The early morning light refreshes the ancient walls of the Angkor Wat giving it a life and stature admired for ages by visitors and held in high esteem by the Cambodians.

The short flight of steps lead to another corridor of the vast Angkor Wat. There are many entrances and exits, so it's best to stick close to your guide.

Two elderly women relax and chat in the ruins of the Angkor Wat.

Motor-cycle servicing and repairs is still a very viable trade given the fact that public transport is almost absent and the ubiquitous two-wheeler holds sway.

This is not an illusion or a colour-cast in the photograph. On that 5-hour journey to Siem Reap, everything and everything was covered in laterite dust. There is no respite from it.

The thousands of land-mine victims in Cambodia remind us of the harsh realities and atrocities of war. Here, the man has taken his fate in his stride (pun not intended) and plods on with his life on a three-wheel contraption crudely put together. Our prayers are with them.

Fish. anyone?

One can be forgiven for thinking that these are soft-drinks for sale alongside the refreshing coconuts in the background. We had stopped for a short break during our 5-hour journey along the trunk road from Thailand to Siem Reap. No, these are more potent than your cherryade, lemon-tea or orange drink. The long-nosed funnels are a dead give-away - yes, PETROL for motorcycles.

Bicycles are still the cheapest and most environmentally-friendly means of transport in this border town of Cambodia. It makes sense in a country where people find it extremely hard to break out of the poverty cycle.

This triple-share motorbike is the most convenient way to get around. Note the laterite road. We had entered Cambodia from Thailand and this is the trunk road leading to Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat. It was in such bad condition that we took 5 hours to cover 150 km!

What an ingenious was of transporting these huge vats - a motorcycle, a long wheel-base crudely welded to the rear, and you're in business. Many Cambodians hardly earn S$60 a month and as such, necessity is obviously the Mother of invention.

This is Siem Reap in Cambodia, one of our poorer cousins in ASEAN. I was 'shooting from the hip' from a moving bus but with a wide-angle lens, an aperture of f/7.1 and a shutter speed of 1/500 sec, the picture is sharp and the depth of field shows all the details from foreground to the background. The huge vats are used for the fermentation of soya beans, salted vegetables and fish sauce.

Like a graphic compass the signpost points the uninitiated to various sights on the island of Pulau Ubin. 30-40 years ago, you had to find your way around with a reliable 1:25,000 topo map and Silva compass, but it was more fun and challenging then.

The last passenger has left Pulau Ubin and the boats are moored alongside the jetty, tied securely together to ensure safety. As the lone boatman makes a cursory check on his lashings, the sun dips below the horizon and day is done. Sleep well my dear boatmen, for tomorrow is another day and your good health, vitality and experience are needed to bring life once again to nostalgic Pulau Ubin.

Out of Africa: Rhino Rock' and her baby, these concrete bolders take on a life of its own when the tide is at the optimum height. The warm golden light of the setting sun is reminiscent of the savannah sunset in Kenya. This picture looks like it was shot in Africa but it is on Pulau Ubin. The structure is located on the left of the jetty as you disembark from the boats.

This is the right panel when you face the wayang stage. I went close and pointed my Nikon D100 upwards to emphasise the converging lines meeting at the top. the splash of orange and yellows against the dominant whites help trigger an active mind. Never a dull moment - wouldn't you say? But then again, this is Pulau Ubin.

The red handrails or bannisters and solid concrete steps are a short flight to the ageing wayang stage in the village centre of Pulau Ubin. The rear entrance captured my imagination as I strolled around the wooden structure before attempting this perspective for my shot.

The rustic charm of Pulau Ubin is best exemplified in these two machines. You can bet your last dollar that the motorbike will start on the first kick!

This is a Polish chicken that I shot at the Ostrich Show Farm in Sungei Rengit.

Stand on it, jump on it, stomp on it but the stubbornly hard shell of an ostrich egg holds the contents without breaking.