Day 4: Siem Reap

We are out of the hotel early to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Chantha goes over our game plan.

The sky brightens, but the show's not over yet. Tourist jockey for position as they wait for the sun to rise over the towers of Angkor Wat.

Since we've seen most of Angkor Wat the day before, we move on to other temples after the sunrise.

Bayon

Angkor Thom (meaning "Great City") is a walled complex containing many temples and sites. It was once the capitol city of the Angkor empire. Bayon is the central temple within Angkor Thom, built in the 12 century. The upper terrace of Bayon is filled with towers with the faces of an aspect of Buddha, or possibly the king who built the city. Possibly over 200 faces once existed.

The jigsaw puzzle waiting to be solved.

Baphuon

Baphuon is a three-tiered temple and you can see a vague outline of a 70 meter reclining buddha on the back of the temple.

The Elephant Terrace

The Elephant terrace is part of the Angkor Thom complex and is where the king would stand and look out on to his army. The walls are decorated with carvings of parading elephants, riders and other animals.

Angkor Thom - South Gate

The south gate of Angkor Thom is the best preserved with 54 figures on each side of the causeway. The ones on the left are guardian gods holding the head of snake and the ones on the right are demons, holding the tail of the snake (again with the snake imagery!) illustrating the Hindu myth of the 'Churning of the Sea'.

A closer look at the demons' side and some big big toes!

Each day after temple touring, we find our feet just coated in red dust. Post-temple activities: a good foot washing and an Angkor beer.

We visit the Angkor night market, a maze of stalls, looking for souvenirs.

For about a dollar you can also have a fishy pedicure. Little fish eat the dead skin off your feet.

We look for dinner in the Pub Street area where all the tourists are.

For dinner, Khmer soup! A sweet and sour soup with fish, tomato, pineapple, onion, bean sprouts, winter melon, and egg served with rice. Also, grilled frog anyone? Barbeques line the street with these grilled goodies. SF is right, they taste like chicken with a hint of seaweed.

© Amy Lee 2013