Alex and I have just gotten back from a grueling but exhilarating six days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, trying to wrap our minds around the phenomenon that is the Angkor ruins. It was a bit of an impromptu trip and we hadn't done much reading up on Angkor (except that it's where Tomb Raider was filmed and that it was one of the 12 finalists for the newly classified world wonders), so I was immediately floored by the sheer magnitude of the temples. These mammoth structures sprawl for miles and miles in all directions and I just wanted to see them all because they were all so different and equally staggering and full of so much history. So, neglecting sleep and our physical well-being, we set about trying to see as many of the ruins as we could. We started out without Angkor Wat, the most famous (and touristed) of the sites, a Hindu complex built in the 12th century. Battling the sun, dehydration, and the fact that we'd maybe slept 10 hours in the past 72, we trekked through the "City Temple" ogling at everything, including the tourist/falang crowds and extremely persistent child vendors, two groups of people we were blissfully unaffected by in Vientiane.
Over the next few days we visited loads and loads of temples--I mean, I've woken up before 5 AM four of the past six days and we were on our feet climbing up and down treacherous ruins probably eight hours a day. I'm covered in scrapes and bruises from countless near-death experiences. I know you are heartened to hear that, parents. I can't do justice to every temple (maybe Alex will though, I think he's been working on an entry for the past six hours...), but I'll highlight a few favourite experiences:
Our first full day in Cambodia we decided to do sunrise at Angkor Wat. Of course, we had also made the sage decision to hit up "Pub Street" in Siem Reap the previous night, so I was pretty exhausted. Naturally this ended up with me falling asleep on the ground of the temple at 5:30 AM and awakening at 8 to about fifteen tour groups glaring down at me. Sigh, my life is so embarrassing. Even if I missed sunrise, at least I got to watch this family of monkeys playing outside though:
Maybe they appreciated the sun coming up. They seem to have staked out a pretty good viewpoint. We saw more monkeys over the next few days (and goats and so many freaking ants and our favourite, the foot-long spiders that Alex had fits over...) and I got to watch one eat a banana, which was pleasing to me. Moving on. Considering Siem Reap was mainly a tourist town, I really enjoyed our excursions into the countryside, even if the ruins we saw there were not as "impressive" in sheer size and quantity. I particularly enjoyed our trip to Phnom Krom, a mountain about thirty kilometers south of Siem Reap with a gorgeous newer Buddhist temple and a set of six ruins. Though we sweat hard all the way up the climb (to the satisfaction of a group of Chinese tourists), it was worth it. Phnom Krom itself was breathtaking, but even more so the views the mountain afforded of the "floating villages" seeming to go on in all directions. It was great to escape the crowds at Angkor proper. Also...we straight chilled with some monks...Lunch too was phenomenal. We were ushered into hammocks, where we enjoyed fruit shakes overlooking the floating villages and rice patties before our delicious amok soup and fried noodles came. Life is tough.
Perhaps the most surreal experience was visiting Ta Prohm in the early evening, just after a huge downpour. Ta Prohm is a set of ruins that seems to have been taken over by the jungle; beautiful white trees creep down across the stone walls and there is lush green everywhere. It's pretty mystical, especially after the rain. I was reminded a little bit of the place the elves live in Lord of the Rings (embarrassing LOTR allusion: check). Maybe it was dehydration, maybe it was just the way it looked after the rain, but it really did seem part of another world. I, however, probably seemed very much a part of this world in my glaring yellow poncho and hiking boots. We made it back to Ta Prohm for sunrise our final day, and though it was lovely then, it wasn't quite as ethereal.
That's me in the yellow.
Another favourite was the hike up Phnom Kulen to Kbal Spean, "River of A Thousand Lingas." We climbed the 1500 meters up the phnom to a gorgeous riverbed full of Hindu stone-carvings from the ninth century. It was pretty freaking cool. After a friendly Apsara guide pointed out the various carvings to me in and around the river (and didn't even ask for money!!), I was ready to check out the waterfall. It wasn't Niagara or anything, but the 15 meter waterfall was a lovely place to take a quick dip before we made our descent down the hill. It was the first time I've swam in the month I've been here, and man, it felt good. Of course, it was only about 10 AM, but already, even in the jungle, it was a sweat party.
I could go on and on about how stunning Angkor was, but really, words (or even pictures) can't do it justice. If anyone finds themselves in Southeast Asia, I implore you--get out your hiking boots and your sunscreen, and take a few days to check it out.
Next post: BOAT RACES!! That's right, it's festival season in Laos. And, from what I can tell, "festival" has come to mean "daydrinking," "firecrackers," and "lawlessness." Sok di!
just bein gangsta, NBD.
just me and my bromance, NBD.
