From the serene country side to the hustle and bustle of siem reap was quite the jolt. The busy streets filled with tuk tuks swerving around cars and motorcycles careening around tuk tuks. Wherever you looked there was a cloud of dust filling the air and nose. But even amid the chaos tourists and locals still pressed to see the temples of the Angkor.
We started the exploration of the wall around Angkor wat by rekindling the memory of learning to ride a bike again. Hoping that the skill would revisit us and not let us fall for lack of training g wheels. Making our way up dirt paths with sections of deep dirt that liked to rear its ugly head and make your wheels go awry. The experience was such a great adventure that by the time we were done we felt like skilled mountain bikers.
Visiting all the temples was amazing. I have to say tho that Angkor thom was my favorite. The ruins were taken over by trees and their roots. Giving the temple a mysterious aura and it being shrouded in shadows was mesmerizing. My being so taken with the place left me susceptible to the notorious scam artists everyone warned about. Having wandered away from the group I found myself accompanied by a local who motioned me to follow him and he would show me something most wouldn't see. Thinking that I was "special" I ignorantly followed him. He did show me some cool places however after scamming me out of some dinero I felt like I learned my lesson well..... Or at least until it happened to me again.
Temple exploration was accomplished though.
