Advertisement
Published: August 31st 2017
Edit Blog Post
Angkor Wat Temple at sunrise
Apparently most Khmer temples are oriented to the east. Angkor Wat is oriented to the west so it is thought that it was intended to serve as a funerary temple to its builder, Suryavarman.
Makes a good sunrise anyway! Bidding farewell to Bangkok, we set off for Cambodia by mini bus. Our bus journey (and all subsequent ones in Cambodia) were of the Faulty Towers variety. To start, we were an hour late being picked up because Mau (understandably) didn't realise that a man who passed the hotel on a motorbike and shouted something incoherent at her had actually said "Cambodia" and was in fact the gentleman who was arranging our pickup! The bus driver was under the impression that Donal spoke Thai and chatted animatedly to him about the horrendous traffic and what not. The bus dropped us 6km outside our final destination - the city of Siem Reap city. We were forced to disembark and arrange a Tuk Tuk (taxi) to our hotel only to be overtaken on the way by our empty bus!!
Siem Reap is home to one of the great wonders of the world Angkor Wat - a temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. We set off to see the main temple at 4.30 am and were rewarded by a glorious sunrise which we enjoyed side by side with hundreds of other tourists from all over the world. The main
Angkor Wat Temple
Others argue it was dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu who is associated with the west. Regardless, it was gradually transformed to a Buddhist Temple at the end of the 12th Century. temple is surrounded by a moat and it is truly breathtaking due to its grand scale and it's incredible detail. We also visited the Bayon and Tombraider temples which are both equally as impressive. Unlike the main Angkor Wat temple which impresses with its grand scale, it is the 216 larger than life smiling faces of Bayon that left a lasting impression. With the Tombraider temple, it is the overgrowing trees and their roots that weave their way through the ruins of the temple that make it remarkable.
With tourists flocking to Angkor Wat in their droves, the nearby city of Siem Reap has benefitted greatly and was the most developed place we visited in Cambodia. At the heart of Siem Reap lies the energetic "Pub Street", with the street itself and it's surrounds, boasting many restaurants, cafes and restaurants.
From Siem Reap, we made our way to the capital Phnom Penh. Being the savvy (cheap) travellers that we are we opted for the least expensive bus option. And so we travelled with the locals - the only two tourists. We had a delayed departure however this time it wasn't our fault. All the luggage was loaded in
One of the quincunx of Towers at Angkor Wat Temple
The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hindu mythology. The quincunx of Towers represent the five peaks of the mountain. the compartments underneath the bus and we were almost ready to leave when some locals arrived wishing to bring their three motorbikes with them. And so the luggage was unloaded and transported via a window into the back seats of the bus and the THREE motorbikes were placed into the luggage compartments with such ease that it was obvious that this is a common occurrence. Eventually, we departed. In the two seat across from us sat a family of four people despite their being numerous empty seats on the bus!
Our first impressions of Phnom Penh were unfortunately the sights and smells of rubbish along the streets. This was the scene that greeted us in all of the other places we visited in Cambodia which was a real pity.
In Phnom Penh we visited the former prison of Tuol Sleng and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields to learn about the genocide inflicted on the people of Cambodia in the 1970's by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge which left 2 million people dead. The genocide targeted educated people and anyone who opposed the Khmer Rouge regime. Families were separated. Many were imprisoned and tortured into giving false confessions
One of the main terraces of Angkor Wat Temple
Sandstone blocks was the primary building material used. The temple is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall of 3.6km. before being transported to places like the Killing Fields. Others were forced to work in inhumane conditions in the countryside. Men, women and children perished. It was a sobering experience to visit the former prison and killing fields. It is devastating to imagine the suffering endured, even more so given the recent time frame of the genocide.
After Phnom Penh we travelled south to Kampot by bus. When will we learn. Our 3.5 hr bus journey ended up taking 5.5 hrs! Firstly, the bus broke down about 10 minutes after we took off but in fairness the bus driver and his assistant rolled their sleeves up and solved the problem themselves. Then we stopped en route to deliver post and also to pick up a live chicken which went into one of the underneath luggage compartments! Is there anything these bus drivers can't do?!!
Kampot, a small town on the southwest of Cambodia, is a popular location for many expats and is the gateway to the Bokor Hill National Park. We rented a pink scooter (Donal was none too pleased with the colour) and set about exploring the national park. Back in the 1920's Bokor Hill was developed
into a resort providing visitors with an escape from the heat. However, having been abandoned twice all that remains is a ghost town with the ruins of buildings.
Our final stop in Cambodia took us to the coastal town of Sihanoukville. What we hoped would have been a nice few days relaxing by the beach turned into staring out the window at the rain! It barely stopped for our time here! Sihanoukville has been mentioned as the new rival for the South Thailand islands but for us they are in no danger as of yet. Greater infrastructure and cleaner beaches will be required before it claims that title!
From Sihanoukville we made the 18 hour bus journey back to Bangkok in just over 24 hours. We are seeing Thailand in a whole new light after our 10 days in Cambodia! We plan on recovering in Bangkok for a few days before we head up to Chiang Mai in North Thailand for our next adventure.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.207s; Tpl: 0.042s; cc: 10; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0596s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb