August 18, 2007

Siem Reap (CAMBODIA)

Arriving in Siem Reap and Sunset Atop Bayon

I was up at 6:30am this morning to catch a bus to Siem Reap, which is where Angkor Wat and the world's largest collection of religious temples are located. Funnily enough, the name Siem Reap is actually a Cambodian allusion to defeating Thailand in a battle long ago - the name literally translates as Siam defeated.

Having opted for the $3.50USD local bus rather than the more expensive tourist buses (which boasted air-con), I was one of only two foreigners on the five hour ride. The other happened to be a friendly English girl with whom I immediately hit it off. We decided to share a room in Siem Reap to cut down on costs, and fortunately she was recommended a great guest house called The Prince Mekong. It was troublesome finding the actual location as the owner, Eric, refuses to pay commission to tuk-tuk drivers and he chooses not to be listed in any travel books - preferring the old fashion method of simple word-of-mouth. However, after an hour of searching and asking around we finally happened across his hideaway.

What made The Prince Mekong such a great guest house and why do I bother mentioning it on this blog when I have hardly ever done so before? Well, in the off-chance some one heads to Siem Reap in the future you may now consider yourself in-the-know. Eric was born in Switzerland, but has lived in Southeast Asia for 20 years, and he speaks a variety of languages (including Khmer). His rules for the guesthouse were the following:

- A free pint of Angkor beer on arrival

- Free laundry service

- Free breakfast

- Free bicycle rental

- Helping yourself to anything you want (including beer on tap) so long as you write down what you take on your hotel tab

- Invaluable advice on visiting the temples and transit to the surrounding sights

So these were the perks I was operating with for only $2.50USD/night.

As far as excitement for the day, I grabbed a bicycle and rode 5km to the ticketing entrance as the sun began focusing on more westerly regions of the world. Angkor Wat has a rule (well, actually the company who runs the ticketing for Angkor Wat has the rule) that allows people to enter the temples after 5:00pm for free. Basically, one can buy 1, 3, or 7 day passes for $20, $40, or $60, respectively, so I did not want to waste one of my days with only a half day visit (I bought a 3 day pass).

With Eric's advice, I bicycled past the hordes of tourists who were being dropped off by the busload at the famous sunset spots and instead opted for one of the more secluded temples, Bayon. This ended up being one of my favorite sights because it was my first glance at the brilliance of Khmer architecture and sculpture, and infinitely more important was the fact that I was only sharing the moment with a handful of other curious travelers.

I should add that I covered my eyes as I rode past the imposing main complex of Angkor Wat as I wanted to save the best for last. However, I still had to ride through the imposing Southern gate of the Bayon complex and scores of monkeys playing along the path en route to Bayon. I stopped for a few photos and was able to get surprisingly close before the monkeys scattered away from yet another prying tourist.

I have thought long and hard about how to describe the temples, but I am afraid it is too difficult to capture the detailed intricacies of the carvings or the grand magnificence of the overall layout. Instead, I will direct you to the photo gallery to get a closer look at how amazing everything was. Below are just a select few pictures taken while wandering the ruins of Bayon.

There is one final story to the day, and it is probably my most lasting memory that would come from visiting temples: it is how I scaled the main Bayon wat for a sunset view over the surrounding forest and temple complex. It started when I noticed scaffolding at the uppermost section of the temple, and after 20 minutes of searching high and low in the dark interiors - coming across bats and I am quite certain a hissing snake - I finally located a trap door. With only the light of my camera's flash to go on, I wrenched aside the wooden barricade and  jiggled the door ajar. I took another picture (shown to the left) to see what I had just unearthed.

There was a doorway leading to scaffolding that presumably led to the top of the wat. I counted 23 different plank floors as I climbed my way up, and I put my hand and head through more spider webs than I care to remember in the process of working my way through the narrow confines. There was quite literally no light shining through until I began nearing the top, and even then I was so high up I feared how well constructed the scaffolding was. These temples, after all, are 10 centuries old, and people aren't likely to be doing repairs on the well-preserved ones.

As I stuck my head out at the top opening I felt like Indian Jones emerging from one of his adventures, and I am not embarrassed to say my heart was pumping fast enough to confirm the audacity of this stunt. But one glance around and I knew the risk was worthwhile as the views were amazing and I could easily see the sun doing battle with the tree line in the distance.

Sitting alone atop Bayon, which is one of the three most famous places to visit, was the perfect way to conclude my first day at the temples. Below are a series of photos I took from the top. You aren't likely to find these shots anywhere else in the world.

And finally, as if things could not get any better, here is a sunset over the surrounding moat that will make a poet out of any of us: