weekend trip to the sights of Cambodia

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ok.. well i have been a little slack again and not been updating my travel blog.. must just be too busy!. i am now in Alacante on the coast of Spain but will try and briefly update all on the places visited in the previous 2 months... so expect a few e mail alerts.. delete all of them but the last one and read through them if your interested...

After two months in the city of Phnom Penh and not really heading out of it, i decided a trip to the temples of Angkor was in order.. i travelled with a couple of danish friends Soren and Frede, (who were researching gibbons at Phnom Tamao Zoo - where i was also doing some work) by bus to Siem Reap which was a great way of seeing the countryside of Cambodia - it is SO green compared to the 1.5 hour trip taken many times out to the Zoo!

We got a three day pass to the temples, visiting the three main temples on the first day with a guide taking in the sights of Bayon (which is covered in the big faces), Angkor Thom (the images that you see with the overgrown trees through the rocks are mostly taken here - and also the setting for Tomb Raider) and then the famous Angkor Wat (which has main towers on three levels surrounded by a massive moat with a grand entrance walk through the gates to the temple). The second day we all felt a little under the weather after a night out under the influence of some boys from sweden and saw many smaller temples on the third day.. this day was great (although a little overcast) as we got to see the temples in our own time, opting not for a guide but just a tuk tuk to take us out there... was far more relaxing and really could just take it all in. it was also great to be away from the hoards of tourists, visiting the smaller temples.. i would love to come back at the end of the wet season when the moats are full to the brim and stones are covered in water - but just being there you could imagine it. Absolutley beautiful!

we headed back to Phnom Penh by boat down the mekong river which was fantastic to do as we saw many floating houses and schools on the banks and just to see how massive the mekong is when there is no land in sight in all directions. unfortunately this was also my first day of feeling the effects of dengue fever so was not all the best on the trip and no energy for the next 2 weeks at least.. but recovered enough by the end of my time to enjoy a few nights out with all the guys that made my time in Cambodia so awesome!

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Photos

a shower in the country side
taken on the bus ride up to Siem Reap

Bayon
one of over 200 stone faces on Bayon

Angkor Thom
I feel like i am in a movie! such a surreal and peaceful surrounding (when not being engulfed by the Japanese tourists that came in by the busload!)

Angkor Wat
the five towers can be seen in the distance and the grandier of the place is best seen from the top tower once the courage is mustered to climb the steep and awkward stone steps

waters around Angkor
a couple of girls collecting lotus flowers while keeping balance - their friends were swimming (and doing cartwheels) in the water closer to shore