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Published: June 27th 2005
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Outside Angkor Wat
A local guy took this picture. The digital camera gave him and his friends much amusement ! We have been in Cambodia for the past four days and have welcomed the change of scenery. The landscape is very different here in comparison to Thailand- it is very wet and swampy with the mark of three decades of civil war clearly visible. We were advised by the guest house we are staying in to make sure we get in the right car upon arrival, as it is common for names to be leaked and people to hold up signs with your names on to try and make a few dollars. We followed their advice and arrived at our guesthouse safely.
Before we had arrived in Cambodia we were a little curious as to what to expect, due to the unrest that had overwhelmed this country during the years of the rule of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). This government killed almost two million Cambodians during this period, and the scars can still be seen today on those that survived. Most that were killed were the people that Pol Pot thought were educated, so people with spectacles or spoke a foreign language were slaughtered. Madness !
There are many Orphanages, children and adults begging and people with limbs missing
from the landmines that litter this country. This country has more landmines than anywhere else in the World. We met a couple of American film makers on the way to Cambodia, who told us that it is common for Cambodians to be paid $1 USD to walk in front of tour groups off the beaten track to check for landmines! There are many sights and stories here that have amazed us, and made us realise how lucky we are to have such easy lives back home.
Walking through the streets of Siem Reap brings a mass of interuptions from moto drivers (motor bikes with seating for passengers in carts on the back) and beggars in the form of adults and children, often with a young baby in tow. There are youngsters selling books on little stalls they have constructed from old bike tyres and wood which they walk around pulling behind them. The food here has been better than in Thailand, however it hasnt been cheap.
Unfortunately, both Martin and I have been struck down with illness over the last few days which has impacted the amount of sightseeing that we can do. Quite literally been sleeping as
much as we can and only going out when we've been able to. Anyway, enough of the sob story...
Day 1 - We went to the famous Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious building. With its souring towers and intricate stonework its quite amazing to think how this was constructed without today's machinery. The Wat is surrounded by a rectangular moat which reflects the magnitude of the Wat in the afternoon sun. We spent about three hours wandering around, which included a few pit stops to get hassled by the local vendors to "take seat" or "you want cold water sir or madam?". Good job we had taken a break as the steps to the central tower were not for the faint hearted. When I say steep, I mean pretty much vertical and a harness and rope wouldnt have a gone a miss. After seeing many elderly people venturing back down however,we did think it was possible so up we went.
From here we headed to the Phnom Bakheng mountain to watch the sun set over Angkor Wat. You could ride an elephant to the top of the hill, however we decided to walk up the rocky and
steep hill. A fairly easy walk, after jungle treking in Chang Mai, however not in flip flops! Martin !!! We were a little disappointed upon reaching the summit, as you could barely see the Wat through the trees in the distance. It was packed with Japanese tourists who had already claimed spots for taking photos, with their tripods in place. So we headed back down the mountain to avoid the crush of everyone leaving after the sunset.
Day 2- A right off- Got in the car, as far as the entrance to Angkor, but had to turn back as we felt too ill to go in. Rest of day and night spent in bed sleeping!!!
Day 3- Still feeling rough, but soldiered on as today was our last day to cram in some sight seeing before we head off tomorrow. First stop was the Bayon, which is quite a spooky temple, but no where near as huge as Angkor. We entered through the South Gate and were greeted by a row of 108 stone figures guarding the gates. The Bayon was built around 1200 and is watched over by 216 gargantuan faces built into its walls. We really
At Ta Phrom
Tomb Raider set... enjoyed exploring this temple.
From here we headed to another temple called The Baphuon. This temple was structurally ruined by the Khmer Rouge, the blocks that were once the walls are lying all over the surrounding grounds. There is a project underway to rebuild the Baphuon but this will take many many years. As work was underway, we couldn't go into the temple. Instead a young man offered to show us around the grounds, well, it just kind of happened, we don't remember being asked, suddenly he was just there ! At the end of his 'tour' he asked us to donate some money towards his studies at the monastry... so here was the catch. I offered him $3 USD, which to our surprise he declined saying he wanted Thai Baht. He then went on to state that he needed 3,000 baht which works out about 42 pounds- Cheek of it- needless to say he didnt get it!!!!
Our final stop was the Ta Phrom temple (used in the Tomb Raider films). The temple was set in the middle of a park/forest. It's a 12th century Buddhist temple, made up of a number of intricate corridors and crumbling stonework. As a result much of it has been roped off for safety reasons. The roots of mature trees are wrapped around the stonework which really is quite an amazing sight.
Overall, the Angkor Temples and Siem Reap are well worth a visit ! Lots of people told us how enchanting this place is, and they were right. We're so glad we made the journey here to see all this.
Leaving Cambodia tomorrow morning... Next Stop Phuket to spend some time in Phi Phi.
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Michael Clarke
non-member comment
Good thing!
Good thing you got that camera back from the locals! Nice photos and nothing beats hiking in flip flops - granted you need the right pair!!