Today we set the alarm for 4.15am as we were heading out to Angkor Wat, we had been hoping to do the further temples first and save Angkor for last. However we hadn't heard from anyone who was wanting to hitch with us and as the fare was thirty dollars, we thought we would hold out just incase we found someone thus the decision to see Angkor today. The alarm went off quietly so it was nearly 4.30am before I heard it so jumped out of bed in a hurry, we were planning on cycling there and were now going to be very tight on time to catch the sunrise... Nightmare.

We threw our clothes on, grabbed our stuff and ran out the door... Once in the lobby I told Steven to grab a couple of waters and went to grab my shoes. The next thing i know a lone figure sleeping under a sheet in the foyer sat upright, almost like in Frankenstein and gave me one almighty fright! ...it was Mr Why Not who was snoozing, he told us he had found a couple who wanted to share the fare with us today but he hadn't seen us to tell us. This was great news and just what we wanted, however that meant we wouldn't have to leave until 8.30am and here we were at 5am ready to go... I couldn't believe it. We headed back up stairs feeling happy that we had found someone to help with the fare and thought we would attempt some more sleep. Mr Why Not gave me a book on the temples of Angkor to read and I was planning on taking it with as a guide.

Sleep we didn't manage so instead I updated the blog and Steven did general boring jobs like find hotels in our next city and info on transport links. Soon enough Steven was hungry so we headed downstairs for some breakfast, Steven munched on a big bowl of noodle soup and I sipped a tea then before long it was 8.30 and time to go. The couple we would be travelling with about our age and called Dan and Josie... Dan was an Australian and Josie was from Sweden. We introduced ourselves then piled in to the tuk tuk and headed off in to the already warm morning.

Our first stop of the day was Pre Rup, a moderate sized temple which translations literally means 'turning the body'. This suggests that at one point the temple may have acted as a crematorium as it refers to a traditional cambodian cremation method, where the body is given numerous turns in the cinders in which it burns while a service is held. The temple itself was like a miniature Angkor Wat with several towers in the centre of the grounds. The grounds were square in shape and contained numerous small rooms on the ground with a central stairway leading to the second floor where the temples sit. It is a favourite place for sunset due to its stunning views over surrounding rice fields. We wandered in and to my surprise there was numerous hawkers selling their wares in side the grounds. This both surprised me and irritated me as every time I tried to get a photo there was a hawker or a stall in it, which kind of spoilt the picture. We took a few pics and read a brief overview of the temples history from our Angkor book before heading back out to find our tuk tuk.

Next on our agenda was Banteay Srei which is known as the jewel of the crown in the Angkorian artisanship. The journey took us 32km out into the Cambodian countryside where we saw numerous small villages full of children playing, cattle grazing and the familiar sight of men sleeping in hammocks. By now we were already feeling very hot and sticky so the cool breeze was welcome as we whizzed along. Our tuk tuk driver seemed to have two speeds, very fast or stop which was quite unnerving. Soon enough however we arrived at Banteay Srei and jumped of the tuk tuk, arranged to meet over driver in a while and headed into the complex. The complex itself is the most like a tourist attraction with a visitor centre, small shop, cafe and very nice public toilets. We started at the main area where there was numerous information boards giving a brief run down on the temple and its history.

Banteay Srei is a 10th century Hindu temple that has been dedicated to the God Shiva, the stone its self is hard pink sandstone and has a pinkish hue that looks beautiful in the sunlight. The name translates to 'citadel of women' and it is often said that the carvings here must have been carved by a women as they are so fine and delicate that a man could never have carved them. When we arrived we couldn't initially see the temple as it is a short walk into the complex, we walked down a long wide sandy road and it wasn't long before we turned the corner and saw the structure in the distance. Its truly beautiful and very much like many Indian temples, the design stunning and the carvings exquisite. There are numerous 'framed' windows that were fun when taking photos and there are so many beautiful carvings. This was definitely one of my favourite temples of the day. The temple itself wasn't too busy, apart from he odd Chinese tour and so we cold explore it throughly. There were numerous carvings and intricate statues here and there is a very feminine feel to the place, I particularly loved all the lotus flowers as well as the beautiful reflection it has on the pond adjacent.

After wandering a little Steven came over and told me he had cut his foot... It was beeding a little but nothing serious and it soon stopped, apparently he had kicked a stone. As we wandered through we took our time to really appreciate this beautiful structure, the temple is a large square with entrances at the east and west... This leads into the main compound with three lavishly carved towers, each one protected by by a mythical guardian. As you leave the compound you pass over a causeway that leads out to botanical gardens and a beautiful nature walk. As we left there was a small group of men playing instruments, they were raising money for land mine victims and were making a fair bit in the sale of $20 CDs. The music was really soothing played on wooden instruments and added a beautiful atmosphere to this already serene and magical place. We stood by the wall for a short while taking some pictures of the temple reflecting on the pond nearby while listening to the heartfelt music of the musicians.... It was a nice moment.

We continued round on the nature path and passed an excitable group of American students, I enquired what was causing the excitement and there was an adorable little girl having her picture taken by the group. She seemed genuinely bewildered by the attention she was receiving but happily stood for photos. We walked on and soon passed a security guy guarding the large area of statues that were currently being restored. We said hello and he urged us over in a slightly dodgy manner before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. This made us a little nervous wandering what he wanted or was selling... Maybe some weed or something (everyone seems at it here) but it turned out to be police badges... The kind you sew on your clothes. We smiled and said no thank you before moving on.

We took a slow walk occasionally looking to our left at the beautiful temple before we reached the starting point. We walked back down and bumped into the other two who were starving, so we headed over to the small selection of stalls where they could get a meal. We weren't interested because as usual the prices were ridiculously inflated to nearly $5 for a chicken sandwich, but the guys bought a chicken sandwich and some rice and pork. Once they were done we headed off to find our tuk tuk guy and our next destination.

Our next stop was Kbal Spean which is situated on the south west slopes of the Kulin hills with in the Phnom Kulin national park. After yet another bumpy, dusty but fun ride we soon pulled up into a large sandy car park where we were instantly greeted by screams of 'Mam... Food? Sir... Water... Cold... Good price' this seemed to be what we had been greeted by at most of the sites so far and was getting a little tiring. We parked up and our driver pointed us in the direction of the river saying 'have fun' and laughing. Turned out that we had a 2km trek through woodland to get to the site. We went off and after crossing a small wooden bridge we found our selves out in the woodland of the national park.

We walked through the hilly woodland past huge trees with huge roots and oversized boulders. There was amazing sounds throughout the walk from the various insects and animals around us as well as numerous plants and flowers. The walk was very humid and hot and it wasn't long before we were covered in sweat with our clothes clinging to us. The walk was tiring but pretty and after about thirty to forty mins we found ourselves at a small bridge that spans over the river Phnom Kbal Spean, a tributary of the Siem Reap River. As we reached the bridge we could already see the images that have been skillfully carved into the river bed. There was numerous depiction's of Vishnu and Shiva as well as rows of phallic symbols known as Lingas ...hence the other name for the site 'The river of a thousand Lingas'. They were very impressive and so well preserved especially given the fast flowing river that is continuously flowing over them.

As we walked further upstream we saw several other carvings of Vishnu and they really were beautiful... Its amazing to think someone carved them here so long ago. We couldn't see anything else and were about to leave when a young girl who was a guide here told me to follow her. We had assumed that this was all there was as a young women had said she didn't see anything else and left shortly after we arrived... However we followed her intrigued.

We headed a further ten yards or so up the river and there were more exquisite carvings of the Gods. She then led us in the other direction on what became a trek to several other carvings and such. The carvings were amazing to see and so unexpected here in the depths of the woods, there were cows, horses and more depictions of Vishnu and Shiva. As we progressed further and further down the river we soon saw what we had came to see... There in front of us was a beautiful waterfall which was stunning. We climbed down and listened to the immense sound of the water hitting the river while enjoying the cool spray on our skin. After some encouragement I convinced Steven to climb through the waterfall in aid to cool down... And because it would be an awesome experience. He hesitantly climbed up into the rocks before climbing through the waterfall and enjoying a little shower.... He loved it and we got some great pictures.

After Steven had climbed back through the water and was thoroughly drenched we continued downstream to see even more Lingas in the bed of the river which reminded me of the giants causeway... It looked so cool. After seeing numerous other images we headed back up the hill away from the river and into the lush woodland where we saw a final carving in a huge rock. This was the end of the site and we were blown away ...we were very thankfully to the young girl as we would have left after the bridge as there didn't appear to be anything else there. We gave her a tip, bowed our heads and said thank you in Khmer before starting the descent back down. On the way down we all chatted and got to know each other, swapping stories and mostly talking about food and things. After what seemed a lifetime we were back down on flat ground and headed to the tuk tuk where we had a bottle of water waiting. We were so thirsty and pretty much downed the whole bottle before climbing into the tuk tuk with a sigh of relief.

