Angkor What?
The most common misconception about Cambodia's top tourist attraction is that all the fuss is about a single structure, Angkor Wat. In truth, Angkor is the largest preindustrial city in the world, made up of more than 1,000 structures across nearly 400 square miles, comparable to the size of modern-day Los Angeles. Even the name itself disputes the rumor; "Angkor" translates to "Holy City" from its original Khmer. In its heyday, Angkor served as the seat of power for the Khmer Empire, supporting nearly one million citizens for more than seven centuries before the city fell.
Taking a break on the scenic trip back from Beng Maelea, which is about 80km from Angkor Wat.
Happy to be at Bayon temple, one of our favorites at Angkor
Bottom line, while Angkor Wat is not to be missed, visiting Angkor is so much more. Most of the two-million-plus annual tourists follow a well-established set of circuits over a recommended timeframe of two to three days. This affords you cool mornings of temple touring with pool time and naps in the afternoon before sunset. To do that, you have to buy a $60 three-day pass, plus pay a driver (unless you are really ambitious and hire a bike) to shuttle you around to see the highlights. Or, you could go the road less taken, a.k.a., our road, and cram everything into one action-packed, sunrise to sunset, 13-hour, 10-temple, 1-river shrine, big-and-little circuit, Angkor extravaganza. Throw in some travelers' tummy problems and you have yourself a memorable day of sightseeing. There are two main benefits to this approach: 1.) give yourself more time to explore Siem Reap, off the tourist track; and 2.) save some money on the less expensive $20 one-day pass (the inability to eat anything also helps with the cash-flow).
Beng Maelea is far from the crowds and renovation efforts of the main Angkor temples. The jungle is slowly over-taking the temple, giving it a unique, just-discovered feel.
We're pretty sure these were some members of the Chinese Mafia. They were vicious and had an unrelenting drive to take as many pictures as possible without letting others in on the fun.
Man versus nature at Beng Maelea. For now, they seem to have reached a beautiful compromise.
The day was exhausting to say the least - we went home a bit cranky and ready to boycott any sightseeing for at least a few weeks. But, the temples were stunning and after some rest, we truly appreciated the experience. Angkor highlights included the dark and mysterious Bayon temple and the more remote, untouched jungle temple Beng Maelea (which is far outside of the city, is not part of the "Angkor" ticket and warranted a separate day trip). Our grand finale of the day was sunset at the famed Angkor Wat. Despite our snobbery, waning stamina and the thousands of other tourists, we were impressed. It's a beautiful and interesting temple, full of ornate details and stories and very different than its counterparts.
Delayed sunrise at Ta Prohm, after the lake debacle was cleared up
Banteay Srei, one of the best-preserved structures in Angkor
We were looking especially forward to sunrise, but there was some sort of communication error between us and our driver, Chamnum, which resulted in him taking us, as requested, away from all the tourists. Unfortunately, there were also no temples. We waited for nearly 30 minutes in the pre-dawn darkness only to find sun rising over a man-made pond with a road in the background. Not quite the magical experience we expected when the alarm went off at 3:45am.
No stone left uncarved. The work and craftsmanship in the Angkor temples are impressive
Bayon temple side entrance, blocked by yet another extended photoshoot
Siem Reap also held some pleasant surprises, including the BEST Mexican food in SE Asia. As a Texan, I am proud to say that my first meal out of the sickbed was nachos and fajitas, with a sip or two of Brendan's margarita. Not the smartest choice, but it was good enough to risk. If you are ever in Siem Reap and need a taste of home, check out El Camino. Que rico!
