Breakdown

The road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is smooth compared to the bumpy road to Battambang. For $10 USD on the air-conditioned Mekong Express bus, you get two pastries, a cola and a local tour guide that is called a tour guide because he stands up to announce the town you are about to approach. That’s it. Not the usual, “This town is known for…” More like, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to pass Kampong Cham province. Thank you.” I boarded the Mekong Express from Phnom Penh and was seated with quite a few passengers that spoke with familiar American accents. Behind me sat four New Yorkers that talked about their Wall Street jobs the entire six-hour journey to Siem Reap. Returning to Phnom Penh, I decided to take the bus chartered by Capitol Tours. The ticket price of $4 USD includes only your bus seat. No pastries, warm cola or fancy tour guide. I recognized only two other tourists on the bus that was nearly filled to capacity. The air conditioner also broke down soon after we departed our last rest stop. We got out while the driver tried to figure out what the problem was. I sat on the steps of a home in a Cham (Muslim) village while some stood under the shade of the trees. Both bus companies did have one thing in common. Their bus drivers were both speed demons that drove through the provinces believing that the pedestrians did not have the right of way.

The views from the bus are amazing. Endless rice fields, rural villages, giant carribou, even life-sized Buddha statues being carved by artisans. The bus ride along the Cambodian countryside is amazing.

 

This is the beautiful view from my seat on the bus.

Hike to Kbal Spean

So after breakfast we drove to Kulen Mountain and started our hike to Kbal Spean. It’s about a 40 minute hike up to an ancient river bed filled with linga carvings that date back to about the 11th to 13th century. The sacred water here irrigates the rice fields below. We stopped to eat our cupcakes and sweet banana rice cakes next to a waterfall.

 

It’s a beautiful forest trail along a peaceful river that symbolizes health and fertility.

 

It’s not uncommon for thieves to destroy and steal artifacts from the temples in and around Angkor.  Where is Harrison Ford when you need him most?  Here at Kbal Spean, a thief recently stole the head of this carving. There isn’t enough money and man power to prevent looting and destruction of priceless Khmer heritage.

Broken Egg Cake

     

 

 

On our way to Kbal Spean we stopped for broken egg cakes. This local egg farm in Siem Reap uses their broken eggs to make cup cakes.  Click on the video to get a taste of these sweet Khmer treats.  

Breakfast

 

On my last day in Siem Reap, Vir planned a hike to Kbal Spean. My return bus to Phnom Penh departed from the Capitol Tours bus depot at 12:30 pm so we had to start extra early.

By 7:30 am we had already parked next to a little village stand along a red dirt road, slurping our hot soup and noodles for breakfast.

Vir warned me not to put the vegetables in the soup.  I asked, “But why do you get to to stir them into your bowl?! And anyway, I ate these same vegetables at your home on my first night here.”  He was quick to respond, “We cleaned and cooked the vegetables well in my home.   And my body is used to it and yours is not.”  I looked over at the beautifully chopped lotus stems and almost cried. =(

Alright, I didn’t add the raw lotus stems to my soup but I could not resist the beautiful yellow blossoms and red beans that everyone else was putting into their bowls. Yes, I easily succumbed to peer pressure.

Simmering Volcano

All-you-can-cook-and-eat savory seafood and meat for about $3.50 USD per person. I had my last supper in Siem Reap near the river road at Queen’s BBQ. Perhaps tonight is THE night my innards will submit to food sickness? I kept thinking this as I stirred my raw shrimp up and down the volcano hill grill. To be safe, I over-cooked my shrimp. Terry had told me of her food experience the last time she visited Cambodia. She said that even the Imodium could not help her. (Actually she got sick from the raw vegetables so make sure your veggies are cooked!) My doc gave me Cipro prescription tablets just in case. I heard that getting sick from the food is inevitable so I kept preparing my mind for it. Thankfully, this never happened. Queen’s BBQ is a great choice for family style cooking and eating!  I think Vir called this method of cooking Phnom Pleung…which translates to “climbing the hill” since the little volcano grill resembled a tiny hill. This would represent our planned climbing of Kulen Mountain the following morning.

L-R: Vir, Mal, Sam and Cham

Cham shared an ancient Khmer proverb with us:

Drink. Drink for drunk. Drink not drunk. Drink for what?

Here’s to your health in the new year! Cheers!!

