Bridge – Traveling Mark

Ollantaytambo Off the Beaten Path – Inca Bridge and the Pyramid

Having arrived from Cusco, gotten a room, explored the ruins on the Pinkuylluna Mountain, and filled my belly with fried trout, I felt like I’ve seized the day pretty well, but whereas I still had an hour until the sunset, I decide to get off the beaten path in Ollantaytambo and explored its least visited areas.

Photo: Pedestrian Uses Suspension Bridge to Walk Toward the Pyramid

I found out while messing around the town’s main square of Plaza de Armas that just outside of the town boundaries on Ollantaytambo’s south-east side, can be encountered the ruins of an ancient Inca bridge, and that near said bridge lay also the ruins of an Inca pyramid. I hit it off to check those out.

Getting to the Inca Bridge

I started the walk from the south-eastern corner of Plaza de Armas and followed the road due east, passing the small market with incredibly overpriced fruits (Peru is expensive to begin with, but it’s even worse as you get closer to Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo was second only to Aguas Calientes, which is at the foot of Machu Picchu), and onward down the road, until I reached a T intersection. There I turned left and after a few meters immediately right to carry on due east.

On that road I passed Inka Paradise hotel and some kind of a school, after which there was a narrow pedestrian dirt road through a field. That road leads to the bridge. Except at the end of it, there’s a cliff that needs to be descended so if you didn’t take the stroll in your hiking boots, you will only get to enjoy the bird’s eye view of the bridge, and no pyramid.

An alternative is to go around town by following the road back to Cusco, but that road is narrow with no sidewalks to safely walk on and the drivers don’t pay much respect to pedestrians.

Inca Bridge

There isn’t a whole lot left of the ancient Inca Bridge. Just the support column erected in the middle of the Vilcanota river still holds the original stones used for its constructions. Nowadays, a newly built suspension bridge connects that banks of the river, still utilizing the remnants of the old Inca structure.

Along the Ollantaytambo side of the river there are railway tracks leading to Aguas Calientes, but no road so tourists don’t have the means to get themselves near Machu Picchu, and are stuck having to use the train for which they are charged more than 100 times the cost of the locals. It is a major and blatantly deliberate rip off which I refused to support.

Photo: PeruRail Train Passed By While I Was on the Inca Bridge in Ollantaytambo

While I was at the bridge, a train with ripped off tourists returning from Machu Picchu back into Cusco passed bay.

Ollantaytambo Inca Pyramid

On the other side of the tracks from the bridge is the pyramid. It is a cascading stone structure build into the slope. I didn’t come across any reasonable kind of backinfo about the pyramid, except that it’s there, near the bridge next to the tracks.

Te pyramid had a set of protruding stones built into the outer wall, to serve as steps for ascend. Despite dodgy looking purpose, those steps are solid and absolutely safe to walk on, having withstood the test of time – centuries after being built, they are still there in their original form after affording countless people the way up on the pyramid.

Photo: Rock Steps Built Into the Outer Wall of Ollantaytambo Pyramid

Because the way I came to the area involved a descend down a very steep cliff including a near 2 meter jump, going the same way back was not an option, so I walked around town down the paved road from Cusco.

The vast majority of people who come to Ollantaytambo will only visit the fortress – having shelled out some $43 for the entrance to the archeological sites within the Sacred Valley of the Incas. They come on buses as part of organized tours which only take them to the fortress and nowhere else. So whereas the fortress is overrun with hundreds of tourists every single day, the nearby Pinkuylluna Mountain, which is free to visit receives very few visitors, but when it comes to the Inca Bridge and the Pyramid on the opposite side of the river, your chances of spotting another tourist around them are next to none.

Don Khon Island, Laos

Don Khon is one of the Four Thousand Islands in southern Laos that’s connected to Don Det by a bridge. It is larger in size, offers more authentic Lao experience than Don Det and houses virtually all attractions that can be found on Si Phan Det (Four Thousand Islands). Given the above, then how is it that more people come to stay on Don Det than on Don Khon, you ask? The answer is simple – most of the people who stay at 4,000 Islands are backpackers. While Si Phan Det does get a fair share of day trippers, they are only brought in, taken to the most prominent attractions and taken away. Backpackers, on the other hand come and stay for a few days as daytrips are not only overpriced (as all pre-packaged tours tend to be), they also don’t offer the opportunity to really get to know the locals, their way of life, their culture, society, religion, or whatever else is of interest to them. And since most backpackers find good times and frugal accommodation more attractive than higher comfort and quiet nights, Don Det is where they to flock.

