More of Toronto: Wandering the Rouge

Okay, so maybe I'm just partial to the area that I grew up in, but to my mind, Scarborough really just is one of the prettiest parts of Toronto. In addition to taking my friend out to visit the Bluffs, we also went for a bit of a wander in the Rouge Valley, my favourite place to soak in some much needed nature as a kid.

A hiker on one of the meadow trails in the Rouge Valley.

At 40km square, encompassing the Rouge River Watershed that runs the length of the Scarborough-Pickering border and stretching from Oak Ridges Moraine in the north to Lake Ontario in the south, Rouge Park was Canada's first National Park, and now has the honour of becoming our first Urban National Park. It's also home to Canada's largest wetland at Rouge Beach Park (known to locals as The Estuary) and a number of national historic sites.

A view of the valley from one of the hill tops. Taken in mid-September when the colours were only just beginning to hint at a change.

While I love the Rouge year round, my favourite time to visit is in the fall when it truly becomes apparent just how the area got it's name. With this year's extended summer, the colours were only beginning to hint at a change when we were there. Fortunately for everyone else, that means the fall colours are still in bloom - and I'd definitely suggest that everyone take advantage of the lovely weather we've been having to enjoy them! 

Rouge Beach Park, where the Rouge River meets Lake Ontario. Favourite local fishing spot and summertime hangout.

One of the best things about the Rouge is that there is something for everybody, meandering valley-walks, relaxing beaches and more strenuous uphill climbs. There's even tobogganing for the kids in the winter. For more info on Rouge Park, conservation, how to get there and the view points and hiking trails within it, check out the official Rouge Park and Toronto City websites.

My favourite part. The Rouge Beach Estuary, part of Canada's largest wetland. This place is beautiful in the summer, but even more fun in the winter when it freezes over and local kids clear the ice for some neighbourhood games of hockey.

For those who don't live in the east end of the city, never fear, the whole Greater Toronto Area is dotted with (admittedly smaller) parks like the Rouge. Some of my favourites are out near Burlington and Hamilton. I find the aptly named Rattlesnake Point to be especially lovely.

A Toronto Gem: The Scarborough Bluffs

It always shocks me how tourists often seem to know so much more about what there is to see and do in a city they're visiting than the locals do. Maybe it's that locals miss out on reading the guidebooks, or maybe it's just that we get so caught up in our day-to-day lives and the mystique of travel that we forget to stop every once in a while and appreciate what's around us. In Toronto especially, I think we also get tripped up by the fact that the rest of our great country has such stunning landscape on offer (particularly in the west) and assume that anything we could have must pale in comparison. While we don't have any Rocky Mountains here, that doesn't mean our landscape isn't just as stunning (we are, after all, home to the Niagara Falls).

One of the estuarine inlets at the base of the bluffs. They'll full of fish, frogs and other life forms.

Proof that some good things do, indeed, come from Scarborough, perhaps one of my favourite oft-missed spots in the city are the Scarborough Bluffs - a 15km long escarpment running along the northern coast of Lake Ontario that reaches up 90m (or 25 stories) at it's highest point. Wonderful to visit in any season (though the beach can get quite crowded in the summer), I recently had the chance to explore them again with a friend who was visiting from Scotland in early September.  

A view of the bluffs from the beach.

The views of the bluffs are just stunning - but no more so than is suggested by its history. The bluffs are what remain of the eroded shoreline of Glacial Lake Iroquois, which covered an enlarged area of Lake Ontario and sat at the base of a large northern ice sheet during the last ice age (approximately 13,000 years ago). Surprisingly, the bluffs actually represent the last remaining geological record of this period in North America, making them incredibly important geologically. Unfortunately, due to their sandy nature, the bluffs are eroding fast - at a rate of about one meter per year. This isn't all bad though, one of Toronto's major attractions, the Toronto Islands, were actually formed by erosional deposits from the bluffs that were swept westward into the lake during a large storm in 1858! 

Looking out toward Lake Ontario. We were lucky enough to be there when it was warm.

There are a number of places from which you can enjoy the Bluffs, but two of my favourite (and two of the most easily accessible) are Bluffers Park at the base of Brimley Road and the Scarborough Bluffs Park above it east of Midland Avenue. Parking at Bluffers is free Monday-Friday before 5pm. To get there using public transit, take the number 12 or 12B Kingston Road bus to Brimley and then walk the 2km (10mins) south to the park. Just remember that the route in heads down, so you'll have quite the uphill on the walk back - it's definitely worth it though!

Toronto Treats: Exploring the City with Tasty Tours

Mmm, truffles. How can you resist them?

One of the things I`ve been up to since getting back to Toronto has been joining Tasty Tours Toronto as one of the guide staff. Tasty Tours is an nifty little company offering walking tours of Toronto that focus mostly on the deliciousness available at Toronto's bakeries and chocolatiers.

Some of the wonderfully delicious treats on offer on our chocolate tour.
This is quite possibly my favourite stop, with chocolates ranging in flavour from lavender and rose to chipotle, tequila and lime. 

Tours are kept small to maximize your enjoyment and run every, or every other, weekend depending on the season. Regular tours include the Kensington Sweets Tour and the Trinity-Bellwoods Chocolate Tour. People keep asking which is my favourite or which they should try first and, honestly, I can't decide. My answer? Do both!

One of the customer favourites on the sweets tour. Know what they are? Good. Then you probably want one :).

Taste testing is offered at all of the stops along the route and, even if, like me, you're a dessert-o-phile, you will find something new and awesome that you've never tried before or an excellently made well-loved favourite at every stop.

One of the chocolate truffles from our sweets tour.
This one was pumpkin spice, but you'll get to choose your flavour.

While the focus of the tour is mostly on the desserts, we don't skimp on the historical info either. Little tidbits about the neighbourhood, sweet making techniques and how to properly eat desserts abound. The guides are all knowledgeable (yeah, yeah, I know, tooting my own horn - but I did do my undergrad thesis on why we evolved to love sweetness and how cultures use and perceive it differently around the world!) and the neighbourhoods themselves are wonderfully unique. Plus, you don't have to be a tourist to enjoy them. Most of the tours are actually made up of locals who just want to better get to know the city and treats available in it!

I bet those who have been to Asia can identify some of these!
Just to keep up some of the suspense, I'll avoid telling which tour this stop is from.

Interested? Check us out at TastyToursToronto.com. Private tours are available for those who can't make the regular ones or, those who just want to spend some quality sweet time with their friends. Special thematic tours are also offered during dessert-heavy seasons such as Christmas and Valentine's, and tours are half-price for those going with a friend during their birth month.

Don't trust me to be impartial? Check out some of our excellent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Happy Eating!

Toronto!

I can't lie, part of the reason I have been so slow in updating now that I am back home in Toronto is that the prospect of trying to summarize 6 months and 7000+ photos worth of travel, flavours and experiences into a coherent body of blog posts is a singularly daunting one.  I'd also be lying, however, if I said that was the only reason. It's likely that an equal measure of my reluctance to post comes from the fact that being home after so long away always reminds me of just how much I love Toronto - it's crazy pace; quirky neighbourhoods; incredible mix of cultures; access to great art, drama and dance; the food; and, of course, my friends and family. While I love travelling and experiencing new cultures, sometimes it's nice just to soak up a little of home. It helps, of course, that I have a stunning view of the city from just outside my bedroom and loads to get done while I'm here. 

The lovely morning view of the Toronto skyline from the balcony off my parents' den (the floor of which I am currently camping on).

Though the classic reaction of all Torontonians to visitors stating how much they've enjoyed the city always seems to run along the lines of "Really?! Why???". I'm here to report that there are just so many reasons. Don't believe me? Head out to check it out yourself. In the spring, summer, and early fall, we have cultural and art festivals nearly every weekend. In the winter, we have theatre, Broadway shows, comedy, ballets and operas to keep us warm. We have access to nearly every food imaginable, decent museums, a plethora of unique neighbourhoods, wonderful parks, thousands of activities, a great lake, 4 distinct seasons, access to incredible nature not too far away and stunning foliage in the autumn. Really, what's not to love? While I'll unfortunately likely not have enough time to do too many Toronto-themed posts with the travel backlog I'm under. I definitely recommend a visit. And for all those of you who live here but claim not to like it, I encourage you to try something new, explore a new area or test out a new type of food. Who knows, you may just fall in love with it too!

A streetcar, possibly one of my favourite features of Toronto's transportation system, on Queen West. 

For awesome ideas on where to go when you visit, what to eat, current events or new fun things to try in and around Toronto, check out the super handy and awesome BlogTO.

Dragons in the Mist: Hạ Long Bay & Cát Bà Island

Probably one of the biggest tourists attractions in Southeast Asia (and certainly one of my reasons for wanting to visit Vietnam), is Halong Bay.

The karst islets of Halong Bay. I was here in March, in the summer, the gulf shows off it's incredible turquoise hue.

Located along the Northeastern coastline of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin, Halong, or Descending Dragon Bay, is made stunning by the 1,600 karst islands and islets that dot it. 500 million years old and formed by 20 million years of erosion in a wet tropical climate, Halong truly is a marvel. It gets it's name from legends which claim that the islands were formed by dragons sent by the gods to protect the Vietnamese against invaders.

Looking outward from Cat Ba, the largest of the islands.

The most common way to explore Halong bay is by two or three day cruise on a (hopefully modernised) traditional junk boat. These cruises often include a stop at one or more of the incredible karst caves which riddle the islets, the opportunity for 2 or so hours of kayaking (at your own speed) around, under and through some of the islets at one of the floating villages, the chance to jump in for a swim (in the admittedly now polluted waters), excellent eagle watching opportunities and fairly decent food. Given the plethora of tours available and the range of prices and reputations, it's best to do a touch of research before you book. For the younger crowd looking for more adventure and a good party, Central Backpackers in Hanoi offers the perfect tour.

Fishing boats moored in a place we nick-named 'Pirate Cove' on Cat Ba. 

For the budget traveller, the cheapest way to get there is to organise a combined bus and boat ride out to Cat Ba Island from Luong Yen Bus Station in Hanoi (should be 10USD each way), or to get there by boat from Haiphong on the main land and to use Cat Ba as your jumping off point. Just be warned that there are several ports on the island and that if you arrive on the opposite side late in the afternoon, it might be difficult to find a ride across the 30km island into Cat Ba Town. The Island itself is stunning, the food there delicious (check out Hoang Y in Cat Ba town for the best there is), and the boat tours out onto Cat Ba or Lan Ha Bay, which boast the same landscape as Halong, much cheaper and less crowded. There is also plenty of cheap accommodation on offer on the island, beautiful beaches, excellent hiking, rock climbing and biking and, for those who want to get out on the water, the awesome Asia Outdoors offers kayak and deep water soloing trips. 

One of the beaches near Cat Ba city. Beautiful during the day, but arguably cooler by night when the algae in the water shoots off sparks of electric green bioluminescence in your wake.

Cat Ba is the largest of the 366 karst islands in the Halong area and, in addition to all of the activities above, boasts incredible scenery and biodiversity, with a national park comprising more than half the island. The park offers some great hiking trails, awesome rainforest insects, 1,561 recorded species of flora and fauna, and is home to the extremely endangered Cat Ba golden headed langur (of which there are only 68 left in the wild). It's easy enough - and well worth it - to just rent a motorbike or bicycle (be warned, there are lots of big hills) for day or two and explore on your own.

The view from the base of one of the trails in Cat Ba National Park.

And Then I Fell In Love: Hanoi

Wizzing around Hanoi with my backpack on the back of a xe om (motorbike taxi), I realised a few things, first among which was that, no matter what people had said, the drivers in Hanoi are not crazier than those in Vietnam's larger Ho Chi Minh City to the South. While the space is tighter, the pace was much slower.

A slightly atypical street view of Hanoi - only made so by the yellow temple festival decorations, everything else represents the norm. 

