1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #478 - Angkor croc cuisine, Siem Reap

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #478

- Angkor crocodile cuisine, Siem Reap

(The banner said "crocodile meat" as part of 6 meat selections for their original Khmer BBQ. We simply had to try it. Served on a raised-up hot plate with hot charcoal underneath, this bbq is better in name than in taste. But at least we now have croc meat ticked - done it. However, all the other dishes we had here were tasty, especially the "amok" - another name that instantly pulls you in to try - we had the chicken version instead of the croc. Our best meal was from Khmer Kitchen near Pub Street, with their pumpkin/yam minced beef dish a must-try. Oh, did I say too that each dish is hardly US$5, with most of our meals for 2 hardly breaking US$15. What a steal indeed)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #477 - Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #477

- Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

(Angkor Wat and its perfect reflections off the lake - the most iconic representation of this massive temple, and which adorns the money notes of this country. On this west side of the temple, both lakes gave us dreamy reflections, with the row of people standing in front giving us a better sense of proportion of this huge complex - one that symbolises the Khmer universe with Mt Meru and its 4 mountains, and the surrounding walls and moats representing the mountain ranges and oceans. How did this powerful Khmer empire disappear 800 years ago? A documentary on BBC explains that a long period of severe drought was the cause - hmm, is this the same story we will be witnessing with the current climate changes, but at a global scale?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #476 - Angkor Wat - South side and 3rd Level

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #476

- Angkor Wat - South side and 3rd Level, Siem Reap

 

(Angkor Wat - it is the largest religious site in the world. Just saying its name brings up images of grandeur, of architecture that is uniquely Khmer, with its towers resembling the lotus-buds. What a privilege to be walking in this temple, built by King Suryavarman in 1130AD over a 30-year period. We took to the steep 20 odd steps leading to the 3rd Level for the first time. And what views indeed - seeing the symbolic Mount Meru up close, the tallest tower in the middle. Just imagine the skill and craftsmanship that went into building this massive temple. Watch the video below, as we walked into the south side of Angkor Wat)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #475 - Bayon, Siem Reap

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #475

- Bayon, Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

(Same face and nose? The magnificent Bayon Temple inside Angkor Thom is also called the the Four-Face Temple. At its height, Angkor Thom and its surrounding area had a population of well over 700,000 people, a giant city compared to 18,000 in London then, according to a BBC documentary we saw when we got home. What an amazing city it must have been, with craftsmen of the highest skills and top engineers of waterways and dams required for padi fields that fed this huge city. The smile-iest of these 216 faces - said to be that of the presiding King Jayavarman VII then - is right towards the back of this great temple. Taking a photo beside it is said to bring a life of happiness, according to the local guide - I had mine done)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #474 - Ta Prohm, Siem Reap

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #474

- Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

(Our "Tomb Raider" tour started right in the heart of the eerie scenes in the movie, the temples of Ta Prohm. You can almost feel what it must have been like to be here in this grand temple, which was also a university, back in the 1186AD. The silkcotton and strangler-fig trees are still here, from when we were here 7 years ago - strangling the temple walls, with some requiring extra steel and wooden supports now. One gets the sense that these temple walls won't last forever and will likely topple at some point. The famous Buddha face in the tree roots continues to smile though..)