Siem Reap - Day 1

After a refreshing time on the beach we continued on through Cambodia to Siem Reap. When we separated with Hari in Phnom Penh we decided to meet up again in Siem Reap to explore Angkor Wat. We had both been looking forward to seeing Ankgor Wat for sometime and were re-energized to do some hard-core sightseeing and exploring.

We met Hari at the Jasmine Guesthouse, as he arrived in Siem Reap a day earlier than we arrived. He spent his first day exploring some of the Angkor temples on the outskirts of the city and waited for us to arrive before going to the main temples. We all had to share stories from the time we were apart so naturally we headed to town to get some dinner a few Ankgor Beers. Sarah and I told Hari of our time on the beach and he caught us up on his 5 day dirt bike excursion with Brad and Esther through eastern Cambodia. It was great to have the threesome back together and we planned out the next several days at Angkor. While Siem Reap is quite a large tourist destination, the town itself is relatively quiet in the evenings except for one street lined with bars and restaurants which is appropriately called 'Bar Street'. Since we started traveling in SE Asia we saw tons of people wearing 'Angkor What?' t-shirts - we asked around and apparently 'Angkor What?' is the most popular bar in Siem Reap and is a must go for backpackers. We heard nothing but rave reviews so we checked it out. Overrated. Overpriced beers and buckets, below-average music, and extremely unfriendly staff (especially the resident bouncer with whom we had a minor incident). If you find yourself in Siem Reap just go to the bar across the street from Ankgor What? and have a much cheaper beer in a much more enjoyable atmosphere.The next morning, we all bought 3 day passes ($40/3 days, worth every penny) and made a tentative plan for our first day of seeing Angkor Wat. We took off early with our tuk-tuk driver, Li, for our first full day of temple exploring together in the main temples of Ankgor. Our route would take us in a counterclockwise tour of the eastern set of temples, leaving the heavy hitting Ankgor Wat and Ankgor Thom for the next day. Our first stop was Ta Prohm, the massive and tree-covered temple that was made famous in Tomb Raider. It was a bit overcrowded with tourists, but it was still stunning to see a ruined temple completely enveloped by the jungle. Massive (10ft diameter and bigger) trees have grown right on top of the walls of the temple, with their roots spilling down like blood until they bury themselves in the ground below. I felt a bit like Lara Croft wandering around the eerie jungle and temples, the trees were so beautiful and despite the masses of tourists, the surroundings felt quite serene.

From Ta Prohm we headed eastward to Pre Rup. Pre Rup was very different than Ta Prohm (as we would learn each temple has a much different style, as they were built over a period of 4 centuries) but stunning in its own way. Pre Rup was much smaller and not surrounded by any jungles, but instead set atop a hill that creates a phenomenal sunset spot. We saw the main Shiva tower in the middle surrounded by smaller towers at the cardinal corners in homage of Vishnu, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Brahma. It's so unique to see the Khmer version of Hindu temples as you will rarely (if ever) find a temple in India where all three of the main Hindu gods are under the same roof.
After Pre Rup, we headed counter clockwise along the Grand Circuit, so our next stop was the jungle-enshrouded Ta Som. The entrance gate has one of the famous smiling faces (that is supposed to be an image of one of the main Khmer rulers Jayavarman) and there are a couple of massive trees with twisting roots that have engulfed the eastern gate. Not as spectacular and large as Ta Prohm, Ta Som has very little crowds and offers its own charm. East Mebon is in a massive sandstone pyramid layout similar to Pre Rup and is protected by beautiful sandstone elephants standing vigil. Late in the morning, we reached the relaxing pool Preah Nean Pean. Down a short path from the main road you come across a massive pool with stairs on all four sides - similar to ghats in India - that is surrounded by four smaller pools. There is a huge statue in the middle of the pool and some smaller statues in the surrounding pools at the cardinal corners. Needing a place to relax for a bit, we sat down on the stairs and reflected. I could just picture thousands of people chatting by this pool amidst a typical day in the bustling city of Ankgor in the 11th century. A school field trip added to our enjoyment as we watched the kids and their reflections in the pool as they paraded around. One shy little boy, Ba, just sat by us the whole time and didn't speak much as he too seemed to be enjoying the fish and peace rather than running around with his mates...I think that he was also quite fascinated to be sitting by us.

We took a lunch break after Preah Nean Pean, taking us to the heart of Ankgor Thom. Ankgor Thom was the main fortified city of the Khmers and was constructed late in the empire by Jayavarman VII. Protected by massive walls on all sides there are four imposing and intimidating gates that bear the heads of Jayavarman high up top and either serve as a grand entrance to the city or a stern reminder to watch out. The main road running north south also has the sculpture of the Churning of the Sea of Milk running along some bridges. At the heart of the old city are a couple of large and old terraces, the King's palace and the piece de resistance, Bayon. We opted to tackle this massive city the following day and enjoyed a meal in the parade of restaurants next to Bayon. There were kids selling all sorts of trinkets, but it was great to see them just playing hide-and-seek with each other and just being kids. All the kids who sell stuff in and around the temples are quite inventive. If you won't buy from them, they try to trick you into playing games with them where you have to buy if you lose. The games are generally tic-tac-toe or "name that world or US state capital". They're really quite good, but as I said, it was great to see them playing and just being kids.
Re-energized after lunch, we tackled the massive Preah Khan. Believed to have been a Buddhist university late in the days of the Khmer Empire, this is THE temple for aimless wandering and exploration of ruined corridors, courtyards and buildings. Set in a similar cruciform style to many of the other temples, there are Shiva lingas throughout the corridors as you get the center of the inside of the temple and the Buddhist stupa. Because you are supposed to bow to the King and be subservient to God according to the Hindus, the four main corridors get narrower as you move out of the temple in all four directions. This was one of our favorite temples as you could wander, climb and discover to your hearts content.

Another day was timed to near perfection (kudos to Li, our tuk-tuk driver), as we raced up the hill of Phnom Bakheng in Ankgor Thom for sunset. Atop the hill is a large fort and there were thousands of people gathered for another magnificent sunset. Hari, Sarah and I found our spot in relative peace sitting on a grassy terrace looking out at the fading light. It was really reminiscent of sitting on the grass terraces in Machu Picchu. After the sunset, there was a resounding round of applause from the crowd. Applause for the sunset...let's hear it for Mother Nature. This has now caused us to give the sun reviews after every sunset and enjoy the "encore" that is the pinks and other colors that occur long after the sun has dipped below the horizon. Our first day at Ankgor was magical, for me it was love at first sight and overall just a perfect day. We all crashed out early in anticipation of our sunrise experience at Ankgor Wat and visit to Ankgor Thom the following morning...