Too tired, we overslept. I was awakened by persistent knocks on our door and was quite shocked to see the time on my watch. True enough, it was Amanda. We apologised and quickly had breakfast in our room (bread with tuna =P) before moving out.
In the wee hours of the morning, the weather was cool. The streets were dark so I just kept a straight line and prayed my wheel would not roll into an obstacle. The bicycles we rented were in poor condition and I realised that my brakes were not working at all, a perfect complement to half-flat tyres and a jammed-stuck seat post. Still, I enjoyed the ride to the entrance of the temples where we had to purchase our tickets. A one day pass cost us a good USD20 but I marvelled at how they took our pictures and printed an instant photo pass for each of us =)
Our aim was to catch the sunrise at Phnom Bakheng and we rushed there. It was almost 5.40am when we reached the foot of the elephant trail. The others parked their bikes at the foot and climbed up while I attempted the trail by bike. Imagine a single-speed city bike on the trails up a hill! I assure you that it was not easy and there was no way up several tight switchbacks! I was relieved to get to the top not long after the others did (they took the shorter climbing path), but it was an enjoyable process. It was good to see the first temple of the day but unfortunately, we never got to see the sunrise. It was too cloudy that morning.
Going down Phnom Bakheng without brakes was a thrill. I was desperately trying to slow the bike before the switchbacks by stabbing my foot onto the ground but the uneven trail made it difficult to slow the bike. At one point, as I approached a tight switchback with increasing speed, I realised I was going to fly off the drop should I not be able to slow. And that was something I couldn't do. In the end, I crash-stopped the bike against the side of the hill.
After Phnom Bakheng, we visited Angkor Wat, the single largest and most famous of the Angkor Temples. Silhouetted against the skyline, it was a sight to behold. We walked the temple and it was rather interesting but I wasn't about to go crazy over it (I am no history fanatic). We proceeded to visit the temples in Angkor Thom, before having an outfield lunch (we should call it a picnic).
Our lunch, consisting bread with tuna and baked beans, was spartan. We noticed a group of local kids looking at us. They were hungry. We gave them some biscuits and what left of the beans and tuna and they gobbled the food up quickly. Indeed, we may pity them but it also serves as a good reminder to our fortunate selfs that food is precious and there are millions of hungry souls out there who may need that mouthful to survive the next couple of days.
The grand circuit came next and we covered Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup, Sras Srang and Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm, of Tomb Raider fame, was a much nicer walk thanks to the boardwalk and felt a lot more touristy. Perhaps, it was the "effect" of Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider shoot that brought fame to that particular temple and "initiated" a "revamp". By the time we completed Ta Prohm, it was already close to dusk and we took a jolly good long walk back to the temple's entrance (Zi Kai was not very happy and Lim Hwee just couldn't help shooting glances at me and giving that knowing look).
Anyway, we soon begun to our ride back to Siem Reap and it rained a little as we neared the town. The skies threatened to pour hence we decided to have dinner first. Fried rice accompanied with a fruit shake tasted great =)
And of course, our beds were a much welcomed reprieve.
Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee
