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Tag 34 - holy

Nai-publish: 06.06.2019

03.06.19

One big reason why we went to Cambodia and, especially, to Siem Reap is that from the beginning of our trip we have been thinking about visiting the center of the ancient Khmer Kingdom; namely Angkor, the largest temple complex in the world. When we were still in Thailand, we constantly weighed the very high admission price (€32 per person for one day) to the World Heritage Site, with the potential experience. In the end, we came to the conclusion that if you are already so close to this special place, it only makes sense to visit it. I mean, people fly all the way to Cambodia for a few days just to see these buildings; so we, who are already here, should definitely take advantage of this attraction.

So we get up in the morning at 06:30, go down to the reception where our TukTuk driver is already waiting for us. We specifically chose such an early time because it is pleasantly cool in the morning and in the morning. We sit on the comfortable back seat of the vehicle, start driving and after a few meters we have the feeling that we made a good decision. (As the Angkor area is about 200km² - for comparison: Kiel is 118 km² - and open roads lead through it, tourists in Siem Reap are not allowed to ride scooters). Since we already bought the tickets yesterday, we can go directly to our first destination, Angkor Wat, the main attraction of Angkor, after a short stop at the gas station.

Enjoying the breeze and the cool morning air, we quickly leave the urban area and drive on a straight road towards the temple. After a while through tropical greenery, we reach the moat that surrounds the temple and drive around it until we reach the 'Drop-Off' place. The driver tells us how to get to the temple, that we can take our time and that he will wait for us 'here'. Euphoric, we cross the makeshift bridge over the river - the original bridge is currently being restored - and already here you can catch a glimpse of the towers of the temple. When we arrive on the island and step through the gate, we are truly speechless. Despite the fact that we are surrounded by dozens of tourists, we immerse ourselves fully in the panorama that is offered to us. Since the impression that arises in us during the visit of the temple is difficult to describe, I think that photos are more appropriate.

PS: there will be a lot of photos in this post














After this incredibly impressive start to the tour, we leave the island in a daze and return to our TukTuk. The driver has made himself comfortable in a hammock that he has stretched between the roof supports of the TukTuk during the time we were away. We get into the vehicle, continue the tour, and once again enjoy the very comfortable mode of transportation.

The next stop we make is at the Bayon Temple, famous for its meter-high faces carved in stone. This temple is the centerpiece of the city of Angkor Thom and, although not as large as Angkor Wat, it is no less impressive. The complex is very labyrinthine and adorned with numerous engraved images.

We have a very special moment in the central tower, which can only be entered without headgear, without shoes, and with covered shoulders and long trousers (fortunately, all of these conditions are met). We walk along a dimly lit corridor, the smell of incense sticks wafts towards us, and we arrive in a small prayer chamber. Suddenly it is absolutely quiet, in front of us, some men are kneeling in front of a man-high Buddha statue illuminated by candles and praying. It is an unexpectedly spiritual experience to sit in a 1800-year-old temple and witness a traditional prayer.














After about an hour, we have seen everything here as well and return to our TukTuk. Now we go to another temple, which reminds us a bit of an Aztec temple with its pyramid shape and steep stairs. The temple was never completed, which is why it appears somewhat simple, in addition to Bayon and Angkor Wat. However, with its simplicity and openness, it makes a monumental impression. It is striking that there is significantly less going on here, which of course does not prevent us from climbing the attraction. After a short time, we come across a painter at a gate, whose artworks impress us so much that we promptly buy two pieces for €10. Upon reaching the plateau at the top, we have a good view of the jungle of Angkor.







We continue with the TukTuk, leave the wider roads, and drive even deeper into the jungle. We go to Angkor Prohm, a temple complex that has not been cleared from the jungle like all the others, but is in the condition in which French and German researchers found it. Accordingly, the atmosphere there was archaic; tree roots wind their way over and through the masonry, giant rocks are scattered everywhere. We feel like we're on an expedition! The feeling of being on an expedition is reinforced by the fact that you have to walk the last kilometer to the temple on foot through a forest section, and that the structure only slowly becomes visible between the greenery.









PS: If this setting looks familiar to you, that's because it was seen in the movie 'Tomb Raider' (starring Angelina Jolie, 2001).
After what we think is the most intense experience so far (hard to say, but we just found this temple the coolest), we go to our last stop: a smaller temple that is also located in the jungle. After 5 hours, during which our pupils were always wide open, our jaws were dropped and our fingers were glowing from taking photos, we slowly start to feel overwhelmed. Our driver drops us off and once again we walk the last hundred meters on foot. The gray temple builds up in front of us in the same archaic and overgrown way. Not as intricate and spectacular as Angkor Prohm, but we are sure that if we had seen this complex first today, we would have been amazed.


We spot a snake and some very interesting-looking lizards during the visit. Once again, we are pretty much alone here. After spending some time here, we decide to start the return journey, and we stop briefly at a lake (artificial), which unfortunately is not completely filled due to the 'dry season', but still impressive.

We are absolutely exhausted and try to process all the impressions. We decide to end the trip here. For a small extra fee, our driver would have driven us a few more hours through the countryside, but our brains are overflowing and we feel that we would not do justice to the other attractions.
We arrive back at the hostel, thank our driver for the extremely relaxed tour, and rest in our room until the evening.
When the evening comes, we get back on our bicycles, eat where we ate the day before, sit in the Pub Street for another 1-2 hours and each have a gin and tonic there (€1.75, 8/10). After that, I (Alex) also get a Cuba Libre (€1.75, 6/10). Before we head back to our accommodation, Jonna gets a kebab (not comparable to German kebabs, but not bad either) as provisions for tomorrow, because that's when we set off again and go to the next city!

- Alex
Sagot

Cambodia
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