Angkor Temples

I don't even know where to begin.  I would say that it is just about impossible to fully describe the magnitude of this entire complex of temples.  To just name Angkor Wat doesn't do justice to the area - in fact, I might even say Angkor Thom is my favourite site with its towers of peaceful Buddha faces - four types in total.  It is impossible to describe the experience so I'll show a few of the 100+ photos (keep that in mind if you come over and ask to see photos).

A bit about the day - we biked out to the temples from Siem Reap, then biked from Ta Prohn (aka Tomb Raider temple), Bayon, lunch across from Angkor Wat and then into Angkor Wat for the afternoon.  Our guide was masterful at dodging the crowds while giving a mix of time to appreciate each unique site.  Having him was invaluable.  The temperature was about 36 in the shade, maybe part shade.  It was a scorcher.  We biked back to the hotel and I had a Khmer massage in my room by 4:30 for $15.  All 70 lbs of her worked out 6 days of biking kinks - even if she had to use her feet.

It truly was an awesome day.

Ta Prohm

Peter finally found his dangerous snake - all four inches of it.

Angkor Thom gate - one of four

Just one of the many bas-reliefs



Bayon - my favourite

Angkor Wat - on the wall

Found a spot where palm trees covered up the construction

Yep - eyes closed, sun was burning my retinas

Leaving PP

We’re on our way to Siem Reap - the main attraction of Cambodia.  We were lounging in a bar along the Mekong drinking a ridiculously inexpensive glass of Glenfiddich wondering why the swarms of tourists were in Phnom Penh.  I’m sure many use PP as a start and stop place for their journey to the Angkor temples, and others, mainly of the middle aged male variety were there for other attractions (at least the obvious pairing seemed to suggest that).  But the place was crawling with tourists of all nationalities.  I’m not sure we would be here if it wasn’t for the draw of the world famous Angkor but I’m glad we’ve chosen to bike.  It gives us time with our incredibly insightful tour guide, Riff, who has given us an astounding amount of information about the politics and history of the country.  His parents were killed by the Pol Pot regime when he was seven and yet he doesn’t directly blame Pol Pot for their death. He blames the king at the time.  Riff also served in the army and worked for the UN so the amount of information he has shared makes your head spin.  It once again shows that as a bystander you can’t possibly weigh with a knowledgeable opinion on how a country should behave.  Sure you can have your ideals, but the reality is that the steps to get to those ideals can’t be imposed by another country.  It is just so complicated.

The road to Siem Reap is insane. As I type this our driver just hit the breaks to avoid a collision with a bus.  Dotted and solid lines have very little meaning and right of way goes to the biggest and most stubborn. We’ve just left a snack spot where Peter sampled this tasty morsel.

Yes, that is a tarantula - farmed tarantula. I can safely add that to the list of jobs I will never have. He claims it was crunchy and slightly smoky.  I moved on to the fresh cashew nuts as a more reasonable protein source.  You could also choose crickets or fried water beetles.

We visited the oldest uncovered ruins of the predecessors to the Khmer people.  Along with the tour came a handful of local children selling scarves.  Everywhere you go, the children follow. Some helpfully tell you random facts they remember about the tour.  Then we rode sown some dusty country roads to look at the very flat and dry scenery and take in the local rural sites.

 

Today we are off to Angkor Temples.  Yay! We made it.

Back in the Saddle

I didn’t think I would say this after the first three days but I am happy to be back on the bike again. The day off healed all sore bits and despite the 38C heat, it was fun to take on the pot-holed countryside again.  Yesterday we headed out to Udong temple which was partially destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.  Now that the initial shock of the first day in Cambodia has sunk in, the charm of Phnom Penh is starting to show through. It is an incredibly vibrant city. Lots of great restaurants, beautiful temples and parks, and of course the Royal Palace which is so ornate it borders on gaudy.   I now look at the new temples and think that the money would probably be better used to improve the lives of the people we saw the day before.

Royal Palace

Biking through the streets of Phnom Penh

Our ride in the countryside was fun.  Random cow blocks, many deep pot holes and lots of new scenery. The children were once again the highlight as they ran to the gates to greet us with enthusiastic hello’s. There is poverty in the rural areas but you can’t help thinking that they are somehow better off than the urban people. At least in the country they have space and less garbage. Or at least the garbage is only their garbage.

When we got off the bikes, a group of children ran to greet us, waving their fans to cool us off.  This was not done as a favour but as a way to earn some money. A couple of the older boys started to chat with us – where are you from, have you been here before, etc.  It turns out these boys (aged 14) were aiming to get a gig as our tours guide for the day to earn some income to go to school, and no doubt for their family.  After lunch (which is really hard to eat when 8 pairs of little wide eyes were watching), our guide asked how the boys’ English was and if we didn’t mind, he would hire one to be our guide so they could earn some money.  It turns out these boys regularly follow Riff around on his tours to learn how to be a guide.  He has become their mentor.  So he quizzed the boy I named on his knowledge of the site.  All of the children listened intently to the instruction and thoughtfully answered Riff’s questions. Once Riff was satisfied, we headed off with our posse.  Two older boys, even though only one had officially been selected to be paid, two fanners to keep us cool on our walk, and one extra who was likely a sibling or a tour guide in training.  We climbed the stairs to a variety of temples and stupas (or burial sites) and listened to their explanation of the sites. The two boys tag teamed on some information but for the most part we each had our own private guide.   At the end of the tour we came up on a group of monkeys.  The boys were quite diligent to warn us of the danger and jumped back anytime the big male went on the move.   There was a bit of debate on whether these monkeys are indigenous to Cambodia.

