The nearest town to the Ankor Temples, Siam Reap is the stopover point for everyone who visits these ancient temples. It's not a large town, but does have a post office, and an interesting market along with the usual Internet cafe's and film development shops. Woodcraft is one of the specialties here, and some wonderful items can be found very cheaply. There are a couple of nightclubs which are perfectly safe to visit and well worth the effort - both western style dancing and Cambodian dancing are combined on the dance floor. For those not travelling on a budget, the Grand Hotel in Siam Reap provides one of the greatest contrasts in wealth you're likely to see. A luxury hotel by western standards, the prices range from two hundred dollars per night to nearly two thousand for a private room in the grounds of the hotel. The swimming pool is a large and surrounded by landscaped gardens, while a sense of opulence fills the entrance foyer. One night at this hotel costs more than most Cambodians could dream of making in a lifetime. At the other end of the scale our accommodation (with ensuite bathroom) was costing nine dollars per night for four people! "Ankor Wat, in it's beauty and state of preservation is unrivalled. Its mightiness and magnificence bespeak a pomp and a luxury surpassing that of a Pharoah or a Shah Jahan, an impressiveness greater than that of the pyramids, an artistic distinctiveness as fine as that of the Taj Mahal.", D.H. Dickson, Wondrous Ankor, 1937. That quote sums up the experience when seeing Ankor Wat for the first time. Unfortunately hawkers were in abundance at the largest temple in SE Asia, almost all of them kids around twelve years old or younger. There is a long causeway leading to the centre of the temple which is lined with casualties of the war - missing arms, legs, and eyes were common making it a powerfully emotional experience. The next temple we saw is located nearby - the Bayon. Located at the exact centre of Ankor Thom (The Sacred City) it is not as well preserved as Ankor Wat but still retains its magnificence. Four entry towers are placed at the four cardinal points and the towers themselves are impressive, especially when you consider they are just entry towers. The Bayon is just one of the temples built to symbolise the beliefs and cosmology of Hinduism and Buddhism - namely that the world consisted of a single continent at the centre of which was a cosmic mountain, Mount Meru. This was surrounded by six or seven concentric rings of mountains interspersed with oceans and a final 'ocean of infinity' surrounding them. The temples represent this with a large central structure, surrounding walls and moats. Ta Prohm is one of the most amazing temples to view, because unlike the other temples preservation work has not been done and the temple has been left to the mercy of the jungle. Huge banyan trees are growing over all the walls and slowly destroying the temple, but the battle is being waged over centuries not years. Walking round this eerie place was magical and reminded me of films like the Indiana Jones series - not too surprising as I'm sure they're inspired by places just like Ankor. Another popular temple is Banteay Srei, found further away from the main cluster and only recently declared safe. A 45 minute journey brings you to this small but ornately decorated temple where much of the stonework has survived. It will cost extra for the transport out there, but the normal temple pass covers this one too. ps Don't plan on posting any parcels from Cambodia. The price for Europe is roughly $60 for the first kilo plus $15 per extra Kg, compared to around $43 for 5Kg in Australia, which is further away!
