Part #1

I have been very fortunate to have traveled and visited some amazing places around the world and I would love to share some of those experiences.

My first post is on:

Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor is an ancient abandoned city in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia that dates all the way back to the ninth century. There are over a thousand temples in the Angkor area ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble to the amazing Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Visitors approach two million annually, and the entire expanse, including Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Phrom and Angkor Thom are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Angkor Wat

We set out from our hotel at 4am so that we could witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It was pre booked and we had a guide for the day who also drove the Tuk Tuk. We purchased our tickets at the centre and I was surprised to see so many people there ready for the same experience.
As we approached the site you could see the scale of the impressive temple. We were finally in position and waited the couple of hours needed for sunrise. In the meantime there are a lot of people walking around trying to sell you things from paintings and drawings to a cup of coffee. Coffee shops named Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe, we had some fun with these guys and eventually caved in for a cup of coffee, at least I think it was coffee!! Unfortunately for us, the clouds covered the sun so we didn’t quite get the experience we wanted but it was still something to behold none the less.

Cool Facts about Angkor Wat:

• It is on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 square meters or 402 acres)
• It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu
• It gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century
• It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the 9th century

Monkeys

As you walk around this colossal site you are met by the Macaques of Angkor Wat. They are very cute and very cheeky but you are warned that they can be ferocious and will attack if hungry. My friend had brought along some food in a carrier bag and one of these little rascals crept up on him grabbed the bag and scarpered off with it. We watched him sift through the bag trying the different items of food throwing the stuff he didnt like away with real indignation! Although we were a bit shocked at first we laughed about it after. Especially at how picky he was.

We moved on to the Bridge of Gods and Demons, and the Gate of Angkor Thom

The bridge is lined with 54 demons and gods each in a battle to keep hold of the body of a giant snake Naga. The snake’s head would’ve been at the front, its tail is in the kingdom of the gods.

Bayon

The Bayon is a Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.

We stopped for a break and some food. With the early start, the heat and the walking we were pretty exhausted. The little restaurant was opposite a beautiful lake and was very much needed. The food was very nice and it’s a real shame I cannot remember the name of it.

When we left the restaurant we were approached by a group of children that were begging. We had been told that under no circumstances should we give anything to the children. This was because it would contribute to the begging network and encourage the parents and guardians of these children to keep sending them out to beg instead of sending them to school, which is free and a clearly better option for their own future. Either way it was very difficult to deny them and one little girl in particular zeroed in on me as the ‘sucker’ and I kind of fell apart! She was right!

Ta Phrom

Approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings made this my favourite temple.

This was also the site for some of the Tomb Raider movies starring Angelina Jolie.

It was a wonderful experience and well worth the considerable effort to view this amazing piece of history. I thoroughly recommend it.

Gaz

Photos taken with a Xiaomi Mi4s