Angkor Wat, Cambodia

(see map) trin: Temples, Temples, Temples. We spent three days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat which was a good amount of time. Although, Mike might not agree with me. He was a little templed out by day two.

We bought a copy of Ancient Angkor to use as our guide. The book was written by a french scholar and the English translation is pretty awkward. Still, like everyone else at the temples we dutifully carried our copy to read about the history and architectural elements of each temple.

We also used the book as a defense mechanism against the numerous children that would try to sell us illegal copies at all of the temple gates. But, it didn't always work. I'd show them my copy and their response was - "Buy another one for your friend. Your mom." They're relentless and truly have a reply for everything.

Day One: The large circuit by car: Preah Khan, Neak Pean, East Mebon, Ta Som, Bantaey Samre and Pre Rup.

Carvings in the Hall of Dancers at Preah Khan

Mike fills in for a missing guard statue at the north gate of Preah Khan.

Neak Pean is an island temple but as you can see the lake was empty when we visited.

A typical village gas station on the road to Banteay Samre.  Johnnie Walker liquor bottles are reused as one litre gas containers.

It the center hall at Banteay Samre we received a blessing from an elderly man. He lit incense and tied hot pink string bracelets around our wrists. Our taxi driver said it is suppose to give us good luck. Like, avoiding traffic jams and things of that nature.

Day Two: The small circuit on bicycles: Prasat Kravan, Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm, Ta Keo, Angkor Tom.

Prasat Kravan completed in 921.

Banteay Kdei

The mid-day heat is starting to get to us.

Large silk-cotton tree growing over the Ta Prohm temple. The massive trees growing over the ancient buildings is always an impressive sight.

Amok, a traditional Cambodian dish, is served in a banana leave. It was so good on day one. We biked out of our way to enjoy it again on day two.

Quiting Time. About one hundred groundskeepers merged onto the road with us in the late afternoon.

A quick visit to Ta Keo

Mike misses mountain biking. He rode down this grade a couple times. Every time he would circle around the women at the food stalls across the road would come out yelling "cold water. beer. sir. over here." He's a tease.

The east gate of Angkor Tom.

Day Three: Sunrise at Angkor Wat, afternoon in the town of Siem Reap and sunset at Phnom Bakheng. All by tuk-tuk.

Early morning at Angkor Wat, the largest religious building in the world. The scale is so massive it is difficult to capture in a photograph.

On the walls of the central complex is an 800m long series of bas-reliefs. About a half a mile of carvings.

The parking lot at Angkor Wat was full of dozing tuk-tuk drivers who were waiting for their passengers to return.

Heavy cloud cover didn't help our sunset plans but we still climbed the hill to Bakheng, the first capital at Angkor.

Mike says goodbye to his final temple.

That evening we went to a traditional Cambodian dance performance. Having attended shows in Bali, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, this has become a tradition for us.