Siem Reap- Big circuit and beyond

 

We headed to the see the rest of the temples which are part of the big circuit. They are not on the must do list of Angkor area so are much quieter, at some spots we were the only ones around.

It was a very hot day and the kids struggled in Preah Khan (our first temple stop) with the walking and maybe were temple-d out too. They got better at Neak Pean as it’s on a water reservoir so got to see something different and spot some fish along the way.

I was surprised that the children were allowed to climb the stairs at Pre Rup as they were without any railings and steeper compared to the ones in the small circuit which are manned by lots of staff and do not allow children under 12. 

Our last temple of the day was a little gem, Banteay Srei. It’s small but intricately carved  on red stone. As it’s far from everything else it is much calmer. We met an Indian tourist there who comes 4-5 times a year to visit it, as it’s his favourite temple, definitely a highlight of Siem Reap .

On the way back we stopped at the Landmine museum which was quite an eye opener for me and the children. Jeevan knew quite a bit of the history while for me growing up in a boarding school in India I was quite oblivious to the news. Learning about the genocide in the name of ethnic cleansing as well as how the landmines still affect the people . The museum is based around the story of Aki Ra a man whose childhood was spent as a soldier fighting in different armies. He then went on to becoming a landmine remover and bringing up orphans affected by the war. He has many awards and still works daily removing landmines. We got to meet him and ask him questions. Rats, dogs and metal detectors are used to find the land mines, many are still left to be discovered. The number of people affected have decreased from around 2000 a year to around 50 now.

Savik found it very confronting, so we had a long chat on privilege and how we can use it. They had a poster with the UN treaty regarding the abolishment of landmines and which country were for and against it ,so discussed the importance of voting and the changes governments can make. 

On our drive back we had great timing and watched the sunset over the lake. 

I think the pizza and ice cream helped relieve any  distress that might have been lingering.

One of the biggest highlights of Siem Reap have been the people. We have encountered such helpful and easy going people. From our tuk tuk driver, Mr Varna (who drove us everywhere), the ice cream seller who we went back to, he remembered us and provided us with seating  and mosquito repellent as we ate pizza from the new pizza truck (owned by a Texan couple) to the people at the hotel, restaurants and temples  we visited . 

This is the end of our South East Asia trip, it’s been such an amazing trip , much much better than I had anticipated. Looking forward to India but also sad to have finished all the new exploration.

Angkor Wat sunrise

 

   

   

 Woke at 4.45 to see the sunrise , very surprised at how easily the kids woke up after a late night . As per Aanya as long as they know the plan they are prepared for it .

I thought there would be only a handful of crazies getting up for it, but there were hordes of people . Lines of tourist buses were on the roads . 

We got a good viewpoint and watched the gorgeous hues of sun rays as it shone over Angkor Wat and reflected onto the pond in front of it .

We had seen some photos of Bayon reflecting into the pond too, so headed there but the pond was all dried up .

After a much needed nap (except for our non sleeper Savik) we spent the afternoon by the pool. There were bunnies hopping around which added to the charm. 

We cashed in our Christmas gifts from the kids and went for a relaxing massage. Ended the day with a dinner and show. They did a personal song and dance for every group as they entered the building (Aanya loved it) We got to see Apsara dances and other performances, my favourite was the grasshopper dance and the Bokator demonstration (martial arts). The performers who did the Hanuman dance (dressed as monkeys ) also went around the crowds making our kids very excited !

Aanya was very pleased to be able to go on stage to take photos with dancers, she dragged Savik along.

Early start and a late night but happy hearts .

Siem Reap - Angkor Wat

 We are going to see the sunrise tomorrow so the kids had a decent sleep in while I did a lot of yoga on the deck while I waited . We are staying in such a beautiful place for the last bit of our South East Asia trip that it’s beautiful to soak it all in .

Aanya was super stoked with ordering an all American breakfast (which is quite funny as she has such a small appetite). Well it gave her the energy for what turned out to be a very busy day . 

We started in Angkor Wat, we ended up with a driver, a guide and a photographer (for the first hour), so quite an entourage but made it so much fun. The place has so much history and it even made it to the flag of Cambodia . Started as a Hindu Temple in the 12th century, then taken over by the Buddhists, then went to ruins and got restored ( still undergoing it ) over the last 50 years . 

Then we headed to lunch before trekking around Ta Prohm , made popular by Lara Croft - Tomb Raider . When the place was abandoned the trees took over the temple and have become an integral part of it . They make the whole area so serene and calm,bringing about a feeling that every temple should have .

We then moved to Angkor Thom which included the famous Bayon temple . It’s a Buddhist temple with 49 towers with faces of Lord Buddha on all 4 sides . The 4 faces represent Compassion , Joy , Sympathy and Thankfullness ( as per our guide ). 

Said goodbye to our guide as we climbed up the hill to Phnom Bakheng to watch the sunset . For some reason or the other children under 12 are not allowed on high stairs in Angkor Wat region so the kids weren’t allowed up to the top of the temple . We found another spot with the other families, so while all our kids did cartwheels and handstands, we got to watch a magnificent sunset .

Ended the day in the city chatting to people from our flight at dinner . A later night than we planned but what a great day for our first one in Cambodia.