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Published: February 1st 2009
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Ancient Angkor
View from the lake, this is the primo shot and luckily no one was there to get in the way. After the Sick
After the depressing sites of the day before we got back on the road to see the temples at Siem Reap a 6 hour journey to the north along some reasonably smooth roads.
We got the 12 o'clock bus from Phnom Penh (PP) so we arrived as the sun was setting which turned the sky over the green paddy fields 100 beautiful shades. The town itself is a lot smaller than the capital and as the principle tourist town it is beset with touts particularly the tuk tuk drivers. We took the VIP bus from PP, it cost a few bucks more but they give you a snack and then also arrive at their own sealed bus station in Siem Reap. Only the drivers with pick ups on the bus are allowed into the compound to wait for their punters. We were told by the aussie guy that owned the guesthouse in PP that in the main public bus station touts often have to be beaten off with sticks. Anyways it was no trauma for us and we were soon onboard trundling through the main streets. The hotel we had selected as being in our price range
but still nice was a little way out of town down some very dubious roads. Shabana managed to and i quote "sustain injuries" when she banged her head on the hand bars things as we bumped violently down the road. It was like a mini roller coaster.
We soon settled into the hotel and then had to endure 10 minutes of the semi hard sell by the hotel staff to use their guides and transport for Angkor as we waited for the free bus to the centre of town so we could get something to eat. We got dropped off at the corner of Pub Street, which during the evening gets turned into a pedestrian street filled to the brim with restaurants, bars and a few tourist shops. After wandering up and down for a little while seeing what was on offer we choose an "authentic" Cambodian restaurant where we chowed down on some Khmer curry and some Amok. We ended up sitting near a couple of scandos that were trying to explain to the waiter that while the food was nice could they please warm it up, we had just ordered the food so it was with trepidation
Tomb Raider Temple
Ta Prohm Temple, with some hefty trees that i watched our food arrive a few moments later. As luck would have it both were warm and very tasty but much like Thai yellow or green curry without as much aromatics. Diners was further entertained by troupes of people (although i would guess they were all backpackers) dressed in all sorts of fancy dress celebrating Halloween.
After dinner a further wander through the pedestrian area found us at the tour operator booking a tuk tuk and guide for our ventures into the temples of Angkor. Our dithering trying to find the right place to eat meant we had missed the free bus back to the hotel so once again we had to brave a tuk tuk through the now pitch black streets with a driver that managed to miss the turn off and backtrack 500 metres.
Temples
Early burly the next morning we were off with driver and guide to the fabulous temples. Now i am not going to bore you with a history lesson now but suffice to say there was some pretty nice stuff lying around the place and to imagine you were hacking your way through the jungle to then suddenly see
a huge temple must have been something special indeed.
It was a full day of traipsing through the throngs of tourists from temple to temple, but i have to say although Angkor Wat is the largest of the temples i personally like the Bayon temple with all it myriad of faces. There was something quite peaceful about the rock smiles as they looked down on you from all angles.
My favourite memory from the Angkor Wat itself was catching sight of a gang of monks in the distinctive orange robes ahead of me, they really shone out amongst the dark stone and if it didn't seem rude ditching the guide mid talk and sprinting after them retreating through the temple i would of done just that.
We spent the last part of the day walking up Phnom Bakheng to see the sunset with another 500 people, unfortunately the same thing that happened in Laos happened again, after taking 300 odd photos my camera was all out of juice so i only managed a couple of shots in the sunset. We also left just before we should have because the steps at Phnom Bakheng were incredibly steep and
we didn't want to attempt them in the dark.
The pedometre by the end of the day said we had walked about 7 miles i think, so we felt we had earned our Caramel Cashew Nut ice cream later on that evening. The ice cream was so good that the next night we got another one but within moments of getting that Shabana decided that it was actually too good to share, so we ended up with one each.
ATVs
After the mammoth walk of the day before we chilled out the next day with a leisurely ride through the Cambodian countryside on a ATV (all terrain vehicle) AKA a quad bike. Getting away from the tourists and once again seeing real village life was brilliant. Everyone we saw had a smile for us and the children would all waves and jump up and down shouting hello, hello. They would absolutely light up if we waved back. Something that Shabana was not keen for me to do as I was supposed to keep both hands on the handle bars. We even managed to kick it into high gear down a half built highway with only a few people
walking and cycling on it.
By the evening after experiencing a Cambodian Barbeque which is essentially a hot plate served with raw pork, vegetables, butter and some sauces. You put some butter on the hot plate and then season the meat and vegs and then chuck it all on the hot plate and cook it how you like. V tasty. We gave the waitresses a good laugh as the light fluid ran out on the burner and when it was replaced the waitress didn't connect it properly. As i flicked the igniter a huge burst of flame shot out from underneath the hot plate and I ended up jumping back pretty sharpish.
Guns
The last thing we did under the guises of Shabana past life as an marine commando. She has the fascination with shooting a gun. We took a tuk tuk out to an old army range where they let people shoot off AK47's, M1's, Tommy Guns and Bazookers. The guy persuaded us to take a magazine of AK47 and M1 rifle. We were led into a concrete lined shooting range about 3 meters wide and about 20 long to fire the AK. I have the first
shots recorded on camera for those can't wait for the video. As the first bullet exploded out of the barrel i am heard to exclaim "F%^king Hell" that sucker was loud even through the ear protectors. Shabana however exclaimed "What did i hit"
It has to be said though i don't think either of us would make a very successful guerrilla as the paper target was pretty clean even after the full 30 shot magazine. We fared a little better with the single shot M1 rifle, but the ex army guy gave me a good chuckle as he asked Shabana if she could see.
The power of the guns is absolutely terrifying, the fact that is so easy to point the gun at someone and then end a life with so little thought or action is incredible. The thought of the kids fighting the American War or the child soldiers in Africa would not leave me as we traveled back to Siem Reap.
All in all our time in Cambodia was brilliant, if thought provoking and at times disturbing. We were sorry to leave and would of liked more time to visit other parts of the country.
We had already booked a flight out of Malaysia to get to Hong Kong as that was going to be half the price of getting to Hong Kong from anywhere else in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.
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