Just One More Temple.....

From Ho Chi Minh City we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Thankfully all arrangements were pre made so we zipped through immigration. It was rather exciting to set foot in Cambodia. We arrived at night and stayed at Grand Hotel d Angkor. Our buffet dinner was one of the best. The selection was amazing.  Our room was lovely. They had the most amazing pool I have ever seen. I took a swim before calling it a night.
 For me to swim before retiring says a lot about this pool. I was the only one in the pool at night. The atmosphere was heaven and magic combined. I swam from one side to the other both in length and in width. I finally just locked my arms at the long edge and gave a little kick and watched and wondered how long it would it take my little ripple to cross all the way to the other side ......magic.....heaven....and all mine.

http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RGA/LeftFooterNavigation/Media_Room/Gallery/photoGallery/
(go to picture of pool)

We had one full day of touring in Siem Reap, a place I never heard of. It was HOT and shade did not exist. We were required to get our picture taken for a park pass to enter the temples.  We lined up dutifully and one by one got our ID.  We drove through the countryside for about 45 minutes while the guide told us about the people, history and life.  The homes we passed were mostly small wooden or thatch houses built in the traditional style on stilts to protect them from flooding and snakes. People here are very poor. 

Our first temple, Banteay Srei was built in the 10th century.by women. Here we found beautifully detailed and fine bas-reliefs. We will remember this temple because David bumped his head here on the tiny doorways. Well that and the carvings. :) The Bayon was next, a three tiered temple with winding corridors, steep stairways, 54 towers, and 200+ faces that smile at you. It was a steep climb up to the top. Once there, it was quiet and serene. When you visit these places you wonder about the past and the peoplewho once lived here.  We had lunch at a buffet place I would very much like to forget.

 Angkor Wat was the first stop after lunch. It is considered the largest religious structure in the world. We spent two hours here. The temple is surrounded by large walls, and a huge moat. David was in heaven to be walking the grounds there. The grounds are immense. It just swallows you whole emotionally and physically. Our last visit was to Ta Prohm. This was my favorite place. Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed here. After walking through a bit of forest, we came upon this gem. It was "discovered'" again wrapped and encased within the jungle. I believe they want to leave it as it was found but a bit cleaned up. When we entered the site we walked through a maze of towers, courtyards, and narrow passageways. Everywhere we looked, blocks were laying on the ground and the roots of the trees had taken over every inch covering the ground, knocking down the walls and ceilings, slashing through the compound and becoming one with the structure itself. Breathtaking. By the end of the day we were templed-out.

We ended the day with a poolside buffet dinner with a performance of Apsara Dancers. In the past, the Apsara dance was the Royal dance, performed only before Royalty.  Girls learn this dance at a very young age.  They have their fingers bent backwards (like Japanese foot binding)  while the bones are still growing so their fingers can make the fine movements this kind of dance requires. The evening was incredible.

http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/angkor/