Saturday, October 12, 2013

Cambodia: Another Snippet

Although we are now savoring our stay on the rather idyllic island of Pulau Weh, off the northern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, I really must back up and share a few more photos of our fun, inspiring, incredible September stay in Cambodia.  Enjoy!


We loved these waffle irons and the delicious coconut waffles they produced!


Riding by on our bicycles, I stopped to photograph this typical country house, with this young boy standing proudly in front.


In front of me, a man motors past, carrying a live pig belly-up!  Oh, the versatility of a motorbike!


We cycled to one of the outlying temples of Angkor Wat, almost two hours from our hotel, hoping that it wouldn't charge an entrance fee (due to our intention to visit all the close-together temples on a one-day pass the next day), but lo-and-behold, it did.  Since we don't do supplementary entrance fees, we simply stood as close as we could to the temple and took photos.  This one turned out a bit random...


This is a different peripheral temple that, again, required an entrance fee (which we, again, did not pay).  Can you see it waaaay in the background?


Roadside rest.  Cycling on the chaotic motorways is not exactly relaxing, although it is rewarding, and a great workout.  Kind of in keeping with the rhythm of our trip....


A cow grazes alongside the water lilies.  


The next day, we had to purchase a ticket (darn those!) to enter the SPECTACULAR ruins of Angkor Wat.  Before we even came to the otherworldly buildings, we were blessed with a visit from a troop of monkeys, who calmly foraged for food and seemed unperturbed by a large number of camera-wielding tourists.  As a side note, the extreme whiteness of my face resulted from overzealous application of SPF50 sunscreen... Does not photograph well.


These posts led to a whimsical entry to Preah Khan temple, which is the subject of the following few photos.


Some of the many beautiful figures carved into the entryway.


One of my faves, at Preah Khan.


Some of the descendants of the original Khmer creators of Angkor Wat still live in the area.


I could share soooooo many photos of the temples.


Bayon temple.


A cow checks out the entrance to Angkor Thom, one of the main temples at the extensive Angkor Wat complex.



Some structures near the most famous temple, Angkor Wat.


Before entering Angkor Wat, which is best viewed in the afternoon due to the sun's angle, we rode out to Ta Phrom, which is famous for providing the set for the movie "Tomb Raider" (which I have never actually seen).


Love this.


Nature takes its course on the fine combination of artistic detail and exceptional architecture.


Fortunately and unfortunately, our visit occurred during the rainy season.  This actually made the buildings all the more stunning in their design- not everything looks good against a gray background!  This is the famous entrance to the main temple of Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century A.D.


Part of a huge "heaven and hell" depiction on the inside of Angkor Wat.  


The next day, we took it easy and enjoyed one of our all-time favorite hotel pools ever, in Siem Reap.

More travel moments coming soon!  Thanks for looking, everyone :)

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