Golden Zedi of the Upper Terrace

The construction of the Grand Palace was started in 1782 and it remains the residence of the Thai royal monarchy to this day. Not only that, there are also a number of government office within this complex as well. And just like any self-respecting Thai, the palace grounds also has its own set of temples, some of them for exclusive use of the Thai monarchy. It was King Rama I that commissioned the building of what is now known as the Grand Palace.

The Elegant Mondop

It has since grown into an amazing collection of Thai royal and religious architecture. It is a wonder to be walking along these grounds. Afterall it is not every day that you get to walk in a working royal palace. Upon entry into the Grand Palace complex one of the first structures you will see is the collection of structures known as the Upper Terrace. The most notable structures here are the golden zedi, a lot of which dot the entire country. A structure called the Mondop which keeps sacred Buddhist writings.

Miniature Replica of Cambodia's Angkor Wat

One of the more unique structures here is a miniature replica of the Angkor Wat found in Cambodia, this was commissioned by the order of King Mongkut. It shows how much admiration they Thai royalty had for the Angkor Wat. The buildings are distinctly Thai even though they are all Buddhist in nature. This was truly a place befitting a king.

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Village on Stilts on Inle Lake

As we approached the other end of Inle Lake, and eerie calm settled. Our guide has turned off the motor again and is not rowing towards our destination, which I suspect is not very far away. There were rows and rows of houses on stilts on the lake. In contrast to the houses in Nyaungshwe which are all built on land, these houses are built entirely on the lake bed itself. Fortunately, it is a shallow lake so it is not really that difficult to build here. This place was something reminiscent of the floating village of Chong Kneas on the Tonlé Sap in Cambodia, only this one looks much better organized so it was much less depressing.

One of the Houses

What I found amusing what that the village had something akin to streets, except they were just water. The houses were organized in rows such that that it was easy for villager to go in and out of the houses via the “streets”. How do they go out? By boat of course! If you need to borrow something from the neighbor, you’d need to get the boat to get there. It was truly interesting to see such organized living on a lake. And to think that they have been living here for years. The houses on Inle Lake do not seem to be the sturdy type though, but I don’t think cyclones reach this part of Myanmar.

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Check In Counters of Siem Reap International Airport

It was finally time to back. We’ve toured all the temple we could tour and shopped all we can shop at the Siem Reap Market. We were wondering how we would go back to the Siem Reap International Airport, and we were expecting that our trusty tuk-tuk will bring us back there, just like how that fetched us from the airport.

Shops Outside the Terminal Building

Surprisingly, the Golden Temple Villa staff prepared a van for us to take. Actually, it wasn’t for us, but rather for the people they would be fetching at the airport. We were just hitching a ride, at least we got the whole van to ourselves. Again, we passed by the row of palatial hotels along the main road to the airport. Makes me wonder how would be like to stay there.

Siem Reap International Airport

After a few moments, we arrived at the Siem Reap International Airport. As mentioned previously, the airport is really remarkable. The airport terminal building looks like a traditional South-East Asian house. Just outside the terminal buildings are a couple of shops for anyone looking for a snack. They are all very nicely built and designed. And best of all, it is clean.

Shopping at the Terminal Building

Inside are the row of check in counters, like everything else, it is very neat and clean. Though it is not that high-tech, it is certainly very delightful. Fortunately for us, there weren’t that many people leaving Siem Reap. So we quickly checked in and passed through immigration. As one would expect, there would be a mini-shopping center after immigration, this is to try to get the tourist money one last time. The shopping area isn’t really that big but it was interesting nonetheless.

Waiting Area for Departing Passengers

They sell a lot of traditional handicrafts from Cambodia. There was even Cambodian coffee powder. The shop itself it very nice and tasteful. It felt like shopping in a hotel. The waiting area for the departing passengers is nice and bright, since it offers a view of the plane outside.

The Siem Reap International Airport is certainly a work of art of its own. It will give tourists a nice impression when leaving Siem Reap, it certainly worked on me.

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Angkor Famous Bar and Restaurant

With the rest of the day off at Siem Reap, we decided to explore more of the market area. At least this is something other than a temple. Markets are always interesting wherever they are, since you can get to see the local people going about their business. But first things first, I was hungry and were weren’t about to be dragged by our driver back to his “favorite” restaurant where he gets free lunch.

