My visit to Phnom Kulen was somewhat disappointing...

My visit to Phnom Kulen was somewhat disappointing. Tourists have to pay a $30 cover charge to enter which is supposed to pay for the upkeep of the road to the mountain and cleanup. The road was in the most terrible condition!!! If you're not driving an off-road truck, you will not be able to pass... The mountain is crowded with local vendors selling bones, ivory and artifacts of suspicious origin. On the way up I've seen quite a few small children (aged 5-8) performing heavy digging on the dirt road. Terrifying! The place is crowded with Korean and Chinese tourist and there is a lot of garbage lying around. Why, oh why would anybody treat this holy Khmer site like this? The reclining Buddha is a cite to see, although somewhat overrated. The view above the jungle is spectacular. What saved my trip was the waterfall! Stunning and magnificent! Bathing under the roaring water was a blast and the fish tend to nib on your feet a fair bit.