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Day 1 @ Siem Reap, Cambodia
Where's our Driver?
Touchdown at 1145am. Immigration was a breeze because Malaysians did not require visa and on top of that, we did not check in any luggage. We were one of the first few out of the airport. Once we got out, we held on firm to our luggage as we had received friendly warnings from fellow travellers that the local tuk-tuk drivers can be very "boisterous" in their effort to offer their services. To our surprise, there were no over-zealous tuk-tuk driver trying to grab our luggage. There was a counter on the right that sold taxi coupons. The crowd in front of us were waving their signs at us, but none of them had our names. Anxiety started to build up as I wondered if the guesthouse had forgotten our reservation (I have read horror stories on the internet where the guesthouse confirmed the reservation only to announce their rooms are full once you try to check in). We called the guesthouse and breathe a sigh of relief when the hotel manager assured us our driver was on the way. Sure enough in 5 minutes, we saw a short, dark-skinned local rush up and held up a sign with our names on it.
First Take on Siem Reap
We expected the weather to be extermely hot but surprisingly, it was comparable to Malaysia. The highlight of the day was when we caught a glimspe of our free ride - it was a Tuk Tuk! I should have known better than to expect an a/c car to pick us up. The Tuk-Tuks in Siem Reap are bigger and well kept compared to the Tuk-Tuks from Bangkok. Warning to fellow travellers: the roads in Siem Reap are dusty, it would be advisable to bring along a scarf (or even a mask to cover the nose and mouth) because one whole day of travelling in a Tuk-Tuk can be quite taxing on one's appearance (probably more applicable for the ladies). I also noticed that most of the cars (and motorcycles) in Siem Reap didn't seem to have number plates and motorcyclists do not bother to put on helmets (my driver was the exception).
Planning for the afternoon
We checked into the guesthouse and wasted no time planning for the afternoon. Our Tuk-Tuk driver offered his services for USD12 for the standard temple tour and if one intent to Bantaey Srey, the prices would be of higher price, USD20 per Tuk-Tuk. I knew that if you were to go out to the street and flag down a Tuk Tuk, it would cost around USD10 and USD18 respectively for the trips mentioned above, but since Heang spoke audible English and understood what we were talking about, we decided not to waste our time negotiating a price and accepted his offer.
The plan I had in mind was to spend the afternoon taking a boat trip to Tonle Sap Lake. From the research I had done, the price should be around USD8 per person for a 1.5 hour boat trip. Heang told us the tickets were available from the guesthouse, but at a price of USD10 per person. I was dubious at first, but he was adament that USD8 is an impossible price to find elsewhere. Again, we didn't want to waste time arguing so we bought the tickets from the guesthouse too. On the other hand, I have also read about boat trips to more authentic floating villages, (i.e. Kampong Phluk and the flooded forest) but Heang advised us against it because it was the dry season and there would be nothing much to see because the water level is too low. Besides, the cost would also be higher, around USD30 per person. Eventually, I gave in to his suggestion with regret in my heart. Ah well, maybe next time.
Poverty in Siem Reap
Lunch at Khmer Kitchen <refer to review of Khmer Kitchen> finished around 2pm and we had bought two Lonely Planet Guide Books for Cambodia and Vietnam. During lunch, we also had a first hand look on poverty in Siem Reap when a young woman clutching a baby with two children in tow grabbed the leftover drinks on the table and drank from it. There were also children that came begging for money (not from us). I noticed a lady that gave them money was pestered by other children after that. So do adhere to the advice you read on the internet: DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO THE CHILDREN. In fact, it is advised not to give money OR food to the children or families on the street because this will only give them the initiative to stay ON the street, while the local government are trying to keep them OFF it. You will never have enough to give all of the children, because once you give one of them, others will harass you.
