Southeast Asia 2016: Day 8 - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Landing in Cambodia last night was an experience! Don't be fooled by the simplistic, Hawaiian-style terminal. Going through the short immigration line was a long process. One main difference is that they scan your fingerprints. We got to the baggage claim before all of the other passengers (I highly recommend the online e-visa process). It turns out that quick wasn't very lucky for us because they have a highly sophisticated conveyor system that only releases luggage if you pick up luggage, and since we were the only ones there, the belt was full of the luggage of people still in immigration. Greg said we had nowhere else to be anyway and proceeded to engineer the process as best he could by condensing the luggage as it passed by. It took an hour!

We are visiting Cambodia for one reason: Angkor Wat, which is recorded by Guinness World Records as the largest religious structure ever built. The entire complex is 400 square km. There were about 100 temples built in the 11th century in this area because it was fertile and easily defendable. I do not know much about Cambodia but it is a poor country and even up to 1992 you couldn't safely visit due to civil war and land mines. However after a day here, I've discovered I already love it! Particularly, it is a photographer's dream!

I arranged for our guide, Bun, to pick us up before the temples open at 7:30. I don't know who was more excited, me or him. He was awesome about prioritizing my quest for good pictures, and focused more on the best photo locations and less on drowning us with history. He was particular about choosing our route to avoid crowds and bad lighting. I was absolutely thrilled, and he was well tipped! (He came with a polite Lexus driver who kept us well stocked with ice cold water and towels.)

A tuk tuk is a popular way to get around the temples. I like how this driver hung his hammock inside his tuk tuk!

We started by driving right past Angkor Wat, the typical first stop, to get to the popular South Gate entrance of Angkor Thom.

The left side is flanked with statues of gods

The right side is flanked with demons. Both sides are holding a long naga (serpent).

As we passed through the gate, and Bun directed us to climb onto the wall that completely surrounds Angkor Thom for closeup pictures, I realized our adventurous guide was going to treat us to a spectacular day! I was drawn in by the serenity and beckoned by the lush, peaceful jungle - and easily could have spent the day climbing around there.

We drove to another less busy one of the five gates to take more pictures

One of the most popular temples is Ta Prohm and is therefore busily on the main circuit. It is the reason we got our early start. It is more popularly known as the "Tomb Raider" temple (assuming you saw the movie starring Angelina Jolie). The sprawling Buddhist monastery was intentionally left partially unrestored and is smothered with the roots of giant spung trees.

Ta Prohm "Tomb Raider" temple

The roots of giant spung trees are smothering the temple

Minus guys trying to kill us, I felt like we were on an adventure straight out of a movie - playing hide and seek with Indiana Jones! (Cue the music...)

Our guide kept us one step ahead of the crowds, who were streaming in like ants as we walked out the side. We stopped at another maze like temple - called Banteay Kdei - and enjoyed exploring its quiet beauty. Bun kept weaving us through open doors and passageways to excellent vantage points, and without him we'd be lost!

There are framed windows and doorways every direction you turn

Monk collecting offerings inside the temple of Banteay Kdei

The little girls selling stuff outside each temple always chose Greg. "You buy me one - for only one dollar. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten - one dollar for ten." You are not supposed to buy from them because it encourages them to ditch school, but school in Cambodia is only half day (they have more kids than schools so go in half day shifts); the girl told us she already went to school today.

We entered the legendary ruins of Angkor Wat from its quiet east entrance, giving it the feel of just another undiscovered, amazing temple. The area is so natural and undisturbed that stepping over a scorpion seems commonplace, and in his usual way, Greg nonchalantly pointed it out after I've safely passed. We walked around the inside protective walls of the temple to appreciate its symmetry, then around the infamous interior hallways to see the walls covered in etched stories, and finally climbed to the top for the views.

The quiet east entrance to Angkor Wat

Only 100 people are allowed to the top level at a time, so we waited in line for 15 minutes

We exited out the main entrance of Angkor Wat

After our lunch stop (conveniently just outside Angkor Wat), we backtracked to Angkor Thom, the last capital city from the Angkor period. The walls enclose nearly four square miles and contain several more structures. Bayon is the highlight with its many huge smiling faces; each tower is surrounded with four faces looking out in the cardinal north-south-east-west directions.

The Bayon temple inside Angkor Thom

The giant stone faces of Bayon are one of the most recognizable images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture

The many ruins inside Angkor Thom were our last stop for the day. We continued to the large temple-mountain called Baphuon and then to the Terrace of Elephants.

Baphuon temple has several levels to climb

The stairs at the temples are so steep that they have added wooden, staircases - that are still quite steep. Greg purposefully took a "wrong" turn to avoid the last set of stairs to the very top.

The view from the top of Baphuon

Collapsing by the pool with icy Angkor beer is the only way to end a hot, tiring day of visiting temples

After a much needed rest we ventured out to the hubbub of the Night Market for a cheap dinner and shopping. I bought a large rustic bronze statue of an apsara to lug home.