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Published: June 29th 2008
Cambodia - the name stirs images of remote jungle, of landmines and war. But like much of Asia, our preconceptions are proving to be wildly inaccurate...
The Border Crossing Google "Bangkok to Siem Reap" and you'll find a plethora of websites and blogs filled with livid stories of the scams and "hidden costs" associated with bus rides from Khao San Road (Bangkok's tourist centre) to Siem Reap. With these in mind, Simon and Lauren opted for a public bus and arrived at the border on
the same day as departure (it's really only four hours, but scam buses take double the time so you're forced to stay overnight at an affiliated guesthouse). After finding the various visa consulates, paying padded visa 'fees', wandering through departure and arrival buildings they found themselves in Cambodia. Far from the remote third-world hovel they were expecting they found themselves in...Las Vegas?? Casino's, gaudy fountains and luxury hotels everywhere, Cambodia is a gambling mecca for citizens of the much wealthier Kingdom of Thailand, where gambling is illegal.
Only slightly fleeced by the exorbitant currency exchange rate (its much better away from the border, dont listen to any one of the many people who
will attempt to tell you otherwise...) they splashed out US$30 and caught a taxi for the three hour ride to Siem Reap. A taxi and not a bus? Lauren and Simon thanked their lucky stars they had opted for the pricier option as they made their way over the successive piles of dirt and clay arranged in a straight line that is apparently a highway in Cambodia! To give some indication of the condition of the road, the three hour journey along the mostly straight road only covers around 115km.
Siem Reap Siem Reap is the town next to
Angkor Wat - called "the eighth ancient wonder of the world" Lauren and Simon think it should be one of the first seven.
One of the first European visitors to Angkor was Antonio da Magdalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586. He summed up the situation pretty well: (Angkor Wat) "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of" In the mid
Driving Around Siem Reap
Riding in our rented tuk tuk from Siem Reap to the Floating Village. Interestingly enough, most of these roads were nice and some were even paved!nineteenth century, French explorer Henri Mouhot popularised Angkor and wrote: "One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honourable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."
Simon and Lauren completely agree. Henri eludes to the unfortunate history of degradation and war that has plagued Cambodia throughout the last few hundred years. More recently the Vietnam war, the millions of land mines and then the tragic rule of
Pol Pot had kept the tourist numbers low, but with the stabilisation of Cambodia you can really feel the excitement in the air as the entire nation teeters on the cusp of a tourism explosion. Not yet saturated, Cambodia is exciting to visit
right now because tourists are still regarded with a sense of occasion in many places, and you get the feeling that Cambodians are excited to be sharing their unique country and amazing history with the funny pasty-white and sunburned pink visitors who seem to dislike mosquitoes so much (there is malaria in Cambodia).
Lauren and Simon at the Dead Fish Tower
The most amazing restaurant we've ever been to Get in soon, if the dozens of enormous luxury hotels under construction in Siem Reap are anything to go by it's going to be as much of a tourist trap as anywhere in a few years...
Taking a tuk-tuk from the taxi drop-off, Simon and Lauren were taken to a guest house situated near the tourist centre of Siem Reap. Here, a cool and quiet jungle garden gave way to a three-storeyed guesthouse that was very modern, exquisitely adorned with solid wood staircases and antique-style furniture. They were lead upstairs to a huge and quiet room with private bathroom, sleeping space for four and air conditioning. This was typical of the guesthouses in Siem Reap at $8 a night!
The Dead Fish Tower Wandering around town and looking for dinner, Simon and Lauren stumbled upon the "Dead Fish Tower" a restaurant and guesthouse that looked distinctly swanky from the outside. Wandering in, they found what they agreed to be the best restaurant they have ever been to, hands down. Built atop an old crocodile farm (but with gaps in the floor, so you can still feed the live crocodiles swimming around under the tables!) the
The entrance to Angkor Thom
One of the many archways, all spectacular. This was taken from atop the elepahant - the only way to travel here. Dead Fish Tower reminds Simon of the house the Swiss Family Robinson built on that tropical island somewhere. Multitudes of platforms on many different levels over several stories host guests on low tables with floor cushions Japanese-style. Orders and food are transported between the platforms via a pulley and sliding tray system to and from the kitchen; the chefs pulling ropes to send their finished creations to the guests waiting far above. Traditional Thai dancers provide entertainment atop a platform above the kitchen in the centre of the building while guests dine on the typical amazing Thai and Khmer food that Simon and Lauren now take for granted (everyone needs to try tom kha kai/pad thai/stirfry morning glory at least once!). Even though the meals were around $4 each, Lauren and Simon somehow spent $25 and had to crawl/roll out as their stomachs were so full! Although the food was so good here, Simon and Lauren would like to exclaim that the food was always this good wherever they went in Cambodia, whether it be an upscale restaurant or a streetside vendor. No wonder Thais and Cambodians eat 4-5 small meals a day!
