Day 15, Wednesday 5th May, Siem Reap / Angkor

It is of course best to visit Angkor on a guided tour to have the background explained before and while viewing the ruins of the various temples. There was even a special offer from Holystone Travel to do a day's trip for $13, but I didn't get up early enough and was anyway waiting for someone to join me later on, possibly (didn't work out after all).

So I borrowed a book on Angkor from the hotel, rented a bike for $1, and set off.  Tourists are not permitted to hire motos or cars in Siem Reap, as there have been too many accidents. I asked a local if there were any traffic rules.  She said:  we drive on the right (as a moto driver came in the opposite direction). And: we must be tolerant. There are  in fact two practices: try and avoid hitting other vehicles or pedestrians, and hoot loudly to warn others not to get in your way (most effective for larger vehicles).

Here is a moto filling up at a wayside gasoline station:

After getting lost in the eastern suburbs for a while and seeing some less attractive aspects of Siem Reap, like the market (the real one, not the tourist one):

 

I found the road to the temples and after a while the ticket office. You can buy passes for 1, 3 or 7 days ($20, $40, $60). The days do not have to be consecutive, so I  chose a  3-day pass. I offered a visa photo, but we are modern now, you are photographed by webcam and the photo is printed directly onto your pass. 

(At Thai immigration you stand on the two feet painted on the floor and they photograph you with their webcam too.)

I noticed my arms were getting sunburned, so I put on some suncream, too late of course.
It was very hot and sunny, but there were quite a few trees along the roadside, and the air movement while riding cooled a bit. I came to a large stretch of water and took a right to do some of the lesser temples for a start.

This is Prasat Kravan

I parked my bike with a group of others then discovered their riders sitting in the shade of a tree having a rest and a chat. It was a group of cleaning ladies, some of those myriad Angkor employees who keep things tidy, i.e. largely clear of the layer of debris which covers most of Cambodia.

Prasat Kravan: wall relief

The next temple along the road is Banteay Kdei:

with a god being worshipped

Banteay Kdei:

Handicap Music:

A highlight of the day: Angkor fruit shake

I just stopped to buy some cold water, but saw another customer with one of these, so I had one too.  Here is the recipe:
1) first ask hubby to turn on the generator and give you a lead
2) then peel and cut a selection of fruit, here: pineapple, banana, apple, small brown local fruits and put them in the mixer
3) add 1 spoonful of Ovomaltine, two spoonfuls of sugar, one dollop of sweetened, condensed, non-dairy creamer and several splashes of coconut milk
4) mix til pureed, adding more coconut milk if it is too dry
5) get a block of ice from the coolbox (hopefuly made from purified water) and put it in the ice-crushing machine
6) crush ice in the machine by turning the lever and shaving bits off the block. When it is enough, return the block of ice to the coolbox.
7) add the ice to the mixer and mix again.
8) pour the fruit shake into a long glass, add a straw

It tasted delicious and served as lunch as well.


The next temple was Ta Prohm, famous because of the trees growing over it.

Ta Prohm was in a very large enclosure which I rode through, but only by taking a side route on a narrow path through bushland for quite a while. Once out on the road again, the next temple was Ta Keo, very tall with narrow steps. Ancient Cambodians must have had tiny feet, or else they walked sideways.

The approach to the East Gate of Angkor Thom:

The top of the East Gate:

A modern temple:

Bridal fashion at Bayon:

Angkor monkeys by the side of the road:

The approach to the South Gate from inside Angkor Thom:

Crossing the moat in front of Angkor Thom:

Boats on the moat:

The official sunset-watching spot is on a hill with a temple on it, Bakheng:

Looking towards Angkor Wat from Bakheng:

No great picture of the sunset as it was cloudy, and I had to leave as my bike had no lights.
Luckily I hooked onto two other tourist cyclists with a light, as it quickly became dark.

When I got back to the hotel and spoke to a fellow guest, Denise, my sunburn was dazzling, my arms looked as though I had dipped them into a pot of red dye up to the elbows, and my knees and feet were striped red. At a pharmacy they offered me some fancy spray for $20, excellent quality, French you know. I asked for something cheaper and bought a big tube of post-burn cream, also French, but only $5. I smeared it generously all over the sunburn and in fact had remarkably little pain or irritation.

Dinner at the Angkor Palm, here the Palm Platter for one person, with Fish Amok, Chicken Green Curry, Spare Ribs, Spring Rolls with dip, Morning Glory vegetable, Green Papaya Salad and, of course, steamed rice. Accompanied by fresh coconut milk out of the coconut.