Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Angkor Thom

After Angkor Wat we asked Roh to take us to Angkor Thom, just up the road a bit

The bridge entering Angkor Thom is lined with statues, some of which are being reconstructed


Then we saw some monkeys on the road and Roh stopped for us to get some pictures... They were very acclimated to humans coming close so they approached us or let us approach them


Chris got some bananas and they all came! 

Angkor Thom, this was probabaly my most favorite temple of all Angkor Wat we saw
The ruins were just so vast and so incredibly beautiful 






Something about these faces were all knowing and all powerful... The pictures don't do it justice but these faces are massive, again how this civilization managed to create these temples in the 12th century is a great feat




Leper King Temple (yes, Chris is scaring off that poor doggie)

Saw some men fishing in the ponds


You can see sections of these temples being rebuilt

Really really tall stairs to the top 






Now that our energy is completely spent, we ask Roh for some authentic Khmer food to replenish our soul
Cambodia beer with a straw... Gets it faster to the face

Chicken Loc Luc... The real dish I've heard of is with beef but Sherena doesn't eat beef and I wanted her to be able to taste it... It was ok... Like chicken stir fried with ketchup. The sauce served on the side was really good though... If I remember correctly it was black pepper, sugar, salt and lime juice. Loc Luc was $5 and beer was $2

Sherena had the Chicken Amok, a traditional Khmer curry with various veggies ($5)... This curry was as bland as it looked... It need fish sauce and chilies... Maybe that's the way they eat it but it wasn't very satisfying 

We asked Roh to take us back to the hostel as the sun was really taking a toll on our patience... I picked up a couple beers across from our hostel ($0.50 per can) and saw this family defying the laws of nature... 6 on a scooter!! They got a kick out of us wanting to take their picture! No one would believe us if we didn't have the proof!



Aahhhhh the relaxing powers of a nap.... Now recharged and hungry, we took a tuk tuk to Pub Street for $1 per person

So much better than the street in Vietnam... They don't allow cars in the road!

A tour guide on the bus in from HCMC told us if we have a chance, we should go check out Temple Club for real authentic Khmer food and since we didn't quite enjoy our lunch, we thought maybe someone else would do it better. We found it right at the beginning of Pub Street so we checked it out

The prices were reasonable... Sherena ordered Chicken Amok (top, $7), I ordered Sweet & Sour Fish Soup (bottom, $7), draft beers were $2

Chris got a platter sampling 2 curries, fish and chicken, and eggrolls ($12)
I found the curries and soup to be quite bland as well, the eggrolls are better in Vietnam.... Everything was just fine... And when you think about it, although $7 for curry or this platter for $12 isn't expensive back home, compared to Thailand where the food is much more flavorful and I can eat a meal for $3 or $3.50 if I get a beer, or Vietnam where Pho is $3 or Bahn Mi is $1... I hate the tourists who go to another country to eat food they can find back home but of far inferior quality, but I decided I couldn't eat Khmer food anymore because it lacked flavor and the price made it even more unappealing

We saw this place across the street and decided we would go there next time

Other than food, Pub Street also has convenient stores, massages spots, souvenir shops. It also borders 2 night markets as well as a fair trade area where all proceeds go back to redeveloping the country and the people who were affected by the genocide or other similar causes

Anytime you come out of a shop or restaurant, there are no shortages of tuk tuk drivers ready to swarm you to see if you need a ride... From inside the stores you can see then all waiting outside like zombies, as soon as you come out, it was a free for all "tuk tuk, tuk tuk, tuk tuk?".. They sounded like chickens!

Before Roh left us to our nap, we asked him to pick us up early as we wanted to do sunrise at Angkor Wat... He said he'd pick us up at 5am! EEEEKKK!!! We shopped for what we could and headed back (another $1 per person tuk tuk ride)





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