Photo: View of Don Khon Island from the Bridge

Don Khon Accommodation

Don Khon offers more upscale accommodation options than Don Det. While latter caters predominantly to backpackers who seek the best price, even if quality is lessened, the former delivers better built, cleaner rooms with en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning (aka mid-range accommodation). This higher level of comfort comes at a higher price, but that’s the beauty of it. If you are willing to pay more for the privilege of having a more tranquil environment and a room that’s more than a few wooden planks and a bunk bed, then Don Khon could be the answer. If not, Don Det is just across the bridge.

The reason why Don Khon is perceived as the island offering more authentic Lao experience than Don Det is that Don Det is overrun by backpackers so everything about the island has been modified to take full (mostly financial) advantage of it. You are more likely to stumble across a foreigner on Don Det than a local even if you ride a bike off away from “the happening”. Restaurants and bars come to full bustle in the evening and through the night allowing the visitors to have a good time drinking cheap beer and smoking cheap pot. Don Khon is not like that.

The only time when Don Khon gets overrun with tourists is in the early afternoon when day trippers from Thailand and a nearby town of Pakse come to the island in hoards to see the waterfall and have a brief look at French colonial architecture. Outside of this madness, Don Khon is a very quiet, unrushed place that also spares the visitor of nightly party noise.

All accommodation on Don Khon is concentrated along the north coast of the island (the side facing Don Det).

Activities on Don Khon

Outside of partying and hanging out with other backpackers, there really isn’t that much to see and do on Don Det. However having Don Khon attached to it by a bridge expends the options vastly. Once you have taken a bike ride around Don Det, you have basically seen everything this island has to offer but then you go across the bridge (for which you have to pay 20,000 Kip on the Don Khon side) and a whole range of activities opens up.

You can find several French colonial buildings on Don Khon. Old French built school still serves as a school today, even though former hospital has been turned into a resort. The French port and the embankment can be oddly stumbled upon as you cycle around exploring what the island has to offer. Former light-gauge train track that used to traverse both islands is now just an endless path of big, sharp gravel that’s hard to walk and ride a bike on. If you come across a rocky road, turn around and take an alternate road. You’ll be glad you did. The road seems to go forever and is covered in bones shattering rocks all across.

Photo: Khone Phapheng Falls, The Big Waterfalls on Don Khon, 4000 Islands, Laos — Photo: Khone Phapheng aka Li Phi Falls, The Big Waterfalls on Don Khon, 4000 Islands, Laos

The biggest attractions of Don Khon are the waterfalls. Li Phi Falls on the western side is easy to find and get to. Less visited, but noteworthy for being the largest cascade by volume of water in South East Asia, Somphamit Falls requires slightly tricky turn off the dirt road and across a suspended bridge to reach, and even though these cascades are vastly unspectacular, they are worth a visit never the less.

Photo: Suspended Bridge on Don Khon Island That Leads to Somphamit Falls

Rare and endangered fresh water Irrawady Dolphins can be found off the southern coast of Don Khon but may require luck to get to see some. It’s much easier to see them in Kratie, Cambodia (but also more expensive) but remember than these dolphins only surface for fraction of a second to breathe before they submerge for a few minutes again so capturing a decent picture is tricky and requires a great deal of patience (and hence money).

Even though Don Khon is larger than Don Det, no such services as post, police or hospital are available. These allegedly exist on Don Khong, the largest of the Four Thousand Islands but since I’ve never been there, I could not tell for sure. A few places offer internet on Don Khon but it is as expensive (400 Kip a minute) and as slow as on Don Det, hence not worth it (update you page before coming to Si Phan Det or leave it until after).

Further up from the “big waterfalls” is what is labelled by travel guide books (including Lonely Planet) to Laos as “a beach”. Signs bearing the same name were posted along the dirt road leading there but man… this is supposed to be a beach? It was a pile of hard to scale, huge shoulders scattered across the river bank. Who in the hell named it “a beach”?

