A month in Cambodia in November 2024 (page 3 of 5)

It's a great idea to explore Angkor by bike... but do they have e-bikes?? 😉 I really loved Prasat Ta Prohm with the trees embracing the stones. Beautiful sunset photo, Marie Jo 🙂

Friday, November 22nd. I’m heading back with my bicycle—I loved the freedom of wandering at my own pace. The ride there is really pleasant. This morning, I start at Angkor Wat, arriving at 8:45 AM. There are a lot of us who’ve arranged to meet up here—actually, *way* too many.

In a word: **MAGNIFICENT.** Beautiful sculptures adorn the walls, lintels, and pediments. The Devatas and Apsaras number over 2,000, each with unique costumes, jewelry, and headdresses.

A stunning eight-armed Vishnu statue.



Gorgeous bas-reliefs depicting the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata stretch across entire walls—meters and meters of breathtaking artistry.

It’s incredible, but there are way too many people to fully appreciate it. I’ll come back another day in the late morning.



It’s 11:30 AM, so I hop back on my bike and pedal to the Bayon. You can’t miss it—the faces decorating the towers are visible from afar. This temple is magical and mesmerizing.



Here, too, there are beautiful bas-reliefs stretching for meters.



Just look up to see those captivating faces.



I continue my visits—Thommanon is just 3.5 km away. Yesterday, I rode right past it and forgot to stop. I’m going way too fast on my bike!! I pause at one of the gates—they’re extraordinary, too, with their faces.

The Thommanon temple isn’t far from the gate. It’s a Hindu temple.



Quick lunch break near the Terrace of the Elephants. Checking my guide and map, I see that Prasat Khan is only 3 km away.

"but do they have e-bikes??" but no, I pedal 😉 and I loved it, and if I had to do it again, I’d do it all over. Ohh, I saw your photos—the lion families are so cute. It must be so moving to see all those wild animals. You must be dreaming about them at night after all those encounters.

It’s way more impressive than the Ta Prohm temple. You’ll also find those huge silk-cotton trees with their sprawling roots.







On the way back, we stopped at the Terrace of the Elephants.





The sky clouded over, and just as we arrived at Angkor Wat, a little shower unfortunately showed up right at sunset.

Ohh, I saw your lion family photos—they’re so cute! It must be so moving to see all those wild animals. You must be dreaming about them at night after all those encounters.

Yeah, I love seeing animals, and working on my travel journal makes me really want to go back to Africa

Saturday, Nov 23. I booked a day of tours to Banteay Srei and five other temples on Booking—it’s my first time. At 8 AM, a driver picks me up at the guesthouse, and we head to the shuttle lounge. By 8:30 AM, we’re on a minibus with five of us for the tours, plus the guide and driver.

We start with Banteay Srei, 40 km away.



Banteay Srei, which means "Citadel of Women" or "Citadel of Fortune," is a Hindu temple.



When we arrive, it’s already crowded. The temple is stunning—small in size but uniquely rich and refined in its sculptures. This is where Malraux tried to steal a bas-relief in 1923.



The pediments are intricately carved, featuring Shiva holding his trident and Parvati mounted on Nandi.





Here, elephants are pouring water over Lakshmi.



On this one, you can see Indra on the elephant Airavata.



The sanctuaries.



The sanctuaries are also richly decorated.



The guide rushes through the tour, and I’m always lagging behind—I don’t have time to enjoy it as much as I’d like. We move outside the temple, and the guide takes us to a viewpoint over rice fields and a pond with lotus flowers. Then, he leads us to a shed displaying photos of the temple. The guide tells me the visit is over, and we head back to the minibus. I’m happy I got to see it but disappointed by how fast it was. If I ever return to Angkor, I’ll spend a whole morning here. It’s extraordinary. Michel Petrotchenko’s *Guide to the Temples of Angkor* is essential for recognizing all the sculptures.

One last look at the sculptures: - At the top: Shiva and Parvati on his lap. The god stabilizes the mountain with his right foot. - Below: hermits; to their right, a woman praying. - Below that: a row of Orans with animal heads (lion, elephant, birds, horse). - Ravana with multiple heads and arms; animals fleeing on the sides.

It’s an open-air museum and one of my favorites.

We’re heading to Pre Rup Temple, an imposing brick pyramid with several tiers.



The stairs are steep to climb up.



At the top, the central tower is surrounded by four other towers.



It’s time for lunch. We’re continuing to Preah Khan Temple, which I’ve already visited—seeing it again isn’t a problem.



The beautiful silk-cotton trees







The Hall of Dancers

A little further on, Preah Neak Pean



A walkway along a large basin leads us to the sanctuaries surrounded by small pools.