Angkor Wat This was the
The Bayon Heads
The famous heads at Bayon, in Angkor Thom highlight of Cambodia (although Simon says it ties with the coconut shake he had with lunch that day). Waking at 5am to catch the sunrise over the largest temple of Angkor (there are hundreds of massive stone structures around the city) Simon and Lauren joined the hordes of tuk-tuks taking thousands of tourists to the most majestic of the Khymer ruins. En route, they drove past a river. All of a sudden the river - about 100m wide - turned an abrupt right angle. For as far as they could see both ways, the river was as straight as an arrow and the realisation that they were overlooking a monstrous waterway dawned. Nowdays such a structure would be a moderate achievement of technology. Built around 1000 years ago, this perfectly square waterway, 100m wide and 5km in length each side, was built without any machinery. There seem to be so many things we take for granted nowdays, Simon and Lauren had to remind themselves constantly throughout the course of the day that yes, these 10-story temples made of solid rock were built entirely by hand.
Angkor loomed over us even from afar with the kind of imposing majesty that
Lauren, Simon on elephant
Another of Lauren's lifelong ambitions is fulfilled. makes you take photos, then a few minutes later take the same photo of the same thing because 1) You are still so impressed and 2) so many other amazing things are within view you quickly forget what you've taken photos of already. 1000 years of acidic rain has taken its toll on Angkor's limestone but upon close inspection it becomes apparent that the entire complex of carved rock is intricately detailed with figures of Buddhas, elephants, serpents, voluptuous women and depictions of ancient ceremonies. When Simon and Lauren spent hours walking through endless catacombs of cool, dark, silent temple halls resplendent with such amazing carvings, they began to gain some idea of the magnitude of the achievement Angkor was all those years ago. Because Simon and Lauren only had a day in Siem Reap, they took the tuk-tuk as far as it would go, going to some of the better preserved temples out of town. Here, the rock used was a harder kind of limestone stained orche from the iron oxide within. Because the rock had resisted the acidic rain so well, the ornate carvings on the walls appeared as sharp and detailed as the day they were carved.
Carvings
Intricate carvings are preserved at a temple constructed of a harder, red sandstone, about 30 kilometers out from the Angkor complex Amazing motifs of serpents and warriors adorned doorways, and countless photos - again, of the same things - were taken.
The Floating Village After their tour of the Temples at Angkor, Lauren and Simon headed back to their guesthouse for an afternoon siesta (traditional in Cambodia, and necessary with the sun bearing down at midday!) where they fell asleep immediately, only to be awakened an hour later. Nap time was over, their tuk tuk driver was back, it was time to go to the 'lake' to see the sunset.
The tuk tuk ride alone was an interesting experience, as they motored past crocodile farms, local markets, and temples. Cambodians walked, biked, and rode scooters with things like piglets, chickens, or mattresses attached to the back. Most buildings were what Lauren would refer to as a 'hut,' made completely of palm thatch, with sides that could be lifted and tied up during the day to allow in a breeze and visitors. As they headed out of town, they begin to drive alongside a muddy river with houses and schools built up on stilts in the surrounding marsh to be at road level. It sounds quite crude in description,
Fisherman
Fishing is the main occupation along Cambodian Rivers, where freshwater catfish are herded into nets and traps but the overall effect was elegant and functional. Children ran up and down ladders, playing in the muddy grass below. Parents napped in hammocks, while their kids watched the traffic roll by and waved energetically at us.
The kind, gentle, gravel road changed to pitted dirt, and a few minutes later Lauren and Simon pulled up at a collection of boats and huts. Before they could exit the tuk tuk, a small Cambodian girl ran up with a shiny digital camera and snapped several photos of the duo. Lauren and Simon smiled, and made their way across a series of boats into the appropriate one to began their tour down the river. The motored past floating houses, fishing boats, floating pool halls, basketball courts, and schools. On the far shore, clearings were set aside for working on fishing nets, or playing volleyball. Dogs and children happily swam in the same brown muddy water that women were washing clothes in. The air was happy and carefree, with locals looking up and waving as Simon and Lauren drifted by. The river opened out into a much larger estuary or similar, broad and shallow (the so-called 'lake,' Lauren assumes). Here they disembarked
Sunset at the River Village
Cambodian children play until dark in Siem Reap's River Village onto a floating restaurant and tourist trap, where Simon and Lauren were shown local fish, a submerged cage of farmed catfish and neighboring pit of crocodiles, and were then encouraged to spend lots of money on food and souvenirs. Declining various t-shirts and books, the two sat and chatted with their boat guide. He had just finished high school and was attending college in Siem Reap, where he was studying Japanese and English. He explained how the families have to move onto the mainland during the dry season when the river level falls too low. A quick rain shower passed over, only to be followed by a brilliant rainbow arcing across the village and over the river, reaching toward the Mekong where this tributary would eventually drain. The subsequent sunset highlighted everything from wild lilies to cows being herded along the road in brilliant gold, as Simon and Lauren felt secure in their decision that Cambodia is the best country they had visited yet (topside anyway 😊 )
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