- Siem Reap is poor, but rich with history like very few places on this planet
- Angkor Wat and the surrounding wats were, and still are, marvels of engineering that have stood the test of time, aging well like the finest bottle of wine
On the way back from Can Tho to Saigon, we encountered the masses of people returning back to the big city after Tet. It was quite apparent to us how seriously the big city empties when we saw the incredible amount of people returning the day before they were all due back at work. Imagine driving back into LA or NYC the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Chaos. And delays.
We had to say goodbye to our friend Mr. Un when he dropped us off at the Saigon airport. Not sure how much I’m going to miss the way he finished sentences with AHA! like Canadians do with Eh, but he was one hell of a tour guide who always kept the mood light and our minds informed.
We flew into Siem Reap and were greeted by our new local tour guide Kong. The tour company handled all of the paperwork at immigration for us, one of the many luxuries Tania and I are being spoiled with while traveling with Tony and Anna Marie. Luxuries far from the realities we have been faced with by traveling alone whie on a marginally tight budget over the last few months. We’re trying not to let it get to our heads, especially considering we still have two more countries to explore after they leave, but damn this type of travel is nice.
Cambodia as a whole is an extremely poor third world country, but Siem Reap is flooded with luxury hotels and restaurants to pamper the wealthy tourists that flock here for Angkor (pronounced On-core, not Ang-cor) Wat and all of the neighboring ruins. Our hotel, Hotel de la Paix, was right up Tania’s and my alley due to its modern and luxurious feel, but not so much for my parents who are more attracted to the classic luxury of the Park Hyatt. Either way, this place is the bee’s knees, especially our garden suite that had an outdoor sitting area with a marble bathtub sitting in the heart of the room. Too bad it was too damn hot to think about spending more time outside than necessary.
We quickly got settled into the room and then met Kong at the front of the hotel so we could visit Angkor Wat before the sun went down. It is the most well known landmark in Cambodia, so much so that the profile of its three main towers adorn the national flag. It’s the largest religious building in the world after being build 1000 years ago. Much of it still stands today, and even the intricate designs etched into the sandstone are still very visible today. From these carvings to the massive moat outlining the exterior to the mindboggling engineering required to build such a structure, the entire complex is awe inspiring and humbling, even by today’s standards. No wonder its one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. And not the fake world wonders that China keeps trying to claim, the real 7 wonders recognized by everyone.
The central towers at Angkor Wat
Perfectly maintained and incredibly intricate etchings in the halls of Angkor Wat
Tuesday morning we visited a fishing village 30 km outside of Siem Reap. After driving down a red dirt road far from the paved highway, we came upon a long string of houses built on tall stilts, and families congregating outside to either socialize or to work together to string tiny fish on bamboo sticks so they could be dried for use over the next year. The children waved as we drove by, and when we stopped the car and got out to watch their activities up close, the kids continued to wave, say goodbye (even though we had just arrived), and blow us kisses. It melted our hearts as soon as we set foot outside of the van.
Children stringing fish onto bamboo rods so they can be dried and used throughout the rest of the year.
Happy no matter what life has to offer.
Kong then took us to the end of the road where the town met the river at the Kampong Phluck floating village. We jumped into a longboat and rode past more houses on stilts, and even houses built on flotation devices so they could adapt to the rising/sinking water levels. As we learned, the waters hit their peak in October after the country is hit with heavy rains, yet they quickly recede as the hottest month of April quickly approaches, and the dry season settles in. If it was this hot in February, God only knows how bad it’ll get in April.
Maybe not the best place to stroll around the village.
It is a completely different way of life out here. We didn’t know whether to feel bad that these people lived in such poverty, or to simply understand that they don’t need much, especially modern conveniences to be happy, and that our way of life isn’t right for everyone, including them.
We spent the rest of our time in Siem Reap visiting as many of the remaining wats as possible. My dad and I hiked to the top of Phnom Bakheng before we all entered Angkor Thom and walked around Bayon, which is famous for the faces carved into the sides of the 52 peaked structures. Tania was excited for the pink wat, Banteay Srei (Sanctuary of the Women), which ended up being more orange than anything. Still, the carvings in the sandstone were as impressive as any other wat we visited. And we all loved Ta Prohm, which has been gripped by the root system of the ancient trees that casts shade on the area. Unfortunately though, our two attempts at viewing Angkor Wat from a hot air balloon were canceled due to unruly weather. Apparently the view from up there puts the vastness of the site in perspective, yet I think we understood its magnitude from afoot and up close.
And the foot of tree root systems strangling Ta Prohm.
The famous faces of Bayon can also be found here at the north gate of Angkor Wat.
One could spend weeks here visiting the vast number of wats to simply soak in the magnitude of these massive structures that were built 900 years ago, and still stand strong in spite of weather and war. It had the authentic feel that we hoped to experience in all historic relics in Asia, but that was missing in many places (China). Here you feel like the structures are relaxing on the site with you, while in China it felt like you were being ushered in and given a show built for tourists. Tough to explain, but you’ll know what we mean when you come here for yourself.
After soaking up all of the sites and the luxury of our hotel, we made a pit stop at the Art School for Children to pick up some locally made items, and headed for the airport to catch a flight back to Vietnam. This time, we were heading back north to Hanoi to do all of the site seeing we skipped the first time so we could see it all new with Tony and Anna Marie.
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