Siem Reap, Cambodia: August 2006

In Part One of a two part feature, our cultural correspondent Po Scard follows Ray and Nikki as they begin their journey through the Kingdom of Cambodia, and reports on their visit to one of the country's most valuable historical assets - the huge, ancient and mystical complex of temples at Angkor, in Siem Reap.

Crossing the border by bus on 9th August, Ray and Nikki left Thailand following their re-union in Bangkok (Birthday Bliss in Bangkok) to enter the Kingdom of Cambodia. For both of them, it was their first visit to the country and a chance to find out what goes on and what life is like for the 13 million people that live there.

Above: Ray crosses the border at Poipet and enters Cambodia

"We really did not know quite what to expect" said Ray. "We had heard that there had been much bloodshed in the country over the years and that the general state of the place was poor in comparison to other countries in Asia" he told me. "For example, we heard that something like only two in every ten dwellings in the country have a proper toilet, making sanitation a huge issue for the country" he added.

Cambodia was at the forefront of worldwide news in 1975, as the Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured the capital city of Phnom Penh, and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns. Millions of Cambodians were subsequently executed, and many more died from horrible living conditions, leading to disease, starvation and malnutrition. In 1978, a Vietnamese invasion, followed by two decades of fighting drove the Khmer Rouge out, and then, in 1993, UN sponsored elections helped restore some level of normalcy. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of the remaining Khmer Rouge forces.

First on Ray and Nikki's list of places to visit was Siem Reap, home to the temples of the ancient city of Angkor, and a "must see" for anyone travelling in or around the Kingdom. "Coming into the country from Thailand, we discovered that a really great way to reach Siem Reap was by taking a narrow boat along a network of rivers and waterways, eventually running into Tonle Sap lake, where Siem Reap town is located nearby" said a very well researched Nikki.

Above: Map showing Ray and Nikki's entry point at Poipet and Batdambang (circled) which was their first destination

Once they had crossed the border, Ray and Nikki evaluated their options for the 120 kilometre journey to Batdambang, where the river boat departs for Siem Reap. "Basically, the only way we could get there was by taxi" said Ray. "This is a country which has only been 'open' to travellers for a few years, where there are hardly any decent roads and no public transport as we understand it" he told me. "Transportation is in the hands of a few grubby local 'businessmen' (who look more like dustmen!), who run a fleet of very old, very dirty minibuses and cars, which we were able to hire for about 30 US dollars" he added.

Above: With the only option being to charter a clapped out 'taxi', Ray drinks a beer and checks the route as he tries to remain chilled out

"There was a moment of anxiety, when I had to hand over our money to an unfriendly looking chap amongst a crowd of Cambodians, who were all screaming and shouting whilst chickens were running around the muddy parking lot that passed for a bus station - I wondered if we were actually going to get a ride at all" he recalled. "Then, our car appeared - a filthy Toyota Camry which would have had a UK MOT Inspector falling about on the floor laughing" said Ray. "The best joke of all was that we thought we had negotiated exclusive rental of the car, but shortly after we left, our driver stopped to pick up two huge Cambodian guys who got into the spare front seat next to the driver and shared most of the journey with us" added a very bemused Ray.

Our travelling duo were lucky to survive the journey, being thrown around for about three hours in the back of the taxi as the driver negotiated the dust track full of giant potholes which passed for the main road to Batdambang. After a couple of unscheduled stops for the driver to say hello to friends along the way, our couple eventually arrived at their destination.

Above: Nikki's Buddhist training really paid off during the journey to Batdambang, as she stayed calm whilst the taxi constantly bumped and swerved to avoid cattle, trucks and craters on the 'main' highway from Poipet

"We were not surprised when the taxi driver kept stopping or when he recommended a hotel to us - this is a scam that they all pull" said a streetwise Nikki. "They are all on commissions for taking travellers to their friends guest houses, and even though we firmly refused his offer, we were still taken to the guest house he recommended, so we hastily grabbed our backpacks and scarpered" added a much harrassed Nikki.

After a brief overnight stay in Batdambang, Ray and Nikki left early the following morning for the five hour river journey across country by narrow boat.

