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After only one nite in Bangkok, we were headed off to see the temples in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. We were picked up in Bangkok from our hotel in a minibus and taken to the Cambodian border - about 3 hours. We stopped at a restaurant first to fill out our vias paperwork - this way you spend money there and they tried to overcharge us for our visas. We said we'd do it ourselves at the border, so off to the border we went, back in the bus. we arrived at the border, very much like the mexico/us border, dirty, lots of food stalls, people, trucks, backpackers everywhere. We were bombarded with beggars and touts trying to help with our visas. These Irish girls and us gave some money to a Cambodian to help with our visas, who said it would take 10 minutes. We thought it was worth a few more baht, rather than stand in line for 3 hours. After an hour had passed and still no sign of him or our passports, we became worried. The Irish girls went to tell our bus driver and they reassured us we would get them. FInally he arrived with about 20
passports he had been "processing". We gathered our heavy packs and walked about 1/2 mile across the border. The bus on the other side was a different bus, so we had to lug all our stuff. Again we waited in line, this time on the Cambodian side and finally got our visas and were free to roam the country for one month. Poipet, the border town in Cambodia is a cesspool, with sewage in the streams, trash everywhere, dirt roads. Its like nite and day from Thailand. But they do have casinos so are making some money. The Thais come here since it's illegal in Thailand.
The main highway to Siem Reap is a two-lane dirt road full of potholes. We were about 15 crammed in an airconditioned bus - that didn't really work - and bounced along 6 hours! It was a great way to see the countryside though. Our bus agent, Boom Boom is Cambodian with an Uncle who lived in South Dakota! how he got there, i have no idea. he spoke pretty good english so was helpful in explaining things along the way. The villages along the road have no electricy and no running water.
Monkeys
on the road to Angkor WatThe huts are located along the road and set back, separated by ponds in front that apparently keep out evil spirits. It's extremely poor and most just get by, growing their own food etc. Rice fields stretch for miles and you can see men workign the fields with cattle or water buffalo, plowing the fields. They are coming into the rainy season and are planting the rice. As we bounced along the red dirt road and I gazed out at the endless ricefields and occasional palm tree I saw a rainbow up ahead!. As poor as it is, there's something charming about it. the people are happy and smiling. little boys run around naked, large pigs are transported on the back of motorbikes, small "gas stations" are setup, with gas in reused plastic water bottles! hey at least they are recycling and are thrifty!
We stopped at a one-lane old railway bridge, and waited for traffic from the other side to come through. While we waited we boughts some lotus fruits to eat, it's the fruit from the flower and you eat the seeds, the small ones you pop on your forehead!
The road is under construction by
Bayon
Angkor Wat a Thai investment company and is supposed to be completed in 2008. We passed two men along side the road with a metal detector, looking for landmines, as they are clearing the road way! No protective gear at all. I asked what they did if they found one and BoomBoom said they take it elsewhere to detonate! Kinda makes you nervous as you bounce along the road and see amputees begging for money.
As the sun set, the stars came out in thousands!! I haven't seen that many stars in ages, it was quite beautiful. The villagers hang large plastic sheets with a purple flourescent light on top to capture crickets, frogs and snakes that are attracted to the light and fall into a shallow pool they dig below. They use car batteries to power the lights as there is no electricity. There were hundreds of them in the rice fields, it almost looked like a runway lit up!
Finally, after a teeth rattling, kidney shaking, dusty ride, we arrived in Siem Reap. The town is very different from the poor villages we had just passed and is quite westernized! We drove past these beautiful 5 star resorts,
Buddha
Angkor Wat a stark contrast to 10 km to the west. The town is very charming with the River running north to south and the temples located to the north. After arriving at our hotel, we headed into town for some food and found this charming little road, called Bar Rd or Pub Rd, for all the bars. But they are lovely little cafes, restaraunts with sleek, SE Asian decor and great food! we sat outside and had some Khmer food, which is like Thai, but sweeter and more peanuty.
We arranged for a tuktuk driver for our first day at the temples. His name is Follow. we decided to go to Angor Thom first and do some of the smaller temples. I really enjoyed Bayon - see photos. The temples are simply amazing with these huge sandstone rocks that were lugged 50 Km to the site and built stone by stone and then carved with these intricate carvings of Buddha, Apsara - dancers, warriors, elephants, etc. Some date back to 900 AD!! The stairs are very steep and tall. I don't know how the people back in the day got up the stairs since they are shorter than we are!
Bayon Face
Angkor Wat We climnbed a smaller temple to see the sunset and were joined by many other tourists. The top looks out over West Bayan and Angkor Wat. We ran into our Buddhist monks we had met earlier in the day, Tet and Thin. They are 23 and have been studying for quite awhile. They are eager to practice their English on you. Thin asked Sarah if God mattered? Big question, she's thinking, what to say to a monk..... Then he said again and had actually asked if she would be his God Mother. Wasn't she the same age as his mother, he asked? So here we were getting picked up by two monks to be their god mothers! At the top of the temple at sunset I was taking pictures and Tet wasn't smiling. I asked why not and he said it was because is sad often, thinking of his family and I think of what he is giving up. They depend on the monks to feed them, teach them and their family as they make no money. We bought them some water on the way downl Sarah and I are going to be sugar mommas for the monks! Very sweet
young men and eager to speak with you.
Our second day at the temples was an early one, waking at 4:30 for the sunrise at Angor Wat. A good way to get a jump on the day. This temple is especially large and tall, with so many bas reliefs. Amazing! The pictures don't do it justice. Most of the temples are located in a National Park sortof. A pass is required for all non Cambodians. You drive down these tree lined streets in your tuktuk and children wave as you pass. We passed some monkeys along side the road and stopped to watch them.
Later that nite BoomBoom picked us up and went to his favorite place. We were feeling tired, but said yes we'd go dancing with him. We arrived at DiscoOne, a very Cambodian disco. As we entered, security agents whisked us inside. Apparently, BoomBoom is well known there. We walked in to the 2-story disco and bubbles were floating, reflecting the strobe lights. The entire dance floor was moving in a circle in one direction, doing this slow Cambodian dance, very cool. Later the tempo picked up and we hit the dance floor. The girls
do not raise their hands above their waste or chest as it show arrogance. On the slow dances the boys dance with boys and the girls dance with girls. Sarah and I asked two Cambodian men to dance. It was like they had never seen a white woman. They were touching our faces, smiling, hugging us! pretty funny.
Our last nite BoomBoom again invited us, to his house this time. We sat on a table under the mango tree and ate some great food and chatted about all things Cambodian and American till the wee hours of the nite. BoomBoom told us alot about the Khmer Rouge, very sad story that deserves much more than I have the time or space to write about.
We hated to leave Siem Reap, it's so lovely. I think Sarah and I have decided that we are small town girls maybe.
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