Our last day in Siem Reap was an open day. No tours were scheduled…not one thing on the agenda. A few ideas had been tossed around, but no one had unanimously agreed on any one thing.
After breakfast, my travel companions, decided to have their 2,052nd massage of the trip…ok, well, it wasn’t that many, but they had had a lot. Being more of a fan of seeing and photographing the city, I set off on my own, map in hand.
I headed out towards Pub Street and the river and first encountered Wat Preah Prom Rath. Wat Preah Prom Rath is over 500 years old and just along the river near the Old Market. With a wider than usual collection of icons and a beautiful sculpture of a barge, you can spend a couple of hours wandering the tranquil garden and visiting the temple with the sleeping buddha.
My next stop was the temple of Wat Damnak. I soon encountered a problem, however…I could never figure out the street to get to Wat Damnak because the map I had was not very detailed. After walking back and forth in front of the Arts Market four or five times, I gave up and headed to Wat Bo.
I wish I could say that I had more luck initially, in finding Wat Bo. After finding the monks quarters, I thought that I had stumbled upon the wrong thing and headed back toward the river. Refusing to give up, I walked back in the direction of Wat Bo on a different street and soon came upon its buddha-topped walls. Problem was, the entrance on this road was blocked. Tired, hot and thirsty, I was close to calling off this visit as well, however, I kept at it, determined to find an entrance. Finally, I came across an opening in the wall and skirted right in.
Wat Bo is the oldest known Buddhist monastery in Siem Reap at approximately 400 years old. On the grounds, there is a main pagoda, a school and Buddhist monk sleeping quarters. There are many stupas and beautiful murals in the main pagoda. Not a very large place, you should be able to see everything in about 30 minutes.
After exiting Wat Bo, I was greeted by a tuk tuk driver. Exhausted from the heat, I decided that I would hire him to take me to some other temples. A suggestion was made for Wat Preah Ang Kau Sei, however, I decided that it may be a bit far…deduction made from the not-very-detailed map…and asked him to take me to the Yeay Tep Shrine, thinking that maybe I could visit the shrine and then see the Royal Residence gardens. After a short tuk-tuk ride through the streets of Siem Reap, we arrived at Yeay Tep Shrine. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed as it was very small and not quite what I expected. I also realized that the day before, after our visit to Kompong Pluk, the adjacent gardens were where Vanessa had taken us to for some photographs and to see the oldest hotel in Siem Reap.
With my tail between my legs, I returned to the tuk tuk and made a deal with the driver to take me to Wat Preah Ang Kau Sei and then back to the hotel.
We were quickly on our way.
Wat Preah Ang Kau Sei is a Buddhist monastery located in the east end of town. Taking a very short time to get there, I was a bit surprised when we arrived, as it had such an abandoned feel….none of the color and life of Wat Prom Rath. There were some obviously very old ruins behind the temple, but I first wandered to the rear of the property.
As I walked along, I began hearing a voice…chanting…it was so beautiful, I began glancing around to see where it was coming from. Along the small stream, there was a small hut. I could not see anyone through the open window, but there was no doubt that this was the source of the sound. I stopped for a few minutes to take it in and enjoy the otherwise quiet around me.
After visiting the stupas at the rear of the property, I ventured back to the front of the property. My tuk tuk driver came over to meet me and explained that he had spoken with the head monk. This monk was happy that I had come to visit and agreed to open the main building for me.
The wooden structure contained beautiful murals along the roofline and many flags crisscrossing the ceiling. The monk explained that the building was entirely made of wood and was extremely old…though I did not get an exact age.
The monk then told my tuk tuk driver that he like that way I looked…he said that I looked like a Khmer woman…dark skin and dark eyes. I took this opportunity to ask my driver if the monk would be offended if I asked him to take a picture with me. I was not entirely sure that he would. However, he gladly agreed and it is another picture from my trip that I will always cherish.
Siem Reap is so widely known for tourists visiting Angkor Wat, and being a dream of mine for so long to visit, I am ever so grateful that I was able to at this time. I am, however, grateful that I took the time to see the city of Siem Reap and all that it has to offer.
Check out more pictures of Wat Prom Rath, Wat Bo, Yeay Tep Shrine and Wat Preah Ang Kau Sei on my Facebook page, Snapping the Globe.