Angkor Wat (Now with Photos)

Angkor Wat, Friday 8th September.

Emma here. ‘Bout time I added something to the blog I guess!

Today was temple day. Unfortunately Anna didn’t feel very well and Simon stayed back at the hotel with her.(Simon and Anna went the next day at 06.30 because we are good!) Jo, Joe and I headed out, water and guide books in hand, looking forward to a good day out.

Our driver took us there and chauffeured us around all day. Having someone waiting on your every need is very strange and hard to get used to. He even comes round and opens the van door for us. We don’t know whether it is better to accept this gracefully, as we do, or to do things ourselves. The bus kept breaking down and the driver would go and find some other people to help him push. We could push – should we, or is it better to allow others to do so for us??

Anyway, the temples are wonderful. The combination of stunning, ancient buildings with the lush country side around is beautiful. It is a very commercial area, for Cambodia, and carefully managed with us needing to show our tickets frequently. Angkor Wat is the biggest and most impressive temple. It was incredibly hot with the sun beating down strongly. I didn’t realise that we could actually walk around inside the temples – given their age and fragility I assumed it would be look but don’t touch. The main part of Angkor Wat is up 38 incredibly steep, narrow and uneven steps. Ahead of us, two European girls were struggling to get to the top and we wondered whether we should even try. Another tourist told us that there was another way down with a bar to hold so we felt better about going up. Joe went first, and coped well. Jo and I followed. I’m usually fine with heights, but the heat, the uneven steps, plus the knowledge it would be a long way to get help should we fall……oh I felt weird! There’s nothing you can do but keep going as to descend again would be worse. The views were well worth it though and I hope this is reflected in the photos.

We walked back through the trees where there was a market. Being a rubbish tourist I must confess to buying a T-shirt! Made by Gap!! ( Was it a copy or was it straight from the sweat shop??) And a hat – was worried about sun stroke. (No photos of me wearing it will ever be published!)

We then had lunch and invited our driver to join us, which he did. The three of us ate our meal with chopsticks while he used a fork! The toilets there I think were the worst I have ever experienced – even worse than V.

We ‘did’ two more temples and saw some more statues of Buddha in the afternoon. We have not really explored the area as much as we should and there is much more to see, but it was so hot we were light weights and returned to the hotel.

Later on, Simon, Joe and I explored Siem Reap a little. We took a tuk tuk to the shops, which I love doing. You are much more part of the atmosphere than when we are cocooned in the van. You ride alongside bikes and people smile and wave more, especially children. Crossing the road or being in a vehicle is quite something here. We think that you just need to cross the road like a stereo typical teenager – don’t wait for a gap in the traffic, just go for it, absolve all responsibility for yourself and assume that everyone will see and avoid you. It does work though!

Anna felt well enough to come out for dinner with us tonight. She and Simon are going to the temples tomorrow and in the afternoon we are all going on a boat trip to the floating villages.