Blogs from Angkor, North, Cambodia, Asia - page 81

This is just a short one (full Thailand one to come soon you lucky people) as we did a little side trip to Cambodia with Beckys sis and Benny boy to the largest religious monument and highest concentration of temples (I may have made this bit up) in the world. The Temples of Angkor. Basically there were hundreds of amazing huge temples all round the place, built by the Khymer from 8th Century AD for Buddist, Hindu and local gods. Which they somehow "lost" for a few hundred years and then found again. I think they were behind the sofa but its always where you look last - but then thats because you stop looking after that. Anyway they were so impressive - especially some of the really atmospheric temples which are left in their unrepaired ... read more

It's easy to see why many people might get all templed out here in Angkor but something tells me it's not going to happen to us! Today we joined an American brother and sister for a shared taxi ride around some of the further flung temples in the area and once again, we were not disappointed. We started early, at 8am with our first stop at Bakong Temple. Nice temple featuring carved elephants guarding each corner of a number of terraces that stacked up to form a pyramid with a shrine at the top. Unfortunately, Eddie and Sarah's temples passes had expired so they weren't allowed entry but it was one of those temples that was really nice but not necessarily the most amazing thing you've ever seen. One thing that did excite me as we ... read more

More fab photos for you, this time of the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat. You have to see this place to really believe just how huge and amazing it is - and do it soon before they stop you being able to scramble around anywhere you like!... read more

Our second day started with us moving 'home' to a 'The Continental Cafe' just around the corner, the people here were really nice and gave you, what looked like a genuine smile. Borey then picked us up at 8:30 for more temple spotting. Yesterday really tired us out but we were now refreshed and we had saved Angkor Wat for today, plus Melissa had talked me into going up in the baloon for a panoramic view of Angkor. How was it I here you ask?? Quite scary, very quick and again expensive at 15$, but we did get some good views around the flat countrside with Angkor Wat in the Background. Next stop was the much hyped Angkor Wat!! Could it live up to expectations? We don't know! It was great to walk around, but its ... read more

I read in the guide book that Siem Reap means Siam (Thailand) defeated, which the author that was a pretty subtle name for a city so close to the Thai border. Cambodians are supposedly still sore at Thailand for having occupied their temples for 10 years back a couple of hundred years ago. Yesterday morning we set our alarm for 4:30am so we could arrive in time to see the sunrise over the temple of Angkor Wat-the biggest and most famous. It has a huge moat in front so I got some pretty cool pictures of some bright patches of sunlight peeking through the clouds and reflecting over the temple and into the water. I went a little camera happy since each picture seemed better than the last as the sun crept up. We'd climbed up ... read more