Siem Reap and Angkor - Day 3

Our last and final day in Angkor. Also the last day on our pass. We cleared out our rooms, packed all our stuff. The sight of those heavy winter coats made us sigh.. soon we were going to leave this warm (in all aspects) country and head back to the cold.

We were slightly delayed in leaving due to the long line at check-out and met Sam at 08:45 outside our hotel. Sam was very chatty right from start and he gave us tons of information through out the day.

We started our long drive to Kbal Spean and got around to discussing life in Cambodia.. how almost every family owns coconut, mango and palm trees and how they sell these produce for their living. We enquired about palm fruit and soon Sam stopped at a local street side vendor that was selling them. We picked up 2 bags of juicy palm fruit.

Sam was mentioning about checking out Banteay Srei's parking lot before heading to Kbal Spean but we were in for a shock.. there were about a dozen tour buses! We drove straight on. 

Kbal Spean

The falls at Kbal Spean with carvings of reclining Vishnu, Shiva & his consort on Nandi, the bull and the Lingas

The parking at Kbal Spean was almost deserted except for a couple of pestery vendors who wanted to sell us their wares. They also mentioned they will remember us and look for us when we returned from the hike! After a quick bathroom stop we were on our way to the 1.5km one way hike. 

As we started the 1.5km hike

The path started out smoothly with a wooden bridge across a creek. The route slowly gained in height and difficulty. Even then the path was very well made out and maintained. There were steps carved out in earth, the rocks were also laid out in such a way that they could be clambered over without holding anything for support. I carried my camera in one hand and used the other for balance. And I'm not so fit!

There were roots and branches hanging along the way and the girls enjoyed swinging in them. The older called herself the hike leader and led the way. We also noticed many interesting rock formations along the way. We even named one as "Alien Rock" 'cos that looked like a space ship!

The "Alien" Rock

There were rest stops every few meters and there were signboards indicating the distance left to the waterfall every 100 meters. But we didn't need any breaks as the path fairly smooth and just difficult enough to keep us interested. We only met a few people returning and a few that over took us. 

We spotted a Chameleon!

And a red dragonfly!

When we reached the top there were hardly any people. We admired all the carvings at the little waterfall. The reclining Vishnu, Shiva and his consort on Nandi, the bull and the 100s of Lingas.

More Lingas carved on the river bed with a super sized one

These images were carved between the 11th and 12th centuries during the Angkorian period by hermits who lived here. They believed this river, that flows to the Tonle Sap lake through the Angkor monuments, is sanctified by flowing over all the Shiva Lingas and the other carvings of Hindu deities.

We took a short break and had some snacks including the juicy palm fruit. There was lots of shade and some rudimentary wooden slabs for seats. It was pretty cool and the sound of water flowing was very soothing.

The river downstream with even more Lingas on the river bed

We then followed the river downstream. This path wasn't clearly marked and only the rope along the edge of the river kind of directed us to where we were supposed to go. Though SC was hesitant if we were even supposed to go I noticed some visitors down below and decided to clamber over those rocks! This path was slightly more difficult. The river was flowing among dense foliage  and we could see more Shiva Lingas carved along the river bed. There definitely would have been at least a 1000 of them near the little falls, a little upstream and now downstream.

The "Indiana Jones" waterfall, as we liked to call it!

We climbed down some rickety wooden stairs to arrive at a taller waterfall. This setting was almost like the jungles from Indiana Jones' movies. There were bunches of roots hanging from the rocks and the jungle was almost still.. except for the sound of the flowing water. All the tourists had left and it was just us alone enjoying some "jungle time"! 

The water, flowing over a 1000 Shiva Lingas, all the way down to Angkor... It definitely was holy, indeed! At a shallow point we all scooped up some water and washed our faces with it. It was so refreshing!

We then climbed back over the wooden stairs and were sort of confused about where and how to head back to the main route. We saw a gap in the rocks and passed through it. This gap was very tight and would allow only one person through. Once past the rock we again were lost about how to join the main path. We presumed it must be to our right and were almost on our way when we noticed our "alien rock" on the left. So we turned and soon joined the main path. Though it wasn't the Alien rock we had encountered on our way up, we were mighty glad we did not get lost by taking the wrong path.

