Stop Eighteen, Siem Reap, Cambodia - 30/07/2015 to 5/08/2015
(Written by Her)
(Written by Her)
| Home to one of the Ancient Wonders of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site, we were well prepared for Siem Reap to be busy and touristy. The temples of Angkor Wat receive around 2 million visitors a year! However, Siem Reap was ranked 4th on the list of ‘Worlds Best Cities of Travel and Leisure’ and we whole heartedly agree. Siem Reap was just a small French colonial village when Angkor was ‘re-discovered’ in the 19th century. From then it has grown into the gateway town to the temples with the tourism industry taking centre stage. |  |
The transition has not undermined the cultural identity of this place however (as so often happens) with conservationists working hard to keep Siem Reap’s Khmer roots and traditions alive. The concept of "Angkor Tourist City" was developed in 2001 which advises locals on development and promotes the use of traditional architecture and materials in new projects. These initiatives mean central Siem Reap, with its markets and hawkers still oozes charm and atmosphere.
We found the touristy nature of the town just improved aspects of our experience in that there were more markets, better quality hotels and restaurants to choose from and more transport available - which really does make life easier when you’ve been DIY-ing it every day. The town centre itself is small with the main drag, Pub Street, being home to a variety of restaurants, shops, spas and bars! Tuk-tuks line the street, beckoning to every white face that walks past but they are very good humoured and willing to haggle. You gotta love a good haggle, especially when there’s friendly back slapping and 50% discounts to be had!
A City & It's People
 | The main reason we travelled to Siem Reap was of course to visit the temples of Angkor but first we wanted to get acquainted with the town. Staying in a budget hotel meant the outskirts for us but we were still within easy walking distance of the small town centre. The main form of transport in Cambodia is tuk-tuk (we have come to love this way of getting about and think we should have them in Ireland). In Siem Reap, each man’s tuk-tuk is his pride and joy so there are some very elaborately decorated vehicles about – from Lamborghini to Ferrari! Spotting an obvious choice for us, we beckoned to the driver, hopped into the Bat Mobile and hurtled to town! |
We started our day by going for a wander, sending some postcards and hoping to stumble across a nice tuk-tuk driver whom we could book for our 2 day Angkor extravaganza. The legacy of French occupation (colonised until 1953), is still quite visible in Siem Reap. Not just in the architecture but also in the food. Plates of cheese and meats were offered in many restaurants - making me very happy. Similarly, French baguettes and even banh mi are available on the streets.
| After a couple of hours and some great coffee we stumbled upon a guy sitting in the back of his tuk-tuk cross-stitching. Intrigued we stopped to ask what he was doing and more importantly why, it is "woman's work" here, generally speaking). With a big Cambodian smile, he explained that his daughter told him that he could make more money if he took up cross-stitching on the side to help his wife finish their items. It was going to take 2 months to complete this particular piece which he would sell for $150. Incentive enough he cross-stitches between tuk-tuk customers. Loving his entrepreneurial spirit, we looked at each other and both had the same idea and booked him for our trip to Angkor. His price wasn’t the lowest we had been given, but it wasn't the highest, so we were more than happy to give him the business. He introduced himself – Meet Mr Mao! |  |
After our run in with Mr Mao, we were approached by a jolly fellow in a wheel-chair named Mr Lang. Disabled since birth, Mr Lang cannot walk but he has great artistic ability, and even greater charisma. A self-taught sketcher, he supports himself, his wife and his little girl by selling his work. Wheeling himself around the streets of Siem Reap, he sells sketches, paintings and printed postcards from a small box on his lap.
