We start our journey leaving Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, June 1st, Saturday after breakfast with Marianne. Reluctantly we packed to leave for Phnom Penh by Mekong Express. We leave HCMC sad and happy, sad to leave two really great people we have met and happy to continue our journey.
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| View from the bus while traveling from HCMC ,Viet Nam to Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
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Another photo of the countryside by bus |
Driving into the traffic circle in Phnom Penh, what a welcoming and beautiful site.
Once we arrived in Phnom Penh, we found a place to stay, Diamond Palace II. We walked around night market to get cash in USD. We had dinner at Karma along the river for $11 and met Mary and Jesiah from London eating at a table nearby. They told us about the Killing Fields and S21 which they highly recommended we see despite the grotesque acts that took place in these places.
We slept in a little on Sunday then had breakfast, we started talking with Julia and Jess, who were planning to go to The Killing Fields and S21. We ran upstairs grabbed our things and rushed off to join them. We travel by tuk tuk to the Killing Fields.
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How can such a place have so much beauty, yet so many atrocities took place here. Choeung Ek Killing Fields |
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Memorial with the bones and skulls of the victims of The Killing Fields. |
Despite the experience we decided to have lunch at Bird Nest then to we were taken to S21. Heavy day on genocide and emotional but so worth the visit.
Former class rooms became bricked off individual cells, interior walls halls entrances. Instead of using the outdoor means for egress.
Building A
S21 a former school turned into prison and torture chamber, class rooms became
Tuol Svay Pray High School sits on a duty road on the outskirt of Phnom Penh. Of the 14,000 people that entered, only 7 are known to have survived. 14 corpses of the victims were found in 'Building A' by the armed forces including one female victim. These were the last victims.
Showered when we got back, what a relief to wash off, did research on transportation to Siem Reap. Went for a walk to have dinner at a local LGBT restaurant. We ended up having dinner on the rooftop of Quay along the Mekong River. Lovely evening with breeze off the river. Went for a walk along the river then looked for a couple of clubs. We walked in the dark streets of the night market, but felt real uncomfortable. We could not find Rainbow then walked past Blue Chilli which was real quiet with hardly any people there, we decided we were too tired and went back to Diamond Palace and crashed.
Quay rooftop looking down Tonle Sap River to the Mekong
Our view from the balcony outside our room to the stairs. Looking at the National Museum.
We start our walk after breakfast along the river. Wat Ounalom overlooks the river.
On the banks of the Tonle Sap River across from Wat Ounalom. This is where the Tonle Sap River meets the Mekong River.
Cambodian National Post Office, we take a photo of every post office in a major city during our travels for our friend, Postmaster Jack Talty.
Wat Phnom
Keith at Wat Phnom, he is holding a solar protective umbrella. The sun was brutal.
Buddhist shrine at Wat Phnom
Central Market built in 1937 dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods. Initial design and layouts are from French architect Louis Chauchon. It is a magnificent building.
Woman selling lychees...our favorite travel fruit
More walking and investigating to see what this City at the junction of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers has to offer. We watched many monks in orange walking past as we approached the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. We started at Silver Pagoda. Beautiful grounds and temples within the walled royal grounds. Behind the palace and near our hotel we toured the open air National Museum surprising it only took us an hour but it is an unusual museum with open air courtyard and no exterior walls. The museum had nice exhibits and really well done. Finished our day cooled off at hotel then showered. Our last night in Phnom Penh we walked the Tonle Sap River towards the Monument. As we walked along, we saw a protest asking for amnesty. We had dinner at The Latin Quarter, delicious meal and relaxing. Off to Toto for ice cream, great flavors (coconut/jackfruit, mango/passion fruit).
Monks walking past the Royal Palace grounds to temple
The grounds of the National Palace and Silver Pagoda
Grounds of the National Palace.
Our first taste on how massive Angkor Wat is from this model
The most beautiful National Museum we have ever seen. This is the courtyard.
Open air Cambodian Artwork, as you can see the museum is wide open.
On Tuesday, June 4th we set off for our 6 hour bus ride on Mekong Express to Siem Reap and our host, Sutay Guven, he is a long time couch surfer from Turkey. We arrived at Sutay's, met his girlfriend from Thailand and CS member, Linh NGO from Ha Noi. We waited and photographed an incredible thunderstorm before heading out to Le Tigre de Papiet for dinner. Andrew met us there then we headed to Temple Club for 'happy hour' 50 cent drafts. Good conversation and laughs.
Landscape along the road from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Temple along the river as we cross the bridge
Girls walking home from school
The passing of the keys Sutay style
Severe thunder and lightning storm, this is with the lightning and below is what it should be
19:00 and dark, except during the lightning and thunder
Another lightning bolt
Keith with our host and his Thai girlfriend to the right and couch surfer, Linh Ngo from Viet Nam.
