My short time in Cambodia has been one of immense contrast. I have decided to post two separate blogs (a la Tarentino Kill Bill style if you like) to reflect this given that the two could be any further away from each other....
Yang
The flip side of Cambodia revealed itself in the lead up to and during the festive period. Prior to xmas I had spent 4 days in one of the crown jewels of South East Asia, The Magnificent Angkor Wat. During Xmas I was on a beach in Sihanoukville, and for New Year the Capital of Phnom Pehn provided the scene for the introduction to 2008. It’s been different to say the least. And it wouldn’t be Asia if it wasn’t quiet “Same Same” as well.
The Angkor Wat is the grandest temple built within the Angkor region which houses a whole array of temples that were built between the 9th and 15thC under the rise of the Khmer Empire. The ruins of Angkor are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they stretch for MILES....I found this out the hard way, deciding that it would be a bright idea to cycle for a day and see a few temples whilst getting some light exercise. 45km round trip I made on that second day, and I got back at 3pm in no state to return back to a second sunset, having made two 5am sunrises already. In spite of this, the region as a whole is spectacular. The centre piece, the Angkor Wat is pretty impressive with its massive moat, and enormous perimetre. Sunrise was certainly gorgeous with the deep pink and orane light framing the three towered silhouette in the sky. One can only imagine what it might have been like all those years ago when it was an overgrown ruin that had yet to be rediscovered. Alone and without the crowds.
The remarkable feature about the Angkor region lies in the other temples: Ta Phrom, Preah Kahn, Banteay Srie, Bayon. All names to the normal reader but in spite of this they were all equally impressive in their respective ways. Ta Prohm, the site for film locations such as ‘Tomb Raider’ and ’Brothers’, a temple ruin ravaged and in the process of being reclaimed by the jungle; Bayon, where the 216 rock faces of King Avalokiteshvara look on in a menacing omnipresent smile; Preah Khan a crumbled labyrith of corridors and dark columns. Words are hard to do them justice so I was glad to get the three day pass to discover a lot of them at my own medium pace.
Xmas and New Year was also good. In an ideal world, I would have flowed back home for 3 days on a private jet, then out again for new years. Oh well. Xmas was just fine in Sihanoukville. I had met and Aussie couple, Breah and Aka, in Lao and had been traveling together for the past week or two, so naturally I spent the day soaking up the sun, reading, eating, drinking and playing pool. A bit pissed by 7pm, I was sparked out by 8pm. Won’t go into the details, but it involved Aka, the Stocky and extremely affable Maori Samoan picking me up and throwing me in to a shallow sea. Of small protruding rocks. Woke up at ten to sort my wounds out, but had lost the xmas gusto and made it a relatively early one, instead reading an Irving Welsh collection of short stories. I shan’t tell you what else I did on xmas day, I’ll wait till I get home and show you. “Mon....”
And finally, 2008 has arrived. I won’t bore you with what I did, where I went or who I met, as no one wants to read that. Instead, all I will say is that my watch is 4 minutes faster than GMT+ 7. I was the first in the room to ring in the Bells.
Keep well, peeps. Its 2008 and I look forward to seeing y’all. Back circa mid Feb. Till then....
Luv
Mike xx
