Siem Reap, Kampuchea...

...now known as the Kingdom of Cambodia. The faint tinkling of the gamalon greets you as you arrive at the airport and permeates the air wherever you happen to be. It is the weekend and as in Vietnam, the distinct acrid odor of burning trash mingles with the perfumed blossoms adorning every plant.

Hal's parents are traveling with us and we have made the beautiful Sofitel Angkor our haven from the heat and the dust of the day.

Angkor Wat has the least shade so at 8:00 a.m. Saturday we headed there first. It is a single complex built by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century and originally dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu - the protector of creation. The layout is "of sacred Hindu cosmos design". I love my DK Eyewitness Travel Guidebook. The lotus-shaped temples in the middle stand for the center of the universe, the outer walls are the outer edges of the world, and the moat represents the cosmic ocean. As in the other temples, the architecture is amazing along with the bas relief carvings in the hallways of the outer walls.

Nearby Ta Prohm is a temple complex overgrown by and glued together with the roots of kapok trees. You meander down a shaded lane to reach it, serenaded by a group of land-mine victims playing local instruments. Once there it is an amalgamation of ruins and roots. It was much smaller than Hal remembered it and we're not sure if that is because more of it has collapsed and been shut off, or if we wandered the grounds in a different way last time. You exit down another shaded path at the opposite end where you are again serenaded by land-mine victims playing regional instruments.

Angkor Thom differs in that it is a complex of buildings in a very large walled area - you cannot see the walls as you wander about. It was built by King Jayavarman VII late in the 12th century. We entered through the south gate (do they spec the van to fit the gate?) and started at the Bayon - a large complex of 54 towers with over 200 carved stone heads! This was Clara's favorite - there were a lot of places to climb around. The slight breeze and overcast day made for a more comfortable experience. After moving down the road a bit and wandering through Baphoun we decided temples that start with "B" were enough for one day and a swim and lunch were in order. You must understand this is an extremely warm climate. To avoid heat exhaustion you must constantly drink copious quantities of water. You must also pack plenty of clothing because once you are done sightseeing you will be soaked in sweat. Those of you who know Clara know how happy she was about that!

Silas and Lulli wrapped up the day by returning to Angkor Wat for sunset. Looks like it was a pretty mellow scene, and from their account it sounds like even the desperate merchandise hawkers took a break to end the day. We're having a good time with Gumps and Lulli and it was fun to explore the temples with them.

Hal and I were here in August of 2007 and feel things have changed. More tourists, less accessability at the temple sites, fewer signs indicating the country restoring the site, and the absence of militarily escorted foreign aid delivery trucks. The streets too seem less congested and there is an order to be found in the traffic along with a marked lack of oxen drawn carts. Chickens and dogs are still prevalent, hotels and food are still inexpensive but it feels like the local economy is benefiting and moving forward from the promotion of their national treasure - the ancient temples.

If you click on the temple pictures they should open for you in another window with captions underneath.