Khmer Style Curry

In one of the alleys in the market area we found this restaurant – Angkor Famous Bar and Restaurant. It seemed to be a nice and clean place to eat. I’ve already gave up on getting good food around here since most of the Khmer food we had all taste the same. The restaurant itself was small and it was painted a bright orange probably after the colorful robes the monks use.

Rather Uninteresting Fried Shrimp

Interestingly, there was a Chinese sign with Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭喜发财 on it. Maybe the owners were of Chinese origin. Anyway, the staff gave us their English menu and we order. As expected the food was pretty much the same as what we have been eating here in Siem Reap. This is not to say it was not good, though it wasn’t that great either.

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Angkor Wat in Miniature

One of the more bizzarre attractions in Siem Reap still has something to do with their famous temples, but on a much smaller scale. This is Angkor Wat in Miniature. As the name implied is basically a place where you can see the famous temples of Angkor all in one spot. If you thought this sounded a little lame, then you are not alone.

Bayon in Miniature

My friend wanted to see this bizzarre place, but I wasn’t the least bit interested. After all the temple exploring and wandering we did, I thought it would be a waste of time and money to visit this so called attraction. But then my friend really wanted to go, and as for me, I guess it would have been good material for things such as this blog.

Sign Says It All

Anyway, our driver drove us there, it wasn’t really that far from the center of Siem Reap. It had a big sign that really had “lame tourist attraction” written all over it. Anyway, there is a small entrance fee to see them. This is basically the work of a national artist, Dy Proeung. The miniatures were impressively carved out of stone and are more or less faithful to the real thing.

They have reproductions of Angkor Wat, Bayon and multitudes of other temples within their small compound. There is a viewing deck to the right where you can marvel at the carvings in all their replicated glory.

As expected, I wasn’t terribly impressed by this but at least it was something other than another temple. I guess people who have a little more time in their hands can drop by this small place. You can explore the whole area in half an hour.

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Catholic Church of Siem Reap

After finishing our list of temples to visit, we went back to the Golden Temple Villa. My friend wanted to sleep since he is all templed out, besides, we woke quite early to finally make it for the sunrise at Angkor Wat, a little shut eye won’t hurt. It was a Saturday and I wanted to attend Holy Mass since I probably will not have time to attend on Sunday since we will be flying back to Kuala Lumpur.

Ground Level of the Church

I asked the conceirge at the hotel whether there was a Catholic Church nearby. The staff doesn’t really understand English very well could not understand what I was looking for. It resorted to hand signals and they finally understood. I needed to know that time the services will be held, so I asked them to call the church for me. Fortunately I got what I wanted.

No Pews Here

The helpful staff arranged a tuk-tuk for me to take to the church. The driver will be waiting for me outside the church when the Mass finishes. The church wasn’t that far from the center of Siem Reap, but without a tuk-tuk I wouldn’t have known how to get there. I arrived there quite early and took some time to get some photos of the place.

Khmer Inspired Tabernacle

The church unlike that more traditional church buildings I was used to takes the form of a traditional Khmer house. It was not unlike the houses I saw on the way to the Tonlé Sap. It is a two storey structure, with the main chapel on top. The ground floor hosts a multi-purpose hall and some offices. The refectory is also behind the structure. I thought it is a very unique way of integrating with the locals.

Blessed Virgin Mary Garbed In Khmer Attire

Inside the chapel, I immediately noticed that there was something missing. There were totally no pews. Only mats for everyone on to sit on, so everyone needs to leave their footwear outside the entrance. There were electric fans to keep the faithful cool during the Mass. Near the altar, there is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus dressed in tradition Khmer attire. Even the tabernacle is shaped like a traditional Khmer house. I thought it was really very impressive how they have integrated some of the local culture into their practice of Catholicism here.

Refreshments After the Mass

The Mass I’m attending is in English, so as to be expected most of the faithful were foreigners. There were a handful of Cambodians, or at least they looked like Cambodians. Singing the songs was a choir composed of Filipinos, most of them working as entertainers in the bars in Siem Reap, they come complete with portable keyboard, guitar and tambourine. It was very inspiring to see Filipinos show there love for God even in a place as remote as Siem Reap.

After the Mass, there were some refreshments courtesy of the church. But I still need to meet up with my friend who is probably already starving by now. I quickly got back to my driver who was still waiting and went back to the hotel.

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Buddha at Banteay Kdei

After spending the better part of the morning exploring Angkor Wat, I was tired but we still need to continue on with our temple exploring. Our driver brought us to yet another temple, this time the name of the temple is Banteay Kdei.

