Tomb Raiding at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap.

As soon as we were off the bus from Kratie we booked up for the next day to head to Siem Reap - another day on the buses ahead. It was a 6 hour ride but we were all dropped off at a station a few km out of town where the bus companys tuk drivers would take you to town - themselves offering the usual local tours.. An interesting way of ensuring a few extra uptakes!! On arrival our hotel brought cold towels and lemon ice tea - now compared to other places we'd stayed this was a real luxury, and as one of the cheapest so far it was now a certainty we'd like it there!!
The main district for tourists surrounds the eponymous 'Pub Street,' home to a whole range of cafes, bars and fish-spas erupting into a manic crowd at evenings and especially weekends. We took a few days to plan our method for visiting the Angkor temples, at first bike seemed viable though the more time we spent in the afternoon heat the less appealing it became. We walked around a fair bit of the city, seeing its different faces - when we were first arriving it felt like LA with wide roads and low lying shops, the river winding through the city gives a Parisian feel and then as we left our hotel nearer the backstreets it was like Spain or Portugal with red orange dust being kicked up by the mopeds..
Finally one morning we set off to the temples. Having bought your ticket for 1-3 day entry you have access to all of the temples on site - depending on your passion for the subject you can take a week ticket but we guessed we could be done in 2 days.. Firstly the world renowned Angkor Wat, a national emblem for Cambodia and the top tourist destination. You crossed a bridge over the vast moat surrounding the site and entered the grounds through the Western gate - with many temples you'd traditionally enter through the Eastern entrance, not the case nowadays. We took our time, taking in the masonry covering the walls - the bridge had been re-built a few years back and was not distinct in any way.. We carried on in and instantly had the famous view, the Wats pagoda spires blackened by the sun behind. We took a walk around the outer walls of the temple with it's vast bas-reliefs depicting armies, wars, animals, gods and kings before heading further in and around the centre - the main pagodas were entered via a queue which had reached a length we didn't fancy so we gave them a miss - knowing we'd be back the next day a bit earlier. We carried on round before leaving to move on - next stop, the Southern entrance to Angkor Thom. A much larger site, when you first cross the bridge either side is a long naga (mythical multiple headed snake) being held/dragged by thirty or so human statues - strangely all missing their front feet.. Although a lot of restoration is taking place over the whole site there are thousand upon thousand of unretreivable images and pieces that have been looted over the last few thousand years, in particular around 40 years ago. The gate itself was interesting, featuring the first Bayon face we'd seen - the smiles of which could rival the Mona Lisa for their entrigue. Carrying on through we encountered our first monkeys on site. We stopped and bought some bananas to feed them, they promptly joined me in the tuk and tried eating the flower shaped light - and stole our lighter!! It scampered off up a tree despite efforts to trade fruit and only thanks to the girl we'd bought them from did we get it back ten minutes later. After claiming back our vehicle from the primates we headed to the Bayon itself, the central temple of Angkor Thom. In a more ruinous state it involved more clambering around, each pagoda featuring the bayon face near its peak making you feel watched from all angles. We moved on to the Baphuon, the first fully reconstructed site we'd visited. Early attempts to secure the structure seemingly created more problems and collapsing before heavy looting left the building strewn across acres of forest surrounding the site - only one standing wing and original photographs had allowed them to create what now stands. A long raised path leads to the building from the 'Terrace of Elephants' featuring several carved elephants and images of Garuda.
Next we headed out of the Eastern gate toward two smaller temples - Spean Thma and the Chapel of the Hospital, the latter was in quite poor shape, we walked through the entrance door though could quite as easily have skipped over the wall - we spent little time here before heading over to Spean Thma opposite. Here they were setting out tea-light candles for a dinner event that evening which i'm certain would have looked pretty cool at night.
We moved on to Ta Keo, another that had been largely rebuilt which made it look rather obscure, almost cubist.. Next up was Ta Prohm, a favourite with visitors for two reasons - firstly it's featuring in the 2001 Tomb Raider film and secondly it's overgrown state - trees still in place amongst the boulders half destroying half maintaining their shape. This was quite a beautiful place though again overrun with sightseers fitting in - and getting in the way of many a photo.
We moved a little further down to Banteay Kdei which though slightly damaged retained a lot of charm through more intricate sculpting compared to a few of the last places we'd seen. We exited and took in the vast Sras Srang lake opposite before heading to Pre Rup to join the throngs there to view the sunset. This was nice, the temple was made from pink sandstone so in the light of the hour it resonated wonderfully. We soon headed back shattered and almost fearing waking up the next morning - our aim was to see sunrise, meaning a 4.45 departure..

Soft shell turtles and Irawaddy dolphins

After arriving back in Phnom Penh we spent another day in town and took the chance to visit the central market which had been closed in the most part over the Tet period; it's a real giant, when you enter the domed roof resembles a church - a mecca of shopping and bartering. The four 'wings' branch out at diagonals and we took a good 2 hours to weave around the X shaped labyrinth. Also that evening was the night market, complete with a stage and pop-acts entertaining the shoppers.
Next day we loaded onto the bus early, uncertain of how long the journey ahead would take.. We assumed around 4-6 hours, how wrong we were. Ten full hours later we arrived in Kratie and avoiding the usual throng of tuk drivers offering to take us to their respective hotels and headed off to find the guesthouse we had found to appear least offensive. We didn't find it so went for a second choice and were met at reception by one of the drivers from the bus stop.
We spent the first day plodding around town and finding where to eat, plus beginning to plan for heading up river to see the Irawaddy dolphins.
Next day we went to the island in the middle of the Mekong 'Sala Koh Trong' which cost an admirable 50c for a return.. This was a real treat, Cambodia has been full of wonderfully bright and cheerful people so far, but here there's an incredible 'joie de vivre' captured and indistinguishable. We'd rented bikes for a dollar a piece to ride round, heading first to the southern tip where one of the islands three Wats was, and a fishing village out of sight from the mainland. As we left to head back up a local lady who had been on the boat over with us called out, telling us to wait while she ran in and collected her English text book to ask us a question, so we spent some time running over her weeks exercise before heading on. Next to take a tumble with the tourists was a bunch of 5 kids, some jumping on the backs of our bikes to go for a ride with us - soon after one lad jumped on a moving moped, don't know where he ended up!!
Transport on the island is mostly down to walking unless you're lucky enough to have a moped, but heavier transport relied upon either horse and cart or Oxon; with rice fields taking up the majority of the land behind the road this was a real rural community and a privilege to visit.
We woke early the next day to set off on our trip we'd booked the night before through a company offering some kind of benefit to the community rather than an individuals pocket. First stop was Sambor around 45km away, home to the 100 Pillar Pagoda and the Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre where they're encouraging the conservation of the Cantor giant soft shelled turtles - if a local finds a nest along the river they receive $200 and equipment to protect and encourage their survival. The numbers suggest this seems to be working so a positive future for them, which is cool as they were beautiful little things; the shells were so soft as to bend upon touch.. The building is in the grounds of the Pagoda which alone is beautiful, though by this time we were so hot that the shade was more important to us.
We soon set off back South toward Kampi to see the dolphins, it was a great journey both directions, getting to see the daily life of the various households and villages straddling the roads - from kids riding buffalo for herding to families swinging their children in hammocks or tending to their land, house or fire. When we arrived we got our ticket and set off almost straight away in a small boat and immediately we saw our first. A few odd ones popped up a number of times - one so close as to be able to see its whole face before disappearing again - before another boat joined us, it's initial motor use leaving us scanning the horizon. We went off on a 'route' which didn't really show us much bar the flow of the river, so we moved back to the start point. Here the dolphins were back and we got several more opportunities to see and attempt to photograph them.. There was a family of around 6-7 and two or three lone rangers and with two other boats floating round our driver cunningly stayed back as they shepherded them in our direction!! We were there well over our hour long ticket; it would appear everyone's taken in by them. Arriving back on the bank I took one last look back and saw one leaping out of the water and crashing down, they'd seemed quite subdued so to see that reassured me that these magnificent creatures were happy enough..
So, after a long day we got back and packed up ready to leave the next morning - the whole time avoiding the tuk driver who'd been determined enough to sell us a tour as to knock on our door very early one morning (not a sales pitch i'd advise anyone) and every evening after asking our plan for the following day.. Time for the 10 hour journey back.

