Christmas Eve in Cambodia: Temples and Sunshine
Christmas Eve was our eighth day in Southeast Asia, and it was another scorcher. Sunshine for miles, highs in the 90's, and plenty of humidity. Quite a difference from Christmas Eve back in Wisconsin where the high of 37 made for an unusually warm holiday.
We enjoyed a full breakfast spread at the hotel restaurant before heading out to our first temples of the day—Bantaey Samre and Bantaey Srei. This was the day our itinerary started to diverge from what had been advertised in the pre-cruise Cruise Companion document. On this day (Day 5 of the core itinerary), it was listed that we would see four specific temples, have lunch and our own, and then have a traditional Khmer dinner with an Aspara dance show. Some of that happened; some of it didn't. The holiday threw a wrench in things, and I also think they've optimized the temple sight-seeing since printing the cruise companion. A quick check of the 2016 version shows that the itinerary has been updated and appears to be more accurate.
We had about a 45-minute bus ride to get to Bantaey Samre, which routed through some agricultural areas and small villages. The bus pulled over quickly so we could get some photographs and learn a little more about how rice is planted and harvested by hand, with the help of water buffalo.
Bantaey Samre is in the middle of the jungle, and has a crumbling entry-way leading over an interior moat. It's amazing to see what time does to these structures.
The walls are made of a lava rock base which could be sliced, transported, and assembled fairly easily. Then the limestone was added to be more decorative.
The interior of this temple had a small tomb, which had been looted, and a library with intricate doors. We were given allowed to climb and roam pretty freely here.
This temple is right outside a village, and the local kids (of all ages) swarm visitors entering and exiting the temple with pleas to purchase their cheap paper goods or t-shirts. I had read in a guidebook that you should not buy from these children, as it encourages them to spend more time hawking goods at the temple instead of going to school. They talked a few of our group into purchasing items, but Aaron and I didn't give in.
After a short ride, we made it to Bantaey Srei, one of the most intricately carved/decorated temples of Angkor. Our guide told us it's called the Women's Temple because only a female could have enough patience to complete the tedious carvings. If you don't like climbing, this is a great temple for you—it's all on one level. But you should definitely bring a sun shade and some water, as there is almost no shade to be found. I couldn't spend as much time as I would have liked examining the detailed carvings, because the heat was getting to me. I broke off from the group and found a spot in the shade where I could still hear the guide in my earphones.
If you have a moment while everyone is going to the restroom before returning to the buses, there are cafes near the parking lot that sell soda and beer, which you can then bring on the bus. If you need to use the restroom, don't forget to follow the rules: no smoking, no squatting on Western toilets, no machetes in the bathroom, and no showering with the badet.
We went back to the hotel where lunch was on our own. We had about two hours, and I think some of our group wisely just ate at the hotel and took a nap or a shower. We, however, had reservations at Marum, an authentic Cambodian restaurant that trains street kids in cooking or restaurant service so they can have a career. Aaron and I have learned that we do best when we plan our meal locations in advance. The result is 1) no waiting for a table, and 2) no arguing or endless wandering when we can't make a decision of where to eat. Marum was an excellent choice, and was about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. It's more spendy than a lot of food in Siem Reap, but still very affordable for Western standards. We tried to focus on local specialties that would challenge our pallets.
After lunch, we had just enough time to get back to the hotel to meet the bus for our next set of temples. It was hot, and the fruit bats that congregate outside the hotel in the park were all trying to hide in the shade of the tree.
Angkor Thom was not far away and we arrived pretty quickly. Outside the main temple, we saw an example of how the stones were lifted into place. There is no mortar in these temples; it's all dry stone placement.
This temple is all about faces, and it's absolutely beautiful.
Then, back on the bus to go to Ta Prohm—the temple of Tomb Raider fame. En route, we passed many other small temples. The Angkor Thom complex is massive (it's the same complex we floated around yesterday on gondolas). We arrived at Ta Prohm about an hour before closing time.
This is the temple that has been largely taken back by the jungle, and left how the French found it. In a tale of humankind versus nature.... nature wins in the long run.
We were ushered out of the temple at sunset. The promised Khmer dinner and Aspara performance would not be happening because the hotel had a Christmas Eve gala, and we were invited. Honestly, I would have preferred the authentic dinner and cultural dance. But when I got down to dinner and realized they had an extensive sushi bar (amidst well over a dozen other buffet stations), I was happy.
There was a musical performance after dinner, but we were exhausted and were in bed by 9:00 p.m. The Cambodian heat was getting to us.
