Feb. 8 - Tuk Tuk, Mr. Mark & Angkor Wat

We woke up before our alarm and all Tony kept saying way how bad the drapes smelled that he was laying next too.  I was actually very happy we were switching hotels and moving to there better one.  Thanks Tony for giving the way time!

We had breakfast down stairs and Tony decided to try the traditional Khmer Breakfast - porridge rice with pork and veggies.  It actually ended up being very good & flavorful.

Traditional Cambodian Breakfast

I just wanted something simple, I got the Shadow breakfast, which consisted of bread & a croissant with butter & jam.  Mine was very good, still warm from the oven.  

Cambodia has a French influence due to the French explorers 

While we were sitting enjoying our breakfast, we had views of Siem Reap:

Then all of a sudden our cab driver and now our Tuk Tuk driver greeted us, his name is Mr. Mark.  He told us to take our time but we were just out finished.  We checked out of Shadow of Angkor 1, and told us our room number for check in at Shadow of Angkor , Room #301.  Mr. Mark put our bags in the Tuk Tuk and we drove over to the nicer guest house.  It was seriously just on the other side of this small river, like only 5 minutes away.  Our room wasn't ready so they locked our bags in this small crawl space area and we got back on the Tuk Tuk.

Mr. Mark was explaining to us how visiting Angkor works, you can either do a 1 day for $20, 2 day for $30, or a 3 day for $40.  We only wanted to do the 1 day because we wanted to see other parts of Cambodia.  He showed us the map of the temples & structures we were going to see and asked if that was fine for us, we said "Sounds Good!" and off we went.

Mr. Mark driving us to the first Wat

However, because of the distance, Mr. Mark had to fill up his tank with gas.

Yep, just a glass bottle filled with gasoline

It was about a 30 minute tuk tuk ride to Angkor from Siem Reap, which we enjoyed so much.  We got the the entrance of Angkor where you had to pay $20 per person to enter for the day.  They actually took our picture and printed it on to the ticket.

Now we were ready for our first Wat, however, this one was the farthest, but Mr. Mark said the 'spiciest' because of the pink walls.  So we enjoyed our Tuk Tuk ride through the jungle passing many many homes, schools, fields of rice, and people riding bikes.  It was again crazy to see how people are living and seeing into their homes.

People selling hand made baskets

When we finally arrived at our first Wat - Banteay Srei, meaning city of women.  This one is small, but made of pink stone & very detailed.

Entering the Wat

There were children selling mango & pineapple near where our TukTuk was parked, so I decided to buy a bog of pineapple and eat it during our ride to the next Wat. It was only $1

Not the best picture of me, but it was delicious pineapple!

On our drive, we kept seeing these things cooking on what look like a mound of dirty, but it was where the fire was.  And on top a huge metal bowl and woman stirring something with a wooden stick:

Mr. Mark actually pulled over so we can see this up close, it was almost like a liquid getting boiled.  He explained to us that it is a very sweet treat, women mix in sugars and some other stuff, boil it, then put the liquid into these bamboo circle holders and let then dry to harden.  The lady let us try one and they were actually very good, and yes, sweet. So for $1 she gave us 3 bamboo shoots filled with them.  There is no way we're going to eat that many, but we did have some more!

Cooking Station

Bamboo holder for hardening Station

Final Product

Where we bought our sweet treat

How they were packaged

Then he showed us a cashew nut plant that was still premature. This is a big nut here in Cambodia:

Cashew Nut Plant & Mr. Mark

 Back on the road, to another incredible Wat.  I'm not sure the name of this one, but we got to climb to the top of it, again, another small one.

Entering the next Wat

View looking down at Tony climbing up the very steep stairs

Made it to the Top!

Seeing that the Wat was built in the middle of the jungle

In my eyes going down!

Yes, I was a little scared

View from the road - beautiful

 We continued on to the next temple, and this one was in the movie, Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.  The name of this wat is Ta Prohm, which means Ancestor of Brahma, who was the wealthy Buddhist monastery.   This one has incredible trees that surround the Wat and are actually part of the structures.

