TILTING AT WINDMILLS - THE LEGSYBOYS' EURO ADVENTURE: June 2018

TEMPLARS AT THE TEMPLES

Day two and we are going to spend time properly exploring Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, taking 35 years to build. Located within a massive square moat, the west facing complex is awesome.

The darkness is not natural as it was originally constructed from white sandstone, however a combination of ill-conceived chemicals used by Indian government aid agencies (locals maintain it was deliberate) and creeping dry biofilm (similar to other famous white structures around the globe) has resulted in the black staining on the structures.

The walls are a mass of intricately carved bas-relief friezes (the longest linear carvings in the world) depicting Hindu deities and legends; they are stupendous, and the associated historical and religious based stories equally mind boggling (e.g. the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hinduism - a few too many of the former for me to consider converting!).

The five towers of the temple itself (representing the five peaks of Mount Meru, the home of Hindu gods) rise above the galleries, with access on three sides via near vertical (85 degrees!!) staircases, the fourth side was set at 55 degrees for the king's access.

We join the queue to scale the stairs to the holy place and once up there the view is amazing. (Travel Tip: Remember the hat? This is where it's really handy. Only 100 people at a time are allowed up and the wait can be anything up to an hour depending upon how late you arrive. There is NO SHADE. BTW - you will be required to remove your hat before climbing - strictly enforced!).

It would be easy to spend hours here, but there are other places to see. We head through the South Gate Of Angkor Thom,

the walled city built by the Buddhist king Jayavarman VII, making sure that elephants are given right of way.

Precisely in the middle of Angkor Thom stands Bayon, the state temple of the buddhist king (it was the last temple to be built in the complex, hence the change from Hindu to Buddhist). From a distance it looks slightly underwhelming,

up close it is exquisite and a major highlight of the complex. Staring at you from everywhere you look are 216 gigantic, identical benign faces of the Buddhist king.

If nothing else, it provides an opportunity to practice trick photography (I'm not that good unfortunately)! It is a truly spectacular experience, and essential viewing.

Practicing for her trick

Well at least I tried

We press on, passing Baphuon (the tallest pyramidal temple currently being restore by the French government) and the Elephant and Leper Terraces (we don't stop here for long!),

arriving at Ta Nei. The temple is off road, deep in jungle surrounds, serene and shrouded in massive tree roots.

Time for our Lara Croft: Tomb Raider moment - Buzzy's very excited about this. For those who have seen the movie, the Ta Prohm temple will be very familiar. It is largely untouched since being discovered in the 1860's and the giant Tetramelaceaa trees that have engulfed it are testament to the power and beauty of nature.

Lara Croft

Walkways have been constructed throughout the ruins to make it easier to manoeuvre. Put this one on your 'must see' list folks.

The 12yo is templed out (Travel Tip: If you bring children, bear in mind it's very tiring. Buzzy has been great, and although there's a lot to see I reckon two days is about right for kids), and we have one more to see. Banteay Kdei, the Citadel Of Chambers, is not in a good state. Walking around scaffolding is a tad unsettling, but it is still used by monks, so if it's good enough for them...

It's been a fantastic experience. Time to relax and take in a few of the sights of Siem Reap, and ponder how to get more than two people on a scooter (Oddity Time: it's LEGAL to have three on a motor scooter and helmets aren't compulsory.