Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Being picked up at 3.30am ain't my idea of fun, but in order to catch my ealy morning JetStar Asia flight out to Siem Reap, Cambodia on 17 November 2006 - a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! Landing in Siem Reap at 7am provided an amazing view out over all the temples and I started to get rather excited. I think I now finally know how the 'Vaalies' must have felt landing in Durban, when they leaned over me to catch a glimpse of the coastline and yelp, "Kyk ma, daars die see". I however, opted for a more quiet form of admiration but the impression was no lesser in magnitude. Siem Reap means Siamese defeated - rather cheaky for a city so close to Thailand.

At the airport, I met my guide and after dropping my day pack (Dad - you'll be pleased to know that I am refining the art of packing light) at the hotel, we headed out tour to Small Circuit of temples, including Prasat Kravan (Cardamon sanctuary), Banteay Kdei, Srah Srang (Royal Bath), Ta Prohm (Jungle Temple), Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda. That afternoon I got my first taste of Angkor Wat.

And as the sun started to slip, we headed up onto Phnom Bakheng Hill for a dusky view of Angkor Wat. Amazing and mystical and the onset of darkness only enhanced that. The ancient Khmer dynasties had some inspired architects among them. I had dinner at a traditional Cambodian restaurant that evening and what I thought I'd ordered for starters turned out to be totally different. Papaya salad turned out to be Scorpian Salad with a bit of papaya thrown in. Fear Factor Cambodian style and I was greatful that they were not alive. Going with my motto of I'll try anything once, I did try some, but lets just say that I did not clean the plate. Scorpian does not taste like chicken and leaves a rather bitter, almost acidic after taste.

The next morning was another early morning rise to get the traditional sunrise view of Angkor Wat, hopefully before most of the other temple seekers have arisen. I staumbled thorugh the gates in the dark, my path illuminated thanks to Sony Ericson and headed for the library steps, just off the path where most were standing. In the quiet, still morning I was one of the most breathtaking sun rises ever, to just sit and watch the magnificent temple slowly come to light. After breakfast and a much needed coffee, we made off for the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King.

The South gate of Angkor Thom is the most intact and I hopped on an elephant to ride through the gate and head for Bayon. The temple with its 49 towers and smiling faces was a labyrinth of passages and stairways. Climbing to the top, I came to the conclusion that the ancient Khmers had tiny feet as the stairs literally just go up and it's best to walk crab-like, sideways up or down - kind of like a Siem Reap shuffle.

Later that afternoon, I headed off to visit the Grand Circuit / Angkor Wat including Pre Rup (Change the body), East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan and Baksei Chamkrong. I climbed up through the various enclosures of Angkor Wat, until I finally reached the ascent to the main temple. I literally had to scramble up using hands and feet and barely looked down. Coming down was an interesting affair best done backwards, but I did stop and turn as I was coming down to watch the sun set as I exited the temple. Dinner that night comprised a delicious Amok fish curry complete with a Khmer Traditional Dance Show, and some Angkor beer. No Scorpians thank goodness. Flying out of Siem Reap the next morning I got another view of the Angkor layout and it's amazing how perfectly symmetrical everything is. From the huge sqaure moat that surrounds it to the placement of the towers. Fascinates me - just like how the Egyptians constructed the pyramid tunnels at exactly 45 degree angles.