Day 1 - Temples within Angkor Thom
Flying budget doesn't really give you plenty flight time options and the only time that Jetstar flies to Siem Reap is at 6am in the morning! Argh.
Stepping into Siem Reap airport for the second time.
We touched down around 7.15 am local time and headed straight to our hotel - Tara Angkor Hotel.
Hotel lobby
Welcome drink was lemongrass juice. Pretty refreshing.
Superior room.
Heading to the Angkor Park by tuk-tuk.
Purchasing our 3-day temple passes. They'll take a mug shot of you to create the ID pass.
Having an early lunch right outside Angkor Wat.
South Gate of Angkor Thom. "Guards" are placed on both sides of the bridge.
A carving of the king, looking down on all who pass into his kingdom.
One of our favourite temples - Bayon. The Bayon consists of 37 towers, most but not all, sporting four carved faces oriented towards the cardinal points.
"Oh shit! I see stairs!"
The Bayon is best visited during a full moon night but the Angkor Park closes at 5.30pm.
Doing the catwalk.
Baphuong was undergoing restoration in the 70s, just before civil war broke out in Cambodia. Foreign archaeologists were evacuated back to their homelands and restoration was abandoned. Unmarked stone slabs were left lying on the ground. Finally, when the Khmer Rouge's reign was over, archaeologists returned to an archaeological nightmare - where do each of the stones belong? After long periods of precise measurements, they finally managed to sort out this gigantic puzzle and restoration resumed.
Exploring other ruins nearby.
Bunny's sandals fell apart on the first day!
Hotel lobby
Welcome drink was lemongrass juice. Pretty refreshing.
Superior room.We were soooo tired we decided to take a short nap before heading out to the Angkor Archaeological Park. A tuk-tuk driver was recommended in Tripadvisor.com and his name is Marom Hem. He's very reliable and always punctual. He's also very polite and soft-spoken. I guess he's one of the tuk-tuk drivers whom we really trust.
Heading to the Angkor Park by tuk-tuk.
Purchasing our 3-day temple passes. They'll take a mug shot of you to create the ID pass.
Having an early lunch right outside Angkor Wat.I suggested we keep the grandest temple of them all - Angkor Wat, as the last temple to visit. So we went ahead with other smaller temples within Angkor Thom.
South Gate of Angkor Thom. "Guards" are placed on both sides of the bridge.
A carving of the king, looking down on all who pass into his kingdom.
One of our favourite temples - Bayon. The Bayon consists of 37 towers, most but not all, sporting four carved faces oriented towards the cardinal points.
"Oh shit! I see stairs!"
The Bayon is best visited during a full moon night but the Angkor Park closes at 5.30pm.
Next stop: a temple within walking distance to Bayon - Baphuong
Doing the catwalk.
Baphuong was undergoing restoration in the 70s, just before civil war broke out in Cambodia. Foreign archaeologists were evacuated back to their homelands and restoration was abandoned. Unmarked stone slabs were left lying on the ground. Finally, when the Khmer Rouge's reign was over, archaeologists returned to an archaeological nightmare - where do each of the stones belong? After long periods of precise measurements, they finally managed to sort out this gigantic puzzle and restoration resumed.
Exploring other ruins nearby.
Bunny's sandals fell apart on the first day!Our next favourite temple - Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed:
I have no idea why two passport photos were placed there.
The most photographed tree in Cambodia. It must be at least a few hundred years old.
Another ancient tree. The temple is mostly being consumed and ruined by the jungle. So the question is, do you get rid of the vegetation? Or do you let it destroy an 800 year old monument?
My favourite tree.
This one's got fat roots.
The first day was extremely tiring for the both of us because we were still recovering from a bout of flu and on top of that, we only slept about 3 - 4 hours the previous night.
We went back to the hotel to nap again and Marom Hem, our tuk-tuk driver, was kind enough to have extended his service till around 9 pm to send us back from the town to our hotel. Tuk-tuk drivers are usually hired on a daily basis and their services end once you're done with the temple tours. But when we asked him, he gladly obliged although he did say that he usually charges USD 12 per hour at night! So we're awfully glad that we managed to hire him and at very short notice too!
