Temple Day

It was worth the early start this morning to get a good position for the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Our guide turned up on time, fast-tracked us through the ticket queue and had us well positioned for the sunrise. The whole process was a bit interesting – in that you had to go to a completely separate ticket place (quite a few miles down the road), queue up, get photographed, hand over cash, and then get driven to the site itself.

The sunrise this morning was OK - but nothing spectacular. We managed several good shots where the camera was a bit generous to the average sunrise. A bite with the locals was next in order – as by this stage we had been up for a couple of hours and we were famished. Whilst we ate, other large tour groups went off to eat breakfast and see other sites – so we enjoyed a relatively free walk around the main part of Angkor Wat.

Our guide Kim was quite masterful at manoeuvring us around crowds, taking us to the best photo spots and providing his inside knowledge of the place. We learned the stories of the hindu and buddist history in Cambodia and that various kings had built the temples in the 11^th and 12^th centuries. Angkor Wat itself is built on a massive footprint – surrounded by a very large outer moat, as well as grounds where the king and his family used to live (as they didn’t live in the temple). Aside from being massive, Angkor Wat is just impressive. The whole complex is three levels – and these aren’t just stories – but whole levels – all intricately carved, and no doubt painted in times gone by, filled with statues and the like. It is hard not to be blown away by this place.

Faces at Bayon temple

The Angkor Thom complex was our next stop – very close to Angkor Wat, consisting of a series of temples and sights. It was once a Khmer capital city and the centre of King Jayavarman VII’s empire (our guide spent a lot of time talking about this King – as he was instrumental in the establishment of most of the temples in the area). The main entrance is lined with statues which take you over a bridge over the moat. You can’t help but be impressed by the detailing, the volume of the statues, and even how they have been preserved or partially restored.

The Bayon temple is the central temple in the Angkor Thom complex and it is renowned for the faces that are part of the towers. The temple has only recently been opened fully (3 months ago) to showcase extensive restoration work. Each of the 49 towers in the temple (not all of them exist today) have one face on each side of each tower. The temple is also known for the extensive bas-reliefs which tell a story of the local history at the time. The carvings are very intricate and our guide did an excellent job at taking us through some of the key features.

The key feature of the next temple (Baphuon) is the impressive walkway leading up to it. Originally this was over a very large moat in the area, it allowed water to flow underneath it – unlike the other temples we have seen so far. After traipsing through the three levels of the temple  we frustratingly joined the queue for the exit stairs – which seemed to take forever. We’d been on the go for almost 7 hours by this stage, so we were relieved when it was time for some lunch. As we always do, we opted for the local options, trying a fish amok dish (served in a coconut shell) and a pad pong curry – both were delicious.

 

Ta Prohm temple

The temple used in the Tomb Raider movie was the last temple stop for the day (Ta Prohm). It was famous for having been taken over by the jungle – and there are some very impressive trees growing through the temple walls and buildings. The place had been swallowed by the jungle, and efforts to restore it are underway – but any attempt at removing the very large trees that make the place so spectacular are likely to be problematic. It makes for great photo opportunities – and that is the obvious attraction of the place (as well as the movie connection).

Aside from the temple tours, there actually isn’t a lot else to see in Siem Reap. After consulting TripAdvisor, it points you to Pub Street

Pub street

– so we had to check it out. A visit during the day is very different to a visit in the evening and we tried both. Happy hour at one place we visited lasts for 7 hours – and it doesn’t matter what place you choose – they are all dirt cheap compared to NZ or Australia. We have consistently questioned how on earth people make money here with everything being so inexpensive. You needn’t spend more than $0.50 cents for a beer ($1 at most), and spirits at happy hour were $1.50 each. One place even promoted its association with supporting “irresponsible” drinking… not sure how that would go down at home!