Our first leisurely start for 10 days since this adventure began, as bags would not be collected until 11am for a 12 noon departure. We had a couple of time-wasting stops along the route to Da Nang airport to catch our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
First, a studio for the marble sculpting business. This is because a rich vein of marble was discovered in the hills surrounding Da Nang, which supported a new creative industry. The skill shown, the volume of work, the range in size of the sculptures, and the colours were overwhelming. So much so I could not decide which one to purchase so did not buy any. Cheap to buy, hideously expensive to ship.
Next stop was Da Nang beach. Beautiful soft sand, clear blue waters and a bay protected by the Monkey Mountain. As we drove in we passed luxury resort after luxury resort with nothing on the other side of the road. It turns out a corrupt politician sold adjoining lots to different hotel groups, but the lots did not have any space between them. This means that for 5 kilometres from the start of the beach, there is no way for people or properties on the other side of the road to access the beach. Hence, the land has little value, and plots remain empty. The politician who made a lot of money on the sale of the beachfront lots is currently in prison. Sounds good to me.
Our 60-minute flight went without a hitch, and waiting for us at the airport was a very plush coach and our new guide, Vireak. Tuan was still with us, but while in Cambodian territory, we were only allowed to be hosted by a Cambodian guide. Our drive from the airport to our hotel in Siem Reap provided Vireak with an opportunity to address my ignorance on this area of Indochina. Kampuchea is the correct name for Cambodia. Those pesky Frenchies were here as well, and for some reason, no one ever knew why, they decided to call the country Cambodia. However, the Khmer people, the native population, only use the term Kampuchea.
It was evident in the short history lesson that my knowledge of Kampuchea is even less than that of Vietnam, and it was shocking to hear the hard life these people have endured, most recently as a result of the civil war funded by China and Russia. Interesting how colonialism by the major communist powers is never criticised by those on the left of the political spectrum in the west. Although we will be staying at the Raffles Hotel in Siem Reap, the prime target of this 3-night stay is Angkor Wat. The name may not ring any bells, but the pictures will.
Like the pyramids discovered only recently in the Mexican jungles, 480 square kilometres of the Angkor region were hidden until the early 1900’s. The jungle hid the most amazing structures that provide an insight of the Khmer civilisation at its height. More of that later, for now, we checked into our hotel, which was stunning. A sharp contrast to the poverty that we saw on our drive from the airport. Seven million people, 85% of whom are involved in some form of agriculture, explained the wooden homes on stilts.
At 2.5 to 3 metres off the ground, they serve two purposes. During the rainy season, it keeps them and their harvested crops safe from the rising water, and in the dry season, they live underneath their homes, as it is the coolest place, protected from the harsh sun. Initial impression is this is a very poor country that has been through a lot.
After a long day of travelling, we retired to our room after a couple of beers and bar snacks and prepared ourselves for a 7:30 am departure for our first Temple visit. At 7:30 the temp was 30c and we hit 39c by 11am, add to that the high humidity and the water was leaking out of us quicker than we could drink it in. We pressed on with grit and determination, and a damp flannel was pressed around our necks, which were provided by the hotel. Our first Temple, Banteay Srei, was impressive, but clearly a taster of what was yet to come.
Our journey back to the hotel was punctuated by a brief stop at the landmine museum. Remember a population of 7 million, however, their North Western border is covered with more than 10 million land mines, some made by Russia, the others made by China. The number of people, in particular children, maimed by land mines each year is staggering, and we saw many with missing limbs.
After a shower, a change of clothes and a water bottle refill, we headed to the highlight of this section of our trip. It did not disappoint, as the towers of Angkor Wat could be seen from quite a distance. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can see how the new cash is being used to bring the temple back to its former glory.
Our tour being in the afternoon exposed us to the full heat of the day at 39c or 102f, which added to the humidity meant the reflective umbrellas provided by our coach driver were a god send. The heat did not distract from the amazement provided by this structure and the recognition that 600,000 volunteers built this by hand without heavy equipment of sunshades. Not only did the exterior provide a sense of awe, but as you delved deeper into the structure, you were confronted with chambers, corridors and statues that bombarded the senses.
We spent a few hours being guided around the site and having the history of the king who built it explained, which, despite the heat, flew past. This is a must-see if you come to this part of the world, but little did I know that we had other sites to see that would also blow our minds. So stay tuned for Siem Reap part 2. However, to finish our day, after another stop at our hotel for another shower and change, we were off to the circus for an evening with a small troupe of acrobats who raise money for land mine victims. I must admit, I was not looking forward to it that much, but seeing them perform up close was very exciting. They even asked me to take part, and as the picture shows, I made the balancing on numerous steel tubes look easy.
The music link for those who enjoy that sort of thing is a post-punk group.
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