Cambodia day 5 – Siem Reap

We pay Mr Su an extra $15 to take us on the 70km round trip to see Banteay Srei and the waterfall at Kbal Spean, not knowing quite what to expect other than our Lonely Planet bible seems to think they are worth the extra cost.  Mr Su turns out to be quite astute;  he has taken us to the main temples close to Siem Reap in the first couple of days, so that he could suggest the longer trip for today and earn the extra dollar!  Not that we mind – we are beginning to flag on the temple front and a  trip out into the countryside is sounding like an appealing and relaxing day.  And so it turns out. The journey may be a little bumpy at times and be in part on unmade, red dirt roads that throw up clouds of dust from the occasional passing car or truck, but we get to see some more of the countryside and villages along the way and coupled with the two sites, it’s well worth any minor discomfort.

Banteay Srey means ‘Citadel of the Women’ and the carvings which are among the most exquisite and delicate we have seen are said to have been the work of women as they are far too fine to been done by men!  Disappointingly, despite the distance from Siem Reap, the temple is heaving with visitors, which is a shame as they  definitely  lose some of their serenity and special ambience with so many people around.  We have come to the conclusion that the best time of day to see the temples is in the late afternoon when the tour groups have left and the sun’s fading rays glint through the ruins and give them a special glow.  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/banteay_srey

To get to Kbal Spean involves a 1500m trek through jungle.  It’s a gentle up-hill walk with  the sun’s rays piercing the dense foliage.  There are only a few other people here and after about 30 minutes we reach the River of the 1000 Lingas. Here are some unexpected and intricate riverbed carvings which were only discovered in 1969.  There is also a small, not very well signed, waterfall which  is  tourist free, and, for a few moments at least, we are able to have this jungle haven to ourselves.  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kbal_spean

We have lunch in one of the several cafes at the bottom of the hill and decide to buy a scarf each to provide some protection from the dust on the journey back.  A sweet little girl comes to our table with thick wad of scarves in a host of colours including the traditional checked pattern that many Cambodians favour.  We buy two scarves for $3.

On the way back we stop at one of the village stalls and Mr Su explains to us how palm sugar is made.  He turns out to be something of an expert the subject  because this was his job during the Pol Pot years.   We had noticed on the way out several earth mounds on the roadside with large silver metal bowls bubbling away..  These are the pots in which palm sugar is made and then sold at the stalls alongside.  Palm sugar turns out  to be a little like a sugary fudge and we buy three packets for $1.

Late in the afternoon we stop at Bantreay Samre a comparatively flat temple with a distinctly Angkor Wat heritage.   The temple has undergone extensive restoration which rather detracts from its beauty.  The shrines are approached by extremely steep steps and are closely arranged within the outer walls.  As the sun starts to set we take a stroll along a walk way edged with balustrades, meeting some young boys returning from a fishing trip with their catch of tiddlers.

All the village houses en route are built on stilts and some have small stalls outside selling items of food which in some cases may only be a few bunches of bananas. Some sell petrol by the litre in old Coke and Fanta bottles. Thick layers of dust lay on the awnings and parasols that provide shade for these stalls.  Oh, how these villagers must  be awaiting the day when the  road is finally finished and surfaced!

The weather has been glorious since we arrive in Siem Reap and today is no exception – blue skies and hot sun beating down.  A tut-tut is the perfect way to enjoy the temples, sheltered by the overhead canopy and open to the  cooling breeze.  We pinch  ourselves again … are we really living the dream?  Can this be us in Cambodia?

This entry was posted in Cambodia, Siem Reap and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply