Day 24: Siem Reap, Monday 1st July 2024
Cloudy/fine/rain, 32°
NZ$=KHR2500 ( Cambodian Riel )
KHR1=NZ$0.0004
NZ$1=US$0.60
US$1=NZ$1.6
US$1 =KHR4,100
Up 7:00am, downstairs for breakfast at 7:30am, and then dowstairs to the basement garage and out at 8:15am.
We headed east along 7 Makara St then north to NR6 ( the main road east which eventually goes to Phnom Pehn ), then east ( along with all the traffic ). Today we are headed to a small group of temples east of Siem Reap, and definitely not on the main tourist route. You would think that being limited to 25km/h on a main road with a speed limit of 80km/h ( I don’t actually know it this is the speed limit, because there don’t seem to be any speed signs ) would be a problem, but we wound up overtaking a few vehicles on this road ( mainly farm tractors and other mopeds ). After about 8km on the NR6 we turned south ( onto a quiet unsealed road ), had our temple passes checked by a couple of rangers who looked pretty bored, and stopped at Preah Ko Temple.
We parked the bikes and walked through the temple at 9:15am. There were about 6 rangers here ( and we were the only visitors ), and 2 women cutting the grass with machetes. This temple is a collection of 6 red sandstone brick towers, in 2 rows of 3 on a raised platform, with a couple of smaller outbuildings. It looks like there was a formal entranceway into the site but that has largely gone. So it doesn’t feel like the other temple buildings/complexes we have seen in Siem Reap, and doesn’t take a lot of exploring. And there was also a lot of restoration work taking place ( so lots of scaffolding ), but overall a really nice little temple.
We left at 9:35am and rode the short distance south to the next temple in the group; Bakong Temple ( about 1 km down the road ) . This temple is more like the other stepped temples we had seen before, with a moat and a series of other buildings scattered through the jungle outside the moat.
We parked the bikes, got harrassed by the ladies in the nearby stalls to buy some drinks/pashmina’s/anything, and after another ticket check by some rangers we walked across the moat into this large complex. The complex is still in use as a temple ( there was a service going on in the new buildings inside the complex while we were there) so it is an interesting blend of the old and the new, and unusual to see locals inside the temple areas going about their daily lives. The stepped temple itself is quite large, and well looked after.
We walked in, around, up the temple mound and then back down at 10:15am. There were a few rangers, and a couple of groups of tourists came through while we were there, but largely a peaceful experience.
Back to the bikes, fended off the sales women and the ranger who wanted to take us for a tour on his day off ( for a fee of course ) and rode back to the main road ( NR6 ) then back west towards Siem Reap.
We stopped at a brand new “TPE” service station and had a drink at 10:30am ( it looked like the place had only just opened and we were the only customers; the 4 staff were tripping over each other to prepare our drinks as there was nothing else to do ). Gas is 4800riel / litre ( NZ$2/litre )
Carried on back to Siem Reap at 10:45am, back to town then north to the Angkor Museum. Parked our bikes at 11:30 and went in. US$12 each (!) and walked through the museum.
Very interesting museum but a little long and detailed ( there is a lot to cover ! ). Out at 1pm
Back on the bikes and back to the hotel, parked in the basement, up stairs to the room to charge batteries and drop off bags then out to a café beside the river ( Brownies ) for late lunch. Back to the hotel, picked up washing from our room and took it to a laundry service along the road, then back to the hotel again.
Swim, then relaxed in the room.
Out at 6:30pm in the rain ( we waited for it ease off a little first ) walked to Pub Street again and went to “Red Piano” ( US$10/NZ$15 for Penang Curry, spring rolls and 2 beers )
Walked back to the laundry to pick up our washing ( US$5 for a full bag washed and dried ) at 8pm, then back to the hotel via the minimart for supplies.
Another good day exploring out of the way places, and not over doing the temple visits; last time we were here we saw so many temples in a day that they all blended together; 1 or 2 good ones is enough for a day.