Not So Lonely Planet » Cambodia

Temples of Angkor

Guillaume — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:50:33 +0000

From the majestic holy Angkor Wat to the enigmatic face-covered Bayon, from the ‘Tomb Raider’ Ta Prohm to the enigmatic ‘Indiana Jones’ Beng Mealea , the risk of temple burn-out could have been high…

But we were far to templed out in Angkor! The temples are so diverse and different from one to another, you can’t really get bored in Siem Reap.

And with such a sunrise on Angkor Wat, it would be difficult not be moved!

The Wheel of Death

Guillaume — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:01:58 +0000

Tired of doing DisneyLand Space Mountain for the fifth time??
Well, you should try the Cambodian Wheel of Death.

After a day of visiting temples in Angkor, we were passing by Lolei, a small village near the Roluos temples. Mr Lam, our tuk-tuk driver, noticed that something big was going on and invited us to a local funfair. We were really the only foreigners around and everyone was staring at us.

We won biscuits and plastic flowers at the darts, checked out the dance-floor (quite amusing with men and women dancing separately) and of course tried the amazing Wheel of Death.

Quite a miracle we survived it actually…

Love from Cambodia, xx

Guillaume — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:27:44 +0000

It was still sticky hot in Cambodia but somehow the Polaroid camera was now working almost perfectly!
Getting the Polaroid pics stamped and franked at the post office of Siem Reap was surprisingly easy, with no need of instructions in khmer.

Meeting the monks in Cambodia with the Polaroid camera is sure to be a highlight of the trip.

They were so friendly we had a chat for almost one hour. It was such a surprise for them when the Polaroid film went out!

Meet the monks Smean Samon and Mao:

Pimp my tuk-tuk

Guillaume — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:05:32 +0000

Most of the temples of Angkor are so far away from each other that walking is not really an option.
Much easier (especially considering the very hot weather) was to use a tuk-tuk. Bulkier (and much slower) than the Thai ones, the Cambodian tuk-tuks are something like a covered remorque attached at the back of a motorbike.

Some drivers know how to pimp their tuk-tuk, so you are sure to visit the temples in style!

Our tuk-tuk driver was not Mr Batman but Mr Lam, and if you happen to be in Siem Reap, we can highly recommend him (contact him at lamtemple@yahoo.com). He was such a good companion around the temples, always offering us drinks, sweets and coconuts, and even bringing us to a local funfair with no other foreigner around!

Hail or shine, be sure to board Mr Lam’s tuk-tuk. Even a flat tyre won’t let you down!

Destination Cambodia

Guillaume — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:04:51 +0000

After a few days on Phu Quoc Island for Tet festival, our next destination was Cambodia.
After some ‘relaxing time’ in Sihanoukville scuba-diving and sunbathing on the beach, we were ready for Siem Reap and its temples.

In Cambodia, every Buddhist male has to become a monk for some time in his life in order to accrue merit to reduce their number of rebirths. The ones we met around the temples in Angkor were so welcoming and friendly that I am sure they may reach nirvana sooner…