Weekend Recap 3: The Big Loop

A common sign around Angkor

Day three in Siem Reap started off much the same as the others with an early start and french bread, scrambled egg, and banana breakfast. Noi was our driver again and we set off first and foremost for Preah Khan with a short stop at Baksei Chamkrong, a seemingly unfinished brick temple outside the main gates of Angkor Thom. With its austere and undecorated facade, it looked almost like one of the Mayan temples from Tikal. The climb up the steep staircase was perhaps the steepest one so far.



Baksei Chamkrong in the early morning

Preah Khan, the largest ruin of the day was uncrowded as it was still fairly early in the morning. The low sprawling temple complex is unique among the Angkor ruins for one of the only two-story buildings still surviving. There were also some large trees ripping apart the ruins with the most distinctive feature of Preah Khan (meaning Sacred Sword) was its wide causeways leading to each of the smaller buildings. Another prominent element is the extremely long central axis along the East and West entrances passing straight through the central sanctuary.



Two-story building at Preah Khan

Up next was Preah Neak Pean, a prime example of Khmer engineering, and according to LP the inspiration for the pool at the next big Las Vegas resort, Encore Angkor *barf*. In plan it's a central square pool surrounded by four identical square pools oriented along the cardinal directions. The central square pool has a round island temple in the center and would have been surrounded by the water kept in the reservoir pools. The staircase along the central pool has an opening that leads down a pipe exiting from the mouth of a statue in a recessed opening in each of the four surrounding pools. Anyways, I thought the waterworks was an interesting feature that was readily transparent in this example of Khmer architecture.



Drainage from the main pond into the secondary ponds

Following a little sketch at Preah Neak Pean and a fuchsia dragonfruit snack, Nancy and I made brief stops at Ta Som, the Eastern Mebon, and Pre Rup. Pre Rup is similar to Ta Keo with its high staircase and central symbolic tower of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. The staircase was quite a hike before reaching some well preserved plasterwork and a nice view.


Almost to the top of the Pre Rup stairs

Up next was Banteay Kdei, interesting because of its state of prolonged decay and location across from Sra Srang, a sacred ablutions pool.

Banteay Kdei and its crumbling walls.
Prasat Kravan, a temple built not by a king, but by a noble person was one of Nancy's favorites. The brick construction is also a little unusual and well-preserved. Our last stop on the Big Loop was Phnom Bakheng, a popular spot for sunset viewing because it's up on a hill after a little hike up from the road. You can also go up the hill via elephant, but Nancy and I chose to walk and enjoy the woods. We left before the sunset because it was really overcast and you couldn't even see the sun through the clouds. There was a great view of the Western Baray or man-made reservoir over 7 km long.


The view from the top of Phnom Bakheng

Returning to Bun Kao Guesthouse and a shower later, Nancy and I ate dinner at a little restaurant where I ate a scrumptious pumpkin casserole and Nancy, in a fit of longing for Western food, had pancakes. That night we explored the area around Pub Street, but didn't have a drink and wandered into a photo gallery with some excellent pieces by a famous photographer who I can't quite remember now.