Angkor - "Wat an incredible sight"

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Sorry for not blogging lately, we've been busy getting from A to B and are currently in Thailand, the following blog covers Angkor in Cambodia which seems like a lifetime away for us!!!

This is a picture blog more so than a written one as the sites at Angkor have to be seen with your own eyes to be appreciated, no words can describe just how amazing the place is so we won’t even try.

Bayon Temple was first on our “hit list” of sites to be visited during our three days at Angkor, there are far too many sites spread around the vast complex to visit them all so we decided to pick out a few of the most popular and took some advice from our tuk tuk driver on which others might be interesting to see. Bayon from a distance looks like a pile of rubble but as you get closer it becomes clearer to the eye just how well this place has stood the test of time, everywhere you look there are faces seven feet high carved from rock looking back at you……quite eerie!! It was a tiring climb to the top with us being so unfit and with the hot Cambodian sun shining down; we drank 6 litres of water today and lost about 15 litres in sweat.

After lunch in one of the local cafes we went on to visit some more sites including Ta Prohm which was used as the location for the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider, this place has been reclaimed by the jungle and has some interesting tree roots growing in the most peculiar of places. We visited quite a few other sites in the afternoon and walked and climbed until our bones ached, it was nice to get back to The Jasmine Lodge for a nice coconut curry and a few drinks.

Day Two at Angkor was an early start for us (4:30am)!!!! The reason for this strange phenomenon…….sunrise over the world famous Angkor Wat. We were picked up by our tuk tuk driver at 5am and drove the 20mins to Angkor with only a few mosquito’s for company. The obvious point for sunrise is at the lake that sits directly in front of Angkor Wat itself where the reflection of the Wat on the water makes for great photo opportunities, it gets busy hence the extra early start. We managed to navigate our way across the dark pathways and got a space on the lakeside to rest our aching legs accompanied by a few hundred others. Sunrise didn’t disappoint as sunset had a few days previously, the sky went from black to blue to glorious pink rounded off with a deep orange glow….absolutely stunning and well worth the early start. We spent a total of six hours at Angkor Wat and had it to ourselves for most of the time as a lot of people retreat back to Siem Reap after sunrise for breakfast back at the hotel, we opted to stay onsite at Angkor for ours and also took the time to visit an orphanage in the temple grounds that is run by a 24 year old local lad with the help of the monks.

Our last day at Angkor was a short one, we were well and truly templed out but were glad to finally cross Ankor Wat and it’s amazing temples off our to do list.

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Photos

Bayon
Looks like a pile of rubble from a distance

Lower level of Bayon
Getting to this bit is easy

Smile Please !!
One of the 216 carved faces of Avalokiteshvara throughout the temple

Performers at Bayon
Have your photo taken with them for $1 or sneak one from the side like this for $0

Bayon carving close up
Another face, identical to the last 215

Lunchtime
Ask for the local menu, not the tourist one there is definately a difference in price

Smiling vendor
After climbing to the top, we were surprised to find a shop !!

Ta Phrom
Lara Croft's hangout

Massive roots - Ta Phrom
Even Charlie Dimmock would struggle here

Tomb Raider Tree
Officially on the map its listed as "Tomb Raider Tree"

Angkor in Blue
This is the largest religious building in the world

Reflections
The reflection in the lake makes it look twice as nice

Comments

[jane chatterton]

hi to you
ih bev barry love your blog might get there one day full of promises