After settling in at our hotel, we ventured out to see the ruins of Beng Mealea, which is a very cool temple about an hour outside of Siem Reap. We saw lots of interesting and crazy things on our way there! We should also note that we arrived in Cambodia on the day of national mourning for all those who died in the bridge stampede in Phnom Penh. Although reportedly a few bars and clubs were closed for that evening, everything else appeared to be business as usual in Siem Reap.
Just around the corner from our hotel we passed by a wedding reception. We never saw the bride and groom, but here are a few of the party-goers (we assume that the happy couple are featured in the very large framed portrait next to the door):
A few minutes later, we got a real taste of how commerce is conducted in this little part of Cambodia--a live pig being transported on the back of a motorbike! Poor fella (gal?) was kickin' them hooves! Too bad they didn't put him out before the bike ride.
Throughout our trip we have seen insanely large things (and numbers of people) on motorbikes. Family of four? No problem, just slap the kiddos in between the parents. Or just throw one of the tots on the handlebars! (All joking aside, the little ones on the motorbikes, sans helmets, is terrifying!) So far, the runner up to the Hog is the guy in Vietnam with a full-sized refrigerator (!) strapped on its side on the back of his motorbike. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with my camera! Next time I have a Craigslist purchase that does not fit in the 4Runner, I'm throwing that sucker on the back of my bicycle!
The countryside is amazing! Lots of beautiful rice fields.
Rice!
Common sight on the side of the street:
Drying rice on the roadside:
The food on this trip has been amazing. Lots of great curries and interesting dishes. Other than my usual weak traveler's stomach, so far we've been okay health-wise, albeit pretty careful about what we'll eat! We stopped at this joint right outside the temple for one of the best meals on the trip--and under $5 to boot! We both had something we've never had for Thanksgiving lunch before--curry!
As we arrived at Beng Mealea, we encountered this sign, a reminder of the recent history from which Cambodia's modern tourist infrastructure is emerging:
Some of the amazing temples in the Siem Reap area were inaccessible until only very recently because of the dangers posed by landmines. But with the help of many different countries, these sights are now safe for visitors. Our driver in Cambodia said that while much of the country has now been cleared, mines have been left along borders with Thailand and Vietnam for security.
Just behind Angkor Wat (more on that tomorrow!), Beng Mealea was one of our favorite temples. Although not much is known about its history, it was basically a smaller version of Angkor Wat and built about the same time as its more famous neighbor. Tree roots growing through the sandstone blocks used to build the temple have caused much of it to fall. But that was part of the fun--scrambling over the toppled walls, Indiana Jones style! We had a guide of sorts in an official-looking uniform who seemed to pick us up when we walked in and helped us navigate through the ruins, but people are basically free to go where they want. No way this would ever be allowed in the US!
One of the many libraries:
Gigantic spider! 100 points to anyone who can tell me what kind it is!
In this and many other pictures, you can see where the trees have taken over the temple.
After relaxing at the hotel pool for a bit, we finished our first day in Cambodia with Thanksgiving dinner at the Sugar Palm restaurant. The curry from earlier in the day knocked my stomach for a loop, so I only had a few noodles, but J liked his food.
Awesome crispy spring rolls:
Beef curry:
After nodding off at dinner (still adjusting to the time change!), we were off to bed early. We had a busy next day planned--Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in the morning, a visit to a fishing village in the afternoon, and sunset boat ride at the Tonle Sap Lake.
[Side note: as I write this post from the open-air lobby at our hotel in Krabi, Thailand, the piano singer in the martini bar just off the lobby has been belting out a high-speed version of "Killing Me Softly" (which I'm sure she's screaming just to make sure she's heard over "Big Yellow Taxi," which is playing in the lobby.) She's now singing "Hey, Jude," and I could almost swear that she's singing it to the tune of some unrecognizable Christmas carol...or maybe that's just me hankerin' for some Christmas tunes! Can't. Take. Anymore.]
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