We had to be careful on our hike down as the path was slippery in many places. The sand over the rocks did not offer us any friction and after a few skids we were safely on flat ground. 

We were nearly drained out due to the heat and after some cold water, we were whisked off by Sam to the restaurant at Banteay Srei. The hike had taken a little more than 3 hours. The children were happy with the change from temples!

The restaurant at Banteay Srei was in a better shape and looked more upscale. As we were getting tired with rice and curry, we ordered fried rice and fried noodles. It wasn't any better! The rice was over fried and hard and there wasn't much flavour. We, of course, had some coconuts!

It was a bit of a walk from the restaurant to Banteay Srei in the afternoon sun. The sun was harsh and was burning on our skin. The only respite was it was popping behind clouds every now and then.

Banteay Srei

Beautiful things come in small packages.

A small temple, quite tiny by Angkorian standards, that was built in the 10th century is the most charming of all temples. It's made of laterite and pink sandstone. However the treatment of pink sandstone is what makes it different. Lovely carvings, so neatly etched as if it were wood, makes this temple a treasure to relish.

Indra on his three headed elephant, Airavatha

Mahalakshmi, flanked by elephants

Nataraja accompanied by Karaikal Ammaiyar on his bottom right

There are many symbols of Hinduism carved on the pediments here. Indra on his elephant Airavatham and Mahalakshmi flanked by two elephants welcome you into the temple. There is also Nataraja with Karaikkal Ammaiyar - perhaps the only instance of their presence outside India. The apsaras and dvarapalas take a different shape here. 

Shiva and Uma followed by hermits, animals and even Ravana

The fight between Vali and Sugriva in the Ramayan

We were thankful for the partly cloudy weather. The sun was scorching and the photos came out miserable. It was also pretty crowded. Whenever the sun came out we took a break in the shade and came out when the sun decided to take a break behind the clouds! So even though there were crowds, we managed to avoid most of them and enjoyed this charming little temple.

Beng Melea

This was the last temple on our itinerary. This was a further 1 hour away from Banteay Srei and Sam gave us a ride while I took a nap in the car.

Beng Melea is an unrestored temple with a wooden walkway laid through out except for some parts where clambering over the fallen stones were allowed. It was supposedly built in the 11th century. No one quite know how the temple came to be thus. Some even suspected bombing by American forces during the war. Sam told us that the wooden walkway was laid for shooting of a movie and left in place since.

It was about 4:30 when we reached Beng Melea and after purchasing $5 tickets we were off to explore. The sun was pretty low down and the ruins were nearly empty except for a sprinkling of tourists who did not hover much. We walked as far as the dark tunnel and returned to the car in the 1 hour we had there.

A complete Naga on the balustrade 

The rubbles at entrance

A long gallery, inaccessible

Fallen stones with carvings

On the way back I had a few minutes of the monument all to myself. There was absolutely no one else and I was wondering about how it would have been 10 centuries ago when the leaves started rustling in the breeze and the trees swayed every so slightly. Those few seconds were magical!

Dinner near Pub Street

Back in the car, it took us about an hour and half to reach Pub street where we had dinner at Vanakkam India restaurant. The meal was simple but very well made. What was annoying was all the insects and bugs that they had let into the restaurant!

After dinner we took a walk along Pub Street and Old Market - Psar Chas. Pub Street was loud and the atmosphere energetic with the loud music and the lights. There was even a Happy New Year 2018 sign at the entrance! Many shops were closed in the Old Market as it was a Sunday. We also noticed the usual spread of fried insects and reptiles along the way.

Pub Street

The souvenir shops closest to Pub Street quoted exorbitant prices while those inside were reasonably bargain-able. We bought some more souvenirs from a shop inside the Old Market who was saying business was slow because of Sunday.

Then we rode a tuk-tuk back to our hotel, refreshed ourselves, picked up our luggages and went with Sam to the airport. Although I was completely drained, I enjoyed the last ride in this wonderful place with mixed feelings.

