The Angkor Wat

I’m not much of a breakfast person, so I made sure that I have something for breakfast handy in my room. Of course, that’s the main reason for my stop at the convenience store last night. I finish my two slices of banana loaf while watching Overhauled on the Discovery Channel, and headed down to meet my driver and guide to the temples.

The Hindu god Vishnu

Kim Soryar came highly recommended online. He was mentioned in the notes my sister-in-law’s officemate’s Cambodia trip research document. I googled his name, and found several forums that has members raving about his services. So I took a chance and e-mailed him, inquiring about his rates and itinerary. It turns out he’s available for the dates I needed a guide, and that his rates (and the tuktuk and driver’s) is within my budget, so I went ahead and booked for today.

Random part of the temple complex.

Though the sun was shining when I woke up, it was still pretty overcast. I was hopeful that the clouds would go so I’d have gorgeous blue sky in my photos, yet I’m glad for the clouds because it’s not as hot. Still, I dressed for the weather: my Columbia Titanium Omni-dry shirt and convertible pants, paired with my very comfortable Nike Free 7.0. Soon enough, the sky started clearing up and the temperature started rising. It’s definitely hot directly under the sun, but when you’re in the shade or inside the temples, it’s a notch cooler.

From this angle, you can see the five towers, instead of just three

I was so glad I hired a guide, because otherwise, I wouldn’t have understood what the temple’s history is or why it’s laid out the way it is. True, you can read these info in the guidebook, but it’s different coming from a local and getting answers to any questions you may have. Another great thing about getting a guide is that you don’t have to worry about holding anybody up, which means you can take your time taking photos and nobody would be bitching about it. Speaking of photography, Soryar really knows the temples — he knows where to position yourself to get the best photos. Then again, even if you get the best angles, if your exposure is off, you’re still at the mercy of Photoshop.

Obviously heavily photoshoped

When I went to the temple yesterday, I just went on a straight path. I followed the bridge over the moat, passed through the gates, walked up to the libraries, and walked back the same way to where the tuktuk was. We did walked up the bridge, but when we reached the gates, we turned right to where the statue of the Hindu god, Vishnu. Yup, you read that right, Hindu god. It turns out that the temple of Angkor was originally a Hindu temple. It was built in the 11th century by King Suryavaraman II. The temple is covered with elements of Hinduism. The carvings on the side of the temple walls dipicts stories from the Hindu mythology. The temple is Buddhist now, hence the name Angkor Wat.

Whee, a Pinky picture

The temples of Angkor has a common formula. First, you have the moat as a protection, then a gate. Beyond the gate, you have the concourse that runs for a couple of hundred meters. About a third of the way in, you have libraries on both sides of the concourse, and further in, a pond on each side for cleansing. Then you reach the first gallery of the actual temple. The Angkor Wat is build with three galleries: the first is for the pilgrims, the second for the high court officials and the third for the king. It also follows the temple mountain style, which means that as you go further in, the higher the structure becomes. Another interesting thing about Ankor Wat is that though you commonly see pictures of it showing only three towers, there are actually five. There’s one in the middle, and two on each side. The two on the side are perfectly aligned to each other, that’s why you hardly see the one behind, unless you’re standing off the side.

One of my favorite temples, but I can’t remember its name

Another great thing about getting a guide is that he’d take you to routes within the temples you probably wouldn’t think to take. Also, there are elements of the temples that you probably wouldn’t know about, like the echo room (which was really really cool, and no I’m not going to tell you about it). Instead of exiting through the West gate — this is another interesting thing about the Angkor Wat: while all the other temples in Cambodia face East, it faces West — we exited through the lesser used East Gate. It was a pleasant walk down a path lined with trees on both sides.

Fried mixed vegetable rice with beef

On the way to where we were having lunch, we stopped by a small temple with hardly any tourist in it. Like the Angkor Wat, it was also a Hindu temple. Though unlike Angkor, it is made with bricks, rather than sandstone. While Angkor Wat was impressive, this smaller temple (whose name I totally forgot) was more endearing to me. It wasn’t really impressive, it was really tiny, but there was hardly anybody there, so you pretty much have the temple all to yourself.

The two of the four Buddha faces

We drove off to have lunch inside one of the restaurants inside the Angkor complex. After lunch, we were back on the road going towards Ta Prohm — the Tomb Raider temple. It was under major restoration, so some areas are blocked off for your own safety as the men worked. The temple was pretty much in ruin, due to the massive roots of the trees growing in and around the temple, as well as the elements. Nevertheless, it’s still a lovely place to explore. There hardly any arrows to guide you though, so it’s pretty easy to get lost. There’s also about a hundred meter or so walk from the main road to the temple, through a path among the trees. As we were walking back, the rain started pouring. The rain eases off as we drive towards Angkor Thom, the largest city during its time. This city is where the King used to live, so aside from the Bayon temple, this is also where his palace is.

