Day 117 - Angkor Wat is stunning

Just beautiful at sunrise.

Day 117 - 18th October

Although it was an early start, I knew it was the right decision to get up and go to Angkor Wat again. Last time had been great with Abigail and Dan but some of my photos didn't come out as well as I'd expected. This second opportunity (third if you count Mount Bakeng as my second) would grant me the chance to get some better photos. 

Trying to be artistic again.

And I wasn't disappointed.

The sunrise this time was much better, the cloud cover wasn't as prominent so we could see a clearer sun in the sky and were provided with better images to photograph.

The architecture is truly stunning.

As we went around I felt like a tour guide, giving Di the information I had gained on my first visit. She seemed impressed and I waited until the end to tell her that I'd found all this out on my previous visit. She just laughed.

We also saw monkeys which I didn't see last time, I had my photo taken with the smiling face carvings at Angkor Thom and I didn't die of heat exhaustion which i nearly did the first time around. Therefore I'd mark this one down as a success.

A monkey mumma with her baby underneath.

Face to face at Bayon Temple.

When we made it back around twelve I begun my application for my CELTA to assist me in gaining my teaching job here in Siem Reap. The process was a little long winded and I had to remember all my GCSE and A Level results but after forty minutes or so, I was done. Now I just have to wait for a confirmation and phone interview.

So basically this means Australia is off the table for a while (not completely, just while I make some more money so I can travel it properly). I'll get there eventually and as some of my teammates here have told me, 'Australia will always be there, this opportunity may not.'

So the rest of the day was seen out with a little bit of writing and more planning of my route to Laos. I can either take three mini vans to Vientiane over a seventeen hour period or I can fly for an hour to Pakse. The only thing really to weight up is money as time is no issue for me. The road transport is $45 compared to $88 for a flight. One more to stew on for a few days I think.

I love travelling!

Day 95 - Phomn Bakheng Temple and sunset

One of the many picturesque views at Phomn Bakheng Temple summit.

Day 95 - 26th September

Saturdays are always a funny one. I always wake up here thinking I've either a. work to head to or b. breakfast to get up for. To clarify, neither are necessary to get up early for on a Saturday, yet every week I've been here, I've been up between six and six thirty am. I know, I sound crazy but it's annoying!

Deciding to make good use of my time, I sat down and worked on my book and too my surprise, I finished three of the four chapters I needed to add before it was completed, completed. 

What a beaut!

The Sun was a nice stop for lunch, even more so because I found out they had a BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Cha Ching! I was as happy as a pig in slops.

Almost at the top!

In the afternoon, a favourite Tuk Tuk driver, Mr Barang picked me up and took me back to the Angkor Wat sight for me to scale the heights of Phomn Bakheng Temple so I could see the sunset over Angkor Wat's main temple.

I had to have a selfie!

The sun was beating down as I ascended and I was glad to have had two shirts on (one to soak up the sweat, one to look normal). There were hundreds of people heading up at 4pm. I thought by arriving two hours prior to sunset, I'd be beating the queues. How wrong I was.

A poxy place to put and leave a crane! You can see Angkor Wat just to the right of my left ear though.

Anyhow, I climbed up the temple steps on the summit of Bakheng and looked out. Despite the 360 view being spoiled by a couple of cranes, the Cambodia landscape stretched beautifully as far as I could see.

I'm pleased with this one.

I found a good spot with which to take my sunset photos and I waited. Yep, two hours, I sat and did nothing. Well technically it's not true, I did some more writing of my book, but I sat in one place for the two hours whilst I did it.

Despite cloud cover, I managed to get one of a clear sun.

Stunning!

In keeping with my luck at The Great Wall of China, the clouds came and began obscuring the sun just as it was setting. The cloud coverage ceased ever so slightly so I could get a few good pictures but in the end, before the sun had even set, I abandoned post and headed back down.

What is this golden sphere? We don't have this in England.

The queues to still get in were incredible. People we lining the base of the temple in the hopes of getting after the five thirty cut off. It was now six and I didn't envy their chances.

I met Mr Barang back at the Tuk Tuk and we headed back to Bou Savy. He is such a great guy and was telling me about how grateful he was that I was using his services outside of Globalteer hours that really helped support his family. I thanked him for taking me when he should be with his family.

I stopped at my favourite noodle stop for dinner and set to work on my book again. It's almost finished and then I send it to people to review for me before the submission process to agents begins.

Day 67 - Sunrise and Angkor Wat

My 4:30 am game face.

Day 67 - 29th August

My first full weekend in Cambodia. Another day, another dollar as they say - well it is here as everything is literally a dollar!

It was 4:15 am, a time I knew only too well from my travels around Asia. Instead of greeting it like an old friend, I stuck two fingers up and rolled over with my duvet, until my alarm eventually woke me at 4:30am.

The younguns.

I met Dan and Abigail outside in the dark at 5am and Mr Barang, our Goobalteer Tuk Tuk driver collected us for the day. After a brief five or six kilometre drive, we arrived at the Angkor Wat ticket station. An exchange of $20 dollars and a photograph for ID on the ticket was the price to pay to get in.

Stunning place. No wonder it's claimed as the 7th wonder of the world.

Shortly after, we went to Angkor Wat, the main temple on this mammoth 400km2 site and waited with hundreds, even thousands of others for the sun to come up. It was quite a sight, perhaps not as spectacular as my hot air balloon over the Nile at sunrise but definitely something I will remember from the trip.

After sunrise.

Trying to be artistic. I think it works.

It really is amazing to stand before this place. The picture do it no justice.

We walked through the temples, marvelling at the architecture and the sheer scale of some of the rooms and corridors. It really was something to behold. For the first time, words cannot describe this site so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

It's a huge, complex maze of corridors, courtyards and towers.

The back entrance to Angkor Wat temple.

After visiting Angkor Wat, we went to Angkor Thom and the stunning Bayon temple, which was a larger site and we were able to climb to the top for some awesome photos. 

Group shot!

At Angkor Thom site at the Bayon Temple. Look at that tan!

The bridge entrance to Angkor Thom

Again, incredible and mind blowing stuff at the Bayon Temple.

The smiley face.

The incredible Baphuon Temple.

From inside the courtyard.

View from the top of Baphuon Temple, it was quite the hike up those steps.

Mr Barang, our loyal Tuk Tuk driver. What a great guy!

Ta Prohm was another magnificent site, the detail on these temples is beautiful.

The 'Tomb Raider' temple and me!

Now the group picture!

The famous tree on the other side.

When we returned to Siem Reap around lunchtime, I went to work on more sports articles. What should have taken an hour took six. I was so engrossed I lost track of time. I managed to write the articles to a standard I was happy with. Just six more published and they start paying me! 

Abigail, Dan and I headed out and found Little India, a nice spot on the Main Street for curry. My non-vegetarian Thali (I assume that is just a meat Thali then) was delicious and at only $5 with a drink, it was a bargain.

We all headed back for a night swim before getting an early night. It had been a truly long day.

Special note - Mr Barang, our Tuk Tuk driver: thank you very much for an awesome day, you really did make it much easier and convenient to get around and your patience in waiting hours for us was much appreciated. A definite recommendation to anyone going to Siem Reap.