Siem Reap

Siem Reap 

I was the first of the three of us to leave Yangon. JoJo picked me up at 7:00 AM, and after hugs goodbye with Karen and Joanne, I set off for Yangon International Airport for my 10:30 AM flight  to Bangkok then connecting to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Both flights were short - an hour each. 

Although the backpack suitcase I brought will easily fit in overhead compartments on most airplanes, I knew it would not on the small turboprop plane from Bangkok to Siem Reap, so I checked it at Yangon. And hoped for the best. 

Well. 

When I arrived in Siem Reap my luggage did not. Nor did about 20 other passenger's bags. Having been through this "lost luggage" mess in Budapest last summer, I quickly ran to the lost luggage window - first in line! - and filed my report. I was advised that my bag would be on the next flight arriving around 7 PM and that they would deliver it my hotel shortly thereafter. Mostly true to their word my bag arrived at 10:30 PM. Unscathed. Locks still intact. Whew. I rested easy that night. 

So. Now I had two full days in Siem Reap. It's here that the world famous Angkor Wat temple complex is located. It's the largest religious monument in the world and takes up over 400 acres. 

Originally built in the 10th century as a Hindu shrine for the god Vishnu, it was later converted to a Buddhist temple in the 13th century. 

It's a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

In the surrounding area of Siem Reap there are other temple complexes. 

It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the rest of the world really became aware of these complexes of temples, when the French discovered many of the ruins. They quickly adopted Cambodia as a protectorate and worked to protect and restore the ruins. Cambodia declared its independence from France in the 1950's. 

Over the two days I spent here, I visited about ten different temples. Each had their own special features and intrigue, but the architecture was quite similar in both design and function. The restoration work still continues. 

I am, though, after nearly 25 days, completely templed out. If you follow me on Facebook, you'll have seen a number of these photos already, and posted by Temple name. But here, you'll just see them all together. 

I would heartily encourage anyone with the means and desire, to come visit here. Cambodia is a lovely country with an incredible history. Both good and bad, as you'll see when I post about my final two days in Phnom Penh.