Temple travelling

Another day, another cycle ride around the temples of Angkor. Although at times I eyed the passing tuk tuks with a tinge of envy as I pedalled along the red hot red dust tracks, I do prefer the freedom of going my own way and at my own (slow) pace.

There are unexpected delights at every turn-the small temple of Prasat Kravan at first sight seemed only a collection of towering spires but inside each individual column hide wonderful carvings of ‘Vishnu’-see pics of this Hindu site, dating from 921 AD.

Carvings of Vishnu

My favourite temple is Phrom, the ruins dominated by the enormous banyan trees which have grown through the collapsed stones, casting welcome shade over the site. I sat from a pleasant hour eating two pineapples and a mango (my negotiations with the stallholder were so successful I ended up with rather too much fruit!) lying with my back against a tree trunk, listening to the distant sound of Khmer music and the sounds of silence.

This afternoon I joined the throng in Angkor Wat for a final foray to the most famous temple of them all. There is a real sense of awe uniting the crowds who gather at sunset, a true friendliness uniting tourists from multi nations and locals who also make the pilgrimage to this holy place. People share cameras-hence the many pics of me sporting the unglamorous baggy cut-offs from Phnom Penh market, a sunburnt glow and a scarf protecting my cut leg from the dirt-an improvised bandage but fingers crossed it’s done the trick.

 

Angkor Wat

 

Sunset at Angkor Wat

Stunning though the sunset was it did mean cycling back the 7kms to Siem Reap in the dark with an unlit bike on unlit very busy roads where no one has any road sense, dodging tuk tuks, tourist coaches, pedestrians, monkeys-the most unpredictable, one nearly sent me under the wheels of a passing car-oxen…especially hard as the potholes become invisible in the blackness. Siem Reap itself is gaudy with neon lights sending a beacon to light my way ‘home’.  Two cups of iced sweet coffee and a cold shower and I resemble something human again, at least for the present. I have grown to love the temple tours but am off tomorrow for the beach and a much needed rest-fingers crossed for sun, sand, blue seas and a hammock!