We are up at 6am - yup, folks, that's me! - and leave at 7:15am with our guide Savuth. First to Angkor Tom, where we see amazing bas reliefs all aroound the Bayou temple of Cambodian life in the 12th century. The detail is amazing. considering the temples fell into disuse after the 12th century, their zenith, and were not rediscovered until the late 1800's. By 8am the massive bus tours are arriving. We take a leisurely pace but still sweating in this heat and humidity.
I've decided to feeze my small portable water bottles each day and this is a godsend. Also the tie which I soak and leave in fridge overnght freezes and cools me round my head or neck as we walk. Interestingly, contrary to what we were told, there is plenty of water and supplies at all the sites, little cafes, shops, everywhere at the entrances. And good Western (read not squats) toilets too. So the portable water/hose container I bought to ski and bring with me has not been needed.
Epic tugs of war are depicted in stone and on walls, gods and men, men supported by their special gods, all part of the Hindu religious history. Detailed faces grin down on us from the gates and lintels are beautifully carved and deeply incised even now. At Bayou 215 enormous smiling faces greet us.
We walk a long causeway to Baphoun, a pyramid reminiscent of the Mayan pyramids, where there was once also a massive reclining Buddha, now largely gone. Everywhere we are greeted by beauitufl Apsaras, celestial dancers, in various sinuus poses, with very deailedcostumes, headdresses, belts, etc. Some of the filigree patterns are still fine and strong.
Later we drive to the secluded Prah Khan temple, overgrown with beautiful trees, where we discover a two-story building, almost Romanesque, which has been wrestledfrom the fast growing jungle. Thhis is a fusion temple, part Hindu, later Buddhist.
We hear birds calling, sometimes we are on our own enough to video and catch the loud cicada chorus and birds.
We stop for cooling cold coconuts (cocos frios in Mexico) so refreshing and if you are lucky, they cut it open after you've drunk the milk and you can spoon out the young coconut fruit which I love. I buy a white cotton long sleeved shirt ($3) and long wrap skirt ($4) as my North jAmerican summer gear is not cutting it in this 100 degree environment!
At 11am we return to our cool AC car and return to the hotel for the afternoon to shower, relax, plan. We have loaded our fridge with the great local tropical fruit juices (guava, mangosteen, lychees) and bananas, and cookies from the local upscale supermarket here.
At 4pm as the day begins to cool somewhat we head back to Ta Prohm, famous for Raiders of the Lost Ark, where many Japanese tourists are having their photos taken in the exact same place as Angelina Jolie!
I've decided to feeze my small portable water bottles each day and this is a godsend. Also the tie which I soak and leave in fridge overnght freezes and cools me round my head or neck as we walk. Interestingly, contrary to what we were told, there is plenty of water and supplies at all the sites, little cafes, shops, everywhere at the entrances. And good Western (read not squats) toilets too. So the portable water/hose container I bought to ski and bring with me has not been needed.
Epic tugs of war are depicted in stone and on walls, gods and men, men supported by their special gods, all part of the Hindu religious history. Detailed faces grin down on us from the gates and lintels are beautifully carved and deeply incised even now. At Bayou 215 enormous smiling faces greet us.
We walk a long causeway to Baphoun, a pyramid reminiscent of the Mayan pyramids, where there was once also a massive reclining Buddha, now largely gone. Everywhere we are greeted by beauitufl Apsaras, celestial dancers, in various sinuus poses, with very deailedcostumes, headdresses, belts, etc. Some of the filigree patterns are still fine and strong.
Later we drive to the secluded Prah Khan temple, overgrown with beautiful trees, where we discover a two-story building, almost Romanesque, which has been wrestledfrom the fast growing jungle. Thhis is a fusion temple, part Hindu, later Buddhist.
We hear birds calling, sometimes we are on our own enough to video and catch the loud cicada chorus and birds.
We stop for cooling cold coconuts (cocos frios in Mexico) so refreshing and if you are lucky, they cut it open after you've drunk the milk and you can spoon out the young coconut fruit which I love. I buy a white cotton long sleeved shirt ($3) and long wrap skirt ($4) as my North jAmerican summer gear is not cutting it in this 100 degree environment!
At 11am we return to our cool AC car and return to the hotel for the afternoon to shower, relax, plan. We have loaded our fridge with the great local tropical fruit juices (guava, mangosteen, lychees) and bananas, and cookies from the local upscale supermarket here.
At 4pm as the day begins to cool somewhat we head back to Ta Prohm, famous for Raiders of the Lost Ark, where many Japanese tourists are having their photos taken in the exact same place as Angelina Jolie!
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