Temples, Bikes and Birthdays!
So one of Dad’s must-sees in the region was the ancient temples at Angkor near Siem Reap in Cambodia – so for his birthday weekend we made it happen! We got to duck out of school half-day and enter into a new country- where they speak Khmer and use US dollars- but no coins (they have a currency called Riel that you get as change if the cost of something doesn’t round to the nearest dollar) After the short flight, we checked out the awesome hotel pool. Lil’ Grandop had a blast exploring the islands, waterfalls and even getting a drink at happy hour. Then into the town for Friday night on Pub Street. Saw some street cooking with blazes 5 meters high, some very awkward Japanese business men doing Karaoke, and dined on a delicious Green Mango Salad and spring rolls. The highlight though was a series of large fish tanks, where tourists were paying a few dollars to put there feet in and let the fish give them a massage, eating away the dead skin on their feet- really weird. Jay and Bee tried some ice cream – including frozen rolls of ice cream. Dad even got a chocolate banana crepe concoction.
lil’ granpop’s got a new sweater! 
A fish massage?!! 
A 4:30 AM wake-up call was in store for the next morning for Angor Wat at sunrise. We sat across the moat from the temple and watched as the sky changed colors over the ancient temple, built in the early 1100’s. Jay got a really cool time lapse video- to be posted…Following our guide for the day, we the crossed over the bridge into the heart of the temple area- at just over 400 acres the largest religious complex on earth. Built by the great Khmer emperors (the emperor who built Angkor Was was nicknamed S2), Angkor Wat was a Hindu Temple and the center of the bustling Angkor area in the ancient empire- with almost 1 million people living in the area and over 300 temples. The French and Cambodian government helped piece back together the ruins of the temple starting in the 1800’s- the world’s hardest jigsaw puzzle for sure. We got to see the entrance tower, the reflecting pools, the carvings in the courtyards and then walk up the main platform of the famous 5 towers. Surprisingly, we learned that you could go up to the top. From the tower area, we saw outstanding views and beautiful etchings of the Khmer language and ancient Hindu scenes. One of the best known carvings is the “Churning of the Sea of Milk” – where with Vishnu in the center, the gods and demons engage in a tug of war (using a really big snake) to create the amrita, the nectar of immortality (these folks had really good imaginations). We exited through the much quieter back gates getting to see a smaller temple, the back of the moat and the Buddhist flag.
Next it was off to our picnic breakfast (some delicious jams, eggs and incredibly juicy ripe mangoes) and then to pick up our bikes! Dad and Bee briefly tried the tandem approach, but was a little small for Bee. We rode around the moat and through the countryside, past cows and bulls and local village houses. Our next stop was the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the nearby city to Angkor Wat. The bridge to the gateway was the highlight- with huge statues of the gods and demons still playing tug of war. Then the gate itself had a giant carving of Buddha, with motorbikes, tuk-tuks car and bikes passing underneath. Backside of the gate had a cool statue of elephants. The next leg of the bike ride was on the ancient wall of Angkor Thom- looking right out over the lily-pad filled moat- so cool! Bee got to experience his 1st serious bike ride through the temples of Angkor as he ditched the tandem for a real bike! (Jay of course rode on like a true pro!) Got to a tiny temple in the corner of the wall. Then some true mountain biking to get to the East Gate- where trees grew all around the giant head of Buddha, again hanging over the gate (Note that the kingdom changed from Hindu to Buddhism in the mid 1100’s- hence the change in statues). After waiting for some bulls and chickens to cross the road (for real) we headed to Bayon- the temple in the center of Angkor Thom.
Bayon temple was famous for its giant Buddha heads- when built, 49 towers each with 4 giant Buddha’s- incredible – and made for some awesome photo-ops (Bee, you are one with the Buddha, the Buddha is with you…). Bayon also had some awesome entrance doorways, which lined up to form really cool looking passages! Some additional carvings demonstrated everyday life that apparently included both chicken and even pig fighting. After a fruit snack and water break, we rode on!
The final stretch of bike riding (took us to 21 km on the day) brought us past a series of ancient temples- with high towers and awesome walls. Our last stop was at the temple Tomb Raider made famous, Tau Prom- featured in the Hollywood movie. This temple was awesome for all of the trees growing on top (and sometimes right through) the temple walls. A bunch of banyan trees could also been seen all over the site. Piles of rocks to the sides of the walls, showed how difficult restoration work must be. Again, some amazing photo ops. We finished our ride to a giant lake/ swimming complex the emperors built and ate at a local restaurant with some delicious spring rolls and curries, including a yellow one called amok, the national dish of Cambodia.
After a dip in the hotel, we headed out for the night. 1st stop was at the Angkor National Museum, where we learned more about the history of the temples, the crazy legends on the gods and saw some awesome artifacts including the room of 1000 Buddhas- in this collection all in different poses and forms. Then back downtown for a gelato break, a walk through some of the crazy night markets and dinner at Cuisine Wat Damnak, where we had a crazy tasting menu with spicy fish soup, fantastic duck, a langoustine yellow curry, star anis and coconut salads and a birthday cake desert (+ chocolate lava cake and a chilled green mango soup)! Also pictured a crazy plate of sour cucumbers and other crazy fruits and veggies meant to be dipped in a salt spice mix.
which way do we go?
The next morning, the boys hits up a unique mass at Saint John the Apostle. Not only was it said in Khmer but there were no pews- everyone sat criss-cross style on mats on the floor- borrowing some Eastern religious practices into the mass. Next, off to the vegetable/ fruit/ meat market as part of our cooking class. Wild market with stalls filed with sugarcane, mountains of pineapples, some potentially protected birds that weren’t so protected, super fresh fish (still moving) and piles of chilles and other local veggies. Very authentic- not a tourist spot at all! Then, our cooking class, where Jay and Bee mastered four dishes: spring rolls, a chicken noodle stir fry, sweets with sugar palm inside a dough ball and a sweet coconut milk pumpkin soup. Even ground up our own spice mix and learned to do some professional plating thanks to our local chef guide. Then is was back for one last swim and our flight back home! What a way to celebrate a birthday in style! (and what a way to pack an adventure into 48 hours!)
Everything’s better with fresh-ground spices….and desserts!