Spoiled

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Geo: 13.4256, 103.86

Angkor Wat is the region's most famous temple, and in fact, many people think that all the temples of the area are collectively known as Angkor Wat. It's actually the largest temple around, and is more than impressive - however, it's a victim of how unique and amazing Ta Prohm and Bayon are. It's a bit like having a porterhouse and a rib eye, and then following it up with some awesome chicken wings - no matter how good those wings are, they could never live up to the steaks!

Perhaps if we had visited Angkor Wat first, it would've made more of an impression with us - while grand in scale, it seemed more majestic from afar, but up close it lacked the intimate experience offered by both Ta Prohm and Bayon. It seems odd to say, but it felt as if we got to know them in a personal way, connecting with them on a level that didn't quite seem possible with Angkor Wat.

The temples of Angkor truly spoil the traveler, because even after finding Ta Prohm completely unique and enthralling, we still managed to find something we enjoyed more, at Bayon. The ruins of Ta Prohm were memorable because they were so wonderfully jungly, but the curious smiling faces of Bayon were even more unforgettable. We're fortunate to have visited both, as they offer contrasting experiences; one is all about Mother Nature reclaiming what man had once built, and the other is all about man's achievements, and his unfathomable creativity.

Yesterday, our first impressions of Cambodia were pretty awesome, and after a rewarding day of touring the temples of Ankgor, that opinion hasn't changed - if anything, our feelings have grown even stronger. The problem we now face is that our first two days here may have been too good - hopefully the next three days in Cambodia can live up to the impossible standard set by the first two!

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Photos

Surreal ...
... that's the best way to describe Bayon - it just doesn't even seem possible that a place like this even exists.

They Say ...
... that at any spot in Bayon, you can always see at least a dozen faces.

Vishnu ...
... Cambodia is unique with its mixed beliefs - in Angkor Wat you'll see Hindu Gods alongside Buddha.

Bye Bye Bayon ...
... goodbye to one of the most phenomenal places on Earth.

Encore ...
... alright, one last shot of Bayon before we leave!

The Granddaddy Of Them All ...
... Angkor Wat!

Iconic Shot Of Angkor Wat ...
... seems like one out two postcards for sale here are taken from this vantage point.

Anticlimactic ...
... perhaps had we seen Angkor Wat first, we would've been more impressed by it. But after Ta Prohm and Bayon? Impossible to stack up to those two.

Giant Buddha ...
... tough to see at first, but look closely and you'll see the giant head of Buddha as he lies on his side.

Hoochie-Style ...
... the typical Apsara carving seems quite classy, except for this one on the right, who looks like she's getting ready to twerk!

Traditional Apsara Dancing ...
... it was worth going to see this show, but not something we would do again. But perhaps if these girls started twerking, we would go again!

Cambodian Roadside Snack ...
... our driver Sam, pulled over so we could sample these snacks stuffed inside of bamboo, which are grilled over fire - sweet sticky rice with coconut. Not bad, but very difficult to difficult to peel open the bamboo to get at the goods inside.

Killer Mango Pancakes ...
... not as good as the ones we had in Osaka, but still very good - light and fluffy. A great breakfast at Rumahmu Boutique Hotel before a long day of temple touring!

Still Good ...
... not normally a big fan of salad rolls, but last night's were so good that we had to eat them again. We liked last night's salad rolls better, but these were still quite good. The sauce was different today, almost milky.

Fish Amok ...
... the national dish of Cambodia, served inside of a young coconut. Not bad, but the texture was a bit unfortunate - kinda chunky and curdled-looking, and slightly ... vomitus-like, shall we say? This was the only time we tried this dish in Cambodia, so we don't really know if this is typical, or a one off.

Tender Frog ...
... with the best green beans ever! We thought they were good in Thailand, but they've proven to be even better here in Cambodia. We weren't expecting much of the food today, having been brought to a touristy restaurant near the temples, but the food was killer, especially the awesome coconut shake we had.

Fried Bananas ...
... lightly-battered and served with condensed milk. Quite good, but a bit too sweet and greasy by the time we finished up our third piece each.