The Age of Angkor

Trip Start Feb 07, 2005

Trip End Aug 24, 2005

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Flag of Cambodia Siem Reap, Cambodia
Saturday, April 2, 2005

Fortunately the following day I escaped the dark history and violence surrounding this country and headed for one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Angkor Wat. The bus across country was luxury even by UK standards much to my surprise. Once again, I emailed the others to let them know my plans and we agreed to meet up later that night in Siem Reap. Everytime I've caught up with these guys, the heavens open and every English lesson with regards the pathetic fallacy in Lord of the Flies comes flooding back to me!!! Seems like someone somewhere wants to dampen the mood!!! This time the date was kept and we all caught up, including Laurence, my German roomie from Vietnam, and Rob's new Irish girlfriend! It was good to see everyone again and we had a quality night catching up. They'd bought a 3day pass around Angkor Wat and were feeling templed
out. I, on the other hand, had only planned on getting the 1 day pass, as I figured I would get bored after a while and they'd all soon start merging into one big ruined temple and I was right

Angkor Temples

. The others took off the next day for Bangkok and I took a moped driver who only spoke to me in Cockney around the main temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (where Tomb Raider was filmed and where I very courteously threw up!!!). The heat was relentless, the alcohol from the reunion the night before still prevelant and climbing up and down stupidly steep steps with very little food on board it was always going to happen!!! I'm not sure many people can claim to have done that one!!

The temples were really impressive and I had planned to be there for sunset, a 'must-see' on all accounts but the rain that had arrived with me the day earlier was still clearing up and so the sky was still littered with cloud making sunset a pointless venture.

A brief history of the place:
The temple ruins are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilisation. At its height, the Age of Angkor was a time when the capital area contained more than a million people, when Khmer kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples, and when Angkor's military, economic and cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia, and much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Angkor Wat itself is the most impressive temple, constructed in the early to mid 12century by King Suryavarman II for his funerary temple. It is the world's largest religious building, a Hinduism place of worship and is the country's most celebrated achievement; it lies on the national flag, the national beer is named after it, hotels and cigarettes also take its name.

Well thats the brief history anyway, one day there and I'd had enough, not sure whether that was because I was feeling ropey or because I wasnt as interested in the smaller temples as others. I spoke to some people who had bought 7day passes!!