Above: Ray takes his seat in a very packed narrow boat carrying travellers across country to Siem Reap

No stranger to travelling in Asia by boat, I spoke to Ray before they set off. "Although we had spent two days on the Mekong river in Laos, the prospect of going to Siem Reap was quite different because in Cambodia many communities are built along the waterways" he explained. "We saw many houses and boats that looked like they had hardly changed in the last century, giving us a good sense of what life must have been like for hundreds of years" he added.

Above: Life on the river in Cambodia has hardly changed at all in the last centuty.

Above and below: Ray and Nikki saw many examples of simple, basic housing along the banks of the river. Many of the houses are bult on stilts as the wet season brings very heavy rain and flooding.

The peace and tranquility of the open river soon turned into more of an adrenalin fuelled adventure as the waterways became smaller, eventually narrowing to the width of the boat itself. Suddenly, the passengers were encountering dense foliage high on both sides of the boat, creating a potential hazard. "We had to dive into the centre of the boat as the branches started whipping our arms and heads, and we started to wonder if we were going to make it through to the other end, as it seemed impossibly narrow" said Nikki.

Some of the waterways became extremely narrow (above) and Ray had to be careful to avoid getting hit (below)

Ray and Nikki need not have worried as the boatmen are very experienced on this route. After a while, the boat emerged from the confines of the narrow waterways into a much calmer, wider passage of water, which was home to a floating village. Shortly afterwards the river joined the vast Tonle Sap lake (see map earlier).

Above: The grocery store in the floating village at the mouth of Tonle Sap lake.  Everybody has to use small rowing boats to get around

The peaceful serenity of the journey came to an abrupt end when the boat arrived in Siem Reap. Beseiged by a very enthusiastic crowd of drivers and street sellers, Ray and Nikki were stunned to witness their agressive tactics to secure some business. "Some of the drivers were leaping on to the boat before it had even docked and trying to grab peoples backpacks in the hope that they could secure them for a ride into town!" said Nikki.

"Once we had got off the boat, we were surrounded by fifty or more tuk-tuk and bike riders, all wanting to 'help' us get to our guest house" recalled Ray. "This is quite frightening for the uninitiated, as their technique is quite forceful and direct. They try and pull your back-packs off you to encourage you to choose them and you always have five or six people yelling in your face. This is why Nikki and I make it our highest priority to learn the words "No Thank You" before we arrive in a new country!" he explained.

Above: Local transportation is a cross between a motorbike and a rickshaw, which are very slow and quite uncomfortable on mud tracks, but quite a relief when it comes to making an exit from the very unnerving mob at the harbour!

Now that Ray and Nikki have gained quite a lot of experience of arriving in new and strange places, they have developed a neat check-list which enables them to get settled more quickly and with less stress and effort than when they first hit the road last year.

"Of all the things we don't like doing, finding a room is one of the worst as we have to schlep our heavy bags around and it is really hot and tiring - Nikki is also very fussy which means we usually have to see a few rooms before making a decision" said a road-weary Ray. "We have found that it really works to head straight for a cafe or bar and review all of the information we have about suitable accommodation before we go and look around" said Nikki. "This increases the possibility of a chance encounter with other travellers, who usually have brilliant recommendations. Even if this doesn't happen, just sitting down calmly for half an hour breaks us away from the main 'herd' of travellers who will be badgered into the popular guest houses by the numerous touts trying to steer them into places where they take commissions" added Ray.

Above: Nikki reads the Lonely Planet to check out the local guest houses and make an initial assessment of Siem Reap town

As luck would have it, a recommendation from someone in Bangkok meant that our travelling pair could head straight for a decent guest house without the usual search. "We were directed to The Reatrey Angkor Villa and decided to take a room there, having met Dine Tuy, the owner, who was a charming young man who has created a really welcoming and comfortable place" said Ray. "A few minutes later, we knew we had picked the right place as we ironically discovered it was located next door to the  'Future Bright Institute'!" he added.

Ray with Dine, who really looked after us and gave us a great lesson in hospitality (above) and confirmation that our pair made the right choice came in the form of this rather ironic and unusual sign outsiude the building next door (below)!

Siem Reap town is where most travellers stay during their visit to Angkor. The area has been receiving foreign visitors to the temples for over 100 years. The town is actually a cluster of old villages, which originally developed around individual pagodas and was later overlaid with a French colonial-era centre. There is still much colonial and Chinese style architecture in the town centre and around the Old Market.

