We spent two days exploring the ruins and temples of Angkor, and a day in nearby Siem Reap soaking up the atmosphere of the Water Festival.
In ruins the temples were beautiful and mysterious but in their heyday must have been quite awe inspiring. I suppose that was the idea. The sandstone and brink of the temples were a distinct contrast to the wood and palm huts in villages we passed. The women and children selling postcards, bangles, books and souvenirs disrupted any peace and serenity from exploring the temples, but were often full of humour and fun, and always persistent!
We got up one morning to watch the sunrise (seemed like a good idea until woken by the alarm clock at 4.30am) over Angkor Wat - finding a corner away from the hordes of tourists. It was beautiful, but probably contributed to an early departure from the sites that day - Rick was 'templed out' and our tuk tuk driver was increasingly grouchy (he'd been to a party the night before). Without being an expert I'm not sure how much more we would have been able to take in anyway. Our explorations were marked more by photo opportunities than any deep understanding....I'm sure any SOAS experts would shudder at our ignorance!
In ruins the temples were beautiful and mysterious but in their heyday must have been quite awe inspiring. I suppose that was the idea. The sandstone and brink of the temples were a distinct contrast to the wood and palm huts in villages we passed. The women and children selling postcards, bangles, books and souvenirs disrupted any peace and serenity from exploring the temples, but were often full of humour and fun, and always persistent!
We got up one morning to watch the sunrise (seemed like a good idea until woken by the alarm clock at 4.30am) over Angkor Wat - finding a corner away from the hordes of tourists. It was beautiful, but probably contributed to an early departure from the sites that day - Rick was 'templed out' and our tuk tuk driver was increasingly grouchy (he'd been to a party the night before). Without being an expert I'm not sure how much more we would have been able to take in anyway. Our explorations were marked more by photo opportunities than any deep understanding....I'm sure any SOAS experts would shudder at our ignorance!
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