Cambodia (part 2)
Angkor Wat and Siem Reap

It is officially my first Cambodian Temple day. after a late night arrival last night I am not doing the early morning sunrise trip yet so I have arranged with Bun to collect me from the guesthouse at 08h30 for a tuk tuk trip of the Angkor temple complex.
He is already eagerly waiting as I turn up for breakfast at 07h45, so I eat up a healthy breakfast pick up my camera some water and we are off.

It takes about 30 minutes weaving through the traffic of Siem Reap to get to the ticket office so I can purchase my temple pass.

It looked manic on arrival but in fact its a simple quick five minutes, despite the throng of people, I was photographed, paid my money and issued with an ID pass valid for three visits over the next seven days (for more detailed info on passes, costs and visiting the temples see this page).

Then it was back to the tuk tuk, through the checkpoint - where they very carefully checked my pass- and down a broad tree lined leafy boulevard into the heart of Angkor Wat and the many other surrounding temples forests and jungle.

As we make our way down the road through the forest there are small shrines and temples dotted in the forest to the left and right the morning light dappled as it shone through the leaves, my first glimpse of Angkor!

Then you arrive at the Moat that surrounds Angkor Wat the most famous of the temples the ornate stone towers of the temple peaking through the green leafy forest that surrounds it. Even today it is and impressive sight with a broad wide pathway crossing the moat into the temple grounds then down a raised stone path into the main Angkor Wat itself, it must have been an awe inspiring humbling feeling to have walked these paths in their glory days.

The temples (or wats) were built for 'gods' - the ruler of the then mighty empire - each subsequent king trying to outbuild the previous kings monuments, Angkor is meant to represent Mount Meru the home of the gods from the Hindu faith. each king trying to 'live forever' as a god by creating this amazing monument, it was also meant to intimidate visitors into submission by impressing upon them the enormous scale of the buildings, I reckon it must have worked too, even now as I stroll along the stone paths with visitors from all over the world I can imagine the royal guards and advisors to the king looking down on me as I dared to enter the home of the gods!

Angkor Wat is the tallest temple in Cambodia and has very distinctive towers that are replicated on monuments and in architecture across Cambodia but it is just one of many temples spread out amongst the forests of Angkor, I am starting my trip a little further out and working my way back to Angkor Wat for sunset.

The temples are in various states of (dis)repair with worn stone steps and in places new wooden stairs (to allow access) paved courtyards lead to doorways which go through the temples leading to small courtyrds and narrow corridors entwine the temples some seem to lead nowhere while others pop you out at another area, ornate decorations are carved into the walls and rooves and bas reliefs depicting victories over enemies adorn many temple walls, it is a place to wander around and absorb the feel of the place and try to imagine both the building of such a place and what life might have been like living in such a place!

To give you some perspective at its prime Angkor had a population of over one million people when London was still a small town of less then 50 000 inhabitants!

I wander fairly aimlessly amongst the temple buildings discovering small quiet corners and open busy courtyards as I make my way through ancient history, wall reliefs, ornate 'doors', pillars and statues are everywhere, light filters through from above creating a lovely stark light/dark contrast to the architecture making it tricky for photographs but maybe it reflects the religious background of the temples the ever present battle of good and evil, dark and light?

I tuk tuk between temples always stopping before I get to the entrance so I can walk up to the temple and enjoy its presence on approach, some have forest closing in on them and the sounds of the forest create a beautiful atmosphere, the voices of the birds, insects and monkies floats among the trees while butterflies and falling leaves drift amongst the shady light.

It is just the kind of place that I enjoy, wandering alone finding the quieter areas, the forest paths and stumbling across temples among the trees lost in my own thoughts with no intrusions from modern life I can relax (and I love to sit in a nice shady peaceful spot and right my notes)

The main temples are busy and you will struggle to get photos with no people in but wander just a little away from the main temples and you will easily find a quiet piece of history to absorb and enjoy.

By now the sun has swept up high into the sky making photo conditions a little harsh and I need the toilet and a drink, I find my tuk tuk and we head a little away from the main temples, there are food stalls of all sorts near all the main temples selling local and western style meals but as usual they are more expensive than in town, Bun takes me a little away from these stalls to a small clearing in the forest where a few other tuk tuk drivers, guides and locals are eating, not the normal spot for tourists but perfect for me, I am welcomed into the group and soon I have an ice cold coke and a plate of food, a stir fry with chicken, beans, carrot, cucumber, cashew nuts and other stuff (I am useless at identifying asian food) with rice on the side, it was fresh tasty and filling and with the drink cost me... US$2 you cant beat that.

