Temple Run Tips (Siem Reap)

#traveltuesday

To be honest guys, I really find it hard to start blogging about our Siem Reap adventure.  Inspiration, hit me!!! :))  I wasn't prepared for the bulk history behind the complex details of their magnificent temples (though John did some bit of explaining for us, lol!).  Okay, I will be honest here.  Upon arriving we've been seeing a lot of the word Khmer much to our ignorance (embarrassing I know, I know).  We even joked...

Me:  "Ano ba yang Khmer na yan?"

Sir Rey:  "Ano ka ba... Yan yung english ng halika dito."  (He was referring to an abbreviated Come here).  Corny, I know.  LOL.  But brace yourself....

Me: "Ah akala ko yan yung tawag sa ninang mo sa kasal."  (I was talking about an abbreviated form of the tagalog word Kumare.) *facepalm* I knoooowwwwwww.... I give the corniest jokes in the world.  Hahaha!!!

Anyway, I think one tip I can share in visiting Siem Reap is to really really read about the Khmer culture prior to your trip.  It'd be good to notice some details that would otherwise be missed during your adventure.  Some people there were really hardcore in absorbing the history.  It amazed me how they looked so happily content with just a history book on hand, their scarves or any cloth spread on the rocky floor while searching for those details that's directly infront of them.  It'd be good to imagine and visualize how luxurious those ruins once looked from the history details noh?  Right on.  But I didn't.  LOL.

For my post now, more amazing pictures (with us in it) of Siem Reap will do yes??  I mean seriously, Sir Rey went out of his way to bring his heavy tripod during the first day of our trip.  So I think dedicating a solo post for all our group shots serves just right.  Mahaha!!!  Here they are...

At the South Gate of Angkor Thom:

Behind the south gate...

Bayon Temple

Baphuon Temple

2nd day at the Cambodian Cultural Village,

On the third day, we didn't have so much time to spare so the tripod was left back in the hostel.  :P  Here are some other visiting temple tips I can share:

1.  Like I said, read about the history of the temple prior to your trip.  Or hire a tour guide.

2.  Wear proper clothing - sleeved tops and covered legs for Angkor Wat and Baphuon temple.

3.  Wear proper shoes too - Uhmm, yes I was in flats.  But after every exhausting day of exploring temples, my feet were always covered with scrunchy particles of sand.

4.  Take extra care in walking inside the temples - Even in comfortable shoes, John sprained his leg in one of the corridors of Ta Phrom (the Tomb Raider temple!) and like I said in my last post, the stairs are incredibly steep!

5.  Buy that 40-USD pass to explore all the temples and plan your route accordingly (e.g. explore all temples on the east side for  day, next on the west.)  Tuktuk driver would know best. ;-)

So there, I can't think of anything more as of this moment.  Probably I'll share them again on the detailed travelogue. Thanks for reading.  Ciao! :)