Border crossings are fun!

Hello from Cambodia!

Jeff and I left Koh Tao on Thursday afternoon and decided to head straight for the Cambodian border. It took roughly 24hrs, but we arrived Friday in Siem Reap with no issues. Our easy crossing was largely due to travelers that have come before and have posted warnings about the well established scams awaiting us at this particular boarder crossing. Armed with as much info as we could gather, we arrived in Aranyaprathet, ignored the Thai "officials" who claimed to be the only way to get a visa into Cambodia (and at twice the actual price), and walked out of Thailand. We proceeded to decline the unofficial Cambodian "expedition fees" when purchasing our visas, pointing out that we were the only travelers in the office and were sure we could wait the few minutes for processing. We thankfully did not encounter the fake police that sometimes haunt the area, and proceeded to the bus station on the Cambodia side. Easy. In fact, it was as easy as walking through a mile of scams can get!

Once at the bus station, we decided to hire a taxi to take us in Siem Reap, both for comfort and due to the fact that the bus wouldn't leave for another 4 hours. Shortly before leaving, our cab driver got into a fist fight with another driver. We suspect the fight was over us, but we're not exactly sure what the specific complaint would have been. As we were safely tucked into the back of the taxi, we watched our driver take the upper hand in the fight (seriously, he sent the other dude flying) until security showed up, when he proceeded to jump into the taxi and speed off with us in tow! With the exception of that unusual start, the final leg of our trip was uneventful and rather enjoyable.

Siem Reap is a beautiful city, with all the creature comforts anyone could want and at any price you want to pay. I'm very happy to be back, as I didn't get to explore it very much the last time I was here. In fact, I'm thrilled to be back in Cambodia. The differences between here and Thailand are abundant and obvious, and we're having a good time experiencing the changes.

Today was the start of our temple exploration. After a week being a beach bum, a dose of culture and history was welcomed.  Going off of a guide book that has landed in our hands, we decided to see a few of the older temples before seeing the real biggies like Angkor Wat tomorrow. Although we did not see them in this order, I'm presenting them to you according to their age.

The Roluos group - Preah Ko, Lolei, and Bakong - is one of the oldest sites in the area. The temples reflect the changing religions and architectural styles of the various eras, including Hinduism, Buddism, and worship of the ancient Khmer gods. The construction and artwork are awe inspiring. Pictures do not do them justice, though I've certainly tried.

Preah Ko is a temple dedicated to Shiva and was built in 879 as a honor to the ancestors of then king Indravarman I.

Preah Ko

Bakong is huge, and the first that we've seen built in the more pyramid like style. It was constructed in 881 and was the first to be built out of sandstone. Scrambling to the top was fun!

Bakong

Top of Bakong

Lolei is small, and some of the prasats (towers) are now heavily supported by scafolding, but it was one of my favorites of the day. Built in 889 by Yashovarman I, it was also a temple built to honor ancestors.

Lolei

While I was taking a few pictures, Jeff was approached by a young Khmer man who spoke fantastic English. He asked if he could chat with Jeff, explaining that he was an English teacher, and eventually took us to see the small school he had set up at the monastery that shares the grounds of Lolei. He lives there for free room and board in exchange for teaching the monks English.

Monks studying

Banteay Srei is located a considerable ways outside of Siem Reap, but was well worth the trip. Very small compared to the rest, Banteay Srei was built in 967 by two Brahmans (religious men), rather than a king. This temple was my favorite of the day due to the incredible carvings found all over the small site. The intricacy of them all is impossible to capture, since they spread up the walls, across the doors, and over most of the temples' surface.

Jeff, at his first temple of the day

Example of the amazing carvings on the buildings

Banteay Srei

So there you have our first two days in Cambodia. Tomorrow will be a day full of ancient sculptures, incredible architecture, and lots of really big, old rocks. I'll be back with more pictures soon!