 | What attracted us to Mr. Lang was his inspirational art. In every painting and sketch – mostly of the temples of Angkor, he included himself in his wheelchair. In one sketch, he is pulling himself and his wheelchair up a tree at Ta Phrom temple using tree vines. We felt inspired by his outlook on life which shone through in his art. As it turns out, we would have many pleasant interactions with Mr Lang over the next few days as we chatted with him, purchased sketches, paintings and postcards. We were more than happy to support him and his work. To end the day, we popped out to the Angkor Museum just outside Siem Reap to read up on the temples, learn about their architecture and make sure we didn’t miss anything of significance when we get there. The museum is incredibly modern but more than a little over-priced at $12pp. It houses many Khmer sculptures and explains the temples in great detail however we found it quite convoluted and the displays sometimes tedious. Give us the real deal any day! |
| The Temples of Angkor We booked Mr Mao for 4 days in total. On the first of these days we decided to get stuck into exploring some of the temples of Angkor. A very professional set up, tourists are permitted to buy tickets for 1, 2 or 3 days entry. Your ticket has your photo on it and cannot be transferred to anyone else. You can use your pass on any days within one week after purchase. Prices range from $20 to $40 per person. We choose to take a day off in between our two days temple hopping. |  |
The Angkor site is located 6km outside of Siem Reap and stretches to 13km North. There is an option to rent a bike and cycle but we would recommend tuk-tuk as you’ll do enough walking in the ruins themselves, particularly the ones that are set a few kilometres back from the road. Not to mention it’s incredibly hot. The slight breeze generated by the tuk-tuk in between temples was our only solace as we witnessed more optimistic tourists doubled over their handlebars with exhaustion. Having purchased our tickets, we set our itinerary with Mr Mao, opting to visit Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som (See map). There are over 100 temple sites to visit around Siem Reap but with only a few days we limited ourselves to the most well-known and those that interested us in particular. We started with the famous Angkor Wat!
Angkor Wat
Originally a Hindu temple and later transformed into a Buddhist place of worship, Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world (lets just take a second!). Constructed in the 12th century, Angkor Wat was to be dedicated to Vishnu (Hindu God) and to be the capital city of the Kings empire. It went on to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world. Abandoned in the 16th century, the moat around Angkor Wat protected it from the surrounding Jungle, while many other sites such as Ta Phrom were taken over by encroaching trees. The temple was re-discovered in the 19th century and has been meticulously restored.
The approach to Angkor Wat leads you across a massive, uneven stone bridge crossing the moat, through a gate building and inside the walled complex. From an aerial view, Angkor Wat is like a walled city within a walled city, surrounded by a moat. The actual temple itself is in the centre, raised higher than any other internal structure. What strikes you most about Angkor Wat is its vastness. We walked for what seemed like an age, over the bridge, through the gate, up-stairs, down-stairs, over thresholds, past expansive green spaces (all within Angkor Wat's outer walls) until finally we reached the internal structure with its three proud towers. The walls enclose 200 acres of land in all and the towers stretch into the skyline some 65m.
| Inside the structures at Angkor Wat there are large stone steps, many now encased in wooden frames for protection, that lead visitors up to the top of the towers. The central (tallest) lotus shaped tower of Angkor can be climbed. Himself was ready and willing to make the effort getting to the top to take some photos. However, even he felt the steps were extremely steep, making the climb a bit of a pilgrimage. |  |
Built in the Khmer style of architecture, the structure is most similar to Prambanan in Java (another Hindu temple), but still very distinct. The walls are covered in sculptures and carvings which depict scenes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, two epics of the Hindu religion. The front of the temple has 2 reflection pools either side of the entrance walk, where the most famous photos of Angkor Wat are taken. Of course we got ours... Smile!
Preah Khan
A lessor known temple of Angkor, Preah Khan is further North. Originally used as a Buddhist University and dedicated to the King’s father, the remains of the only Angkor library are still visible onsite. We walked through doorway after doorway in this expansive ruin. Similar to Angkor Wat, the walls are adorned with carvings and, although partially reduced to rubble, you can still see how impressive this place must have been. During its prominence, over 100,000 people lived within the walls of Preah Khan.
Neak Pean
Having spent 5 hours walking around temples at this point we were ready to go home. Throw the itinerary out the window, we were done. Mr Mao, had different ideas! ‘Just one more’, ‘it’s a small one’, ‘l’ll bring you there and you can decide’. We arrived at Neak Pean, which Mr. Mao assured us was close to the road and wouldn’t take long. We started the walk down a narrow boardwalk through surrounding marshland. From the start we couldn't even see the end of the boardwalk in the distance – it was NOT close to the road but feeling refreshed by the 5min breeze in the back of the tuk-tuk, we powered on! Neak Pean is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple at its centre, surrounded by water – like a fountain! It was designed for medical purposes i.e. people believed that bathing in the water cured illness. To be honest, after Angkor Wat, it was a bit of a disappointment.
