Visiting Angkor Wat Temple and Boarding our Cruise Ship, The Emerald Harmony

Friday, February 6, 2026

 

Yes, the alarm went at 4:30 am! By 5:15, we were on the bus in the pitch dark of night on our way to see Angkor Wat Temple at sunrise.

 

This temple is one of the best known and recognized through its history and its architectural profile. It was originally built as a Hindu temple (construction took over 30 years). lt was later converted to be a Buddhist temple as the culture of the country changed.

 

Getting to Angkor Wat involved a lengthy bus ride and the streets were quite filled with cars, scooters, big and small busses and even some bicycles all headed for the same destination. And the sun had not yet risen when we arrived.

 

Fortunately, there was a tuk-tuk waiting to take Jim and I close to the temple where there was a terrific place to take photos. Slowly, the sky lit up and the temple transformed from darkness to its familiar shape against the changing sky. Cloud cover prevented a spectacular sunrise but gradually the sun did begin to cast its golden light. It is only at equinox that you get the perfect photo of the sun centred on the tallest spire. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful event, worthy of pinches as we asked ourselves, “Are we really here?”

 

I have to mention the full moon in a clear dark sky, also shining down on the growing crowd. As the sky became lighter, the moon was diminished. We had seen it at its peak when we arrived before dawn.

 

After the very experienced tuktuk driver told us that the best views and light had passed, another woman from our tour group (Jennie) joined me as we headed back to our hotel. Jim remained with the larger group as they planned to climb to the top of the highest peak in the temple (well over 100 steep steps up and the sensation of even steeper steps coming down).

 

The tuktuk driver stopped a few times en route at places his experience told him that we would want to take photos. He was very helpful and patient. 

It was about a 30 minute ride back to our hotel where Jenny and I enjoyed a refreshing coffee and a delicious breakfast. It was about 10:30 am when we finished breakfast and we had already been up for 6 hours.

 

Jim and others climbed the steps to the top and then gratefully climbed onto the bus for a quiet ride back to Siem Reap. Many of the group had a well deserved nap sometime during the day, including Jim and later, me as well.

 

I had a short nap in the afternoon while Jim was off on another adventure. 

This one featured two destinations. He visited, Apopo, a haven for rats from Tanzania (they have a long life span), trained to detect land mines and through their work, saved many lives as land mines were located and removed from many properties.

                 Land mines come in various forms and materials

The rats helped clear 13,000,000 square metres of land. And they are still working at clearing more. These rats have also travelled to a variety of countries to assist with the clean-up after military activity. They have been found to be very helpful in bringing acres of land back to safety. 

The second place he visited was Banteay Srei Temple, older than Angkor Wat. It was built around just before 1000 AD and it was dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. It is renowned as the jewel of Khmer art for its intricate, well-preserved sandstone carvings.  In spite of its age, the painting and wood carvings in the temple are in incredible condition. It is the best preserved temple in Southeast Asia. It is 30 kilometres away from Angkor Watt.  Jim, of course, took photos to share.

After my nap, I went to use the hotel pool. What a pleasure that was. The water was the perfect temperature, access to the pool involved a set of steps with a railing and, surprisingly, no one else was in the pool. I swam a few lengths and then floated happily around the pool. Soon enough, it was time to head back to our room to get ready for the next event.

Soon after Jim and the group arrived back to the hotel, it was time to head out for a very special dinner. We went to visit a workshop for handicapped people who were interested in learning a new skill with the potential of selling the products they made. Pottery, weaving, fabric design, wood carving, spinning wool, jewellery making, were some of the work that was being practised. The workers were supervised by other skilled tradespeople and they were taught to skills of starting and running their own businesses. Of course, products were on display and for sale. It was hard not to buy too many items. The quality of the work was superb.

Aside from the workshop, the main event of the evening was a delicious dinner, also prepared and served by students there, and a wonderful music and dance performance, featuring traditional Cambodian instruments, martial arts and dance. It was an outdoor show and the weather was perfect. The meal was delicious as well.

And so, tomorrow, we leave Siem Reap, having completed another wonderful chapter in our adventure. We will once again board a river boat and meet another group of people with whom we will travel for a week. We are looking forward to that.