The Blue Pumpkin is a very white and modern cafe that serves main courses, pastries, bread and ice-cream. We read about some great reviews of the place but we only managed to try the ice-cream instead. By the time we went at night, the pastries didn't look too appetising so we skipped that.
Pub Street - they close off the streets around Pub Street at night and no traffic is allowed into the area. Policemen are also placed at each corner. This is where every tourist hangs out at night. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs along this street and it's not a very long stretch either. Because this is the heart of town, we came here every single night.
This is Pub Street Alley, just off Pub Street. There are plenty of galleries, cafes and restaurants here and some of the restaurants here have very interesting decor and names. We even stumbled upon a gay-friendly bar (Bunny spotted the rainbow flag placed at the top of the doorway).
On the first night, we dined at a local Khmer restaurant called "Khmer Family Restaurant", which was highly recommended in Trip Advisor and other websites.
We ordered:
Rice paper rolls - the skin was much thicker than the Vietnamese version, but it wasn't too bad.
Amok fish - the taste is similar to curry kapitan but slightly milder. It's made up of a lot of chopped onions and we had to dig for the tiny bits of fish within it.
Local Khmer sour vegetable soup - can't remember the actual name of this dish but it was rather tasty! It's like tom yum without the spice!
We went back to the hotel and turned in really early because we had to get up at 4am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Day 2 - Sunrise at Angkor Wat, sunset at Phnom Bakheng
The second day was solely dedicated to Angkor Wat, the grandest temple of the entire Angkor Park. Marom came to pick us up around 4.45am and the three of us made our tuk-tuk journey to the Park with puffy eyes. Thank goodness the Park wasn't located too far from the central area; it was only a 10 minute ride from our hotel.
One of the most popular places to catch the sunrise is right next to the semi-dry pond found right outside Angkor Wat. While making our way there, it was pretty dark but we brought a flashlight along, so at least we could see where we were walking and not walk right into the moat!
One of the most photographed moments in Siem Reap. Think it was around 5.10am when I snapped this picture.
Panoramic view of the area outside Angkor Wat.
The walk to Angkor Wat is quite a long one. And this was only the second half of the entire journey.
The moat surrounding Angkor Wat. It was slightly foggy in the morning but the camera wasn't able to capture it.
We made our way back to the hotel around 6 am, just in time for breakfast:
We even managed to take a short nap after that! It was THAT tiring!
We headed back to the same eatery from the previous day for lunch before exploring Angkor Wat. We kind of wanted to dedicate an entire day to Angkor Wat. The sun was shining ever so brightly during lunch time, so we took our time to eat and chill before we started walking there.
Fried rice and green papaya salad. The salad was quite good.
A "must" picture with the moat. It was practically dried up when the French archaeologist, Henri Mouhout, rediscovered Angkor in 1860. Up until then, most people believed that the reign of the Angkor kingdom was only a legend.
The entrance of the gate surrounding Angkor Wat.
Although known to most people as just a legend, the Angkor kingdom reigned for half a millennium and the city of Angkor was an important pilgrimage in Southeast Asia. The kingdom was the largest preindustrial city in the world and was so vast, it stretched from the the seat of the Khmer empire, Angkor, right up to modern day Thailand and south Vietnam.
Why they abandoned Angkor and how the people disappeared is still a mystery, and researchers have come up with different theories to explain this. One of the most plausible ones is that the kingdom reached a decline during the 15th century and was sacked by the Thais. Historically, the Chams of Vietnam were also amongst one of the groups of invaders who continued to invade Angkor. Although Angkor managed to withstand years of invasion and war, it finally gave in and the area around Angkor was abandoned. Theory has it that the Thais drove the Khmer people down to South Cambodia, where they established their capital, Phnom Penh.
It's sad to know that even in the modern era, Cambodians are still feeling a sense of "national identity theft" occurring between them and the Thais simply because Thais have been wanting to gain sovereignty over their historical relics and monuments. Take for example, the apsara dance, a classic Angkor dance, which consists of the basic elements and dance movements of almost ALL classical dance in Southeast Asia (Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian). If you've ever seen an apsara dance performance, you'd swear that it's so similar to the Thai dance you thought it was the same thing.
