CAMBODIA TALES 1999
December 1999 - Trip overview
The rich heritage of Cambodia's glorious
Angkorean past was the main focus of my latest visit to Cambodia
although the popular Aussie-run Walkabout Hotel in Phnom Penh was
my first port of call on arrival. I rounded off the day with a
return visit to the refurbished Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and a
leisurely wander through the busy aisles of the Russian market. Day
two in the capital started
early with a moto trip over the Japanese Bridge with Choy to one
of my favourite spots, the peaceful Chrouy Changva Peninsula and
onto Prek Leap and the VVAF Rehabilitation Center at Khien
Khleang. After lunch, armed with Ray Zepp's indispensable 'A
Field Guide to Cambodian Pagodas', I visited half a dozen of the
capital's Buddhist wats that I'd not been to before, namely
Srachak, Putgosachar, Piphoat Rangsey, Neak Kawann, Twai Donkum,
Sampeou Meas, Preah Put and then stopped at Wat Than to see the
disabled workshops at close quarters in the company of the
Director, Hay Kim Tha. My third day in Phnom Penh included a 100
kilometre round-trip by moto to re-visit the well-kept temple
ruins south of the capital at Tonle Bati, Prasat Neang Khmau and
Phnom Chisor. A return to the National Museum and its superb
collection of sandstone carvings and statues whetted my appetite
for a scrumptious evening meal at the Special Rice Crust
restaurant.
Two hours in an air-conditioned bus along
the best section of road in the country (Route 7) and I was now
in Kompong Cham.
In my two days in the city, I stayed in the Mittapheap and Ponleu
Rasmei Hotels, both of which were clean and tidy. Soon after
arriving, I hooked up with motodub Sam On and made the short trip
to see the interesting Wat Nokor, an Angkorean temple
incorporated into a modern shrine, and the nearby hills of Phnom
Pros and Phnom Tet Srei, with their pagodas, monkeys and pleasant
views. The following day was a memorable 100 kilometre moto trip
over the Mekong river and along Route 7 to visit the 8th century
Chenla capital of Banteay Prei Nokor, although the real highlight
was a visit to Sam On's home village of Trach, a few kilometres
from the ruins, to meet his family and the rest of the village.
My meals in Kompong Cham were at the Hoa An and Kompong Cham (in
Veal Vong village) restaurants. An early start the next day and a
two-hour share-taxi ride along Route 6 brought me to my next
destination, Kompong Thom. I booked into the Neak Meas Hotel, chatted to the
friendly Manager, Se Eth, walked around the town and market and
dined at the Arunras restaurant. The following morning, a 7am
start by moto with Sokhom to visit the extensive 7th century
temple complex of Sambor Prei Kuk was the beginning of another
remarkable day. Getting to and from the temple site was half the
fun and the three groups of temples in varying degrees of
disrepair (above) made the uncomfortable journey really
worthwhile.
Phnom Santuk, 980 steps and an eclectic
collection of shrines, carved Buddhas, great views and an active
monastery was our early morning destination on the Sunday. I
returned to visit a few modern wats around town, played
volleyball and became the guest of honour at the hotel's 2nd
anniversary party alongwith 250 invited guests representing the
cream of the town's commercial hierarchy. Next day and a bumpy
five-hour pick-up truck ride via Stoung and Kompong Kdei to Siem
Reap was rounded off with a long, hot bath at the Freedom Hotel.
A week in Siem Reap and at the Angkor temple complex began in
earnest the following morning, with a sunrise visit to Angkor Wat
(right). The rest of the day was spent at the Bayon with the
Japanese government team for Safeguarding Angkor (JSA), Ta Prohm,
Preah Khan, Prasat Prei, Banteay Prei, Krol Ko, Neak Pean and
sunset at Phnom Bakheng. The next day was similar with another
Angkor Wat sunrise and then onto Prasat Kravan, Bat Chum, Banteay
Kdei, Srah Srang, Ta Prohm, Ta Nei, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda,
Preah Pithu and the North and South Khleangs. In the afternoon,
my motodub, Saran and myself had great fun locating and
discovering the temple of Banteay Thom before ending the day at Angkor Wat and
Phnom Bakheng.
An early morning trip out to Banteay Srei
with some Khmer friends and then onto Banteay Samre, Ta Prohm and
Angkor Wat, preceded an afternoon session in Angkor Thom at the
Elephant and Leper King Terraces, Tep Pranam, Preah Palilay, the
Royal Enclosure and pools, Phimeanakas, Baphuon and finally the
Bayon again. After watching my third sunrise at Angkor Wat, I
took a boat trip for a couple of hours out onto the Tonle Sap
lake to visit the floating villages, returning via Wat Athvea to
spend the afternoon at Angkor Wat. The weekend began with an
early departure by pick-up truck, with Khmer friends and a large
picnic, to the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen with its giant reclining Buddha, riverbed
carvings, temple ruins and waterfalls. Sunday was another
particularly memorable day with a moto trip to the rarely-visited
temple of Beng Mealea, in an overgrown and ruined state forty kilometres
east of Angkor (left), accompanied by the temple conservator and
a handful of soldiers, returning via Chau Srei Vibol, another
off-beat temple ruin away from the main complex. My main
companion for these two days was the irrepressible Sok Thea
(pictured below), a knowledgeable and enthusiastic friend who
helped my week fly by without a hitch.
My Siem Reap
adventures complete, an intended three-hour speedboat trip to
Cambodia's second city, Battambang, across the Tonle Sap lake and along the
Sangke river actually took five hours when the driver lost his
bearings. Ek Phnom, an 11th century ruin was my first port of
call and I rounded off the day with visits to more modern temples
at Peamek, Kdol, Slaket, Ruol Daun and Piphit. The following day,
Philay, my motodub and myself took off early to visit the ruins
of Wat Snoeung along Route 10 towards Pailin, before doubling
back to explore Phnom Sampeou's caves, shrines and killing fields
memorials and then onto Phnom Banan, an 11th century five-tower
ruin on top of a hill with glorious views over the surrounding
countryside. The city museum and main market caught my attention,
as did Wat Bassaet's ruins the next day, set in the grounds of a
peaceful modern pagoda and nunnery. Returning to the city, I
visited the modern wats of Norea, Balat, Sophy, Po Khnong, Po
Veal, Kandal and Sanker before retiring to my hotel, the
comfortable Teo Hotel. An RAC flight back to Phnom Penh the
following day (I couldn't face the nine hour pick-up truck
journey) almost brought my fifth visit to Cambodia to a close,
except for a return moto trip across to Chrouy Changva and a
chance to wind down aided by a visit to the Seeing Hands massage
centre at the National Centre for Disabled Persons HQ.
This is a very brief overview of my latest adventures in Cambodia. I know that the memories I have from this visit will live with me for a long time to come. The friendships I forged made my visit immeasurably better than I could've wished for and I have published more extracts from my latest travelogue to give you a better insight into my trip.
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