We enjoyed a full breakfast spread at the hotel restaurant before heading out to our first temples of the day—Bantaey Samre and Bantaey Srei. This was the day our itinerary started to diverge from what had been advertised in the pre-cruise Cruise Companion document. On this day (Day 5 of the core itinerary), it was listed that we would see four specific temples, have lunch and our own, and then have a traditional Khmer dinner with an Aspara dance show. Some of that happened; some of it didn't. The holiday threw a wrench in things, and I also think they've optimized the temple sight-seeing since printing the cruise companion. A quick check of the 2016 version shows that the itinerary has been updated and appears to be more accurate.
We had about a 45-minute bus ride to get to Bantaey Samre, which routed through some agricultural areas and small villages. The bus pulled over quickly so we could get some photographs and learn a little more about how rice is planted and harvested by hand, with the help of water buffalo.
Bantaey Samre is in the middle of the jungle, and has a crumbling entry-way leading over an interior moat. It's amazing to see what time does to these structures.
The walls are made of a lava rock base which could be sliced, transported, and assembled fairly easily. Then the limestone was added to be more decorative.
The interior of this temple had a small tomb, which had been looted, and a library with intricate doors. We were given allowed to climb and roam pretty freely here.
This temple is right outside a village, and the local kids (of all ages) swarm visitors entering and exiting the temple with pleas to purchase their cheap paper goods or t-shirts. I had read in a guidebook that you should not buy from these children, as it encourages them to spend more time hawking goods at the temple instead of going to school. They talked a few of our group into purchasing items, but Aaron and I didn't give in.
After a short ride, we made it to Bantaey Srei, one of the most intricately carved/decorated temples of Angkor. Our guide told us it's called the Women's Temple because only a female could have enough patience to complete the tedious carvings. If you don't like climbing, this is a great temple for you—it's all on one level. But you should definitely bring a sun shade and some water, as there is almost no shade to be found. I couldn't spend as much time as I would have liked examining the detailed carvings, because the heat was getting to me. I broke off from the group and found a spot in the shade where I could still hear the guide in my earphones.
 |
| Aaron took this photo to show his contempt for tourists that touch the rocks, exposing it to the oils on their skin, and making it deteriorate more quickly. |
If you have a moment while everyone is going to the restroom before returning to the buses, there are cafes near the parking lot that sell soda and beer, which you can then bring on the bus. If you need to use the restroom, don't forget to follow the rules: no smoking, no squatting on Western toilets, no machetes in the bathroom, and no showering with the badet.
We went back to the hotel where lunch was on our own. We had about two hours, and I think some of our group wisely just ate at the hotel and took a nap or a shower. We, however, had reservations at Marum, an authentic Cambodian restaurant that trains street kids in cooking or restaurant service so they can have a career. Aaron and I have learned that we do best when we plan our meal locations in advance. The result is 1) no waiting for a table, and 2) no arguing or endless wandering when we can't make a decision of where to eat. Marum was an excellent choice, and was about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. It's more spendy than a lot of food in Siem Reap, but still very affordable for Western standards. We tried to focus on local specialties that would challenge our pallets.
 |
| Stir-fried red tree ants with beef, lemongrass, and chili |
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| Yup. There's the ant garnish. |
 |
| Prahok with local vegetables (including water lily) and rice crackers |
 |
| Lotus, jackfruit, and coriander hummus |
 |
| Smoked fish and green mango salad with prawn crackers |
 |
| Strawberry avocado milkshake |
Angkor Thom was not far away and we arrived pretty quickly. Outside the main temple, we saw an example of how the stones were lifted into place. There is no mortar in these temples; it's all dry stone placement.
This temple is all about faces, and it's absolutely beautiful.
Then, back on the bus to go to Ta Prohm—the temple of Tomb Raider fame. En route, we passed many other small temples. The Angkor Thom complex is massive (it's the same complex we floated around yesterday on gondolas). We arrived at Ta Prohm about an hour before closing time.
This is the temple that has been largely taken back by the jungle, and left how the French found it. In a tale of humankind versus nature.... nature wins in the long run.
We were ushered out of the temple at sunset. The promised Khmer dinner and Aspara performance would not be happening because the hotel had a Christmas Eve gala, and we were invited. Honestly, I would have preferred the authentic dinner and cultural dance. But when I got down to dinner and realized they had an extensive sushi bar (amidst well over a dozen other buffet stations), I was happy.
There was a musical performance after dinner, but we were exhausted and were in bed by 9:00 p.m. The Cambodian heat was getting to us.
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