Halls in Banteay Kdei

Banteay Kdei is a temple built in the 12th century and has a design similar to the Bayon. The towers with huge faces carved onto them are unmistakeably Bayon style. The layout of the entire complex is long with visitors needing to traverse the entire length of the temple complex to be able to appreciate it.

By now, I was definitely feeling the effects of temple fatigue. One can only take so many temples within a few days. They are definitely starting to look like the last one, probably only differing in size. Yes, without a doubt, they are magnificent structures from the past. But I don’t think I want be see anymore temples.

One of the Towers in Banteay Kdei

When we got back to our driver, he asked us where to go next. My friend also feeling the effects of temple fatigue didn’t want any more temples. So we asked to be brought back to the hotel, to the dismay of our driver. He was intending to bring us to his favorite lunch place, probably because he gets to eat for free whenever he brings tourists in. We insisted on going back to the Golden Temple Villa where we will be spending the rest of the afternoon in Siem Reap town. So it will turn out that Banteay Kdei will be the final temple we will be visiting.

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Sunrise At Angkor Wat

It turned out that the power won’t be come back within the night. So we spent the entire night in the dark. I felt a little cheated of my money since I didn’t get to use their cable TV that night. But then again, it wasn’t really their fault there was no power. Power or no power, I still managed to get a good night’s sleep.

Visitor Climbing the Temple

This time we really woke up early, this is going to be our last chance to catch the sun rise at Angkor Wat. Having missed it the first two times, we made sure to make it this time. It was also a little embarassing to keep asking our driver to keep coming at five in the morning when we never make it on time. At least this time we really made sure to wake up early.

Sunlight Filtering Through

We quickly did our morning routine and rushed down stairs. The sky was already starting to brighten but the sun had not risen yet. Our driver was already there waiting for us again. I guess he was relieved to finally see us this time. We quickly made our way to Angkor Wat. For a while there I was thinking that we may not make it since Angkor Wat was huge and we might not make it in time to the spot we wanted.

Really Steep

As expected there was already a crowd at gate of Angkor Wat. People were already streaming into the temple. Fortunately, the people aren’t as numerous as crowd you see in the afternoon. Nevertheless, there is still a crowd, but it was manageable. We quickly made our way across the moat and into the first enclosure. This is really a long walk, I was thinking, why does it have to be so huge?

Behind the Temple

The size of the temple though really worked to everyone’s advantange. Even though there is already a crowd at the pool with water. The size of the place really made it possible to have space for everyone. I got a spot near the edge of the pool hoping to catch a bit of reflection on the water. Seems like other people also have the same idea.

The sun will be rising behind the temple, I wasn’t sure exactly where but it was definitely behind it. A few hundred people waiting there can’t possibly be wrong. I was getting my camera ready when there was a commotion behind me. Someone just proposed marriage to their partner! It was a very unlikely spot for a proposal but it was still very sweet.

Here They Come

Moments later another commotion to my right, but this time it was from the tourists waiting for the sunrise. The sun was finally coming up behind the temple! It was coming up from the far left of the temple, and my spot will only capture the trees on that side. So I quickly moved out and set up in another spot where hopefully the sun will have a better view.

The sun really came up very fast, I was taking shots one after the other and continuously adjusting my settings. I didn’t have a filter with me unfortunately, but I would have wanted to darken the sky a little bit. A few a few moments it was already over, the sun was too high up and it was too bright for me to be taking pictures of it, lest my CCD would die on me.

Crowds Streaming In

We then proceeded to explore more of Angkor Wat, this time without the huge crowd. Sad as it may seem, it seems like the best time to visit Angkor Wat is early morning, way before the main crowd comes. It is very true, since in some parts of the temple, there were hardly any people there. This is how you experience Angkor Wat.

I climbed the steep stairs of the inner enclosure and just sat there admiring the scenery. You can see that the crowds are already starting to come. We are fortunate to have come so early. Even when I sat at the far end of the temple you can already see crowds come in from the other direction.

Sultan of Brunei Visits Angkor Wat

It was really worth the effort to see the sunrise here. The colors of the sky and the temple are really a sight to behold. Add to the fact that there are relatively lesser people early in the morning. But alas, the crowd is already getting to me so we made our way back to the entrance. But lo and behold, there was a VIP just coming in – it was the Sultan of Brunei! I hardly ever see country leaders but I was lucky enough to see him. He was wearing a simple Polo shirt and is escorted by his hosts. I was kidding that he might like Angkor Wat so much that he might just buy it from the Cambodians.

