Angkor Wat December 2, 2011

Woke up to facebook requests from both Tamara and Warren to arrange for hotel pick up at bus depot and airport respectively so I ran down and spoke to the desk.  We went for breakfast and before we were done, Warren, Lynda and Jaki had arrived.  I had already arranged for a tuk tuk and a English speaking guide to take us to Angkor so were there by 10am. 

Angkor Wat is surrounded by a resevoir built over 1000 years ago for agricultural purposes.  Because it is manmade, they clean the grass etc from the water so it doesn't smell and to keep it looking nice.  Everything is done by manual labour here.

Dredging the resevoir

Fresh palm juice made from palm fruit and stored in the bampoo containers hanging behind this guy.  If this juice sits for a couple of days, it ferments and becomes palm wine, the stuff we saw out in the rural area yesterday.

First temple of Angkor Wat

Detailed carvings in the sandstone tell a complicated story

Climbing stairs to second level of Angkor Wat temple

View from top of thrid level at Angkor Wat

Sara, Lynda, Jaki & Warren coming down from second level of Angkor Wat

One of many trees growing on and over temples at Angkor Thom

Inside the temple showing same Spung tree

View through several doorways

Banyan Tree roots growing over temple

Dinosaur is the carving made in the 9th century so they must have been aware of dinosaurs

Elaborate carvings on the walls of Angkor Wat. 

Each carving tells a story

Smiling faces representing the king at the time as he felt the people would feel more comfortable with him if he was smiling

Sara and I in the elephant trunks on the Elephant Terrace, a sports arena in the 1400's

There were several sets of very steep stairs like this on this temple taking us up to 'heaven\

Lots of Macaques grooming each other, and stealing treats from tourists

Warren put his bag down to get something and this guy was in there in a second and stole a bottle of water

Drinking the water they stole from Warren

Baby holding on the mom's belly

The pigs are all alive.  The ones on top were wiggling their legs.  Poor things but |I suppose they were about to be dinner anyway

Fish spa

Tamara could not stop laughing at the fish tickling her feet

Fpr $1 we each got a can of beer and a fish massage.  Great deal!!