Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)- Days 263-265
Day 263- At 5.45am we flicked on the light to get up and we were greeted by a man peering through our window shouting TUK-TUK. Luckily we had actually booked one but we were expecting it to pick us up at 6.15am. We rushed about to get ready and he took us to the bus station where we grabbed breakfast in the form of beef and sticky rice and iced coffee. The bus took us as far as Skun, a small village in the middle of nowhere where we had to wait half an hour for another bus to swing by and pick us up. There were so many buses pulling in and out of the service station and the majority of them were marked Siem Reap which was our destination. Every time we went to get on one of the buses a man from the station would shout 'NO', so we sat patiently. When a bus we thought was ours pulled up I went over to it, only to be shouted at, so I sat back down and it started to pull away, then the shouting man sprinted over to it and pulled it back over as it was ours after all. So quite an edgy half hour but we were on a bus to Siem Reap in the end. It was dark when we finally arrived and it was pouring down with the most violent thunder and lightening we may have ever seen. Typically we were dropped off outside the city and were confronted with loads of tuk-tuk drivers. We were supposed to be picked up byt the hostel but they were nowhere in sight. One driver was being very persistent and since we had no WiFi, we couldn't bring up our confirmation for the address so we agreed to go with him to a different hostel. When we arrived we were told there was no dorms or cheap doubles left and we would have to get a deluxe room. This was four times the price of what we expected to pay so flatly refused. The driver was really understanding and waited for us as we used WiFi to find out the address. The driver had an idea of the location but it was a fair way out so took quite a while to get there. It was a long day but we made it and checked in, then with great pleasure we ordered hamburgers from the cafe next door.
Day 264- The guesthouse offered free breakfast so we popped down just before it finished and we had eggs on toast with coffee. We then swapped rooms as ours stank of foist and went out to find somewhere to do our washing as our clothes stank from the jungle trip. We stopped at a sign that was outside someone's house and he took our clothes and started to ask what our plans were, standard. He did well to find out that we planned to do a tour of Angkor Wat tomorrow and informed us his brother was a tuk-tuk driver and could do the large tour for $15 which was really good. We agreed to it and set a time of 4.45am so we could catch sunrise. Whilst we were running errands we got prices for a bus to Bangkok, we know this particular bus journey is notorious for delays and complications, so after some extensive research we trusted a woman who seemed to be telling the truth (at least more truthful than the others). She explained it would take us to the border where we had to walk across ourselves and then wait for a connecting bus which could take up to an hour, the only doubtful bit of information was that our bus was 'VIP', standard SE Asia really. We paid up and walked into the centre where we found the markets and had fun haggling with the locals. We ate lunch in a small cafe but it was getting unbearably hot so sought relief at Blue Pumpkin, a swanky cafe renowned for its ice-cream. I opted for Kaffir lime and lemon for some zesty refreshment whereas Eve preferred the indulgence of cashew nut and caramel. Both were delicious and worth the price for air con! As we walked back to the guesthouse we picked up a bag of mangosteens and an iced coffee to assist in writing the blog. We finally chose a hotel, yes a HOTEL, for Bangkok, one with a rooftop pool and en-suite. Heaven. I think we seriously deserve it as well! We had agreed to meet Michael from our jungle trip and so along with him and his two friends went to a restaurant for tea. It was a lot fancier than what we would have picked but didn't think twice about picking traditional Amok curry and squid in black pepper sauce from the menu. It was nice company to be in and had a lovely night but we left early so we could re-energize ourselves in preparation for a very long day.
Day 265- Our alarms rang at 4.30am and we sleepily jumped into a tuk-tuk. Breakfast was instant noodles from a convenience store which we just managed to finish before we had to get out and get our picture taken for our Angkor pass to get in to the national park. We both looked extremely tired and yet again we relied on pure adrenalin and excitement to get us through. We drove up to Angkor Wat and jumped out th tuk-tuk, we crossed the bridge to find a good spot inside for sunrise. We settled down with our cameras at the ready and we were blown away. It was stunning. Beautiful. Breathtaking. We sat and admired it for nearly an hour as it climbed above the Wat and threw shades of red, orange and yellow toward us. It was quite hazy but somehow it made it even more mystical. We walked into its depths clambering through endless arches and up many steps. Every turn offered something different with intricate carvings on every wall and every view was a picture perfect moment. After two hours of getting lost we had to leave to make sure we had enough time for the rest of this expansive site. We found our way out and then discovered our driver asleep in a makeshift hammock. He instantly awoke and pointed on the map our next destination. We drove northward to the South Gate of Angkor Thom- an ancient city enclosed within crumbling walls which is still littered with the remains of many temples and palaces. The bridge across the moat is guarded by two rows of ten foot high tiger like demons. There is a lot of maintenance work to upkeep the site for generations to come, which meant some scaffolding here and there but not enough to spoil it. We walked past the guardians and through the gate then hopped back in the tuk-tuk to the next stop. Minutes later we jumped out and then agreed with the driver to meet him two hours later in the centre of the city. We walked up to Angkor Thom palace and then weaved our way to Bayon, which is a majestical palace where we climbed to the top and looked out on its long walkway and private moat. We climbed down the back amongst the trees in search of Prah Ngok, Baohuon and Phimeanakas- all small temples standing against towering trees, untouched by tourists and still standing centuries on from when they served local Khmer people. We trekked back toward the primary road where we walked along Elephants Terrace, a beautiful terrace held up by pairs of stone elephants, that looked out onto a large square where the king would address his people and witness the parades that were held in respect for him. We found our tuk-tuk and drove through the north gate to Prah Khan, a maze of crumbling walls and structures of different animals keeping guard. Next was Neak Pean, a monument circled by a moat and Pr. Prerup, a small version of Angkor Wat. We ended our tour which passed by many more temples than I could mention, with a visit to the famous Ta Prohm. This is where 'Tomb Raider' was filmed and is pictured on many postcards for its remarkable sites of trees sprawled over the walls and constricting the towers which now solely rely on them for support. Its amazing, just walking around and seeing the dominance of nature in force. We then drove to Banteay Kdei but our energy was running low and it was approaching midday where temperatures were soaring and the sun unrelentlessly beaming down upon us. We walked over to Srah Srang which is a square lake overlooked by a small temple. A peaceful end to the incessant hassle of tourists in your face and demanding photos of everything. That night we fancied a treat and a change so enjoyed a Mexican meal and walked through the night market on the way back to the guest house.