After our brief encounter with royalty we continued on our way to our driver who was again fast asleep. And for the last time we bid Angkor Wat farewell.

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Le Tigre de Papier

It was a really tiring day. After capping the day off with the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, I was famished. Fortunately, Siem Reap is not short of eating places. After a lengthy search for food, we finally decided on eating at the Le Tigre de Papier. I guess that means Paper Tiger. I never really found out why they named it that way, nor did I care. I was starving.

Small Alley in Siem Reap

We ordered some Khmer rice meal and managed to find seats overlooking the street on the second level. It was then that a power failure struck. The whole street was pitch black. But it seems that power failures are something the people of Siem Reap have to live with since a lot of the establishments have back up power. Well, Le Tigre de Papier, didn’t have back up power in the form of electric generators, but rather in the form of candles.

Shops Opposite the Restaurant

We would just watch in envy as the Temple Club opposite our restaurant come alive with back up power. So did the other shops. I had to eat my dinner by candle light. This didn’t diminish the quality of the food though. It was great, or maybe I was just starving. It is also worth noting that Le Tigre de Papier is a book exchange point. Travelers can bring books here and exchange it for something they like. It is something like recycling.

The power failure lasted for an hour and I was relieved to see power come back. After that hearty meal I went shopping for souvenirs. There were a couple of interesting bookstores there. I would just wish that the photos I took of Angkor look as gorgeous as the ones on the coffee table books there.

When we got back to the Golden Temple Villa, it seems like they still haven’t gotten back power. This probably means it will take the whole night. But it didn’t really matter to me, once I hit the bed, I was fast asleep.

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Angkor Wat from Phnom Bakheng

After a whole day of temple exploring and wandering, it was already late afternoon. Our driver had exhausted his list of temples for us to visit. Most of the temple we visited were the further ones like Banteay Samre and Banteay Srei. So we were all tired. Our driver asked us where we wanted to go. For lack of better ideas, we thought of going to Phnom Bakheng to see the sunset.

Ready for an Elephant Ride to the Top

Upon hearing this, our driver strongly advised us not to go there. “Very many people.” I guess it would be quite crowded at the top since it is a popular spot, but we insisted since I’m also interested to see the sunset from the top. Phnom Bakheng is a temple built on top of a small hill.

Crowded Enough?

By the time we got to the base of the hill there were already quite a lot of people milling about. Most of them were tourists waiting to go up the hill. There are two ways of going up to Phnom Bakheng: the easy way is to take the elephant ride at the foot of the hill and the second is to slog it all the way up the hill yourself. I didn’t really like the idea of riding the elephant to the hill but it seems that it was a pretty popular way to go up. The queue to ride the elephant was quite long but the tourists did not seem to mind.

Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

So we went the cheap way up, by foot. It took us around 20 minutes to get to the top. The slope was very mild and the path was not paved, but rather just a foot path trodden by countless tourists. There were also a lot of cheapskate tourists who didn’t want to go up by elephant so we had plenty of company.

At the top was the Phnom Bakheng itself. Phnom Bakheng used to serve as the capital of an ancient city. Now it is nothing more than a viewing deck for tourists. Honestly, I couldn’t really explore this temple that much since I was too busy jostling for position. The temple itself is already filled with tourists from all over the world. All of them waiting for the sun to set.

Tourists Occupy Every Spot on the Temple

Once I got a good spot on one of the highest points of the temple, we waited. Be warned that it is not allowed to stand on the walls of the temple. Just when you think you have a good spot, you’ll be asked to come down. From our spot, I have a great view of the Angkor Wat. The setting sun casting a nice orange glow to the magnificent temple. My camera doesn’t have a powerful zoom so I was reduced to using the digital zoom to get a better view of Angkor Wat.

My spot was good enough to avoid having to take a picture of someone else’s head. As I was waiting for the sun to set, I discovered that the wall I was leaning against had some crawling insects – the type I’ve never seen before. I quickly brushed them off and made sure that none of them got inside my clothes.

Colorfully Garbed Monks

The sun sets opposite the entrance of Angkor Wat, which is directly behind us, this helped distribute the tourists a little bit. Some would look at Angkor Wat on one side, another group would be looking at the sun set. We happened to chance on some Buddhist monks touring the place and got a few snaps of them.

After the sun set, it was quickly getting dark and everyone started making their way down the hill. The path is not lighted but with enough people it should not be difficult to follow the path. We quickly found our driver and made our way back to town.

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