We continue to Ta Som with its face tower at its entrance.





Impressive, these invading trees





And we finish at East Mebon Oriental.



A beautiful lintel with Indra on a three-headed elephant here too.



Mission accomplished. Angkor is magical, huge, captivating—I love it!

Sunday, Nov 24 Morning at the museum. The visit is interesting. Many Buddhas are on display, standing or seated in various meditation positions.



I continue through the palace gardens and the colonial-house district, visiting a pagoda.

A pain in my lower back and down my thigh flares up (sciatica?), but I still need to go to the market to pick up some souvenirs. I’ll grab lunch before heading back to rest.

Still such a pleasure to see these ancient sites. But I’m surprised by the crowds you ran into! Back in early January when we went, there weren’t nearly as many. Was there a special event going on?

"Was there anything special going on?" Nope, nothing special except for my arrival 😏—though I’m actually super low-key 😎

Monday, November 25th. Taking it easy, I’m not in any pain, so I hop back on my bike. I pass by Angkor Wat, then the gate with a photo stop. I love this gate—it’s so photogenic.



Watch out, I’m being watched!



I’m not the only one stopping here.



I pass by the Bayon and stop in front of the Baphuon, shaped like a pyramid.



A beautiful avenue lined with columns leads to a structure.





A little further toward the Terrace of the Elephants is Phimeanakas, also pyramid-shaped.



And the Royal Palace.



This afternoon, I’m trying out a massage at a specialized school for deaf and blind children. The school is on the road to Angkor, just outside Siem Reap. The massage is really relaxing. Later in the afternoon, like every day, a shower rolls in before sunset.

Tuesday, November 26th. Last day in Siem Reap. I hop back on my bike and head to Wat Bo Pagoda. It’s a complex with several monasteries, a school for monks, living quarters, and beautiful gardens. I set off for Angkor again—I know the route well by now, and I really enjoy these rides. I return to Angkor Wat as the tour groups are on their way back. The visit promises to be quieter and more pleasant. There’s practically no one left, making the experience extraordinary. The devatas all have different elaborate hairstyles.











The lintels above the doors are also remarkable.







On my way out, I go in search of a small eatery and spend the afternoon wandering among all these incredible sites. Bye bye, Angkor Wat.

Wednesday, November 27th I’m leaving Okay GH with a pang in my heart after an excellent stay. At 7 AM, a minivan picks me up to take me to the pier about ten kilometers away.

I board a boat—not very big, with a bench on each side of the hull. There are about twenty of us, mostly tourists. They also load cartons of supplies that they’ll drop off in the floating villages. The crossing takes 6 hours to Battambang.

Navigating the Tonle Sap. At first, we pass through mangroves via narrow channels amid water hyacinths.



We cross paths with canoes from the floating village residents, which creates waves that lightly splash us.



We pass through several floating villages or stilt villages.









We pass near Chinese fishing nets, always impressive.

A boat does school pickup—

it’s a very unique way of life here. We make a lunch stop at a floating eatery. Many of us buy mangoes there—they’re delicious. We arrive in Battambang at 2 PM. The ride was pleasant and didn’t feel too long. I take a tuk-tuk to the Lotus Blanc homestay. You have to cross the whole city to get there. The room is small—quite a change from Okay GH. I spend the late afternoon walking to the market, 2 km from the GH.

I pass by a bakery with beautiful cakes in the window—my sweet tooth can’t resist.



I stroll along the promenade by the Sangker River, where stalls and street food set up. Locals come to do some exercise, like everywhere in Cambodia.

I meet a tuk-tuk driver, Samuel, who offers his services for tomorrow afternoon. We’ll meet at the same spot near the market. I have dinner at Coconut Lyly restaurant. The menu is printed on a bottle, and the food is good.

Thursday, Nov 28. This town is so peaceful, and I spent the morning wandering around. On the women’s balancing path, they walk barefoot over the pebbles on the ground. I tried it—it’s pretty painful! They move slowly, rolling their feet carefully, doing the circuit once forward, once backward, and then sideways. I gave it a shot, but it’s pretty painful—I didn’t even finish the whole circuit.



Here, no one travels empty-handed either.

Originally the walk on the pebbles, Marie Jo! Is it to get a foot massage?

I arrive early at the meet-up spot, Samuel is already there, chatting with one of his colleagues. We leave before 1 PM and head toward the countryside. We pass by rice fields, some plots are already harvested.



Samuel stops by a lotus flower farm. He breaks the stem into several pieces and extracts silk thread. The fruit is edible, and the sacred flower is used in temples.