Tonle Sap Rendevous
The trip to Tonle Sap Lake took 20-30 minutes and I was convinced my face was covered with a layer of dirt by the time we reached there (The second half of the journey was a dirt road). Along the way, we also saw the poorer side of the country as the most of the houses built along the road were made up of palm tree leaves. Houses that were made of wood seemed to mark the families were a bit better off. What I did not understand was, when we peeked into the houses, majority of the residents seemed to be doing nothing but... SLEEPING? Isn't there anything more productive to do on a sunny afternoon?
We stopped by a hut which had a sign that said "Official Boat Lake Operator" or something like that while Heang went down to get the ticket vouchers from them (I guess?). So I presume the tickets we bought were legitimate.
We had a big boat all to ourselves with two boat operators. We were told that the water level is very low because it was the dry season. As we ventured out, we passed by a floating school, basketball court and police station! <see photos> It did not feel like we were venturing out to a lake, as it looked more like a small river. 5 minutes into the boat ride, we finally got a preview of the lake as the "small river" finally branched out to a full fledged lake.
The Famous Floating Village
I have been to a "floating village" during my trip to Phang Nga, Thailand but the Cambodian version was definitely nothing similiar to that. The Thailand version was made up of a big village on stilts where all the houses were connected with one another. At Tonle Sap, one household equals to a boat and are detached from other "houses" (aka boats). I cannot imagine how one family can live in a boat but it seems to work out well for them. You could see pots and pans hung up nicely, and clothes were strung up to dry in the sun. I suddenly remembered reading from a website that the main source of food for Cambodians were fish caught from Tonle Sap. When I told the BF about this fact after a few meals in Cambodia, he refrained from ordering dishes with fish in it. <laugh>
Out tour boat stopped at a floating shop (which sold drinks and local handicrafts). When our boat approached the shop, other small boats approached us with children calling out "Banana 1 Dollar". Good grief, a bunch of bananas for USD1 is definitely not cheap for us Malaysians! Sorry but no thanks!
The floating shop also bred crocodiles (which were of course, kept in cages). I wonder if they thought it would serve as a tourist attraction? And on second thought, what do they feed the crocodiles with? A floating shop might be financially better off but to be able to support the appetite of 20 over crocodiles? Maybe the crocodiles are trained to be vegetarians and ate fish. Hah! <laughs>
We headed back after a 15 minutes rest at the floating shop. Overall it was an interesting 1 hour boat trip. Our two boat operators requested for tips when we got off. I was taken aback but we still gave USD1 to each of them. While we tried to locate Heang, I saw a makeshift tent with two pool tables. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as it looked so out of place with the surroundings. You couldn't say Cambodia was out of touch since they still know how to entertain themselves. <refer to attached photo>
Heang told us most of the residents of the floating villages are illegal Vietnamese immigrants because Cambodians are not experts on living on water.
Sunset at Phnom Bakeng
Upon Heang's suggestion, we stopped by Old Market area for a quick shopping stint since it was still early (4pm). We could enter Angkor Wat for free after 5pm, meaning our 3 day pass that was registered today will only start in effect, the next day.
Do remember to bring your own passport photos if you intend to buy a 3 day or 1 week pass. Photos are not required for 1 day passes. The process was very fast and we reached Phnom Bakeng by 5pm. By then, a huge crowd had gathered. I hurried the BF because I have read that the sunset crowd at Phnom Bakeng can get ridiculously crowded (the record seemed to be a 1000 strong crowd). You can get an elephant ride up to Phnom Bakeng (not sure about the price). The walk up is a gradual uphill journey of about 10 minutes. Since we got there quite early, we could still get a good spot. The BF started to prepare for the sunset photo shoot while I explored Phnom Bakeng on my own.
Phnom Bakeng was, officially the first Angkor ruin we visited. It was quite weather beaten and there was not much restoration work done to it. There were signs of intricate stone carvings but it was pretty much faded. The size was small, one can finish walking around under 5 minutes.
The crowd slowly built up and I was glad we reached there earlier. The sunset at Phnom Bakeng has the view of the sunset overlooking Tonle Sap <refer to photo>. I caught a glimspe of the hot air ballon (not sure of the price, you can get a hot air ballon ride for sunset and sunrise).
