Temples, Temples, and More Temples

Wow.  This is my third day in Cambodia, and it has been AMAZING thus far.  So immediately after my last update at the Singapore airport, I shut my computer, handed in my boarding pass, sit down, and suddenly I hear "HEY EVAN!" and look up to see a roundhouse kick flying at my face.  Given my state of exhaustion, I was too slow to respond in any other way than leaning back slightly and groaning.

Who did I almost get kicked by?  Michelle's boyfriend James!!  How WEIRD is it that I ran into another Yongmudo member in the Singapore airport at five in the morning who is going to the same place I am on the same flight?!  So we both got off in Cambodia, he met up with his friends, I found my guesthouse, and met back up with him and his friends at their place, and we set out!  It's been so awesome having people who are of the same disposition as me to see Cambodia with!

So we set out on the first day to get our 3-day pass to the Angkor temple park, with our super-awesome tuk-tuk driver, who took us to see some really neat places.

Our first stop was a temple called Bayon, which is easily one of the most impressive and incredible sights I have ever seen.  It is a HUGE complex with multiple spires and incredible carvings of reliefs and whatnot where we wandered for a pretty long time just exploring and checking things out.  Words can't really describe the experience, to be honest, it was just so incredible.

We then made our way around a small loop of temples, climbing the steep steps of each one, taking in the views, just enjoying the setting.  We also got to see the Terrace of the Leper King and the Elephant Terrace, which are both impressive.  It's so incredible to think that these things were built about one thousand years ago, and are still standing.  They must have been truly awe-inspiring to see in their prime. 

It was kind of sad that some of them are falling apart so terribly though.  Apparently the Khmers were not such good stone-workers, in that they didn't really choose very good quality stone, and choose very poor binding to join the stones together, leading to a lot of their structures to lose the roofs and other standing pieces.  

We then headed out to Ankor Wat where we explored for a really long time until the sun was setting.  It is an absolutely MASSIVE place, and while we weren't allowed to go up in the main spires, just exploring the outside with all the reliefs was truly great.

Anyways, after day one, we were EXHAUSTED, and were going to get up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the sunset from a mountain about Angkor Wat, so we needed some serious rest, and promptly PASSED OUT.  

Day 2:

Our driver picked us up, and drove us out to Phnom Bakeng, which is another temple that sits on top of a giant hill, where we explored until the sun began to rise.  It was, again, beyond words.  Standing there, overlooking the jungle, and Angkor Wat in the clean light of a new morning, in the air that was warm, but not yet hot.  Unreal.

We came down, got breakfast, and headed to this place called Ta Prom, which is the temple known for all the trees overgrowing it where the roots are spilling over the doorways and whatnot (a.k.a. - what most people remember from the movie Tomb Raider).  Again, the complex was massive and so neat to explore, and we spent a good few hours wandering there, before we were exhausted again, and opted to take an afternoon break to escape the heat.

So after showering and eating, we decided to check out Angkor Wat one last time again in the later afternoon, then headed home to clean up again, eat dinner, then be SO cliche, and watch Tomb Raider, so that we could both provide stimulation for our completely exhausted brains, and so we could go OH OH WE WERE JUST THERE!!!  

Day 3:

Today we woke up around 6 to get breakfast and check out the last few temples before the heat set in.  So we explored around a bunch of places, though the last 2 were probably my favorites, as they were some of the oldest temples we visited, and were a more primitive style, which was neat to see.  

Now we are all exhausted again, and taking a breather before we go to the war museum.  We have been moving non-stop, but it has been such good fun, since the guys I'm with are so easy to travel with :D

This country is so interesting to move through.  It is so much to take in!  Riding in tuk-tuks during the day with no doors, where cars pass on the street close enough that I could reach out and open their door....Constantly being harassed by children outside the temples to buy different souvenirs......Hunting out back-alleys to get cheap and authentic Khmer food (thank god I have my gastro kit for preventative measures against infection).....Hoping I don't get Dengue fever from mosquitos....Enjoying the fact that I can get food for the whole day for about 6$.....

Only 2 full days left in Cambodia, then flying to Phuket to tour the Thai islands!  Might update tomorrow, but I might be too tired.....we shall see.....