My other realisation as we wound through the narrow roads of old quarter, rubbing elbows with other drivers, pedestrians, and all manner of goods for sale along the way, was that I was very likely going to come to love this place. Unlike my two companions who began to find it cloying and claustrophobic, I couldn't help but draw energy from the constant flow of the crowd winding it's way through that maze of streets.

A local drives his produce across the long width of the red river that splits modern-day Hanoi.

Although it has only been the country's capital since it's reunification in 1976, Hanoi is arguably the true heartland of Vietnamese culture. Located on the Red River Delta, the area has seen continuous habitation since 3000BC. Though the country was occupied several times by foreign powers: the Han Chinese from the 2nd century BC until the 11th AD, the French from 1887-1940 and the Japanese from 1940-1945, Hanoi often played an important role in it's governance. For much of the country's Independence (AD 1010-1802), it remained Vietnam's most important political and economic centre. It was also used as the capital of French Indochina from 1902-1954. Perhaps most memorably in recent times, it formed the home base for the General Ho Chi Minh's pro-independence Viet Minh and the communist North. 

The Mausoleum of Uncle Ho Chi Minh. Embalmed and on display against his express wishes, his mausoleum is open to the public everyday bar Monday and Friday. Check with tourist info for times. Lines are always long, so get there as early as possible.

On Updates (or the lack thereof...)

Dear Readers,

Sincerest apologies for not having updated for a few months now. I promise that the updates are coming (slowly but surely they shall appear!).

Turns out that blogging from a phone is a lot more difficult than one might expect (and I expected it to be pretty difficult...). Rather than publishing terribly jumbled unformatted posts, I've decided to save everything until I get home and have my lovely little laptop back at my disposal. Updates should recommence come September. Rest assured that I am taking copious detailed notes until then ;).

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summers (or winters depending on where you may be)!
Best,
Ally

Historic Hue

The view along the Perfume River in Hue

We decided to take the 4hr train from Da Nang (just north of Hoi An) to Hue - largely because I'd heard it was a beautiful journey. While the scenery was absolutely stunning, the clealiness of the train (I believe it was number S4) left a lot to be desired. Happily, the was not the case for our following overnight train (S20) up to Hanoi. That one was pristine.

The Thien Mu Pagoda (1601). Famous as the site of monk Thich Quang Duc's self immolation in protest of then Southern Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem's anti-Buddhist policies

Located around 70km south of the Demiliterized Zone established between North and South Vietnam after the 1954 Geneva Conference, the Vietnamese city of Hue (pronounced 'hoo-way') is probably best known to the slightly older generations as one of the main sites of the Tet Offensive - during which it was held by the Viet Cong for 25 days. Tet is the traditinal Vietnamese New Year and, in 1968, the communist Viet Cong used the holiday to attack unsuspecting South Vietnamese strongholds, turning the mental tide of the war and making it clear to those back home in America that the anti-communist forces were not as assured of victory as they were being told.

The gorgeously sprawling mausoleum of Emperor Thu Duc (r. 1847-1888). It took three years to build. It also houses the remains of his empress and mother and was used as his retreat for the 16 years prior to his death. I can't really imagine living in my mausoleum, but to each their own...

More of the same.

Although the city was largely levelled during the counter to the Tet Offensive, leaving the present city looking largely like any other, there are still a great number of beautiful historic sites located along the banks of the Perfume River - largely elaborate imperial mausolea dating from Hue's time as the Nguyen Dynasty capital (1802-1945). Most of these are located in different directions on the outskirts of town, so although bicycling them is do-able, it can make for a long hot day - I got a scooter.

The ruined floor of a no longer existant building of the imperial citadel.

The Ruins of My Son

Located about 40km southwest of Hoi An, lie the Champa era temple ruins of My Son (pronounced Me Son). A sacred place for the Champa, who ruled what is now central Vietnam from around the 7th century AD until 1832, My Son contains a number of 7th to 11th century temple-complexes dedicated to the past and present ruling god-kings. It was rediscovered by the French during the French Colonial period and was actually fairly well preserved until the 1960s when it was bombed extensively by American B52s  attempting to flush out the Viet Cong who were using it as a base.

