VIETNAM & CAMBODIA TRIP: SIEM REAP [2017.11.15-16]

Day 10

Angkor Archaelogical Park

On this day, we explored the Angkor Archaelogical Park. Since we have purchased our ticket the day before, we went straight to Angkor Wat at 4:45 AM. It was still super dark when we met our tuktuk driver outside our hotel.

I vaguely remember the places we went to chronologically (me and my 1 gig memory HAHAHA) but of course, I can remember that we went to Angkor Wat first, cause we were there to see the sunrise. We got a pretty good spot, but there were some thick-faced people who just wants to get in front. If you wanted to so bad, then you should have woken up early, right? Anyway, it’s so amazing waiting for Angkot Wat to come to light as it gets brighter. Unfortunately, it was gloomy that morning and there was no sun. It’s still a beautiful sight and I’m blessed to have seen this in person.

After coming to terms with the fact that there is no sunrise, we went to explore the rest of the complex. We didn’t get to go inside the day before so we had time to explore this time around. There are some areas that open much later and we wanted to get out of the Angkor Wat complex before it rains.

Sure enough, we were still stuck in Angkor Wat even if we tried our best to get out in time. We just ate some snacks while waiting for the rain to stop. It didn’t stop though 🙁 We decided to go to our tuktuk driver when it became a little bit weaker.

Our next stop was the Angkor Thom, which is another huge complex.

First stop is the Bayon Temple. Our tuktuk driver said that he’ll wait for us at the end of this complex. It’s a pretty huge complex and so of course, we wanted to see as much as we can in this complex. It’s just too bad cause it started raining. I think the bulk of the rain happened while we’re here. We were stuck for a long time inside and I actually fell asleep at some point. So Bayon is popular for the many face towers. I can say that King Jayavarman VII invented selfies HAHAHAHA. Way way before selfies were a thing, he already had his face carved on stone at the Bayon Temple – 216 times. HAHAHA. It’s probably the most interesting one, based on this fact.

Can I just say that even if there are rules posted outside the temple, some people just can’t follow these simple rules? We’ve seen foreigners yelling at their guides, when dude, this is a temple. You’re supposed to keep quiet. We’ve seen people going beyond the ropes and removing signs just to get a photo. Seriously. I don’t think you need to do all those things for a picture. You don’t need to disrespect the place.

Terrace of the Elephants – This very strategically placed rock (Maputik kase around that area so buti may tungtungan)

Chau Say Tevoda is one of the smaller temples (synonym: not crowded) so we had fun taking A LOT of photos here. It’s right next to another small temple, Thomannon.

It’s finally sunny! So good to see the sun after a few hours of morning rain.

Anyway, more photos of me LOL. I made this my runway LOL

We stopped by for some drinks in front of Ta Keo. I had iced coffee while Celine had some fruit juice.

And then it was off to Ta Prohm! I was excited about Ta Prohm because it’s famous for being the location fo Tomb Raider. Also, we were excited to do “Nyeaaaaam” videos HAHAHAHA.

Ok, so you know how scams are rampant in Southeast Asia, right? Tuktuk scam is popular in Bangkok, but here, they have people who volunteer to take your photos and tell you secret spots in the area, then asks you for some dollars after. They just probably want to earn some extra cash but maybe just be honest upfront? We already have a feeling that it’s how it will end and we ended up giving the guy some Cambodian riel, even if he was asking for dollars. He was helpful so we’ll give him that. ^^

Ang long legged legs namin dito HAHAHAHAHA

There are a lot of rubbles around Ta Prohm. I wonder if they still plan on using those for renovations around the temple.

Also in Ta Prohm, there are musicians who are victims of landmines. It’s so inspiring how they use music to still work even with their disabilities. If you have some money to spare, it would be best to donate them to these people.

This is pretty cool! The guy we met at the temple showed it to us. There’s a hidden smiley face in between the tree roots.

A video!

We didn’t make just one, but 4 “Nyeaaaam” videos. Hahahaha, we were both laughing so hard while recording these ;p

Took a break from doing “Nyeaaaam” videos to take a decent photo in front of this tree

Next stop is Banteay Kdei, which looks quite similar to Ta Prohm. Like a less-crowded version of it. That huge tree behind the temple is really eye-catching! When we got there, there were some people sketching the temple or the tree (or both?) which I thought was super interesting.

Srah Srang is a reservoir near Banteay Kdei. Our tuktuk driver calls it a swimming pool.

Our last stop for this circuit was Prasat Kravan. We thought it was one of the newer temples. But surprisingly, it’s one of the oldest ones – built in 921 AD.

We finished our Small Circuit tour at around noon. I think it’s just right cause we started at 4am. We had lunch at Buntha again and took a nap.

So pretty! <3 This is the Tonle Sap River.

My ticket 🙂 Must keep cause they check it sometimes in the different temples. I can totally pass as a Cambodian :p

We went out after sunset to go to Pub Street. We passed by some of the famous places like Temple Massage (where you get cheap foot massages) and Miss Wong Cocktail Bar. We went to Happy Pizza but we ended up not getting happy pizza, but actually had a normal meal. I’m pretty happy with my dragonfruit juice.

Dr. Fish Tank Foot Spa – We were supposed to do this the next day but then decided to try it anyway when we saw it on Pub Street. We met a cute Japanese guy HAHA. It was an interesting experience. It’s sooo ticklish. I couldn’t take the bigger fish. I was scared they’d bite off my toe or something LOL

A video!

After a very long day (and long nap) LOL, we ended our night with some swimming. The pool is only until 10pm and I think we went at around 9:30. A few minutes of swimming was a pretty nice way to end this day.

Day 11

It was our last day in Siem Reap and we also check out from the hotel at noon. We spent the whole morning in the room and just went around town after check out. After breakfast, we went swimming – again. Hahaha.

It’s so cute, they served us juice while swimming 🙂

Then packed our stuff, showered and checked out. We left our stuff at the hotel and then started our how to spend 8 hours in Siem Reap.

After checking out, we had lunch at Burger King, which is quite close to our hotel. Then we went off to find a place where we can get a message. Sure, foot massages are cheap but doing it for an hour isn’t really fun. We paid more than what was advertised on different websites but at least it was more than just a foot massage. I totally forgot how much we paid and the name of the massage place. I just remember they have complimentary mango and tea. ^^

After our massage, we went to Major Cineplex to watch Thor. Haha, we initially planned to watch a movie in Ho Chi Minh City but we ended up doing to here. I love this cineplex. The 3d movie only costs $4.5 so around PHP230, and you get to keep the 3d glasses. Come on! This is just a 2d movie in Manila, and the cinema is not even as good. Love cinemas in Cambodia!

After the movie, we went to find Blue Pumpkin in Siem Reap, which is just in Pub Street. We had an early dinner there and just hung out till it was time to leave for the airport at around 8pm. Seriously our fave tambayan!

When we were making our itinerary, I think we planned on some crazy nights but I’ve realized that maybe we’re too old for that. I’d rather take a nap or stay indoors than have a crazy night at a bar.

The hotel’s tuktuk driver took us to the airport and then we were off to our flight back home! Sad that my 12-day vacation is over but till next year! 🙂