I then even had time for an afternoon siesta to wait out the heat and harsh light before we made our way bak to Angkor Wat for sunset.

It is when you have rested and start again that you realise how much walking/climbing you have done, and I was a little stiff as I set off again for my sunset location.

There are several good places for sunset at Angkor each temple itself has a few good loctions, and there is the lake by Angkor Wat that can either offer reflections of the temple or the colours of the sun, so much choice... I eventually chose an area inside of Angkor Wat looking into the sun in one direction with the outer towers for silhouette, and back to the sun looking onto Angkor Wat to get the colour of the sun on the stone as it sets.

Sunset minus 30 minutes so I wander in and scout out the best angle and find a quiet place in the shade of a tree with some broken temple stones to sit on and wait updating my journal enjoying the tranquility, a stray dog wanders up and curls up beside my rock I call him splodge and he wags his tail happily, and there is a few more moments peace before a couple of tourists make thier way towards me, they greet me (I sort of greet back trying to discourage them from staying) but they persist and start asking questions about the temples, questions that even history has no answers so I make up some good sounding theories and try to get back to writing, but its not over yet, some more people are heading this way, its two girls who I met at immigration at the airport, they say hello greet the other couple and an animated conversation is started up, I look at splodge and he raises his eyebrows as if he understands, where can you get peace nowadays...

Sunset minus 10 minutes Its official there must be a sign by the main path (over 500 metres away from my quiet spot) saying 'Simon has set up his sunset photo this way' because now two other families have joined the group and its almost a party with people making plans of where to meet and when and what are the best places to eat in town, I have given up trying to write and do some test shots of the sky for sunset. I decide I can get a better angle a little further away and quietly pack up my gear and retreat to a quieter area.

The sunset was not so spectacular as there is a heat haze hovering over the area and the light was weak, but I enjoyed the beauty of the last rays of the setting sun on a truly remarkable location.

Back at the tuk tuk it is a mad scramble/dodgem as everyone heads back to town after a day amongst the temples of the gods at Angkor, motos, bikes, tuk tuks, mini buses, cars and coaches all jostle along the road then dissapear into Siem Reap, dropping off their passengers who wash freshen up before heading out to dinner at one of the many eating places in town.

Tommorrow morning it will all start again, and I will be there for the sunrise.

Tips
Take a hat, the sun even when it is hazy burns down on you
Good shoes for walking in even if you are not intending to walk far clambering amongst the buildings and across courtyards is quite testing also uneven paths and some steep steps will be encountered
Go early rest midday and drink plenty
Try not to cover too much in one day rather concentrate on a couple of smaller areas over a couple of days, It is easy to get 'templed out' partly due to all the walking and heat and seeing so much temple !
A reliable driver makes the day easier
Back in town get a massage some hotels have massage services available and seeing hands in town teaches blind people to massage, at the end of a day out and about your feet, legs and back will love you for it !

The temples may close as darkness descends but Siem Reap carries on well into the night, first order of business is finding somewhere to eat - the problem is picking where and what there is soooo much choice from local Cambodian cuisine, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Australian, places that cater for both eastern and western style food and of course fast food takeaways like KFC etc, it really is a smorgasbord of possible eateries, I will have to try a different place each night!

After a meal its time to meander the night markets of which there are several situated around the river area, selling silks crafts, clothes, souvenirs, carvings and much much much more. Foot massages are also very popular with all that walking around temples not that surprising.
There is also pub street with a variety of places to eat drink and dance it is a very busy area at night but still quite relaxing to stroll around absorbing the atmosphere, make sure you head to the river as the bridges are illuminated as are parts of the river bank with markets on both river banks, relax try some food, shop for souvenirs, have a massage, grab a drink, have a dance then head to bed for a good nights rest.

Early morning at Angkor

My alarm is tinkling away as I roll over and look at the time... it is 04h45 and its still dark - but I have to get up because I am watching sunrise at the temples today and Bun with tuk tuk are collecting me at 05h20.
Bleary eyed I splash some water on my face in an attempt to make me a little more alert then check all my camera gear that I had left charging through the night: camera batteries check, ipod check, go pro NO CHARGE I wiggle the cable and push the wall plug in and it starts charging.. I wonder how much charge it will get in the next 20 minutes? I also wish I could plug myself in for half an hour or so to get some morning energy I am not an early morning person and I am struggling to function well this morning, this is why when I know I have an early morning activity of any kind I prepare and pack everything before I go to bed I even lay my clothes out so I can just pick them up and put them on without having to think too much.
This morning I even have a packed breakfast kindly supplied by the guesthouse ready at reception as I stumble down the stairs, now if I could just find where I packed my brain-cells...

