“When you walk, be careful ; when you sit, thoughtful ; when you lie, meditates ; when you're angry, examine.” Cambodian proverb

On Saturday 3 February, a little before eight in the morning we are in the hall of Lucky Hostel, Meanwhile shuttle pickup for Sorya bus to Siemreap, east of Battambang. At the rate the country, the shuttle comes at a time when the bus should go, and half an hour later we are surrounded by Westerners out for about four hours away interspersed with a break.

Siem Reap A bus plunged into a backyard ground gutted, a tuk-tuk is waiting for us to take us in a quiet area where the charming manager Angkor Sweet Home welcomes us. A real guest house with only a few rooms, we are alone on the top floor and we rest a while the bus ride before renting bicycles for a dollar to get us downtown.

Siem Reap River

Street food on Pokombor Off.

We thought at first visit part of the Angkor archaeological site by bike. But given the state and size of our frames, we start looking for a scooter rental. We stop to question a Western on a motorcycle, it turns out that it is a French who regularly comes in Cambodia. It confirms what we had already read : it seems that renting scooters to tourists is illegal now in Siem Reap – following the numerous road accidents. But near the old market, we find a travel agency before which several parked scooters with a large sign "Scooters to rent". Ten dollars a day, retention of passports as usual - because here it is for you to pay for repairs on the scooter when necessary and in case of theft, your passport is probably a bargaining chip by the owner - the man still indicates a high street we get to Angkor, the police are more present on the main road.

We have to buy our tickets for the next day - tickets are on sale on the site but a ticket on the road 60, next to the Angkor Panorama Museum, open from 5h to 17h. From 16:30 it is possible to buy tickets for the next day. We break up, Mr. returning ask her bike to fetch the scooter, I pedaled north. The ticket turns out to be much more than what we thought and I arrive just before closing, I only rode for nothing ! It takes a picture of each visitor to be edited on the ticket. Évidemment j’ai récemment vidé les médias de mon téléphone pour faire de la place, too bad we will rise early tomorrow, back to square one after a good ten kilometers by bike. The Cambodian traffic ? Even more afraid !

Vers Pub Street

Pub Street

We come out and we install a scooter along the river to enjoy our favorite dishes : good, copious, cheap, served by the stands on the roadside. We returned after a walk in the street of bars and restaurants so tourist it is called Pub Street.

The next day we slowly leave our hostel just before five am, ticketing management where there is already the world queuing to multiple counters. Photographed barely awake and relieved of $37 each - for a day, $62 the ticket three days, $72 for 7 days. We literally freezing on the scooter – yes it can be cold in Cambodia – We continue north on a secondary road to Srah Srang, a basin where the sunrise could be worth the glance. We do not know because having observed under the first light of dawn the landscape crew we decide for the crowd of Angkor Wat.

Aube right Angkor Wat

Lever de soleil sur Angkor Wat

So yes you have to be prepared to see so many people stuck together so early in the morning ! There are two pools before the temple and the right with a less interesting angle for photographs as fewer people - whatever I almost like it sensed that side, there are fewer tower renovation. But trying to ignore the jokes-tourists offering souvenirs and breakfasts we approach the southwest corner of the left pelvis, surely the best view to see the sun break the tips of its rays between the towers of the temple, the latter reflecting in the water among the lilies.

Singe à Angkor Wat

Breakfast at Angkor

We had a simple plan free information the center of Siem Reap - at the ticket and after everything is paid - which are drawn both known circuits. The breakfast takes you through the main temples, the large includes about five more. Most people visit Angkor Wat after sunrise and begin the tour in the direction of clockwise. To try to avoid the big crowd, we forgive before visiting Angkor Wat and go in reverse ... !

We return to Srah Srang and we give a big breakfast before driving to Ta Prohm, Temple of the late 12th century “built during the reign of Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university under the name Rājavihara (the royal monastery)” – nous this Wiki, known for its alternating stones and d & rsquo; trees, whose roots are invading places.

Devatas ?

Tetrameles trees

The work of archaeologists on & rsquo; whole site is awesome. We see on the floor around the temples still stand multiple pieces of this giant puzzle history. Notably about the site, compared to e.g. Sukhothai in Thailand, it is so big that Cambodians live in & rsquo; interior… At least they had probably already living here when the park boundaries were drawn. Through one end of town, we make a breakthrough to the east, history of a moment out of the box, to visit almost the only Hindu temple Banteay Samre dedicated to Vishnu the protector.

archaeological work

Banteay Samre

Back on the small circuit, we climb Ta Keo, whose construction began in the early 11th century s & rsquo; stop is seen by the & rsquo; accession to the throne of Suryavarman I in 1010, after a nine-year war against the king in place, Jyvirwarmn.