It was too cloudy for a spectacular sunset. As the sun took its time to set, it started to disappear behind huge masses of clouds. We waited for some time to give it a second chance to appear but it became apparent the sun was not coming out of the clouds again. Ah... too bad. Others thought the same too and start to descend Phnom Bakeng. It reminded me so much of a typical traffic jam in Kuala Lumpur, there was only one way leading down and it didn't help that the flight of stairs were steep.
We decided to go back to the Old Market area to have dinner instead of going back to the guesthouse to freshen up. Dinner was at Khmer Family <refer to review of Khmer Family Restaurant>. After dinner we had a stroll around Pub Street to survey tomorrow’s choices for lunch/dinner. Since tomorrow will start early with sunrise watching at Angkor Wat, we decided to go back early to prep for a long day tomorrow. Can't wait!
Summary of our Day
1145am : Arrival
1215pm : Check in to Guesthouse
1pm - 2pm : Lunch
2pm - 230pm : Travelling to Tonle Sap Lake from Old Market
230pm - 330pm : Tonle Sap Rendevous
330pm - 4pm : Travel back to Old Market Area
4pm - 430pm : Shopping at Old Market
430pm - 5pm : Travelling to Angkor Wat and Buying of Angkor 3 Day Passes
5pm - 6pm : Sunset at Phnom Bakeng
6pm - 830pm : Back to Old Market Area, Dinner and Shopping
Day 2 @ Siem Reap, Cambodia
Dragging my butt out of bed
The alarm went off at 430am. As I dragged myself out of bed, I was praying that the sunrise had better be worth it. This would be my first sunrise watching ever in my entire life, all prevoius attempts failed miserably because I could never get myself out of bed so early. The target was to leave at 5am.
It was WORTH it
It was still very dark when we got there. Luckily, Heang was nice enough to bring us in and show us the spot for watching sunrise. It was in front of a big pond with Angkor Wat in the background. I remembered watching this scene on many postcards where the sun rises behind Angkor, reflecting Angkor in the water. The sky started to brighten around 530am and being the novice sunrise watcher, I got confused and asked the BF: "Is the sun out yet? How come the sky is already bright?". It was only when the sun did start to come out that I came to realize the sky starts to brighten up even when the sun is not physically in sight.
We managed to get a good spot since we were one of the first few to arrive. Many thanks to Heang for getting us out of bed early. There are no chairs to sit on so if you get tired of standing, you can pay USD1 for a chair (I'm serious). The crowd started to gather around 6am and the sun finally made its grand entry at 615am. To my disappointment, the sun appeared from the left of Angkor and not directly behind it <Refer to photos>. It would have been a more spectulcar scene had it appear from behind. Ah well, the scene was still beautiful and I was glad my first sunrise was special enough to be at Angkor. To fellow travellers who are comtemplating whether getting out of bed early to watch sunrise at Angkor is worth it, trust me when I say IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT.
The Great Angkor - Bayon
I'm definitely not a morning person and I was hungry. We went back to the guesthouse (which is a short 15 minutes ride) to have breakfast and a short nap before starting our journey for the day. I would suggest the same to other fellow travellers, unless you want to avoid the crowd. We made our way to Angkor Thom at 830am and officially began our Angkor tour. Bayon was our first stop. The road leading into Angkor Thom, was lined with the giant statues (where surprisingly, most with their heads intact) with the naga, which is a common sight in Cambodia. (Note: Naga is a mythical creature that resembles a snake/dragon with its long body and 6 heads). The gate was my first glimspe of the four headed statues which were the main feature of the Bayon temple <Refer to photos>.
I held my breath as I felt we were drawing closer to Bayon. I have read so much about it and many people have described it to be more beautiful than Angkor Wat. When it finally came into sight, one can not help but stare in awe of the spectacle. It was hard to believe that this structure, was build almost 900 yeras ago. One can only imagine the devotion and dedication the ruler had to be able to drive such an impressive construction. <refer to photos>
I made my way around the temple to take a look at the famous bas-reliefs that I had read about. Since I had entered the temple from the north, it was a tad difficult to locate the bas reliefs (continuous stone carvings on the walls that tell a story) because one is suppose to enter from the east gate to correctly view the bas reliefs. I finally spot it and started looking at it from the West.
