More Around Angkor

Beyond temples, here are some of miscellaneous shots taken around Angkor.  I must admit, I'm not one to get carried away studying architecture and fawning over ruins, but even I could appreciate the aesthetic details.

Gods pull a snake on one side, demons on the other

Terrace of the Elephants

Asparas

Near one of the temples, we decided to make an offering to a Buddha statue. After putting down some money, an old woman tied a red ribbon around my wrist and burned some incense. OD then went to take a turn, but the woman expressed some displeasure that he wasn't going to make an additional offering. 

Transportation around the temples isn't limited to tuk tuks. However, we decided against an elephant ride, which just seemed unnecessary and I wasn't sure how happy the elephants seemed. 

Other animal sightings around Angkor included wild monkeys and domestic livestock. One of the monkeys ran right by us, which made me a bit nervous, as they can get aggressive and like to snatch food and other goods right off you. 

Despite the heat, and the sickness that followed us home, we're glad that we got a chance to check this off our bucket list. And if you are ever in this part of the world, you might be able to convince us to give it a second go around. Just be sure to pack a sun umbrella and don't be afraid to wear elephant pants. 

Siem Reap

Siem Reap, the town next to Angkor Wat, is a bustling tourist town. You won't find a lot of local culture here, but you will have all the amenities that you desire at a reasonable price. We were able to stay at a nicer hotel than usual and chose Tara Angkor Hotel.  The large Western style buffet every morning was definitely a selling point for us; they will even put together a take-away package for you if you are off early to see Angkor Wat at sunrise.

Apparently, we didn't take any photos of town, except for the Night Market. We were actually searching for a different night market, which we did find the next night. The Night Market with the neon sign was pretty posh -- definitely a tourist trap -- while the other night market was somewhat more authentic. The most local in flavor, however, was the old market, which was open during the day.

We had intended to catch one of the more professional Aspara dance shows, but our timing was off, so we ended up at Temple Club, a bar/restaurant with a free show. I'm sure the performance wasn't as high quality as some of the others, and our food wasn't particularly good either, but you couldn't beat the price. Check out the video below.



For other activities, the Angkor National Museum is worth an hour or two for some historical background, especially as it is air-conditioned. We also swung by the McDerMott Gallery to see some spectacular photos of Angkor Wat.

Lastly, I would definitely recommend a session at Bodia Spa if you need a respite from temple trekking and souvenir shopping. Though set off just down an alley from one of the main strips, inside the setting is tranquil. For an afternoon, I was massaged, scrubbed, and lotioned with natural oils and extracts until I was putty -- and at a quarter of the price it would have cost in Singapore.

Beng Mealea

OD likes jungle ruins, and so we took a day trip out to Beng Mealea. Collapsed rubble and hanging vines added to the effect. We hope they don't restore this one too much, but allow nature to reassert its claim.

Poor OD didn't enjoy this outing much, as he was fighting against Montezuma's Revenge. Though we are usually very careful about what we eat and drink while travelling, apparently we weren't vigilant enough during our time in Cambodia and whatever we caught was pretty severe, lingering for weeks. So travelers beware!

The landmine sign was a dark reminder of Cambodia's genocide under the Khmer Rouge. During our stay, I read a fictionalized account of one family's real experience, In the Shadow of the Banyan Tree by Vaddey Ratner, which added another layer to my perception of Cambodia. It was sobering to realize that the young go-getters of the booming tourist town of Siem Reap and the children of the poverty-stricken countryside are only a couple generations removed from those tragic times.

Near one of the temples, we came across two boys playing with beetles. When the more mischievous one the placed a beetle on the other boy's shirt, the other boy didn't seem too happy about it!

The trip also gave us a chance to leave Siem Reap and see the Cambodian countryside. On the whole, it was very undeveloped, with some homes nothing more than mere shacks. We kept seeing stands with women by the side of the road, so I asked our driver what they were selling and he said it was sticky rice stuffed in a bamboo stalk. We should have stopped to investigate, but with OD not feeling well, I just took a quick snapshot from the car. 

Angkor Thom and Surroundings

Angkor Bayon

Part of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, Bayon was perhaps my most favorite site. I appreciated its striking singularity -- while other structures might start to blur together in the heat and humidity, the repetition of the same face on 54 towers made Angkor Bayon memorable (and a bit creepy).

Baphoun 

Within Angkor Thom also lies Baphoun, a representation of the mythical Mt Meru. It has some pleasing features, including a long walkway and doorways resurrected against the sky.

Preah Khan 
Also situated near Angkor Thom is Preah Khan, which has been fairly well preserved. I'm afraid I can't say much about this temple, as it was at this point in the day that I started to melt and didn't care if I saw one more relief or crumbling pillar.

Ta Prohm

Not far from Angkor Thom but overtaken by jungle is Ta Prohm, featured in the movies Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom. With its giant tree roots and dramatic shadows, this temple definitely has Hollywood appeal.  

For another jungle setting, see the post on Beng Maelea.

Angkor Wat

As Angkor Wat has been on OD's bucket list, and it is an easy trip from Singapore, we booked a few days in Siem Reap in October of 2012. We arrived on Friday night and got up early on Saturday to make sunrise over Angkor Wat. Our tuk tuk driver picked us up from the hotel while it was still dark and took us the 20 minutes to the temple, where a throng of tourists waited at the entrance. We were pleased to find an espresso cart open -- we really need our morning coffee, especially at that hour!



We made our way with the masses towards the temples and found a spot to perch on one of the outer structures. While it was crowded, with everyone trying to set up the perfect shot, I do think it was worth getting up early for -- not only for the sunrise, but for the cooler morning temps. While waiting for the sunrise, we people-watched and even ordered ice coffees for delivery (unfortunately way too sweet for our taste).

After sunrise, the crowd dissipated and we wandered around the temple complex until it got too hot. Though it was impressive, OD thought it wasn't as remarkable as Machu Picchu (I'm glad he made that trek before I met him). I didn't have anything like Machu Picchu to compare it to, but for some reason I thought Angkor Wat would be bigger -- or perhaps taller (living amongst skyscrapers has ruined my perspective).


The temple grounds are full of reliefs and carvings rich in symbolism, which we learned about in snatches from passing tour guides. Not having the patience for a guided tour or extended reading of guide books, we nonetheless appreciated the artistry and actually did pick up a little about Hindu and Buddhist mythology. My favorites were the Apsaras, heavenly dancers, while I think OD would pick garudas, bird-like creatures representative of the God Vishnu.

For another view of Angkor Wat, we went up in an anchored hot balloon. It was probably not worth the price, but we got a few decent shots of the temple from a distance and the surrounding countryside.

Though Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of the temples, the Angkor Archaeological Park includes numerous other temples and sites of the Khmer Kingdom. We also visited some of these, including those of Angkor Thom and Beng Mealea.