Cambodia 1.14 - Part 1: Banteay Srei, Kabal Spean, Beng Mealea & Photo Album

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We had a new driver picking us up at 7 AM as we arranged a car for transportation today.
The driver was a young man who barely spoke any English.
He showed up with an old car from Thailand that had the driver seat on the right side.

I was really excited about today as we would venture out of Angkor Park for a change of scenery.

First stop: Banteay Srei
Distance:  45 minutes drive from Siem Reap
Entrance Fee: Included in the Angkor Park pass. 

Banteay Srei was very different from the temples we had seen so far.
It was much smaller in size.  The sandstone gave the temple the distinctive color.  The carvings were very decorative and exquisite. 

By the time we came out of the temple around 9 AM, there were buses after buses of tours arriving at the site.  I was glad that we beat the crowd.  After some traditional Cambodian noodle soup for breakfast, we were ready to go.

Second stop: Kbal Spean
Distance: 30 minutes drive from Banteay Srei & 45 minutes hiking to the riverbed stone carvings
Entrance Fee: Included in the Angkor Park Pass. 

I enjoyed the hiking more than the carvings. It was worth having a local to show you around as some of the carvings were hard to find.
We were told that the water was blessed by the gods and goddesses carved on the river bed.  The sacred water then fertilizes the soil of Angkor.


 
After the Kabal Spean, it was another solid hour to our next stop.  We were deep in the Cambodian country side: the water buffalos roaming in the rice fields; little kids laughing and playing in the woods; elders laying in canapes under elevated wooden shacks;  teenagers in school uniforms riding bikes; little piglets stuffed in bamboo cages on the back of motorcycles....

No doubt that the living conditions were harsh, but it was hard not to romanticize what we had seen.
Children had the cutest faces and brightest smiles.
People were at ease with their surroundings.
Time seemed to go at a slower pace in this part of the world.

Perhaps it evoked the nostalgia in me of the simpler eras that our ancestors had once lived when humans were one with nature.

We made frequent stops at the roadside vendors and outdoor markets and past by at least 4 wedding banquets blasting loud and festive music. 

Third stop:  Beng Mealea
Distance: 1 hour drive from Kabal Spean
Entrance Fee: $5

After we past the entrance checkpoint, a park keeper led us inside the temple where we did not encounter any tourists. The park keeper was an older woman with dark wrinkled face, small frame, and limped right leg when she walked.  The temple was mysterious and mystical.  Climbing on the rocks through the ruins of library and galleries, I felt I was in the "Indian Jones" movie set.  It was so surreal, even the park keeper felt like a character  in the movie.
The temple was so quiet that Hans and I whispered to each other, not wanting to disturb any spirits that were present.
We did not want to leave.  If it was not for the park keeper who were waiting for us, we could have stayed in this temple the whole day.
We thanked the park keeper and gave her some tips for taking the time to show us around.

Cambodia 1.13 - Part 2: Angkor Wat, 60 meter market, Cambodian BBQ, Dr Feet & Photo Album

We hung out by the hotel pool before we met up with Bunlong and Kimson again.

Although Le Meridian's pool had an unique Khmer inspired design, I must say it was not very "swimming friendly" with too many structures and corners in the pool.

By 3PM, we were ready for our afternoon Angkor Wat tour. It was such a dreamy experience seeing Angkor Wat. One could spend hours and hours in the temple soaking everything up. Yes, there were tones of tourists, but it was either the heat or the crowd. So you chose the lesser of two evils.

Hans kept saying that he would love to sit in a quiet corner and meditate. (He is convinced that he could be a monk.) I did understand where he was coming from. The temple had such a spiritual and mystical atmosphere that I felt a different frequency of calming energy.

Cambodia 1.13 - Part 1: Angkor Wat Sunrise, Angkor Thom & Bayon

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This morning, we had an early start to see the Angkor Wat sunrise.  We had hired a guide based on the recommendation from the tripadvisor Forum.  When we went down to the hotel lobby at 5:20 AM, another guide showed up and told us that the guide I requested was "sick".  Somehow, I didn't buy it.  I chose the guide because of his good reputation despite that his quote was higher than others I have inquired.  It would be nice if he called or e-mailed to explain the situation.
Anyway, I did not want this little surprise ruin my mood and decided to let it go.

Since we were visiting two most important temples in the Angkor park, I decided that it was worth having a guide to show us around.
It was a nice change not having to figure everything out on my own.  Our guide, Kimson, took us to the viewing spot for the sunrise.  The reflection of Angkor Wat towers in the Lotus basin under the soft glow as the sun rose was serene, mystical, and absolutely glorious.  We lingered around and took picture after picture.

We invited Bunlong and Kimson to join us for breakfast at a nearby eatery after the sunrise.   Hans enjoyed the Cambodian coffee with condensed milk.  Although Bunlong's chicken leg with Rice dish looked pretty good, I was not ready for a heavy meal first thing in the morning.  Over the breakfast, We talked about Bunlong and Kimson' family, their jobs, Cambodian food and culture.
Kimson told us that he was the oldest child of 12.  He wanted to be a school teacher when he was in college.  A scholarship opportunity to Japan came along.  A week after he went to Japan, his father had a very serious accident, and he had to come home.  Shortly after his return, his father passed away and he lost his scholarship.  He stayed to take care of his mother and young siblings, and eventually became a tour guide. 

 After breakfast, we began our morning tour with Angkor Thom's South Gate, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Royal Palace, Terrace of Elephants, and Terrace of Leper King.
Kimson gave us some introduction of Angkor Thom's history and background.  He also pointed out the meanings and symbolism behind many architectural details.

It was also a lot easier having Kimson to guide us to the best photo spots and being our photographer.

The famous giant Buddha faces at Bayon were definitely one of the highlights.  The temple was kept in a fairly good condition.  We were able to see the details in design, architecture, and decorations.
Kimson showed us all the interesting characters, stories, and Khmer lives on the bas-reliefs, which was really fun to see.

At Phimeanakas, we learned that the Khmer King had to come to the tower to sleep with a woman transformed from a nine head snake every night; otherwise the king would have died.
Hans and I joked about how men could come up with all kind of excuses to cheat.  "Well, I don't want to, but I HAVE to sleep with this woman to save my life!" I imagined that's how the Khmer King explained to his Queen.

When we walked out of the Victory Gate, I spotted a woman selling Cambodian milk fruits, which I had never seen before.  Hans and I bought a few, and tried one right there.  The fruit had a white milky juice.  It was sweet, soft, and super delicious.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by another roadside vendor for some bamboo sticky rice with coconut milk and red beans. The flavor was pretty subtle, but quite filling.

We made one more stop to get some Vietnamese sandwiches for lunch before we headed back to the hotel for an afternoon sieasta.