Wed 21 Nov 5.30pm Siem Reap, Cambodia

Wed 21 Nov 5.30pm Siem Reap, Cambodia.
On Monday evening we all went out to the 'Foreign Correspondants Club' for a drink, it was very smart, overlooking the Mekong River and busy promenade frontage. Very pleasant. Then a few yards along the road to the Frizz restaurant (opened by a dutchman to serve genuine Khymer meals because so many of the restaurants here are chinese, japanese, vietnamese, thai and even western!) for an excellent meal.
Up horribly early the next morning, yesterday, for a 6 hour drive to Siem Reap. Stopped a few times on the way, once to photograph lotus flowers in a small lake with beautiful fields and forest in the background. Checked into Casa Angkor Hotel at 1pm, met again at 2 o clock and taken to Angkor Wat bhuddist temple. Built by Jayavaraman 7th in 12 century, it covers an area 1.2 x 1.5 kilometres. Massive, incredibly impressive, i've taken photos but difficult to represent the enormity of it in a 5 x 7 picture. I tried.
During the 9th? to 13th centuries, Cambodia was several times larger than it is now and was by far the largest strongest power in Indo China. It defeated the Cham who had been very strong in what is now south Vietnam and the south of Cambodia. The chinese were allies.
During this period, the Cambodian nation built many temples and had its capital in the Angkor area which is near to Siem Reap. Angkor Watt is the largest of these temples.
After Angkot Watt, we drove to the bottom of a hill then walked up a beautiful windy path to the temple at the top from where we could watch and photograph a gorgeous sunset. It was crowded, had to climb up many very steep steps which are a feature of the design of these temples ( I dont think they had building regs then), but wow was it worth it.
Going down the crowded steps I was mainly concerned about overweight tourists behind and above me losing their footing and causing an avalanche of people crashing down to the bottom. If I'd been in the middle of it I wouldn't have been able to get a photo. When I got to the bottom I waited hopefully with my camera but no avalanche that day. It really was that steep going from a long way up.
Back down the path, the minibus and the hotel, from where walked to the Sugar Palm restaurant, very pleasant evening.
Slept like a log.
Today Wednesday, a guided tour of 3 more temples. First 2 also built by Jayavaraman 7th, first in honour of his teacher, the second for his mother. These are Bhuddist temples but the third was a 10 century Hindu temple called Bayon built by a priest in honour of women. Lots of incredibly intricate stone carving here. One of the theories was that they used the conquered Cham people for stone carving at which they were specially skilled. Fascinating designs and carvings on all of the temples, telling stories in great detail often with snatches of humour and lots of animals depicted. Got many wonderful pictures today as well as enjoying the beauty of these huge complex multi-leveled temples surrounded by jungle, tall trees and lakes.

Inputting this in an internet cafe, 50c an hour compared with 5 dollars in the hotel! But being attacked by a horde of mozzies!
Meeting at 7 to find a different local restaurant tonight.
Last full day of the guided tour tomorrow, it will have been 3 weeks! where did it go?
Take care everyone,
John