Ta Som
Our final temple of the day was Ta Som. A small temple built in the 12th century, it was left unrestored and has been taken over by vegetation. At the very back of the temple is a gateway, overgrown with massive, tentacle like tree roots and is a popular spot for tourist photos. We walked through the temple, accompanied by a little girl selling postcards, a boy playing a flute (also for sale, of course) and another girl selling fridge magnets. The children were so small and insistent that it is hard not to be completely taken by them.
Earlier in the day we had bought souvenirs we didn’t particularly want from children in other temples so we resisted on this occasion. When we said goodbye, one little girl, very put-out said ‘no goodbye for you’, it was a very funny moment in an otherwise heart breaking situation. We noticed many people, families and children living in the jungle around the temples. There are hammocks erected from trees and open fires with pots boiling dotted about the place. While these people were clearly poor, not all here children suffer hardship – many of whom we spotted playing hopscotch in the dirt, swinging on vines and playing in the trees. We have seen much worse elsewhere.
A Break from Temple Hopping
After completely wrecking ourselves during the previous day’s temple hopping, we decided to take things easy today. Some shopping in the old market, night market and made-in Cambodia market were in order. Souvenirs in Cambodia are extremely nice, more-so than some of the things we have seen in other countries. We had been told that many items however are not local but bought from producers in China or Vietnam. We were eager to find some local produce so we headed to the purpose built ‘made-in-Cambodia’ market. Incredibly, we met a French woman (not Cambodian) who had lived in Northern Ireland during the 1970s before moving to Cambodia. She has owned and operated a fair trade shop in Siem Reap for the last 12 years where she sells local products made by local craftspeople whose trade had all but died out as a result of the genocide era. Her products were on the expensive side (I picked up a ring for $398 and nearly had heart failure), but she also showed us some of the more affordable items. In the end I bought a Krama for myself.
| A Krama is a traditional Cambodian scarf which has a plethora of uses. Made with 100% cotton, I have seen women wearing krama on their heads to help carry baskets, wrap babies in them, use them as towels and cloths and of course wear them decoratively as clothing. Men, women and children all wear krama. They are popular because of their durability and versatility, important when ever riel counts. Each Krama is handmade using on a traditional loom. It takes about a week to make each scarf depending on the number of colours and the fineness of the thread. |  |
Later that day a young girl approached me on the street. She was about 12 years old with a baby tied to her (using a Krama no less). I immediately said ‘no thank you’ and continued walking, but she stopped and said ‘lady, I don’t want money, I want milk’. How could I possibly refuse. I told her to bring me to a mini-mart to get some milk. When we arrived, she pointed to baby formula (stupid me, I thought it was cows milk she wanted). The formula was $20 for one tin. I obviously said no. So she said, I’ll take $5 and ask someone else for the rest! The only reason I’m mentioning her at all was her ingenuity in coming up with a plan that worked. I gave her $5 and later saw a group of 5 girls, twenty somethings, clubbing together to buy her the tin. I see the same girl an hour later asking others for milk. I am convinced she has some deal going with the minimart, whereby she can sell back the tin of formula for cash. Begging is rife in Cambodia and the people are poor but it has to be said, visitors are also nice. We gave more than our fair share on occasion. The UN advocates giving to a regulated charity rather than encouraging street begging among adults and children, but when you come face to face with these people it can be extremely hard to turn away.
We had arranged for Mr Mao to collect us at 7:30 pm that night and take us to the Cambodian circus. However, being rainy season, the weather was torrential and we thought the better of it rather than suffer through a damp and leaky big-top. Having no way to contact him, we intended to pay him and send him home when he showed up. What we didn’t expect of course was that he would pop for a few pints before collecting us. No doubt he thought he could sleep it off during the circus before he went home. Whatever the reason, Mr Mao was blotto. All smiles and giggles he was standing in the rain with his poncho on – no rain covers on the tuk-tuk, water rolling off the seats. He yells ‘get on, we go to circus’. We looked at each other and decided to let him take us to the corner of the road instead.
