Angkor temples - a wonder of the ancient world

Flying into Siem Reap in the north of Cambodia was a bit of a shock to the system. After weeks in Laos where the temperament was chilled out and we almost never got hassled for anything, Siem Reap was the complete opposite. From the outset there were motorbike drivers, tuk tuk drivers, beggers and people trying to sell us stuff, coming at us, with arms outstetched from every angle. We retreated immediately from the airport taxi and managed to (somehow) stumble upon the guesthouse that our friends had reccomended to us a couple of days before, Red Lodge. This place was a backpacker's dream- $6 a night, free DVDs to watch in the TV area, free book exchange, free tea, coffee, bread, butter, jam and bananas all day and free use of bicycles. And the guys that ran the place were really nice- what a gem!

We utilised every facility during our stay- the most important of all- the bikes. This meant that we could cycle around the temples of Angkor (around 8kms out of the city), saving ourselves money and allowing us to take it all at our own pace. So we bought a 3 day pass (anything less would have been ludicrous) and headed into Angkor. Now i'll keep this entry brief as i want to let the images do the talking (although, they'll never do the place justice). Day 1 and 2, we cycled around in awe, from one temple to the next, at the sheer beauty of them all, and at how different each of them were from one another in terms of colour, scale and style (and there are a good few temples let me tell you- covering a few hundred sq kms). Day 3 we hired a tuk tuk as Bantey Srei (one of the most colourful temples with the best carvings) was a good 45kms from our guest house, and we didn't much fancy that on a push bike.

Bayon (with its hundreds of giant smiling faces) was probably our favourite but then Ta Phrom, where the jungle had tightened its grip on the ancient brickwork was so fascinating. And then there's Angkor- the first time you see those towers, crafted to look like Lotus buds, it sends a shiver down your spine. It's hard to put it all into words, and as i say, the pics just won't do the experience justice, but i've tried to include a good variety.

Siem Rep itself was quite a nice place- very westernised with many bars, clubs and restaurants (we had the nicest Italian meal for months), mostly situated down 'Pub Street.' But the best thing about it by far, was the breathtaking ancient site, just down the road. Angkor was one of those unforgettable experiences that has to definitely be one of the highlights for us so far.

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