Don Khon Development

Don Khon is experiencing same out of control development as Don Det. While I was cycling around, it seemed as though everybody was rebuilding their house to turn it into a guesthouse. The smell of tourism money is like a drug to locals now.

I enjoyed hanging out and partying with fellow backpackers on Don Det. However, if partying not your cup of tea, try Don Khon instead. Quality of accommodation is better and an overall “Lao” experience is definitely more authentic. You’ll get to see some real village life on Don Khon, something that virtually doesn’t exist on Don Det, an island which is nothing more than a backpacker milking cash cow these days.

Spean Thma

Spean Thma is the Bridge of Stone located just west of Ta Keo temple. Not many Angkor era bridges survived to this day, Spean Thma is one of the few that did. Albeit it’s just an odd array of rock nowadays.

Spean Thma was constructed to bridge the Siem Reap River and is believed to have been reconstructed sometimes in the 15th century by utilizing carved stone from old temples.

Photo: Remains of Spean Thma, Angkor, Cambodia

When you first see Spean Thma and realize that it was actually a bridge, the first thing that gets to your mind is – and where the hell is the river? Fact of a matter is, Spean Thma did cross the Siem Reap river when it was constructed, but through obstructions and construction of water channels, the river’s course has changed, but the bridge remained where it was built.

Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda, Siem Reap, Cambodia

After I have passed the funeral procession that was walking down Pokambor Avenue in Siem Reap, I headed straight north up the avenue, along the Siem Reap River until I got to a bridge which continues as Street 23 on the east side. The bridge was unlike others I have seen in Siem Reap – it looked well maintained, brightly painted with undamaged decorations containing Buddhist symbols. West side of the bridge had a large gate which nicely supplemented the splendour of the gate at the opposite side of the road – the gate to Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda, the largest and most astounding pagoda located directly in Siem Reap town, Cambodia.

Colorful Settings of Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple and Pagoda in Siem Reap

Even though Wat Preah Prom Rath is nothing special when it comes to pagodas, I was attracted to it and found it jaw dropping as it was the first real deal pagoda of this sort I have ever seen. The gate was open and there were people inside, yet I was reluctant to enter. Temples are obviously houses of worship for Buddhists of Cambodia and as many times before – I had no idea what proper etiquette in temples is. The last thing I wanted to do upon my first day in Cambodia is to offend the locals, who are said to be strongly spiritual, closely following the teachings of Buddha.

I stood by the gate, yet nobody seemed to mind my presence, so I allowed the temptation to prevail and stepped right inside the gated and fenced compound of Wat Preah Prom Rath. I was ready to bow down and apologize while pacing my sorry self out of there should I hear someone yelling at me for staining their holy temple with my unworthy presence. But it never happened.

Newly Restored University Building Within the Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple Grounds

Wat Preah Prom Rath is beautiful. Located within quite large area, there were several colourful, oriental looking buildings surrounded by lush, well maintained gardens with palm trees and decorative statues. Several benches placed alongside walkways offer resting spots for weary bodies, while temple itself offers soothing for bothered souls.

As foreigner and obviously Caucasian, I stood out like a sore thumb again, but not only have my presence not bother anyone, many locals, including countless monks offered their greetings and smile to me. It made me feel very welcome and shook off my initial uneasiness as I was uncertain whether entering temples was allowed for the likes of me or not.

I spent a lot of time in the Wat Preah Prom Rath compound and for a moment it became my second home. I grew appreciative of the Buddhists and aside from becoming more spiritual, Wat Preah Prom Rath was also a sanctuary for me as a tourist where I would not be bombarded by money hungry Tuk Tuk drivers and the likes. Wat Preah Prom Rath was a whole different world within Siem Reap, which is otherwise extremely hostile towards tourists giving out strong impression that everyone is after your money, whatever it takes. You are constantly jumped and harassed by just about everyone – straight in your face and never taking “NO” for answer. But these people seem to not exist in Wat Preah Prom Rath – or perhaps they simply respect the pagoda as a holy ground where abuse would surely bring upon bad karma.

Silhouettes of Wat Preah Prom Rath Against Cloudy Skies

History of Wat Preah Prom Rath

While Wat Preah Prom Rath is vastly unspectacular as far as the looks and age are concerned, it is spectacular as far as location goes. Located right in the center of Siem Reap and right by the river, Wat Preah Prom Rath gets far more attention than any other temple or pagoda in Siem Reap.

