Another life long dream comes true
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2009
1
99
544
Trip End
Ongoing
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sitting waiting for our food we decide to go to the temples...what are we doing?! It will be after 2pm by the time we get there and we WERE going to go for sunrise!! Ah well cameras at the ready and we are off!!
This is a lifelong dream for me and I am really excited. Turning off from the main road we are surrounded by trees and even spy monkeys by the side of the road and then suddenly a gap in the trees appear and THERE IT IS...ANGKOR WAT in all it's glory!! Just spectacular!!
We decide to head to Angkor Thom first and then head back to the stunning Angkor Wat for sunset. Our tuk tuk driver drops us off and points us in the general direction and then sprawls out across the sofa which forms the seat of his vehicle. 'He is going to wait there for us all afternoon in this heat?' I ask Pete. Crazy!! Once inside the temples we begin to explore and they really are fascinating...considering these were built hundreds, no thousands of years ago...the architecture is just unbelievable!! I am standing snapping away with my camera as per...whe Pete calls me over. He has found a sign stating you must not sit on the wall and guess what...he wants a picture sitting on the wall!! Only Pete!!
We find several buddha's and light incense sticks given to us by monks. For someone who is not in the slightest bit spiritual, today I am feeling it.
We take a walk over to the Palace and as we walk in the entrance we see various rubbings laid our upon the ground. They are stunning. Havig a quick look through them I consider buying some to send home and no sooner has this thought crossed my mind, some guy leaps out the trees and tries to sell me 10!! Aaaaaaah these Cambodians are so clever with their marketing ploys!! I resist and we head to the Palace on the promise that we will be back!! Climbing up the steepest and longest ladder type stairs I have ever walked up we reach the top. A local guy offers Pete up to the Kings shack where he slept with various women whilst I admire the view from the magnificent height we are at. When Pete comes back down he is asking for some money. Why?? Because the guy who told him the story about the King wants some. Again...these crafty Cambodians!!
It's now time to head back to Angkor Wat for the sunset!! We can NOT miss this seeing as we rocked up at 2.30pm this afternoon!! On our way back we do purchase some wall rubbings and then the hunt for our tuk tuk driver begins!! We eventually find him and the Angkor Wat beckons!! Pulling up outside we stop for a few photos and then we are in...and WOW WOW WOW!! It is stunning.
Wandering around we see incredible carvings of various naked ladies!! I'm sure Pete was thrilled!! Heading outside to an inner courtyard we are met by green grass (I know I know what other colour would it be??) and several individual temples. I sit on at the top of a flight of majestic stairs while Pete strolls over to one of the other temples for a few photos and then it is my turn. I know that nnot all of you have Facebook so I will try and send some of these pictures via email as they are amazing. A couple of them where I am sittin atop of one of them temples depict truly happiness. It really has been an honour to come here today.
As the sun begins to set we head over for some light refreshments and then it's time...!! As the sun sets over this, the eighth wonder of the world, I look at Pete and it all feels surreal. To be in a special place with a special person on a special journey...this is what dreams are made of when you are back home in an office staring at your computer whilst looking up these very locations sneakily on the computer!!
Once the sun is hidden behind the trees we depart Angkor Wat, pausing to look back at this very special place, and then we have the hard task of finding our driver amongst the many tuk tuk surrounding the lake outside Angkor Wat. When we do find our driver we hop onto the sofa attached to the back of his bike and return to Siem Reap. Traffic is really busy. There are school kids on bikes, a multitude of tuk tuks and all the usual city traffic. We are held up for a while as there is a massive truck laying a new road on the central street of Siem Reap and the suddenly we are off. It has become a race against the machine!! We have to get infront of the tarmac layer as it is driving along the road!! WHat the fuck?? Seriously...I mean back home they would cordon off the road but not here!! We mange to overtake amid the many other tuk tuks tryig to do the same manoveur and we are off...until we are met with a road block!! What do you do in Cambodia when the road is blocked?? Just drive on the pavement!!
We evntually arrive home and it's time for a cold shower as ours is broken and then more food!! Pete always looks amazed at the amount of food I eat...