Walking up to the temple structure

Crocodile Tree

I seriously kept saying I felt like I was Indiana Jones!

After exploring Ta Prohm, we decided we were a little hungry and wanted to grab a bite to eat.  There was this place we saw and another place, but guy told us that the other place was not healthy and we should eat here.  hahaha So we listened.  We had children following us around and standing by our table  10 minutes, they go from trying to give me 1 bracelet for a $1 to 5 for a $1 and this was everything they were selling. We did buy something from a little boy earlier, so I think they thought they could get more out of us.

Just one of the little girls standing by us, there were 3 more

The kitchen area - you can see the man behind the bamboo

A rooster just walking around the "restaurant"

Our Lunch - fried cashew nuts with chicken, pineapple, & onions

We then got back into the Tuk Tuk and pulled over for a picture at a different smaller temple off the side of the road.

Next we got dropped off at Angkor Thomb.  Here we had over an hour & a half to wonder around and see all that this section of the land had to offer.  There was a huge Buddha with the orange cloth wrapped around him.  We sat here for a bit in the shade because it was so so SO hot.

Buddha outside Angkor Thomb

Then we walked over to a more religious structure that had a magnificent entrance surrounded by water.

Walk way to the temple

We walked to the entrance, but I was the one not prepared on how I was dressed today and they didn’t have clothes to borrow.  They didn’t allow me in this temple.

Us outside it, still incredible 

We then moved on to the main attraction of this area, Brayon Wat.  Here there are a lot of face carvings in the different pillars of the structure.  It was very interesting and amazing how people were able to create this so so so long ago!

Front of the Brayon Wat - see the Buddha inside with the orange cloth

Close up of it

Here are more pictures of Brayon Wat:





We continued on and while driving we saw monkey’s on the side of the road. This was our first to see monkeys on our trip!

We also saw children swimming in the small lake that surrounds the Angkor Wat:

Finally, we made it to the main template, Angkor Wat, with it’s 5 towers over looking Angkor.  It is pretty impressive for a distances, however, we did have till sun set to be inside this area.  Therefore, we asked Mr. Mark if he could take us for a drink somewhere and maybe a snack.  He dropped us off at this place close to the Wat and we got 2 Angkor beers, which came with nuts in sugar. It was very good!

Then we ordered the larger fried rice with beef and I got grilled bananas with a coconut cream topping. It was truly amazing, however, they gave me 4 bananas and I could only eat 2.


After our snack, we headed over to the Angkor Wat.  Entering this temple was so grand, huge walk way, and the arches you walked through were wonderful. Then walking through those, you just have this unbelievable view of the Angkor Wat.

We explored the Wat from inside and out and then both of us had to go to the bathroom. Other Wats had restrooms for us to use, however, the time we have to go, they don’t.  So we found a place where 3 young boys charged us to use the bathroom, which basically was a hole in the ground with a wooden door.  Luckily I still had tissue in my backpack!

We then walked our way through “shops” and got ourselves another beer before heading back to our Tuk Tuk to take us to the ‘hill’ which is the place to see the sun set.

The name of the table we had a beer at - Mr. Rambo

Well, little did we know that you literally walked up hill for 30 minutes (where our legs were still super sore from our trek) & waited in a long line, that might mean we’d be able to go on top of this structure to see the sun set.  It closed at 5:30 and we got cut off.  Boooooo - but Mr. Mark found us another place so we could at least see the sun setting, even though it was over the Angkor Wat.

Stopped for more gas!

We drove back in our Tuk Tuk, about 30 minutes back into town, and we went across the street for PIZZA!!  I again just wanted something familiar, quick and easy.  I actually ordered the goat cheese pizza which had almonds, honey, and goat cheese - incredible!!!!!  Tony got a pepperoni, which he enjoyed as well.

Where we ate

We were both exhausted form being in the sun the whole day and walking through all these Wats, that we went right back to our hotel room and fell asleep.  Ahhhhh, such an incredible day, something we have never in our lives seen or experienced.  We just can’t wait for tomorrow, Mr. Mark is picking us back up at 10 am to take us to the floating river and slit homes about 45 minutes outside of Angkor.