 

Saturday, February 7, 2026

 

We packed our luggage and reluctantly said farewell to the beautiful hotel and staff we had encountered while in Siem Riep. We boarded the bus and set off on the next stage of this adventure. Our travelling companions are all wonderful people. We are so impressed at how cohesive our group has become. Laughter and stories, sharing photos, chatting among ourselves and with the tour guide. Today, Sida joined our group and narrated much of the trip today along the full length of Tonle Sap River from Siem Riep to Phnom Penh.

 

We passed through many small towns and villages, all bustling with business along the main streets.

 

Traffic on the highway was busy, often operating in three lanes, the vehicles going in each direction on the outside lane and the middle lane used for passing, often with a vehicle approaching from each direction playing a game of ‘chicken’ to see which one would duck into the outside lane first. Horn honking was a compulsory part of the drive.

 

Trucks, busses, small cars, tractors and wagons, tuktuks, motor bikes and bicycles all joined into the chaos on the roads. Oh, and did I mention pedestrians who simply walked out onto the road, anticipating that the passing vehicles would swerve past and miss hitting them? It was a total miracle that we did not see a single crash.

 

Since Jim and I were sitting in the front seat, we had ample opportunity to watch the various contests. Yikes!!

 

We learned quite a bit about schools on the part of our journey. Children begin to attend school at 5 years of age and continue until they complete high school. School attendance is mandatory although some children do not attend because they are deeply involved in some labour-intensive family businesses. They are excused from school because they are considered vital components of the family’s livelihood.

 

Schools operate six days a week but only for half days. Some children attend in the mornings; others attend in the afternoons. Each month, they switch the time of day so everyone attends alternately in mornings or afternoons. The school day is 4 hours long. The teachers work both shifts.

 

School uniforms are required, usually blue shorts or pants and a white shirt. Many students are transported to school on scooters, sometimes up to four people on one vehicle. Bicycles are also popular, again often with two or three people on one bike. The scooters and the bikes join the chaos on the roads; some of them are only about 5 years old.

 

As we passed through the various towns and villages, we saw many different small and large industries: stone carving, coconut chopping, fruit and vegetable stalls, homemade jams and jellies, clothing manufacture and sales, vehicle sales, vehicle repair, construction products and services, and of course, cafes, restaurants and street vendors all along the way.

 

We also passed by many, many temples and shrines. Shrines are often located in front of homes and businesses. Temples are large and small, frequently fronted by a Buddha and a tower.

 

Finally, we arrived in Phnom Penh where we boarded our cruise ship. It was a treacherous entry as there was no gang plank, simply a steep dirt path from the high road down to the low boat. Not at all what anyone expected. Fortunately, there were several crew members lining the path to give a hand and pass us further on down the hill. There were certainly smiles and sighs of relief when we stepped on board without a single fall.

 

Our cabins were ready and keys distributed. Happily, our luggage had arrived before we did and all items were accounted for. Whew!!

 

We met as a group in the large reception area, mingling with two other Emerald groups who were at different stages of their Southeast Asian adventures. We were the yellow group, soon concluding our journey in Ho Chi Minh City. Others were just beginning the same journey but in a different order (the red and purple groups). We had arrived on three different busses.

 

The plans for the next several days were outlined and the process for signing up for excursions. The meal system was described with a promise of delicious food that would suit everyone’ palate with lots of choice. And the onboard opportunities were outlined – swimming pool, spa facilities, exercise room, quiet library, lounge area including the bar and laundry.

 

The ship was spotlessly clean. Our cabin was spacious with a very large window that actually opened.  Soon it was time for the afternoon briefing by the cruise director about what to expect the following day, followed by a delicious dinner. They were not kidding about the array of food to suit any palate. Carefully prepared, beautifully displayed and ultimately delicious.

 

It had been a long day and we still needed to unpack and settle into our room so we said good night to our ‘yellow group’ friends and headed to our cabin. Our cabin butler had prepared the bed and filled the water bottles. Ko Soe would be our best friend while we are onboard.