A Stela laying on an angle in front of the ruins of  Group B

Buried in the dense jungle and littered with bomb craters, My Son was definitely interesting to see - though difficult to get to without having your own transport or joining a tour. It's also advisable not to wander too far off the track as there remains a great deal of unexploded ordinance in the area.

A broken frieze from behind Group D.

Charmed by Hoi An

One of the fore-courts of a traditional 17th century Cantonese Temple.

With the trip up along the coast to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City seeming far too long at 30hrs, it was decided that we should split the journey up with a stop midway in the UNESCO World Heritage Ancient Town of Hoi An. It was in no way a choice we regretted making. In fact, though the city can get quite touristy around midday and has a bit of a preserved feel to it, nearly everyone I've met who has been (including ourselves) says they wish they could have stayed longer.

Boats on the Thu Bon River.

In addition to being only 5km from a lovely 20km stretch of white sand beach which attracts the visitors of today, the city's placement on the Thu Bon river historically made it and excellent location for trade. Somehow spared from the bombs that rained down during the war, the Old Town along the river front boasts beautiful old 15th-19th century Vietnamese, Cantonese, Funanese, Japanese and European-style trading houses, temples and assembly halls alongside museums, excellent but inexpensive tailors and an ancient Japanese covered bridge. On nights of the full moon (which we sadly missed), all the lights in the centre are turned out and the town is lit by lanterns floating down the river. All in all, the city just oozes a relaxed sort of charm that makes you never want to leave. I'm also told the food is delicious but wasn't able to judge for myself due to illness. Guess I'll just have to go back.

A traditional fruit seller markets her wares.

Saigon

With it's wide boulevards, urban atmosphere, colonial buildings, and activity-filled public spaces, Ho Chiinh City (formerly Saigon), particularly in the old quarter (still called Saigon), resembles nothing so much as it does a European city - particularly those in France. That is, of course, until you notice the scooters - and with somthing like four to six million scooters for the eight million people living there, they are somewhat hard to miss. Speaking from experience, I can also say that riding on the back of a moto-taxi (xe om) here is a far more harrowing than anywhere else.

A statue of 'Uncle Ho' outside City Hall.

Even just walking around central Saigon is pleasant - the atmosphere is a thoroughly enjoyable one to soak up. Sites-wise, I had a few favourites. The post office next to the Notre Dame Cathedral (told you) with it's awesome old-school map murals inside is definitely worth a peek in.

Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral.

Likewise, the remarkably hideous-on-the-outside-until-you-recognize-its-ingenuity-from-inside Reunification Palace built in 1966 to replace the former French Indochinese governor's palace is possibly one of my favourite buildings of all time. I can not describe how amazingly light and airy it was inside, nor how 60s chic - both of which (though maybe less so the latter) are uncommon in political residences. The James Bond style roof top garden, bar, dance floor and chopper landing site were also a plus. As was the underground bunker in the basement from whence the Southern Presidents worked during the war. It was also here that the war symbolically ended - with a tank driven through the gates and acting South Vietnamese President Tran Van Huong taken to the radio station to announce surrender.

The not supremely attractive exterior of the Reunification Palace.

The interior of the Reunification Palace.

Finally, the somewhat biasedly presented, but factually correct and utterly heart wrenching, War Remnants Museum is an absolute must see. Documenting the atrocities of the Vietnam war (albeit completely one sidedly in favour of the North), the museum houses weapons, casings, photographs and stories of those involved as well as information on the war and a recreation of the American/South Vietnamese prison on Phu Quoc. Particularly devastating are the rooms dedicated to the ongoing effects of the use of biological and chemical agents, such as agent orange, not only on those (on both sides) who came in contact with it, but their descendants as well.

A woman in a traditional aojai walks past some of typical communist-style posters found all over Vietnam.

For a great side trip just 40km outside of Ho Chi Minh City, it's definitely worth checking out the Cu Chi tunnels - a network of over 250km of tunnels in which the Viet Cong (the southern communist guerrilla forces) hid out and lived for nearly 20 years during the war. 100m of the tunnels, along side model booby-traps, decoys and a shooting range, are accessible to tourists at Ben Dinh. If you go on a tour you will also stop at one of the government craft centres for the disabled. While I am opposed to the voyeurism involved in checking out the workshop, the work they produce is fabulous. While the tunnels have been widened to accommodate foreigners, even I found them to be on the unpleasantly tight side - and I'm tiny! Hard to believe anyone could live down there for weeks on end.