 

Welcome to Phnom Krom

At sunset we visited Phnom Krom temple near the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap.  As we started to climb the stairs, Vir told me that Phnom Krom translates to the hill below.  ”But we’re climbing up so shouldn’t it be called the hill above?”  Vir explained that the sacred temple symbolizes heaven and everything else is considered below it, including the mountain top that it sits on.

Greetings from Phnom Krom

 

Phnom Krom, built in the ninth century, is dedicated to Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

Angkor: Past, Present and Future

This is one of my most cherished books ever. Vir noticed that I was fond of books because I was always checking out the used book stores. This was a gift from Vir who lives in Siem Reap. I asked him to sign it. What shall I write? Anything you want. On the inside over he wrote, “My gift to you as present on the trip to the region of Angkor.”

Treasures of Angkor Wat

I never expected to explore Angkor Wat or any of the glorious temples with such authorities on Angkor architecture and history.  Vir, Sam, Cham and I walked down the corridors and studied countless bas-relief carvings, statues and ancient inscriptions along the walls of this inspiring sanctuary.

Vir walked on my right while Sam on my left. In my right ear, Vir talked about the carving of Yama, the god of death. In my left ear Sam talked about trivial facts, “Did you know that out of all the temples in Angkor this is the only temple that contains the the carving of a smiling Apsara dancer?”  or “Did you know that this temple holds the carving of a dog?”  I immediately wanted to know where the dog was located and he said it would be difficult to reach it since it was on the third level of the world’s largest temple.  Supposedly the steps would be too steep to climb.  If I made it all the way to Cambodia from California, then I could climb the stairs at Angkor.  Right? Of course!  And it was well worth the journey.  Found:  Khmer puppy, the most valuable treasure of Angkor.  In my eyes anyway.  Awkun to Cham for helping me find it.  To view this puppy look above in the last image of the mosaic.  It’s located to the left of the apsara dancer’s foot.

Cham would also like everyone to know that aside from the unique carvings of the smiling apsara and dog, Angkor Wat also holds the only nude apsaras in the region. Nude in the sense that they’re using their hands to cover themselves (see the last image below).  Thanks, Cham, for this valuable information.

Finding that Cambodian puppy was truly a treasure but there was much more sophisticated history that both enlightened and overwhelmed me.  Vir, Sam and Cham had so much information I wanted to absorb so I listened as they talked.  There would be no way for me to remember everything but that’s okay. I was in Angkor Wat heaven.

The Island of Angkor Wat

After visiting Wat Ta Prohm with Sam and Cham in the morning, we planned to meet at about 3 pm to see Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world. This time Vir would be meeting us. So at about 3 pm Vir knocked at my door and to my surprise he didn’t really look that old as everyone had described him. No evident wrinkles upon first impression.

I got a little nervous as we approached Angkor Wat. What was waiting for us there? What had called me to make my pilgrimage to this holy temple in the first place?

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II during the period 1113-1150 AD.

Wat Ta Prohm

I visited Ta Prohm today with Sam and Cham. This temple is definitely one of my favorites. It was not as crowded as some of the earlier temples we visited such as Bayon. It could have been the time of day. Perhaps everyone went into town for lunch. While the birds sang above, we sat for a while under the shade of the massive trees and their tumor-like roots metastasizing every which way possible throughout this abandoned magical temple.

 

At Wat Ta Prohm, Cham explained that following King Jayavarman VII’s death in the 13th century, a lot of the temples were made to become Hindu and so a lot of the Buddhist images were destroyed. Later in the 14th century, Theravada Buddhism was established and remains until today.

Chum Reap Suor

His parents are cooks in a restaurant where I ate breakfast. He greated guests and sat by the entrance.  Chum reap suor means hello.  Not to be confused with chum reap lear which means goodbye.

Dinner with Max

I was able to see my friend, Max, in Siem Reap where we met for dinner at In Touch, a Thai-Khmer restaurant.  We sat upstairs near a live rock band that had a pretty good size following.  I ordered fish amok in coconut curry and Max ordered steak.  The last time we had seen each other was two years ago on a small island in Portugal so it was so nice to catch up.   He lives in London but we still keep in touch.  Usually it’s Max writing to tell me that he just got back from Turkey or that he’s leaving on a jetplane for Belize.  He gets over eight weeks per year in vacation time like most Londoners.  

We walked around pub street and checked out another pub where we shared a large bottle of Angkor beer.  While at the pub, the local kids came around soliciting counterfeit Lonely Planet guide books for $5.  I couldn’t tell the difference. The photos looked so vivid and the binding seemed strong.  So Max bought one on Malaysia and I bought one on Cambodia.  

