Cambodia: Beyond Siem Reap (Day 5)

Itinerary

• Banteay Srei
• Phnom Kulen
• Reclining Buddha
• One Thousand Lingas
• King's Waterfall
• Bar Street
• Blue Pumpkin
• Red Piano
• live jazz at hotel

Yesterday, I arranged a driver and a guide to take me to two of the more distant locations. I had seen photos of the waterfall and I knew it was one of the things I had to do: jump in. So we started off early; I hoped to beat the tourists to the temples.

Banteay Srei is the best example of intricate stonework and carvings. The artwork is also the best preserved in the country. Located about 30 minutes outside of Siem Reap, the temple is situated in the middle of nowhere. During the war, the complex was used a stronghold for the Vietnamese army. Today, with the skies holding back rain but the ground soaked with the previous days' deluge, the moat and the walkways were full of water, adding to the surrealness of my visit. Small in comparison to the Angkor temples, Banteay Srei is humble but absolutely magnificent. I couldn't get over the beautiful depth to the carvings and the infinite level of detail. Every nook was covered with something intricate. I'll let the pictures explain:

Super happy at the Reclining Buddha

After clicking away to my heart's content (as evidenced above), we loaded up for another 30 minute drive to Phnom Kulen National Park. The temple with the Reclining Buddha is still active, so when I visited it was busy with people paying their respects for the current holiday. Originally carved into the side of the mountain, the Buddha is now covered by an enclosure with a roof and stairs, and surrounded by small shrines for donations. The view from the balcony is impressive, of the valley below and the Kulen plateau. On our way down, we stopped at the river but due to the heavy rains, the One Thousand Lingas weren't visible. Onto the waterfall, which was very much visible.

The waterfall has three levels, the top for the king to bathe in, the middle for his family and religious folk, and the bottom for the military and commoners. Because the current was so strong, I could only swim in the bottom level, and even that was tough... It was a great relief from the heat when I finally got in, though. The water was once thought to be holy because it came from Buddha's mountain and it runs all the way into the Siem Reap River and eventually the Tongle Sap Lake. Basically all the water in the region originates here, so every moat and stream in Siem Reap is holy. Cool, huh? Anyway, I clambered around on the mossy river rocks until it was time eat.

Lunch with my guide was interesting, especially to hear from the local as he felt about his country and its place in the world these days. I wish I could remember his name, but he spoke so fast that I never quite got past calling him sir. As a guide, he was certainly knowledgeable, but a bit hard to understand. I enjoyed hearing his stories and his silly jokes. I couldn't understand why he kept calling the drive to the mountain the "massage" road. Until we started up the steep, bumpy road... then I realized he was saying I'd be getting a free massage from the road. Not quite! He eventually explained how military rank equals a level of power here, but if you have enough money you can buy a higher rank, no problem. He also went into detail about the reasons why Thais and Khmer do not get along (from a Khmer perspective) and told me a personal border crossing story that was harrowing. Most people are rice farms, bur tourism and government work are also solid sources of income. All great facts that provided great knowledge for a day in the countryside.

The ride back was long, so I nodded off in the back seat on the way home. Before cleaning up completely for the jazz night at the hotel, I headed downtown to explore the night market, the bar street, and some local restaurants. I hadn't realized how completely my hotel was a little piece of heaven in a bustling tourist town. The bar street and night market reminded me of the night markets in Taipei, alive and bustling with different items to eat and places to grab a drink. I stopped for some quick food at the Red Piano (where Angie ate during filming!) and grabbed a snack for later at the Blue Pumpkin (love the ice cream). After a proper shower, I made my way over to the restaurant of the hotel for some fabulous live jazz and some mingling with local businesspeople, NGOs, teachers, and other hotel patrons. A great ambiance and some really interesting people. Every day gets better and better!