Cambodia, 2010

We are just back from the temples of Siem Reap, including Angkor Wat (in Cambodia) - really spectacular, just how ruins should be. My favourite was a temple where the trees have taken over! I took loads of photos, so will sort and post in due course.

We heard a bit about the reign and genocide of Pol Pot and the Killing Fields. Thankfully that is in the past, but it must have left a deep scar. It is hard to believe, as the Cambodians seem so nice and gentle. I also heard that the protests in Thailand have turned a bit violent - with 9 people killed - so maybe we got out of there just in time. Even so, the protests I'm sure are still quite local and generally peaceful.

Had a nice 1.5 km walk through the jungle today. The river and waterfall is more or less dried up, but it was interesting to see the carvings in the rock. We also went to a temple ruin in the jungle, where the trees have taken over. Very beautiful. It is so hot here, I am sitting under a fan and will go to my bedroom (with aircon, but no wifi) soon. I fly tomorrow early to KL and will probably try to load photos on FB from there.

Last Saturday, I headed to Cambodia with Mom and Dad. Siem Reap is a bustling town, totally geared for the tourist trade, but without having lost its agricultural and cultural roots. I felt very relaxed among the people, dusty roads, scooters and market stalls. Our visit to the various Angkor Wat temples was fascinating. They are just as one imagines jungle temple ruins should be. We had a very informative and cute guide, who was very patient with our endless picture taking and videoing. My favourites were the two temples that were returning to nature, with trees growing throughout the crumbling complexes and roots clinging to the remaining walls. We also had a hot hike through the jungle to an area where a rocky river bed had been carved.

The only pity, for both Thailand and Cambodia, was that we were too early for the rainy season. As a result, the temperatures were scorching (over 35 or 40 degrees Celsius most days and over 25 most nights), the landscape was not very green, the rice paddies were still dust bowls and the waterfalls were hardly more than trickles. Despite this, it was an incredible 2 weeks or so, with many amazing sights and rich experiences.