Blogs from Angkor, North, Cambodia, Asia - page 6

der erste tag in angkor beginnt dank übelkeit und zunehmenden kreislaufproblemen nicht optimal, aber wir verlassen trotzdem früh morgens das hotel, um mit theng, unserem guide, und ly, unserem tuktuk driver, richtung angkor aufzubrechen. primär bestaunen wir den sonnenaufgang über angkor wat, zwar mit 500 anderen touristen, aber es ist weniger schlimm als gedacht. bei noch angenehmen temperaturen verfärbt sich der himmel über den teichen vor angkor wat zuerst blassrosa um dann in kräftigem orange die morgendliche sonne preis zu geben. weiter geht es durch angkor wat und anschließend nach angkor thum mit der elefantenterasse und vielen aufstiegen über hohe, steile treppen zu den mehrstöckigen (ancestor) tempeln. über uns schwirren riesige libellen durchs dürre gras und der schweiß beginnt in bächen zu fließen. die unzähligen in sandstein gemeißelten götter, krieger, tiere und menschen s... read more

It was my birthday and I was planning to go somewhere really nice. Having done my research around this time of the year, the place that outshined all others was the famous temple of Angkor Wat (Siem Reap). It is a UNESCO heritage site of spectacular temples built 500-1000 years ago by the Khmer rulers and among them Angkor Wat simply stands out in 200 hectares with a giant moat filled with water (to maintain the balance of the foundation of this architectural splendour). I was awestruck by size. However, the guide was horrible and kept talking about best places to take photos instead of describing the temple, carvings and inscriptions. We went to see some other temples like Ta phom, Bayon, Banteay Srey etc. Some temple ruins were like the stone pyramid and the climbs ... read more

Feeling much worse for wear I woke to get dressed for our tour. We are doing a temple tour today which includes the incredible Angkor Wat and the temple that was used for the filing of Tomb Raider. Angkor Wat is a Hindu, then subsequently Buddhist temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Galleries run between the towers and as far as two ... read more

Some observations of Cambodia in general... The landcape is largely flat with paddy fields often spanning as far as the eye can see. With roads following settlements and settlements following rivers, the Cambodia we saw was very wet with simple but pretty houses perched on stilts to avoid damp. There are wild birds here whereas their presence is sparce everywhere else we have visited and there are also wild monkeys... and probably a hundred other creatures keeping themselves well hidden. The poverty in Cambodia is like nowhere else we have seen and the sweet natured children are particularly upsetting but Cambodia is a fast developing country with the tourist dollar clearly accelerating things. Next stop was Siem Reap, to see Angkor Wat. The town itself has been sacrificed as a tourist hub servicing the surrounding Angkor ... read more

what a view at sunrise....to see the temples of the old world.... my tuk tuk driver took this photo....using a D90 Nikon with 105 nikkor lens and a 344 filter... read more