The Winter Guesthouse, where we are staying has a restaurant which is so convenient because we can eat breakfast here. Sometimes, it’s just nice not to hunt for a place to eat. This morning for breakfast I had a scoop of white rice topped with a chicken, onion, and carrot mixture. Andy had a spicy chicken dish. A great way to start off our morning on this sunny, hot day.
The dichotomy of the city of Bangkok to the city of Siem Reap, of the country of Thailand to the country of Cambodia, of skyscrapers, modern malls to modest buildings and nature to say the least is startling. Both places beautiful and special in their own way but it is nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and enjoy a quiet, country setting.
The day was filled with breathtaking, stunning scared buildings. We decided to hire a tuk-tuk for the day to see some of the “Inner Circle” temples (wats). Before we can go to any of the wats, we need to buy a three-day pass. The cost is $40 and is valid for seven days.
Our first stop is at Angkor Thom. Built around 1200 by King Jayavarman VII it was recognized as the capital of Jayavarman VII’s empire. The history of the wats and surrounding area seems to be in question. Who built what when? Why and how did these massive stone structures get destroyed? It’s thought that Angkor Thom was abandoned in the early 1600s and believed to have had a population of 80,000 to 150,000 people. Though the history is unknown, I am taken in by the massive size, the architectural feat, beauty, and wonder of each temple.
From 11 am until 5:30 pm we walked, climbed, sat, and admired these temples. Our tuk-tuk driver would drive us to a wat, and wait for us as we climbed, explored, took pictures, and appreciated each wat we visited. We didn’t feel rushed but able to enjoy each one.
We visited the Terrace of the Elephants which was part of the walled city of Angkor Thom. King Jayavarman VII apparently, would stand on the platform, and watch his victorious army return from battle. Next, Ba Yon temple built in the late 12th century or early 13th century. It is recognized by hundreds of gigantic, smiling faces. Many scholars believe the faces are King Jayavarman VII. Our final wat for the day was Ta Prohm. It’s one of the most popular and most visited temples and it was my favorite as well. Trees growing out of the ruins and we had the feeling that we were in the middle of the jungle, very “Indiana Jones”. This temple had a very different feel to it. Deep in the jungle, monkeys, and hearing lots of parakeets made it spooky and fabulous at the same time.
As soon as the tuk-tuk stops we’re hit with the hot, humid air and start sweating. Fortunately, we have bottled water and some of the larger, more popular wats have local people selling water, other sources of refreshment, and souvenirs. The heat and humidity don’t take away from wanting to see these impressive stone structures. Not only do you look and walk around each temple but some of them you climb on. Up the steep steps to small rooms on top or just a view. It’s incredible.
The Terrace of the Elephants is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom. King Jayavarman VII would stand on the platform where he watched his victorious army return from battle.
After a stunning day, we headed back to the Winter Guesthouse. We took quick showers, changed, and headed “downtown” for dinner. Our driver dropped us off at 6:30 and we asked him to pick us up at 8:30. We ate at The Temple Restaurant and really enjoyed the food. We shared spring rolls and rice then we had a spicy and non-spicy chicken dish. Outstanding. In fact, it was so delicious when we found out they offered cooking classes we signed up for one tomorrow morning starting at 10:30 am. We will go shopping at the local market and come back to learn how to make three items. The class was $10 each. Dinner tonight was $10.25 for the two of us.
I went to an internet café to send a quick email, but it was not working. I hope tomorrow I can send an update to the family. We head back to our drop-off place to catch our tuk-tuk to go to our guesthouse. We waited, and waited, and waited, and after waiting 45 minutes we paid $2 to have another driver take us back. We played cards, watched TV, well actually, watching TV consisted of listening to Cambodian music. Good night.
