Apologies for the silence yesterday, but it was a most exhausting and exhilarating day! In fact, I am writing this on the coach back to Phnom Penh, still thinking about it.
One of the must-sees in Cambodia is the majestic temple complex of Angkor, the Eighth man-made Wonder of the World. Situated a stone's throw away from the centre of Siem Reap, these awe-inspiring structures are the abode of the ancient 'god-kings' that ruled over ancient Khmer Empire between 800 - 1200AD
The myriad temples are spread over an area almost 30km square, and in a visit that lasted close to 12 hours we only managed to visit a handful - the magnificence of Angkor Wat, the main temple, the holiest of holies and the largest religious structure in the world; Bayon with its 216 carved faces looking down on us with benevolence; Ta Prohm which filled Chiara with great excitement because it was the location where Angelina Jolie raided tombs, and the place where Mother Nature asserts herself via gigantic trees that grow out of the temple foundations; Angkor Thom, the Great City of the temple complex and finally, as we were ready to drop dead, The Royal Palace and its splendid Elephant Terrace, a vast area where the King would watch public ceremonies unfolding below him together with his 2000 concubines, and the Terrace of the Leper King, so named because legend has it that at least two of the Angkor Kings had leprosy.
With 2000 concubines they must be gods!
We are really lucky because we are here in low season. Also, our extremely knowledgeable guide Bunleat took us around in the reverse order usually followed by tourists so we avoided the crowds completely.
Moreover, the rainy season means the opulent gardens and forests that surround the temples were in full bloom, covering the land in a carpet of luscious greenery - an amazing contrast to the grey sandstone of the structures looming over us.
We also got to see quite a bit of wildlife - some quietly placid species such as cows within the temple grounds, and others not-so-friendly like the twitchy Chihuahua / mongrel mix that would have happily taken a nip of Gaby's ankle hadn't it been tethered to a stall selling pocket Buddhas and incense.
Outside one of the larger temples we opted for an elephant ride and, though it was something to tick off my bucket list, it was a bit of a disappointment: at $15 each, it was an expensive and ultimately uninspiring treat because all we did really was lumber around in a big circle. More importantly, I couldn't help feeling we were exploiting the noble beasts - however we were assured that the animals are well-treated and protected by airtight laws.
We actually did see that they are 'parked' in the shade, are given plenty of food, water and rest and their riders treat them very gently. Many of our own karozzin drivers and the powers-that-be can take a leaf or two out of the book of animal welfare in this developing country.
Maybe it's because I am a naturally curious person or perhaps it's because I'm trying to capture a photograph worthy of National Geographic but things tend to happen to me. The first involved the most beautiful beetle I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like a large shiny emerald (in fact, that's its name). An ancient Cambodian man picked it up and placed it in my hand and assured me it was a sign of good fortune. I thanked him with much bowing. Two minutes later I stepped in ox poo. More luck? I think not.
More animal shenanigans involved a sweet little monkey (no, not Chiara). It was one of scores that just sat there watching me while scratching its nethers. I quickly reached for my camera and inched as close as I dared to in order to get the perfect shot whilst making gentle kissing sounds to attract its attention - and that's when the little demon jumped onto my shoulders and nicked my sunglasses (expensive ones I'd got in the US), and disappeared into the trees. We were warned about pickpockets in Cambodia – no-one mentioned the thieving monkeys!
When Bunleat learned that we are an NGO working with children, he mentioned that he supports a local orphanage and we stopped there on the way to the hotel for a quick visit. It took us about two minutes to bond with the children there who wasted no time to teach us one of the games they play. We also discovered their huge talent when they showed us a shack filled with wall-to-wall paintings that some of the kids made themselves. It makes you truly wonder how far these kids can go, given the right circumstances.
It was a long, tiring day but our exhaustion was matched with a lingering sense of wonder at the magnificence we witnessed throughout.
With the little bit of energy we had left we went to the Siem Reap entertainment district for dinner. On the way back, we took a short-cut through the lively night market where we were treated to a performance by some amazingly beautiful singing and dancing ladies. Trust Paula to notice a sign saying “Lady Boys tonight!” They may have been beautiful, but they’ve got nothing on my Dames.
Right, we’ll be back in Phnom Penh soon… back to work tomorrow. And we are really looking forward to it.
Alan