Sunday, January 6, 2008

Winter at Angkor Wat


No, you don't see snow on the ground, but when we stepped off the plane in Siem Reap on the 2nd of January our immediate thought was, "Wow, it's much cooler here than in KL!" And so it was during our stay -- with relatively low humidity and temperatures at or below 80 degrees.



We had a great time, even with the great number of 10th-12th century Khmer temples that we visited. The sheer magnitude and complexity of Angkor Wat is astounding, along with the detailed carvings and bas reliefs -- especially when you consider that none of the construction was done with hoists or huge cranes.

Our hotel (Princess Angkor) was very adequate for our 4-night stay, and our driver, with whom we had made arrangements in advance, worked-out well. We purchased a 3-day pass to visit the temples ($40 ea.), and actually rode downtown in a "tuk-tuk" (motorbike rickshaw) on one occasion. At the recommendation of our good friend Susan Stewart we ate at the Red Piano Restaurant on two different occasions. (The typical cost for an entree was $3-4.) We flew rt from KL for about $145 each on Air Asia, Malaysia's volume-and-no-frills low-cost carrier and appreciated the savings. A great trip to a world-class heritage site! -rw

2 comments:

woodward said...

Great pictures -- thanks for updating the blog! Was it true that you didn't regret taking more pictures of the ruined temples?

So how does the place compare with Petra, Machu Picchu, the Pyramids, Chichen Itza, and other visits you've made?

N said...

wow, looks like fun! um, i suspect tracy did not write that last comment, i suspect it was her husband. how does that place compare with Keizer? or newberg?