Chris and I awoke at 4:30 am in order to see the sunrise over the majestic ruins of Angkor Wat. We also woke up that early to give us enough time to ride rented bicycles to the ruins. We rented the bikes for two dollars each from a very tired hotel worker who also let us out of the gated-up guest house we were staying at. We rode in the darkness and through the jungles to get to the ruins. While I was initially skeptical, I quickly discoverd that this was best way to go. There is something very viseral and honest about riding bikes. We had to stop half way there to buy the tickets to the ruins. Once purchased, we headed up to Angkor Wat. We entered the Wat in almost total darkness but could plainly see the rising towers and the impressive moat.
We watched the sky lighten and decided to start looking around. While waiting for the sun to rise I also bought a few silk scarves for some of my friends!
After Angkor Wat, we decided to bike to Ta Prohm. We got mixed directions and ended up taking the wrong road. It wasn't really a problem as the detour we took led us to this beautiful little village with beautiful scenery. We got to ride past rice paddies, water buffalo, and people working the fields. Chris eventually asked directions and we turned back and found the right place. I'll let the beauty of the ruins speak for themselves.
After Ta Prohm, we went to forage for food. Unfortunately, Chris' bike got a flat tire. He was able to refill the tire enough to get to a little restaurant off the side of the road. I was feeling adventurous and picked something random off of the menu, which turned out to be a delicious soup. Chris got a noodle dish and we also ordered a coconut to drink. Everything was amazing!
As we headed out Chris had to refill his tire again, which was a little worrisome. The air lasted only about half way to Angor Thom, the next ruin on our trip. At this point we were about 3km away. He ended up having to walk the bike for a bit. When nearing one of the gates to the ancient city of Angkor Thom a little girl selling post cards said she could help Chris fix his bike. We figured this was doubtful, but decided to follow her. She led us to her family's little hut slightly off of the road. She called out to her grandfather who then proceeded to patch the wheel and fix the hole. It was really cool and interesting. He involved all four of the small children who were very interested in the process and in us. On a side note, the children of Cambodia are ridiculously cute. It was hard not to take them home with us! We were so grateful and tried to give them all the money we had, which was in three currencies. As we were leaving the smallest child, who was around 4, gave me a big grin and said, "good luck to you in your life." We didn't take any photos of this exchange, but it was a really nice memory and a good anecdote to the level of kindness we were shown in Cambodia.
We then went over to Angkor Thom, which also housed the ruins of Bayon, my favorite of all the ruins. Angkor Thom is a sprawling campus as it used to hold an entire city of royalty, religious leaders, and others who lived in the kingdom. Again, I'll let ruins speak for themselves.
After we finished climbing around the ruins we started our biking treck back to the guest house. On way out of the gates of Angkor Thom, we sang the Indiana Jones theme song. It was really fun and silly. Almost immediately after, we ran into some elephants quickly followed by monkeys playing on the side of the road. I was beside myself with giddiness. It was just so cool!
Once we got back into Siem Reap the roads were much more crowed than they were at 5 am. You would think that it would be scary to ride around with the motorbikes and the tuk tuks, but honestly it was really fun. I also felt really connected to the city and to the people while riding in Siem Reap. There is a pulse in the streets that is hard to feel unless you are in it.
When we got back to the guest house, my legs and my behind were very tired and bruised from riding over 20 miles! We rested for a bit before heading out for dinner and buying some gifts to bring home. Overall, this was one of the most exciting and fun days of my life. I feel so privileged to be able to experience such beauty. I really fell in love with Cambodia and would very much like to come back for an extended period of time. I half thought of quitting grad school and moving to Siem Reap!
- N
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