The first bas-relief we encountered - the Ramayana epic.
The bas-reliefs in Angkor Wat are SO extensive, they stretch the ENTIRE perimeter of the complex.
The Angkor Wat complex is like a maze of long corridors and doorways.
Almost every inch of the complex is carved with Sanskrit scriptures, celestial dancers, gods, Khmer classic art and so on.
These "pools" used to be filled with water.
Built in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat, constructed by Suryavaram II, honors the Hindu god Vishnu and is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology. Consisting of an enormous temple symbolizing the mythic Mt. Meru, its five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats represent chains of mountains and the cosmic ocean.
So bloody steep! Conquering it must be a feat!
It was such a pity that the towers were closed when we were there, or else the view would have been so different from above. Anyway, getting up is one thing, making your way down is another, considering how the stones were unstable, the individual steps were steep and narrow, and there are no railings!
*ponders*
Carvings are slowly eroding and disappearing.
We felt quite small standing next to such a grand monument.
Carvings can be found on top of every tower.
Using computer simulations it has been shown that the ground plan of the Angkor complex – the terrestrial placement of its principal temples - mirrors the stars in the constellation of Draco at the time of spring equinox in 10,500 BC. While the date of this astronomical alignment is far earlier than any known construction at Angkor, it appears that its purpose was to architecturally mirror the heavens in order to assist in the harmonization of the earth and the stars.
A mysterious fact about Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples is that they have been built are situated in relation to each other in such a way that they mirror the three stars in the Corona Borealis as they appeared at dawn on the spring equinox in 10,500 BC. It is interesting to note that the Corona Borealis would not have been visible from these temples during the 10th and 11th centuries when they were constructed. So how in the world would they know where to situate the temples at?
We were ambushing monks and trying to snap a picture of them each time we saw them. They're pretty elusive you know. It's hard trying to get the typical "Angkor Wat with monk" shot:
Leaving Angkor Wat:
I should crop away that palm tree on the left.
The travel advice I read online was right - leave Angkor Wat to the last stop because it's the most impressive and magnificent temple of them all. We couldn't bear to leave it and I think we sat in the inner cloisters for quite some time before leaving the complex.
Our next stop was to Phnom Bakheng, one of the most popular place in Siem Reap to watch the sunset:
15-minute climb up the hill.
Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple in the form of a temple mountain. It was dedicated to Shiva and was built in the 9th century (way before Angkor Wat was built).
The steps here are pretty steep (as is in all temples in Siem Reap). But everyone managed to climb their way up, whether they're children or adults, men or women, elderly or young, almost everyone made it to the top.
There's Angkor Wat in the distance.
And we just added to the statistic.
Oh! Another monk!
Going down was quite tough.
The interior of Kamasutra.
Naan (my favourite!), mint sauce, tikki masala chicken, curry vegetables and mango lassi. MORE than enough! I heart North Indian food. :)
The Angkor Night Market consists of tiny resort looking huts with plenty of craft, t-shirt, accessories and ornaments to browse and haggle for. The paths are paved with rocks and there's even a straw hut bar right in the middle of the market.
Tomb Raider cocktail! Hahahaha.
Sipping on her Tomb Raider cocktail.
And this is what happens if you had too much to drink.
I have no idea why two passport photos were placed there.
The most photographed tree in Cambodia. It must be at least a few hundred years old.
Another ancient tree. The temple is mostly being consumed and ruined by the jungle. So the question is, do you get rid of the vegetation? Or do you let it destroy an 800 year old monument?
My favourite tree.
This one's got fat roots.
Our version of "Tomb Raider":
Our next stop was Srah Srang, a much less touristed sunrise alternative to Angkor Wat. We didn't catch the sunrise here although I guess we would have if we stayed there a few days more:
The first day was extremely tiring for the both of us because we were still recovering from a bout of flu and on top of that, we only slept about 3 - 4 hours the previous night.
