Angkor Temples - Further a field

People i met here, who contributed to and improved my trip: Juliana (Russia), Jim (England)

Day 3 was a 4.30am start to go and see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I was slightly disappointed to see countless other tuk tuks making their way there, hoping people would be too lazy to bother! We arrived and carefully made our way down the causeway and into the temple grounds. We managed to find a prime spot, with Angkor Wats reflection, perfect in the small pond in front of us. Time ticked by and people became a little restless as in dawned on us (pun intended) that the sun was already in the sky and behind a load of clouds. By 6.30am people began to disperse, but we did manage to see a pretty snake, which cheered me up somewhat and added to the 'animals of Angkor' checklist!

Our next mission was to embark on an hour long tuk tuk ride along some bumpy roads to Banteay Srei.

We stopped along the way for some pictures at Baksei Chamkrong, on the outskirts of Angkor Thom, before somehow managing to fall asleep to the jolting motions of the road! We arrived at Banteay Srei and what stood before us was only a small temple in Angkor comparisons, but the jewel was what was to be found on the buildings. The carvings were pristine and amazingly intricate, somehow having remained in tact over the last millenia. As we walked through the temple, the floor seemed to be moving and it wasn't for a few seconds that i realised that there were hundreds of minature frogs on the floor! I began wondering what animal would be next, maybe something thought to have been extinct with the Angkors!

On the way back to Siem Reap we got the driver to detour via Banteay Samre, which really impressed me with its symmetrical design and once again looked like no other temple we had previously seen.

Last stop for the time been was the Mine Museum, which had a more recent history. The small outdoor area gave information on the horrors of land mines that the Khmer Rouge had placed all over Cambodia and are still prevelent in todays countryside. It was quite sad to see some of the pictures and read the horrible stories.

We arrived back into Siem Reap and took a much needed nap before heading back to the Angkor ruins to witness sunset from Phnom Bakheng. At the summit you could see distant views of Angkor Wat and the changing colours really impressed, as the sun sank over the horizon. We descended from the hilltop ruins and circled the moat around Angkor Wat to finish a truly memorable 3 days, at a destination that should be top of any travellers wish list.