Angkor Wat and all that.

A dreadful nights sleep, Mr Wriggly was in the bed. Woken by alarm after just having dropped off grr. Stumble around breakfast buffet in a bit of a daze. Not as good as the Novotel.

Tee meets us at 9 am we are still struggling to understand everything he says but get the gist of most of it.
We start off with a tour of the temples of the small circuit Ta Prohm is the 1st built 12 th to 13th century so rather old. It has been left largely as it was crumbling and overgrown by jungle trees and vine. One of these trees is called Spung, we see a lot of Spung growing out of the temple stones. We clamber over the fallen stones up and down steps and in and out and all around. It is hot but not oppressive. Tee is commentating all the time. We are smiling and nodding and trying not to fall over. After about 2 hrs we move onto temples of the large circuit Preah Khan and then after another hour or so to Neak Peen which is in the centre of a natural lake and surrounded by 4 ponds. I am sure we did another temple but can’t remember which one. We are literally on our knees now hot and sweaty and very tired. 5 hours we have been walking it’s been great but need to sit. We stop for a quick lunch and a small beer which was greedily drunk by both of us so cool and refreshing. Back to the hotel. We just have time for a cup of tea, chocolate anniversay cake (still going) a shower and back out at 3.30.
We have a special tour of the Famous Angkor Wat temple. We travel there by tuk tuk. This temple was built in the reign of King Suryavarman 11. The temple walls are covered with ornate carvings. Tee is. Commentating again we are nodding and smiling and taking in as much as we can. We watched the sun set and reflect its golden light onto the temple. Absolutely beautiful.
Another quick shower, cocktail and dinner. I am so sleepy I nearly fall asleep in my duck curry, which by the way was delicious. This was quickly followed by a heavy and heavenly sleep.
Friday Jan 25th.
Today we visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom. It is cooler today at 9am only 77.
Angkor Thom was the last capital of the great Khmer Empire built in the reign of Jayvarman v11.
There are 54 gods and demons that guard the entrance. They are holding the sacred Naga snake 🐍 See we did take some of it in.
Then we visit Bayon temple. This has 54 towers. The sacred lucky number nine is very significant here. Each tower has 4 faces on it. See photos. We walk to the terrace of the elephants and the terrace of the leper king. A nice easy morning. We are back at the hotel by 11.30 and spend the afternoon mainly asleep.
Now we are going into town via tuk tuk for dinner and then an early night as 6.00 wake up as we depart at 7.30 and travel to join up with our boat.
That’s all for now folks... oh just remembered you can buy gasoline in plastic bottles by the side of the road. It is all on a rack in various shapes and size bottles, like old juice bottle all are plastic and many of which are leaking. All looks pretty lethal! No health and safety here.