After leaving Beijing we flew (via Hong Kong) to Bangkok. Both Sara and I have been here before but for me it was the first time back for about fifteen years. All I can remember from that last trip was terrible traffic and an argument between my Dad and a Tuk Tuk driver. Well there are less Tuk Tuks around now but they have been replaced by cars and the traffic is as bad as ever. We met up with a friend of ours, Kimi, whom Sara travelled to Africa with back in August. It was great to see her and we had a lot of news to catch up on. As Sara and I had been to Bangkok before we decided that we would rather spend our time in neibouring Cambodia. Kimi was also going to join us for the first part of the trip. So with fresh plane tickets in hand we flew to Cambodia and the city of Siem Reap.....
The map below shows the route we took in Cambodia:
Courtesy of Lonely Planet
Siem Reap is a large town that is centred entirely on the tourist trade. The temples at Angkor are spread out over some 40 miles around the town. They were built between the 8th and 13th centuries and range from single towers made of bricks to vast stone temple complexes. The temples are in varying states of repair from a pile of bricks to stong standing structures. We spent three days in the area exploring a different part each day. It was very hot so we left early in the morning stopped for a long lunch and then continued later in the day. I won't rattle on about all of the temples we visited for fear you might browse elsewhere. Here are some edited highlights.
Our first stop was to the Bayon complex built between 1181 and 1220. It was an impressive introduction to the temples and features 3,936 feet of carving and mysterious Buddha faces carved on the towers of the third level.
Entrance to the Bayon
One of the locals
Sara and I next to one of the face carvings
We also paid a visit to Ta Prohm which is a very large temple complex enclosed by a moat. It is one of the most beautiful of the temples as it has not been restored. It was built in the later 12th century and as you can see in the photo below is covered by jungle vegetation (and tourists). This temple was also the setting for part of the movie Tomb Raider - Angelina Jolie is a local hero now!!
Me, Kimi and Sara at Ta Prohm
The jewel in the crown of the temples is Angkor Wat. It is a huge pyramid temple built by Suryavarman II between 1113 and 1150. It is surrounded by a moat 570 feet wide and about four miles long. We spent about two hours walking around and climbing the impossibly steep stairs to the top of the central tower.
Main entrance to Angkor Wat
The obligatory photo - altogether now ahhhhhhh!!
Outside of the temples we relaxed in town and all took part in a massage by a local blind charity. All the massures are blind and the money gives them a good income. I think I came away afterwards feeling worse than when I went in, oh well it was a good cause. We also visited a local butterfly garden and were entertained by traditional dancing at a local restaurant.
Kimi tries to attract the local butterflies
After Siem Reap Sara and I headed south to the capital Phnom Pehn while Kimi made her way back to the US. The bus journey took about seven hours and we were entertained by Cambodian karaokee on the bus all the way. Needless to say that the iPods were swiftly brought into service!!
Phnom Pehn is a small city with a busy heart - everyone is on the move mostly on small motobikes. The city still has a strong french feel with its architecture and influence in the food. We both loved the food in Cambodia and it is our new favorite. We visited the royal palace and also made the trip out to the Russian Market to stock up on DVDs and software, if it can be copied they have it. Cambodia has a royal family today and the Royal Palace is still used. It is an impressive construction although it is starting to look a little frayed around the edges. The centre piece to the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda which has a floor made up of thousands of silver tiles, most of them are covered however.
Typical Phnom Pehn building
The Royal Palace
After Phnom Pehn we took another bus south to the Coastal town of Sihanouk Ville (pronounced see-an-ook-ville). This is just a beach town and the plan was to spend a couple of days relaxing on the beach. Well that was the plan except the Cambodian food finally got the better of us. We did spend some time on the beach and relaxing so that was good - however no photos to prove it though, sorry!
We came back to Phnom Pehn for one night and then flew back to Thialand to begin the final part of our trip. As I write this I am in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) spending my last week sightseeing before flying back to London from Singapore. Sara has joined a trip with Habitat for Humanity (US charity) to undertake Tsunami relief work in the south of Thailand. Before I get loads of emails, don't worry Sara's trip was organised long before the whole engagement so we are still very much together!!!! Actually we are in training for the upcoming "time apart" during which I have to get my US visa - more on that in the next update.
Well that is all for now. My next update will be from London and the end of my trip (sob, sob). Sara will also publish updates on her Tsunami relief trip when she joins me in the UK. Stay tuned for more.......
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