We immediately felt a change in ethos and attitude upon entering Cambodia. First off, the Khmer love to laugh, and everyone looks at you with an open, friendly expression. There are as many (if not more) tuktuk drivers and vendors in Siem Reap as there were in Bangkok, but solicitation is respectful here...it is almost as if people feel bad for pestering you. It is not as if we had any bad experiences in Bangkok (except for that second day there when I paid $4 for two pieces of fruit because I wasn't familiar with Baht!), but many solicitors seemed aggressive and grumpy. It also seems as if many businesses here are connected to charities and specific causes. Our current guesthouse is operated by an older Australian couple who support six rural elementary schools, which you can visit. Many of the pubs and restaurants also donate a portion of every bill to a local cause.
We have been on the go since arriving here. We purchased a three-day Angkor Pass for the temples, but also completed daytrips to the unusual stilted village of Kompong Phluk and the carved river basins of Kbal Spean. Excluding the temples of Angkor, Kompong has been the most memorable experience for us. For starters, this is the off-season in SE Asia, so all attractions and villages are devoid of tourists. Also, Kompong is about 30km outside of town and is fairly inaccessible. Composed of dozens and dozens of elevated bungalows on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong is only reachable by boat. Kate and I hired a rickety motorboat to take us around the village, and the boat stopped at the mouth of Tonle Sap for us to buy a beer from a tiny floating restaurant. After paying and giving the owner's toddlers a few lollipops (a great way to appease cadging children) we were driven back into the heart of the village and offered to walk around with the locals. It was an interesting experience, as the villagers were intrigued by us, but didn't ask us to buy anything. We did buy a watermelon from a family there, however, and we ate it for breakfast two days later.
One of the other highlights during our week here was the morning we awoke at 5AM to see the sunrise from the temples of Pre Rup, Sra Srang and Banteay Kdei. Armed with pastries, canned coffee, and a dragonfruit, we arrived at Pre Rup before 6AM and watched the sky illuminate.
![]()
Hey, Kate here. I just wanted to describe a couple of Angkor's temples to you all in some more detail.
Angkor Wat - This is the best preserved and was King Suryavarman ll's state temple. It is a Hindu and Buddist temple so many of the reliefs on the walls contain Hindu and Buddist symbology and stories. It has 5 lotus-bud shaped towers which most of us recognize as the true Angkor Wat and are even seen on Cambodia's flag! Its incredibly beautiful and intimidating and would definitely deter any past enemies with its 1km by 1.5 km moat along the sides and front.
Ta Prohm - This was the most powerful to us of the temples because it has practically been left to be eaten up by nature. Huge, and I mean HUGE, trees burst through the top and the sides of the ruins creating an intense and dramatic atmosphere. This was my favorite.
Pre Rup - We got to this temple at 6am. like Al mentioned. With not a soul there except us and the dew of morning it was incredibly peaceful. Its made out of brick and sandstone mostly and shoots high into the sky almost like a mountain. The literal translation is "turn the body" as it was used to funeral ceremonies but there was not anything of an eerie feeling there. Like its big brother Angkor Wat, it has 5 towers in a quincunx pattern and libraries on either side, and it's no surprise that it was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. This was an awesome place to watch the "sunrise" and eat breakfast.
Okay, well those are just three of the many amazing temples we saw. Hope to come back one day and finish the rest of the twenty here!
One of the other highlights during our week here was the morning we awoke at 5AM to see the sunrise from the temples of Pre Rup, Sra Srang and Banteay Kdei. Armed with pastries, canned coffee, and a dragonfruit, we arrived at Pre Rup before 6AM and watched the sky illuminate.
Hey, Kate here. I just wanted to describe a couple of Angkor's temples to you all in some more detail.
Angkor Wat - This is the best preserved and was King Suryavarman ll's state temple. It is a Hindu and Buddist temple so many of the reliefs on the walls contain Hindu and Buddist symbology and stories. It has 5 lotus-bud shaped towers which most of us recognize as the true Angkor Wat and are even seen on Cambodia's flag! Its incredibly beautiful and intimidating and would definitely deter any past enemies with its 1km by 1.5 km moat along the sides and front.
Ta Prohm - This was the most powerful to us of the temples because it has practically been left to be eaten up by nature. Huge, and I mean HUGE, trees burst through the top and the sides of the ruins creating an intense and dramatic atmosphere. This was my favorite.
Pre Rup - We got to this temple at 6am. like Al mentioned. With not a soul there except us and the dew of morning it was incredibly peaceful. Its made out of brick and sandstone mostly and shoots high into the sky almost like a mountain. The literal translation is "turn the body" as it was used to funeral ceremonies but there was not anything of an eerie feeling there. Like its big brother Angkor Wat, it has 5 towers in a quincunx pattern and libraries on either side, and it's no surprise that it was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. This was an awesome place to watch the "sunrise" and eat breakfast.
Okay, well those are just three of the many amazing temples we saw. Hope to come back one day and finish the rest of the twenty here!
No comments:
Post a Comment