Siem Reap, Cambodia

I was there for the ancient temples, the holy grounds, the culture and the people. The rich history I only imagined and wondered about, the breathtaking pictures from history books will I finally come to see. And of course, I wanted to see where Lara Croft went tomb raiding for the Triangle of Light, lol. I cannot wait!

30 minutes after touch down, I was already eating at Pub Street. I snapped this caught-in-action picture of a Khmer boy with his cart of street foods.

THE FOOD

The food? Oh, the food, honestly, it tastes like home! To be specific, Khmer food tastes like Filipino particularly Bicolano food, what with the same love for coconut milk and chili, minus the herbs, it smells and tastes from the kitchen of my sister! And I tell you, you never want to go on diet while in Cambodia. The fruits, oh the fruits, they are the freshest and the sweetest! And oh by the way Fish Amok is a new favorite!

Never leave Cambodia without trying Fish Amok!

CURRENCY

One may opt to use Cambodian Riel or USD locally called as ‘dolla’. I preferred using 'dolla' as I was and will always be lost with numbers. I must say, the price for everything (food, hotel, transportation, shopping) is fairly reasonable. For those on a budget travel like me, 75-100 USD per day is more than okay. 


TRANSPORTATION

Tuk-tuk (moto-romorques) is the main mode of transportation in Cambodia. It’s like a tricycle in the Philippines but the coach is attached to the rear, ours is on the side. Tuk-tuk can seat as many as six! For the whole day tour, me and my cousin paid only 15 USD.

Tuk-tuk drivers would know where to take the tourists. Our tuk-tuk driver, Yoyo, or Bong Yoyo indulged us with conversation, he is very passionate about politics. Straight from a Khmer, we were thought of the history of his country and its people. He used the 'f---' word more than twice in every sentence. I thought it's a Khmer word, used as some sort of expression, so I asked him what is 'f---',  astonished, Bong Yoyo, looked at me as if I'm an alien, lol. 

THE TEMPLES

Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor Wat, the City of Temples. About 400 square kilometers, the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the cradle of tremendously incredible array of 9th to 13th century temples built by Khmer Empire. The Ankor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom are simply a beauty to see, the grounds are religious, sacred, and you will just feel it. I had goosebumps for some reason.

Central Courtyard, Angkor Wat

Central Tower, Angkor Wat

The day pass is for 20 USD, and there are more than dozens of temples to see, it was literally a temple run for us!

The Bayon Temple has 216 stone faces

This Khmer artist is 13-years old. I bought one of his paintings for 10 USD. I have yet to frame it, but I can't wait to see it on my wall. The boy speaks very good english, he goes to school and camps at one of the temples to sell his artworks to the appreciative tourists.

Ehem, look! A friend of mine, even made a transformation photo for me! Lol.

APSARA

- or a celestial nymph, a representation of female beauty.

The celestial maidens are comparable to angels, they seduce both gods and men with their hypnotic, natural and very rhytmic dancing.

At night, we went to watch the Apsara Dance at Koulen Restaurant, Buffet & Traditional Khmer Dance Show. The restaurant serves traditional Khmer, Chinese and Western food. But what attracts the tourist more is the Apsara Dance. Bong Yoyo politely made the reservation for us, it was a bit crowded. But once the dance started, the lot went silent.

The hand gestures are hypnotic. The dancer's whole body would be so still that nothing is moving, but a finger or a toe! (We were told that the training for Apsara Dancers usually starts at a very young age, when the children's bones are still supple) The hand gesture is a significant part of the story, each gesture conveys something different. The story is told in a beautiful dance, so graceful and feminine. Truly, Apsara is a representation of a woman's beauty and her story.

Allow me to re-post here what I wrote at my Facebook account, the day I left Siem Reap:

"Aw-koon ch'ran Cambodia! Hindi ko man maipagpalit ang bicol express sa fish akum, ang Cagsawa Ruins sa Ankor Wat, ang takadaw sa pansit guisado, baon ko naman ang bukas na puso at isipan sa aking mga natutunan. Hangad ko ang iyung ganap na kalayaan, at ang kaligayahan ng iyung mga nasasakupan. Lubos na paghanga at pag-galang sa iyung kultura at kasaysayan, hangang sa muli.."

To a neophyte photographer, Cambodia is a feast to the lens! To a budget traveller, Cambodia is heaven. To history-hungry, Cambodia is devoted.

Aw-koon ch'ran Cambodia!!