It should also be noted that Ho Chi Minh City (and Vietnam in general) is home to some absolutely fabulous food - special thanks to Jackson and Vanessa for taking care of us in that regard, you can come visit me for food in Toronto anytime!

The Floating Markets of Can Tho

Located part way between Ha Tien and Ho Chi Minh City, which act as bookends to the fan created by the Mekong Delta, is the Delta's largest city and busiest port - Can Tho.

Sunrise over the Mekong.

The last city to fall to the North Vietnamese army (on May 1st 1975, the day after the fall of Saigon), Can Tho is home to the (sadly mostly Vietnamese language) Ho Chi Minh museum, which depicts the valiant struggle by the local peoples in cooperation with the National Liberation Front  (Viet Cong) to win their freedom and reunify the country. Definitely interesting to see.

More famously, Can Tho is home to the Delta's largest floating markets at Cai Rong and Phong Dien - both of which get their start at the bright and early hour of 4:30am so that the purchasers of produce have time to boat their wares up to Ho Chi Minh City in time for the morning markets there. The action begins to wind down quite early, with action becoming increasingly more local and less frenzied as the sun rises, and dwindling completely by 9am.

The late(ish) morning action at Cai Rong

It's possible to either rent a boat and driver or join a tour from the pier in Can Tho in order to get a peek - I definitely reccomend the former, but be prepared to bargain. I got it down to ten dollars to have a boat take me out to Cai Rong for 4:30am and then wend me back gently through farm lined canals en route home. I also tipped the lovely lady who rowed me out (with a sprained ankle!) an extra five for making her take me out rather earlier than most tourists do and for treating me to snacks - I also saw some others buy their boaters breakfast as a thank you.

A banana and coconut palm lined canal off the Mekong.

Loitering at the base of the Mekong Delta in Ha Tien

For much of history, what is now Vietnam's Mekong Delta actually belonged to Cambodia under the ancient Khmer empires. Laced with rivers and streams, boats are the the primary mode of transport in the area - though local buses-come-delivery-vans also trundle their way along narrow streets with rice paddies, coconut groves and water buffalo lining their sides. The area is beautifully verdant - especially in contrast to the dry season in Cambodia. I don't think I understood the true meaning of lush until I crossed the border! As many of the area's residents are ethnically Cambodian, there was little change in culture apart from the sudden appearance of the ubiquitous traditional Vietnamese conical hats.

The Beach at Mui Nai

While the most common way to visit Vietnam's Mekong Delta is on a day trip to the lovely towns of My Tho and Ben Tre from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), I decided to hop on a local mini bus from Kep in Cambodia to the tiny Prek Chak-Xa Xia border crossing in the far south and hitch the 10km to Ha Tien.

A view of the buffalo filled rice paddies from Thach Dong.

What became immediately evident upon renting a bike and setting off to explore the area, was how few foreigners actually stay in Ha Tien beyond the few hours necessary to catch their next bus or ferry -and how glad I was that I actually had. I'm not sure what the best part of that 15km cycle was: buying roasted bananas encased in rice and palm leaves from local ladies on the side of a rural country road, getting into an epic splash fight with two adorable local 8 year old girls when I stopped off at the beach on the Mui Nai peninsula to cool down in the (rather warm) waters of the Gulf of Thailand, or exploring the Buddhist Temple built inside the bat-filled Thach Dong Cave. In any case, the day also ended wonderfully with explorations of Ha Tien's treat-filled night market and local kids playing bumper carts on the water-front promenade.

Chilling in Kep and Kampot

While I didn't get the chance to make it to the Cambodian beach and backpackers paradise that is Sihanoukville, I did decide to make a stopover in the nearby charming smaller towns of Kep and Kampot on my route to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Such a great decision! Kampot was the perfect place to just chill and Kep's un-crowded beach 35km away was just delightful (even if I got to visit it only very briefly and didn't get to try any of the local crab). I just wish I could have stayed longer!