Our next stop was Banteay Samre, which is a Hindu temple (dedicated to Vishnu) and built in the same Angkorian style of Angkor Wat. Its a bit off the beaten track but well worth a visit as its the most peaceful and well preserved temple we visited, although its evident that its been neglected a bit in the last twenty years or so. The temple sits in a quiet part of the area surrounded by trees and shrubs making it extremely peaceful. On entering you are faced with a large (now dry) moat that surrounds the temple, you then pass through a door and see a large Angkor Wat style tower which is beautiful and well preserved. There is numerous statues and carvings all around including a large amount of Nagas (seven headed serpent). The place was practically deserted with only a handful of people there with us, making the whole experience so much nicer.

We walked around and found ourselves out the back of the temple overlooking the trees surrounding us. By now it was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to cast a warmish glow over the stone. We sat and chatted together on the back steps about all sorts of random things before Steven noticed a peculiar looking spider that we proceeded to take some pictures of. We then thought we should make a move so headed back out into the afternoon sun and took the slow walk back to the tuk tuk. This was a beautiful temple and well worth a visit... The carvings were beautiful and the place was so quiet and peaceful. On the way to the tuk tuk I saw a dragonfly land on a branch of a tree and attempted to get some pics... It was beautiful, like an autumn leaf.

Our next stop was the Eastern Mebon temple which sits on an artificial island on a now dry reservoir. The temple is very similar to Pre Rup and built on a north south axis with it. It was built during King Rajendravarman’s reign and is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva whilst honouring the kings parents. Its fairly large and quite well preserved with elephants flanking the corners of the temple, all of which are in a relatively good condition. The temple is full of varied and interesting carvings and was a pleasure to look around. Once at the top and admiring the view you can only imagine what it looked like when surrounded by water... Must have been quite spectacular.

After admiring this temple for a while we were becoming aware that that time was against us as we would have to trek on so set off in the direction of Ta Som, which is a small temple built in the 12th century north east of Angkor Thom. On arriving your amazed this place is still standing... It had very little restoration or attention till the 1950s and so looks very much like a bad game of jenga. You can see where the restoration team have literally pieced the stones back together bit by bit... Due to its location many trees have become rooted within the temple and therefore have grown in and around the stones. This obviously destabilises them slightly but also gives an amazing effect and gives the temple am awesome mystique to it. Despite the fact this temple is tiny and mostly rubble I loved how it looked authentic and like nature had totally become engrained within it... Was really cool. We looked around and saw lots of very cool trees and such before heading back out. By now we were coming up for nine hours of sightseeing and me and Steven hadn't eaten anything so were feeling a bit exhausted. On the way to our next destination Dan gave Steven the remainder of his chicken baguette and became his new best friend as he devoured it.

We headed off to our penultimate stop Preah Neak Poan, this is a Buddhist temple that was constructed by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. Its a beautiful large pool that has a temple in the middle and is surrounded by nagas. To get to the pool you have to walk down a long wooden walkway over the most tranquil and beautiful water. It was a lovely peaceful walk and we even bought a little wooden flute from a local boy for a dollar.... It was so sweet I couldn't resist and only a dollar, we didn't even barter. We soon headed back to the tuk tuk and headed off to Preah Khan, our final stop. Unfortunately by the time we arrive it had closed although we were all secretly a little relieved as we were shattered.

We then began the long and bumpy journey home, which by the time we arrived had given us numb bums, it was a fun journey though and our driver was great. We slithered out of the tuk tuk and in to the hotel feeling exhausted. We crawled upstairs and showered before meeting Dan and Rosie in the lobby so we could head for some food. We wandered off down the street and found a cheap place not far from the hotel. Here the girl had two menus... One had all her dishes for $2.50 to $3.50 and another menu where everything was a dollar. We got the cheap menu and ordered a few dishes, me and Steven ordered a noodle soup, some rice and some noodles... Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs! Steven was starving... His noodles came first and he tucked in but by the time my noodle soup had arrived he had started feeling very rough. He was very tired and felt nauseous so couldn't finish his meal, I ate the food with Josie before taking Steven home as he looked ready to flake. He said he was having cramps and felt nauseous and so fell in to bed shortly after arriving home. Dan was also feeling rough so wether it was their sandwich I don know but Steven then had a few bouts of an upset tummy and felt very warm. Unfortunately we had used all our paracetamol so instead I covered him in a damp towel and stuck the fan on. Despite a few trips to the loo he did manage to fall asleep very quickly... And I soon followed.