Rewind to Angkor

My traveling of late has been devoted to beaches, big cities and Buddhist temples which is why stepping into ancient Khmer courtesy of the Angkor temples in Siem Reap was an entirely different turn for me. It was true what they said. At the sight of the Angkor Wat temple which I first saw in the late afternoon before sunset, I juct couldn't comprehend how something so intricate, big and beautiful could have been built centuries ago.

I arrived in Siem Reap with my travel buddies mid-morning, and instead if braving the burning sun, we decided to first tour the Old Market in town, enjoy at US$6 massage, and then check into our lovely and conveniently-located hotel, the Bopha Angkor.

As we were there on Friday and planned to leave on Monday, a US$40 pass (all you can temple watch for 3 days) seemed appropriate for our needs. Then finally, took to the Angkor Wat temple, which is the main temple to visit, the biggest and just overwhelming on sight.

We ended the day with dinner at Amok restuarant on Pub Alley, a restaurant that claims "The Best Amok in Town!". I disagree, there were other equally good if not better Amok (a coconut curry dish) in more affordable places. Then we went to bed early because we planned to get up in time for sunrise at the Angkor Wat.

I didn't think I could do it but I did...wake up at 4:30 am (or maybe 4:45?) to get ready in time for sunrise at the Angkor Wat. There was quite a crowd along with us, and you could really feel the group spirit as everyone waited for the sun to break the horizon.

Of course my newly bought camera's battery died before the sun rose in the sky, but seeing it was good enough. Nak, our guide for the day told us that the sun rises over the middle tower during summer solstice (last March 21-23 in 2008) and I imagine that's a sight to behold.

After sunrise we trooped to the Bayon Temple at the center of the Angkor Thom. I thought this was the most beautiful temple even if it's not the biggest, for its intricate carvings and the large stone faces which look peaceful and smiling at the same time.

Thankfully, the camera on my phone was surprisingly good so i wasn't left out of the frenetic picture taking.A long siesta back at the hotel recharged me and my camera battery and we headed for the Ta Prohn, where parts of Tomb Raider was shot. Of course we could not help but attempt Lara Croft poses, but its ok as I'm sure all the other tourists were doing the same.

The last site we visited was the Terrace of the Elephants, where ancient kings addressed their military troops and royalty lounged in their super duper sized swimming pools.

Our last full day in Siem Reap was VERY full...we started the day at 7am with a 45 minute drive to Bantay Srey or the Temple of Women. They say its small so it was probably built by women, and the sandstone is colored pink/orange. Even back in those days, there was gender stereotyping!

On the drive back the photographer boys took photos of the roadside villages and kalabaws while we checked out the local fare, palm fruit, which tastes like a young, juicy coconut (probably because they are related).

Finally suffering from temple fatigue, we took a break by taking a ride down Tonle Sap to the Floating Village. Its amazing how people are able to live their day-to-day lives on the river! Possibly, a river with crocodiles because we saw a lot caged at the river stop-over.

After returning from Tonle Sap, we went straight to the Angkor Thom area for another round of photos by the afternoon light, and a much-anticipated sunset view over the summit of Phnom Bakeng and an elephant ride (my first ever!) down to the bottom of the hill.

As with all the other nights, we ended with dinner in the Old Market area and drinks at Pub Street.

For more photos of my Angkor adventure, check out my flickr set. Even with my non-professional photography skills, you can see why Siem Reap established itself as my not-to-be missed vacation to take.