Time for Part 2 of my trip in Cambodia - Siam Reap.
Remember the previous post I posted about Cambodia - Siam Reap ?? That's just basically my first day that I arrived in Siam Reap. Also remember I've mention the very next day morning I'm going to visit AngKor Wat Temple ?
I am to share more about it with you on Angkor Wat temple and other temple that I have visited on my second day in Siam Reap.
Let's Go....
After taking breakfast in the morning, we went to the hotel waiting area and wait for the driver to come and pick us up to our day tour at Angkor Wat and few other Temples.
This is my very first time visiting Angkor Wat last time only happen to see how it look like on TV shows and to be honest I never thought that I will be going there one day.
Angkor Wat is the largest and heritage temple in Siam Reap that exhibits the most unique religious architecture in the world and is one of the attraction that everyone will visit when they're in Siam Reap even the located taxi driver, hotel staff or tour agency will recommend, so you will not only see the local people there but also lots of tourist.
Picture of Angkor Wat
Before entering to Angkor Wat you'll need to buy a pass which cost USD $20.00,
( Little note : In cambodia they use USD, their local currency will be use as their small change most of the time. So please change more USD. )
Entrance pass for Angkor Wat is so different from other entrance ticket or pass I have seen in other place or country that I have visited before. For the Angkor Wat pass, is like a normal ticket but with your passport size picture on it they will require you to take it on the spot when you buy the ticket.
We are standing at the entrance of Angkor Wat taking picture of our Angkor Pass.
From the picture above you can see that's how the Angkor Wat pass look like with your picture on it. Also as I mention above this pass cost USD $20.00 as it's shown in the picture above and it also states the date of entry & date of expiry because they have more than just a day pass you can buy for two days but we didn't choose it because we have other plans for the rest of the days in Siam Reap.
I'm trying to take a picture nearer to the first entrance. Look at this picture this is what I meant by the place being filled up with tourist. Even when you're trying to take a nicer picture with the entrance, You will inevitably include a photobomb in your picture.
Let's take a picture together before we proceed further.
Let's begin the journey with me in Angkor wat temple. Where you see me standing in the above picture is where the first entrance is after a long walk from the passage way.
Inside or outside of Angkor Wat you will get to see lots of different hidden structure from different angles.
The locals will sit at the corner and rest and so happen I saw this little boy standing there so I did the same thing. Haha
Look at those structure like I mention earlier when you step into Angkor Wat you will get to see different kind of structure at the different angle and this is one of them.
After visiting Angkor Wat we move on to the next temple.. the next temple is quite a distance from the first so our driver have to drive us there. Half way through we arrived at this gateway.
So the driver told us that we can alight and slowly walk over and take some picture at the same time while he will drive to meet us ahead shortly.
Take a closer look all this brick or I should say stone. It is very old but is still quite strong after so many years. All this structure is hand crafted bit by bit, day by day for the locals living there during that era does not have the luxury of modern machineries like we do.
From this picture you should know which temple I'm heading to right?
If you have guess it correctly, I'm heading towards Bayon Temple but this is not Bayon this is just the gate I've mention earlier the car have to driver pass this gate to be able to bring us to another temple. From the picture you can see its only a one way road so even the elephant going pass this gate have to stop and give way to temple just like normal traffic vehicles from the other side have to give way to the oncoming traffic.
I remember at that point of time there's 5 or 6 elephant walking through this gate and when I saw it I quickly took out my camera and snap it and ask my bf to take picture for me and the elephant walking. Haha.. Yes I know its an elephant nothing special but when you're over there is different kind of feeling and you see the way they trying to walk through the small gate with other vehicle waiting behind.
Their elephant also look different from what we see in Singapore Zoo.
Okay back to the top on Bayon Temple.
Bayon is one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist temples in Angkor complex, was built in the heart of Angkor Thom. Bayon's most distinctive feature is the stone faces that grace its many towers.
The overview of Bayon temple.
How to go up to the top of it to have a closer look of the feature stone face?
