Today lovely people, I spent the day Temple-ing, as is only right and correct when in Cambodia.
I came up to Siem Reap yesterday, my journey reminiscent of many of those Indian bus rides with Hannah only the road was alot worse and I had to entertain myself. I caught sunset at the Temples last night and returned for sunrise this morning. I guess we so rarely bother to get up for sunrise that it is always quite exciting in and of itself. I know in winter we might be up before dawn but it's not like we're paying attention to it. Still having the outline of Ankor wat temple gradually pick it's way out against a lightening sky was amazing. This sunrise was alot warmer than my new year one but no less stunning in a different way. It was exciting to be there on my own whilst at the same time a shame that I had no one to share the excitment with, except for the 200 odd strangers!- again quite different to new year. Once the sun was up, I spent the next couple of hours exploring Ankor Wat before breakfast, enjoying the softness of the early light and the relative quiet of long light shadowed corridoors boardered with pillars. Then hallways, courtyards, steps and heights. There were people about but not too many as it was still early. After breakfast I moved on to Ankor Thom and the grand many faced temple of Bayon. I reckon a lot of you will have seen pictures somewhere of this temple where every tower has huge stone faces on each side looking out into the forest. There were alot more people at this one so that I had to queue to get up stairways and push through crowds, it did not detract too much and I still managed to find the odd quiet corner. It is quite nice being on your own and just following your nose, not having to wait for a gang of people to move on, or worry about losing anyone. There are several other temples and complexs around Bayon which I scrambled up over and around, but I then headed further into the Forest to Preah Kahn, and Ta Prohm. Both these temples have been swallowed to a certain extent by the Jungle. In fairness, now as major tourist attraction, this is slightly more managed than it once was but that doesn't detract from the forgotten feel of temples being overrun by trees. Preah Kahn also has some stunning buildings in it's complex- big vaults and coloumns as well as narrow doorways and low corridoors. It is also not on the main main tour route and consequently was much quieter again, affording me an hour or so of happy solitary adventuring. There is no escaping just how cool Ta Prohm is with its snaking tree roots gripping the crumbling walls, and mighty trunks soaring up to the sky, the whole temple feels like it is being slowly ingested back into the living forest. The whole day was aided in its smooth running by my very chirpy moto driver, I had a friendly face and a wave to look for after each Temple.
Tomorrow I'm getting on the boat to Phnom Penh, and I'm beginning to feel time slipping away very fast as the end of my travels looms only a week away. It will be good to have a few more days with the Lawrences, and have them show me round Phnom Penh which they are very familiar with. They are planning to take me to all their favourite haunts, and we will be celebrating Tim's birthday. Then it's back to Kolkata for a few days before home.
I came up to Siem Reap yesterday, my journey reminiscent of many of those Indian bus rides with Hannah only the road was alot worse and I had to entertain myself. I caught sunset at the Temples last night and returned for sunrise this morning. I guess we so rarely bother to get up for sunrise that it is always quite exciting in and of itself. I know in winter we might be up before dawn but it's not like we're paying attention to it. Still having the outline of Ankor wat temple gradually pick it's way out against a lightening sky was amazing. This sunrise was alot warmer than my new year one but no less stunning in a different way. It was exciting to be there on my own whilst at the same time a shame that I had no one to share the excitment with, except for the 200 odd strangers!- again quite different to new year. Once the sun was up, I spent the next couple of hours exploring Ankor Wat before breakfast, enjoying the softness of the early light and the relative quiet of long light shadowed corridoors boardered with pillars. Then hallways, courtyards, steps and heights. There were people about but not too many as it was still early. After breakfast I moved on to Ankor Thom and the grand many faced temple of Bayon. I reckon a lot of you will have seen pictures somewhere of this temple where every tower has huge stone faces on each side looking out into the forest. There were alot more people at this one so that I had to queue to get up stairways and push through crowds, it did not detract too much and I still managed to find the odd quiet corner. It is quite nice being on your own and just following your nose, not having to wait for a gang of people to move on, or worry about losing anyone. There are several other temples and complexs around Bayon which I scrambled up over and around, but I then headed further into the Forest to Preah Kahn, and Ta Prohm. Both these temples have been swallowed to a certain extent by the Jungle. In fairness, now as major tourist attraction, this is slightly more managed than it once was but that doesn't detract from the forgotten feel of temples being overrun by trees. Preah Kahn also has some stunning buildings in it's complex- big vaults and coloumns as well as narrow doorways and low corridoors. It is also not on the main main tour route and consequently was much quieter again, affording me an hour or so of happy solitary adventuring. There is no escaping just how cool Ta Prohm is with its snaking tree roots gripping the crumbling walls, and mighty trunks soaring up to the sky, the whole temple feels like it is being slowly ingested back into the living forest. The whole day was aided in its smooth running by my very chirpy moto driver, I had a friendly face and a wave to look for after each Temple.
Tomorrow I'm getting on the boat to Phnom Penh, and I'm beginning to feel time slipping away very fast as the end of my travels looms only a week away. It will be good to have a few more days with the Lawrences, and have them show me round Phnom Penh which they are very familiar with. They are planning to take me to all their favourite haunts, and we will be celebrating Tim's birthday. Then it's back to Kolkata for a few days before home.
No comments:
Post a Comment