Our day started at 4.30am so that we can make it for sunrise at Angkor Wat as recommended by Ra, and ended with the sunset at Phnom Bakheng. And it's all wrong, not just because we missed the breakfast that we had already paid for.
To most people, catching the sunrise probably means seeing dawn breaks with the sun rising from beyond the horizon and catching the first ray of the day. If you're at a beautiful place like Angkor Wat you can't go there without wanting to take photos. The part that goes wrong is that the main facade of Angkor Wat actually faces the west hence going there at the end of the day would make more sense. At dawn, the sun lights up from behind the temple and you see tons of tourists trying to take shitty photos with flash that reveals the lighted sky and nothing else, unless silhouette shots are all that they want.
Phnom Bakheng was recommended for sunset because it is situated on a hilltop and the sprawling landscape could be seen, including the Western Baray, a huge reservoir. Thousands of tourists probably get the same information from their local guides. However it means that one would have to bask under the scorching sun for ages while waiting for the sun to drop while squeezed together with ALOT of people at a place where architecture-wise, there is nothing much to see.
A better plan would perhaps be to visit the enigmatic Bayon at dawn and Angkor Wat at the later part of the day.
We only bought a 1-day pass to the Archaeological Park though i think the 3 days pass for $40 is more appropriate. I would love to spend another more thorough day at the temples. Our itinerary for the day hence goes:
Angkor Wat --> (long ride through the country side) --> Banteay Srei --> Landmine Museum --> Pre Rup --> Ta Phrom --> Bayon --> Phnom Bakheng.
After words come photos. Lots of them.
Angkor Wat - Say Whattt?
Part of her keep-fit regime.
Bas-reliefs along the outer walls.
In front of one of the ancient libraries.
The Eastern Gate in the background. That yellow blob is a touristy hot air balloon.
Inner courtyard or something. Perfect place for meditation or kick ass kungfu.
I like the snapshots.
Vendors selling mass-produced artwork that you can find everywhere in Siem Reap.
The ancient moat that protects the place against invaders.
Along the countryside
While stopping to refuel along the roadside stalls.
The beautiful Cambodian landscape. Grass was at her greenest, the skies blue, yet for some strange reasons, my travel mates keep sleeping on the tuk tuk.
Volleyball is a surprisingly popular game there. Snapshot from the tuk tuk.
Lunch was some simple fare.
Banteay Srei - Midday furnace
The afternoon sun was so bloody hot I was worried for my camera. Too hot for photos. The only decent shot is of this artist doing his stuff under the shade. But Banteay Srei and her intricate hand carvings is worth a visit. Just don't go during midday as you'll be at the mercy of the sun.
Landmine Museum
More worth the while to visit this place rather than the War Museum. It's opened by a Mr. Aki Ra who fought in the war and devotes his time to detonating land mines around the country. Used to be free but now charges US$1. The place is quite small though.
Pre Rup
In the ancient times all the Cambodians must have really tiny feet or they are all acrobats. The steps leading up to every single pagoda in the archaeological park that we visited were small and steep. The width of each step is only about half the length of my US size 10 sole.
Ta Phrom - The temple eaten by giant trees.
A tree with a gigantic buttress root. One side of it is more than enough to fit the three of us in.
This is the tree that makes the tree-engulfed temple ruins famous. Archaeologists gave up trying to restore the temple as nature has since became an integral part of it.
We got split up while exploring and couldn't find each other. It's really much larger than how it appears on the map.
Bayon - Temple of many faces
First sight of Bayon. Simply breaktaking.
Buddha resides within.
There are 216 faces in all but we didn't have time to fully explore the place.
Withstanding the test of time. Courtyard.
From his perspective.
Passing through Victory Gate. Each statue has a different face and holds part of a giant naga, a mythical snake/dragon with multiple heads.
Phnom Bakheng - Disappointing sunset
Streams of monkeys..
joining those who are trying to look cool while being roasted. See how packed it is.
Took some photos and left.
That pretty much sums up day 2. At night Ra brought us to a real local place near where he stays with his aunt, at our beseech, where the Cambodians eat. It was so local that the people there don't speak English. We had some kind of noodles with gravy that is similar to laksa. It wasn't too bad at all actually, except for the fact that everything is strangely cold. Dinner was rounded off with cold dessert that taste like our bo bo cha cha. Local food = local price = everything is cheap. Noodles cost 1500 riels if i'm not wrong while the dessert cost a bit more.
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