We bid good bye to Sam promising to come back to Siem Reap and to meet him again.

As we were checking-in for our China Eastern flight back to Tokyo my eyes fell on the fresco on the wall. Tears welled up in my eyes. 

Years of longing, months of researching and weeks of planning all ended in just 3 days. This beautiful country, warm people and those larger than life monuments... I cannot wait to come back here!

Practicalities

Hotel - We used booking.com to book our hotel - Hima Boutique. This was an average hotel - pretty dated and they had a very small pool out front. However it was very clean and the service pretty good. There are hotels to choose for every budget on Booking.com.

Flights - Siem Reap is serviced by nearly every major airline in Asia and very well connected to the rest of the world. We used China Eastern From Tokyo through Shanghai. Having traveled in a lot of different budget airlines I was not very happy with China Eastern. Their website could be more user friendly. We were served the same couscous with vegetables for all our meals since we had requested for vegetarian by calling up their Tokyo office. This was one airline where we had to switch off our electronic gadgets - Flight mode wasn't sufficient. We also couldn't switch on our mobile phones through out the flight. They were ok with using tables and laptops.

Out and About - We used Sam from Sam's tuk tuk tours. When I contacted him about a month before our trip he said he doesn't drive tuk tuks anymore but would put us on to his colleague who did. His prices seemed more reasonable compared to what our hotel quoted. He also had good reviews on Trip Advisor. He answered all my queries and handled all the itinerary changes patiently. He was also a wealth of information. He helped us minimise travel and took us to temples when they were least crowded. I wouldn't even blink to hire him again if I were to return to Siem Reap, which I will!

For short trips between hotel and Pub Street and restaurants we used tuk tuks available outside our hotel and on the streets. It cost us $2 to Pub Street and $3 to Haven, which was a little further away.

Food - There were umpteen options for vegetarians - something we were skeptical about when we started planning for the trip. We requested for vegetarian curry (amok or khmer) with steamed rice in the eateries near the tourist sites and specifically told them no fish or meat. I heard they sometimes use Fish oil or fish paste in their cooking. There were more options in town. There were many establishments that served only vegetarian fare but we did not have time to try them. There were also many Indian restaurants near Pub Street

Spas - There was a spa every few hundred feet. Foot reflexology started at $1-2 at the night market and got as expensive as $30 in some upscale spas. We chose mid-range which was around $15 for 1 hour and pretty good.

Language - Almost everyone involved with tourism speak a little English. But it is preferable to use simple statements to communicate what you want.

Scams - As with all developing countries there are a few scams. One I heard of was a milk powder scam where a little girl with an empty bottle asks you to buy milk powder. Once you pay the shopkeeper and move away she returns the milk powder and gets half of what you paid. The other is where off-duty policemen offer guide services. It's best to give them a firm No. 

Shopping - Many of the items are over priced in the markets (read souvenirs). It's better to bargain starting at a price of about 50% of what was quoted. If the vendor offers to come down from his/her original, it's worth continuing to bargain, else, just walk away. The interior shops offer better bargaining capacity than those directly outside popular spots. Elephant pants & T shirts cost $2. Some souvenirs $5. It's not worth paying more. We did not buy jewellery.

For basics, supermarkets such as Angkor mini market or Lucky mall are very good options. Prices fair and neatly indicated.

Currency - The de facto currency is USD. The ATMs dispense USD for any foreign card. However they charge $5-6 as ATM fee. One USD is roughly 4000 Cambodian Riel. At very few establishments they return change in Riel if they do not have enough USDs. Try to use them wherever possible so that you don't come back with too many Riels. Cambodians are very particular about the quality of USD. They will not accept torn or crumpled notes. Do carry a lot of lower denominations - $1, 5 or 10 which come in more handy than large ones like 50 or 100. I believe banks will also convert large denominations to smaller denominations for free.

