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Day 205 – 216: Siem Reap

by | May 16, 2019 | Adventure Travel, Asia, Cambodia, Continents, Countries, Daily Log

Angkor Wat Temple
Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the largest religious monuments in the world.

Angkor What?

First order of business: Angkor Wat refers to one specific temple in the Angkor complex. Angkor was once the capital of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. The entire complex consists of multiple temples and spans 400 square miles, which is larger than New York City. This complex was built in the 12th century with incredible feats of engineering such as artificial canals and reservoirs which allowed the population of 750,000 the ability to harness rainwater. The deterioration and collapse of this water system is also the reason why Angkor was eventually abandoned in the 15th Century for the new capital of Phnom Penh.

Up until the mid 19th century, the rest of the world did not know that Angkor existed. French explorers are a few of the first Westerners to explore and write about the massive temples in 1861. This was followed by more explorers, which led to looting and stealing of the ornate statues and precious jewels that adorned all the structures.

Backside of Angkor Wat on a hot sunny day.
Back side of Angkor Wat

Today, Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site, but I don’t believe it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World (I demand a recount). Restoration and preservation of the temples have been going on for the last 100 years, and new archeological discoveries are constantly popping up.

Visiting Angkor Wat

Many tourists (including me) are unaware of the size of Angkor. This means that most visitors only end up seeing a few of the more famous temples. We buy a three-day pass ($62 USD) and hire a two-day tour guide that includes a van so we can cover the most ground.

3-day pass for the Angkor complex
Angkor three-day ticket. If you lose your pass, they will make you buy a new one, so don’t lose it!

The first morning, we wake up at 4:00 am to see the Angkor Wat sunrise. Not only is this a beautiful and serene experience, but starting early will help you avoid the scorching heat. Luckily, our ride is in an air-conditioned van that takes us between temples. Some of the further temples can be more than an hour’s drive from Angkor Wat.

You can also hire a tuk-tuk driver to take you between the temples of Angkor. I witness many people who are run down by the hot sun and are also experiencing a little temple fatigue. After a 10-hour tour of temples, you can get a little burnt out.

Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat
Sunrise with a view of Angkor Wat.
A tree growing through the temple of Ta Prohm.
Ta Prohm. Many people know this temple because it was featured in the move Tomb Raider.

My favorite temples end up being the lesser known ones. Nobody is around except for a few Cambodian children playing hide and seek. We explore the maze of hallways and staircases thinking we will stumble across some long lost treasure. These structures are massive and have been standing for almost 1000 years.

Getting away from the main hustle and bustle, our guide starts to open up and tell us fascinating stories. He tells us that he lived at Angkor Wat as a child during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Bayon Temple
Bayon
Drinking out of a fresh coconut and hanging out beside a stray dog while exploring temples.
Coconut. Dog. Temple.
Banteay Srei temple
Banteay Srei. Remember, there is a dress code for these temples so shoulders and knees need to be covered. They don’t always strictly enforce the rules though.
Monkeys roam free around Angkor and if you are carrying any food, make sure you keep it hidden from these mischievous animals. We saw them take a few things from tourists. These monkeys were a bit scandalous.
Doesn’t it look like this statue is the Shrine of the Silver Monkey from Legends of the Hidden Temple?

Termites are a Good Thing?

I have not found any supporting information to back this up, but our guide talks about termites and their significance in the culture of Cambodia. They are sacred and a sign of good luck. While we consider them a huge nuisance and immediately kill them once discovered, Cambodian people will leave termite mounds under or around their house. Sounds like that good luck will eventually turn bad.

Large termite mound inside a temple at Angkor Wat.
Termite party at Angkor Wat

Holiday in Cambodia

Tourists dressed in Santa hats eating hors d'oeuvres.
Cambodian Christmas at Tara Angkor Hotel.

For Christmas, we decide to treat ourselves and stay at Tara Angkor Hotel. Keep in mind that treating ourselves means that we get a room at a four-star hotel for just $42 a night. We spend a couple of days by the pool reading our newly purchased books about the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian genocide.

The hotel also has a Christmas event that we attend, and let’s just say it was very eventful and interesting. Decorations, drinks, appetizers, singers, dancers, a huge buffet, and of course Santa Claus.

