Angkor Wat

We arrived safely in Siem Reap, Cambodia last Wednesday. The trip from Bangkok was a bit rough . . . very disorganized border crossing with long line-ups. That is now a distant memory, though, as we are thoroughly enjoying the people and sights of Cambodia.

The prime attraction here is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a temple complex built in the early 12th century. It was the religious centre of the vast Indochine empire that included present-day Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myramar. Only discovered by French archeologists in the mid-1800s, restoration and preservation efforts have been on-going - except for the notable interruption in the 1970s during the time of Polpot and the Khmer Rouge.

One of the most fascinating sights among the temples of Angkor is the area known as Ta Prohm. Over time, huge tree roots have
taken over the structures and the effect is stunning (although destructive to the buildings, obviously). No wonder the boys were feeling their inner Indiana Jones exploring these once majestic temples. To see these ruins set amidst the Cambodian jungle was absolutely magical.

We visited over three days, while seeing other parts of the charming city of Siem Reap. The first day we visited happened to be a holiday known as Liberation Day (also known as "Victory over Genocide" day) - a celebration commemorating the fall of the Khmer Rouge on January 7, 1979. As a result of this holiday, many monks had the day off and made the pilgrimage to this sacred site. We got to chat with several of them and they didn't mind us taking their picture!

Of course, Flat Stanley was on hand and told Jackson he liked Angkor Wat just as much as the Pyramids.

There are many, many children near these temples, trying to earn some money for their families by selling souvenirs, fruit, silk scarves, guidebooks, etc. They don't speak much English but have one phrase down pat: Please madam, only one dollar! I swore I wasn't going to buy anything but it's very hard to refuse these children.

A highlight for Mitchell & Jackson was the experience of riding an elephant. They were pretty high up but loved it.

Enormous gum tree roots . . . enormous statues and carvings.

Zanzibar may have Freddie Mercury but Cambodia has Angelina Jolie. Restaurants have cocktails named after her and every DVD stall hawks bootleg copies of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". The movie was filmed here . . . what a perfect film set.

The strangest thing we have come across since landing in South-East Asia are these popular "fish massages". You stick your feet in a tank of water while little minnows nibble at your toes. $3 gets you 15 minutes. Apparently this is a good thing as the fish remove dead skin from your feet. Lovely. Did any of us try it? Uh, NO!

Hmmm . . . what's wrong with this picture? Next stop . . . Phnom Penh.