A map of the Angkor archeological area

<<< Day 2 - Ta Prohm, Grand Circuit and an evening in town

Siem Reap and Angkor - Day 2

Today was the day to be a true blue Cambodian tourist - be at the temples when it opens! We were up at around 5:30 am and after a little bit of whining from the girls, we were out of the hotel at a little past 7:15. We had booked a car this time as we were covering more distance. 

We drove the same route as previous day and I was trying to recall if he had crossed any large lake other than Srah Srang when I realised it was Angkor Wat's moat that we were passing!

Ta Prohm

Known in more recent times as the "Tomb Raider temple" after this was featured in Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft movie, Ta Prohm was a Buddhist monastery built between the 12th and 13th centuries. Though nature had taken over most part of the monastery, it was not completely devastated. Man made structure and nature seem to co-exist in perfect harmony at Ta Prohm. The restoration also ensured that the trees weren't removed completely.

Eastern entrance to Ta Prohm

Tickets checked and we reached the east entrance of Ta Prohm a little after 7:30 am. There were already a few people there and it was a long walk from the entrance to the temple. The girls enjoyed swinging on the branches/roots along the way before we reached the eastern facade of Ta Prohm. 

A huge tree growing out of the temple

The sight of a silk cotton tree growing from the temple excited us... its thick roots wrapped around the stones as if it were claiming ownership and protecting it from human interference. There were just a few tourists and we snapped away to our heart's content. Soon we heard a guide arriving with a small group and we hastened to see the other parts of the temple before it grew crowded.

Yet another tree staking its claim over another part of the temple

There was a wooden walkway laid through out and we had to keep to it at most parts. There were also some sanctuaries cleared and were available for exploration. 

Sanctuaries gleaming in the morning sun

Many of the carvings seemed to have been painted over and the walls had both red and green colours on them.

An Apsara with both red and green colours

There were more trees claiming ownership over their own parts of the temple. Some with strong thick roots and some with a bunch of thinner roots. It was fascinating to see how nature had a free run in the few centuries that this temple was uninhabited. The restoration is fabulously done. 

One of the structures featured in the Tomb Raider movie

The same structure overrun with tourists, just a few seconds later!

We spent nearly two hours at the temple and encountered a few Asian tour groups in the narrow passages and all the popular photo spots.

One of our targets for the temple was finding the stegosaurus. No one quite knew how a dinosaur found it's way into the carvings. Perhaps dinosaurs lived much longer than we though they had? Or perhaps, it was some other animal? 

We asked a guide and a guard for the location and they pointed in the direction of the sanctuary which was supposed to have this carved. Due to the twisty nature of the walkway we soon lost sense of the direction and had almost given up hope when I connected the sight before my eyes with a picture I had seen on the internet. I quickly located the middle sanctuary and lo! There was the stegosaurus! The girls got excited seeing it and our mission was fulfilled. 

Spot the Stegosaurus!

It was now time to head back to our car waiting to take us on the long circuit. We followed "the wall" from the western entrance to the eastern entrance. After being coerced by a tiny Khmer boy into buying some magnets, we got into the car and headed to our next destination.

The western entrance of Ta Prohm

Pre Rup

Pre-Rup is a tiered temple located at the corner of East Mebon (a large lake which has since been over run by jungle). This was supposedly built around the 10th century (before Angkor Wat) during the period of Rajendravarman using brick and laterite. It looks visually very different from the stone temples of the 12th-13th centuries (Angkor period). There are 5 separate sanctuaries at the top, placed very similarly to the towers of Angkor Wat. Based on the layout it is believed to be a cremation site. 

Though the laterite steps seemed steep at first look, we realised, as we climbed, that they weren't so. It wasn't very difficult climbing to the top for the not-so-fit me! There isn't much to look around the top except for the view over the now jungle East Mebon. 

The sun was already beating down hard and we decided to climb the steps back down. By this time the younger was already "templed out" and refused to climb and kept whining!

Banteay Samre

Believed to be the palace of the sweet cucumber farmer from the "Samre" tribe who became king, Banteay Samre was built in the 12th century. It is quite compact. The layout was reminiscent of a South Indian temple.

