Last days in South East Asia

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After yesterday’s mammoth, monument marathon I wasn't too sure about what we could really see today that we hadn't seen and surpassed yesterday, so far as temples were concerned any way. However, I was to be proved wrong.

We got up extremely early and headed straight for a temple called Ta Prom where a few years ago, Tomb raider was filmed. From the very first glimpse of this temple it, for me, stood out among the rest. It was a strangely haunting place. The ruined temple had been left over the years and huge tree roots had grown up through the ruins and as it was early morning there a light mist that gently hovered about the scene like an image from a fairytale. As we had gotten there before any other tourists I think the piece and quiet also made an impact on how we saw this temple but for me this place was very, very special, certainly my favourite of all the temples I had been in, very spiritual.

After Ta Prom we visited a number of other structures and old ruins but they did pale into comparison when after the Ta Prom and the main Angkor Wat temple. It was now easier to see the difference between the Hindu and Buddhist art that the temples were covered in but in honesty this last day seemed like an excuse to climb up impossibly steep and dangerously high structures- so much fun- I’m really going to miss going back to our nanny state with it’s health and safety regulations. One of the last temples on our list this day was the strictly Hindu temple of Banteay Srei. Our guide gave us a talk as we arrived on the differences we would see here compared with the other temple ruins and it really was a fascinating place to look about with its beautiful reliefs and carving of Hindu women and men. It was a good move to see this towards the end of our day as it lifted us out of the complacent fog we had fallen into after two days of viewing hundreds of temples. Before heading back to enjoy our last night together we managed to fit in a little trip on the river which was a relaxing end to a tiring day.

At last the final eveing arrived and we made an effort and got dressed; me with the dress I had made in Vietnam. It was also a celebration of Simons Birthday so with a cake and much booze we all toasted our fabulous trip and fabulous guide Simon.

The following day we all flew back to Bangkok where we ended our three weeks by heading to the river where a festival was happening to celebrate the god of the river. Here we squeezed through hundreds of people that were about and about enjoying the celebrations and eventually happened a upon a stall selling vessels decorated with flowers and lit candles. Sarah and I bought one each and after we made it to the rivers edge we lit the vessels and gently floated them into the river as a thanksgiving and worship to the Goddess of Water. Apparently this ceremony is a way of saying sorry for polluting the river over the last year- Yes the irony is staring us all in the face but it was a very pretty and a sweet way to end our amazing trip of south East Asia. I said a little prayer that I would be back in Thailand one day as Thailand, along with all the places we've seen, is too amazing never to return to again.

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