| The Airport | | | | course all done by hand. Walking in and out of some |
| For those of you who travel, most will agree that | | | | of the temple chambers allowed me to get an up |
| airports don't garner oohs and ahs or even | | | | close and personal look at a wonder of the world. |
| compliments from those passing through. Well, I am | | | | Again, I can't imagine the Cambodian government |
| here to tell you that the very small, two room Siem | | | | letting people freely walk around. The foot traffic is |
| Reap airport is an absolute jewel. Built in a minimalist | | | | just too great. Yes, I know, no one was there when I |
| style with smooth dark stones and richly colored | | | | happened to arrive, but, I have a feeling that I was |
| woods, it is truly a breath of fresh air in airport | | | | lucky. |
| architecture. If it was the lobby of a luxury hotel, I | | | | A word about the bazaars that populate the areas |
| wouldn't have blinked and would have been just as | | | | just outside the Wats. You will be surrounded by |
| enthralled. You know you are somewhere special | | | | people trying to sell their wares. You can get |
| when you arrive someplace and get very excited to | | | | inexpensive t-shirts and the like at these places, but for |
| see the city beyond, just based on the airport. Silly, I | | | | the most part the souvenirs are the same |
| know, but in this case, I was not let down. | | | | everywhere, so if you are looking for cheap gifts, |
| | | | these road side markets are the places to do that For |
| Siem Reap is a bustling town with grand hotels going | | | | nicer object d'art, there are a number of galleries in |
| up in every size and shape, but none over four stories | | | | Siem Reap's "bar town," which I will write about in a bit. |
| so as not to block the sunset of Angkor Wat!! Nice. | | | | After a late afternoon lunch of vegetables and fish for |
| Airport road, which is the main thoroughfare that runs | | | | about $3, I got back in my tuk and headed over to |
| from the Airport to Siem Reap and its environs | | | | Angkor Wat, which I was very much looking forward |
| seemingly has one hotel project after another breaking | | | | to.. and I wasn't let down by any means. The amount |
| ground. Some are quite large resorts with Khmer | | | | of people at the temple was disconcerting, but Angkor |
| architecture, while others are sort of a hodgepodge of | | | | Wat is just so majestic, I was not going to be |
| styles and looks. The road is better dubbed hotel row. | | | | thwarted in getting to the sanctuary itself. God, this |
| Once in town, there are a wealth of hostels, inns, | | | | place was immense. And so indescribable. I almost |
| hotels and true resorts to choose from. I stayed at the | | | | cried. It was a weird sensation. I always wanted to |
| Hotel De La Paix and have to say it was one of the | | | | travel to Cambodia and to be more exact, Angkor |
| best hotels I have ever stayed in. See article on Hotel | | | | Wat. I'd read about it growing up in my travel |
| De la Paix at . Among the hostels that I saw and | | | | anthologies that I used to read and in the Asia travel |
| thought were quite cute were Mom's Guesthouse, | | | | newsletters that my dad subscribed to. I've gotten |
| Happy Guest house and the Villa Siem Reap. There | | | | close many times when I traveled to Thailand and |
| are countless guesthouses and hostels in Siem Reap, | | | | Vietnam, but there were always extenuating |
| so check out as on source of advice. As for hotels, | | | | circumstances that prevented me from going. Back in |
| there are a number of 4 and 5* truly luxurious resorts | | | | the 1990s, it was the fighting that was still taking place... |
| to stay at that rival and beat many of their brethren | | | | and only about five or six years ago was it safe to |
| around the world. The aforementioned, Hotel De La | | | | truly travel around, although tourists have been visiting |
| Paix (in Siem Reap town), the huber posh Amansara | | | | for many years at that point. As I walked through the |
| hotel (just a few steps from the center of town) | | | | first gate you realize just how big the Watt grounds |
| where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed only a few | | | | are. Acres and acres of grass other monuments lead |
| days prior to my arrival in Siem Reap, Le Meridien | | | | to the central Wat that is Angkor Wat. |
| Angkor (about 1 kilometer from the town), Sofitel | | | | The steps at the Wat are worn to a beautiful patina. |
| d'Angkor (1 kilometer from town) and Le Residence | | | | The walls are massive and the carvings beautiful. In |
| (about 1 kilometer from town). These last two hotels | | | | most spots you can touch the walls and feel the |
| are quite large resort properties. For a more intimate | | | | history...and also the bullet holes that pierced many of |
| stay there is the 4* FCC Angkor hotel that is set in the | | | | the walls during the war. When I arrived at a very |
| former French Ambassador's residence. The hotel's | | | | steep stairwell leading up to the central gallery of the |
| restaurant is one of the best and outdoor dining is a | | | | tallest most inner tower I thought of the pyramids of |
| must should weather permit. Then there is the 75 year | | | | Chitzen Itza, Mexico where my brother when he was |
| old plus Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor (centrally | | | | very young climbed up to the top, but couldn't climb |
| located) and one of the most revered hotels in Asia. I | | | | back down. We laugh about it all the time, but now, I |
