The eight wonder of the world and the largest religious complex anywhere, Angkor is home to awe inspiring architectural beauty fused by spiritual devotion and creative ambition, a source of fierce pride to all Khmers. Rightfully so, it’s a national symbol appearing on anything from the flag and money to coffee and beer labels. Dating back to 12th century and about the size of modern day New York, Angkor requires several days to do it justice - over three days we visited major sites by tuk tuk and bicycle, barely scratching the surface of this once capital city.
Many photographs follow below but they still don't cover the vast greatness of the site, Angkor is an absolute must see for anyone traveling to Cambodia.
Many photographs follow below but they still don't cover the vast greatness of the site, Angkor is an absolute must see for anyone traveling to Cambodia.
Angkor Wat, first dedicated to Hinduism then Buddhism, was designed to represent mythical Mount Meru and combines two of the high classical styles of Khmer architecture - mountain temple and galleried temple. Unlike other temples within the complex it was never abandoned for the elements and the jungle to take over, staying in continuous use since it was built.
traditional dancers
Elephant Terrance
ruins outside Angkor Thom
Not far from Angkor Wat stand ruins of Ta Keo, testing your fear of heights with every step...
conquering steps in an upright position
not sure if this is a good idea anymore...
Looking down from the middle platform. Sebastian's peeking out of the opening in the upper left corner.
perfect spot
Angkor Thom, East Gate. Roads from all four gates lead to the Bayon at the center of the city, the surrounding moats are interpreted as mythical oceans surrounding Mt. Meru.
Bayon. Striking massive stone faces on the multitude of towers are believed to bear resemblance to the king Jayavarman VII who commissioned the temple. Huge jigsaw puzzle.
dizzying steps to the upper temple platform
I'm sitting about 20 feet in front of it...
We started exploring at 7am and burned out by 3.
.
The following day we shared a tuk tuk with friends and visited ruins further afield...
About 25 km from center of Siem Reap Banteay Srei glows in the early morning light. The only temple of Angkor to be commissioned by Brahman instead of the king, Banteay Srei showcases intricately carved stories from Hindu mythology.
for my nieces ;)
Banteay Samre
Preah Khan, huge maze of vaults and corridors overgrown with moss, vines and jumble of lichen-clad carvings. With the cicadas and jasmine infused air it had a great atmosphere throughout and very few tourists wondering the complex. Probably one of our favorites.
Eastern Mebon. Elephants guard four corners of the temple.
we literally looked like paparazzi waiting outside the gate for these two monks to pass through...and then our focus failed from excitement
The next day we took a much needed break from temples and spent time in Siem Reap, slept until 9, treated ourselves to the most delicious food we've had in Cambodia, twice, browsed the market for more strange food we could smell and photograph, possibly eat, and attempted to find souvenirs we could justify caring on our backs for the rest of the trip but gave up again.
choice of dried fish...
...or fish foot massage/peeling?
let's not forget about smoked fish. all kinds. and sausage too.
tea galore: lotus flower, jasmine, green, lime leaf, ginger, lemon grass
spices wrapped in bamboo that could moonlight for Christmas tree ornaments anytime
real silk, fake silk, real silk, fake silk
Smelling of dead fish from miles away - durian - some fruit we still haven't been brave enough to try.
most of the time we just go for it - this one was not the most memorable culinary experiment - rice bun was tasty but the filling mixture of sweet pork, strangely textured meat jelly, and boiled egg did not go down smoothly
only in Asia
breakfast at the market - Cambodian 'tacos' the size of small pizza, made with crepe batter and filled with eggplant, onion, and peppers
Hungry as always we walked the streets in search of budget eatery...and found locally owned Old House Restaurant on 2 Thnou Street. Everything we ordered was cooked with heart, simply amazing, so light and fresh, with complex flavors exploding in our mouths. Our waiter was so incredibly nice and professional, even making us slightly uncomfortable by customarily never turning his back to us. Atmosphere was very relaxing, Bebel Gilberto playing in the background and street life humming in front of us...
Both times we were there our bill, including drinks, did not go over $11. Value and quality of Cambodia's best. Phenomenal.
lotus flower salad with seafood, peppers, peanuts and spicy Khmer dressing
curry beef with peppers, morning glory, onions, peanuts, lime leaves and basil
fresh spring rolls with chicken, dipped in out-of-this-world spicy peanut sauce
banana bud salad with chicken and Khmer dressing
amok with chicken over rice
On day three of mega temple marathon we hopped on two wheels, basket cruiser style, red dust behind us. With so much freedom at hand we could stop at many photo opportunities along the way, some even missing from our map - that's of course until we burned out around 4pm. Heading back to the city we managed to spontaneously get lost and went home the long way, barely making it before sunset - fortunately so and to our big relief, because driving in or crossing traffic in Asia is like playing Frogger, especially at night.
Good thing to keep in mind is that mornings and late afternoons are relatively cool and breezy this time of year and perfect for sightseeing but mid day can be brutally hot, especially when you choose to bicycle around on the hottest day of the dry season - 38C.
Ta Phrom, completely overtaken by nature, is straight out of jungle adventure movie
Banteay Kdei
