The most sweatiest day of my life

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Wow what a sweatfest trying to be a tomb raider. Spent the day at the temples of Angkor, the largest of its kind in the world.

A bit over a thousand years ago the whole area was ruled by the Khmer empire. They built huge temples, cities, monuments, shrines, reservoirs, rice paddies and more on a grander than grand scale. The good times rolled for over 500 years until war, or perhaps religious changes or just a general decline in infrastructure led the population to scatter in the 15th century. The temples are spread over hundreds of square kilometres and are half eaten by the jungle today.

Hired a tuk tuk driver for the day to take me around and wait while I visited each temple. Started with the biggest single temple, Angkor Wat (Wat=temple). Wow wow wow it's massive, imposing and crowded. Each stone is delicately engraved, entire hallways, staircases and hundreds of feet tall towers all done and placed just so. King Suryavarman built it in the 12-13th century and it's thought to be the largest religious Monument in the world. It's well preserved as it was one of the few kept in continuous use as a temple even after the fall of the Khmer Empire.

Next on to The walled city of Angkor Thom. No single structure can quite match Angkor Wat but the smaller buildings are seemingly endless and spread over a huge area all contained in huge walls.

Then the names all started sounding the same. Haha went to five or six different sites throughout the park. Oh yes one was Ta Prohm, a la Lara Croft Tomb Raider. Buried deep in a forgotten jungle, five centuries with of trees have grown in, up, around, up through and on top of the various buildings there. Very cool.

So it's 32 degrees again today and temple hopping and ruin exploring is murderous. I lasted 7 hrs with a half hour to lunch. Drank lots of water but my body seems to have forgotten to produce urine lol anyways in the touts are the worst I've encountered yet. At every temple accosted by youngchildren with post cards, knock knacks, souvenirs; artists with paintings, sculptures, and other art; entrepreneurs selling everything from shawls and t-shirts to guidebooks and cold drinks. I was just thankful for the. Old drinks. 3litres of water and 2 cokes later and I'm still waiting for that urine 😊

if I hear one more Hey Mister you want _____(insert random item here) only one dollar, half price for you, good deal today, where you from, what your name... But since I'm going back again tomorrow I guess I'll be doing it all over again. One thing I didn't mind was a few bands scattered around playing local instruments and they're all landmine survivors, missing various limbs, hawking their CDs but compared to others very respectful and tame so I may buy one tomorrow.

Finally around 3pm I had to call it quits asit he heat was taking its toll. It was sunny most of the day and my neck is burned and my poor tshirt was soaked through several times over. Back at the 'resort' now enjoying some AC and getting ready for a dip in the very inviting pool.

Breakfast is included a nice buffet of fruits, breads,bacon and eggs, etc. sketchy sweet and sour chicken with rice outside a temple for lunch although with the heat I barely ate. And it was 6 dollars!! Lol that's a lot here

Most of you will be happy to hear I've moved a little upscale and haven't stayed in any sketchy cheap guesthouses, or eaten anything really bad yet lol actually when the taxi driver (yes a real taxi!) brought me here from the airport (70 dollars for 45 min flight vs 6$ for 6hr bus ride) he said 'oh my this hotel expensive' lol 50 bucks a niget let's you live in relative luxury here that's for sure.

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Comments

[Elizabeth]

Very interesting
This is very intriguing Jason AND a history lesson thrown in. You seem to have recovered from your 'cold' (you didnt have far to look for a doctor --just a few steps to the mirror, lol) You're pretty durable slogging through that heat for 7 hours, phew, I'd be dead. i notice you're going for a little bit of luxury now -- great idea --you owe yourself the reward of a few days real holiday relaxation. Pleased to hear all the commentary on your trip. Bye for now, Nan