Siem Reap and Angkor Thom

13th April 2103

Last night we settled our inboard account on the Jayavarman, and were told to have our suitcases outside our room by 7.30am, for an 8.30am departure to Siem Reap by bus.

Once we are out in the road it reminds us of the early days of driving in Malaysia where traffic enthusiastically overtook on bends with double lines and heading over the crests of hills with no vision of what is coming. As was the case then, there seems to be an in built instinct to avoid a catastrophe. Either way, the roads are not good and it takes a long time to get anywhere.

We have a comfort stop at a stone carving village that has a "Happy House" (local euphemism for toilet, that roughly meets western standards).

We eventually check into our hotel at Siem Reap at around 2pm. Siem Reap is a big place and bustling with activity, it appears much more commercial than Phnom Penh.

The Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor was originally opened in the 1920's , designed by a French architect. It was renovated in the 1990's and is now one of the best hotels in Siem Reap. The rooms are very comfortable, with a bit of the old colonial feel.

                                                                 
                                                                        Our Room

The swimming pool

Pick up from the hotel for our afternoon tour is 3 pm, so we only have about 40 minutes to settle in before we are off again. Tomorrow is the first day of the Cambodian New Year , so our guide decided to change our program around a bit to minimise crowds. As a result, we are going to Angkor Thom this afternoon, and will drop in briefly at Angkor Wat for a quick glimpse on the way home, but expect to spend most of the morning tomorrow there.

Nothing really prepares you for the scale of the temples that surround Siem Reap. (Angkor archaeolgical park covers an area of 800 square acres and contains many temples, of which Angkor Wat is the largest). Angkor Thom, is a huge complex containing one of the more famous temples, the Bayon temple). It was constructed in the 12th Century.

                 The Southern Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by statues either side if the causeway

The outer wall of the complex is surrounded by a moat

There is a big line up of visitors waiting to enter Angkor Thom

In the centre of Angkor Thom, is the Bayon Temple

                                    It is enormous and is built on three levels

                                              Looking down from the second level

                                        There are internal courtyards and passages everywhere

Walls and columns are covered with intricate carvings depicting scenes from daily life and battles

  

The temple is most famous for its many carvings of faces

The elephant terraces in the grounds of Angkor Thom

After spending well over an hour wandering through this complex, in very hot conditions, we were pleased to be back in the airconditioned bus and heading back to our hotel via Angkor Wat for a quick glimpse from the eastern gate (the rear of the complex).

                                           A distant view as the sun was going down

We arrived back at the hotel at around 6.15 pm, and we told to be ready to be picked up to go to dinner at 7pm. We were taken to a very smart local restaurant called Square 24 , and the food was good. The city is all lit up for New Year celebrations and looks very colourful.

An offering to the Gods at the front of our hotel to ensure a smooth transition into the New Year