| remember reading about this hotel when I was | | | | wasn't laughing. These were steep and narrow stairs |
| younger. It sounded so regal with the world's social elite | | | | and while I am not afraid of heights, I don't like the idea |
| meeting in her restaurants to wine and dine. When I | | | | of slipping and falling backwards. Needless to say, I |
| went for cocktails, I was taken with the sense of | | | | didn't travel all this way not to make it to the top of |
| history, but I must say that I was not overwhelmed | | | | one of the most iconic architectural wonders! I climbed |
| with the public areas. The hotel is pretty for sure, but | | | | and climbed and didn't look up nor back. I just focused |
| there was definitely something missing for me. I was | | | | on the steps. When I made it, I felt triumphant and |
| talking to a hotel guest and his wife from Hawaii who | | | | exhilarated. The view was glorious. I just wish there |
| came to the Raffles for their honeymoon. They | | | | weren't hundreds of other people up there with me. |
| stayed in a deluxe suite and asked to change rooms | | | | But I have to say that everyone was equally as awed |
| twice before settling into a room that wasn't "worn | | | | and excited to be there. Now, going down was |
| around the edges and looking all of its age." | | | | another matter. One could either have waited in a 35 |
| The WATS | | | | minute line to climb back down using a chain link |
| Money is pouring into this small part of Cambodia as | | | | stairwell or simply climb down the impossibly steep |
| are tourists, en masse. There is no doubt in my mind | | | | grade with no wait at all. Of course, others in my party |
| that in ten to twenty years, there will be no one | | | | simply skipped down the steps as if it were a game. |
| allowed to walk within the Wats themselves, viewing | | | | Me, I waited and waited and waited...and couldn't have |
| them from a distance unless the number of people | | | | been happier. I can't wait to go back. |
| admitted is severely curtailed. To put it simply, these | | | | A tip or two: bring handy wipes since your hands will |
| awe inspiring, mind numbingly beautiful creations, some | | | | be filthy as will your clothing, bring bottled water and |
| built by man over 1000 years ago are crumbling faster | | | | very comfortable RUBBER SOLED walking shoes or |
| than at any other time. Sure, it has to do with global | | | | sneakers. You will definitely find yourself slipping if you |
| warming an changing weather patterns, but millions of | | | | have anything other than rubber on your feet. |
| hands touching the walls of these wats as well as | | | | AFTER THE SIGHTSEEING |
| climbing up, down and around them have definitely | | | | PUB STREET (SIEM REAP) and PUB STREET |
| taken there toll. I even saw a number of places where | | | | ALLEY |
| the walls of many of these wats are covered in | | | | Talk about being in a small town in Cambodia and the |
| vandalism, which is so disturbing on many levels. | | | | first thing you hear coming out of a bar is Donna |
| I can't adequately describe the feelings I had when I | | | | Summer's McCarthur Park. The world is not that big. |
| first stepped foot into the first temple at Angkor Thom. | | | | The now famous and some would say infamous Pub |
| You can see these architectural wonders on TV and | | | | Street is a few blocks east of the "old market" and is |
| in many of the glossy travel magazines, but seeing | | | | a two block area that is cordoned off to all cars and |
| them in person is overwhelmingly powerful. | | | | motor bikes. These are small walking streets and |
| After getting a Wat pass, good for 24 hours and up | | | | quaint side alleys, jammed packed with restaurants |
| to, in my case 2 temple complexes, (cost was $40 | | | | (French, Thai, Cambodian, Indian, Italian, etc...) art galleries |
| US) I took a 15 minute tuk tuk ride from my hotel to the | | | | and bars of every stripe. From raucous shot bars to |
| first of several Wats. We passed up Angkor Wat | | | | more sedate and upscale piano and jazz bars. I had a |
| because I am told that it is better to visit later in the | | | | great time walking around and taking it all in. Most of |
| day when it is less crowded. When we did motor past, | | | | the bars and restaurants don't start getting crowded |
| there must have been thousands of people, no | | | | until say 5 or 6, but if you want atmosphere, go around |
| exaggeration, all around the massive complex. | | | | 9 or later. Some stay open very late. There are |
| We proceeded to Angkor Thom which was | | | | always tuk tuks to take you back to where you are |
| mesmerizingly beautiful. It looked like a land of the lost | | | | staying. |
| set, being that it was built in 1295. The nice thing was | | | | Some fun bars and restaurants: |
| that there weren't a lot of tourists clamoring for photos | | | | Ivy bar |
| or anything else for that matter. I truly had a chance to | | | | Martini Pub |
| take everything in. | | | | The Temple Club |
| We then drove about 25 minutes to Banteay Srei | | | | Angkor What |
| which was the oldest Wat that we went to, built in the | | | | Linga Bar |
| 10th century. It was small in comparison to the other | | | | The Red Piano Restaurant |
| Wats that we saw, but visually stunning. The reds and | | | | Karma Sutra Restaurant |
| oranges of the stone shimmered in the sun. It was | | | | One advice: Beware of the Happy Herb Pizza. It is |
| eerily quiet when we got there and it gave me the | | | | what it sounds like. |
| opportunity to sit and look at the carvings that were of | | | | Have fun, travel safe. |