The Grand Tour, Part 2

Day two of Siem Reap starts off on the right foot, as we managed some extra sleep. Started off with a filling breakfast at the hotel. Noodle soup with pork, various breads and fruit, and yogurt.

Our guide picks us up at 8:30 and we take an hour drive up to Phnom Kulen mountain. We first hike up to Preah Ang Thom, home of a reclining Buddha carved into a rock atop the mountain.

Down the road from the temple is a river with several linga carvings.

Nearby was a little spring that was “boiling,” and is considered a site of holy water for many here. Also nearby is a waterfall where people come to be blessed.

All this walking meant it was time for a break and we stopped on the road for lunch, me having the fish Khmer curry and my friend having stir-fry fish and mushroom.

After that much needed energy boost, we move the last part of the tour to Bang Mealea, a temple that is quite in ruins and hasn’t been renovated yet. It only recently opened on account of land mines being cleared recently.

Dinner? Our appetite again fell prey to the heat, and was skipped. Tomorrow we fly off to Phnom Penh, and start into the home stretch of our trip.