Here is Santa in action. Keep in mind that 95% of the people in Cambodia are Buddhist. I give them an “A” for effort on portraying good ol’ Saint Nick.

“Ha Ha Ha” Merrrry Christmas

My Cambodian Friend Kevin

We meet some interesting people along the way and now it’s time for a spotlight on Kevin.

Kevin is about seven years old and walks up to me in a cafe asking if I am a famous You-Tuber. He is not disappointed when I tell him I am just a regular white guy with a MacBook. He then proceeds to ask me about one thousand questions while offering up some of his fries and chocolate milkshake. Kevin wows me with his vocals by belting out some Maroon 5 and then immediately asks if we can be best friends. We hang out for a little while longer until his mom makes him leave. Shout out to Kevin my Cambodian best friend.

New Years

Pub Street in Siem Reap packed and decorated for New Years celebrations.
Siem Reap New Years

New Years celebration in Siem Reap is no joke. Everyone is out on the town. My favorite part is that even though I am 5′ 11″ I can see over the tops of everyone’s heads. By chance, we have a couple of friends in Siem Reap at the same time, Rosko and Amy. We met them in Chiang Mai a few weeks back.

We squeeze through the crowds on Pub Street and celebrate the start of 2019 with the city. There were only a few minor power outages along the way 🙂

Rosko and Amy in Siem Reap

Let’s Talk About Rats

African Giant Rats
Apopo and HeroRATs

You may think that Angkor Wat is my favorite site to see in Siem Reap, but that is not true. The Apopo Visitor Center tops my list of Siem Reap’s must-sees.

At Apopo, they train African giant rats to detect landmines. Don’t worry. To date, there have been zero rat casualties and they have a 100% success rate of detecting landmines, meaning they don’t miss any.

One thing I did not know is that Cambodia is riddled with landmines from the many conflicts that have happened over the past decades. Kids playing in fields and farmers working their land have become victims of these landmines, sometimes taking limbs or even their lives. Ordinary citizens live in fear and cannot freely explore their own land.

My name is Dit Sim and this is my son Sim Sreyda, he is 3 months old. We are sitting in my mother's shop in Khna Phtol that I have worked in for the last 10 years. Until recently the land surrounding our shop has been full of landmines. Our trade has been from the people who live close by and travelers near the main road. That all changed since APOPO and CMAC came to search for landmines. They have been slowly working up and past us, along the old road that was riddled with landmines during the war. In the fields near the shop they found about 50 landmines. These are often homemade mines; a small battery and a connector into a plastic bag full of explosive powder. They do not kill people outright, but maim them, often by injuring their foot or lower leg. If one soldier in a unit is maimed in this way, it slows them all down and that's the purpose. But after the war finished, the mines were just left there but nobody knew where. Accidents were happening everywhere. Do you know that Cambodia has more landmine accident victims than anywhere else in the world? Many of the nearby farmers and their families are affected. It is tragic to hear about, especially because many people had to continue to work in the fields that are their livelihoods. But Finally APOPO and CMAC arrived with their big machines and the little rats we had heard so much about. They cleared the area of landmines quickly and moved on. We are very happy about this. For my shop it has been very good. Previously we had few customers, but now many people have moved back to the area because it is safe, and they bring farm workers with them. They all need food and snacks and candles and drinks. Business has gone up and we are doing very well. And the farmers are too because they can now produce without limitations. This is what happens when the terror of landmines is lifted.
A feel good story from Apopo.

Apopo is changing this. Their rats can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes. Humans with detection equipment can take up to 4 days to search that same area. Using HeroRATs significantly reduces the cost of detecting and clearing landmines.

These little guys only require some peanuts and a couple of bananas a day. They start training at six weeks old and retire before they turn six years old. Life expectancy for the rats is 8-9 years. So far APOPO/CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Center) has unearthed over 45,000 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), releasing over 15 million square meters of safe land back to the local communities.

The majority of the world has signed an agreement to longer use or produce landmines. The only countries that have not signed the treaty are China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.
The majority of the world has signed an agreement to longer use or produce landmines. The only countries that have not signed the treaty are China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.
Apopo employees
Thanks Apopo crew!

New Year means new countries. Next stop: Philippines.

Angkor Wat