Flash, Bang, Wallop, WAT a Picture

Tommy Steele 1963
(not that I have had this one stored up for ages and ages haha)

Today was always going to be a highlight...I had been warned that some guides may look scornfully on the uncommited tourist with only a day allocated to this beautiful area, but I was not disappointed with the chap I got, it seems the hotel were quite used to folks swinging up looking for a the world in a day and the concierge was able to whip out his pre-printed itinerery at $25 for all day guide + $40 for all day car and driver. Perfect. We visited Angkor Thom and the Bayon in the morning, stopped for a lovely chicken and rice lunch with reviving fat coke and then spent the afternoon at Angkor Wat itself. First stop was the ticket desk. $20 for the day ($40 for three days, $60 for a week). I whipped out my photo that I had read was mandatory only to find that the 21st Century has arrived at one small area of the country and my photo was taken on the spot and incorporated into my ticket for the day. My guide was superb, his English was accented, obviously, and I maybe missed a few words here and there but his knowledge was extensive and he neither hurried me nor dawdled. I shan't repeat the history here, it's easy enough to find elsewhere on t'internet but I will say that the site more than lived up to expectations. Much of the stone carving is still in excellent condition and is very intricate indeed. Talented craftspeople/craftsslaves were employed and my guide assures me that carving skills are kept very much alive in the villages. Local people do not pay to visit the sites and there are many buddas, old and newer, actively "in use". Some have been brought to Angkor Wat - actually a hindu site - from other temples. Interesting to see that among the mostly fruit and flower offerings were a number of cigarette pyramids. It was hot, very hot, and my legs are telling me today that we walked and climbed and jumped quite a lot.

At lunch I was surrounded by small children (many of whom had been named Obama, by forsighted parents, obviously) with bracelets and postcards to sell. I managed to line them up and give $1 to each of ten and get back in the car before word spread and second cousins twice removed arrived. That's presents sorted.

It was a really super day, just what I had hoped it would be and well worth the extra trip north. I would imagine anyone who has enjoyed hearing the stories and climbing the antiquities of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, India, Peru etc would enjoy what Siem Reap has to offer and judging by what I saw in just a short time it's an area with accommodation and feeding to suit all budgets (no MacDonalds yet but no doubt they'll be in there some time soon).

I got some super shots of the carvings, the architecture and, of course, the trees roots growing over and through the stone so will have a good play when I get home and fix up one or two for the wall. My guide was super at pointing me to the good vantage points and pausing while I fiddled and clicked a while.

For my blip I have chosen the famous full view of the Angkor Wat temple complex ..that I was lucky enough to get with the reflection in the pond too...and I have added a dragonfly...a tiny cut out from some random shots to nothing into the air (those buggers refuse to pose)...as an apology to A for NOT seeing a single spider, fried or otherwise!

I have not noticed this view on blip before now, which does not mean it is not here so if anyone can point me to another blipper's Cambodia I'd be delighted to see it.