The bas reliefs at Angkor Thom are not very well kept and have fallen victim to the power of nature and weather. I had to refer to the guide book while tracing the bas reliefs, I don't believe I could have made out the meanings of it on my own.
We spent around 1 hour at Bayon before moving onwards to next stop: Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King and Phimenekas.
The Terraces and Phimenakas
If you were to travel on your own without a guide, you won't stay very long at the terraces. The Terrace of the Elephants is just a wall with a lot of intricate elephant carvings. From here, you walk further in to visit Phimenakas, which is a temple that is interestingly, with a very dark orange hue. If you do not climb up Phimenakas, there's nothing much to see, just take a photo and you can leave. The climb up looks very treacherous and it doesn't help that there is a sign which says "Climb at your own risk". Personally, I found it quite an adrenaline rush to climb as the stairs were very steep <refer to photos>. Coming down is definitely more difficult than going up. After Phimenakas, you walk out and will reach Terrace of the Leper King.
I understand it was named in such a way because of the state of the statue that was found here (the original has been moved to the national museum at Phnom Penh). I didn't have much interest on the statue, it was the carvings on the walls of this terrace that drew my attention. It was carved with repeated rows of sitting buddhas <refer to photos>
Greece in Cambodia?
By 11am, we were ready for our next two stops: Preah Khan and Neak Pann. It was just perfect, two more temples before stopping for lunch. Preah Khan was a bit less congested than Bayon and the Terraces. Heang stopped us at the entrance and instructed us to walk to the very end and he will meet us there. If you do intend to visit Preah Khan, please arrange for your driver to meet you at the opposite end of the entrance to Preah Khan. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of time walking to the end and then doubling back to meet your driver.
The road leading to Preah Khan was also lined with the naga and big statues, similar to Bayon. The only difference was most of the statues here were missing their heads. I only came to realize the ones at Bayon were of the same state and was restored (not sure if it was restored with the original head pieces) when I visited the National Museum at Phnom Penh later. It is sad to see the looting that happens to the temples at Angkor.
Preah Khan temple had a strange light green hue to it <refer to photos>. I read somewhere this was the original colour the temple was in. It was not restored as beautifully as Bayon but I found that this was the other beauty of it. A lot of the temple grounds were covered in rubble but this only made me appreciate it more. At the end of the temple, there was this Greek looking structure that seriously looked out of place <refer to photos>. It had round columns instead of the usual square ones.
Heang met us at the other end of the temple and off we went to Neak Pann, which was just a short distance away. We also had to walk some distance in because the Tuk-Tuk cannot enter the small road leading to it. Neak Pann is a very different temple compared to the others. It had four underground structures (not sure if this is the correct way to describe it) which I can imagine, during the rainy season will be submerged in the water. What we saw during our trip was, there were four very big holes dug in the ground. We made our way down one of the holes to see the structure. There's nothing spectacular about it but the locals seem to worship it very much <refer to photos>.
Lunch - Escape from the Heat
Time for Lunch! Heang suggested we go back to Old Market area for lunch but I had already decided to eat at Angkor Cafe. Heang didn't know where it was, luckily we had picked up a local food guide and showed him the map. <Refer to review for Angkor Cafe>
Lunch finished at 130pm and we had arranged for Heang to pick us up at 3pm from Angkor. It was scorchingly HOT, even my umbrella and hat did not seem to help much. I would suggest to other fellow travellers, if you are not one who can bear with extreme heat, it would be better to have lunch at town and rest at your hotel until 3pm before making your way to Angkor Wat. However, the crowd picks up after 3pm so it will be slightly jam-packed. The usual itinerary is to visit Angkor Wat in the afternoon because during this time Angkor is caught in the afternoon sunlight. In the morning, it will be in the shadows of the sun.