The trees of Ta Phrom

The rain started pouring again, and it poured hard. There was no place to take shelter and our driver has driven off to where he was supposed to met us after the tour. Soryar walks to the vendors underneath the huge tree to borrow and umbrella, while I vainly tried to take shelter underneath a stone elephant. When the rain eased off a little, we made our way underneath the shelter of the tree, and it poured and poured even harder. Soryar continued his spiel, though there was no way we’re exploring the palace inside (there’s no way I’m heading in there with all the water and mud). As the rain eased up again, we walked towards Bayon, the biggest temple in the Angkor Thom city. What’s unique about this temple is that there’s about a hundre]ed faces of the Buddha all around the temple. There’s about 54 towers and on all towers, there are four faces of the Buddha facing the four directions (North, East, South and West), and representing the four elements (fire, water, air, earth) and the four virtues of Buddhism (charity, compassion, empathy and equanimity). Like the Angkor temple, it has intricate carvings on its walls, and it’s also built as a temple mountain. However, unlike Angkor, the carvings depict the daily life of the Khmer people.

Little girl outside one of the Buddhist temples inside Angkor Thom

I was thoroughly exhausted, and the rain didn’t help any (though surprisingly, it did not totally dampen my mood). Luckily, Bayon was our last stop of the day. We drove out of the South Gate. The bridge beyond the south gate of the Angkor Thom is lined with 54 frowning demons on the left and 54 smiling gods on the right. Most of the statues have been looted or deteriorated in time, while some have seen restoration work from the French. However, most remain intact. As we drive out of the temple, I sat back on my seat, tired yet satisfied. This trip was well worth it, and hiring Soryar as a guide was US$25 well spent.

Buddha profile

Thinking of visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site? Here are some tips for you: wear comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes. There is much walking to be done to and from the temples, as well as inside the temples themselves. The floors of the temples are mostly uneven and there are plenty of stairs. The thing about the temple stairs is that they’re tiny, uneven and quite steep. Bring an umbrella with you, if you don’t like being under direct sunlight, and as a precautionary measure against rain. There are vendors inside the temple complex (but not inside the temples) selling food and drinks. You can bring in your own, but just don’t eat them inside the temple. As I said in my previous post, you really need to hire a vehicle to get around the complex. A guide is optional, but it would greatly help you in getting a better understanding of the temple. Otherwise, it’s just a very pretty pile of rocks.

Soryar walking inside the Angkor Wat’s 2nd gallery

After today’s tour, I am now one of the people putting forth a glowing recommendation for Soryar’s services. Soryar is very professional, and it’s obvious that he has really trained for this. He has five years of experience, and he really know how to take care of his clients. The tuktuk driver he assigned to me was actually his brother Soryean (not Prem as I wrote before). He was equally nice, and made sure the cooler was always full of bottled water — a great way to refresh after each foray into the temples. To book Soryar or Soryean’s services, you can view his website at www.kimsoryar.com. You can also e-mail him directly at kimsoryar@yahoo.com.

Virtually empty Changi Airport Terminal 1

The drive to Changi airport was very fast and in just 20 minutes, I was inside Terminal 1. The fare comes to about SG$14 or so. Since it was late (or early), there’s a surcharge you have to pay on top of the fare. The total comes to about SG$17.20.

Sunrise over Cambodia

When I got to the check-in counter, it was just opening. Check-in was fairly fast, and as soon as I cleared immigration, I head to the free Internet kiosk. There was really nothing much to keep you entertained this time of the day, and there’s hardly anybody inside the terminal that there’s plenty of Internet stations for those who want to use.

Jetstar flight 3K599

The flight is at 6am, and normally, the boarding commence at least 40 minutes before. Though the boarding was late, we were still able to leave just a couple of minutes late. I wasn’t able to get much sleep, so I spent most of the flight sleeping (which I hardly do). We hit some turbulence, but it wasn’t as bad as the ones on the flight from Manila to Singapore. Two hours later, the captain was announcing that we are approaching Siem Reap.

All airport should be as beautiful as Siem Reap International Airport

As tired as I was from my lack of sleep and uncomfortable napping position, I couldn’t contain my excitement about finally being in Cambodia. I have been planning on visiting the country ince 2006, going so far as to buying a ticket from KL to Siem Reap for January 2007. However, my Australia trip changed all that, and it’s only now that I had the opportunity to push through with my plans. I exit the aircraft and I was welcomed by the site of the beauiful Siem Reap International Airport. Built in traditional Khmer style, it’s definitely a welcoming sight to all weary travelers. Because of the Angkor Wat, Siem Reap sees millions of tourists every year. With the recent A(H1N1) pandemic, they are very proactive in trying to prevent it from entering the country. Aside from the immigration and customs forms, we also had to fill out a form regarding where we have been from the past 7 days, and whether we had the sympthoms of the influenza. There’s also a thermal scanner just before you go into passport control. Visa application forms are given onboard the plane, but you’d need 2 passport sized photos for them. However, if you’re holding a Philippine passport or a passport from the member countries of the ASEAN, you wouldn’t need to apply for a visa — you’ll be given a 21-day pass upon entry.

