Day 2 - Angkor Archaeological Park - Lucky Mall
The main reason we had this trip is to see a UNESCO Heritage Site known all over the world, the Angkor Archaeological Park. If that does not interest you at all, then try this, it is the largest religious monument in the whole wide world.
We started our day early to catch the famous sunrise. Around
4:50, we departed from the hotel and stopped at the entrance of the park to buy
our one-day pass for $20 per head, from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM on most sites (some
close at 5:00 PM). There are also other types of passes - $40 and $ 60 for a 3-day
and 7-day passes respectively. This
entrance is actually far from the main temple itself.
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| Ticketing counters |
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| my ticket |
The
ticket they give you has your picture in it and is valid for the major temples
in the Park including the legendary Angkor Wat, Bayon and other ancient ruins
from the Khmer Empire.
There were so many tourists as we neared the place. And oh
my, here we are at our first stop, Angkor Wat!
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| First ever pic of Angkor Wat, the start of a long-day journey |
As it poured heavily the night before, I was kind of not
expecting the sun would rise though a lot has been already patiently waiting
for it, which includes us. There is a particular place in the park that would
give you the best view of the Angkor temples. It was just too bad water filled
it, almost knee-deep already. So, as
most of the tourists opted to stay there, we went straight and started
exploring the temples.
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| my first ever pic, this is the way to the main temple |
They say, it would be best to see Angkor Wat during the wet
season, when the grass abundantly grows adding the green scenery to the
already-great view!
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| green! |
Angkor Wat actually means ‘The temple city’. According to
researchers, it is in fact, a funerary temple built during the life of
Suryavarman II – the founding king.
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| one of the doors leading to the temple |
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| so fascinating! |
We entered the heart of Angkor Wat. The first part is the Gallery of 1,000 Buddhas. Actually, there is a much lesser number of Buddhas that remained today.
Moving on, you can also see 4 pools in the cloister. They look the same. See one below.
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| really, the architecture is superb |
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| my dream pic actually! |
It may not be that obvious but the walls are actually filled with carvings of Apsaras, supernatural female beings who are superb in the art of dancing and temple guardians called devatas. Apsara dance is a actually a traditional Khmer dance.
As we went farther, we were greeted with this very tall
structure, the towers.
Actually, you can climb up the stairs but due to the rain last night and for safety purposes, we did not dare go up.
Instead, we did some photo ops at the ground instead.
After exploring the temple, we headed back to the gates and
to our tuk-tuk.
That structure I am standing at is thought by some to have been used as a cremation site (wikipedia). Kinda scary but well, the carvings are pretty great.
Well, exploring this temple is more like a jungle adventure due to the trees growing on most of the ruins. This was actually a monastery and university.
Day 2 - Angkor Archaeological Park - Lucky Mall
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| the second level of the temple |
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| third level is upstairs |
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| it's not me. it's the carvings |
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| it's not us. it's the angkor wat. |
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| best view! |
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| a must-see destination indeed |
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| before leaving the temple |
Kuya Noel then brought us to a restaurant for breakfast!
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| just few meters away from the temple |
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| the serving was really for the hungry |
Our next stop was another part of the Angkor Archeological Park, the Angkor Thom. It literally means the "Great City".
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| the south entrance |
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| the guards at the entrance |
Our first stop is the the Bayon Temple. The temple’s
architecture was so grand I couldn’t comprehend how they made it.
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| Bayon Temple at the background |
According to sources, this is the official state temple of King Jayavarman VII. When you enter the temple, you can follow the numbers to tour around. Here, you get to see not just one but a lot of faces carved in stones. These faces are of Avalokiteśvara which means the lord who looks upon the world with compassion. There are faces in all compass points.
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| exploring the temple |
The architecture here is of baroque style.
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| at the entrance |
It was indeed grand. You just have to be careful in going up and down the stairs to some towers since the stairs are steep. The view, however, was all worth it.
Okay, opposite the Bayon temple - to the farther left is the Baphuon. It is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva (wikipedia).
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| the entrance |
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| view from a window |
Our next stop was the Phimeanakas..
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| off to explore |
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| one of the temples |
Then, to the Terrace of the Leper King.
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| the "leper king" is actually at the top of this passage |
Then our last stop in Angkor Thom is the Terrace of the Elephants. The 350m-long Terrace of Elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king's grand audience hall (wikipedia).
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| the elephants |
So, that ends our tour for this morning. After so much walking and picture-taking, we just needed to rest and recharge. No better way but to fill our stomachs! Kuya Noel waited for us at the parking area opposite the terrace. Near this area are rows of stores and restaurants. He led us to one of these to have lunch. In Cambodia, you should try their national dish, Amok. This so delicious and healthy that I could not just forget it.
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| Amok - a must-try!!! |
After that healthy lunch, we proceeded to our final destination for the day. This is not just any temple. This is THE famous temple - Ta Prohm. If this does not ring a bell, then Tomb Raider temple might be. Aside from being a UNESCO heritage site, this temple was hugely popularized by the movie Tomb Raider.
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| the entrance |
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| flock of tourists |
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| the famous spot |
We exited in a different gate where Kuya Noel waited for us. As you settle in the tuk-tuk, a lot of children would swarm around to sell magnets. Just make sure you buy as promised so that no crying kid would be left as you go.
So, that was it. That was our itinerary for the day. We went back to the city center and stopped by Lucky Mall to have snacks.
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| the burger |
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| the ice cream |
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| try the passion fruit!!! |
After eating, we kind of toured the mall. Then, went to the hotel.
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| traffic in siem reap |
Before finally bidding goodbye to our tuk-tuk driver/guide (Noel), we had a souvenir shot. To those of you who want a very kind, understanding, smiling and gentle driver, contact Noel. He speaks English and can answer almost all of our questions. He was also very patient on our favors.
Mr. Hin Nol (Noel)
Contact numbers: (+855) 12 71 36 70 / (+855) 97 62 56 048
Email: hin_nol@yahoo.com
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| with Kuya Noel |
We had so much rest that we woke up around 11:30 PM already!!! We missed the night market, I know. Haha. But we're just getting excited. We're saying "Goodbye Siem Reap, Hi Phnom Penh" tomorrow!!!!
Day 3 - Bliss Villa - Mekong Express Bus - Pratna Guesthouse - Royal Palace - Khmeroyal Hotel - Tonle Sap Riverfront - Convenience Store (Phnom Penh Beer)
Day 4 - Pratna Guesthouse - Mekong Express Terminal - Mekong River - Flower Restaurant - Cambodian Border - Vietnam Border - Koniko Backpacker's Hostel - Viet Restaurant - Saigon Post Office - Notre Dame Cathedral - Independence Building - Night Market - Sozo
Day 4 - Pratna Guesthouse - Mekong Express Terminal - Mekong River - Flower Restaurant - Cambodian Border - Vietnam Border - Koniko Backpacker's Hostel - Viet Restaurant - Saigon Post Office - Notre Dame Cathedral - Independence Building - Night Market - Sozo