Wat Preah Prom Rath was founded in 1915 making it one of the younger pagodas in Cambodia. The construction of main vihear was finished in 1945 and today proudly hosts larger than life statue of reclining Buddha. Within the grounds of Wat Preah Prom Rath there are also two cannons which are said to have belonged to famous Cambodian warlord Dap Chhoun.

One of the Cannons that Belonged to Cambodian Warlord Dap Chhoun

Phsar Kandal – Center Market in Siem Reap

As I was exploring Siem Reap on foot, I spent most of my time battling off ever aggressive Tuk Tuk drivers who kept approaching me on every step. It was early morning yet and my first day in Cambodia so I have immersed myself into the atmosphere and took on scorching rays of clouded sun. The rain has just stopped, but puddles have already been cleared off the roads and sidewalks by intense heat. The life around Siem Reap seemed to be in full swing despite early hour and all shops were open, inviting the visitors in. I figured it was time to confront the notorious Khmer cuisine which is said to be both delicious and inexpensive (translation: cheap). But first I wanted to pay a visit to Phsar Kandal (Center Market), an open market area which is said to be abundant with all sorts of trinkets I could care less for, but also fresh vegetables and fruit which is what I wanted to explore.

When you are traveling in countries with questionable health care, it is absolutely essential to ensure that you have proper intakes of vitamins and minerals to provide your body with means to battle potential issues before they develop into something more serious. Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables is often all it takes. It’s a delicious and inexpensive to not need a doctor. As a well aware tourist, heading to a closest market place (in this case Phsar Kandal aka Center Market) was a natural instinct which I have followed subconsciously.

I have crossed the bridge over Stung Siem Reap (Siem Reap River) which was labelled as Wat Bo Bridge by the Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide map I was following. The bridge was named after Wat Bo, a lovely pagoda bearing that same name. According to the map, Phsar Kandal (Center Market) was further up Samdech Tep Vong Street which is the street connected to the bridge I have just crossed. After the bridge, however I had faced a major challenge of crossing the road. It was suicidal to say the least and I have come to understand very quickly the very rule of driving in Cambodia – bigger has the right of way. No motor vehicle will attempt to stop, slow down or avoid you in any way if you are on the road. It’s your responsibility not to get killed. Cars and motorcycles will simply continue undeterred if there is someone hierarchically smaller in their way.

Despite slight difficulties, I have made it across the street without getting killed and paced forward to get to Center Market. It only takes a minute to get there as Siem Reap truly is a small town that can be easily done on foot but despite many stalls with fresh fruit, I felt discouraged and simply walked by without buying anything. Everyone seemed running towards me as soon as I have come to vicinity trying to force me into buying from them. Everyone at Phsar Kandal seems to keep approaching you, assuming that you are rich and can afford anything in the world. To top it up, there were no prices on anything displayed and having just lived my first minutes in Siem Reap, I knew I would get easily scammed if I were to buy anything at Phsar Kandal. I really wanted to, but not even slowing down seemed like an option as I would get swarmed by the vulture like people who would not let me go until they have squeezed the very last penny out of my pocket.

Despite true desire to bury my teeth into a juicy pineapple, I have simply walked by all the stalls and got nothing but a glace of luscious fruits laying on the tables. Had everyone left me alone and given me the room to breathe so I can take a closer look and decide unpressured, someone would have gotten business from me. But being jumped and repeatedly yelled at with offers of what I should buy from them and how they are gonna give me the best price ever and how I should buy after I come back from where I’m going if I’m not buying now, yadda yadda, I felt intimidated and pessimistic so ignoring entirely was the only option that lead to at least some sanity and peace of mind.

I continued on leaving Phsar Kandal behind me. The day was just dawning and I have just woke up to my first day in Cambodia. Surely there are safer places to buy fruit from. The ability to avoid hasty decision is one of the strongest assets a traveller to foreign countries can have. This time the prudence has prevailed. But Cambodia has introduced itself as pretty hostile country with extremely aggressive locals who stop at nothing to squeeze as much out of everyone who looks like a tourist as possible.