Above: Siem Reap is an unusual mixture of Cambodian, French and Chinese influences and is quite a charming place

Having established a base for the week, next thing on Ray and Nikki's check-list was to rent some decent bicycles. "We were staying approximately six kilometres from the main entrance to the Angkor complex, and the temples themselves are spread out over some 70 kilometres, which meant that we were going to get plenty of exercise each day, which we love" said Nikki. "We did some research to get a sense of the scale of the ancient sites and soon realised that visiting the entire complex was a massive undertaking, so we bought a one week pass so we could take our time" she told me.

For hundreds of years, the 'lost city' of Angkor was itself a legend. Cambodian peasants living on the edge of the thick jungle around the Tonle Sap lake reported findings which puzzled the French colonialists, who arrived in Indo-China in the 1860's. The peasants said they had found "temples built by Gods or by giants" but their stories were casually dismissed as folk tales by the pragmatic Europeans.

Yet some did believe that there really was a lost city of a Cambodian empire which had once been powerful and wealthy, but had crumbled many years before.

Above: Today, it is hard to imagine that the whole of the Angkor complex was completely hidden by thick jungle until relatively recently

Henri Mahout's discovery of the Angkor temples in 1860 opened up the lost city to the world. The legend became fact and a stream of explorers, historians and archaeologists came to Angkor to explain the meaning of these vast buildings. Gradually, some of the mysteries were explained, the Sanskrit inscriptions deciphered and the history of Angkor slowly pieced together, mainly by the French scholars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For more information about the history of Angkor, click here (History of Angkor Temples).

All of the temples at Angkor were built between the 8th and 13th centuries and range from single towers made of bricks to vast stone temple complexes. We asked Ray and Nikki to share some of the highlights from their week of exploration, selecting the places they visited which had the greatest impact on them.

Angkor Wat

First on their list was Angkor Wat, which is regarded by many as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture. It is a huge pyramid temple built between 1113 and 1150 and is surrounded by a moat 570 feet wide and about four miles long. It's massive three-tiered pyramid, crowned by five beehive-like towers, rises 65 metres from ground level.

Above: Angkor Wat, the centrepiece of the City of Angkor, and the largest religious monument in the world

Below: Nikki in front of the huge moat surrounding Angkor Wat. "Visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking" said Ray - "and the temple is pretty cool too!"

Above: Ray and Nikki spent the best part of a day exploring Angkor Wat, including a rather precarious climb up to the higher tiers of the temple pyramid

Below: From their vantage point at the top of one of the towers, Ray and Nikki spotted these two Buddhist monks. "It really added to the sense of ritual and religious ceremony to see them in their flowing orange robes, and I liked the contrast of their brightness and spirit against the backdrop of the very old, decaying stones of the temple" said Nikki

Above: The peaceful, serene atmosphere provided a fantastic opportunity for some quiet meditation. Here, Ray sits in one of the passgeways and looks out over the ancient site as he takes it all in

Below: This picture of the eastern wall is a reminder that this vast complex of temples was once buried under dense jungle and only discovered relatively recently

For more information about Angkor Wat, you can visit the following web sites: http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/angkor/angkorwatindex.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat

Ta Prohm

Built in the 12th century, it is one of the most beautiful of the Khmer temples as it has not been restored, but has been left surrounded by jungle. The temple was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider. Although the film took visual liberties with other Angkor temples, its scenes of Ta Prohm were quite faithful to the temple's actual appearance, and made use of its eerie qualities.

Above: The long pathway to the entrance of Ta Prohm disguises the eerie spectacle awaiting visitors ...

Above: A tree grows on top of one of the temple buildings. "Walking around was quite a creepy experience and made me think of and feel that I was in that movie called Jumanji" said Ray

Voracious trees called Strangler Figs have damaged much of Ta Prohm (above and below)

Above: These wonderful and very poor children, who hawk cheap souveniers outside Ta Prohm add a sparkle of brightness and energy to an otherwise dark and decaying place

For more information about Ta Prohm, you can visit the following web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Prohm

Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakeng is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva and built at the end of the 9th century. The style was influenced by Indian temple architecture. Unfortunately, it has become a popular spot for sunsets and elephant rides and a fixed stop for most package tours, so Ray and Nikki decided to visit early in the morning.