Finally, Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is truly magnificent. But it is not my personal favourite. A lot of restoration has been done to Angkor and it looks like time has come to a standstill for it. It probably looks very much the same as it did when it was built. For me, the highlight for Angkor Wat was the bas-reliefs which are SO intricate and well-kept. When you walk into Angkor, turn right and you can see the bas-reliefs. Follow it in the anti-clockwise direction.
This is the one time I wished I had a tour guide with me. I relied on my guide book for this. Most of the carvings were referred to the stories from famous Hindu epic of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Personally, I felt the bas-reliefs at Bayon would have been more interesting had it been sheltered from the damage done by the weather (the bas-reliefs at Bayon depicted history, including the war with Champa and also daily lives at Tonle Sap Lake).
The bas reliefs at Angkor are very extensive and I believe it is the longest running in the world (I read this somewhere). You can spend almost 45 minutes just looking at it and I imagine with a tour guide, even longer. After that, we made our way to the central complex and climbed our way up to the highest point at Angkor. Again, the climb is similiar to Phimenakas but even higher and steeper. Since more people climb the stairs, the steps are also more worn out and therefore, more slippery compared to Phimeanakas. There are a few stairways up, if you are worried you can try looking for the one stairway that has a rail built on the side of it, that you can hold on to. I noticed there was only one such stairway and we only found out when we used it to come down. We went up on another one and relied on our hands to grab onto the stairs on top to get up.
We finished Angkor Wat in 1.5 hours. We couldn't find Heang and waited until 330pm. It was a misunderstanding as he was waiting at the other side and there were so many tuk-tuks and people around we just couldn't see him. Had to call up Mr. Bouvth from the Guesthouse to relay our location to him so that he could tell Heang for us.
Up close and personal with the giants
By then, I was having a splitting headache because of the heat. Next stop was Ta Phrom, the famous temple where Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider was shot. The BF was looking very much to this temple because he has seen pictures of giagantic trees clinging on to the walls of Ta Phrom.
Ta Phrom was also a joy to visit. The gigantic trees, even when we have seen so many photos of it, were still so surreal and one cannot help but stare in awe of it. There were so many of these gigantic trees! Ta Phrom is one of the temples where no restoration works were done to it. The state it is in now is exactly the same when it was discovered. Many parts of the temple were in rubbles as well. However, that only added to the beauty of it. I couldn't locate the tree where Angelina Jolie shot the scene from Tomb Raider. Ah well, doesn't matter anyway, it would have looked the same as any other tree.
Ta Phrom marked the end of our day and we made our way back to the guesthouse to have a rest before we went out for dinner at Angkor Palm <refer to review of Angkor Palm restaurant>
Overall, it has been an exciting 1st day of our Angkor visit. We had bought a 3 day pass but was only going to utilize 2 days because we would be travelling to Phnom Penh on the 3rd day. On a personal note, Angkor did not impress or bring the awe factor as much as Bayon or Ta Phrom. Perhaps, so much has been expected from Angkor and it did not manage to live up to its expectation.
Summary of the Day
430am - 7am: Sunrise at Angkor
7am - 830am: Breakfast and rest
9am - 10am: Bayon
10am - 11am: Terrace of the Elephants, Phimenakas and Terrace of the Leper King
1115am - 1230pm: Preah Khan, Neak Pann
1230pm - 130pm: Lunch at Angkor Cafe
130pm - 3pm: Angkor Wat
330pm - 430pm: Ta Phrom
5pm - 630pm: Rest at Guesthouse
7pm - 830pm: Dinner and Drinks
Day 3 @ Siem Reap, Cambodia
Another Sunrise
Our final day at Siem Reap started with another desparate struggle to get out of bed at 430am. We had planned to watch sunrise at Sras Srang (literally translated to The Royal Pool), which is another popular spot for sunrise watching at Siem Reap. For someone who has never caught any sunrise before, it's a record for me to be catching two sunrise in a row. Phew!
