[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 16 January 2014. Minor edits have since been made from the original post to update some links and info.]
3 April 2012, Tuesday
Morning call: 4:40am
After rousing myself awake, I washed up quickly and met my driver Yon, who was already waiting for me outside the guest house at 5am sharp. I hopped on his tuk-tuk and we drove to Angkor Wat, arriving at 5:18am.
ANGKOR WAT
As early as I was, I was not the first to arrive. There was a bunch of other like-minded people who had already planted themselves at prime spots along the edge of the pond in front of the main Angkor Wat complex, trying to get an unobstructed view of the temple for that perfect sunrise shot.
Yon had already told me the day before that the weather forecast wasn’t good – it was going to be a cloudy morning so I should not raise my hopes and expect a beautiful sunrise. But I decided to still go for it since I was already in Siem Reap.
There were a few enterprising locals who laid out mats on the ground, and you had to pay them a small fee to occupy those mats. It’s a good idea if you have two or three other people because you can share the cost and also rest your feet while waiting for the sunrise. However, as I was alone, I didn’t choose that option. I still managed to get a good spot along the water’s edge and I waited patiently, surrounded by a group of Hong Kongers.
As the 6 o’clock hour drew closer, more and more people turned up, many of them armed with DSLRs mounted on tripod stands. Alas, it was indeed a cloudy day and there was no orange ball of sun rising. The sky just gradually became brighter, changing from a hue of dark grey to lighter grey, and that was it.
I was a little disappointed but it wasn’t unexpected, so it was ok. I am still quite happy with my pictures of an overcast Angkor Wat though. They are different from the usual postcard/tour brochure images. And it also gives me good reason to make another trip back next time.
Before leaving, I grabbed a quick breakfast of croissant and latte at one of the stalls, costing 14,000 Riels (US$3.50). At 6:22am, I left Angkor Wat and headed to Pre Rup, arriving at 6:40am.
PRE RUP
Pre Rup was built in 961 A.D. by King Rajendraman II and dedicated to the god Siva. It is a temple mountain built of brick, laterite and sandstone. It is best visited in the early morning or evening, when the sun accentuates its pleasing reddish tone to the maximum effect. As it was still early, I practically had the entire temple to myself to roam about.
Here are some images of Pre Rup:
BANTEAY SREY
At 7am, the clouds couldn’t hold on anymore so we took a rain break in Yon’s tuk-tuk. It was only a drizzle so we didn’t hang around for long. We departed at 7:10am for Banteay Srey (also known as Banteay Srei) and arrived at 7:53am. It is located some 37km away from Siem Reap or about 25km northeast of East Mebon.
One thing to note: Banteay Srey is not part of the Grand Circuit so I had to pay extra for Yon to make the trip there, which was what we had negotiated earlier. It is worth visiting Banteay Srey because it is renowned for its intricate decoration carved in pinkish sandstone that covers the walls like tapestry.
Banteay Srey was built in 967 A.D. and it is the only temple at Angkor not built by a monarch – it was built by a Brahmin of royal descent who was the spiritual teacher to Jayavarman V. The temple is small by Angkorian standards, and it is this intimacy as well as its elaborate decorations that have struck a chord with tourists and archaeologists alike, who have called it the “jewel of Khmer art”. Indeed, having visited some of the majestic and large-scale temples already, Benteay Srey feels like a miniature, shrunk-down version.
Here are some images of Banteay Srey:
BANTEAY SAMRE
I spent close to an hour at Banteay Srey, finally departing at 8:48am. Banteay Samre was next, where I arrived at 9:35am. Banteay Samre is a bit off the Grand Circuit, lying 4km east of East Mebon. You can visit it on the way back from Banteay Srey as it is along the same road.
Banteay Samre was constructed in the mid 12th century A.D., around the same time as Angkor Wat, and its towers bear some resemblance to the towers of Angkor Wat too. Many of its carvings are still in good condition, and there is an interior moat that is not found in the other temples. Overall, I liked Banteay Samre because of the special moat, and also because it was very quiet with just a few tourists.
Here are some images of Banteay Samre:
EAST MEBON
After the short detour, it’s back to the Grand Circuit proper. I left Banteay Samre at 10:17am and arrived at East Mebon at 10:26am. East Mebon was built in 952 A.D. by King Rajendraman II and dedicated to the god Siva (like Pre Rup). It consists of five towers, representing the five peaks of the mythical Mount Meru. You can see many round holes on the façade of the towers. They were pierced in the brick for the attachment of stucco, which is a type of plaster (primarily lime and sand) used for decorative work. The stucco are now gone but the holes remain. You will also see several large elephant monoliths standing guard at the corners of the first and second tiers.
