Angkor

It's difficult to even begin to describe the magical place that is Angkor. I'll do my best, but photos and words cannot convey what it is to be here.

We decided to hire a guide for our first day here. It's far too easy for the many ruins to come across as pile of rocks without one. So, through our friendly guesthouse, we booked Sokiem and a tuk tuk to take us to the ruins and try to explain the history to us. We both think that we are very lucky as Sokiem is actually a college grad - in archeology! It costs $20.00 to book him for the day, likely a very good wage here.

Cambodia has had a history of war with both the Chams (Vietnamese) and the Siams (Thai). Although many of the ruins are well preserved, they have seen war and fighting, and of course, damage. Also, the plunders of war have taken many of the treasures.

7:00 a.m. was our chosen departure time. We were hoping to beat some of the crowds that we have heard about. Our first stop was Ta Prohm. This temple was built by King Withaverylongname in AD1186 and dedicated to his mother. The actual room with the statue of his mother in it had hundreds of thumb sized holes in it. Apparently they were filled with precious gems to help light the area.

It also was the site of the movie Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie (interesting side note, it is not a tomb at all, but Hollywood artistic license and all makes this irrelevant). This site is quite well preserved even though the roots of gigantic trees seem to be taking over. As mentioned, we were there quite early, so the crowds we were worried about did not materialize and it was a very magical place to be.

The foundation and walls of the buildings are built with volcanic rock, and then they are covered with sandstone so that they can be easily carved. And carved they are!! The detail is truly amazing. And with a guide to help us "read" the bas relief, it made it all the more meaningful. When I think about how much work was involved with building these incredible temples, I am awed.

Angkor Wat was the next stop. More people here, but still not the crowds that we expected. It became difficult for me to appreciate Angkor Wat, truth be told, because it was around 35 degrees, I was hungry, and sometimes I feel like I have A.D.D. The stories that Sokiem told us were very interesting though. There are huge walls carved to tell an ancient Hindu story, and I certainly wouldn't have made it without Sokiem.

Lunch break was at a local place by the entrance of Angkor Wat. I was concerned that we might not have great food, as it seemed it might cater to tourists. But, as it turned out, our amok fish served in a coconut was delicious!!!

After lunch there were more sights, but you'll all have to wait for the slide show. I don't want to bore you with all the details here. Suffice it to say, second only to a safari in Africa, people need to visit here.

And, I can't possibly sign off without telling you about our meal last night at Blue Pumpkin! We had delicious mojitos (did I mention that they overpour as a rule here?) and some deep fried wontons with spicy chili sauce and a fish ravioli with the most divine yellow curry sauce ever!! The best part though was that the restaurant had a modern minimalist design with a bank of very deep couches, more like beds, and they served your meal on a bed tray. This restaurant would not have been out of place in Miami - we were quite happily surprised to see it in Siem Reap.

Tonight's adventure takes us to a restaurant called Dead Fish Tower. It apparently has a live crocodile pit! If you don't hear from us, we might have fallen in. Send help!

Cheers!