The Children of Angkor
Sras Srang is further than Angkor Wat, we took around 30 minutes to get there. Again, we were one of the earlier ones to arrive. Even though it was early, the children were already armed and ready for the tourists. A few were trying to sell postcards, handicrafts and pirated books (their melodic voices ringing out the familiar "1 DOLLAR"). This would be a normal sight around any temple ruin and also in the town area. The children here have become expert sellers and I can guess, their parents are banking in on the fact that the tourists will find it more difficult to bargain with children and thus more profit will be gained.
When I first arrived at Cambodia, I was startled with the sight of children on the street even on a normal weekday. In Malaysia, you will not see any children around during a normal day, (except weekends) because they will be away at school. I find it sad, that something which I have taken granted for in my country - education, is not readily available for the children of Cambodia. I do not know, why are majority of the children not at school? Is it because, education is not free? Or do the parents feel that education is a waste of time because their child could help to earn some money for the family by selling postcards to the tourists?
The BF was interested at some of the postcards the children were selling. During the "bargaining session", I was stunned when the child rejected the price offered by the BF by saying "Sorry sir, I paid 2000 riel to buy the postcard. I will loose money if I sell it to you at this price". After this, the child proceeded to offer another price to the BF. Good grief, I think this child may be a better seller/businessman than I would ever be!
Pretty Sunrise
The crowd was not that big at Sras Srang. There were huge steps where you can sit on, thus eliminating the need to pay and sit on a chair. Sras Srang, essentially is a huge pool of water and the sun rises just beyond the edge of the pool. While sunrise at Sras Srang is not as spectacular as Angkor, I enjoyed it very much too. <refer to photo> If you can only choose one sunrise, I would still recommend Angkor.
Similiar to yesterday's arrangement, we went back to the guesthouse to have breakfast and a short power nap before venturing out. Definitely need to recharge my battery!
Pre-Rup and Bantaey Kdei
We did not discuss today's itinerary in the same detail as we did for our first day of temple hopping. I had a planned itinerary before the trip with Pre Rup and Bantaey Kdei included in an ambitious travel plan. However, I assumed the trip to Bantaey Srei would be a very long journey and we might not be able to include these two temples for the day. Well, I was very WRONG! These two temples are definitely on the way and it would not take up much of your time, personally I felt it was well worth the visit. I'm very grateful to Heang for stopping by these two temples even though we did not specifically communicate to him that we wished to go there.
Our first unexpected stop was Bantaey Kdei. It was like a smaller version of Preah Khan and one did not have to guess to know that it is in an unrestored state. However, there were small signs of human intervention to help keep the temple together - some of the roof structure were bound together with what looked like strings <refer to photo> and some columns were supported by wooden blocks.
Our next unexpected stop - Pre Rup was an unexpected delight. It's HUGE (not in the same context as Angkor, though) and you need to do a bit of stair climbing (not as bad as Angkor or Phimenakas) to get to the top. The view from the top is pretty, you can see distant mountains and a whole stretch of forests.
The fairest of them all - Bantaey Srei
I have seen many photos of Bantaey Srei and therefore, had very high expectations for it. Will it deliver? We'll see... When we arrived, it was very obvious the crowd here is comparable to that of Angkor Wat and Bayon. Anticipation heightened as we approached the entrance and we were greeted with one of the many, amazingly intricate carvings of Bantaey Srei. It was carved on the huge beam that was set on the two columns that supported the entrance.
When we walked further in, my jaw dropped. Bantaey Srei is unusualy different from the other temples, it seems like every available surface of the temple were covered with carvings! The elaborate design of the carvings far surpassed that of Angkor and Bayon (which consisted mainly of Apsaras). In my opinion, the bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat, while intricate, was not as deep as the carvings at Bantaey Srei. Referring to an article I have read before I went to Cambodia, the whole temple felt like it was a monument on display rather than a temple which is used for religious purposes.
