Travel Bug

January 18, 2010

Angkor Wat...a Cambodian Kingdom.

The basic facts...
Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple. Angkor Wat itself is an offering to the Hindu god Vishnu. Many of the temples were later changed to respect the Buddhist religion, but traces of both are still prominent in the structure and temple carvings.

While Angkor Wat often regarded as the mother temple, the total number of Angkor temples in the area numbers over a thousand! While we were there, we managed only 20 or so! Many of the temples were partially of fully destroyed during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and are undergoing reconstruction today. Some have simply been damaged over the years, but are left in a state of unsteady beauty.

All I can say is...the photo's give so little.




Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed!


Angkor Wat from the back.



Elephants to cart fat, lazy tourists up the hill to a temple. We were too poor to ride.




The centre of Angkor Wat.


Bayon- the temple of 216 faces. Also the final state temple to be built, and primarily dedicated to Buddhism!




Ta Prohm and Gaz.




Us at Bayon.


Banteay Kdei- the temple of carvings.



Gaz ruining a Kodak moment by eating...At Sras Srang temple on the water!

Pondering what to have for lunch while looking over Angkor Wat.



Sras Srang.


Angkor Wat.


The moat protecting Angkor Wat


Angkor Wat.




The sunrise series. We got up at 4am to take these!





Bayon in the burning sun!

Sihanoukville

Welcome to Sihanoukville. Home to Cambodia's beach bums, beggars and backpackers!



A new friend at Occheuteal Beach.




Otress Beach- paradise in a nutshell.

Walking around the rocks to Sokha Beach- a privatised beach for the wealthy and stupid.


Bliss.


Kids no older than 3-4 earn a pittance by picking up bottles and cans to sell to the recycling centre. They broke my heart a day at a time.


Fishing and charter boats off Otress Beach.


Sunset over Serendipity Beach on the last night in Sihanoukville.

Cambodia travels...

Dear Blog,
I apologise for the neglect, and for the poor grammar. My knowledge and use of the English language will possibly never be the same. Good one Korea.
Two amazing, warm and welcoming weeks in Cambodia did little to improve this...but at least i avoided comming home with braids and a 'same same but different' t-shirt. Whew personal feat!

We started the trip in icy, antarctic Seoul with a night of attempted chaos when Blair stopped in for a meager 18 hours...Thanks to Korean Air for both hampering and helping with this. Cheers for the hold up and for cutting into our drinking time, and for the free airport shuttle to the 5 star hotel you unknowingly provided! Big Ups.

After a quick stop in Taiwan to exchange the nationality of passengers, we headed to Thailand for a night of Pad Thai and shopping on Khao San...and a few buddhas and enforced by the tuk-tuk drivers! And then on to Cambodia for 12 days of sun, shopping, sights and no kimchi!


Here goes...





Winter in Korea

Starting the night at 11pm


Blair's introduction to Noraebang!

One of the thousands in Bangkok- The Sleeping Buddha.

At a temple in central Bangkok

Freeing birds for money to earn a fulfilling and lucky life. The birds are trained to fly straight back into their captors cage- soul destroying.

Gaz and one ornate temple door!

Gaz and I at a temple in Bangkok.