The Trip - Part IV: Wat the...?

Angkor is full of ruined temples. So many in fact, that despite their amazingness, it's not hard for wat-fatigue to set in fast. Here's my pic(k); The Bayon, set in the heart of Angkor Thom. I loved the etherial, enigmatic faces that you know have been watching the progress of the last 800 years or so. From its hundreds of faces to fake windows and curtains, the endless, elaborate carved bas-reliefs, it's one beautiful ruin and not hard to pass time here just wandering and exploring.

My fav temple - The Bayon

Then of course the famous Ankgor Wat - built in 40 years, including the moat (which represents the edge of the world). 'How long?' my better half repeatedly asked incredulously. 'And by hand?! No way!"

If you do ever get there, like The Monastery at Petra in Jordan, climb to the top of the central tower, find the most central Buddha and say hi to our gorgeous girl, Jazzy.

It was the big guy's 50th birthday so I lashed out and booked the helicopter ride over the area. It was a bit hazy - and a bit annoying that a couple of the kids kept falling asleep in the warm cockpit, but don't worry, I was nudging them plenty and reminding them that this experience was VERY EXPENSIVE!

Angkor Wat from the air

As part of the itinerary, we were convinced a hike up a hill and a 2 hour wait in a queue to possibly see the sun set over the district would be a good thing to do. I say possibly as they limit the number of tourists allowed onto this particular temple at sunset.... allegedly. As it happens, as the sun sinks after a painfully close encounter with the front of the queue, it suddenly became a free for all - with groups of twenty or so being allowed to race up the steps. We did make it - and put in down as one of our top 20 travelling experiences that promised so much and turned out to be, well, a bit ordinary. (A subject for another post I think!). Anyway, here was the shot - I feel compelled to include it as it does represent a good 3 hours of my life....

For dinner, we headed to a place recommended in the guide book for Cambodian BBQ. It was cook-your-own, which didn't thrill the birthday boy, but the selection of squid, chicken, crocodile and snake was pretty good! The snake was sweet and pink - but a little chewy, and the croc firm, white and tasty. And the resulting soup just delicious!

Another day, another wat.... There were loads of gorgeous little kids selling their wares after morning school. We were nagged to death by some little girls selling bangles we didn't want but as we arrived at our van, I relented, okay - here's a dollar, and I got the bangles. A second girl had also been haranguing all the way - okay, as the door was being closed, you can have a buck too. As the door slammed shut and we started to pull away, a third girl - a recent arriver to the troop, welled up with tears as she proffered her wares and mouthed 'One dollar...'. 'STOP THE BUS!!!' I screamed, wrenching open the door with the fierceness reserved for a mother's instinct. I bought the bangles.

And finally, a question to ponder: in this ancient but not pre-historic place, how on earth did they manage to incorporate a single image of what clearly looks like a stegosaurus???

The little steg at Ta Prohm