This temple was nearly deserted when we stopped here. We met a couple that we met before at Ta Prohm and Pre Rup. We got around to discussing the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I'm mighty thankful we did! They described their experience about how a big crowd enters Angkor Wat at 5 am and there's a scramble to get front row seats near the pool. They happened to be in the third row and the husband, being tall was able to capture the picture of the sun rising behind the temple. There were interestingly named cafe representatives who supply coffee to your spot. When I realised that being there at 5 doesn't guarantee you a front row seat, I decided sunrise wasn't for me! 

We started exploring Banteay Samre. Without our Ancient Angkor book, we were completely lost and wandered around the temple aimlessly. Most of the interiors were roped off. After a quick walk around we left the temple by it's east entrance. The younger was nearly wailing by this time and with the heat getting unbearable we just wanted to get back into the car.

Neak Pean

Built in the second half of the 12th century Neak Pean was a temple whose waters are supposed to have cleansing/healing properties. Located in the middle of Jayatataka baray, a long wooden walkway takes visitors across to a small pool with a temple.

The children were not ready to get out of the car in our next spot and hence it was only SC that visited Neak Pean. He said it was stunning! That's now 3 reasons to return!

While SC was away gaping at Neak Pean I was chatting with our driver Smaai about life in Cambodia. He was telling me that there were far fewer tourists this peak season compared to the earlier ones as there's some political unrest. He was also talking about life in Cambodia.. how families of men have to pay the women during marriage. About the lack of good schools and that many youths who complete secondary school move on to better job opportunities in Thailand, S Korea and Japan. He told me he learnt to speak English from a monk in a monastery. Monks speak many languages and many of them learn a new language paying a small donation to the monastery. No wonder I saw many official guides speak French and Chinese!


After Neak Pean we broke for lunch at the eatery across from Preah Khan's western entrance. The food was ok and I was getting tired with Rice and some curry! I could have those coconuts all day!

Preah Khan

The eastern entrance of Preah Khan over the moat

Built around the 12th century it has a moat and a similar Naga-Asura-Deva crossing over it. However it predates Angkor Thom. Our driver said that while Ta Prohm was like a "school", Preah Khan was like "university". It seems to be have been a monastery.

Aligned doorways

Thought the visit path was fairly straight, there seems to have been alterations and additions to the original structure that the layout seemed slightly chaotic. Many sections were roped off and we stuck to the main path.

Krishna holding up the Govardhana hill and protecting his subjects from the wrath of Indra

Hermits carved in the recesses in the library

Unusual round columned building 

An apsara with a flaming head gear

It was about 3 pm and time for us to return to our hotel. An early start had drained us of all our energy and the girls were only too eager to return to the comforts of air conditioning and wifi!

Siem Reap

It was time in the evening to take a walk to the town of Siem Reap. We were contemplating going for a massage and just a little beyond our hotel we came across the Devatara Spa announcing it won the Trip Advisor award for Excellence. We soon made our bookings and went on to get some shopping done.

We went on to the Angkor night market, passing by the Bugs Cafe, (yes they eat bugs from grasshoppers and crickets to snakes and tarantulas!) where there were loads of souvenir shops and Fish Spa! 

Fish spa got the girls excited and we found a store that had about 6 different tanks with different sizes of fish. We chose 2 tanks with the smallest fish and dipped our feet and were soon surrounded by 10s of tiny little fishes tickling our feet. It felt creepy at first but we soon got used to it and were enjoying it for 30 minutes.

Then we looked around Angkor Night Market buying more Elephant T Shirts, a wooden puzzle for $4, a pouch with the Cambodian elephants on it for $2 and some Krama - 3 for $5.

It was time for us to return to the Spa and the 1 hour massage was a rejuvenating experience!

The reception of the Devatara spa

We were too tired to hunt down a restaurant for dinner and we contented ourselves with some Mexican food near our hotel.

Our last night in Siem Reap and that meant I had to complete packing before retiring around midnight.

<<< Day 1 - Angkor Wat, Bayon and temples on the small circuit

Day 3 - Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean, Beng Melea and practical information >>>