Temples, Temples, Temples

The eagled eyed amongst you will have noticed that I bought a three day pass for Angkor Wat but only went twice. Remember how I said the temples were spaced out, well the temples on the grand and mini circuits were not the only ones in the Angkor complex. There were a group of early temples known as the Roulous group, 15km south of the city, there was another temple 40km north of the city, there were some even further out. No way would a bicycle cut it for those. I could rent a taxi but as a solo it would be extortionate, I had no choice but to join a tour. Even then, the cheapest I could find was $40.

I was picked up at half 7 (a lie in) and to my delight found that the tour was not full, there was only two other people on it. It was almost as if I had a private guide. We were driven (in an air-con van) first to the Roulous group and then to Bantrey Srei. Bantrey Srei for many is the jewel in the crown of all the temples. It is tiny, but made out of a pink sandstone with the most intricate carvings. It was the sole reason I booked the trip and it did not disappoint. But then we went to Bang Mealea, this was an additional 50km out of the way. Wow Wow Wow. This place has been demolished by the jungle. There are giant piles of rubble everywhere. Thank goodness we had the guide because he took us scrambling over rocks that I would not have dared climb on, on my own. We had to squeeze through collapsed doorways and shin up walls. A couple of times my head took a good whack, but what great fun. The temple hasn’t been open to the public as long as Angkor Wat because it was so heavily land mined during the wars. Its only in the last few years that they have cleared all the mines from the temples vicinity. On the way back we stopped at the landmine museum, set up by one ex-solider who has made it his lifes work to clear as many mines as he can. He is the recipient of a number of peace awards. Cambodia has still got one of the highest concentration of unexploded mines in the world. You are advised never to leave a well trodden path in Cambodia.

I still haven’t done all the temples included in the Angkor Pass but I have used up my three days allowance. The Khmers were seriously good builders though.