Arriving in Cambodia there was some anticipation about what exactly we were going to experience. Here is a country that was controlled by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in the 1970's who brutally tortured the people and executed a fifth of Cambodia's population. The fighting and terror did not end completely until 1998 after a protracted guerrilla war. It was amazing to find that despite poverty, war and genocide the people of Cambodia are so warm, friendly and have a great sense of humor.
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We flew from Kuala Lumpur directly to Siem Reap. Siem Reap, or more the temples near Siem Reap, was once the heart of the Khmer Empire from about 802 AD to 1431 AD. (note: Khmer are the Cambodian people, and the Khmer Rouge was the name given to followers of the Communist Party led by Pol Pot). The temples were abandoned in the 15th century and most of the temples were overtaken by the jungle surrounding them. In the late 1880's the temples were "rediscovered" by a Frenchman and the temples have been slowly restored and cleared since that time.
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The temples of Angkor are spread out over 300 square kilometers so we tried to make a plan for seeing as many temples as we could without getting too "templed out" or soaked because of the ridiculous heat and humidity. Our hostel suggested a tuk tuk driver that they often use, Sambol, who turned into our de facto guide for the temples. Sambol was great and drove us around the temples for three days.
We started off in Angkor Thom where outside of the entrance we got to feed an elephant bananas (which was certainly a highlight of the trip!).
"I call him Stampy."
The major temple Angkor Thom is known for Bayon which from far away looks like a pile of rocks, but once you get closer you realize there are faces enigmatically looking down at you. The faces supposedly are the face of King Jayarvarman VII to represent the omnipresence of the king (as the kings were considered god-like at the time). Mostly these temples were built for either Hindu or Buddhist religion (depending on what king was in control at the time). These temples are huge and it takes forever to see all the hallways, small passages and reliefs on the walls.
After Angkor Thom we headed to Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm's beauty is that it has not been restored and there is little of the jungle that has been removed. Therefore it has a mysterious aspect that makes you feel like you are walking into the temples as they were when they were rediscovered. This is also where a lot of the Tomb Raider shots were filmed (for the Angelina Jolie fans).
Our final stop on the first day of temples was Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is one of the few temples that was never abandoned. After the Kings left Angkor, Buddhist monks continued to worship at Angkor Wat. As it was never fully left to the elements, Angkor Wat is one of the best preserved of all the temples.
While we were walking through the massive hallways and corridors of Angkor Wat we ran into a group of four monkeys who make the temple their home.
Day two of temples brought us to Preah Khan, Neak Pean, East Mabon and Pre Rup. These temples were surrounded by huge lakes that required boats to reach them. Now, the lakes have dried and you can only imagine the huge moats and reflecting pools. One of these temples was still being excavated while we were there.
Finally, on our last day visiting the temples we headed about 40 kilometers outside of town to Banteay Srey and Banteay Samre. Our guide book from 2000 warns that these two temples are isolated and even dangerous because of their isolation. It is amazing how things have changed in 10 years as Banteay Srey was the busiest temple we visited now complete with a visitor's center. Banteay Srey is popular as it has some of the best preserved and most intricate carvings of all the temples.
Banteay Samre had some amazing carvings, however there was barely anyone there. Both of these temples feature a deeper red sandstone and were constructed during a different period.
In addition to visiting temples, we noticed that a lot of the restaurants in Siem Reap advertised Khmer cooking classes. It was a deal as the class was only $12 to learn to make a stater, main course and dessert (and it would cost about $11 to order all this in the restaurant) which you get to eat too!
For the class we first headed to the local market where we saw the local foods that we would be using to make the dishes. It is a great market with river fish moving around on trays, crabs trying to get out of baskets, buckets of eels, beautiful fruit and spices, even "aged" eggs considered a delicacy .
I made a green mango salad with sweet and sour sauce, Amok fish and some crazy tapioca, jellied dessert. Not only did we make the food, but we also learned how to make little chili trees and a rose out of a tomato! It was a ton of fun and I am hoping to recreate the meal back home (I have to find a good Asian market in Boulder though for some specific ingredients!).
In addition to the temples, Siem Reap also has a vibrant night life. In the heart of town there are literally hundreds of bars, cafes and restaurants and most offer the local Angkor beer on draft for the low low price of $0.50! While certainly not the best beer in the world you can't beat that price and we had a few. We met a bunch of other travelers that were able to last much longer into the night (well dawn, really) than we were. It was with a few Brits that we sampled the cobra wine and absinthe.
All in all we enjoyed our short time in Siem Reap. The temples are certainly worth the trip and the town itself is the perfect size for us, allowing the local culture to thrive and not be totally engulfed by the tourism.
So amazing, Jim and Leslie!!! Thanks for the sharing your stories and incredible pics. Can't wait to hear all about it on your return. Safe travels!
ReplyDelete~Pete & Kate
you tried the Cobra wine - you two are much braver than I!
ReplyDeleteFun!