Wednesday, March 5, 2014
What a great day today. Alarm went off at 5:30 and we took breakfast just after 6am. We had a big day ahead and wanted to get a good breakfast and still get away early. At 7am we were on the streets, which is quite impressive for us. The plan for the day was to head in the direction of Prasat Preah Vihear, which is about 180 kms north of Siem Reap. We knew we would arrive too late to visit Prasat Preah Vihear itself, as we visited two other temples which were conveniently located along the way. The road was sealed for the most part, although we managed to find (accidentally) 20 kms of unsealed road, of which 1 km was particularly bad as it was under construction. As we passed over this stretch I think the locals were very confused and wondering what we were doing there.
The first stop was Beng Mealea. While not a UNESCO World Heritage site like Angkor Wat, it is from the same period and the same architecture. It is however on the Tentative List. But unlike Angkor Wat, the site has not been restored, so the temples have collapsed and nature has had its run of the place. Which of course makes the place all that more desirable. On arrival a local guide attached himself to us, but he did a good job helping us around the site. Taking us places not every tourist gets to see. The only negative aspect of the site was the “other tourists”, there were just so many of them. Buses disgorged people at an alarming rate and the site was quickly over-run. And although the walkways became choked, we managed through.
The second stop was the Koh Ker temple complex. Although there are some 180 sanctuaries in this protected area, only 20 or so can be reached from the road. Many of the others lie in areas that have not yet been demined. We visited a number of the temples, but the main event was a seven‑tiered pyramid. A staircase was installed in the last few months so now it is possible to climb to the top. And to the top we indeed climbed and were rewarded with nice views of the surrounding area. The midday heat however soon drove us back down into the shade.
After completing a circuit of the historical complex we plotted our onward course to Prasat Preah Vihear and nearby hotels. We struggled a bit to find the hotels on our GPS that we had researched on Tripadvisor, but we just followed the sealed road and hoped for the best. And as luck would have it we found a brand spanking new motel with brand spanking new rooms for $17 USD per night, amazing. It was not long before we were checked in and soaking up the air conditioned air. We are located 40 kms from the temple and should get an early start tomorrow.