So glad we got to see each other.  Until the next journey and until we meet again, dear Max!

Bakong

Bakong is one of three temples in the Ruluos group.  A mountain temple built in 881 AD, remnants of the naga, or serpents, on both sides of the moat greet you upon arrival.  My mouth dropped at first sight of its grand architecture.  You probably can’t see that from this perspective. This is taken with a cheapy Vivtar ultra wide and slim 35mm film camera.  I love how the film gave this a timeless look.

 

The Landscape Around Angkor

   

 

 

 

Lots of development in Cambodia, especially in Siem Reap. Golf courses in the middle of ancient ruins. It’s sad to see.

Cambodia is still a magical place.  Along the road to Angkor, Sam introduced me to his friend, Cham.  He simply rode up alongside our moto and where Sam introduced us, “I would like you to meet my friend.  We work together.”  I would have extended my hand to say nice to meet you but I was afraid I’d lose my balance riding behind Sam. My right hand on Sam’s shoulder and even more important, my other hand holding the camera.

In this video, Cham discusses the Apsara Authority’s intention to protect at least 70-80% of Angkor’s landscape. I had to trim the video since all you could hear me say was “Wow!” or “Oh my God!” as we passed the breathtaking Angkor Wat and approached the mysterious gate at Angkor Thom.

Read an article that talks about: Cambodia for sale.

¡Viva Mexico!

I couldn’t believe they had tacos in Cambodia. But then again, Siem Reap is a tourist town.  

Bayon

The Bayon Temple was built in the late 12th - 13th century.  I wish I could have spent more time here.  Oh well, there’s always next time.

Sam

Yesterday, on my first night in Siem Reap my heart sank as Sam picked me up from the bus station on his moto. He laughed as I screamed through traffic. This morning, as we made our way to Angkor Thom, both my hands that were so nervously holding on the day before, were now both on my camera, adjusting the setting and focus as we neared the breathtaking entrance to magnificent Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Angkor empire.

He accompanied me to Bayon, the first of many temples during my short stay in Siem Reap. The carved stone faces smiling down at us made up for the crowds. 

Sam reminded me to bargain for a discount at the Old Market in Siem Reap. I suppose I’m not used to paying so little for so much. For example I bought a small painting of Ta Prohm from an artist who was painting in the Ta Prohm temple complex. The cost was $10 and I didn’t bother to bargain because he’s an artist afterall. I also noticed that Sam double-checked the bill for the very in-expensive all-you-can-eat seafood and bbq dinner (which was about $3 U.S. dollars per person). He had the waitress deduct the bottle of water that we didn’t drink.

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask

Me: Do they have ketchup?

Dav: This is a noodle house.

Me: Well, it doesn’t hurt to ask.  I usually eat ketchup with my scrambled eggs.

Cambodia has some of the best noodle soups but they also have the yummiest French bread. And with this bread must come coffee and eggs.  Iced coffee and fresh-baked French bread.  Mmmmm.  

My first Khmer meal

 

Puthy and Terry’s family in Phnom Penh are wonderful hosts. This is their aunt and cousin, Sam.  I can only guess that Puthy and Terry told them of the Khmer food that i like to eat which is namyah (fish curry) and noodles. so they prepared that for lunch and then fried fish, cucumbers, watermelon and papaya for dinner.

I will end now because the rain just got heavier and the shopkeeper will be closing. Server is extra extra slow here so unable to upload photos to Flickr…Hope to keep in touch. Miss you all!

 

Helmets Come in Handy

Me: Are moto accidents common?

Dav:  It’s more common in the city. Actually Jackie Chan came here to make a public service announcement about helmet use.

Me:  Do you ever use a helmet?

Dav: Only when the road is dusty.

The motorbike culture is alive in Cambodia just as it is in most Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand.  You see entire families, including babies, riding on motos without helmets.  It’s just the way it is.  You’d think I would have gotten used to the sight of babies hanging from the backs of the motos but I was always fascinated by it.  I witnessed a moto accident in Siem Riep but it wasn’t too bad since they weren’t going too fast.  It was head-on and both drivers fell and got right back up.  One moto got it worse than the other and we didn’t stay around to see what happened.  What if a baby had been involved?  Hopefully the Jackie Chan PSA changes a few perspectives.