The Beach, Ortres

A hot four hour journey took five hours and we were glad to be off and in Sihanoukville; just a short distance to Ortres Beach to conquer so after knocking the outrageous prices being suggested we got a tuk there and had to walk the last km or so, which was nice and gave us an early chance to see what was there. We booked into one place though this could only be for one night, so dumping our bags we headed out and booked our next two nights at a place we'd seen on the way.. Once sorted we headed to the only place you could feeling that hot.. To the sea!! Ortres is a beautiful 4km long beach and is still relatively quiet - especially so compared to other local beaches apparently..
We ate at the hotel that night, and though nice it was a bit bland to.. Our room was basic - by that I mean that it was a square seperated by wood panels and no ceiling - so next morning when a sudden rustling was followed by a thud we had no idea what to expect until the hotel cat Ninja appeared through bleary eyes.
We moved over hotels and killed another day, that night finding a wonderful place to eat, with lit tables actually on the beach and really good food to match. With the addition of a pool table (complete with local whizz kid) then a keyboard behind the bar this was my kind of place.. We'd noticed a few flashes while eating, and soon after finishing it began to rain, hard. Apparently it hadn't rained once in January the previous year so we attributed this to our presence, of course.
Next day we rented a 2 person open top canoe and took off for the closest island in sight - NAME - which took just over half hour to reach going against the current, not easy!! We'd heard you could snorkel on the left side, though not seeing where we carried on around the whole thing before stopping at the patch of sand in front.. Big enough for our canoe and one other. Sadly it had been ruined by building there, waste from construction and various articles washed up making a pretty undesirable patch.. Plus apparently the area for snorkelling consisted of urchins and rocks, so we passed up and collected shells instead - also watching a large sea eagle swooping down for its lunch. We headed back and snorkelled just around the beach, finding some small hermit crabs and also a bright green urchin with purple spines being washed up.. It was still alive so we got a few pictures before throwing it out as far as possible.
That night we ate in the same place, this time however things didn't work out so well - some under cooked prawns made their presence known and meant we couldn't leave as early as originally planned - two days later we started feeling a bit better having refueled with soups then breads. I hadn't felt so bad the first day so had headed into town to get money, riding on the back of a moped to travel the 5 or so miles. This was pretty fun, being about the third time i've ever been carrion on a bike I put all fears to the back of my mind (just) and took in the scenery as we went.
The area was apparently given to an Army retiree as part of his pension, since then locals and expats have opened a multitude of bars, restaurants and other businesses with the obligatory tuk drivers filling the streets.. As you enter you go through a 'fence' of metal sheet panels, giving the feel of a bizarre enclosure.. The beach also has the full array of transportable goods, from bracelets and fruit to hair threading, nail clipping and even fortunes - apparently I possess a literate face ;)

Phnom Penh'd it like Beckham

Our bus set off and was a comfortable ride I assume, only waking when we reached the border. Clearing through we set off again and into new territories. First challenge, cash machines with new currencies - not realising to enter amounts in dollars we punched in the figure in Riel.. Gladly the machine was not inclined to withdraw the amount initially suggested.
After seeing the new countryside our bus caught a small car-boat over an impassable width of the Mekong Delta and soon thereafter arriving in Phnom Penh, not quite as chaotic it seemed and the offer of a $1 tuk to our hotel was gratefully accepted. On arrival the driver developed into a prospecting tour guide 'tomorrow i take you to killing fields?' which I declined 'come here tomorrow for you, why not?'
Checking in we had a quick drink at the hotel bars' happy hour, taking the opportunity to learn some Khmer before braving the city streets.
Heading along the riverfront to eat it was clear that we were spoilt for choice, and compared to before there was room to breathe.
Next day after having tracked down the tourism cambodia building for a map and info - and finding a travel company closed for the new year - we headed down the Quay again, further this time finding a set of small buildings comprising of firstly a small pagoda like building with a neon lotus pulsing frenetically, second a 'bandstand' with marimba like blocks and tuned gongs in the round then a drummer at the front.. A number of people sat silently in thoughtful prayer holding incense, and then just infront was a second small pagoda with a stream of people entering bearing gifts and offering prayers. Unsure of the deity or reason we took in the scene for a while before heading back.
We tried getting into the Royal Palace the next day and shocked by the $6 entry fee we almost gave up.. This choice was made for us however, as wearing a scarf over the shoulders isn't deemed appropriate compared to a top with a plunging neckline. We left instead of paying $2 for a shirt, unsure if we'd return. We took in the National Museum soon after and found far less trouble, only once being 'cooed' at for taking a picture in an area where it was forbidden!! Quite interesting, lots of carved stone statues and reliefs of Hindu and Buddhist mythology plus more dynastic relics and a small screen showing a 3D visualization of Angkor Wat. Another hotel guest described it as boring, though I could have happily spent a bit more time there.
We headed from there up to Phsar Themey the central market, full of clothes, trinkets and as much fruit meat and seafood as you could desire - if it wasn't for the flies, though in fairness it was built in the 30's on a landfill site..
Our next venture was down south toward the coast, aiming for a beach to the East of Sihanoukville called Ortres where we'd stay a few days then head back to go North..