Today I have been templed out – it was a bit of another “Queen” day as I hired a taxi with driver and a separate licensed guide to take me round the acres and acres of the amazing Angkor Wat temples. Great value at £25 all in for a full day, but when you are told that a teacher here earns 25US$ a month, perhaps it was quite a lot of money. But certainly worth it to me, so much more pleasant than having to go at the pace of the slowest member of the group on a bigger tour. I could “speed” sightsee to my heart’s content, see one bit and move on to the next at my own faster pace, and I got a lot done. Even though Ant had told me how big it all was, it still didn’t prepare me. The morning was spent at Angkor Thom complex with the most amazing bas reliefs, all telling the story in minute detail of the day to day life of the time. Battles yes, but also cooking, childbirth, drinking, eating, Apsara celestial nymphs, fish, crocodiles, real touches of humour all from 1,000 years ago, it was all there. We save the main Angkor Wat temple till after 2pm when the light apparently is so much better – but the best pic that most people want is the temple reflected in the reflecting pool. Only one prob, said reflecting pool was nearly empty as this is a very dry dry season, so not much reflecting going on and at least that gave me the excuse of not having to get up hours before dawn the next day to see it reflected in the pool in the sunrise light! By chance, I had also picked up a really good novel in Bangkok, “The King’s Last Story” all about the history of the temple and the great builder King Jayaverman VII told in between ancient and modern times and that really helped me decipher the info the guide was giving me as his English really was a bit iffy… But even so, the info he had helped me see many more things than I would have, had I done it on my own just with the guide book. It was surprisingly busy. But I walked miles, the main temple itself is 4kms around, and I scrambled up and down rocks and some rather dangerous staircases. So in the evening I was ready for a good meal. I found the Paper Tiger restaurant with free wifi, always an element in my choice. Right in the middle of the bustling restaurant area, and had a really enjoyable meal with two glasses of decent wine for the princley sum of 7US$.
