Ta Prohm

Back blipped the last 2 days today.

After feeling unwell yesterday I was worried about our early start today - our guide was due to collect us in a Tuk Tuk at 0430 - though he was in fact 15mins late.  He later fell asleep over breakfast - perhaps burning the candle at both ends?  However, I'm much better today, and despite the early start and the strenuous morning, I have managed to spend the afternoon catching up with blips.

The intention was to catch the famous sunrise over Angkor Wat, but we had been warned that the early morning clouds typical of this time of year might spoil things, and so they did.  In addition, the water level in the lake was too low for good reflections.

The advantage of an early start was that we saw quite a lot of Angkor Wat before the heat became unbearable.  Just as well, as there were a lot of steps to climb!

We had only one day to see some of the temples, and our guide suggested Ta Prohm and Bayon in addition to Angkor Wat itself.  I suppose since it is probably the obvious selection, this reflects the fact that it actually gave us a good day, with plenty of contrasts.  

Ta Prohm is famous as the setting for the Tomb Raider film - we've not seen it, perhaps we should make a point of watching it when we get home.  It is to a considerable extent unrestored, with the trees still growing on the buildings.  It was fascinating to see the way the tree roots were draped over and through the masonry.

And Bayon was a contrast again.  Our guide told us that it had been built on the foundations, and reusing the building blocks, of an older temple, and therefore the blocks were generally smaller, and more prone to destruction by the jungle and the various war activities.  It is in a state of disrepair, but with occasional splendid stone carvings, and of course the abundant carved heads.