Siem Reap Day 2: Angkor Wat

Previously:
Siem Reap Day 1 (Part 2): Pub Street

Just before 4 am we already left our hotel with Tuk Tuk that we booked in advance.  As we want to make it watching early morning sunrise in Angkor Wat.  We need to make a brief stop at Angkor Wat ticket booth to get our passes.  There are a few range of passes from one day or three days or even 7 days passes to be used in consecutive days.  The one day pass that we got cost us $20.

When we arrived, people were there already waiting for sunrise

We didn't join the crowd waiting that orange Sun to pop out, hence we explore the inside temple first when still not much people in there.  Then by the time we were out from the temple, we still can see those beautiful orangey reflection of the Sun with the magistic Angkor Wat background.

Apsara statue

Golden light

Beautiful morning sun with Angkor Wat as a backdrop

Brilliant artists are around trying to capture those beauty with hands

Take away breakie from hotel

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Angkor Archaeological Park:
Siem Reap Day 2 (Part 2): Angkor Thom, Bayon, And Ta Prohm 

Siem Reap Day 1 (Part 2): Pub Street

Previously:
Siem Reap Day 1: Golden Butterfly Villa, Siem Reap

From our hotel, it only takes about 10 minutes normal pace walking to Pub Street.  This famous one long street in Siem Reap is full of pubs and bars.  Very hustling bustling with all the light and music.  There is a night market located in the next door as well.  Not only getting chill out with some beers but you can also buy some souvenirs and keep our tummy fill up from those street food stalls too.  Very lively place, vibrant and full of energy, however we left pretty early just before 10pm as we were getting old and keeping our energy for tomorrow morning sightseeing.

Fruit juice stalls

kebab for only $1

$1 kebab

For some of you may wondering that nearly all of the price tag in Cambodia are in US Dollars.  That is absolutely true.  Although Riel is their main currency, but USD is highly accepted around the country, including in some random local restaurants in town.  Therefore, it doesn't matter if you didn't exchange money into Riel and just use USD instead.

Apsara dance show on the second floor of Temple Balcony pub

Red tequila set $10

Crocodile pizza $9

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Siem Reap:
Siem Reap Day 2: Angkor Wat

Siem Reap Day 1: Golden Butterfly Villa, Siem Reap

Previously:
Phnom Penh Day 2: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison) And Choeung Ek Killing Field

It took about 6 hours journey by bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.  Again we catch the Mekong Express Limousine Bus from there.  They picked us up from our hotel around 7:30 in the morning and arrived at around 2:30pm.  It costs us $13/person.  The Siem Reap bus stop is only 6 km away from our hotel in Siem Reap.  We then need to catch tuk tuk ($4).

Welcome drink and complimentary banana chips

Complimentary 60 minutes massage voucher,  city map and other information - what a nice compliment

Our room for the next two nights

A must watch - the Killing Field movie

We spent the rest of our afternoon cozily inside our hotel room, while watching The Killing Field movie and enjoying the in-room dining.

Mango salad $2.75

A choice of grilled chicken or pork or shrimp to be served with green mango, onion and carrot and topped with Khmer sweet and sour sauce.

Khmer Lok Lak $2.75

Traditional Khmer soup with pork $3

Mudslide cocktail - Kahlua, Baileys, Amaretto, Milk

Golden Butterfly Villa, Siem Reap
Stung Thmey, Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap
Tel: +855 (0) 9264 6439, +855 (02) 7055 8737

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Siem Reap:

Siem Reap Day 1 (Part 2): Pub Street

Phnom Penh Day 2: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison) And Choeung Ek Killing Field

Previously:
Phnom Penh Day 1: Mekong Express Limousine Bus And Angkor International Hotel

We grab one of Tuk Tuk parking in front of our hotel.  With $20 for a half day trip to Toul Sleng, Choeung Ek and Central Market, it was totally alright with us.  And luckily, we got a great guy as well.

So many dust in Cambodia, we well prepared

OK, roughly a brief story about why do we need to visit this Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or more known as S21 prison?  Not so long ago, around 1978, there is this cruel guy called Pol Pot.  He established a group called Khmer Rouge, which then he used to accomplish his dream and goal, to conquer this country.  He killed (I mean he leads his organisation to kill) more than 2 millions people in Cambodia.  All doctors, professors, and all those innocent people as long as you look smart, wear glasses, or be able to speak two languages are in their list.  Not only that, their whole family including newborn babies and women in their family root are also been captured.  Because Pol Pot has a motto (as I heard from the audio guide while I was in Choeung Ek),  " It is better to kill innocent people as a mistake rather than keeping an enemy as a mistake."  This sentence is still lingering in my mind.  How could a person be so cruel and heartless.

This place is originally a normal school.  On the day they raid the country, this Khmer Rouge took over this place and used it as a prison.  Once they captured those innocent people, they forcefully interrogated then sent them to the next place, which was Choeung Ek or Killing Field.  The people had been blindfold transported to Killing Field area by the truck.  The worst part was they thought they were going to be released.  As the area was too dark and they turned on a loud happy music to made them confused.  It was actually become their last place to be alive.  The purpose of turning on those loud happy music, is because they don't want to hear and let the neighbors hear those screaming or crying sounds.  What an evil things!

I do not want to spoil much of the story.  It is a really good experience, if you guys could actually see it by your own eyes.  By the way, to get the whole story about this history, you need to visit S21 Prison first, then followed by Choeung Ek or Killing Field.  I kinda understand like 90% of the story but once we watched the Killing Field movie in the hotel after we got back from this tour, we were fully understood everything.

Previously, it was a normal school

Torturing room

Choeung Ek or Killing Field

Here is The Killing Field, where it brought the tears in my eyes.  Most of everyone use the audio guide on their ears and slowly moving from one spot to another.  Very Quite and gloomy, no one smiling, some even crying.  There is also sign saying that we need to be careful when walking on the ground as some human bones are still scattered there, as it was too much and they still has not finished collecting them all.

This hole is used to pile up the body (died and half alive) of thousand of women and kids

This huge tree, in here where I couldn't stand my tears.  They used to smash the kids (below 3 years old) by the tree and throw them away.  Most of the killing are done by using any equipment beside guns.  You could see from the head fractured and for the babies and kids, they are pretty tiny and light so they just grabbed them by the leg and bang them with this spiky big tree for an easy killing.  Gun is so expensive therefore they use whatever tools in there, as so much people they need to kill.

After visiting those sorrowful places, that I have learned so much after today.  The tuk tuk driver took us to one of the restaurant, called tuk Tuk Cafe to have our lunch there.  Another great yummy Cambodian meal we had.  This time we had been recommended to try this local soup dish, Khmer Samlor Machu Krueng.  It is a savoury sour soup with slightly spicy.  You could choose fish or beef to be served with kangkung (morning glory).  Very refreshing, we could smell a strong turmeric spice in the soup and a thick texture from coconut milk.  It is another menu to be added on my favorite food lists.

Grilled Pork Rib with steamed rice $3.75

Grilled Pork with steamed rice $3.75

Khmer Samlor Machu Krueng Soup $6

Central Market

Tuk Tuk Café
38A Street 350, Phnom Penh
Tel: 012687285


Stay tuned for the next blog in Siem Reap:
Siem Reap Day 1: Golden Butterfly Villa, Siem Reap