Angkor Wat: A whirlwind detour to Siem Reap, Cambodia

When my student, Connor Butler,  from about 30 years ago reached out to say he and his wife were “in Cambodia” and asked “were we going to include Siem Reap in the visit?”: we jumped at the mention of it! We had discussed going there, with our tiny knowledge of the scale of the ancient remnants there but thought we couldn’t do it justice in a few days. But something we have learned, over and over again, is that knowing a local always enhances the experience and shouldn’t be dismissed lightly!! And Connor prodded us along with “You won’t regret it”! We quickly pivoted our plans to include this gem of South East Asia and reacquaint with a previous student of Deb’s.

Entering the airport we had our eSIMS activated, eVisas and eArrival forms completed and approved, and once out of the airplane the familiar smoke smell of forest, brush and slash fires hit our eyes, noses and throats.  It was like Bangkok but with a wood fire smell. We found out later this was not forest fires but a combination of burning fields, burning wood to cook on primitive stoves, burning garbage including a lot of plastic, and heavy smog. An assault on the nasal passages unlike anything we were used to. Long term affects unknown or unpredictable, at least.

Connor arranged for Bonfoo, a local taxi driver, to pick us up. “You will recognize him, he will have the biggest smile in the whole airport!” And what an impressive airport! Glossy new with cavernous hallways and very few people. Bonfoo (and his unmistakable ear to ear smile) had our name on a piece of paper in case we weren’t that observant! We arrived at the Oasis Harbor hotel, on Connor’s recommendation, and dropped our gear. He and Kerry arrived shortly afterwards in a moto-remorque. A remorque, is the equivalent of a Tuk-tuk but in Cambodia it is a passenger trailer being pulled by a motorbike. Tuk-tuks differ because it is one 3 wheeled vehicle. We were shuttled away to tour part of Siem Reap night life and to dine in a cozy French bistro called Somaha while Ratha, our driver, relaxed nearby. We hedonistically reconnected in the trendy Gastro Bar with Connor and his partner Kerry. Our dinner was a “safe to eat menu for tourists” of perfectly seasoned steak tartare, duck salad, ceviche, and grilled eggplant plus cold beer and delicious cocktails on our palates for under $25 per person. That was a splurge!

 After dinner we cruised by Pub Street, Siem Reap’s party street, with music blaring, food carts everywhere and people of all ages out to party the night away. 

Our hotel was truly an oasis. By including a jungle forest in the space between the rooms and the pool, the air was considerably cleaner. We slept well and next morning Ratha was ready to show us his history. 

I want to introduce Ratha. He and his wife have a family with three grown children. His English is basic with a heavy Cambodian accent, (much better than our non existent Cambodian) but from what we could make out, his children are getting educated. A daughter in university, and his son a pastry chef in Phnom Penn, the last in grade school. His oldest is learning English and Chinese as these are the two most important languages for business. He charged us $20USD to drive us everywhere, all day. He proudly showed us a picture of his oldest in her graduation frock. Ratha’s remourque is the opposite of luxury airconditioned travel buy motor-coach. This “coach” bounds along the road with no seatbelts and little to no springs and shocks, it is an immersive experience that we loved! Waving or giving a gentle “toot toot” of the horn while navigating intersections, passing or being passed by huge trucks, buses and scooters in random choreographed chaos that miraculously functioned to keep everyone moving “safely”. Hazmat particulate masks should be mandatory but the only protection we had were Sunglasses for our eyes from the smoggy, smoky wind as we zipped along. Ratha was Rock Solid!

First stop was to the ticket office. This large modern building with at least 20 glass framed wickets had a camera at each wicket to instantly produce a photo identifiable entry to all the temples and tourist sites. This building is also where official tour guides could be booked. 

Ratha gave us an icy cold water from his cooler and we were off to Angkor Wat covering 402 acres it is renowned as the largest temple in the world. It received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1992. Differing from other temples, it was oriented to the west making sunrise during the spring and fall equinox alignment significant to the lotus design cast by the shadow the central tower. We were expecting hoards of people to navigate through. Ratha took us to an entrance beside the lake-sized moat that encircles Angkor Wat that the throngs of tourist busses and hawkers avoid plus it was a shorter distance along partially shaded forest walkways sheltered from the 37 degree sunshine. There were not a lot of people to navigate so we could take our time ogling the detailed Khmer artworks that adorned the walls, spires and entrances. Nāga, the multi headed cobra, found on corners, entrances, and with Buddhas sitting on him, was present in nearly every view. Two long walls of the Angkor Wat were carved with detailed scenes of mythical battles including the Hindu/Buddhist story of Nāga and the churning of ocean to milk during a mythical tug-o-war between the gods and demons. (Google this epic legend it’s worth a read).

