Angkor Wat & Siem Reap - Cambodia
It took about 20 minutes to travel from the boat landing to the town of Siem Reap by motorbike. After reading a couple of recommendations on the Internet, I decided to stay at the Borey Angkor Villas, which is a really nice cheap hotel near the centre of Siem Reap. My air-con room cost me US$15 per night and it had its own bathroom, mini-fridge and colour TV!! For US$20 per day, you can hire a car and driver from them. If you book ahead, they will meet you at the airport or at the fast boat from Phnom Penh. They can be contacted on the following telephone no's 063-963436 or 015-633797.
Angkor Wat - Cambodia!
After having a shower, I headed off on the back of a moto, to see the temples of Angkor Wat, which are about 6 km's north-west of Siem Reap. At the entrance to Angkor Wat, I purchased a three day pass for US$40. This pass has to be produced every time you enter the temples and on demand. The temples and the city of Angkor Wat where built between the 10th and 13th century by the Khmer Empire. The temples are spread over a 40km area and they are magnificent. After the city and temples of Angkor Wat where abandoned at the end of 13th century, they weren't re-discovered until the 1860's by a French explorer. Foreign tourists started visiting the temples in the early 1900's. When I was last there in March'91, there were about ten tourist's there and one grass hut where you could get a soft drink. I would say about 500-800 tourist's visit Angkor Wat everyday now and there seems to be just as many locals hawking t-shirts, carvings, guidebooks etc. It seemed like everybody had their hand out for one US Dollar!! After looking around Angkor Wat for a couple of hours, I walked to the top of Phnom Bakheng, a temple located on top of a hill, to watch the sunset with about 100 other tourists and about 30 souvenir sellers. I than headed back into Siem Reap to my hotel and to have dinner.
Souvenir Sellers at the entrance to Angkor Thom!
The next morning I was up early, so I could be at Angkor Wat at sunrise. It was quite eerie walking around the temples early in the morning, as there was nobody else around except for a few other tourists. Which was good, because it enabled you, to look at the temples without being pestered every two minutes to buy something or give a donation!
Me (Ian) at Angkor Thom.
A image of this statue at Angkor Thom, is on some Cambodian Riel Banknotes. After spending most of the day looking at the various temples at Angkor Wat and being pestered every two minutes to buy something, I was "templed-out" and I decided to leave for Thailand the next day by truck.
Mine Museum - Siem Reap.
There is a "Mine Museum" located halfway between, the town of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, off on a side road. It has displays of the various mines, bombs and shells that have been used in Cambodia over the last 30 years. The museum is staffed by a Cambodian gentleman who, after being forced to lay mines for the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese has dedicated his life to de-mining Cambodia. He has some interesting tales to tell and I found the museum well worth a visit. If you visit the museum, please make a donation, to assist him and his colleagues in their work.
The town of Siem Reap.
After arriving back at my hotel, I made arrangements to travel to the Thai Border by truck. Then I had a run in with my moto driver, as he was a bit shitty with me for not, making my travel arrangements thru him! I found my moto driver in Siem Reap to be a lying dishonest bastard and I was glad to see the back of him! That night after having dinner I went for a walk around Siem Reap.
Email: iholdsworth@optusnet.com.au