| We could pop into a restaurant and send him home. Do you think he stopped at the corner? No. Over the bridge and into town he swerves, laughing and singing as we splash through the puddles and mud in the rain. We couldn’t contain our laughter either. What were we doing sitting in the back of a tuk-tuk in the rain with a driver who needed to sleep it off?! Insanity! He narrowly misses a parked car in order to avoid an inevitable collision into on-coming traffic without slowing even the tiniest bit. We eventually scream at him to just drop us, here, anywhere! |  |
Mr Mao leans back as if taming a run-away stallion (i.e. his tuk-tuk) and we are jolted from our seats at the sudden stop. We get off quickly, exhaling with relief. Our driver hops off too. He feels the need to grab himself around the waist and joist him into the air, singing ‘I believe in Jesus’. It was both the funniest and scariest five minutes in Cambodia by far.
Back to Angkor
Mr Mao met us at 7am, looking a bit peaky and much quieter than the jovial soprano we experienced less than 12 hours before. We figured he needed a quieter day today. We chose to visit Ta Phrom, Bantaey Kedi, Ta Keo, Bayon and the Terrace of Elephants.
Ta Phrom
Made famous by the Tomb Raider movie, Ta Phrom is one of the more famous temples of Angkor. Again founded as a Buddhist monastery and university, the temple was constructed in the 12/13th century. Another UNESCO world heritage site, Ta Phrom has a very special feel to it. Vegetation has taken over the ruins, growing over and in between the huge stone slabs looking as though the trees are actually growing up from the stone. The carvings and the corridors could keep you busy for hours. We spent at least an hour wandering amid this massive complex.
Bayon
For me, the most unique temple in Angkor is Bayon which stands at the centre of the ancient city of Angkor. Its most distinctive feature is the large stone faces which adorn all facades of the main towers. There are 216 stone faces in all. Some believe that the faces are a likeness of the King himself, others believe that they are Gods. Bayon was the last temple to be built at Angkor. We walked in and around the temple complex, entering through a huge stone doorway. Naturally the best vantage point of the serene faces is at the top of one of the towers, scaleable only by way of the mighty stone steps.
| I left himself to deal with the heights while I wandered around the courtyard, climbing over stones and roots for the best angles. Despite the other people, as I stood there in the temple, shaded by overhanging trees I felt like I was standing in some isolated ancient place, deep in the jungle where no soul had tread for years. I felt a million miles from my life and the Western world. Angkor has a powerful attraction which makes it one of the most unique places in the world. |  |
Across the road from Bayon is a large gold shrine to Buddha. We wandered over to have a quick chat with the female monks (like nuns except with shaved heads), who were sitting around, barefoot, at the base of the shrine. For $1 we each got a blessing which came complete with handmade string bracelet and sacred chanting. We left happy!
The Guy Under the Tree
To finish off the day Mr Mao wanted to bring us to see the "Buddha head tree". We had no idea what he was talking about but followed him with curiosity. We climbed through the forest, up a steep hill which led to the ridge of the Northern Gateway into Pra Thom (the temple complex that houses Bayon). Amazingly for Angkor, there was no one else around except one young guy painting simple, beautiful water-colours on paper. We took some photos under Mr Mao's direction of what turned out to be a view of the Bayon face between two tree trunks!
 The Skinny on Cambodia | Afterwards we wandered over to our painter under the tree. He had been there since early morning painting pictures of the Bayon face as the day's light slowly moved across, altering the shadow and texture. He was excellent. Looking at each other we knew we wanted one but didn't want to let on of course as the price would likely sky rocket! We’ve honed our market faces well over the last 4 months. After some haggling (even with the help of Mr Mao), we bought 2 small watercolour paintings and took a photo with the artist himself - the guy under the tree! |
After 7 days in Siem Reap we wanted to stay longer, although something tells me one or two months wouldn't even be long enough. Instead, we left for Bangkok with a heavy heart. In just two weeks in Cambodia we developed an overwhelming fondness for the country and it's people. Its official, we have vowed to return someday. During our trip we learned about some awful atrocities in Phnom Penh's Genocide museum and Killing Fields. We heard terrible stories of suffering that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. But we also met some of the nicest, happiest and most friendly people and children in all our travels through Asia. And we visited some of the most unique & spectacular places on earth. Forget the dirt, the heat, the rats – go to Cambodia. It will stay with you forever.
RSS Feed