Well, I have done the temples, and have another early morning start tomorrow as I'm going to Battambang where the main attraction is a bamboo train. :)

The temples were really really good, but at the moment I feel a bit templed out and feel I will dream about ornately carved lintels and giant faces in rocks tonight. I did two days which is definitely enough time to see all the major ones and more besides, though in retrospect I may have spread them over three days or at least had a rest day in the middle. I saw a grand total of 16 temples over two days which is a lot of temples!

The first day I saw Angkor Wat at midday to avoid the crowds and I was really disappointed as I didn't like it at all, I wondered what all the fuss was about. Luckily, my driver took me back at sunrise today (yes, I got up at 5.00am!) so I thought I may as well have another look. And of course realised I was being really silly (and too hot) the day before as it actually is rather amazing. I saw Ta Prohm yesterday as well, the one in the jungle (where they filmed Tombraider), and I liked that from the first. This may be quite boring, but mainly so I don't forget here are the temples I visited:

Lolei
Preah Ko
Bakong
Angkor Wat
Ta Prohm
Ta Keo
Terrace of Elephants and something Royal
Baphuon (under construction)
Bayon
Prasat Kravan
Preah Khan
Phreah Neak Pean
Ta Som
Eastern Mebon
Banteay Srei
Banteay Samre

It is suprisingly tiring looking round temples, you don't realise until you get there (well, I didn't) that they are mainly huge with lots of gigantic steps so I did a lot of walking and climbing, in very hot sunny weather (or "warm sky" as my driver called it :) ).

I had a few problems with my driver on the first day. He had been commissioned by my original driver who was "busy" and I said I wanted to go to see the Roluos temples first (the oldest ones), then Angkor Wat, and then see some more depending on the time. This upset him to start with as he wanted to go the other way round, but I wanted to start from the beginning, and not do the best one first. After Angkor Wat he kept trying to take me back to the hotel. This started at 1pm and carried on all afternoon. I said no, I wanted to see as many as possible on the first day, and I wasn't going home until sunset, as I was paying for the full day. He got very upset and kept turning round and yelling at me in the back of the Tuk Tuk, apparently I made him backtrack and he was under the impression we were going home at lunchtime (after setting off at 9am).

I felt more like we were a bickering couple by the end of the day as every time I went back to the Tuk Tuk I was hoping he wasn't cross with me and smile gently to suss out his mood while he glowered at me. Especially when we eventually made up (after I threatened to use a different driver the following day which would obviously get him into trouble) we had a "are you angry with me?" "no, are you angry with me?" conversation. We didn't hug it out but it almost got that far. I had determined not to give him a second chance as I really didn't like his attitude. Some harsh words were said on both sides, but as there appeared to be crossed wires on both sides I succumbed and took him back! I made the right choice it seems as he was a different person today, very sweet and accommodating. Apart from trying to make me buy petrol and "suggesting" I should give him a tip today went much better and he took me everywhere I wanted to go and more besides until I was the one saying "no more temples, I'm tired, back to hotel!"

I have to admit though, I'm slightly ashamed to own up to this but I did feel a lot like Lara Croft. And my thighs have had their best workout in a while!

Hopefully I write something more insightful about 1000 year old temples than feeling like I was in a computer game next time, but I am very tired (for a change!) so off to beddy-byes.

x