JANUARY 10, 2014: ANGKOR SITES, DINNER-IL FORNO

January 10, 2014


     Pick up by tuk tuk driver Chhon at 7:00 am.  Bought our 7 day passes for $60 pp.  The pass is laminated and has your picture on it.  You show this at the checkpoint stop at the Angkor site entrance and it gets punched until all 7 days are used.  I had prearranged tuk tuk drivers for 6 days and a car for 1 day.  I did this with the help of TA forum regular lenny.

Our 7 day passes

ANGKOR WAT We will explore everything except the bas-reliefs.  We will climb all levels.  Spent 3 hrs. here.

No words needed

View from 3rd level

Stairs going up

Apsara with teeth showing

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PHNOM BAKHENG Very steep climb.  Supposedly good for sunset views.  

Almost there

View

BAKSEI  CHAMKRONG not allowed to climb so around 15 minutes here.                                         

      
 

   
     Back to our hotel around 12:30 pm.   Pool break for 2 hrs.  Was able to relax and feel refreshed.  Picked up by Chhon at 3:00 pm.

 BAYON One of my favorites and only here for 2 1/2 hrs. but I could have easily spent much more time here.  Back to our hotel 5:45 pm.  Cost for the tuk tuk $17.  There is an extra charge if you want to do a split day like this.

On the way to Bayon

     Dinner in town IL FORNO for pizza and pasta.  Under $16.  While husband explores I have a drink at the RED PIANO.  Pina colada pricey at $4.50 but this is a good people watching place.  Used Narak tuk tuk round trip $6.

Pizza Napoli

Penne with tomato sauce & fresh basil

Pub Street at night

   
   

     

JANUARY 11, 2014: ANGKOR SITES, DINNER-BLUE PUMPKIN

January 11, 2014

     After another lovely breakfast we meet Chhon, our tuk tuk driver, at 8:00 am.  We head over to the Angkor site for a day of temple exploring.

BAPHOUN Climbed all 3 levels; large temple mountain recently restored.  2 hrs. here.

PHIMEANAKAS Impressive laterite and sandstone pyramid that is the tallest scalable temple in Angkor Thom.  Nice views.  Around 1 1/2 hrs. here.

TERRACE OF THE ELEPHANTS, TERRACE OF THE LEPER KING Lots of carved elephants and garudas; carved nagas/demons/other mythological beings.  Double terrace wall.  Around 1 hr. here.

Terrace of the Elephants

Nagas and deities of the underworld

Terrace of the Leper King

TEP PRANHAM long walkway with Buddha figure at the end.  10-15 minutes here.

PREAH PALILAY Small but interesting.  30 minutes here.

Encroaching trees have been trimmed down to stumps.

CHAU SAY TEVODA Minor temple restored.  Has an abandoned feeling to it.  30 minutes here.

     

     

     Back to our hotel by 3:00 pm.  Tuk tuk cost for the day $15.  Spent 2 hrs. relaxing by the hotel pool.  Bought some postcards from the hotel gift shop and after dropping a few lines to family will have the hotel send them out for me.  Took the hotel shuttle to town around 6:00 pm.  Did some shopping in the OLD MARKET  area.  Dinner-the BLUE PUMPKIN.  Food was average but the ice cream-WOW!  Yummy.  We will return here on another day just for ice cream.  Ate in the upstairs room.  Had green chicken curry, side salad, margherita pizza.  Rock road and carmel cashew ice cream.  A perfect way to end the meal.  Cost was under $17.  Tuk tuk back to our hotel $3 even though the guy quoted something like $5 or 6 at first.

Side salad

Margherita pizza

Green chicken curry