We went back to the hotel to nap again and Marom Hem, our tuk-tuk driver, was kind enough to have extended his service till around 9 pm to send us back from the town to our hotel. Tuk-tuk drivers are usually hired on a daily basis and their services end once you're done with the temple tours. But when we asked him, he gladly obliged although he did say that he usually charges USD 12 per hour at night! So we're awfully glad that we managed to hire him and at very short notice too!
The Blue Pumpkin is a very white and modern cafe that serves main courses, pastries, bread and ice-cream. We read about some great reviews of the place but we only managed to try the ice-cream instead. By the time we went at night, the pastries didn't look too appetising so we skipped that.
Pub Street - they close off the streets around Pub Street at night and no traffic is allowed into the area. Policemen are also placed at each corner. This is where every tourist hangs out at night. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs along this street and it's not a very long stretch either. Because this is the heart of town, we came here every single night.
This is Pub Street Alley, just off Pub Street. There are plenty of galleries, cafes and restaurants here and some of the restaurants here have very interesting decor and names. We even stumbled upon a gay-friendly bar (Bunny spotted the rainbow flag placed at the top of the doorway).On the first night, we dined at a local Khmer restaurant called "Khmer Family Restaurant", which was highly recommended in Trip Advisor and other websites.
We ordered:
Rice paper rolls - the skin was much thicker than the Vietnamese version, but it wasn't too bad.
Amok fish - the taste is similar to curry kapitan but slightly milder. It's made up of a lot of chopped onions and we had to dig for the tiny bits of fish within it.
Local Khmer sour vegetable soup - can't remember the actual name of this dish but it was rather tasty! It's like tom yum without the spice!
We went back to the hotel and turned in really early because we had to get up at 4am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Day 2 - Sunrise at Angkor Wat, sunset at Phnom Bakheng
The second day was solely dedicated to Angkor Wat, the grandest temple of the entire Angkor Park. Marom came to pick us up around 4.45am and the three of us made our tuk-tuk journey to the Park with puffy eyes. Thank goodness the Park wasn't located too far from the central area; it was only a 10 minute ride from our hotel.
One of the most popular places to catch the sunrise is right next to the semi-dry pond found right outside Angkor Wat. While making our way there, it was pretty dark but we brought a flashlight along, so at least we could see where we were walking and not walk right into the moat!
One of the most photographed moments in Siem Reap. Think it was around 5.10am when I snapped this picture.
Panoramic view of the area outside Angkor Wat.
The walk to Angkor Wat is quite a long one. And this was only the second half of the entire journey.
The moat surrounding Angkor Wat. It was slightly foggy in the morning but the camera wasn't able to capture it.We made our way back to the hotel around 6 am, just in time for breakfast:
We even managed to take a short nap after that! It was THAT tiring!
We headed back to the same eatery from the previous day for lunch before exploring Angkor Wat. We kind of wanted to dedicate an entire day to Angkor Wat. The sun was shining ever so brightly during lunch time, so we took our time to eat and chill before we started walking there.
Fried rice and green papaya salad. The salad was quite good.
A "must" picture with the moat. It was practically dried up when the French archaeologist, Henri Mouhout, rediscovered Angkor in 1860. Up until then, most people believed that the reign of the Angkor kingdom was only a legend.
The entrance of the gate surrounding Angkor Wat.
Although known to most people as just a legend, the Angkor kingdom reigned for half a millennium and the city of Angkor was an important pilgrimage in Southeast Asia. The kingdom was the largest preindustrial city in the world and was so vast, it stretched from the the seat of the Khmer empire, Angkor, right up to modern day Thailand and south Vietnam.
