Day 9 - 11.12.2014 As much as I love the street food in Thailand, I am not quite gung-ho enough to try the street food here yet. Much of it I can't recognise at all. After having read the following by an expat who runs street- food tours " the Cambodians diet was formed by starvation, this made them eat anything from frogs, to insects, to spiders ( deep fried tarantula is a speciality), to snakes, to birds, to dogs....." , I have been slightly more hesitant than usual. Up to now, all food has been amazing ! Especially the Cambodian signature dish Amok - a mild curry with fish and coconut milk steamed in a palm leaf - really tasty. Pork fried with Morning Glory has been another favourite. This was the day for the first foray into the ancient world of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. What surprised me most is that these huge structures, which lay hidden in the jungle for centuries, were not quite as ancient as I had imagined. Having been built between the 10th and 13th centuries, does not make them quite as ancient as the biblical towns of Ephesus - built nearly 2 thousand years before. These temple cities were built as capital cities of the then Khmer Empire, and were deserted when a new king decided to build a capital city in another location. It goes beyond belief, that such a huge infra-structure would just be deserted to start the mammoth task somewhere else. The ruins, which had been swallowed by the fast- growing forests and rediscovered in the early 20th century, are impressive. The original builders and also the restorers must firstly had the huge challenge of clearing the land from dense forestation. Then bringing the huge stones, laterite and sandstone, from quarries about 50 km away, before constructing the huge temple mounds that are up tp 95m high - with 4 major platforms. The sheer magnitude is overwhelming, the steep stairs (still a challenge even though made much easier by wooden staircases with railings) making one wonder how it was humanly possible to place the huge stone blocks and stone carvings to the top of the temple mounts. The temples changed from Hindu to Bhuddist temples as the King's religion chamged. Cambodian religion and architecture both have strong influences from India. The symbolism, deities, bas-reliefs and statues reflect mainly the Hindu gods and mythology. Many of the statues and stone carvings are decapitated, which was doen when the temples were changed from Hindu to Bhuddist or vice versa. Being mainly sandstone carvings it was possible to "erase" one symbol and replace it with another. The intricate details of the stone carvings on door and window frames, parapets and bas- reliefs is absolutely astounding. So much craftmanship and creativity....how many people it must have taken to complete these gigantic workd of art, that the jungle has started to reclaim. This can be seen especially in the Ta Prohm Temple - the location of the Tombraider movie - with the roots of the Kapuk Trees and Strangler Figs strangling the rocks, and either imprisoning them totally or bursting them out of their niches. When one remembers that what is visible today is only the skeleton of what once was, it all becomes even more impressive. Only the rock structures remain, but the main buildings and ornamentation, including the king's palace and all the residential dwellings, were constructed from wood, of which no trace remains at this stage. In this wet and humid climate the wood has disintegrated totally ....the forest has taken back its own and left no trace. The huge stone skeletons are all that remains and even those had been totally covered by the jungle and were half submerged in soil when they were discovered in the early 20th century. Definitely one of the wonders of the world ! More impressive and interesting than I had imagined. What a priviledge to be able to experience this and to again marvel at the skills and knowledge of previous and now seemingly lost civilisations. Never far from my mind however are the many lives that were lost and needed, the amount of energy used to create these superstructures, built to show the strength and importance of the kings ( the " mine is bigger than yours" syndrome that is still in existance) and the reverence to the gods - with seemingly little benefit to the people whose labour built these symbols. Same, same, but different , as the big churches, cathedrals, basilicas and mosques in other parts of the world. Far apart from each other - yet similar psychology it would seem all over the world. Day 10 12.12.2014 Having bought a 3 day ticket, we went to explore the furthest (about an hour and a half by TukTuk) and seemingly smallest temple in the Angkor Park ... The 10th century flat Bantereay Srey. It is a small Hindu Temple constructed according to the layout and style of the 10th century, but in miniature. What makes this temple so outstanding that we managed to spend 2 hours there, is the red sandstone and the myriad of stone carvings on every available stone surface. The temple has been well preserved and restored and the bas-reliefs are extremely detailed. They portray most of the Hindu deities, demon gods, the main mythical stories and are surrounded by statues of protectors and sculptures of mythical nymphs. One could spend hours deciphering all the details and learning about Indian Mythology. On the way home we stopped at Pre Rup - a mount temple over 3 levels - with limited detail, but a gigantic presence and incredible views, which we enjoyed after a quick climb up. Back at the hotel we enjoyed a Tom Yum Soup and relaxed at the pool ...good way to divide the day. Managing to get through some interesting books and at the same time do lots of research on the area and its history. We enjoyed a supper at a local restaurant close to our hotel ...the rest of the crew having gone to find cheap street-food and getting ready to party in Pub Street ( where neighbouring and opposite restaurants pump out different music ...so that one hears a cacophony of sounds ...depending on which side of the road one stands !). Seeing there is enough base ...lots of dancing going on in the streets ! The boys tried out the USD3 massage ...which turned into a USD9 massage ...for half the time and even less ability of the masseuse ...the boys soon realising, that "massage" was more of a euphamism of what was actually on sale. Once naked on the massage table ...negotiation skills become a bit more limited ! All a learning curve. The USD9 massage in the hotel proved to be a much better bet in the long run ...both in price and professionalism.