Restoration of statue and temple after Khmer Rouge slashed the Buddha in half.

My fanner - for $1; stuck with me for the whole tour

We had the rest of the afternoon and evening off of the tour.  Tours are great but the pace can be exhausting.  It was nice to chill out in our air conditioned room, catch up on some work and get organized for our final week.  I’m still attempting to work trying to prove the theory that you can work from anywhere as long as you have access to technology.  That is proving to be a little more challenging than I expected.   But the challenge is worth it given the opportunity I have to tour this part of the world. 

Daily km: 45

Total km to date: 237Km

We are on the move to Siem Reap today with a short 35km ride between temples.  Easy peezy.  Will barely break a sweat – until we stop that is.

Heart Breaking

Oh Cambodia. My heart goes out to you.  I knew we were entering a poor country with a terrible history but to see it face to face was shocking. Our first day in Cambodia was overwhelming.
The day started with our boat transfer from Vietnam to Cambodia. To cross the border we had to get a visa on the boat which required us to hand over our passport and $23US to a guy with a bag.  To be fair, he had an official looking uniform.  So we chugged along the Mekong for about 45 min before the boat stopped.  Seemed something was wrong with the motor. We had selected the outdoor seats in the boat for fresh air.  In reality, we were sitting by the motor and as long as we were moving, we weren't gassed out by the fumes. We got moving again only to stop once more to wait for a new boat.  They transferred our luggage and us to the new boat where we all dutifully maintained our original seating arrangements - us outside with our fresh air.  When they fired up the engine the "better" boat spewed a cloud of black diesel fumes. Fabulous.  The inside people had all spread out comfortably taking up the extra room so we maintained our fresh air" and supreme picture taking positions.  All 6 hours of it. Throughout the ride we got off the boat two more times - once to leave Vietnam and then 10 minutes later to enter Cambodia. Yep - couldn't do it in one stop. Cambodia put it's best face forward with this welcome mat.  Safety first.

Welcome to Cambodia - Please watch your step

By the time we landed, the black soot had stuck to my suntan lotioned arms and legs, one arm was burnt, and I was beyond hot and grumpy.  When we landed, a swarm of porters, cabbies and tour guides descended on us to offer their services.  With a 20% unemployment rate you can imagine the numbers and persistence.  Our smiling Cambodia guide appeared with his sign and we followed him to the car.  Now at this point I have in my mind how the rest of the day will go - shower, lunch, and rest - it is our day off after all.  We piled into a hot van and the smiling Cambodian guide says we need to go for lunch immediately because the restaurant closes in 20 minutes, then we have 20 minutes for a shower before we head to S-21 and the Killing Fields.  Hold up my friend! What did you just say? After a 5 minute discussion I remind myself of Phat's advice - be patient with Cambodia.  So I reluctantly give in and we head to the restaurant.  Now for any who really know me, you know that I don't do well with being told what to do.  But in an attempt to make the most of this trip, I put aside my initial instincts, washed the crap off my arms in the bathroom, and enjoyed an amazing lunch at a restaurant that hires former street kids in an attempt to give them a better life.  And so started my introduction to this heart breaking country.  I highlight my "princess" complex only to put the next four hours into perspective.  After lunch and a shower we headed to S-21 which is quite possibly the worst display of human cruelty I have even seen. During the Khmer Rouge era, a high school was converted into a prison in which an estimated 17,000 innocent Cambodians were tortured to extract confessions of presumed connections with KGB, CIA and any other made up excuse they used to exterminate people from the previous regime.  Men, women and children were photographed, biographies taken and thrown into prison cells for weeks of torture. I can't even get into the details but it is stunning what people can do to other people, to their own people. The former head of S-21 has recently been charged with war crimes and is sitting in what some might consider a relatively posh prison given the horrors he inflicted on others.

The Fence around S-21 - No one escaped

Room after room filled with 4'x8'cells

Rooms filled with victoms' pictures before and after

Next we were off to the Killing Fields with our guide giving us random facts and figures about Vietnam - average income $680US/year, 14 million living in Cambodia, many rural people flood the city to work in clothing factories, mostly foreign owned, average wage $80US/mth.  As we drove along this incredible stench filled the van.  Without skipping a beat, our guide throws down a new tidbit of info. To our right was a massive sewage lagoon behind all of the houses and shops that lined the road. In this open sewage lake, the local people grew water hyacinths that were harvested for pig feed.  Sure enough, a break in the buildings displayed this massive lake of raw sewage, boats floating on it, stilted houses perched on the banks, filled with large green leaves of the water hyacinth.