Riding on a sack of coals

I like to book my accommodation ahead when traveling, and since they’re offering free airport pick-ups, I availed of this service from Mandalay Inn, where I’m currently staying. My driver was waiting with my name on a placard when I came out of the airport, as promised. It was a lovely drive from the airport to downtown Siem Reap. I enjoyed looking at the interesting architecture of the buildings that line the street. I’m seeing the names and logos of establishments that I’ve read about online, even signs for the infamous happy herb pizzas (which I’m staying clear off). We turned down a road there stood Mandalay Inn. Check in was a breeze, except when the receptionist billeted me to the $15 per night room, when I reserved for the lowly $7 fan room. I had doubts about my fan room when I entered. The sun was high up in the sky and I’m feeling the heat. Opening the window help, as did turning on the exhaust in the bathroom. Now that the sun’s down, the temperature is just right.

Mandalay Inn

I spent the morning sleeping, and went down for a late lunch around 1pm. Mandalay Inn advertises free Wi-fi in the rooms, and though my laptop can detect the guesthouse’s router (they have more than 4), it would disappear as soon as I try to connect. The signal was pretty good at the restaurant though, and I spent the afternoon catching up on e-mail, RSS, Facebook and Plurk. The sun has been shining brightly the whole afternoon, when suddenly the clouds came in and theatened to pour rain at any minute. I took that as a sign to log off and get ready for my 4pm pick up.

Stir-fried chicken with egg and french fries for lunch

I made some inquiry and booked my tuktuk driver and a guide for the Angkor Temples even before I left Manila. Kim Soryar is recommended everywhere online, and I decided to just book with him. I hired a tuktuk and driver for two days and a guide for one day. I wanted to take a sunset shot, and told Soryar this. Clearly, he knows where the best spot for watching the sunset is, and we agreed that the driver will pick me up at 4pm. On the dot, Prem, my driver arrived at the Inn. We set off for the Temple to buy my temple pass for the following day and to view the sunset. The drive to the temple was even more plesant as the drive from the airport. The high end hotels line the road leading to Angkor and the buildings are gorgeous. The roads become lined with trees as soon as you enter the temple grounds, and it’s really quite a relaxing sight. We reach the ticket offices rather early — tickets for the following day is only available for sale starting at 4:45pm. As I waited with the other tourists, the rain poured in earnest. Interestingly, it only lasted as long as the wait for the ticket booths to open. As soon as they started issuing tickets, the rain let up, leaving just a slight drizzle.

Driving towards the temples

There are three types of Angkor ticket: one-day, three-day and one week. They cost $20, $40 and $60 respectively. The ticket has your photo on it and the date of validity. You’re not supposed to tear it, fold it, wet it or tamper with it in anyway; doing so invalidates it and you’d need to buy a new ticket. The temple complex opens at 5:30am and closes at 5:30pm. Entrance is free starting 5pm, but you’d still need a valid pass for the following day before they’d allow you to enter. The ticket allows you access to all the Angkor temples, except for Kulen and Bengmelea.

This is as close to a sunset photo that I would get

A vehicle is really needed when visiting the temple. Even if you’re just visiting the Angkor Wat, it’s a looooong drive from the entrance to the actual temple. You can rent a bike and bike in the complex, but you need to have a lot of stamina for this. Another great thing about hiring a driver is that they already know where the best places are. Prem took me to the foot of the mountain where he said is the best spot for it. Unfortunately, rain + mountain + hiking don’t mix well in my book, so I asked him to take me to the Angkor Wat instead.

One of the many bas relief in the temple walls

To be honest, I once questioned my desire to see Angkor Wat. Is it something that I really wanted to see or because it’s something that I feel I should visit because everybody’s going there? Any doubts were wiped off my mind as I walk the bridge towards the temple. It was still drizzling and the path was wet and some parts were muddy. There must really be something about the Angkor Wat that I didn’t mind that my feet were wet, and so is the hem of my pants. I can’t stop taking photos of the structure. Everything was simply gorgeous. I’m starting to understand why people return to this UNESCO World Heritage site over and over again.

Temple entrance. Or something.

It was still fairly early, so I asked Prem to drive me around town just so I can get acquainted with the place. Instead of dropping me off at the Inn, I asked him to drop me off at the Angkor Night Market, that I saw on the way. The market advertises that they’re open starting at 4pm, but at 6pm, most of the stalls were still closed. It was mostly a tiangge (bazaar), with stalls selling pretty much the same thing. But there are interesting stuff as well, like the Dr. Fish foot massage and the movie place that shows a documentary about Cambodia’s Pol Pot. After a quick round of the market, I head back into the main street and start my way back to Mandalay Inn. I pass a convenience store, and went inside to buy some snacks and bread for breakfast tomorrow morning (Prem and my guide are picking me up at 7am). So far, my transactions were all in dollars. All the prices are in dollars, although when the cashier gave me my change, it was in Riel, Cambodia’s local currency. Similarly, when I asked for the price of a bottled water at the Vietnamese Pho stall I ate at, the price the guy gave me was in Riel, though the bowl of pho was quoted in US dollar. This is messing up my accounting!

What I’m looking forward to explore tomorrow

Sooo… here I am in Siem Reap. It’s 11:30pm, and I’ve been writing this entry for over an hour. I have to sleep before a full day at Angkor, and here’s to hoping I get some shut eye before 7am!