Saw this stairs ? Yes this is the only way up there to the top and the only way down from the top.
Don't just base on the picture and think that the step is easy to walk up infact the step is small and narrow.
Yeah We're up there.
Let's take a picture together with the face " Say Cheese "
I find that Bayon is nicer than Angkor Wat maybe is because of the way they build this temple, mentioning of building this temple is actually build as a square, which have North South East & West. Oh if you notice the faces is all Smiling face no matter you look at which side of it is all smiling face. There's actually smaller tower surrounding Bayon and each of them have 4 sided face too.
When you walk town from the top, you will get to see two long walls with all the different hand craft on it and each of them has it own meaning.
Look at it how details it is and can you believe that all this was hand craft on bit by bit in the olden days. Can you imagine how much effort the local use to do all this and stack up the stone one by one.
You will see this in the center of Bayon which you will see the local sitting down doing their offerings and prayers. After walking at Bayon, its lunch time! We have to walk out of Bayon while we were walking out, we saw some monkey nearby playing among themselves.
Now let's go for lunch and continue our temple journey after that.
The restaurant we went to was rather popular with tourist. I believe they are commission based.
we enjoyed the tranquil setting furnished with local Cambodian interior.
It was love at first sight when they served my noodles, my first impression was of our local Mince Meat Noodle which we call it " Mee Pok " but this tasted so much different. One thing I always notice when I travel is that their food that I have ate always have lots of vegetables to compliment the meat so it gave us a more holistic diet.
Look at the portion of the food, its a lot and I can't finish it but i think that I can share it with one more person because for me I'm not a big eater. But its delicious!.. We also order something that look like chicken chop but sadly I can't remember the name of it anymore.
Oh I still remember when our food came, a fellow tourist diner which sat next to us saw what we're eating and they asked us what did we order and they ordered the same food as us.
After our lunch, we when to this temple that was chosen as a movie setting for a film, Jerome showed it to me on youtube then I realise it. Haha..
Any Ideal yet ???
Yes, Next temple we were visiting is Ta Prohm. I believe those that watch this movie " Tomb raider " inside there's a scene was film over there.
The Journey begins here at Ta Prohm.
But before you're able to reach this area you have to walk a long way inside before reaching this area and of cause before that you need to know the rules and regulations of Ta Prohm.
Ta Prohm is a mysterious temple. A temple with lots of tree growing naturally on top and around it.
This big tree you will see it when you first walk in and I remember one of the tour group leader use this as a drum and made music out of it for his tour group. I try to hit on it after the group left and when you hit on it, it feels hollow.
After that when you walk in further you will see this picture shown below
Each stone is carved with an intricate pattern. If you notice most of the temple have a sort of little craft on it and as I mention each artwork represents something.
See that's what I mean by the tree growing naturally out of the roof, on top of the temple and its almost every where. During the time when they build this temple they never cut down any trees. Until now the trees are still growing.
We hiked further in to see what other thing we can see. But when walking there please be careful and I will advise to wear a shoes instead of slipper. The algae footpath is slippery!
Look at all this stones that fell naturally centuries after it was abandoned.
After walking up till here we completed half our Ta prohm tour.
About to walk out of Ta Prohm before that let's take a selfie together .
After that we walk out to find the driver and send us back to the hotel. BUT we walk the wrong direction I saw the signage showing a shortcut and I thought it was really a shorter way out but the shorter way exit is not where our driver is waiting for us so at the end we still have to walk back in the other direction. Haha And is a long walk.
After back at hotel we rest for awhile around early evening at 6.30pm Cambodia time we head out for our dinner at the night market and at the same time have a walk at the night market.
We ate at the road side stall and the food is super appetizing. Yummy..
As I mention after dinner we have a short walk at the night market after that head back to hotel to have an early night because the next day we will be heading out for motorcycle tour. Woohoo. Motorcycle tour...
Stay tune for more on my motorcycle tour experience in Siam Reap. Will post it soon to share with all of you. ( :
