Angkor

The shopping aside, this is why I wanted to visit Cambodia/Khmer!

We wanted to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, so we left our hotel at 5:15 AM and took a torch (flashlight). The walk was dark, the path was uneven and the visibility was minimal. We were not alone. We started out with a handful of people--voices and flashes of torch light that we followed. I could tell there was water nearby, but we had never seen the gateway into the wat by daylight and we could not imagine the land of the land. Soon we encountered a few Khmer who wanted to sell us coffee. We promised to buy something (not coffee) and they promised to show us the best path to the best views of this 900 year old beauty.

By the time we got to the scene of this photo, there were hundreds of people assembled, all waiting to snap the perfect memory shot. Our Khmer friends brought us chairs to sit on and reminded us of our promises to buy breakfast. Even with the crowds, it was peaceful and breathtaking! After we had our fill of pretty sunrise, we bought that breakfast. I had coconut water from a can, complete with chunks of coconut meat. I thought I was a pulp in the juice kind of girl, but it was a bit much.

Inside the wat, I faced these daunting stairs. I knew I was in trouble when I saw tiny Asian women with half of each foot hanging over the available ledge on each step. Still, stairs are meant to be climbed... It turned out, BS was right about a skirt being inadvisable... I kept stepping on it and had to tuck the front bottom hem into my waistband to avoid slipping to my certain death. There was very little to hold onto, but I found finger holes on about every third step.

After we took in the rest of the area, we walked out and were amazed to see the reality of what we had previously only really envisioned in our imaginations. In the light of day we realized that we had followed the path across a gigantic, unseen moat!

For four days we heard talk of the wat where Laura Croft raided a tomb, and here she is (the wat, not Angelina)! Though they are breaking foundations, knocking down ancient walls and returning stone to earth, the banyan trees at Ta Prohm were incredible.

BS thought this outfit was ridiculous, but I think it is kinda cute. I bought the silk hat at the old market in Seim Reap. Every Asian get away deserves a new floppy hat!

BS loved the faces of Bayon best of all the wat architecture (look closely and you will see at least 3 here). No one has counted them all, and many have been destroyed. I was saddened to learn that most of the looting that has desecrated Khmer artifacts did not take place until the 1990s. There is much talk of conservation now, but things are fading fast. Even friendly visitors leave their mark, and you can see how millions of hands have worn away intricate bas-reliefs. Book your trip now!