Day 3:
- Sunrise at Sras Srang
We got up early again for a sunrise at Sras Srang. It was serene and beautiful. There were hardly any tourists however there were many kids clamouring to ask us if we wanted to have coffee, breakfast or purchase postcards and scarfs. With the colour of the sky reflected in the water, the place had a mystical beauty. It was however dark and we didn't have any torchlight. The weirdest thing was....Gan actually did pack a torchlight, we just never thought to bring it everytime when we needed it.
I actually got rather annoyed at a point in time when trying to focus on the sunrise because the kids just wouldn't give up. They were overly friendly, like pushing bangles made onto our wrists. We tried to return it to them but they refused, telling us that it was a gift and that we needn't pay them. Gan and I thus felt obliged to have breakfast there. I asked for tea with milk and I got a weird concoction. I think they used green tea instead and the tea was cream with a hint of green. It tasted superbly sweet too. Somehow I don't think they drink milk tea over there because it wasn't even on the menu.
I was constantly pestered by a boy who wanted to sell me postcards. Initially he pestered Gan, however after I bought a scarf from this cute little girl who looked to be only 5 or 6 (I'm sure she is older) and after Gan got rid of him him giving him Oreos, he started to repeat for me to buy postcards...and he wouldn't stop. The locals were very friendly. However I am not altogether sure if they were friendly because it was a ploy to get us to buy something. I bought a pair of fishermen pants and when we left, a woman said that "You don't play fair, you know?!!" presumbably because we didn't get an item from everybody. I think an older girl also cried because I didn't get anything from her.
It was then I got the feeling that I was supposed to do charity and 'help' the Cambodians because I came from a more affluent country, never mind if I needed the items they were selling or not.
Initially I felt bad about not getting stuff and then it changed to being annoyed over being made to feel obliged to buy their items from them. Oh well......
- Banteay Srei
We headed to Banteay Srei next, one of my favourite temples. It is made of pink sandstone. When the morning light hits it, it gleams of rich warm browns and copper tones. The place is small (relative to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom) but rather serene with the carvings still visible. When we went there, the place wasn't overcrowded with tourists, possibly because it was out of the way. We even napped on our tuk-tuk. However when we left, busloads of tourists were just beginning to arrive.
We bought a book each for about 7.50 USD. Considering that it was colour printed on good quality paper, it was quite worth it. However it was only later at Phnom Penh when we realised that we must have gotten a 'pirated' book.
Oh and we had some local food at some roadside stall. It looked really messy. It look like a tangled mess of white rice noodles or mifen in some beige colour soup. It tasted quite exotic and we were later informed that the bowl contains lotus and banana flowers. I actually had to force myself to finish it. The road-side stall located next to the dusty road was pretty unclean with flies flying around and sometimes landing on the plates and pots or even food. As you can well imagine, vehicles sometimes produces puffs of fine sand and dust. However logically speaking, a little inorganic dirt would not cause too great a harm to the body.
There was tea provided however I didn't dare drink any of it as cups were used only to be overturned for the next user. I wasn't that thirsty. From that, I knew they probably didn't really clean the utensils properly. Still that is quite all right. I am not usually so picky about the cleanliness of the eating place abroad. Quite gung-ho in fact. My stomach is quite strong after all the years of eating dinner only when I was ready to. So I sometimes only ate dinner that have been around for more than 6 or even 9 hours. I mean.. it is an experience right...=P
However even though I didn't feel like puking the food out, it was certainly a challenge to finish my bowl. We only had it because our tuk-tuk driver actually enthusiastically promoted the stall when we came out of Banteay Srei. He said he had two bowls. Frankly speaking the local fare didn't appeal because it just isn't what I am used to. It was definitely the exotic taste and how everything was cold, clammy and messy. One bowl of that messy noodle regardless of where it appears in, is quite enough. Thank you very much.
Anyway.. here are the pictures of one of my favourite temples.
Then it was back to the clusters of temples. I think we visited East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean and Preah Khan. There were so many temples and I think we visited some of the minor ones that I simply cannot really classify anymore. Neak Pean was quiet and I am sure it must have looked very pretty in the past when the water filled the ponds.
at Neak Pean...
Preah Khan was relative free from tourists too. People who came were mostly on their own or in small groups. The place was only recently discovered (in the nineties, if I am not wrong). Parts of it were in disarray with certan sections having already crumbled. There are plans to conserve and maintain the place but the ruined parts have already become part of its charm.
Walking alone in there,
time seemed to have stood still.
If I could read there forever,
I would,
until only all that is left around me was dust.
Well, we didn't know what to do after we finished with the temples so guess what.. we returned to the hostel to zzz again !! We ventured out late afternoon to explore a bit of the town, bought more silk scarves and had an early dinner ar Pub Street in a different restaurant that offers Apsara dancing. However we were too early and finished dinner and decided that we didn't want to wait.
town of Siem Reap...
Pub Street at night...
Reading while waiting for dinner to come....
We had a cup of tea at a cafe that called itself Bubble Tea Cafe or something like that before deciding to get a bottle of red wine at the convenience stall. Clumsy me actually broke a small bottle. Luckily it only costed only 1 USD.
Back in our room, Gan only drank like 1/4 and promptly declared that she had enough and was going to sleep. Since I felt that throwing it away would be too wasteful, I finished it. The world tilted from side to side when I finished. It felt like I was walking on a little sampan. However I managed to brush my teeth and packed the clothes that had dried while making space for those that hadn't.
Slumber definitely came easily. Even without the alcohol, our room was really easy to sleep in. =)
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