A morning view of the Chhou River at the base of the Elephant Mountains in Kampot , Southeastern Cambodia

It should be noted that the roads down to Kep, Kampot and Sihanouville are pockmarked dirt things that are thoroughly enjoyable if, like me, you love bumpy rides but, which can make a journey in a large bus take rather longer than it does in the (small, un-airconditioned and frequently rather packed) local share-taxis which also ply the route.

The Ruined French Colonial Church on Bokor Hill

While I loved the rural-ness of Kampot (being the only foreigner in the local market was super fun), it was not my primary reason for going. In addition to sporting lovely beaches and a swimable/kayakable/tubable river, the Kep-Kampot area was used as a countryside retreat by the French during the colonial era. Abandoned after the civil war, the region is now dotted with numerous crumbling and over-grown colonial structures. Hoping to see some of these, I managed to convince some of the staff and other travellers staying at Naga House (located on the river, awesome staff, perfect for those loving a chill party and backpacker culture and only $2 US/night) that we should rent motorbikes and ride them (or, in my case, that someone should take me on the back of theirs - Thank you Chanda!) up to the National Park on Bokor Hill to see some of them (it's also possible to take $10 day tours to see them). Although somewhat marred by the heavy real estate development now going on up top, the adventure still turned out to be well worth our while.

Watching the mist come up over the side of the mountain from the ruined terrace of one of the old colonial hotels. This particular ruin was undergoing some restoration but was still fun to explore - especially in areas where some of the original flooring was still visible.

The Angkor Ruins

Being me, one of the main objectives of my going to visit Cambodia was to see the Angkor ruins up near Siem Reap. Although most people are aware of the World Heritage Site (and Wonder of the World) that is Angkor Wat, few are aware that the Angkorian ruins in the area cover hundreds of square kilometers, with many ranging even further afield. The Angkorian Empire (AD 802 -1431) did, after all, at it's height cover all of what is now Cambodia and Laos as well as most of Thailand and much of Vietnam. Fortunately, my mother, with whom I was travelling at the time, is similarly interesting in archaeology and, so, we not only got one, but three days, to explore the temples in the area - including Banteay Srei to the North and the Roluos group to the East. Sadly we didn't have time to make it to the temples further up the mountains to the north, but they are meant to be especially beautiful in wet season, which it was not. Below is a selection of some of my favourite sites.

Main Site

One of the five  four-headed gates into Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is the largest of the ruin complexes, covering an area of 9km square and encompassing many other sites within its walls. Definitely a must see. My favourite temple inside was Bayon - imagine a pyramid topped with 54 many-headed towers. The Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King with their many carvings were also nice to see. Angkor Thom itself was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th and early 13th centuries AD and was the last great Khmer (Angkorian) Capital, housing up to as many as a million inhabitants.

An end of day photo of Angkor Wat itself. This photo was actually taken on my birthday after I had cycled back up from town to watch the sunset, catching it from the uncrowded back gate. Angkor Wat is the most complete of the temples in terms of what remains. It was built in the mid 12th century as the temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II and is home to incredible bas reliefs which cover the hundreds of meters of walls in the first gallery which surrounds the inner temple. As the temple was initially dedicated to Vishnu, the reliefs depict scenes from central Hindu myths such as the Ramayana and the Churning of the See of Milk.

A view of the Jungle from atop the towers of the central  sanctuary.

One of the still red-painted Apsara dancers carved on the walls. Apsara is a traditional Indian-Indochinese dance form with holy connotations for both Buddhists and Hindus in the region and, so, such carvings are found undestroyed on many of the temples. The red colour comes from when all the temples were converted (re-converted in some cases) to Buddhism in the 16th and 17th centuries - long after the area had ceased to be the Khmer capital. ( The capital was moved south after the invasion of Siam in 1431.)

