Journey to Cambodia – Journey of Reflections (Part 2)

Day 3 – Rest & shop

We were all a bit worn-out from the long day yesterday and decided to take it easy on the 3rd day. In the morning, we were watching TV programmes on cable TV and DVDs that we could borrow for free from the guesthouse. A little about the guesthouse that we stayed in at Siem Reap, called Rosy Guesthouse. It’s a small, cosy guesthouse with a very homely feel. At the ground-floor, there’s a pool table, darts board, books and DVDs which guests can use FOC. There’s also a small bar and café. At the 3rd level, there are sofas and hammocks, which overlook the river, where guests can hang out and relax. There are several types of rooms available, from the budget bunk-bed, shared toilet kind of rooms to family suites. We stayed in the family suite. Each suite can take 3 people and comes with air-con, cable TV, DVD player and ensuite bathroom, all for the cost of US$20 per night. The rooms are spacious, clean and the facilities are quite new. I would highly recommend it for budget-conscious travellers who want a comfortable rest-area at night.

In the afternoon, we took a 20 min walk along the river to the Old Market where there are rows and rows of shops selling a wide variety of stuff. From food (cooked and fresh products eg meat, vegetables and fruits) to clothes to souvenirs to books, you can all find them here. We had quite an interesting time bargaining for our products. In the evening, we walked over to the Night Market. The Night Market is very small and very nice compared to the Old Market. All the stalls in the Night Market are in individual hut-like structures. Looks very neat and beautiful but at the same time, too ‘touristy’. I prefer the Old Market where locals and foreigners all crowd together under one roof.


Day 4 – Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei & Floating Village

Kbal Spean is about 50km away from Siem Reap and it takes about 2 hrs by car to arrive. The last 45 mins of the journey is along a dirt path and very bumpy. I have never been more glad that I’m sitting inside an air-con van because the plants along this dirt path were all caked with a thick layer of red-mud (Imagine a ‘clay-dified’ me if I was taking a open-air tuk tuk on this path). After arriving at Kbal Spean, it takes about ½ hr (~1.5km) of uphill trek to reach the destination, which is a spectacularly carved riverbed.

Kbal Spean is an elaborately carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle. It is commonly known as the ‘Valley of 1000 Lingas’ because the ancient Khmers have carved reportedly around 1000 linga images into the exposed stone riverbed. The linga is a simple phallic shape, the symbol of the god Shiva and his powers of creation. They probably served a purification purpose. In addition to the lingas along the riverbed, there are bas-relief carvings in many of the boulders along the stream. The carvings end in a small but pretty waterfall that apparently was once used as a ritual bathing spot by the king. -> Info taken from http://asiaforvisitors.com/cambodia/angkor/angkor-wat/kbal-spean.php

Carvings of Shiva and his mount, Nandi

Carving of Vishnu on the rocks by the upper cascade

Lingas (the round shapes) arranged in formal patterns; aligned to the compass

More lingas. Can see why this place is called the 'Valley of 1000 Lingas' right?

I'm not sure who this carving is depicting but i think it's very gracefully carved

A mini Kbal Spean waterfall

Although it was a long and tiring trip to Kbal Spean, I still think the visit was worthwhile. The combination of the water and the carvings, in the middle of a jungle, gave the whole place a very peaceful, mystical, beautiful and marvellous feel.

Banteay Srei
It took another 45 mins along the bumpy road to get back to Banteay Srei. Banteay Srei is considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it is cut from stone of a pinkish hue (the guide we had on the 2nd day told us that when the craftsmen cut the stones from the mountains, they will put aside those that are pink, so imagine the number of mountains that have to be cut before enough pink stones are accumulated to build Banteay Srei). Banteay Srei is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in stature. Many of its carvings are 3-D, well-preserved and are the finest seen anywhere on the planet. -> Info taken from Lonely Planet, Cambodia.

Lonely Planet’s description may sound a bit exaggerated but Banteay Srei is really lovely and charming. It’s my personal pet favourite among all the Angkor temples too. There are exquisite carvings on every inch of the temple (except the ground). And the pink stones give the place a very lovely, lady-like and pretty feel. In fact, the name Banteay Srei means ‘Citadel of the Women’ and it is said that it must have been built by women as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the hand of men.

See? I'm not kidding when i say every part of the temple, except the floor, has carvings.

I'm really impressed by the intricate carvings and can just spend a long time looking at the details of the carvings.

In the evening, we visited the Floating Village of Chong Kneas. To get around the floating village, we have to take motor boat. This is a village complete with shops, restaurants, schools, neighbours, hospital, police station and a basketball court (all floating of course). The interesting thing about this floating village is that it moves depending on the season. During the wet monsoon season, the rains overfill the Mekong River, causing the Stung Sap to reverse its flow from Phnom Penh back a hundred km into the Tonle Sap swelling the lake from 3000 sq km to over 13,000 sq km. So, between the wet and dry season, the children may row their boats to school one day only to discover that their school has ‘moved house’ overnight.

A mobile, floating convenience store

The boat-homes

A very cute boy and his mum who was trying to sell a bunch of bananas to us. We just couldn't resist his charming smile. Btw, the "thing" around his neck is a real snake!

Sunset from the boat over the floating village

Reflections from my visit to Angkor Temples:

1. Cambodia is a country with a very glorious past and also a very tragic recent history. I think one important factor that determines the progress of the country is the person taking the leadership. The Angkor temples are the long-standing representations of the good, righteous and caring past Kings of Cambodia while the Killing Fields and the poverty of the people are painful reminders of the cruel, ruthless leader – Pol Pot. Our tour-guide told us that most likely, the craftsmen who built the Angkor temples were not given payment. They probably did it as a show of respect for their religion and King and as a show of gratitude for the ample shelter and food that they were having at that time. Contrast this to the stories of Cambodians who were full of fear and always hungry during the reign of Pol Pot. The importance of having a fair, far-sighted and compassionate leader cannot be more emphasized.

2. The guide told us that the Khmer culture was at its peak during the Angkor era, after that the artistic aspects of Cambodia just keep going downhill. Isn’t this a reflection of impermanence? Nothing can stay constantly at the top no matter how supreme it may be. May sound depressing but actually, not so. Based on the same theory of impermanence, nothing will constantly go downslope as well. There’s always hope and potential for Cambodians to recover and even progress in terms of their artistic capabilities. I’m looking forward to seeing an even more majestic ‘Angkor Wat’ in Cambodia.