change from tropical forests to glaciers and snow. I’ve also packed all my photo material from Asia, so I was able to edit it in my free time. I spend 14 days skiing with my family and friends in Verbier and it was great.

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometers, sharing an 800 kilometer border with Thailand in the north and west, a 541 kilometer (336 mi) border with Laos in the northeast, and a 1,228 kilometer border with Vietnam in the east and southeast. It has 443 kilometers of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand.

The most distinctive geographical feature is the lacustrine plain, formed by the inundations of the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), measuring about 2,590 square kilometers during the dry season and expanding to about 24,605 square kilometers during the rainy season. This densely populated plain, which is devoted to wet rice cultivation, is the heartland of Cambodia. Much of this area has been designated as a biosphere reserve.

Cambodia’s temperatures range from 21° to 35°C and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can raise up to 40 °C around April.

…near Kampot…

…”rabbit island” also known as Koh Tonsay…

…Koh Tonsay…

…national park near Sihanoukville…

…beach near Sihanoukville… 
…channels near Batambang…

BOKOR NATIONAL PARK

Bokor hill station was built by the French in the 1920s to be used as a retreat from the heat of the plains, a pre-air conditionning strategy familiar in all of Asia. You can see ruins of  Church, and Bokor Palace Hotel and Casino. There are some warnings that there are still some mines so it is best to stay on tracks and not wander around too much. On our way down we walked through jungle for about 3 hours to get down, it was really cool

…Church…

…Casino entrance…

…Casino from the front side…

…take the other stairs…
…road to Bokor hill station…

…amazing jungle at Bokor…

…fantastic landscape (Bokor)…

…perfect lighting in the jungle (Bokor)…