Ta Phrom - easily one of my favourite sites as it's so overgrown with massive trees! It was originally built by Jayavarman VII around the same time as Angkor Wat and was dedicated as a Buddhist Monastery. Subsequent (re-) conversion of the area to Hinduism in the period following meant that many of the carved Buddha's on the walls were defaced, destroyed, or turned into Hindu ascetics as at most of the other temples from the period. Based on an inscription at the site, it appears that twelve thousand people lived at the monastery with almost eighty thousand villagers supporting them. 

Banteay Kdei. Another of my favourites. Dating from the same period and located close to Ta Phrom, but not quite as tree covered, Banteay  Kdei is still a lot more rubble-filled and less reconstructed than many other temples. It is also less touristed, giving it a much more peaceful air.

Looking down from the top of Phnom Bakheng. Built on top of a small mountain, it is actually the oldest temple at the main site, built by Yasovarman I in the late 8th century AD. As the hill on which it's built rises 60m above the rest of the plain, Phnom Bakheng provides a wonderful view of Angkor Wat and other temples rising out of the jungle as well as of the Tonle Sap lake to the south. Strangely (to me at least as it lies northwest of it) the site gets flooded with tourists in the late afternoon who hike up to watch sunset over the Angkor Wat, leaving it nearly empty in the early morning and throughout the day.

North Group

Banteay Srei might be one of the prettiest of the Angkor Temples. Built in the  10th century, it;s like a pink sandstone, much more delicately carved version of some of the later temples. Definitely worth visiting (possibly after you've seen the others so that you have something to compare it to), it lies 30km north of the main sites through some great countryside (I wouldn't recommend cycling it (we certainly didn't) unless you have a lot of energy and most of the day). The Mine Museum is also on the way.

Roluos Group

Before the capital was at Angkor, it was a dozen or so kilometers east of Siem Reap at Rulous. The Rulous group is now comprised of three main sites: Lolei (not pictured here but which sports adorable tufts of hair-like grass on top of its four towers and is home to a Buddhist monastery, orphanage and language school),  Preah Ko and Bakong.

Built as a Hindu funerary temple for his ancestors by Indravarman the first, Preah Ko is a fairly small site. The best part about it is Dy Proeung's stone carving workshop opposite. A master architect and carver who survived the Khmer Rouge purgings, now 80-some odd year old Dy Proeung has carved miniatures (which are still several meters large) of many of the main temples. He was even recognised by the former king for his work. Go visit him.

On of my favourite of all the temples, this is Bakong (with my mother in the foreground).  The oldest 'temple mountain' (pyramidal temple) in Cambodia, it has some delightful statues, nice crumbly bits, a lovely moat, beautiful flowers, stairs on every side and many, many fewer tourists than the other sites. As it's the oldest, the carvings also differ, with many of the women on the central towers doing things other than dance.

In terms of getting to the temples from Siem Reap. A number of options are available. You can easily hire a tuk-tuk for the day for up to four people (should be around $20-$25 US for the day depending on the number of people and whether or not you are making your poor driver wake up for sunrise), rent motorbikes (not sure of the price), join a tour, or, my personal favourite way as the area is mostly flat, rent a bike ($2-5 US/day depending on the quality) and cycle. Bear in mind that if you are cycling, the closest ruins are 10km from the city (took about 23 mins on a not-great-bike) and cover an area much larger than that - in other words, if you are cycling, bring a lot of water and sunscreen and be prepared to take some rests in the shade.  It's also possible to hire guides for the day ($20-25 US for English, other languages are more expensive, add five dollars for sunrise, likely more if you expect them to cycle with you). Most of the local children around the ruins sell knockoff guide books with excellent info in them if you want to do it yourself. Temples are all open 5am - 6pm (except Banteay Srei which closes an hour earlier). Entry to the sites (including the main site, Roluos group and northern groups) is $20 US for one day, $40 for 2 or 3 and $60 for 7, you can enter and exit as many times as you want per day with no penalty.

Siem Reap itself is very much a tourist town, but a cute one for all that. Other things to do are to explore the countryside or take a boat ride out on the Tonle Sap (which floods so much in rainy season that it becomes Asia's largest freshwater lake) to visit the floating villages (be prepared to pay $10-20 US/person).