Nāga’s snake body became the “rope” in the tug of war and shows up in almost every temple and important places that we have visited to date.

Angkor Wat was built in the 12^th century as Hindu/ Budhist temple in the Khmer capital and eventually became the kings mausoleum. Over the centuries it was abandoned. In the 20^th century it was restored as a tourism destination and received it’s UNESCO World Heritage status. It now brings a whopping 2-3 million visitors a year. 

Ratha waited patiently as we climbed, took way too many pictures and eventually got back in the remorque. And we were off to Banteay Kdei. This former monastery temple was buried for centuries when a French conservationist discovered it and became involved in resurrecting the ruins in the original technique. While much of the temple was a pile of rocks, the parts that were resurrected showed the once present grandeur often with trees embedded in them.

The approach to these temples often had a group of men playing traditional instruments. As we got closer we realized they were landmine amputees aiming to earn their donations with dignity. Well honestly, who can walk by that!!!

Ta Prohm next. This temple became famous when Angleina Jolie played Lara Croft in the movie Tomb Raider” in 2001. While there were many very cool trees hugging the ancient ruins, the amount of decimated rock walls spoke to the amount of effort that was used in building these temples and in resurrecting them.  We were not sure these ancient trees were indeed helping or hindering the structures.

Ratha was so proud of these temples. A grand ancient history mired by recent wars. We were exhausted. Templed out!! We asked to go back to the hotel to nap, then to get ready to go for dinner at Connor and Kerry’s place. Ratha waited. 

Connor and Kerry rent a new, fully enclosed 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with a pool and staff for about $800US/month. Through his cheffing career he has met people from around the globe and on one occasion reconnected with a Vancouver buddy who has moved to Siem Reap. He wanted to cook dinner for us and we couldn’t say no! 

His chef notes “mise en place list” describe the 12 course menu we were honoured with. The darkness did not enhance the photography. Sorry.

assorted breads and flake salt butter

green tea – milky matcha on ice

duck spring rolls, peanut sauce- peanut butter and black garlic vinegar

amok-cambodian streetfood vegetable curry, lemongrass, galangal, coconut

watermelon (frozen, thin sliced), brie, cashew, balsamic, evoo

asparagus, egg, rouille, truffle furikake

seared fois gras, corn salad, garlic chili

cockles, prawns, fresh green peppercorns, bisque (shrimp coconut), croquette

water buffalo burrata, green mango, manuka honey

yak yogurt, pandan cake, mango, apple, mint chiffonade

birdnest cookies, freeze dried strawberries, macarons, milo truffles (no photo)

Wow, we were so blessed. And chef made it look easy! But the counters were built for Vietnamese 5’6″ not 6’6″. Then he had a dip in the pool and relaxed his back!  Ratha came and picked us up. Long day for us. Longer for him. Day 1!

12 hours later Ratha swept us along the Grand Circuit road towards Banteay Srei but he said we must go see Pre Rup first. “So boo-tee-ful!!”. Whisked along we passed busy markets and many pit fires with spit pigs and something else we would discover later as sugar making. 

Now off to Banteay Srei. Nope, you must see Banteay Samre, “So boo-tee-ful!”. We obliged. And yes, it was a ruined beauty, beautifully broken. I took one picture. Al took a few more. And we were off. 

Now off to Bateay Srei? Yes.

This Cambodia temple was dedicated to Hindu gods Shiva, the destroyer, and Parvati, Shiva’s consort. Every surface was intricately carved in red sandstone with Khmer legends. But the popular belief it that Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women, was so-named due to the devas, dancing women, that decorated every column and the walls of the buildings. Ratha was right, this one was (impossibly) more amazing. 

Now we could go see the stuff we missed the day before. We asked Ratha to take us to the Landmine Museum and one of the Killing Fields museums. 

The landmine museum was built by Aka Ri with the fundraising help of Canadian Journalist Richard Fitoussi. In 1975 Aka Ri, at age 5, was taken from his family by the Khmer Rouge. He was a child-soldier fighting for the many different armies that ravaged Cambodia. When the fighting stopped, he went back to the villages where he had laid some of the millions of incendiaries scattered throughout Cambodia.  His work digging them up and diffusing them in his home was interesting to visitors, so he began charging $1 to show tourists his work. This assisted in his mission to spread awareness and make the land safe again.  In the 1990s he opened a museum but still went digging up landmines every day. At one point the government shut him down as they worried it would be bad for tourism. Then they assisted him in unarming all the devices as the positivity around his mission was important. One particular tourist, Richard Fitoussi, stepped up and filmed a documentary, which assisted in them forming an NGO fund and the rest continues. They now have rats doing a lot of their work. Children don’t play catch with unexploded bombs like they used to. Injuries, amputations or deaths each year decreased from 800 in the year 2000 to under 30 in 2024. Not perfect, but better. And Aka Ri goes out diffusing more every day. 

