Angkor, Cambodia

There are supposed to be over a thousand temples that make up Angkor. We started our journey early so we could see as many of them as possible. The added benefit of going extremely early was that we were able to get to many of the temples before there was anyone else around. The emptiness really added to the amazement and grandeur of the temples.

 

Ankgor is thought to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world, supporting up to one million people. The next largest city is Tikal in Guatemala.

 

Each temple is extremely elaborate; the closer you get the more intricate the temples become.

 

The Angkorian period lasted from AD 802 to 1431.

This carving is of a dinosaur, and more specifically a Stegosaurus. The carving has lead to a lot of debate to whether the people had dug up a skeleton or dinosaurs and people co-existed for some time. Either way, it is super fascinating, and leads to a lot of wonder.

The moss engulfs everything at many of the temples.

Ta Prohm is the temple that you have seen in Tomb Raider. It has become famous because of that movie, and as you enter it locals are keen to remind you. It is their claim to fame. 

It was definitely my favorite temple. It was extremely green, with moss growing on every surface, and had huge trees growing out of every wall, rock, and crevasse. Some of the trees were growing straight out of the bricks with no parts of the tree touching soil. It is amazing that both the tree and the walls are still standing.

I went picture crazy as usual, and was in heaven being able to photograph all of the green walls and huge trees.

We arrived at Angkor Wat, the largest temple, when a political demonstration was going on. It was packed! I think the entire population of Siem Reap showed up on scooters wearing white shirts and hats. People must have come from neighboring cities as well. We definitely couldn't get to the temple with this crowd filling the bridge, so we had to come back later.

Angkor Wat was first a Hindu Temple and later became a Buddhist temple, it also is supposedly the largest religious monument in the world.

It was a million degrees outside and I think it got to my brain. I found picture after picture where I am not quite sure what I was doing in them. It didn't help that you were supposed to respect the temples by wearing long dresses and shirts that cover your shoulder. It was way to hot for that.

Seeing the monks sitting outside the temple with absolutely no one around was a photo opportunity that I dream of.

There was also a group of monks sitting outside one the temple and I couldn't help myself; I had to be the tourist and go ask if I could take their picture. I've always loved the colors of the robes. I love the oranges and yellows mixing together. The color combination is used many times in my house and it always reminds me of visiting Tibet and living in Nepal. 

Luckily they were young and loved having their photo taken and asked if they could take a picture of me as well. One of them had a cell phone and took a picture of me with it.

I loved everything about Cambodia, and wished we could have spent more time there!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Kevin and I made our honeymoon into an extended vacation. My parents were looking to go on a family trip and I told them if it was in South East Asia and the week after my honeymoon I'd be happy to go. We ended up changing our tickets the day after we booked them to include another week or two of traveling. Seriously, the best idea.

 Our first stop was Cambodia. We met up with my parents and Josh & Kathryn in Siem Reap. Our honeymoon was the best and so we were extremely happy we didn't have to go home quite yet.

Siem Reap was only a village when the Angkor ruins were rediscovered in early 1900, and it quickly grew as tourism to Angkor grew. The main purpose of visiting Siem Reap is still it's proximity to the Angkor temples. Even with the tourism and proximity to the temples, the city has remained very traditional and retained its culture well.

The first evening we arrived a little earlier than my parents. We met up with Josh and Kathryn and went out to explore the city.

To get anywhere in Cambodia you take a tuk-tuk, which is a small trailer that fits 4 people pulled by a motorcycle. They are common in most parts of Asia, and they vary a little by country. They are definitely the best form of transportation because they are so cheap.

Siem Reap has both the Old Market and the Central Market. I know I always write this, but I love markets. I love fruit markets, because everything always looks so tasty. I love meat markets because everything looks so gross. I love seeing all the the items bunched together in beautiful color schemes. Pretty much, I love everything about local markets.

I can spend hours looking through the food and the trinkets in markets. We spent most of the evening roaming through the endless rows. Even Kevin was loving it and of course got stuck at the candy portion. He came away from here with nuts and dried fruit of every kind.

For dinner we saw a lot of people eating what is called Khmer BBQ, which is where you cook your food in front of you on a charcoal burner in a cast-iron pot. You fry food on the center and the edges create a broth with veggies. It turned out really good, but cooked super slow. I still felt hungry afterwards, but it was all about the experience and enjoying the company around you. I think next time I'd need to ask for more pots for the group!

The city is extremely affordable, and we were able to get massages, pedicures, and manicures for a few dollars each. Kevin and Josh were so happy. It was pouring down and we were all huddled under the tent getting massages. As they ended, if it was still raining, we would add another dollar and they would continue for another 20 min. It was perfect.

The following day we explored more outside of the city. The city is surrounded by a never ending thick jungle; which is why the ruins were hidden for so long.

We also came by some crazy bugs. This guy was about the size of Kevin's hand.

Of course Cambodia wouldn't be complete with out riding elephants.

We really played the tourists here and made our ride short. We got our photos and then continued on our walk. They are the worst form of transportation, but are so fascinating to watch.

Cambodia is primarily Buddhist, and it currently practices a form of Theravada Buddhism. You'll see beautiful statues and temples even outside of Angkor, almost anywhere you go in Siem Reap. The markets are also full of these lovely statues that you can purchase.

Nepal and Tibet practice Mahayana Buddhism and so most of my first hand knowledge of Buddhism comes from what I've learned there. It was super fascinating learning much more about Theravada Buddhism throughout this trip, and how its practices differ.