Angkor, WHAT?!

 

Hello everybody,

today was finally the Day to visit the more then huge Temple Area of Angkor. Me and my driver and now Friend Thuy was starting our Trip at 8:00 AM. First to the long road to buy a 3 Days ticket for 40 Dollars. Well, Cambodia isn't that Cheap how it was few years ago. The Food is quite expensive too, average Price for a normal meal is around 2-4 $. Big Bottle of Water is around 1,40$. But maybe that changes more i go away from the Tourist areas, i will say, anyways back to Topic.

I have taken A LOT of Pictures today, so i try to pick out the best ones for you. If i am wrong with the Temple Names I'm Sorry, it was a lot of them Today so correct me please if its wrong.

Here is a Map of the Angkor Temple Area

Our first Stop was at the Angkor Thom Gate, we skipped Angkor Wat from the beginning because Thuy was telling me its better to go there at Evening because there will be less People.

Thuy driving me to the Gate

Cambodian School Class goes there also. Cambodian Kids are great company, they are very smart.

 

This “Temple Guards” are guarding the Bridge to the Gate. And i think they did hell of a Job

The Gate

 

After that, i already recognized that it will be hard Job for Today to make Pictures without other Tourists on it. You cant imagine HOW MANY People are in this Area. I will once in a while put in some Shots where u see all the Tourists, that you can get a imagination of it. It really ruined some of my experience, but that is what you have to expect on a Place like that, that's why i look forward to Laos and Burma A LOT.

Next stop was at the Bayon Temple.

This is what it looks like without “letting the Tourist disappear”

This is what it looks like when you WAIT and use clever ankles for your Shots

Old Guy praying to a Statue

Very special atmosphere on this architecture

Imagine at what Time they built this, and imagine that it was ALL HANDWORK and how much Work it was to build an Area like that…

This detailed Stone carvings are ALL over ALL Temples, really all over. There is nearly no Stone without Carvings, just about the Handwork think again…… Unbelievable

Here's an Example, just look at the Stone and Zoom in, there are Carvings REALLY everywhere.

Bayon

The Bayon Area is huge

HUGE!

A sweat-soaked Hello from Bayon

Next we headed to the East Baray, Ta Keo, which was not so spectacular

After that to Ta Phrom, which was not so spectacular also

After that i was 12:00 already and i and Thuy was going for Dinner, he drove me to a Restaurant and said u go Eat i wait here Outside. I asked him, you don't come join me? He said he cant afford it to eat here because here are Tourist Prices (which was actually more than clear and true) so for sure i invited him for Dinner.

Fried Rice with Vegetables 6,50$ for that fucking Price i could have eat 10 Portions of that Dish in Thailand, but anyways, i and Thuy had nice Conversations, so it was worth it, i teached him some English and he was very happy to be invited and talked to. Nice Guy,29 Years old local Cambodian with a Wife and little Daughter.

So after a fancy (not) Dinner we made our way to Banteay Kdai which was just AWESOME!

The Entrance of the Temple, there is a HUGE Tree growing on the Roof!

absolutely amazing Roots

Sweet little Girl, there are MANY really poor Kids inside those Temples, running around and begging for Money, but those 2 got me… The little Girl, soon as she recognized me called her Brother and they were start to run away from me:

Then they were hiding around the Corner and were scouting around it secretly to see if i would come

Then soon as i made my way around the Corner they started to sing a beautiful Cambodian Song for me, which bring them 1$ (which is much money for them), because they were not just begging for it like the other Kids, they were giving me a decent Performance, and for a reward i earned a nice Smile from (at least) the sweet little Girl

Smelled and looked like her Brother was totally on Glue But the Girls Smile was worth the 1 buck.

Hey! Why not just grow on the Roof of a Building today?!

I heart Tree’s

Germanys next Top Photographer for Pictures without Tourists on it

Amazing Carvings

Next Temple was Prasat Kravan, not really Impressive..

 

At least a nice Shrine in it, as 98% of the Cambodian People are Buddhist's

After that there was one more Temple, which was special so i keep it for myself, and after that, at already 16:00 we made our way to ANGKOR WAT!

Angkor Wat is huge, i could not imagine. I was thinking how it must have looked like in the early days when the People just built it and lived in there. Mind = blown

Unfortunately, and you will see in the next Pictures, its nearly impossible to make Pictures without Tourists on in Angkor. So i hope u will still enjoy the few Shots I've landed.

The Guards at the beginning of the long Bridge to the Garden Area of Angkor Wat

The Bridge to Angkor

Entering the Gates

The 3 Towers of Angkor, and a very nice Monk who’s Name i forgot, i had a nice little Conversation to him through my SOA Phrasebook.

Angkor Wat.

Inside the Bastion

Great Architecture everywhere

Inside the inner Walls

Angkor Wat

Awesome View from the great Terrace

Yes!

Angkor main Tower

Front Terrace View

Proof that i don't Copy and Pasted the Pictures

And for the End, they say Goodbye to you.

 

It was a very nice Day&Experience. As i said often before, its one Thing to watch the Pictures, the other Thing is to get the feeling when ur there by yourself. Its really Breath-taking to see all those Amazing Places.

As i got 2 more Days for Angkor I'm not sure what to do yet. I usually wanted to Use a Bicycle to watch the Area myself, but as i see Today how freaking HUGE it is, i changed a bit of my Mind. So I'm not sure what to do yet. We will see as always, traveling lives from spontaneous Decisions  

Now after 2 Hours of Blog writing i guess i deserved some Sleep after a very exhausting Day. It was even so exhausting that i had to Order PIZZA( YEAH THE DAY HAS COME!!!) to my Hotel, i felt i deserved it Today for taking all those Photos for you! Tomorrow i will meet up with my new gained Japanese Friends from Tokyo! I look forward to a nice Evening!

Read me soon, i hope you enjoyed the Pictures and the Story to it. Have a nice Week.