Our second and last stop during our brief time in Cambodia was Siem Reap. The city of 230,000 is located a few miles south of the 72 famous Khmer kingdom temples built between the 9th and 15th centuries, most notably Angkor Wat. There are hundreds of additional temples in the surrounding area. Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer kingdom, and is believed to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world, spanning at least 390 square miles, and kept running with a complex irrigation system.
We took the Giant Ibis bus (highly recommended) from Phnom Penh; a 6-hour drive. After transferring from the bus station via tuk-tuk, we walked around town before enjoying a traditional Khmer dinner at our hotel. The dishes included beef lok lak (savory stir fry), goi ga (chicken and cabbage salad), sour soup, and fish amok (curry steamed in a banana leaf). Traditional Cambodian dancing accompanied dinner.
At 7:30 the next morning, we met our guide, Sotthorn, for a full day of exploring some of Angkor’s largest temples. Our first temple, Angkor Wat, was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman in the 12th century, and dedicated to the Hindu god Visnhu. Like many of the temples in the complex, Angkor Wat changed hands, and became a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century. Fine engravings abound throughout the entire temple, many remaining in good condition.
Our subsequent stops at Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm, were also spectacular. For the sake of brevity, details about each temple are available online. Ta Prohm is known for the 400-year-old tree roots enveloping its stonework, as well as its appearance in the movie Tomb Raider.
The next day, we hired a tuk-tuk to explore the more distant temples of Pre Rup, Banteay Srei (about 1 hour north of Siem Reap), and Preah Khan. Banteay Srei’s exceptionally well-preserved carvings were an amazing sight. Preah Khan’s largess, symmetry, and beautiful natural setting also made it a favorite. At the end of the day, Alexa and I were sad to say goodbye to my parents, who flew to Hanoi for a final day of sightseeing before a long journey back to New York via Seoul. We had a wonderful time experiencing Vietnam and Cambodia with them, and look forward to our next opportunity to spend such quality time together!
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September 2018
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