Here are some images of East Mebon:
TA SOM
I left East Mebon at 10:48am and headed north for Ta Som, arriving at 10:53am. Ta Som is a small temple built at the end of the 12th century, with a single shrine located on one level. Like Ta Prohm, it has been left largely unrestored. It was built in the Bayon style of art, with the gopuras (entrance ways) adorned with smiling faces like those found in Bayon temple. Ta Som is a small but enchanting temple, and I spent about 25 minutes there, leaving at 11:17am.
Here are some images of Ta Som:
NEAK POAN
Next up was the nearby Neak Poan (also known as Neak Pean), just a 5-minute ride away. The name “Neak Poan” means “entwined nãga”, and it came from the motif of serpents encircling the base of the central sanctuary. To access the main temple area, you will first have to walk across a long boardwalk.
Neak Poan is an artificial island built in the middle of a man-made reservoir. There are five ponds altogether, with a central one surrounded by four ponds, which represented Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. It was originally designed for medical purposes, and the ancients believed that going into the pools would balance the elements in the bather, thus curing disease.
We could only view Neak Poan from the viewing gallery, so we were not allowed to go up close. In any case, it was quite unremarkable. At 11:51am, I departed Neak Poan for Preah Khan, arriving at 11:56am.
Here are some images of Neak Poan:
PREAH KHAN
Preah Khan is the last stop on the Grand Circuit and Yon certainly saved the best for the last. It is one of my favourite temples because of its serenity, located in a lush, green setting. Like Ta Prohm and Ta Som, it is also largely unrestored, which added to its appeal.
Preah Khan was built in 1191 A.D. by King Jayavarman II. It is surrounded by a wide moat, with the causeway flanked by nãga carrying devas and asuras, similar to those at Angkor Thom. It is one of the largest temples, enclosing an area of 56 hectares.
Like Ta Prohm, I loved the rawness of Preah Khan, with giant trees growing among the ruins and on top of the buildings. Many of the structures have also crumbled and the stone blocks left in heaps, scattered around the temple or blocking the doorway entrances. I spent a good whole hour at Preah Khan, taking my time to compose my photos.
Here are some of my favourite images of Preah Khan:
At 1:09pm, I was finally done with Preah Khan and with that, I wrapped up my 2-day tour of the Angkor temples. It had been a great two days and I really enjoyed the experience of traversing among the ruins in an area steeped with history. I will love to return one day and visit my favourite temples again, maybe at different times of the day to see the different effects of the light on the temples. For anyone thinking of travelling to Siem Reap to visit the temples, don’t think anymore! Just do it!
Along the way, in between the temples, I succumbed to buying some souvenirs from the local children. I had resolved not to buy any because I knew once I started patronising from one kid, all the others would swarm in. True enough, a few kids gathered around my tuk-tuk and hawked their wares. I ended up buying a silk scarf (US$3), two magnets (US$1) and two bamboo flutes (US$1).
I thought they were quite pitiful – kids at that age should be in school studying, not selling souvenirs. But I know that things will not change overnight. To me, it might only be a few dollars, but to them, it might be the difference between starving and sleeping with a full belly.
I arrived back at Encore Angkor guest house at 1:37pm, paid Yon his wages (US$55) and gave him a small tip of US$5 for his good service over the past two days. After a good shower to freshen up, it was back to Pub Street for lunch – good old fried rice with basel and beef, and a cup of banana shake, for US$2.
I had no particular agenda for the day, so I just roamed around, stopping by Center Market (also known as Phsar Kandal) for a spot of shopping. It is just a short distance away from Pub Street, easily accessible by foot.
Central Market is a large, sheltered market with many stalls selling souvenirs, clothes, bags and everything else. Things are priced slightly cheaper here than at the night market at Pub Street. I bought a white shirt, an Angkor Wat singlet and a pair casual pants (like those worn by the locals) for US$12 altogether. After that, I did a one-hour massage for US$9 to soothe my muscles after two days of walking. Cheap and good.
In the evening, I visited the Old Market (also known as Phsar Chas) for a look. I wasn’t in a buying mood so I headed back to Pub Street in search of a nice place for dinner. I settled on an Italian pizzeria that looked quite nice and quiet. I had a pizza and iced lemon mint tea for US$8.50, and spent some time reading up on Phnom Penh, which I would be visiting the following day. Captivated by what I had read, I bought a DVD copy of The Killing Fields movie for US$2, hoping to learn more about the Khmer Rouge regime.
The rest of the night was spent relaxing by having a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream from the excellent Blue Pumpkin (US$1.50), and a mug of Anchor draft beer (US$0.50).
End of Day 26…four more days to go before the end of my trip!