Out side in the gloom of the way to early morning Bun is polishing the tuk tuk all bright and ready to go. The drive to the temples is nice and quiet and quite cool, I have prepared for that and am wearing several layers, T shirt, long sleeve shirt, shorts socks and sandals and a wrap so I can stay warm on the drive and strip off the layers as the day heats up.
As we get closer to Angkor there is a surprising number of people heading through the dark to the temples, buses, tuk tuks, bicycles and people walking.
Past the checkpoint and into the complex and most people are heading to either Angkor Wat with its fabulous towers or the lake for the sunrise, I however have decided to avoid the crowds and head to a location I scouted out on my first visit where I have several angles for the sunrise, its a little further into the complex but when I get there (05h55) it is completely deserted Bun drops me off and we arrange to meet in a few hours.

All alone in the early morning mist I stroll down the long pathway towards the temple, halfway I stop to asses the photographic options and drink in the amazing atmosphere that pervades the area, the sun will rise behind me through the tall trees casting its early morning rays onto the temple bin front
- excellent -

I take some test shots then sit down and tuck into my packed breakfast in a most sublime dining location, absorbing the majesty and ambiance of the jungle surrounded temple, the dawn chorus of birds chatter in the trees, barks of monkies echo through the forest and amongst the temple buildings fish flop in the bathing pools while I enjoy croissant, bananas, baguette with cheese and a fruit juice.
Enjoying one of those magical moments of travel that will stay with me forever.

Its now 08h00 and I am no longer alone a steady trickle of visitors are climbing over my peaceful sunrise temple.. such is life and it is now hot I have discarded the socks and wrap and t-shirt but have kept my long sleeve shirt on to protect me from the sun especially on these slightly hazy days it is very easy to burn here and with my milky white skin I need to be extra careful - no bronzed sun glow look for me!

I climb up the temple to enjoy the wonderful forest views all around me, breath in the fresh unpolluted morning air aaaah lovely. Descending the far side of the temple I stroll through the forest, stumbling across ancient ruins, climbing through broken walls and around ponds that are dotted all around the forest and although I have only done two days of temple clambering I can start to feel a little stiffness in my legs, a nice relaxing muscle massage may be in order later!

My next temple is the one featured in the Tomb Raider movie, this is the most overgrown temple and the surrounding forest has grown into, over and through the buildings, (many of temples were like this in the early 90's when Angkor was 'rediscovered' and opened up for visiting in most places the forest was cleared because of the damage it was doing to the buildings, but the decision was make to keep this one area in its natural state so people could experience what had happened to the temples after years of being left untouched by humans).
The effect is mystical as light eases its way through the overhead canopy of leaves to create a very atmospheric feel, tall trees with giant roots loom over the temple and seem to stand guard over the ancient history with all its secrets, now all I need is Lara Croft and a whip......

The midday heat builds up and I kick off my shoes lie back and enjoy the passing scenery and the pleasant breeze from the back of the tuk tuk as Bun whisks me back to the guesthouse.
The temples are certainly a unique experience, the combination of historic temples and giant forests create a mystical and magical atmosphere where your imagination can try to conjure up what it must have been like in its glory days.

Departing Siem Reap

It is time to visit Cambodias capital city Phnom Penh, I wander to the reception desk and ask what options I have for a bus today, its 07h00 in the morning and I would like an 08h30bus if possible, but it must be reliable and safe (and cheap).
The very helpful lady behind the desk explains that she would recommend 3 companies for the trip all very good safe and reliable and priced at US$10 /US$11 and US$15, she will make some calls and see what seats are available on each at which times while I have breakfast. lovely service.

So I enjoy a pleasant relaxing breakfast of coffee croissants and juice while she secures a ticket for me.The US$10 bus was full but she has managed to get me on the US$11 bus for a discount so its still only US$10, and they will collect me from the guesthouse in ten minutes. I finish off my coffee and scurry away upstairs to pack.

At 08h00 I am back at reception to settle my bill which now include the bus fare.

The pick up for the bus is also ready and as I head into the mini bus the lady from reception comes hurrying up to me 'please take this' she says and hands me a scarf ' you catch the sun on your head use this to cover and take care' before I can say thank you she clasps her hands together in a traditional greeting and is gone and I am hustled onto the bus.

A special departure from a special place

part three Phnom Penh

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