Feb 26 - March 2, Siem Reap and Angkor, Cambodia

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. 

 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

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

Elephant Terrance

ruins outside Angkor Thom

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

Feb 25, by boat from Battambang to Siem Reap

Turns out the most crucial decision when embarking on a whole day boat trip, besides taking enough provisions, is picking just the right side to sit on. When heading to Siem Reap from Battambang it’s ideal to be on the west side [left side of the boat when already inside and facing the front] - all the floating village action, bathed in beautiful light, seems to be happening on the west bank and seats are shaded on this side for most of the day. Otherwise, rooftop is also a great viewing platform but mid day turns it into a scorching hot plate. There was no way for us to find out about all this and foresee direction of travel until it was too late - we’ve grabbed our seats away from the engine [paradoxically our only concern when we boarded] but on the wrong side of the boat. We though we had it all figured out, then the engine started and we went in the opposite direction than the boat was docked, our handy compass stuffed uselessly at the bottom of a backpack.  
Coated with sunscreen we cruised along, passing floating village after floating village, entire neighborhoods on stilts, fishermen collecting daily catch, women doing laundry, kids splashing around and waving hellos to us with all the strength in their bodies. Our boatman kept the element of surprise going with every sharp turn, under steering and gently bumping into opposite banks, almost getting swiped by bamboo trees off the boat a couple of times. 

 floating house attached to a huge fishing net contraption, counterweight on the opposite end

It was by far the most colorful and memorable river tour we’ve been on, however, after twelve hours we were happy to step onto solid ground on the outskirts of Siem Reap, from where we took a tuk tuk to town. This of course didn’t happen without some serious haggling. Within seconds of reaching the dock we got swarmed by drivers asking for $15, even outrageous $20, so we just started walking down the dirt road. After about 1.5 km the price went down to $7 and once we said we’d like to hire him for a day of sightseeing around Angkor he agreed to $16 total - a deal that seemed to have made both sides happy.   

Feb 22 - 24, Battambang, Cambodia

Visiting floating villages on the way to Siem Reap lured us into Battambang. With population of 130,000 it is the second largest city in Cambodia and one with the best preserved French colonial architecture in the country. Relaxed way of life kept us wandering the streets, sipping coffee at family run cafes for hours at a time and lingering outside temples in hopes of catching orange clad monks passing by. Initially we planned on exploring nearby hill temples, but our first day was entirely drenched in pouring rain, anomaly of the dry season, and the first downpour we’ve had since our travels in Asia begun eight weeks ago. Very refreshing. Despite the weather, or perhaps because of it, the town charmed us right away. 
To our pleasant surprise Cambodia has proven to be very easy on traveler’s spirit and pocket. Bus transportations in super cheap and well organized, with the convenience of booking tickets through guest houses and hotels. Great budget accommodations start at just $5, street food is everywhere, and amazing restaurant meals can be enjoyed for barely $3. Tuk tuk hassling is on the lowest we’ve witnessed so far and the people are simply amazing, very warm, and hospitable.  
Also, there’s many volunteering opportunities to be grabbed, the only drawback is minimum one month’s commitment. Bummer.

girl power

these shutter-like garage doors open up to reveal shops, cars, and living rooms - sometimes all in one room

mini temples on every single balcony 

Amok, baked fish with coconut and lemon grass, Cambodia's national dish.

vegetable samlor

delicious ginger chicken with shallots and bok choy

We waited...

...and waited outside the temple across the street...

...for monks to start collecting their evening alms.

Wat Damrey Sar

Outside gated grounds of the temple were rows of miniature temples resembling burial gravestones. Very unexpected.  

guards flanking gates to the Wat

Lychee fruit, our daily addiction. 

They're the size of chestnuts with texture and taste of a plum dipped in sweetened lime.