Keith and Wayne at Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Keith at Angkor Wat
Elephant terrace in Angkor Thom
Bayon Gate
Bayon Temple
Chau Say Tevoda Temple
Temple of Thommanon
Stone tree temple
Ta Keo
Ta Prohm - The Tomb Raider Temple (the movie Tomb Raider was filmed here)
Ta Prohm, King Jayavarman VII took the Throne. His first construction project was to build Ta Prohm Temple. He filled the temple with Buddhist narrative artwork and referred to the Temple as a Mahayana Buddhist Monastery and University.
Ta Prohm
Dancing Buddha at Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm
Got back, showered then headed out on bike to Pub Street. Dinner at Viva, Mexican restaurant. Really authentic corn taco soft shell tortilla. Walked over to Temple Club to watch Aspara dancers then attended CS meeting, met Cassandra and planned for her to join us tomorrow. Road bikes back to house.
On Thursday, June 6th off with Sovan to guide us and Cassandra to the farthest temples. Found the best temples and we did a jump photo Cassandra style at a thousand year old temple :). Our photo was taken by a Japanese tourist, very grateful he took the shot for us. We had a long day touring from 8 to 5.00pm. Returned to shower then had dinner at Taberu, new restaurant in street 25. $5.00 set Khmer meal includes soft drink and discounted draft beer. Early to bed and returned our bikes.
Within the Angkor Wat complex enroute to Bandeau Srei
Market along the road while we travel to Bandeau Srei complex
Bandeau Sri header above the entrance
Entrance to Bandreau Srei
Inside the complex
Outside the Bandreau Srei temple complex
The hike to the most unusual of all the temples, Kbal Spean the jungle temple
Wayne at the 1,200 meter mark and still more climbing to be done before we find the jungle temple
Wayne and Keith stop at a scenic view location while hiking to Kbal Spean
Kbal Spean temple is actually underwater
The spines of the temple. The site consists of a series of stone carvings in sandstone formations carved in the river bed and banks. It is commonly known as the "Valley of a 1000 Lingas" or "The River of a Thousand Lingas". The motifs for stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a sandstone bed rock, and lingam-yoni designs. There are also various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of the gods Shiva, vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama and Hanuman, as well as animals (cows and frogs). It is believed that the Siem Reap River flowing into Angkor is blessed by the sacred lingas over which it flows.
Siem Reap river flowing over the lingas
Tuk tuk ride to the next temple
Boy with oxen making our way to Banteay Samre
Temple complex Banteay Samré is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia located east of the East Baray. Built under Suryavarman II and Yasovarman II in the early 12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Wat style.
Keith and Wayne at Banteay Samré
Jump shot for Casandra, couchsurfer from New Zealand and travel companion for the day.
Wayne, Cas and Keith do a jump shot at Banteay Samré
Banteay Samré
Woman pours gasoline into liter container to sell
Keith and Wayne sitting outside the Bakong Temple complex. Bakongis the first temple mountain of sandstone constructed by rulers of the Khmer empire at Angkor.
Bakong temple complex
Buddhist shrine at the top of Bakong
Preah Ko across the water
Preah Ko complex, (The Sacred Bull) was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya
Preah Ko
Preah Ko
Stone carving on Preah Ko
Morning run by Angkor Wat to see more temples
Preah Khan north gate
Preah Kahn
Preah Khan
Preah Kahn north library
Preah Khan complex
Preah Khan
Keith at Preah Kahn taking a break from the heat
Wayne under the tree that envelopes the temple
Neak Pean moot. Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes (the ancients believed that going into these pools would balance the elements in the bather, thus curing disease); it is one of the many hospitals that Jayavarman VII built.
Three young girls who try to sell tourists items they are selling. They are very persistent on trying to get you to buy something.
The Ta Som temple consists of a single shrine located on one level and surrounded by enclosure laterite walls. Like the nearby Preah Khan and Ta Prohm, the temple was left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.
Ta Som
Ta Som
The East Mebon temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king. Its location reflects Khmer architects’ concern with orientation and cardinal directions. The temple was built on a north-south axis with Rajendravarman’s state temple, Pre Rup, located about 1,200 meters to the south just outside the baray.
Keith swinging on low hanging roots at Banteay Kdei
Banteay Kdei known as "Citadel of Monks' cells"
Banteay Kdei is Bayon architectural style, similar in plan to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, but less complex and smaller.
Banteay Kdei is set in a beautiful location, unfortunately the quality of sandstone used was poor leading to the collapse of the complex.
Angkor Wat Complex map to show the size of the temple area and how much there is to see. "Angkor Wat" is sometimes used to refer to the whole collection of abandoned cities and temple complexes, spread over more hundreds of square kilometers. It is $40 for a three day pass.
We purchased tickets for Pakse, Laos bus after our last day of touring Angkor Wat. Uploaded photos and marked them in our air con room. Had dinner with Sutay at Khmer restaurant then to night market for ice cream, Khmer style at Angkor Snow Ice, really good stuff. Walked around then headed back at 10.30, have to catch bus for 5.00am with pick-up at 4.30am.
The Cambodian people are so warm and friendly, we made some really nice contacts here during our 6 days. Our host in Siem Reap is such a great guy, and yes Satay we will take you up on the connection in Istanbul.
Wayne & Keith
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