This is also one of the temples (besides Angkor Wat), where the main complex is shielded from the tourists by a barrier. I can understand, the carvings must be protected from the wandering hands of tourists, who will definitely try to touch the carvings had it not been safe-guarded. Bantaey Srei is not very big, there is only the main complex and there is nothing much beyond that. It would be very helpful to have a tour guide explain the meanings of the carvings, but since we did not have this luxury, we just spent time trying to make out the carvings (with not much success).
When I walked out of Bantaey Srei, I happily made a note: Bantaey Srei had definitely lived up to my expectations! Now as I reflected back on my trip, Bantaey Srei definitely wins the "my favourite temple ruin", hands down.
Bantaey Samre and Lunch
We asked Heang where he was bring us next and he mentioned that we were to make our way to the Roulous Group. I was quite surprised because there are only three temples in the Roulous Group! That would mean we can finish our temple visit for the day by 2pm! (it was only 1130pm then). I was not that happy with this arrangement because I felt Heang was trying to take the short cut and end the temple visiting for the day earlier.
I remembered off my head, a few other temples that many recommended as worth visiting, i.e. Baksei Chamkrong, Thommanon, Ta Keo, Ta Som, etc. I rummaged through a local published tour book I had brought along and tried to look up other temple ruins that might be worth visiting. I did not pay USD40 to finish temple visiting at 2pm!
Nonetheless, I started to change my mind as I read through the local tour book. Seems like most of the temples we have seen are indeed on the "must see" list and other temples will appear quite redundant if we were to visit them. As I struggled with to come to a decision, Heang suggested we make a move first while I can have time to think on the road. Heang made another unexpected stop at Bantaey Samre, 10 minutes later. It was noon by then and the heat was starting to get to me again. But the temple, was worth the visit. Similiar to Preah Khan, it had the bright green hue to it. The temple was also different compared to the other temples, it felt like some sort of a maze within its interior walls because the walkways are connected to the central complex and also to the other sides of the temple. The BF got a bit confused when he thought one of the exits led to the main entrance. This is one of the (very few) occasions I managed to get my directions right and told him that was not the correct way. <grins> Guess I could relate better to the temple ruins than him.
We decided to have lunch at a roadside food stall just opposite the road from Bantaey Samre. It was our first try at such a place (we were careful with choosing our venue for meals because we did not want to end up with an upset stomach). The place we chose looked decent enough and we decided to have Loc Lac (with pork, not beef) and a sweet and sour soup. It was seriuosly, not bad! Although I came to realize one thing, Cambodian restaurants seem to take a long time to prepare our meals. On average, we always have to wait for 15-20 minutes before our food came. In Malaysia, this would have been an unacceptable. In a way, I guess Malaysians have been pampared to have their food served fast. <laughs >
Rolous Group
I agreed to proceed to Rolous Group temples after lunch finished around 1pm. I think Heang took a short cut because we were on a dirt road for almost 20 minutes. It was the most "memorable" tuk-tuk rides I had in Cambodia because along this dirt road, once a lorry passes by we had to cover our face, otherwise we will be physically breathing in dirt and sand. A word of advice to others, if you intend to visit Rolous, please do bring along a towel/scarf because you will definitely need to protect your face with it.
Our first stop was at Bakong. We were the only other visitors, apart from another lady. There are only four remaining standing structures at Bakong. The distinctive feature of Bakong is, it seems to be built with small bricks instead of the usual huge slabs or rock. I noticed Pre-Rup was also built similiarly. We only spend 10 minutes here because there was not much to see and we did not have a tour guide to explain the significance of the place to us.
Our next stop was supposed to be Preah Ko, but it was in heavy restoration when we got there and truth to be told, it was in near shambles. We decided not to get down from the Tuk Tuk.
Finally, we arrived at the last temple of the Rolous Group - Lolei. The structure looked promising enough at first glance, it was big and the central complex was tall. Again, the place was empty except for another tourist. We walked around and climbed to the top (it was the easiest climb compared to Angkor or Phimeanakas). The temple design itself, was simple and solid. There were no intricate carvings like Bantaey Srey. We wandered around and left the temple after 10 minutes.