At the top of Ta Keo

Sras Srei à Angkor Thom

We pass under the door of Victory, fifth gate Angkor Thom input, royal city built during the reign of Jayavarman VII, last great king of the Khmer Empire 1181 around 1218. It seems that all the temples of the site are surrounded by ramparts, generally open to the four cardinal points. Within the walls of Angkor Thom, we drive to the former site of the Royal Palace and walk on the terrace of the Leper King, The most interesting is not on the terrace where a statue – Finally, a copy, l & rsquo; original is in the National Museum of Cambodia – which nobody seems to be d & rsquo; no agreement on & rsquo; identity, nor on why his name, but are linked below where multiple reliefs depicting the Hindu pantheon : serpents nâgas, Garuda bird-men and other mythical creatures.

Serpents Nâgas

Under the terrace of the Leper King

On the same line, more to the south, is the Terrace of Elephants, named by its bas-reliefs along the three hundred meters of wall to a height of & rsquo; between three and five meters.

Terrace of the Elephants

Elephants reliefs

Next door we walk a while in the forest surrounding the Baphuon, built around 1060 to the glory of Shiva the Destroyer, that we look at from the outside, there are more and more tourists swarming the walls and begin to be a little tired stones and sun.

Baphuon

Puzzle Khmer

We hesitate to Bayon, central temple of the city and dedicated to the Buddha, which is awesome to see from the outside and also we decide to pause face its many faces, enjoying the shade of fruit juice : banane et pitaya.

ubiquitous ruins

Faces of Bayon

Between noon and two we wander in Angkor Wat, enjoying this little world - including organized tours are on lunch break - that allows us to reach the summit without waiting until forty-five minutes tail announced ! Lovely view of the surroundings from the tower of the temple.

Detail d'Angkor Wat

central shrine of Angkor Wat

It's been over ten hours we are on the site when we come out of Angkor Wat, determined to return to the hostel for a late afternoon rest after a tour of the market and two new dishes tasted : Coconut fish for a, peanut rice for each other.

In the shadow of Angkor Wat

Tourism at Angkor

For our return south we wanted to take the Giant Ibis bus in the night of Monday,, the good reputation so that there is no place two days before. We book with another company, the extremely poor reputation : Virak Buntham et nous décidons pour réserver tous nos futurs hébergements car comme pour le bus notre prochaine destination – Koh Ta Kiev – est remplie ! Too bad for the island, we will stay on the coast.

Marché aux fruits

Vieux marché de Siem Reap

Waiting for the start of the night bus, we spend a Monday morning in the room, working among others on the photos for this article. At noon we make the key and return to the market to eat the same small restaurant yesterday, fort sympathique et aux multiples choix : I taste the vegan version of a local dish, le Khmer Amok. We take our last hours of scooter for a ride outside of town that seems more populated than Battambang. After making the scooter in the late afternoon, we wander back into the market, buying some clothes. After sipping a beer by the river we return to the hostel where our clothes are being dried. New, our amiable host, let us take showers and chatted with us until the bus arrives. It is almost 20h when we we pile in tight bunks where we will try to sleep during the fourteen-hour journey. Monsieur ayant commencé une mini-série dans le précédent article, je le laisse vous raconter la suite de notre nuit folklorique !

Following our mini-series : “In the bus”…

 

Episode hectic this epic night.

Like all Cambodian bus, it also takes off with half an hour late. Filling the bags in filled compartments chock, I decided to take my cab guitar before that & rsquo; they fold me in two to make it go !

We try berth, a few top clamped in length, the bus leaves Siem Reap, most people already sleepy.

 

first stop… It takes a little, on attend, puis “Clang, Clang et Bim, Bam”, the bus is rocked from side to side as the drivers, probably unofficially, decided to go big five massive doors over luggage, both say that I & rsquo; was glad my guitar dangling in the cabin !

I go smoke a cigarette with two Latvians died of laughter and people half asleep wondering what happens. We leave at the end of & rsquo; another half hour.

 

second stop… The door does not want to s & rsquo; open ! We watch them try for ten minutes, wondering or & rsquo; we landed, but it n & rsquo; is that the early evening.

 

We drive for about two hours effective, Bus s & rsquo; stops again, What is going on ? I go down, pee in the night, then I see a guy on the bus going to bolt in the engine, failure d & rsquo; oil, OK.

The little guy knows his job, So time & rsquo; classic waiting, we leave happily, most people sleep through.

 

One last stop, provided this time, pause cheek – except that & rsquo; it n & rsquo; there no toilet, and m & rsquo; stopping in front of a bush, considering the small ditch full of rubbish too far, I do. A guy is beyond me, and stumbles up the slope literally tail between legs, at the time the & rsquo; we realize that & rsquo; in fact there is the & rsquo; water in the waste and leaves (eh yes, it's dark anyway), another passenger on my left is in up & rsquo; to size, poor people.

 

Before I also dark, I realize that the driver rolls still very, very quickly, I thought that this must be a BGV !

 

The rest of the trip goes well, puisque je dors jusqu’à notre arrivée dans Sihanoukville 🙂