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Published: December 18th 2005
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Disclaimer: As we are writing this entry we have just noticed that some other Travelbloggers have already used the title we had chosen days ago- 'Angkor's Away'. Not to mention that others have found the very same angles for photos we worked hard to find. It shouldn't be such a surprise, but "!@#%$^*". OK, enough of that. (!@$$#$%!! = 'So It Goes', Vonnegut.)
So, we arrived back in Bangkok at 10:30pm after a very long bus ride, just in time to see the aftermath of the city's celebration for their King's B-day. It was a very big to do; with Thai flags and pictures of his majesty everywhere.
We got a short night's sleep at a lousy airport hotel and were en route to Cambodia early the next morning.
It must be said that we did very little planning for our trip to Cambodia, like most of our journey to date, and therefore found ourselves surprised at several things that were to occur. All we knew was that we had airfare and a hotel to stay at. All would turn out alright, though.
So, with a one-way plane ticket and a hotel reservation in Siem Reap, we
were off to see the more tangible parts of poor, rural South East Asia.
Upon Arrival in Cambodia we were immediately struck by the use of the American dollar, for the first time since we left the States months ago. This must be due to the fact that the Cambodian Riel isn't worth the paper its printed on!
We needed to purchase temporary Visas for twenty dollars apiece. Luckily we had some $US money saved for just such an instance. Even more lucky we learned, because there are NO ATM's at all in Siem Reap.
Leaving the airport we were delighted to find a driver from the Freedom Hotel waiting for us. His name was Neam, and he would be our escort for the next three days; showing us around to all the temples(Angkor's) and rural sights in the heavily agrarian North of Cambodia.
We checked in to the hotel and rejoined Neam in the afternoon for our first visit to the temples - the first of oh so many.
"So, now we go to Angkor Wat, Yes?", Neam asked and told us at the same time. "Of Course Neam. You're the boss".
To
visit the temples in the area one needs to purchase a pass(1 or 3 days) from the department of conservation; operated, strangely enough, by a large local hotel/resort. Once we bought these - for $40 apiece - it was time to sightsee.
Now, this entire region is dominated by Buddhist temples - one after another. The whole area has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, and for good reason. These temples are a thousand years old, or more. Furthermore, they are rightly recognized as some of the top 100 sights to see in the world. Astounding and unique - eventhough many temples are very similar and, in the end, become one big blur of Buddhist construction.
There was never a lack of tourists and sightseers anywhere we went. They are all here to see the same things - and take the same pictures @#$%^$!! The guards checked our passes and we were in. Angkor Wat is certainly the most widely known and recognizable of the temples here. Hall had shown us pictures of his visit and we ended up seeing the same images he had shown us.
Doorways, pathways, stairs, enclosures, etc. They are really
something to see, touch, and even smell! Alas, we spent a couple of hours wandering around, braving the steepest stairs, and trying to avoid the larger groups.
We learned quickly that the Buddhist monks here were much more forward than those in Thailand. In Thailand we warned against any interaction with the monks, but in Cambodia they make it a point of coming to you. Why? To solicit money. Sad, but true - they need it.
We had our fill of the temple and badly needed a bathroom. The monastery bathrooms were undesirable given an alternative and, seeing as though we were ready to leave anyways, we decided to head back to the hotel.
We said goodnight to our driver for the night, had dinner, and retired to the room. While falling asleep we tuned into a movie channel showing a bootleg copy of 50cent's new movie, 'Get Rich, or Die Tryin'. Amazing, Even in SoEast Asia we can find the latest US movies!
The next day we found a saving grace in cashing some of our Traveler's Cheques for $US dollars. Afterwards Neam picked us up and it was time to see more temples: "OK,
Now we go to Angkor Thom and Bayon Temple, Yes?!". "Of Course, Neam. You're the guide".
Angkor Thom is further North of Wat and encloses many more individual temples. We never opted to buy a Lonely Planet guidebook from the children peddlers so we don't really know all the names and places we actually saw - but, we could point them out on a map if needed.
So, more temples. We were happy to crawl around and explore on our own, and we think Neam must have enjoyed relaxing by the car earning his daily stipend sitting down. Really, the tourguides could provide a lot of information, but just seeing and feeling, apart from the masses, provided the insight and experience we wanted. We can always read more about it later. There was a lot to see, and we saw most of it. We spent a lot of effort fending off the aggressive vendors at every turn.
Lunchtime! Back at the hotel we ate a quick Cambodian lunch of noodles and soup, with some
Angkor Beer('The National Beer') on the side. After a quick shower, we were on the road again.
This time we visted Ta
Prohem. I believe this must have been where Hollywood came to film a scene for Angelina Jolie's movie, 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'. She may have adopted her son from among the many begging children here as well. Not to joke. the children, and people of Cambodia, are POOR. They do depend on tourist dollars for their livelihood. They learn enough english to solicit and plead, and we hope they will find the means to live a full life.
The next place we visited was the 'Sunset Temple', where you can view the sun disappear - casting a beautiful golden sheen on the plains below. Every tourist must have been there, and the hike up and down was congested; bumper to bumper traffic. On the way down, we found a secluded vista with a great view of Angkor Wat to the South. Low and behold, we weren't the only ones.....Travelblog!@#%$$#@!!
One could, of course, bypass the gridlock by hiring an elephant to take you to the top and back. We decided not to, but it was amazing to watch these gigantic beasts in their tamed servitude.
Neam took us back to the hotel to shower and get ready
for the traditional Cambodian dinner theater we would be attending. Apsara dancers are the traditional performers of the Khmer heritage. It was a nice buffet dinner and the show proved entertaining and operatic.
The next morning we travelled deep into the countryside, 40 km outside of Siem Reap, to Banteay Srei. A small modest temple, but the first that wasn't made out of sandstone like all the other temples we had seen. After a quick tour, and the purchase of two cheap tee-shirts, we were off to see more temples.
The countryside showcased: Rice paddies; water buffalo; cows; chickens and of course many wild dogs, among all the houses on stilts. Such scenery permeates the entire countryside.
After this we'd seen quite enough temples and decided to have lunch and rest at the hotel before our afternoon trip to the fishing village and the next day's trip to Phnom Penh (See next blog entry).
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