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| Cambodia Continued |
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Angkor Wat |
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Relief in Angkor Wat |
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Inside Angkor Wat |
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Angkor Wat is surrounded by a very large moat/lake. It is a beautiful setting with the temple towers rising in the distance. The Buddhist monks still use some of the Wat as a monastary. Their bright orange robes are striking to see. The center tower is quite tall with very steep short stairs on each side to access it. Kate, Peter and I braved the stairs to climb up the central tower. Anna, wisely, stayed down. By the time Kate and I reached the top, we were both shaking after the very steep and long climb. Our guide had told us that there was one set of stairs with a handrail to come down with, if we needed it. Once at the top, Kate and I could see a very long line, snaking around the top of people waiting to come down using the one handrail. So, instead of looking around at the great views, she and I got straight in line to wait our turn to get down. More than 30 minutes later, we were finally at the head of the line to descend. Our hands were sweating with nervousness and the railing was thin and slippery, but we did finally make it down. Peter had long since gone down using one of the other staircases with no handrail. I can well imagine that in a few years, perhaps after a few tourists have fallen, the climb to the top will be closed off. |
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Anna under a banyon tree on top of the temple. |
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Climbing down the tower |
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Kate and Anna at Ta Prohm |
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The first evening in Cambodia, we attended a dinner/dance restaurant with a Cambodian buffet and traditional Cambodian folk dance. The food in Cambodia is more sweet than spicy, often made with coconut milk.
The second day in Cambodia, Peter and I toured more ruins/wats in the morning, including Prasat Neak Pean and Prasat Prerup. In the afternoon, the girls joined us to tour Ta Prohm or the Jungle Temple. Most of the Wats had become overgrown by the surrounding jungles since their disuse after the 1400s. In the beginning of the 1900's, the French sponsored a massive restoration program for the Wats and removed much of the jungle that had overgrown the temples. Ta Prohm was left in its "jungle" state to show how the wats had been found. It was this Wat that was used in the Tomb Raider movie. All of the Wats have an air of the sacred about them, but Ta Prohm also adds an air of mystery. |
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Dinner and Cambodian Dance Show |
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Girl in Neak Pean Fountain |
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| Lisa and Anna standing under a root of a banyon tree on top of the temple |
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More Cambodia |
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Thailand - Cambodia Main Page |
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