That's a wrap!
The heat was getting unbearable and we decided to call it a day at 2pm. Two days worth of temple ruins visiting and personally, I felt I have had enough of my share of temple hopping. We went back to the guesthouse to have a well deserved rest before venturing to old market to shop around for souveniers (we got six fridge magnets for USD5 and 4 very nice postcards for USD1). Word of advice to shoppers at old market, you MUST bargain to at least 70% of the original price. For those interested to buy travel or angkor related books, you can try to bargain until 50% of the original price. Dinner was at Amok Restaurant (refer to Amok Restaurant review) and we walked back to the guesthouse from the old market (which took us 20 minutes) and shopped for alcohol. Attention to all drinkers, alcohol are sold at Cambodia dirt cheap! Apparently, there are no duty imposed on alcoholic drinks in Cambodia so one botel of Chivas Scotch Whiskey (750 litres) only cost USD18.50!
Summary of the Day
430am - 7am: Sunrise at Sras Srang
7am - 830am: Breakfast and rest
830am - 10am: On the Road, Bantaey Kdei and Pre Rup
1030am - 1130am: Bantaey Srey
1145am - 1215pm: Bantaei Samre
1215pm - 1245pm: Lunch at Roadside Stall outside Bantaey Samre
1pm - 2pm: Bakong and Lolei
2pm - 4pm: Rest at Guesthouse
4pm - 7pm: Internet Cafe and Shopping
7pm - 830pm: Dinner
Day 4 @ Siem Reap, Cambodia
Goodbye Siem Reap!
Another early start for the day because our bus to Phnom Penh leaves at 730am. We had the guesthouse buy the tickets for us and Mr. Bouvth delivered it on the day before. The bus company that we bought the tickets from is Mekong Express, which is the only bus that offers toilet facility on board the bus. Mekong Express offers pickup service from the guesthouse to the bus station and our pickup arrived at 630am (which Mr. Bouvth did inform us the day before).
On the way, our pickup stopped by to fetch other passengers. By the time we reach the bus stop, it was 7am. It was quite chaotic as there were no platforms, in fact, it was not even a real bus stop. It was just a big piece of land with many buses lined up neatly. However, our pickup did stop in front of the "bus stop" for Mekong Express and we were ushered to a "check in counter" (which was a makeshift table). A guy was standing by with a few sheets of paper, you just need to give your ticket to him and he will point you to the correct bus. Luggage should also be surrendered at this counter and they will mark your luggage and give you the other half of the luggage tag.
Since it was still early and our bus was not ready for boarding yet, we wandered around trying to find food but due to the unsatisfying hygenic conditions, we decided to buy pre-packaged biscuits. The bus was available for boarding at 715am so we made our way to our seats. There is a pretty young lady acting as our bus attendant.
6 hours.. My butt hurts!
The bus departed on time. The BF told me that the distance from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh would only take 2 hours drive in Malaysia but due to the road conditions in Cambodia, it took us 6 hours! The bus made two stops on the way to Phnom Penh. I did utilize the bus toilet once and I have to say the conditions are satisfying. <grins> The BF was not particularly satisfied with the seats on the bus. He complained that the head-rest was not high enough for him, causing his neck to hurt because he could not rest his neck. On the other hand, the seats were spacious enough for us and the seats can be adjusted to be lowered, to a certain degree. On the way to Phnom Penh, we bumped into other buses at the rest stops and observed that other bus companies, such as P. Sorya and May Linh actually have newer buses and what looked like more comfortable seats. Therefore, for those that do not need a toilet on the bus, you may want to consider the bus companies mentioned above.
A sensitive sleeper will not be able to sleep well on the bus, not due to the conditions inside the bus, but because Cambodian drivers have a habit of honking A LOT while driving.
Finally, after 6 hours of sitting on my butt, we arrived at our destination - Phnom Penh.
previous travel blog entry
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