Why they abandoned Angkor and how the people disappeared is still a mystery, and researchers have come up with different theories to explain this. One of the most plausible ones is that the kingdom reached a decline during the 15th century and was sacked by the Thais. Historically, the Chams of Vietnam were also amongst one of the groups of invaders who continued to invade Angkor. Although Angkor managed to withstand years of invasion and war, it finally gave in and the area around Angkor was abandoned. Theory has it that the Thais drove the Khmer people down to South Cambodia, where they established their capital, Phnom Penh.It's sad to know that even in the modern era, Cambodians are still feeling a sense of "national identity theft" occurring between them and the Thais simply because Thais have been wanting to gain sovereignty over their historical relics and monuments. Take for example, the apsara dance, a classic Angkor dance, which consists of the basic elements and dance movements of almost ALL classical dance in Southeast Asia (Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian). If you've ever seen an apsara dance performance, you'd swear that it's so similar to the Thai dance you thought it was the same thing.
The first bas-relief we encountered - the Ramayana epic.
The bas-reliefs in Angkor Wat are SO extensive, they stretch the ENTIRE perimeter of the complex.
The Angkor Wat complex is like a maze of long corridors and doorways.
Almost every inch of the complex is carved with Sanskrit scriptures, celestial dancers, gods, Khmer classic art and so on.
These "pools" used to be filled with water.
Built in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat, constructed by Suryavaram II, honors the Hindu god Vishnu and is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology. Consisting of an enormous temple symbolizing the mythic Mt. Meru, its five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats represent chains of mountains and the cosmic ocean.
So bloody steep! Conquering it must be a feat!
It was such a pity that the towers were closed when we were there, or else the view would have been so different from above. Anyway, getting up is one thing, making your way down is another, considering how the stones were unstable, the individual steps were steep and narrow, and there are no railings!
*ponders*
Carvings are slowly eroding and disappearing.
We felt quite small standing next to such a grand monument.
Carvings can be found on top of every tower.
Panoramic shot of Angkor Wat
Another mysterious fact is that Angkor Wat is 72 degrees longitude east of the Pyramids of Giza. The number 72 is a primary number in the sequence of numbers linked to the earth’s axial precession, which causes the apparent alteration in the position of the constellations over the period of 25,920 years, or one degree every 72 years.
We were ambushing monks and trying to snap a picture of them each time we saw them. They're pretty elusive you know. It's hard trying to get the typical "Angkor Wat with monk" shot:
Leaving Angkor Wat:
I should crop away that palm tree on the left.
The travel advice I read online was right - leave Angkor Wat to the last stop because it's the most impressive and magnificent temple of them all. We couldn't bear to leave it and I think we sat in the inner cloisters for quite some time before leaving the complex.Our next stop was to Phnom Bakheng, one of the most popular place in Siem Reap to watch the sunset:
15-minute climb up the hill.
Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple in the form of a temple mountain. It was dedicated to Shiva and was built in the 9th century (way before Angkor Wat was built).
The steps here are pretty steep (as is in all temples in Siem Reap). But everyone managed to climb their way up, whether they're children or adults, men or women, elderly or young, almost everyone made it to the top.
There's Angkor Wat in the distance.The countless number of tourists who visit Phnom Bakheng daily make this one of the most threatened monuments in Siem Reap:
And we just added to the statistic.Waiting for the sun to set:
Oh! Another monk!
The sun is finally beginning to set:
Making our way down before it gets too dark:
Making our way down before it gets too dark:
Going down was quite tough.Dinner that night was at an Indian restaurant called Kamasutra:
The interior of Kamasutra.
Naan (my favourite!), mint sauce, tikki masala chicken, curry vegetables and mango lassi. MORE than enough! I heart North Indian food. :)We decided to visit the Angkor Night Market after dinner and to digest our carbo-laden meal. We were initially a bit paranoid about walking there because the road seemed a little dark, but it was only a short distance and other tourists were taking the same route too. Silly us!
The Angkor Night Market consists of tiny resort looking huts with plenty of craft, t-shirt, accessories and ornaments to browse and haggle for. The paths are paved with rocks and there's even a straw hut bar right in the middle of the market.Tonight was a night to stay out a little late because we didn't have to wake up early to catch the sunrise, so we decided to pay Red Piano a visit (since tourists were constantly raving about the cocktails there).
Tomb Raider cocktail! Hahahaha.
Sipping on her Tomb Raider cocktail.