Above: The early morning rainclouds gather ominously above Phnom Bakeng

Below: These two young Cambodian boys charmed Ray and Nikki whilst they were walking around the temple!

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is a quadrangle of defensive walls totalling 12 kilometres that once protected the Khmer capital of the same name (Angkor Thom means "Great City"). There are five gates, one on each side, with an additional gate on the east wall.

Above: The very impressive South gate of Angkor Thom is the best preserved of the five gates

Below: A close up view of the huge stone face above the South Gate. They look as if they are keeping guard, with one for each of the four directions of the compass

Above: Angkor Thom is approached from outside via a causeway that extends about 50 metres across a moat. On each side of the causeway are railings fashioned with fifty four stone figures, engaged in the performance of a famous Hindu story - The Myth of the Churning Ocean. Here, you can see one of the fifty four 'devas' (guardian Gods)

Above: Can you imagine going back in time and living in this era? Nikki contemplates what life might have been like

For more information about Angkor Thom, you can visit the following web site: http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/temples/temp-angthom.htm

The Bayon

Enclosed by the quadrangle walls of Angkor Thom (above), the Bayon was built between 1181 and 1220. The Bayon is perhaps even more memorable because of two hundred huge, smiling, slightly sinister stone faces that look down from the temple's towers at the visitors arriving nearly 1,000 years after they were first built.

Above: The Bayon is very impressive and one of Ray and Nikki's favourite sites

Below: When you get close up, the sinister looking faces are much more apparent

Above: "The feeling that you are being watched everywhere you go is overwhelming in the Bayon" said Nikki. Take a very close look at this picture and you will see that it is not only the stone faces that are staring back at you! (there is a warden lurking in the shadows)

Above: It's amazing how beautiful these anient relics are, and the Bayon temple is very interesting as well!

Above: Cycling around Angkor and climbing to the higher levels of the temples is quite hard work. Ray makes the most of a five minute breather

After three or four days of exploring the ancient city, Ray and Nikki felt it was time for a change of scenery to something a bit more modern, so turned their attention towards Siem Reap town and some of the things on offer there. "Ray and I love finding out about the places where we can get good healthy food and relax over a quiet drink in the evenings, hopefully whilst getting the chance to meet some interesting people" said Nikki.

Above: Ray tries the local brew. "I love the fact that going to many new places means I get to taste a different beer in each one!" said Ray

There are a growing number of restaurants in developing countries that have been created to both serve local customers and provide much needed help to very poor kids who are not able to easily find paid work. To help these people avoid a life of destitution, some NGO's (non government orgnisations) help start restaurants and train streetkids to be waiters and cooks, so that they will always be able to find work in the tourist industry, which is the mainstay of the economy. "We like to support these projects as much as we can and eat in these places when we can find them" said Ray. "One place we enjoyed very much was close to our guest house and the staff there were fantastic. In fact, it is very easy to forget that they live in such difficult circumstances as they are always so cheerful and speak pretty good English too" he added.

Above: 'Dining for a Cause' - Nikki with Douern (left) and Channy, who both work as waiters in one of the restaurants set up and funded by NGO's to help provide better futures for young Cambodians

The streets of Siem Reap are vibrant and colourful, with many different sights and sounds to stimulate the senses. "Walking through the town, your ears are bombarded with a multitude of different noises" said Nikki. "There are the tuk-tuk riders who constantly beckon to see if you want a ride, the honking of horns as hundreds of crazy motorbike riders dodge each other on the roads and young kids who maintain a vigourous sales campaign to get you to buy books and postcards" she added.

Scenes from Siem Reap; A father bathing his children on the pavement outside his shop on a busy main road (above) and some young kids selling fruit from a mobile stall (below). Unfortunately, the children start work at a very young age

Having taken a break for some shopping, catching up with e-mails and a bit of rest, Ray and Nikki headed back to Angkor to complete their exploration of the ancient site and catch a sunset. "There are so many temples covering such a wide area, we wanted to feel satisfied that we had seen everything we were interested in" said Ray.

