Legend: Yellow green circles - temples we visited
Blue circle - Elephant ride
Red circle - lunch area
We decided to ride a bike going there because the thought of it was exciting. After breakfast, UA told me he just need to practice for 30 minutes to get the feel of the bike ( the first and last time he was able to learn and ride one was on his 25th birthday).
The hotel would provide you a free bike that has a basket in front. Just like this picture. . .
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| Thank you google for this :) |
But after an hour of watching him practice, with all the sweats on his forehead, exchanging bikes, offering him to let me carry his bag for him, letting him follow my lead, adjusting the seat. . . I decided to gave up the bike idea and get a tuktuk ride instead
According to Weejay ( receptionist of the hotel)
" he looks weird riding a bike"
The receptionist told us that Mom's house was quite far from the hotel so he got us another tuktuk driver for the day.
Let me blurt out how I HATE this tuktuk driver for these reasons:
1. He drinks the bottled water on the bucket provided for us2. His LAZY - he'll park somewhere far and wait for us where as for Mom, he was always ready to fetch us from the exit gate of every temple we visited
3. He drives really fast
4. His tuktuk is dirty. - he never cleans the trash such as empty bottles or cans that we often leave on his tuktuk every after temple visit.
Bayon ~ Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the King Jayavarman VII but after his death it was altered by Hindu and Theravada ( branch of Buddism that is known as "the Teaching of the Elders") Buddhist Kings according to their own religious choice and belief.
Outer Area North Side
The tuktuk driver dropped us off in this area and told us he would be waiting at the next temple.
Outer Area East Side
* Warning, some pictures might be too cheesy for you, I swear it was all UA's idea *
carvings - - - - - - - - - - - >
Describes a naval battle. It shows Cham warriors in a boat and dead Khmer fighters in the water.
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| closer look of the carvings |
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| carving is about a Khmer army on the march |
Behind us is a doorway that would lead you to the center area of the temple
Center Area East Side
These stairs are located at the east area of the temple, you could climb it for a better view of the whole temple
* Go to the other side (west) where another stairs is available that is not that steep compared to this one*
View from the top.
The breeze from the top was very nice. We relaxed for a few minutes, reapplied some sunscreen and just talked.
A Japanese also joined us who took this picture for us...
* Both of the stairs are very dangerous but if you have the guts to climb it up, make sure you also have the guts to climb it down*
UA met me halfway so he could carry my bag after he putted down his tripod at the bottom because I swear to God, I would have cried and asked him to rescue me
Center South Side of the temple
* at this side of the temple, we saw a shrine were we received our first blessing. They would tie a cloth bracelet while they would pray for you in a foreign language; with the only English words " bless your family"*
Center Area West Side
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| you think this was easy but you don't have any idea how I need to run and pose at different places in less than 2 seconds / shot |
* from there, you will find a doorway that would lead you inside the temple*
Walk your way through the small hallways going north again
Inside of the temple
Left: another shrine but we were not able to go near for another blessing because there was a prayer ceremony at the moment.Right: When we got to this spot, there was a couple of tourists with a tourist guide talking about this place. . .
The story: This used to be the queen's bedroom. One night, she sneaked her lover inside her room and they made love. Unfortunately, the prince saw the lover inside his mother's bedroom and killed both of them. - end -
* The thing about the right picture that hunted us most was when we tried to take a picture of me and UA together, all the pictures were blurry, clear ones are pictures of me alone*
Upper terrace
200 faces of Lokesvara ( "Lord who looks down") is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas)
* There are stairs that would take you to the second level of the temple near the queen's bedroom*
Home to the famous "face towers" of the Bayon where you could find four gigantic smiling faces.
It took us sometime to find our way out of the temple because of the confusing hallway. Finally came out at the North side of the temple but different spot where we came in.
From the moment we got out of the temple, we realized that we had to walk a long way just to get to the next one. Luckily for us, we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel.
* Tell your tuktuk driver to wait for you outside of Bayon temple, our lazy driver was waiting for us somewhere near South Kleng, relaxing and drinking our water *
Even if we had an umbrella with us, the sun was so hot it felt that it was literally burning our skin. UA's allergies were acting up again, rashes were very visible on his arms and neck ( until now, we were not sure if the allergies were caused by the cockroach, the lychee soda drink or the sunscreen that contained zinc oxide)
* Your patience would be tested from here because it is so hot both of you would be cranky and hot headed, but for us we were such a great combination, we transferred all out frustrations and hatred to the tuktuk driver*
After all the walking, talking to get our minds off the hot painful rays of the sun, we arrived at the area where you could eat lunch. My legs were killing me that time and we weren't able to take pictures anymore because I was literally falling asleep on UA's chest and my whole face felt it was burning.
Our Lunch: Fried Rice $5 , dragon fruit shake $3, some kinda beef $ 4, soda in can $ 2
* Food on this place are expensive since it is near a tourist spot*
There is a public comfort room near this area. I saw an American with her family climbing on the sink just to wash her feet and smiled at me and said, " I need to do this, I'm sorry but its so hot!!" ( I would have done the same but I'm too short to climb it).
