10.5.09

Angkor Wat Up?

Yes that is a horribly cheesy title but it is a slogan we saw on a shirt of about 40 school children speaking Singlish in Angkor Wat and I couldn't NOT use it.


We are back in Bangkok after spending four very short days in Cambodia with our good friend Steve. It was VERY hot and we enjoyed seeing the temples while melting and drinking ALOT of fruit shakes. All three days we rented a tuk tuk (motorbike with covered trailer behind) and were very happy for some respite from the sun. It is POURING rain outside right now and as per usual I am blogging and Marc is being massaged. (Whatever shall he do when we are in Canada and massages cost an arm and a leg?)

Angkor Wat is made up of multiple temples built from the 9th to the 12th century for the King. It was once a bustling metropolis with more than one million people living in the area. There are elements of Hinduism as well as Buddhism in many of the temples.
Modern Day Apsara (the women carved in stone on many of the temples)
The Bayon Temple has massive stone faces carved on many of its towers.

There are many children trying to sell you water, shirts, juice, bracelets etc.. This girl in particular spoke very good English. We were happy to hear that she attended school in the morning and then was a hawker for her parents in the afternoon. Despite her aggressive tactics I did not buy a water from her, even though she told me that in Khmer the word for maybe means yes. ;)



This temple (Te Prahm) has many trees growing on top of and around the temples. The growth has been 'controlled' and makes the temples look magical! This is also where Tomb Raider was filmed. I have never seen it but maybe will have to take it in when we get home. Who doesn't want to see Angelina running around ancient temples?


Can you find Marc?

Marc and Steve contemplating the watage of the Angkor:


The only Apsara showing its teeth in all of Angkor Wat. It was kind of like playing Where's Waldo to find it.




Marc and Steve's attempt to contort like the Apsara's



One day there was a feast set out in front of the Bayon temple that included Pigs Head and a plethora of fruit.




There were many steep stairs into quite a few of the temples. Luckily we weren't in safety conscious Canada where the stairs would have been roped off. We climbed to our hearts content, although going up was much easier than coming down.

Monks receiving alms.


As previously mentioned we are in Bangkok again with Dan and Carlynne and Julie and Lowell and tomorrow is our last day here before we fly home!! We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip but are excited to be back in Canada and start our life again.

Thanks for all the great memories South East Asia!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

marc you're so bourgeois with the massages...

Anonymous said...

and also, EXCELLENT work with the belly baring a/c.
the chinese know best.

Mama Bear said...

love the tree photos!! rad!