And this is what happens if you had too much to drink.Day 3 - Banteay Srei, Landmine Museum and chillin' on top of Pre Rup
Face masks are definitely required when travelling in open air transportation along the dusty roads of Siem Reap.
Face masks are definitely required when travelling in open air transportation along the dusty roads of Siem Reap.Banteay Srei is located about 38 km away from the temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park, so it took us about half an hour to get there.
Banteay Srei, or rather, Citadel of Women, was a temple dedicated to Shiva and built from red sandstone, hence it looks significantly different from its counterparts.
The carvings and architecture differ slightly as well.
The buildings and structures are miniature in scale, especially when measured against the standards of Angkorian construction.
And this one's about to collapse pretty soon.
After loitering around and eavesdropping on a Cantonese speaking guide explaining certain things to a HK tour group, we made our way back to Angkor Park, stopping by the Cambodian Landmine and Relief Centre:
Singapore's one of the countries that have not signed the Landmine Ban Treaty.
And they're also one of the countries that have produced landmines since 2002.
Aki Ra, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier who helped lay tons of mines around Cambodia, is now righting his wrong by excavating them. The method he and his team used was pretty dangerous - they went by instinct instead of using metal detectors. He has now stopped digging for mines.
Machine gun
The terrible thing about landmines is that they are built to maim or injure, not kill. Shrapnels or tiny bits of nails are hidden inside.
It is estimated that there are still 6 - 7 million landmines buried around Cambodia and some of them are located right next to home and farm.
Banteay Srei, or rather, Citadel of Women, was a temple dedicated to Shiva and built from red sandstone, hence it looks significantly different from its counterparts.
The carvings and architecture differ slightly as well.
The buildings and structures are miniature in scale, especially when measured against the standards of Angkorian construction.
And this one's about to collapse pretty soon.Banteay Srei was discovered much later, in 1914, and was the subject of a celebrated case of art theft when Andre Malraux stole four devatas in 1923 (he was soon arrested and the figures returned).
After loitering around and eavesdropping on a Cantonese speaking guide explaining certain things to a HK tour group, we made our way back to Angkor Park, stopping by the Cambodian Landmine and Relief Centre:
Singapore's one of the countries that have not signed the Landmine Ban Treaty.
And they're also one of the countries that have produced landmines since 2002.
Aki Ra, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier who helped lay tons of mines around Cambodia, is now righting his wrong by excavating them. The method he and his team used was pretty dangerous - they went by instinct instead of using metal detectors. He has now stopped digging for mines.
Machine gun
The terrible thing about landmines is that they are built to maim or injure, not kill. Shrapnels or tiny bits of nails are hidden inside.
It is estimated that there are still 6 - 7 million landmines buried around Cambodia and some of them are located right next to home and farm.Next stop, Pre Rup - one of our most favourite temple mountains because it's not crowded and it's nice to chill at the top of the tower:
Not sure if you can tell, but this tower is lopsided. It's in quite a precarious situation.
Not sure if you can tell, but this tower is lopsided. It's in quite a precarious situation.Pre Rup was also dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Just like other temples, this one has four towers and one in the middle.
Steep steps again
View from halfway above:
Chillin' at the top of the middle tower:
Do you see what I see?
At this point in time, we had seen most of the major temple sites, so we left Angkor Park. We felt a sad pinch but we didn't realise the full extent of our sadness until we arrived back in Singapore the next day.
Lunch was at Ecstatic Pizza. It was recommended by one of Bunny's friend; she also recommended we try the "Happy Pizza":
Ecstatic Pizza - the waiter kept smiling and he looked like that drawing. He must be high.
THE Happy (herb) pizza - the pizzas every tourist requests when they visit Siem Reap. The Caucasian couple next to us ordered a pizza that was extra, extra, extra "happy". Guess the pizza must have looked like it had a layer of moss growing on it!
Khmer restaurant along Pub Street Alley
Amok fish, some Khmer beef dish and veggies - each dish had its own unique taste. It's hard to describe Khmer food; it's like a cross between Thai and nonya. Yes, nonya! Don't ask me why!
We ordered the Khmer soup again.
