My Khmer Adventure: Part II

So after a very thrilling day one..we were really looking forward to day two..as today was when we were going to see one of man's greatest creations: The Angkor Wat
As our tuk-tuk approached the temple complex..i could actually feel the atmosphere building up...it was so electric..finally i was going to see Angkor!!
hmmm...it is really difficult to describe the Angkor..i am absolutely speechless..it is heaven!! the ancient khmers really have built a heaven on earth...

Magnificent Angkor

The whole temple complex is surrounded by a huge moat for protection..and has four entrances facing the four direction...the complex took 35 years to build with 4 million people working on it..and it is still incomplete..they stopped the temple construction when the king passed away as they had lost their inspiration...the king was finally laid to rest in the secret chamber in one of the towers...

Splash of Orange

Second Level of Angkor

Long passsges...

The Architecture is just too good..the carvings are in so fine detail..most of the carving are stories from the Ramayana(fight against Ravana, fight between Sugriv and Bali, Hanuman's visit to Lanka) and Mahabharat (Kurukshetra war)..and other stories like the Sagar Manthan (churning of the ocean)...the temple originally was a Vishnu temple..and later a Buddhist temple...there are 3 levels and the steps are really steep!!!

It took us the whole day to see the temple complex..after that we went to see the entrance gate to Angkor Thom (temple city)...this is another complex where people actually stayed..even the kong stayed in Angkor Thom....the main entrace gate is really impressive...again depicting the sagar-manthan (seems to be the favorite story !!)
After this thrilling and rather exhausting day..we headed over tp Pub street in siem reap to chill out...found a lovely Irish pub with some good drinks and food...
Perfect end to a perfect day...

My Khmer Adventure: Part I

So it was time for another quick vacation..and this time the Chosen Land was the mystic land of Cambodia...
I have always been fascinated with architecture..lets just say that it runs in my blood..and I was really looking forward to see the grandeur that is Angkor...At the same time..in the past few years I have been so fascinated with Cambodia and its brutal past with the Khmer Rouge...I have spent hours on the net and reading books about this genocide...that I just wanted to go there..to see it for myself...
On a side note here are some recommended reads on Khmer Rouge:
1. Daughter of the Killing Fields: Theary C. Seng
2. Stay Alive, My Son: Pin Yathay

So thanks to cheap budget airlines aka. Jet Star Asia...we set for the Siem Reap..our gateway to this magical kingdom...
First Impressions:
1. The airport was surprisingly wonderful
2. The place was so calm and serene surrounded with lush paddy fields
3. The people has such wonderful smiles
Our stay during this adventure was at this fantastic, cosy, comfortable villa: The Villa Siem Reap..the place is just too good..it is run by 2 australians who moved to siem reap a few years ago...Guys..pls stay here if u plan to go..it is worth it and is also centrally loacted!!

Day 1:
we just had half of the day on Day 1...so after a quick lunch at the villa...we made our way with Mr. Hao and his tuk-tuk to the 'Cambodian Cultural village'...this is good starting point...as you get oriented with different khmer cultures..their history at the wax museum..and the lifestyle of the people...
After that, we made our way to the 'Mine Museum'..this is a must see..it is an informal museum..and all the mines found in the siem reap area are kept here for exhibit...lot of areas in the countryside are still over-run by these mines...and a huge amount of effort is underway to clear all the mines...it is just so shocking to see all the mines and read about the horrific stories of people and theie conquest over this hidden enemy!!

Grim Reality!!

After this rather horrific emotional experience...we made our way to get our Angkor passes..you need these to visit any of the temples..we got a 3 day pass...
Tip: on your first day, get the pass after 4:30 which gives you free entry on that day...

Since we had free entry for that evening..we went to the hilltop temples of Phnom Bakheng..the view from the top is awesome..and you can catch the sunset over the Tonle sap lake with the angkor wat in the distance...just too good for words!!! and to make it ever more magical..it was drizzling slightly and the sky was blessed with a lovely rainbow stretching till the horizon...

Sunset at Phnom Bakeng

It was indeed a fabulous start to this adventure!!!

Watch out for Day 2...