Ratha had different ideas about our next stop. Sweet!! As he was driving and we were taking it all in, we noticed palm trees with long bamboo poles attached to the trees. We also noticed large clumps of palm fruit that didn’t look like coconut but were definitely a palm fruit.

Mystery solved as Ratha zoomed into a roadside one stall market selling hand loomed scarves, sugar and palm wood items.  He explained that the men go up these bamboo ladders with bamboo containers that collect the sap from the stamens and flowers of the tree. Once filled they are then brought to a large wok and a fire gently simmers the nectar until it is a thick syrup. It crystalizes and is put into molds and sold. We tasted the fresh nectar and we bought the sugar. While there we saw a woman weaving a scarf. We asked how long to make one. One per day. We bought 3. We also bought two woven basket containers of sugar and a jar of fresh cashew nuts lightly roasted and salted and still in the papery skin. We left a big tip to help the kids go to school and left spending $25. 

That was it, we were done. The heat, the smog, the full brains that come with so many sensory experiences. Overload. We got back to the hotel, had a swim and ordered burgers and beer delivered from Grab, (like Uber), and watched videos on our phones for the evening.

Ratha picked us up at 11:00am and we headed for the Angkor National Museum. This museum is probably best seen before going to the temples as it tells the stories of the kings, the Hindu and Buddhist Gods, and brings it all into a sequential focus. Or maybe seeing the temples first helped bring all of what we had seen together at the museum. In any case, the museum spit us out 4 hours later and Ratha was waiting.

We wanted to go to the Killing Field and do a bit of shopping, plus we said no temples. Our museum brains were FULL. But he had other plans. “So boo-tee-ful!!” 

First stop was a roadside bicycle food seller with sticky rice cooked in bamboo. We would not have known to stop. He explained that the rice was soaked in pond water. Uh oh! Then rinsed and mixed with coconut milk and black beans it was put in a big pot and steamed for 15 minutes. Then she loaded it in her bike carrier and was flogging it roadside to all the remorque drivers and locals on scooters. It was delicious. And filling. All I could think of was, “who grows bamboo at home” that I can get some from, and make this? NB *no post consumption trauma to report from either of us.*

This stop was on the way to Angkor Thom. This 12^th century city was the 400 year site of the last capital of the Khmer Empire until it was sacked by the Ayutthaya empire. The Thai’s. The towers and walls had enormous smiling faces that research reveals resembled the king who built it. We perused the amazing carved walls and headed back to the remorque.  It truly was “so beautiful”.

Ratha said we needed photos at the gate. We had travelled through 3 huge gates already and he pulled over as the setting sun was hitting “the best one”. He wasn’t wrong. 

On the way back to the hotel he zipped into the entrance to one of 388 killing fields in Cambodia. The genocide of over 1.5 million people, though estimates vary, approximately  10% of its people. If you were educated or were able to fix anything, you were dangerous and therefore destroyed. Oh man, we were so tired. And the emotions of looking at the sculls of children staring back from where they were murdered wasn’t sitting well. We passed. But we got out at the Cambodian /Vietnamese War Memorial. This mausoleum dedicated to the identifiable locals who were lost. 

Back at the hotel we regrouped and headed to Raffles hotel for a Singapore Sling in the Elephant Bar. It was March 2, but technically March 1 in BC and the 3rd anniversary of the day my dad left this world. In 1998 ish, when he sailed his homebuilt sailboat around the world, he pulled in to Singapore and went to Raffles for a Singapore Sling. It was $42USD so he opted for a beer at $10USD and regretted not having the iconic Sling. So we did. In comparison with Singapore, we could have 3 for the price of 1 at $14ea. And we toasted him. We met Connor and Kerry and drank too much. Our last night in Siem Reap.

Ratha delivered us home safely! We texted Bonfoo to take us back to the airport the next day.

On to our next stop, Hoi An, Vietnam. We are about half way along this epic adventure and the places are outstanding all along the way! Thanks for coming along for the vicarious ride. We have lots more to share with you.