A little further on, we try *krama*, a mix of sticky rice, red beans, and coconut milk, all cooked in a bamboo tube over an open fire.





We cross a bridge; on the river, fishermen in their canoes cast their nets. On the bank, women sell fried snacks. We reach the market where *Prahoc*, a fermented fish paste made from freshwater fish (catfish), is produced. Impressive amounts of fish are unloaded from trucks.

Inside the warehouse, women cut the fish and place them in brine in large drums. They’re stored there for a whole year!!!



After a year, you get a (strong-smelling) paste with a bold flavor, but I didn’t try it—though it’s very popular with Khmers.

yeah, but it’s not a relaxing massage—it really hurts.

We continue our journey, and I discover rice paper or rice sheets drying in the sun (sâmbâk naèm) on frames. These are the sheets used for spring rolls.

First, you need to soak the rice (broken rice) in water for over an hour. The soaked rice is then ground, and water is added to create a liquid mixture that is drained.



The cooking is done on a nylon mesh stretched over a pot of boiling water. This is women’s work. They spread the batter on the mesh just like we make crepes. Using a spatula, they lift the sheet and place it on a plastic tube mounted on a turntable.



A man takes the tube and carefully spreads the still-soft sheet onto a frame lined with bamboo slats, which will dry in the sun for several hours.

Once dry, the sheets become warped, so they’re placed in large baskets over a steam bath for a few minutes to soften and flatten them.

Further on, dried bananas are drying on bamboo slat tables. Two women slice thin pieces of banana and place them on a sheet.

Once dried, the bananas are packaged in bags and put up for sale. Now we’re heading to a house where they distill rice alcohol artisanally, or Choum-choum.

The process has three steps: - First step - Make a yeast mixture with rice, chili, ginger, garlic, galangal, cardamom, coriander, star anise, long pepper from Battambang, and Kampot pepper. All these ingredients are pounded and mixed with strong rice alcohol. A ball is formed and dried in the sun. A piece is added to the alcohol for 3 days, then left in the sun for 2 weeks for fermentation. - Second step Cook the rice in a vat for 3 hours. Dry the resulting paste on a table, then mix it with the yeast. Heat it and let it ferment for 4 days.



- Third step: distillation



These visits are really interesting and enriching. Along the way, I visit a pagoda. We head to the Prasat Ek Phnom temple. At the entrance, there’s a huge Buddha statue. The temple is in ruins.



Back to the Battambang market. Last meal at the same restaurant—great hospitality.



I really loved the peaceful vibe of this town and the afternoon spent with Samuel.

Friday, November 29. Departure at 9 AM from the GH, a tuk-tuk picks me up and drops me off at a bus. This bus is very comfortable. It drops me off at 10 AM in Sisophon at a parcel warehouse. An employee takes care of me and calls a tuk-tuk that comes to pick me up and drops me off at the Botum Hotel ($15). I settle in quickly and hire a tuk-tuk to visit the Banteay Chhmar temple, the little Angkor lost in nature.

It’s a complex of temples and ruined sanctuaries. This place, surrounded by vegetation, is mysterious. We’re near the Thai border. You have to follow walkways to move through these ruins. I’m the only visitor.



Beautiful bas-reliefs, apsaras, sculpted blocks not yet assembled but numbered, and collapses make this place fascinating and enchanting.



Here, you can also find a well-preserved face tower.



Outside, the walls are covered with magnificent bas-reliefs in very good condition.



A monster devours a buffalo. The driver and cart won’t be far behind in suffering the same fate.



On a door lintel, a scene depicts Brahma in the center, to his left a Brahmin plays the harp, between them a sage (his head was stolen), and to his left, a hunter has pierced two cranes with an arrow.



Churning of the Ocean of Milk.



On a terrace, a combination of Naga-Garuda like at the Bayon.

A little further, the sacred reservoir of Banteay Chhmar.



What a discovery!!! Ending my trip in Cambodia here is magnificent!!

Saturday, November 30. The journey from Sisophon to Poipet is in a car transporting a lot of goods. Crossing the Cambodian and Thai borders goes quickly. At the exit, I look for a bus to return to Bangkok. A man accompanies me to the agency. I wait nearly an hour for a minivan to arrive. We finally leave around 11 AM, arriving in Bangkok at 4 PM. The driver drops us off on a busy avenue, and I have to hail a taxi. The first one refuses, but the next one accepts. I’ve booked a room at the Easy Sunday Khaosan GH in a very lively street. I’m so glad to have arrived. The room is simple and clean, and the welcome is very friendly. End of the trip.