Angkor Wat Wins

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

There aren't many words that I can think to describe this absolutely jaw dropping place.  It's enchanting and an upon the first glimpse it really takes your breath away.  The first day of exploration we both peddled up to the main entrance in front of the moat surrounding the main temple of Angkor Wat and stopped to take it all in.   We visited some of the smaller, less crowded temples on the first day so we went on our merry way with just a taste of the three famous towers that have been imprinted in our brains from images of the flag, photos, on beer labels, and documentaries.  At that moment I felt so incredibly lucky to have been able to travel in this part of the world.  It is a place Andy and I talked about the whole time we planned to come to this region and was the culmination to our travel adventure in Southeast Asia.

First glimpse

We toured Angkor Wat via bicycle for the next three days and rode well over 150 kilometers on rather rickety bikes, but at least they had bells. Ring a ling ling! This is more of an ancient city than one single sight. There are temples and structures spread far an wide enough to keep you busy sightseeing for several days. On the last afternoon, we found a nice spot along the elephant terraces to read and soak it all in.  The booms of thunder interrupted the reading session and suggested we head for some shelter but instead we climbed to a hilltop temple with a view of the surrounding plane and of the entire ancient city.  Not the smartest decision because when we arrived at the entrance torrential downpour ensued.  We took cover in one of the small prayer wats lining the sides of the main spire.  Amusingly enough, it didn't have a roof.  We were joined by four Japanese teens, and a Chinese family of three who opened up their umbrella.  It kept them dry and soaked the rest if us.  Just so you have an idea, the structure is little more than 1 square yard so we are talking shoulder to shoulder.  We survived, the rain cleared and blue skies reappeared to give us a spectacular view and just enough time to see one last sunset at the iconic towers.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

With an extra day on our hands, we enrolled in a Khmer cooking course to learn how to make those delicious Khmer curries and fresh spring rolls! No one else signed up for the class so it turned out to be a private lesson!  Our teacher, Chhoum, a 23 year old accounting student, was a light hearted, fun girl who taught us the basics of Khmer cuisine.  While on a tour of the local market, we wanted some lotus fruit so she sternly bargained with a little old lady until she locked in the local price for the best lotus bloom in the basket! Usually we have targets on our heads in the markets and although we've become savvy bargainers, she showed how it is done!

Beyond that, Siem Reap and the temples are a pretty jam packed touring hot spot where a lot of stereotypes come out of the woodwork.  Armies of tour groups all with the full khaki safari get ups cruise around snapping shot after shot.  In town, most of the crowds flock to a place called Pub Street where the draft beer is $0.50.  You cannot miss it mostly due to the huge, flashing, neon signs with arrows pointing in the direction of Pub Street. We did one last checklist item on our final day. Fish foot massage. One of the more hilarious and uncomfortable 15 minutes of my life.

From Siem Reap, we are heading to Nepal! Nepal wasn't on the original itinerary but had always been an idea in the back of our minds.  After thinking about it so much and hearing how amazing the country is for a month from David, our Canuck comrade, we bought our tickets and will extend the adventure a little but longer.  By the time you read this, we should be on the Everest Base Camp Trail!! Namaste!