angkor wat

I have come to the magnificent and ancient temple of Angkor Wat and the lost city of Angkor which now lies in ruins. I had read about this city and this ancient civilisation that was so powerful and advanced that it ruled over most of Southeast Asia; countries now known as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. The city was built for King Suryavarman II in early 1200 as the state temple and capital city and was populated by as many as 750 000 people. Angkor Wat was to be a symbol of the Khmer empires' immense power and wealth. In the 12th century the Khmer architects had become particularly skilled and confident with sandstone, so much so that Angkor Wat has been compared to the architecture of ancient Greece or Rome.

I visited this UNESCO world heritage site at sunrise to get the full benefit of the building breaking into the daylight. The sheer size of this complex is really quite difficult to comprehend before you visit as is the actual number of temples, all of which are unique and surprising. The skilled stonework is still evident to this day; carved faces, various animals and murals, some are huge and some are small and intricate but all are equally impressive. The Bayon temple complex was particularly interesting as it is made up of 54 stone towers and on each tower there are four huge faces carved into the stone. Its incredibly intimidating, even now when all the walls are collapsing. I cannot imagine how these buildings must have looked in their heyday. One of my favourite temples was one which lies in ruins and is almost hidden in the trees. Over time the trees have taken over the temple and become intertwined with the stonework, almost becoming one.

Below: The steps were scarily steep

Below: Some examples of the intricate stone carvings

living afloat

What a lovely day i have just had in Bangkok. I decided to escape the hectic city centre and visit the floating market which was full of cheerful Thai women serving up lots of delicious fresh food.

I then hopped on a boat for a trip down the river and observed the population of Bangkok who live and work on the water. The houses are interesting and range from rudimentary to elaborately decorated structures, and although it seemed there was only basic infrastructure and is most probably a difficult way of life for these people, i enjoyed the terraces hanging over the water, the hammocks hanging from the trees and the children playing in the river. It was a refreshing to see a different side of this manic city.

Below: A wee bit worrying when your driving is getting stuck into the beer though!