After relaxing for quite sometime and laughing about an ugly guy staring at me, we decided to go to the temple that had the highest tower on that area.
Baphuon Temple ~ Built in the mid-11th century. 3 storey temple and was dedicated once again to God of Hindu, Shiva.
* You CANNOT ENTER this temple if your shoulders / legs are exposed. Bring with you another shirt, pants or scarf. *
Just follow the signs on where to go about, just be careful with the stairs because it is steep and small.
* Help your partner if you have an umbrella with you by going up the stairs side by side, in coordination *
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| white cloth from the picture: my scarf protecting UA's camera because it was freakin' hot |
The Terrace of the Elephants ~ used by Angkor's King Jayavarman VII as a place to view his victorious returning army. It was attached to the palace of Phimeanakas. Named after carvings of elephants on its eastern face.
UA asked me if I wanted to see the other temples but my feet was complaining again and I was so tired so we decided to LOOK once again for our tuktuk driver where the heck he was sleeping and told him we wanted to ride the elephants and see the "EPIC" sunset at Phnom Bakeng .
At around 3:30 pm, we started to line up for the elephant ride.
You need to pay $ 20 each for the ride.
* elephant rides are limited in a day, be sure your the first one in line*
You need to go up the stairs so you could get on the elephant's back.
The elephant was going to play with me but his master stopped him before it could touch me, too bad!!
The elephant ride was fun. It was playful, stopped for a couple of times to eat leaves, urinated and took a shit in the middle of the road.
We thought that we would fall from the cliff because we were swaying left and right the whole time
Phnom Bakheng ~ very popular for what they call "EPIC" sunset.
* Guards here are very strict, they won't allowed you to enter even with a scarf*
When we got there, their were a lot of people lining up to enter the temple but we observed that even if women wore a scarf around their shoulders, they weren't allowed to enter the temple gate. Me and UA tried our best to wrapped my shoulders with my blue and white scarf but still they didn't let me pass.
We were walking around trying to find some locals willing to let me borrow a jacket but before I had the courage to approached one, UA had the best idea in the whole world.
* okay so your facing the temple gate right, go right and follow the trail. This will lead you to the end of the steal gate that had an old abandoned building. It has a hole that would lead you inside the temple. The back area has stairs going up, wrapped yourself fully with a scarf and pretend your taking pictures of the back area of the temple ( NOTE: There is a guard sitting near the stairs)*
My heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to throw up. UA wrapped his arms around me because I was so nervous I can't even walk straight. He asked the guard if we could go up the stairs, the temple guard nodded.
We waited for 2 hours for this so called epic sunset at the top of the temple. There were temple guards walking around ( they won't allow you to use tripod) and there were designated places to sit. We observed some Koreans breaking the rules, sitting where ever they liked. One of them even took his tripod out and positioned it towards the awaited sunset and guards were calling his attention every now and then.
and then. . . the "EPIC SUNRISE". . .
What the @#$%^& right?! I swear to God if you ever visited Dumaguete City, you would see what sunset is all about.
At around 5:30pm, the temple guards told us that there was no epic sunset that day ( the hell!!) so we need to leave the temple before it gets dark. ( no street lights from the temple to the main road)
Before we left, UA took panoramic shots so that cheating on the guards and the 2 hours waiting would be worth the effort.
It was getting dark by the time we step outside the temple and the road going to the highway doesn't have any street lights
On the exit area, there were a lot of locals flocking and offering you to buy some souvenir stuffs, Books: $1, scarf $2-4
Once again the tuktuk driver was nowhere to be found. Luckily, UA found his tuktuk and we just waited there for him to appear so he could drive us back to the Hotel.
* On our way to the hotel, around 6:30 pm, we saw the clouds changing color ( red-orange-blue) guess that was the epic sunset and we missed it*
Upon arriving, we told the front desk that we wanted Mom to be our driver for the next day tour.
We decided to relax by the pool before a nice dinner and talked about the epic sunset.
UA wanted to take me to nice restaurant at Pub Street but on our way to Pub Street, 2 crossing before that street, we saw a sign called "Salon". This place was a local restaurant flocked with locals and foreigners. Nothing fancy about it, the place was made in wood with tables and chairs outside.
$1 - fried rice with vegetable and chicken
$ 2 - Soda in can
$ 2 - UA's all time favorite, dragon fruit shake
We were too hungry to take pictures of the said food.
After dinner, we walked our way towards Pub Street.
By this time, you would be able to familiarize with Pub Street. We decided to walk around trying to remember the markets that offered cheaper prices so we could come back the next day and buy things.
At Pub street: Hundreds of restaurants, bars, footscrub spa's, massage spa's and this. . . . . .
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Fish Spa :)
Fish spa is offered for $ 3 for 25 minutes and you could choose what drink you want to have with it: Red or white wine, Soda in can, juices, water and beers
I had Ankor Beer ( not delicious, not recommended)
While UA had a diet coke.
Fish spa is very ticklish for the next 10 minutes but after awhile you'll get used of the feeling.
They would wipe your feet for you after the experience and we left with happy relaxed feet.
More walking around Pub Street, looked for the Pharmacy / Convenient store and bought some junk foods and water,called it a day.
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