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Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakheng is a steep hill with a temple at the summit.  We were too chicken to tackle the jagged slope composed of broken steps, dried mud, rocks, with the occasional sprawled body of a climber, so we went up on a  saddled elephant (the elephant trail is less cliff-like and safer, although it's a longer stretch).  The elephants are black because their hides are rubbed with some kind of leaf that serves to ward off insects. We rode up the hill to the base of the temple at the summit, to find out that we had yet another sharp climb ahead!  So on foot we went and finally made it up the choppy steps, until we reached the stone platform surrounding a small temple.  It  was carpeted with people, most of whom sat quietly looking towards the sunset.  The sunset view of Angkor Wat against the horizon was well worth the climb.  Much to our chagrin, the shot taken with our idiot camera (see top left of this page) failed to capture the breathtaking beauty of the view.  We clambered our way down the steps and sauntered down the less treacherous elephant trail.  We managed to avoid stepping on elephant poop which was all over the place, but got sprayed with God-knows-what-yucky-stuff by a passing elephant's trunk! Yuk!!!

 

Going up the Elephant Trail

(Click on the image to see the outline of Angkor Wat in the background.)
 

 

The Banteay Srei Temple

On the morning of our 3rd day in Siem Reap we visited Banteay Srei, one of the most beautifully preserved and widespread temples.  The Khmer Rouge were ejected from Phnom Pehn by the invading Vietnamese in 1979, but they remained in control of large areas near Siem Reap for the best part of two decades more, so Banteay Srei has only recently been opened to tourists.

The Banteay Srei Temple is further away, about 25 km. north of Angkor, but well worth the trip.  Our guide Ly-Heng told us that it was built by a Brahmin priest and founded in 967.  It was never intended for use by a king, which goes some way towards explaining its small size... you have to duck to get through the doorways to get into the sanctuary towers.  Surprisingly though, it contains some of the finest examples of Khmer sculpture.  Finely carved, the rare pink and green sandstone replaces the plaster-coated carved-brick decoration typical of earlier temples.  All the buildings are covered in carvings with details on the jambs, lintels and the balustered windows.  If you look closely, you can see the magnificently carved tongues-of-flame, coiling serpents' tails, gods, demons and floral garlands.  We found Banteay Srei's ornamentation to be exceptional.

 
Sanctuaries

 

  

Central Sanctuary
Balustered Entrance

 

 

 

Behind the walled temple
 

Exquisite carvings in
hues of pinks and greens

Sanctuary doorway
 

 

East Mebon (Oriental Temple for Ancestors)

This ancestral temple was built in the second half of the 10th century (952 - Hindu) by King Rajendravarman II, dedicated to Siva (Hindu), in memory of the king's parents.  East Mebon was once set on a small island in East Baray Lake, which fed the Seim Reap river.  The lake is now dry and is used as rich farming land.  This temple features attractive decorations on false doors and lintels, as well as large life-sized stone elephants.

 

 

We were pretty much *templed-out* by the time we got to East Mebon.  

Don't remember much else about this one.
         

 
 

 

Tonle Sap Lake

Our last stop in Siem Reap was to the Tonle Sap Lake, where we went on a boat ride to see the floating village and smell the fish (???).  A pre-hired boat with a roof to shield us from the scorching sun was waiting for us.  Moving slowly in and around the settlement, we came across a floating-hospital, an open-sided barber shop, and a collection of various boat-shops, including a grocer's brimming with imported goods where business was brisk.

 

 
 
Boathouse Pelicans and storks
 

 
 
  That was our last stop in Siem Reap.  But before we take you to Phnom Pehn,

here are some shots taken at the Grand Hotel D'Angkor.
 
   
Main lobby Steps near the pool Gallery near our room
 
 

Poolside Restaurant

 

    
  At the pool with  behind main building

 

   Cambodian music while we pigged out

 
 
 

 

Phnom Pehn

We bid farewell to Siem Reap and departed for Phnom Pehn on the 4th day. Upon arrival, we were greeted cordially by a prearranged driver. Within 15 minutes, we arrived at the Royal Hotel where we checked in. The Royal Hotel belongs to the same Raffles group as the Grand Hotel D'Angkor in Siem Reap. It's very nice, but not quite as splendid as the more resort-like Grand Hotel. The food was yummy though, and being the gluttons that we are... that was good enough for us.

The Royal Palace

Our personal guide, Sophea, met us in the lobby at 8am sharp, and took us to The Royal Palace, King Norodom Sihanouk's official residence.  Built in 1866 by the French, its entry is at the Samdech Sothearos Boulevard, formerly known as Lenin Boulevard, not far from the banks of the Tonle Sap River.  Among various building within the walls, the Throne Hall ranks as the most important (cameras weren't allowed inside).   This Khmer-style building was erected only in 1917, and is used on special occasions.  Attached to the Thone Hall is a tower.
 

 

The Killing Fields

On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouges took over Phnom Pehn.  Cambodia ended its 5-year bloody civil war.  However, the worst had yet to come.  In the countryside where most of the murders ordered by Pol Pot occurred, victims were taken singly or in groups from prisons, homes and work sites usually at sunset and executed at the killing fields nearby.  Documentation of these deaths (if it ever existed) has disappeared.  So had the bodies of most of the victims.  After 1979, many of the killing fields were discovered.  The remains of thousands of victims were exhumed.  Some had been shot or suffocated with plastic bags and beheaded before they were thrown into trenches.  Many (including women and children, even infants) died by having their skulls smashed against a tree, or with shovels, hoes and iron bars.  This method of killing reflected the literal-mindedness of many of Pol Pot's cadre who were told by their superiors to smash (komtec) the "enemies".  We had planned to visit the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crime, but decided to skip it.  We had seen enough of the gruesome stuff.

 
Trenches where bodies were found and exhumed   Mass grave of 166 decapitated victims

 

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are a grisly reminder of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.  Some 17,000 people were killed here, just 15 km south-west of the city center.  Over 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age are visible behind the clear glass panel of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988.
 
 
 

 

That did it.  We were ready to head for home.  But before we did, we stopped at a little shop to buy a bushel of fragrant organic Cambodian rice... no trip is complete without some form of shopping!

 

 

 

And so we fulfilled our dream of visiting another one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  It turned out to be even better than we had anticipated.  The photos taken with our idiot camera do not do justice to the magical beauty of the ruins in Angkor.  We enjoyed the vacation immensely, and if you haven't been there already, we definitely recommend it!

Thank you for allowing us to share our experience with you.  If any of this has sparked your interest in making Cambodia a holiday destination... here are some quick facts:

 

 

1.

Cambodia can be visited throughout the year.  The climate is tropical and distinguishes 3 major seasons.  The most pleasant is the dry season from November to March during which temperatures are supposedly cooler (it hit an average of 34°C when we were there!).  The hot season lasts from March to June, and the rainy season from May to early October.  Some prefer the rainy season, because it's not as dusty (although it can get muddy), and the colors of the temples become so vibrant with mystical hues of blues and greens from the moss.
   

2.

 

Cambodia has very liberal visa regulations.  All one needs is a valid passport, 2 passport-size photos and US$20 each for a one-month tourist visa, which you can get upon arrival at the airport by filling out an application.  Bring along 2 extra photos and copies of your passport (required for purchasing entrance passes to the archeological site of Angkor).
   

3.

The official currency is the Riel.  However, the US dollar is widely accepted.  In fact, that's all we used.  It is advisable to bring plenty of small change in US$, but if you forget to, the hotels have plenty of it.
   

4.

Airport Tax:
 

International Departures:  US$20
 

Domestic Departures:  US$10

 

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