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We were up and ready, waiting for our ride shortly after 4:30am. Unfortunately we didn’t realise our driver was sleeping by the hotel counter and he slept though our quiet walking so we headed off a little later than planned. This worked out OK and after getting our day passes we were soon walking the concourse at the entrance to Angkor Wat (by full-moonlight, it being an hour or so before dawn).

Photographers and their flashing cameras at Angkor Wat

We wandered around looking for a place to photograph the sunrise but the dry time of year meant the pools out the front of the temple were either completely dry or reduced to muddy ringed shallow water. Sunrise was a non-event as well with there being no real colour, just a gradual lightning of the sky. We still managed to get some nice photos and then wandered the temple complex with the few other people who had had the same idea of an early start. It was majestic and peaceful and there were many stunning sights, the sun even popping out from the low cloud to highlight carved reliefs and the tall towers. We spent a good few hours walking, watching and looking – taking photos and trying not to notice the oppressive humidity. Eventually we headed back to the concourse and sat down to have some breakfast.

Early morning, Angkor Wat

Watching the sunrise

The eastern facing view

The building at the eastern end of the island

Having eaten we attempted to find our Tuk Tuk, a task that ended in failure. It was about an hour and a half before we were eventually picked up by Pete in the same bus we had recently seen ferrying our group to a neighbouring temple. We caught up with everyone else just as they were leaving the South gate of the Angkor Thom area and together we were all taken to the Bayon temple at the centre of Angkor Thom.

With what seemed like hundreds of other tourists we followed a well beaten path around the temple, punctuated by pieces of information given by our temple guide. It was an interesting temple with lots of giant carved faces, especially on the inner temple columns and towers. We also wandered along and saw a couple of other smaller temples and also walked past the Elephant Terrace, so named for the huge Elephant carvings running the length of the terrace. Having had a relaxing time at Angkor Wat it was a little jarring being hemmed in by crowds but we moved on to the next site, Ta Prohm, we seemed to leave most of the people behind.

A monk at the Bayon Temple

Climbing the steep stairs of a temple

Ta Prohm is one of the more well known temples, it has featured in a few movies, most notably the first Tomb Raider. The temple lay undisturbed for over 300 years and in this time fell to ruin and was partially taken over by the surrounding forest. The fallen walls were covered at times by the roots of large trees giving a number of impressive vistas, culminating in a building that was all but taken over by a large set of tree roots. This was our favourite temple; the atmosphere of dereliction was very engaging.

Carvings at Ta Prohm

Trees climbing the ruins at Ta Prohm

Moving on we drove back to the entrance to Angkor Wat and had lunch at one of the restaurants. After this Keryn and I were taken back to the hotel while the rest of the group looked around Angkor Wat. We had a quiet afternoon and in the evening we walked to the local markets and had a look around. The Old Market was shutting down for the evening so we wandered further to the Night Market. This market was very much set up for the tourist crowd and while everything seemed nice it lacked the bustling atmosphere of a market for the local people.

We ate dinner at the Red Piano restaurant on Pub Road. The road was pedestrianised and was lined with pubs and restaurants. As we were waiting for our meal to come there was a commotion on the street and a parade came past. There were lots of themed floats and groups of children chanting and singing as they held aloft such things as large glowing fish on sticks – giving the impression of a brightly coloured shoal going past. There was also a large mosquito puppet and also a large whale. It was all very entertaining and a nice diversion. Dinner was cheap and nice and once done we headed back to the Hotel for an early night, another early morning trip to the temples planned for the next day.

The next morning we all congregated in the hotel foyer at 7am and then started our journey towards the Cambodia border. We had two vans to transport us to the border, eight of us in each. Our van was very bling, the ceiling was an array of garish lights (thankfully not turned on) and there were golden mirrored panels and also a brightly coloured chrome gear stick. We had a comfortable if long four hour drive with a break for breakfast where those of us without Cambodian visas filled in the required application form.

The roadside view on entering Cambodia

The border crossing was much like any other and didn’t take too long. We had lunch on the Thailand side and then walked through to the Thai exit and then on to the Cambodian entry point collecting stamps along the way. The Cambodian side was noticeably poorer than the Thai with buildings less tidy and much more dust on the road. The road itself quickly deteriorated as we came across miles of road works – a process that won’t be complete until 2010. The bus we had was a lot more basic than the van, no air conditioning, less leg room and a general feeling of well worn use. The bumpy road meant an uncomfortable drive in the heat of the day and after another four hours and a couple of stops we arrived in Siem Reap and our accommodation at the Victory Hotel.

The road to Siem Reap

We were assigned rooms and after a short rest and much needed showers we headed out to a restaurant a short walk away for dinner. The food was at a higher standard than so far on the trip and as such cost a little more (our meal with drinks came to around $22 US) but thankfully tasted good as well. During dinner I arranged with Pete, our guide, for Keryn and I to have a Tuk Tuk the following morning so we could catch sunrise at Angkor Wat. The rest of the group would be heading out to the temples around 9am and we wanted to spend some time watching the sunrise and then walking around the complex before the bus loads of other tourists arrived. This meant a pick-up time of 4:45am so we made our way back to our room after dinner for an early night.

We’re currently on holiday in Cambodia, travelling with the tour company Intrepid from Bangkok (in Thailand) to Ho Chi Min city (in Vietnam). Today has been the first of two days in Siem Reap, the largely tourist town nearby to the temples of Angkor Wat. We arrived in Bangkok very late at night (early in the morning actually) and were picked up from the airport by my Uncle Michael. He and Ning were providing a bed for the night meaning we didn’t have to worry about organising a hotel.

After a few hours sleep and a bit of breakfast we had a short walking tour of the area around their home, travelling the narrow paths between local houses and walking along the neighbouring canal. Near a boat stop the water was full of large catfish that were surfacing repeatedly, presumably to eat bugs on the water. We walked past a local mosque and briefly visited a temple of the far side of the canal.

Walking with Michael in the area near his home

As the day warmed up Michael and Ning prepared for their own holiday and a taxi was arranged to take us to our tour hotel – The New World Lodge Hotel – in Bangkok city.

Motorbikes racing away as the lights change

We spent the afternoon seeing the sights, visiting the Grand Palace where we were treated to a religious ceremony involving many people chanting while we wandered around. Most of our journey was taken via Tuk Tuk but we were scammed somewhat in the for every place we visited that we wanted to see we were also taken to a tailor or gem shop and encouraged to purchase things we just didn’t want. Still, we saw a nice temple with four large golden Buddha’s that isn’t normally open to the public and also the Marble Temple (it was a public holiday for the Full Moon Water Festival which meant the Grand Palace had no entry fee and a few places were open that wouldn’t normally be).

One of the Buddha at the Grand Palace

Our Tuk Tuk for the afternoon

An impressive statue at the four Buddha temple

Our tour started in the evening with the usual meet-up where the guide for the trip introduces himself (Pete, Cambodian, 5 sisters) and we meet our fellow travellers. Other than the presence of a few mosquitoes this meeting went well and we were given some time to prepare for a group meal, which was had at a local restaurant. The food was ok and we all talked and everyone seems to get along well. We found out that we were the only ones not staying for the full 28 day (Cambodia and Vietnam) journey which is a pity, we’ll just have to make most of the time we have.