hahahah!!! Never had seen this sign in my life.... yes, in most Asian countries you squat to go to the bathroom. Yes, it can be an adjustment at first but when you have no other options for a month you find yourself comfortable going this way and really do understand why they call the European toilet 'the throne'.
Leaving Pheom Phen to Siem Reap (going north- up river) to check out Angkor Watt, a world heritage site. Was not too crazy about old temples but was glad Bryce, my older brother was not along to bore me with the history of each temple ;).
Getting off the boat in Siem Reap. Believe it or not, the hardest thing about traveling was getting hassled by people to stay at a guest house or eat at a restaurant that they own. These people here are the richest in the country because they work in the tourist business, and are the best at scheming how to rip you off. They are holding signs up with people's names because the hotels in Pheom Phen will also own a hotel in Siem Reap and offer you a free ride to town (20 minutes by moto) if you stay at their hotel. What a luxury this was as other times these people hopped on the boat and begged you to stay at their hotel. If you already had a place to stay, you had to crawl over these people just to get out the door . I cringe just looking at this photo.
A photo of the world famous Angkor Watt stolen from the internet.............mine not turn out. It is the most intact and biggest temple in the area. It makes any European castle look like a play house.
Inside the Angkor Watt temple. Look at the size of that person compared to the tower. How did they build this when there are no stones in the area? Who made all the carvings?
Some of the stone carvings of gods I don't know.
More carvings inside Angkor Watt. These circled the whole temple and told stories about their gods.
My favorite picture of the ruins (temple) as you can see how it is crumbling and the intact part along with some stone carvings. It was actually fun to walk through the intact parts considering they were ancient and had some time to myself. The movie 'Tomb Raider-Cradle of life' was filmed here with Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie).
A different temple that had 39 towers with four Buddha faces on each tower (some dude I kept hearing about :) ). On top of Buddha's head is his flower the loctus. You can hire a guide for $50 American dollars a day for only 2 temples (there are about 50 American dollars) and you have to pay for transportation (too expensive).
The monks in this area hang around temples where the tourists are hoping to practice English with anyone who was kind enough to take the time. Most of the monks were really nice and this way I got to learn more about Cambodia and their language (by the grammar they needed help on).
This temple is nicknamed the women's temple because they say that only a women could do such intricate carvings.
Yep!!! This is why Asia should be traveled when you still have your own teeth. Climbing up the temples are exhausting as my guess most are about 75 degrees straight up. These are the steps up Angkor Watt - the most famous temple in the area.
Funny that man has built these gorgeous ancient temples without modern tools, stones from who knows where, but the main attraction for most people was the forest (not work of humans!) taking over the temples. That's me sitting down in the middle to give you something to use for comparison.
Another tree taking over.
This is really sad. Five year old kids selling postcards to tourists. Though you would think it be best to buy your postcards from them and help them out it is better if you don't because then they learn to beg and the money goes straight to their parents anyway. Because people do buy their post cards from the kids they learn to beg really well and will threatening to cry if you don't buy their cards. J Most of the kids will do this for the rest of their lives rather then going to school (not that it gets them anywhere anyway). It's just me I know, but I really don't like being bothered by begging so I try not to support it.
Of course where there are tourist (money) there will be beggars. Angkor Watt is a world class heritage site so it gets world class beggars that just about rip your heart out. Saw so many like this and worse that I don't think anything will tug the old heart strings anymore. Most are missing limbs due to land mines which are all over the country. They do make a lot of money though.
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