Cambodia pt.II: the Majesty of Angkor Wat

Days 3-6 in Cambodia brought me to Siem Reap, the up-and-coming town which serves as the gateway to the 8th Wonder of the World -- Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is so up-and-coming in fact that it nearly stumbles over itself in an effort to erect five-star hotels with swimming pools and swanky eateries to serve the waves of tourists flooding in from all corners of the world. And with this rapid expansion comes the unavoidable evils of tourism ... massive crowds, and a bit gentrification thrown in for good measure. Translation: you're bound to wind up with at least a half dozen German tourists with oversized fanny packs in every one of your photos. Still, even the western-centric centre of town offers a bit of charm, with its tree-lined streets and inviting pubs and cafes.

As seems to be the norm here, we emerged from the bus into a frenzy of shouting, shoving tuk-tuk and taxi drivers. There was plenty of pushing and jostling, and the noise of the crowd reached a fevered pitch as I struggled to keep sight of my bag as it was handed from porter to porter. I finally caught up with my bag and headed straight for the City River Hotel, a three-nights-paid gift from mom and dad. A real hotel, with a proper reception desk. And a pool. And free internet! It was like Christmas in November in SE Asia. I made friends with two girls from Tazmania within two minutes of walking through the door (surprising, given how badly I must have smelled) and after a shower we decided to sample some authentic Khmer cuisine. One pretty greasy and bland plate of food later, I've decided I'm not a fan. Bedtime was rediculously early, because when you've got access to a pillowy down comforter after endless nights of dodgy hostel accomodation, you're not likely to let it go to waste.


My remaining days in Cambodia were a temple-touring, sightseeing extravaganza. Tour Day 1 took me to Angkor Thom -- the main compound of Angkor -- to see the magnificent Bayon temple, a massive 11th century ruin famous for the 216 giant faces of Avalokiteshvara hand-carved from stone. I had to shield my camera from yet another water encounter as it began to drizzle while I made my way over to Baphuon, rightfully deemed the 'world's largest jigsaw puzzle' as the temple is being put back together piece by piece in a painstaking restoration project. I walked along the Terrace of Elephants and snapped some photos before driving with my tour guide to Ta Keo, a massive pyramid-shaped wat that was never actually completed due to being struck by lightning, a bad omen in Khmer culture. We ended Tour Day 1 at the superstar of temples -- Angkor Wat. Soaring skywards and surrounded by a giant moat, Angkor Wat is a magnificent and stunning structure, one of the most spectacular monuments ever created by human hands. It is the largest religious bulding in the world, built in the 1100's by King Suryavarman II in honor of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

Tour Day 2 began with a second trip back to Angkor Wat at 5am to watch the sunrise over this stunning ancient monument, a breathtaking sight. After a short breakfast stop we drove 30km out of the city to Banteay Srei, a small but elaborately adorned temple, and stopped at the Cambodian Landmine Museum on our way back to one of the most popular of Angkor's temples -- Ta Prohm, aka the Indiana Jones Temple. The crumbling stonework of Ta Prohm has been reclaimed by nature, with the tentacle-like roots of trees snaking down the sides and through the doorways of the temple. Sufficiently temple'd out by the end of the day, I ended my Angkor Wat touring with a luxurious dip in the hotel pool.