Our taxi picked us up at our Cha-am, Thailand condo in late morning for a three-hour drive to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. There, we would board our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Having private drivers to transfer us from one city to the next was becoming our standard in Southeast Asia. Buses or trains, if any, would make frequent stops – milk runs, really – and their schedules did not align well with ours. Make no mistake, we enjoyed the door-to-door service; however, as part of the journey, we also appreciated how public transit allows interaction with or observation of locals and fellow travelers.
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport: we had thoroughly researched the steps in getting our Cambodian visa-on-arrival. It was simple: have a passport-size photo and $30 USD in cash – for tourist visa, not regular visa – prior to departure. As we deplaned, we followed the signs to the visa application area and got in line. The process seemed to go quickly and smoothly, at first, with three officers each focused on his and her transactions: person-1 dealt directly with applicants, collecting passport, photo and money from them, and answering questions; person-2 processed the photos and passports received from person-1; the third worker registered the money, and provided any required change back to the first person, who handed it to the traveler. The smoothness did not last long. Between unprepared travelers and visa officers meddling in each other’s transactions, the entire process turned into chaos in a matter of moments. Having listened to the many panicked “I don’t have a photo with me” and the frustrated “I already paid you my fee”, we finally made our way through the disorder, got our visas and baggage, and headed toward the exit. Again, a private driver – included in our Airbnb booking – was waiting for us at arrivals, holding up a sign.
We drove along National Highway 6 toward downtown Siem Reap, the urban vibe reminiscent of Chiang Mai, Thailand; the poverty closer to what we had witnessed in Vietnam. To our surprise, the van turned onto a bumpy, dirt packed road, lined with local commerce and hotels. As we got closer to the villa, shops and snack bars turned to small family homes and fields. Our host, Bunlin, was waiting for us and provided all the information necessary for our stay. In late afternoon, to stretch our legs from a full day of traveling, we walked the 30 minutes to downtown, taking in our surroundings along the way, heading for the grocery store for our staples. As it was getting dark, we opted for a tuk-tuk back to the villa, not realizing that the potholed streets would reek havoc on our groceries. Fortunately, the eggs and beer were fine.
This was a special stop for us. Not only were we going to the highly anticipated Angkor Wat for Dave’s birthday, we would be doing it in the company of our friend, Andrea W. Arriving the following morning from Canada’s east coast, we knew Andrea would be exhausted from her 30+ hour journey. So, we spent the day close to the villa, relaxing by the pool and preparing our own meals. By mid-afternoon, after some well-deserved rest – napping for some of us – we walked to the main street and grabbed a tuk-tuk to Angkor Wot to purchase our 3-day pass. From the ticket office, it was another 15-minute ride to the temple site. For two hours, we walked around the impressive Angkor, our heads swiveling left to right trying to absorb the monumental feat before us. We were there – along with hundreds of other people – late enough to see the sunset cast a golden hue on the stone temples. We were looking forward to the sunrise photography tour we had booked for next day.
Our tour began with a 5:00 AM pick up by photographer and guide, Darren, from Cambodia Images. As we approached the site in total darkness, we could see other sunrise-seekers making their way toward the entrance. With flashlight in hand, Darren led us to an empty spot by the lake in front of the temple. With the increased light of dawn, came the growing number of visitors. By 6:30 AM, we were sandwiched between the lake and onlookers, six or seven rows deep behind us. Dave and Darren adjusted and readjusted their cameras, as colours and light shifted behind the temple – we had established our photography requirements with Darren ahead of time: Dave would be his main student, Andrea would seek guidance when inspired, and Gilles would wander the temple grounds, not straying too far from the group. After a good sunrise session, we headed inside the 
temple, its halls and chambers, for more picture-worthy views. Darren knew how the crowds flowed and led us to ‘secret’ locations, away from the hoards. That morning we completed a thorough visit of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom – and the Bayon temple within – and Ta Prohm. While driving from one site to another, Darren spotted a gathering of Buddhist monks and nuns near a local monastery. Devotees had setup camp for the day to give alms. 
Many of the monks and nuns were lined up to receive their lunch and donations, others were eating in a makeshift picnic area in front of the monastery’s temple. Darren sought out the best spot to photograph the ceremony, and our driver – a local – explained the significance of the uncommon event. And we were very fortunate to witness it! After nine hours of visiting, exploring and photographing, we decided to end the tour two hours early; Andrea was still recovering from jetlag; Gilles, from a flu. Our enthusiastic guide, Darren, insisted on one last site before heading back. The narrow passage of multilevel terraced reliefs, depicting Hindu mythology was very much worth it. Between the Buddhist ceremony and all the ancient temples, we took plenty of pictures to fill our Photo Gallery. Check it out!
On our last full day, feeling a bit more rested, we walked around downtown Siem Reap, casually visiting temples and markets, and walking down the landmark Pub Street. For Dave’s birthday dinner, we had a reservation at the Chanrey Tree restaurant for contemporary Khmer cuisine. The food and atmosphere were okay, but did not match the reviews we had read. The next day, we all packed our bags and headed to the airport. Our journey with Andrea W. was not over. We were just moving on to the next stop: Bangkok, Thailand, for more exploration.