Templed out in Siem Reap
After 3 days straight of seeing the Angkor Temples I don't think I need to see any more temples for a while. This aside, the temples were absolutely amazing. The size of them, the number of them, their construction that seems impossible during that time period, the jaw-dropping detail of the stone carvings, did i mention the size of them?
My favourite one out of all the ones we visited was Ta Prohm since this temple (unlike most of the others) was not maintained to keep vegetation out. The temple has evolved in such a way that the trees and plants have merged together with the stones, covering them with roots and leaves and branches. The effect is quite stunning, but also shows how powerful and destructive nature can be, roots coming up and destroying a structure so forcefully that walls crumble and fall in on itself.
We woke up at 5am one day and went to go see the sun rise over Angkor Wat, with a whole other bunch of tourists with the same idea. You can't get upset over having to share a beautiful view like that, so you learn to embrace the hoards of Japanese and Korean tourists, who...with some crazy talent within their index fingers, probably take over 100 pictures/minute. Who am I to make fun...i went a little picture crazy myself over these 3 days and will need to work 5 jobs when I get home just to be able to pay for processing all my film.
After the last day of temple-seeing, we took a treacherous road through a small town where we then hopped on a boat to see the floating village of Kompong Phluk. This wasn't just a few houses built on stilts above the water...this was hundreds of houses forming a complete town with a school, temple, stores, restaurants, and even pigs in floating cages. When the water is low, there is some land to walk on, but when it is high, everyone gets around by boat. The houses are built about 6-8 metres above the ground, quite incredible to see. The children in the town were so adorable and followed us as we walked around, saying the few English words they knew and laughing at us when we said the few Cambodian words we knew.
Last night our tuk-tuk driver we met when we arrived to Siem Reap invited us to his family's home for a few drinks with his family and friends. We all sat on a traditional woven rug around a pot of soup his mom made and shared food, drinks, and stories.
Its a relaxing day today before we head out East tomorrow morning.
My favourite one out of all the ones we visited was Ta Prohm since this temple (unlike most of the others) was not maintained to keep vegetation out. The temple has evolved in such a way that the trees and plants have merged together with the stones, covering them with roots and leaves and branches. The effect is quite stunning, but also shows how powerful and destructive nature can be, roots coming up and destroying a structure so forcefully that walls crumble and fall in on itself.
We woke up at 5am one day and went to go see the sun rise over Angkor Wat, with a whole other bunch of tourists with the same idea. You can't get upset over having to share a beautiful view like that, so you learn to embrace the hoards of Japanese and Korean tourists, who...with some crazy talent within their index fingers, probably take over 100 pictures/minute. Who am I to make fun...i went a little picture crazy myself over these 3 days and will need to work 5 jobs when I get home just to be able to pay for processing all my film.
After the last day of temple-seeing, we took a treacherous road through a small town where we then hopped on a boat to see the floating village of Kompong Phluk. This wasn't just a few houses built on stilts above the water...this was hundreds of houses forming a complete town with a school, temple, stores, restaurants, and even pigs in floating cages. When the water is low, there is some land to walk on, but when it is high, everyone gets around by boat. The houses are built about 6-8 metres above the ground, quite incredible to see. The children in the town were so adorable and followed us as we walked around, saying the few English words they knew and laughing at us when we said the few Cambodian words we knew.
Last night our tuk-tuk driver we met when we arrived to Siem Reap invited us to his family's home for a few drinks with his family and friends. We all sat on a traditional woven rug around a pot of soup his mom made and shared food, drinks, and stories.
Its a relaxing day today before we head out East tomorrow morning.
posted by Mary at 9:12 a.m.
2 Comments:
Hi Mary!
Ta Prohm was my favorite temple site too! Amazing eh!?! We had a 3-day pass, and were temple-ed out by the end. Incredible part of the world though.
Where are you off to next???
Love sis Katherine
Hey Kat-girl,
Not only do you have to sneeze little, look like me, and drink out of mugs all the time, now you have the same favourite temple as me???
Why am I not surprised! :)
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