Angkor Wat
CAMBODIA
The Temples of Angkor
By AARON
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Considering Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is a regularly traveled route by tourists in Cambodia, I was a bit surprised when I was the only non-local on my bus. I guess that’s why no one wanted to sit next to me – there was even one guy who had to sit next to me because there were no more seats, and as soon as another seat was available he went to sit in that one. Oh well, at least I got to spread out and relax for the 6 hour trip.
Siem Reap is base camp for anyone wanting to see the ruins of Angkor and the famous Angkor Wat, and the city has fully embraced tourism as anywhere you look you can find a restaurant, shop or guesthouse ready and willing to accept money from foreigners.
I checked into Bou Savy Guesthouse, owned and operated by a local Khmer family, and then headed into town to walk around a bit. Not wanting to drink or have a big night that evening, I instead watched a soccer match on TV and called it a night so I could wake up early the next morning for the temples.
There are many ways to explore the ruins of what was once the largest empire in Southeast Asia, but I would highly recommend doing it by bike. I decided on a one day pass, which is plenty of time to see Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prom (where Tomb Raider was filmed) while stopping along the way to admire other structures as well. The day ended up being perfect as I rode from ruin to ruin, and in taking Cal’s advice, tried not to take too many pictures.
All in all, I probably biked around 25km, but since the roads are all flat and the scenery is amazing, you really don’t feel like you’ve strained yourself; plus, it justifies those beers you plan on having after a day at the ruins!
So 7 hours, 50 pictures and a bike ride later, I was back at Bou Savy where I took a quick nap, showered and then headed to “Pub Street” in downtown Siem Reap. Like any touristy city, there were restaurants, bars and markets to browse through, so I tried Kap Kow, a tasty local dish and had some beers on a patio as well. Although I had no complaints with the place I ate at, there was one couple next to me who ordered the “lobster” and instead got 2 small prawns. This of course started a heated argument between the couple, the waiter and the cook and while I laughed, they hashed out the details of what was lobster and what wasn’t.
Feeling the need to end this perfect day with a perfect finish, I treated myself to an ice cream sundae and a moto-taxi back to my guesthouse where I slept like a baby that night, most likely due to the combination of biking all day, beer and food.
Next morning I would head to Bangkok, where Lyndi would meet me and we would finish out the rest of our travels on one of the many tropical islands Thailand has to offer.
