Siem Reap

All those of you who read my blog for a longer time know that I hate this specific weather that Poland is cursed with in November and December. It is dark, cold and depressive. Typically there is no snow, the days are short and gloomy. This is why I always try to spend this part of the year in a warmer place. Therefore, today we are starting a new fascinating adventure in the Kingdom of Cambodia!

Our main goal is of course Angkor, the national wonder of Cambodia. You can see it everywhere, even on the national flag. We will first stop in Siem Reap, a nice town that calls itself "gateway to Angkor". Siem Reap is not really a touristic spot but I wanted to show you a bit of modern Cambodia before we dive into the historical monuments. So first we need to get a bit of the local currency. Though in practice US dollars are commonly used. 

Obviously the most impressive buildings are temples, called Wats, just like the ones in Thailand. This one is called Wat Preah Prom Rath.

A golden boat is quite unlikely to float.

Unless they planned to have it pulled by these cows?

The area includes many long corridors.

The walls are decorated with religious paintings.

I like this one best. A flying horse! What a brilliant idea. And the bright colours are great as well. As you see, the picture is dated "2007" so it is really modern.

Unfortunately I have not met any flying horses in Cambodia. Nowadays, the most popular means of transport in Siem Reap is a "tuk-tuk" so a motorbike with a place for passengers.

The streets and the shops there are colourful, just like the ones that I have shown you in Bangkok. Everything is meant of course to catch the eye of the tourists.

But what I liked best was this huge market. You can find there any type of fresh food available in this part of the world.

And yes, seafood is probably the best represented.

Coming back to the city we will pass by the palace of the king (who does not live there of course, he has a nicer and bigger one in the capital city of Phnom Penh).

And yet another temple - smaller but a bit more crowded.

If you want to meditate for a moment, feel free to enter.

Finally, we arrive at our hotel. The people on the pictures are of course the royal family - the current king Norodom Sihamoni and his parents.

Time to take some rest, tomorrow we start our journey through the fantastic world of Angkor!