We missed the hot air balloon ride due to "windy conditions". Whatever it was, it wasn't windy at all while we were there.
Continuing our journey to the airport.
Bye Siem Reap!
Steep steps again
Chillin' at the top of the middle tower:
Do you see what I see?
At this point in time, we had seen most of the major temple sites, so we left Angkor Park. We felt a sad pinch but we didn't realise the full extent of our sadness until we arrived back in Singapore the next day.
Lunch was at Ecstatic Pizza. It was recommended by one of Bunny's friend; she also recommended we try the "Happy Pizza":
Ecstatic Pizza - the waiter kept smiling and he looked like that drawing. He must be high.
THE Happy (herb) pizza - the pizzas every tourist requests when they visit Siem Reap. The Caucasian couple next to us ordered a pizza that was extra, extra, extra "happy". Guess the pizza must have looked like it had a layer of moss growing on it!I was feeling SO full after that because I kept drinking a lot of water. The herbs had no affect on either one of us and I just felt so sick because I was bloated. So we walked to the Central Market, a large area with stalls that sell the normal stuff like art and craft objects, tourist tees and all sorts of accessories and ornaments.
I managed to buy three glass rings for USD 5 each and they are the exact same ones I get from Isetan here for SGD 25!!! I even managed to get a glass pendant in the shape of a starfish. These glass designs are the ones Moo and I were talking about - big, chunky glass with different patterns and colours painted or swirled within. I heart glass accessories. :)
It so happens that Day 3 of our Siem Reap trip was also our 2nd year anniversary. :) We were spoilt for choice over dinner! We had to choose between Khmer or French food (at some 5 star hotel). So we deliberated for awhile and decided to have Khmer because it's difficult to find it in Singapore and to be honest, we're hooked onto the Amok Fish! Hehehe.
I managed to buy three glass rings for USD 5 each and they are the exact same ones I get from Isetan here for SGD 25!!! I even managed to get a glass pendant in the shape of a starfish. These glass designs are the ones Moo and I were talking about - big, chunky glass with different patterns and colours painted or swirled within. I heart glass accessories. :)
It so happens that Day 3 of our Siem Reap trip was also our 2nd year anniversary. :) We were spoilt for choice over dinner! We had to choose between Khmer or French food (at some 5 star hotel). So we deliberated for awhile and decided to have Khmer because it's difficult to find it in Singapore and to be honest, we're hooked onto the Amok Fish! Hehehe.
Khmer restaurant along Pub Street Alley
Amok fish, some Khmer beef dish and veggies - each dish had its own unique taste. It's hard to describe Khmer food; it's like a cross between Thai and nonya. Yes, nonya! Don't ask me why!
We ordered the Khmer soup again.Bunny was so cute. She bought me a Rubiks cube and brought it there all wrapped up.
Day 4 - Back to Singapore *sob*
We missed the hot air balloon ride due to "windy conditions". Whatever it was, it wasn't windy at all while we were there.
Continuing our journey to the airport.
Bye Siem Reap!We were sad, really sad, when we arrived in Singapore, and we also started to experience a sense of loss, almost like the emotions you go through during a break-up. I guess we love that place immensely and not only the place, but we liked the people there and the food! Their culture and how they're always smiling at you whenever you walk past them.
But I guess the main reason is because we know we might never go back there again. Although Siem Reap might be a small area to visit, there's ample attractions and abundant cultural lessons to be learnt.
But I guess the main reason is because we know we might never go back there again. Although Siem Reap might be a small area to visit, there's ample attractions and abundant cultural lessons to be learnt.
3 comments:
*sob*
looks like u had fun.
how long did it take you to post this? i hate using the blogger picture posting function...
the dawn pictures of angkor wat are stunning. love the panoramic one! what camera are u using?
Yes, the panoramic one is nice! Needless to say, I was using a Nikon camera. Hahaha. A compact one - P5100. It's one of the best compacts so far and this is based on reviews from personal friends. Hehe.
I took close to 2 weeks to post this because I was busy with work and studies. The blogger picture posting function is ok la. Not too bad. LJ's was worse! Had to use photobucket!
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