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Published: October 7th 2008
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And so we made our way to the prize at the end of our journey, the great Angkor temples in Siem Reap. We got there for sun rise, and as the Angkor Wat loomed out of the blushing skies in front of us, we knew we were in for a mystical journey that no other temple in Asia could match.
After admiring the Angkor Wat from outside as it raised its sleepy head from darkness and looked at itself once more in the still lily covered moat, we entered inside to relish in the 12th century capital of the country and its intricate Khmer architecture. The structure is based on South Indian design, which makes a curious circle for me as this is where I started my journey. This is the largest religious building in the world and I feel honoured to see it in all its glory.
I can fully understand why this temple holds such a place in the hearts of Cambodians, its famous image appearing everywhere in their culture from their flag to their favourite beer. It just seems so tragic that the most beautiful feats of man's creation are still preserved in a country where
the lowest depths of man's destruction were laid, but in a way maybe that is why so much pride is held for these temples in this beautiful country.
Next we did the usual tourist trail by private tuktuk and a lovely guide to Ta Phrom winding our way through 12 different structures until we ended at Angkor Thom, where Angelina Jolie famously was filmed for Tomb Raider. Because of this perhaps, or maybe due to the time of day (we finished by 1pm) or most probably because the temple has been sumptuously destroyed by grand trees, this area is swamped with tourists. I feel a little like an art in a long trail as we swerve in and our of tiny doorways and stumble over crumblong sandstone blocks, green with the years of age. Even though I am one in a million though, I still feel like a jungle explorer, trying to imagine these walls pristine, as I walk through as an ancient inhabitant!
I could try and remember the names of each building to go with each photo, but there are much more comprehensive guides out there and I do not think I can remember! But the
gorgeous images of much adored walls, towers, faces and animals will adorn my memory forever, as this much anticipated gem at the end of the South East Asian pilgrimage is savoured in a dream of winding tree roots and towering temples.
After a dreadful return bus journey in which we were at a standstill in midday heat for hours with no air conditioning while thousands of festival going Cambodians tried to fit through a tiny bridge onto a roundabout as we entered Pnom Penh, we missed our connecting bus to Sihanoukville, the glorious Cambodian south coast town, so we decided to spend our last two days in Phom Penh again.
We managed to spend some time at the Lighthouse Orphanage where we played and chatted with some of the 75 children aged 1-17 at this open and friendly orphanage 7km out of the city. The owner was welcoming and explained everything about the day to day running of the company and how they are growing their own vegetables because they do not have enough money, and rely on bags of rice from tourists like us. The children are lucky to be at such a lovely place, and they
even have lessons of English, French and Japanese as well as Khmer for the youngsters. Once the older children return to school for the autumn term, we hang out with the tiny little rascals who insist in being constantly swung round, piggy-backed and chased! It sounds easy but you get so tired so quickly in the heat, but it is worth it to know they are smiling fro the extra attentionand love that they so desire and deserve.
It is hard to leave the orphanage, but we hope to raise some money from them when we return home by marathons and long distance running etc, as there is an easy way to pay on their
Website if you would also like to donate. I can say first hand that the money will be put to the best use, as we witnessed the handing out of our school books and pens, and the amount of food they eat each day. Even one pound is enough for a volleyball - and the older children, they REALLY love that game! 25pounds is enough for a bag of rice to feed every child for one day.
As we fly out of Cambodia
to Bangkok for three days of sunning ourselves in Koh Samet (making the most of a ticket mix-up and topping up a last minute tan) I am definitely sad to be leaving this country and my travels. But it makes me want to travel again, to north Vietnam which we didn't have time for, as it was for northen India and perhaps to another orphanage in Cambodia. I have had the most beautiful time on the most fabulous holiday I could ever wish for, and realise how lucky I was to experience it. Although the tourist trail gets more worn every year, awareness of responsible tourism via the environment, poverty, village life and the sex trade is growing too. I can only hope that some of my words might encourage you to fly to these wonderlands and further to indulge, help out and inspire you wherever you decide to tread.
Thank you for taking the time to read my wonderings and wanderings! Love from Cle -_-* xxx
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