Angkor Day 0
The Angkor temples are locted near Siem Reap, a small city in western Cambodia. Though the most famous of these is Angkor Wat ("City Temple") the area is filled with structures of all sizes built during the Angkorian Empire (9th-14th centuries); one of the most powerful Asian empires of its time. Angkor Wat itself is the largest religious structure in the world.
We purchased a 7 day pass to explore as many temples as we could but we only managed about half of them.
Our first day at the Angkor temples was actually a night. We rented some bicycles and peddled our way up. Since we purchased our passes at about 5pm we were allowed up that night for a free sunset. Since everyone piles into Angkor Wat for about that time, we decided to go to the Bayon, located at Angkor Thom.
The Bayon was the state temple of King Jayavarman VII (early 12th century) and his successors. This temple passed through several religious stages in Khmer (Thai/Cambodian) history, from the pantheon of ancient Khmer dieties, through the adoption of the Hindu religion and finally to Buddhism.
The most intriguing feature of the Bayon are its numerous face towers. 37 remain standing but it is believed there were at least 49 in the original design. Most of the towers have 4 faces, placed at each of the cardinal directions, but some have only 2 or 3. At first I believed them to represent Brahma, the 4-faced god of creation from Hinduism, but the towers predate the adoption of that religion by the Khmer. Apparently the towers are the face of Jayavarman VII overseeing the whole of his kingdom. The shear number of towers and faces is awe-striking.
The number of restaurants in Siem Reap leaves you with plenty of choices, both western and eastern. What made the Forest Hut stand out was not only the excellent western and eastern foods (from fantastic margarita pizzas to Khmer Amok served in a coconut), but the friendly service.
Phalla (pronounced 'Paula') and Sakoon work their every day, along with the owner, Vanna, and are welcome to not only serve you fabulous food but to help you with your Khmer language skills. The restaurant is one of three adjacent places, with the Forest Hut being the one in the middle. This location has an added advantage as you wont have to fend off children trying to sell things while you eat.
Prices are average for Siam Reap, but take advantage of the combination meals. For $4 you can get a drink, large greek salad and a full margarita pizza, plenty of food to share. There are also combination meals with Khmer food, including spring rolls (fried or fresh) and curries.
Tell everyone Rich and Megan from the US said hello.
