This past weekend, we took a 3-day trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We visited Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples.
Angkor Wat is a Hindu, then subsequently Buddhist temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. Actually, we visited a bazillion temples, walked a thousand miles and took even more pictures.
We arrived on Friday and once we checked into the hotel and eyed the pool, we started the tour. The boys were a
little surprised as this was a more of an adventure trip and less relaxing-by-the-pool trip. And, not a beach in sight. We did enjoy the pool though and used it mostly to cool off after a hot and dusty day of touring the temples. We were there during the rainy season, but luckily, it didn't rain while we were there.
We met our driver, "Cy" and hopped on board the tuk-tuk. This was our only transportation for the entire weekend. Hang on, boys!
Day 1
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| There were a lot of tuk-tuks |
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| A few monkeys |
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| And a lot of people |
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| Those columns are carved out of stone and they are everywhere |
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| Don't we stand out? Like a bunch of Americans!? So much for blending in! |
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| The intricate carvings are amazing |
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| On our way to dinner |
Day 2
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| Plowing the rice fields |
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| Working in the rice fields |
These pictures actually make me want to go on a rice-free diet and never eat it again! Blah!
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| Cambodian basket shop |
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| Typical house - this was one of the nicer ones |
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| Outdoor fire pit/stove |
This lady was making caramelized candies out of palm oil. The boys didn't want to try it and Ryan and I were not big fans of it either.
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| This guy had a walk-behind tractor and added a trailer. Now it's road-ready! |
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| The tuk-tuk drivers catch a nap in their hammocks and wait on the tourists. |
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| A band |
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| The boys kept saying, "we're just like Indiana Jones!" |
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| This temple was over-run by trees. |
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| Brady was amazed at the power of a tree! |
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| The temples are impressive - not only were they built once, but twice! |
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| This is the re-construction of the picture above! |
We enjoyed 2 very nice (and cheap!) dinners while we were there.
Day 3
We had a decent hike up to this temple. Once we reached it, there was a steep staircase up to the top. It was extremely hot and sunny. Mason kept saying, <insert tired voice> "I need some ice water. I wish I was a polar bear. I wish I was a penguin. I wish I was an ice cube." But, what a great view!
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| Too sunny! |
An elephant walked past us and we were sandwiched in between it and the tuk-tuk. Poor Brady, leaned back and burned his leg on the muffler of the motorcycle. If it had to happen, at least it was on our last day. It slowed him down for a bit, but he rallied and was able to enjoy the rest of the trip.
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| See the Buddha faces carved in the stone? |
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| That's us resting and checking out the leg. Brady said it felt better if he walked, so off we went. See the face carved in the stone above us? |
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| More temples |
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| Elephant terrace |
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| Another temple |
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| A long hallway |
Brady comments about the Christian symbols that he sees. He noticed that some of the temples are laid out like a cross. He thought the picture above looked like where they baptized people. It does look like a baptismal font.
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| And...another temple |
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| One last view of Angkor Wat on our way out of town |
We had a great trip and enjoyed our visit. A huge part of the economy in that area is tourism. While we only saw a small part of Cambodia, there were a lot of children selling trinkets and souvenirs and begging for money. We saw a lot of naked babies, barefoot children and skinny cows. We saw several musical bands that were made up of victims of land-mines trying to make a living to support their families. It made us realize how developed Malaysia is and how a short plane ride makes it seem a world away. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for us and the boys.