Above and below: Ta Keo temple - one of the tallest structures at Angkor and definitely not to be missed as a climbing opportunity - Nikki had an invigorating time getting to the top

Trying not to take it all too seriously, our travelling pair created some opportunities here and there to have a bit of a laugh. "Walking round old temples for hours at a time can become a rather dull, boring experience" said Ray. "I think it is important to maintain a completely insane, juvenile sense of humour and perspective whilst engaged in these sorts of activities" he told me.

Above and below: Whilst the temples may be hundreds of years old, Ray and Nikki revert to the age of six, or thereabouts, as they play at being statues in the grounds of one of the ancient buildings

No one can resist a beautiful sunset and there is no better place to experience it than at Angkor. Our two adventurers chose to climb up to the top of the temple at Pre Rup in order to catch the wonderful, visual feast that is presented by nature most evenings.

Above: Ray climbs the steep steps that lead to the vantage point for the sunset at Pre Rup. "Maybe the two of us can have a quiet romantic sunset together" thinks Ray ...

Below: Ray's romantic vision ends abruptly - many people come to watch the spectacular event!

Above: "I had better get my camera ready - I need a good picture to send to The Daily Lama" thinks Ray

Below: Amber and Mozzie were more than happy to receive this wonderful picture from Ray

Returning after the sunset to their guest house, our rather tired couple reflected on everything they had seen during their week at Angkor.

"I was never particularly interested in ancient ruins, but my visit to Angkor has changed that. It is so fascinating, and almost beyond comprehension that something so vast and so beautiful could have remained hidden for so long" said Ray. "The people of Cambodia are very poor by comparison to other Asian countries, their prospects are not as great" he continued. "It seems very fortunate that they have been left with this amazing legacy, as it is guaranteed to attract millions of visitors, and much needed dollars, for years to come" he told me.

Wanting to make a contribution of their own to the people of Siem Reap, Ray and Nikki chose to visit the hospital to give badly needed blood. "We had heard there was a chronic shortage of donors and a huge demand for blood, so we thought it was the least we could do" said Nikki.

Above: The sign outside the hospital appealing to people to give blood

Ray explained to me why he had chosen to donate. "My father gave blood throughout his life and he was a very strong advocate for the cause. It inspired me to do the same, and in Cambodia the men are very squeamish and most refuse to give their blood because they are too frightened. This leads to chronic shortages, especially amongst children and pregnant women" he told me.

Above: Don't worry Sir - it's only a small prick - "What about the needle?" asks Ray

Below: "Do you do colonics as well?" asks Nikki

Giving blood is very easy and painless and takes about 5-10 minutes. The hospital relies heavily on travellers for supplies and many women and children, who have no money, travel distances of over 100 kilometres to get help for their sick children, who would probably die otherwise.

Above: Ray with one of the nurses, having donated his blood to the hospital

Nikki talked to me about the women and children waiting outside the hospital for treatment. "We were both given a box of vitamin fortified biscuits after our blood was taken, to help replenish our red cells" she said. "However, we felt that these would be put to much better use by giving them to the children outside, and although they were a bit shy at first, they soon warmed up and gladly accepted our offering" she added.

Above: Nikki befriends a young Cambodian girl, who has come from far away with her mother for treatment at the hospital

Below: The kids were very happy to accept the vitamin biscuits from Ray and Nikki

"We are still not quite sure what invisible forces in the Universe led us to find out about giving blood whilst in Siem Reap" said a very philosophical Nikki. "They say there is a reason why everything happens - before I went to the hospital, I had no idea what blood group I was, and now I know - so maybe that's why I ended up going there!" she quipped. "But, on a more serious note, it seems at first that one donation will hardly make a difference, given the shortages. But having been there and seen first hand how bad the conditions are for most people, and how much the nurses, women and children appreciated us taking the time to be there, we both felt it was worthwhile. It has made me aware that there are many things we can give, apart from just our money" said Nikki.

Editors Note: Look out for Part Two of "Cambodia Uncovered", online in a few days, as Ray and Nikki leave the natural beauty of Siem Reap for a brief stopover in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, prior to their visit to the capital city, Phnom Penh. 

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AMBER SOLAIRE

Above: A lotus flower in a huge pond at Bantei Srei temple - in Part Two, find out from Ray and Nikki how the natural beauty of Siem Reap contrasts with the urban culture of the capital city, Phnom Penh

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