Sewage lagoon

I was in shock.  As if S-21 wasn't enough, now we were looking at modern day Phnom Penh and the prospect it held for thousands of people on this stretch of road.  Then a new Lexus SUV or Land Rover would drive by. There is wealth in this city but certainly not along this putrid stretch of road. The afternoon was spent shaking my head and ended with being eternally thankful that I was born in Canada with opportunities and safety available without question.  I'm not sure how Phnom Penh will ever find a way out of this poverty.  The task seems too monumental.

The Killing Fields

The Killing Field Monument - filled with bones exhumed from mass graves

Beautiful Vietnam

We are now in Cambodia but I have one last post about Vietnam before I move on.  One person asked me why bike around Vietnam. Couldn't we see more of the country by car? It is true. We gave up seeing the white sand beaches of Nha Trang, the mountain jungle of Dalat, the colonial (but coldish) city of Hanoi plus so much more. But what you miss by sitting in a car is the soul of the country. We spent hours biking through little paths in the Mekong, through villages and even through the crazy traffic on city streets.  The scenery changed quite a bit from coconut plantations, into rice fields and eventually the mountain area.  What remained the same throughout the past three days was the constant shouts of 'hello" from the houses and cafes  as we passed.  People constantly smiled and waved, children ran out to greet us.   Yes we are a bit of an attraction since most tourists don't travel through these areas, but their kindness and enthusiasm went beyond curiosity.  Considering this is a culture that has a dark history with Western society, from French occupation and war to bombing, chemicals and embargoes by the US, they have an incredible ability to put the past behind them. Our guide said the people of this country would like to move on. The past is gone and their future can be built with the help and friendship of the West. The cynic might say he is just looking for tips but when you see grandparents showing toddlers to wave and say hello as we passed - some so young they just sounded like kittens, barely able to form the sounds - you know it is genuine.  They have many reasons to be bitter and hostile but instead we have seen nothing but smiles.  Thank-you Vietnam for your incredible hospitality.  Thank-you Phat - our wonderful, knowledgeable, funny and unbelievably open guide.  The time with Phat was invaluable. During car rides and coffee breaks we had debates about government policy, pros and cons of democracy, communism, learned about the future hope and fears of the Vietnamese people, especially the youth, and of course absorbed the stories of an incredibly troubled history.  Since the trade embargo was lifted 16 years ago, the country has started to prosper. Of course there are still huge obstacles to overcome and the fear of their giant and powerful neighbour to the north looms over them.  But if the smiling faces we encountered are any indication of will and ability, then this country has a promising future. You are beautiful Vietnam. XO

Day 3

I had no idea how day 3 of biking was going to turn out.  The welts turned to bruises and my forearms ached beyond the capabilities of my extra strength IBUs but once I traded bike seats, I was ready to take on a whole new day.  It appears my original seat was made of some type of brick about the width of a toothpick. My new seat was slightly softer and wider - almost a pillow topped mattress compared to the other seat.  At least I developed some new pressure points.  Plus we decided to only go 60 km instead of 90km so we could enjoy the end of the day instead of falling asleep in our dinner.

The morning started with a boat ride to the floating market in Cai Be.  As we walked toward the boat, I realized that I forgot the camera memory card in my computer (located in the van). With no time to run back, I had to let go of my need to record everything and just sit back and enjoy the experience.  Easier said than done but eventually I came to the conclusion that there must be thousands of pictures of the market on the Internet if I really wanted a record.  It turned out our guide, Phat, had lots of pictures that he transferred onto my memory card once we were back in the van. So bit of a learning moment - one of many it seems.  The floating market is a wholesale market where farmers or traders come in with a boatload (literally) of produce for sale to local people, stores or restaurants.  To advertise what they have to sell, they hang a sample of their produce from a pole at the front of the boat. It is chaos. People will live on these boats until their produce is gone, then they pack up and head for home. There are also floating coffee shops - little boats with drinks or food.  They hook onto your boat and float along with you as you drink from their cups or eat from their bowls. 

Floating market - pictures compliments of Phat

Pole advertsing

Day 3 takes us from Cai Be in the Mekong Delta to the undulating hills near the Cambodian border ending in the town of Chau Doc. We rode through the villages of the Mekong for 30 km then stopped for a fabulous bowl of noodle soup.  After lunch we took an hour long kidney crushing ride in the van and hit the undulating hills just in time to enjoy the 3000+ degree afternoon sun on smooth black asphalt. I just about melted on the spot when I stepped out of the air conditioned van.  The scenery was amazing though and the heat was better once we were moving.

Rice fields and Mountains

Mid-day heat - no shade.

We stopped riding at 60 km. That left us with enough time to climb to the top of the "mountain"for sunset. The mountain turned out to be a beautiful monastery so we promptly grabbed a few beers and some fried jackfruit chips and climbed the stairs to find a seat. 

The sunset didn't disappoint.  We ended our day and our time with Phat listening to"Still Loving You" by the Scorpions (compliments of a loudspeaker in the village), drinking our '333' Vietnam beer and getting our last questions in about this beautiful area of Vietnam.