CAMBODIA #Day2-my 27th Birthday in Angkor Wat

08/05/ is my birthday… I was so excited about the Angkor Wat, Shea asked me “what do you want for your bday” I said “ANGKOR WAT” the greatest and biggest temple… we called the Tuktuk who drove us the other day. We went to bed early and I set my alarm at 4.30am, we wanted to see the sunrise so we have to be in the temple before 5.30 am. But guess what!!! The alarm didn’t work, I think I set it wrong or I don’t know. I woke up then look at the clock n it was already 5.20 am.. OMG we were late, we changed clothes ran to the tuktuk guy, but he wasn’t the same guy who took us the other day but this one is his friend (I guess he has another customer who pays more than we do haha, if he does I’m happy for him)

It only took less than 10 minutes to get to the temple, we bought the entrance ticket (we bought only one day visit ticket for 24hrs) they took my pic and stick in to my ticket, I think it’s cool coz it has my pic and the day 08/05/2011 which is my birthday… (1 day ticket is for $20 but 2 or 3 days is $40). No we only need 1day ticketJ. There are 5 big temples:

#ANGKOR WAT: near the main entrance… we got there around 5.40 am, there were so many people already, I’m sure they also came for sunrise. The temple is Unbelievable, incredible, massive, magnificent (if there is a word which can explain more than this…woo) no wonder it’s one of the greatest and biggest temples in the world. It’s in the middle of a lake, Shea thinks the lake is handmade but who knows. Pictures after pictures, I took tons of pictures. We walked inside, beautiful.. I just can’t imagine how was that happened, how did they make it (back then in 11^th century, thousands years ago). Every wall has its own details, the craft, the pictures of the warrior with spears, the snake with 10 heads, gods and goddess, elephants, lions, horses, in a very detail way… even each poll has the hand-craving… it’s such a breath taking, I was speechless. It took us 2 hours just to look at this temple (remember of what Lonely planet says, “big mistake will be pushing too hard, we didn’t want to make that mistake so we kept it slow). I haven’t had enough with this temple we didn’t really go around (no wonder y they sell 3days ticket and 1 week ticket – cant imagine see the temple for one week, apparently there are so many temples around but they are pretty small). We went back to tuk tuk for the next temple. the sun was getting higher and hotter, I forgot to bring my sunblockL

#ANGKOR THOM; 5 minutes tuk tuk from Angkor Wat, pretty big temple, but for sure not as big as the first one and looks older. It is almost falling apart. We went inside, no details but still magnificent with huge faces of Buddha of each top. Across Angkor Thom there is another big temple, I forgot the name but it has been banned, tourist couldn’t enter I don’t know why, maybe it’s falling apart and danger for us (just guessing). 3 big temples and we were exhausted already, it was already 8.30 am, so hot and we were hungry. Near the temple there is always stall for food or souvenir etc. we had breakfast for $10 (double price), fruit, juice and scramble eggs. Then back to tuk tuk… (we passed some small temples)

#TA KEO: Around 5 minutes, passed the jungle (can’t believe those guys who ride a bike to see the temple, there were couples of them but wow… it takes time and quiet far to ride from one temple to another temple). Ta Keo, there was this guy who came to us and explained the story behind the temple. He speaks very good English, apparently he is a student, he comes to temple in the morning and practice his English and goes to school in the afternoon (extra $$ for him, of course we tips him and I’m sure everyone does, but it’s good for him-Bless him) This temple is way older than Angkor Wat from maybe 10^th century (that’s what he said). We climbed up, the stars was so steep and danger. It was daring such a heart beating, if we took wrong step, we would have fell and died (as it happened to Japanese’ tourist).

A lots of stairs so danger, this guy kept encouraged us to climb, he said we could see the mountain up there. I climbed one by one without even seeing back (I would have freaked out if I did) we managed to get to the top and it was beautiful, it was the highest point of all the temples u could climb but it has been struck by the lightening and it fell apart, the student told us it’s a bad luck temple and they never finished it, there used to be a library too, yes I also could see some Sanskrit on the wall, amazing. There was this monk who prayed and 2 little girls who tried to sell stuff (I asked them y u didn’t go to school, they said yes but in the afternoon of *fiuhh at least they go to school, such a heart break to see such a little girl who work but doesn’t go to school.. oh I’m a teacher I just can’t take it, oh I wish I’m millionaire, I will give those poor kids money so they don’t have to work and can go to school). Every temple has at least 1 monk who prays and sometimes they offer tourist to pray with them and usually they ask u to chip money a dollar or two. Going up is hard but going down the stair is even harder.. Man!! I wanted to cry but I had no option. But thank God I made it.

#TA PRONM: or they called it jungle temple (if I’m not mistaken). It is in the middle of jungle, we had to walk about 10 minutes from the main entrance (you have to show your ticket for each entrance, if you lose it you will have to pay $30 fine) through the big green trees, (even it’s a jungle but no worries there are so many tourist everywhere), along the path there was this a group of Cambodian who played their traditional music it sounded beautiful. we walked and walked… we saw a group of Japanese tourist took a picture of a tree.. I was like “what the hell are they doing, taking a picture of a tree” but when i got closer.. OMG, It was an ordinary tree, I was speechless… “Hey..i saw the pic of this tree before in internet… I COULDN’T believe it, I thought the tree’s pic I saw from the internet was a FAKE or something but it’s a REAL one.. wow!! the lower big truck of the tree shapes “NASTY” OMG so embarrassed.. (I want to put the pic here but Shea said noL)

Anyway, we finally reached the temple.. unbelievable, these big trees grow on top of the temple, how was that happened? God knows. The trees are real big which takes hundred years to grow… wow no wonder y coz the temples are thousands n thousand years old… pictures a lot. Shea was bitching about me taking too much picture hahah eit…it’s my birthday baby… do whatever I want hahahah!!.

#BANTEAY KDEL: I think that was the name… (I don’t really remember since we didn’t hire a tour guide hahah), one of the biggest temple and the last of our tour *fiuhh we finally made it, it was already 11ish.. we didn’t stay longer to each temple, always remember the lonely planet book “don’t push too much, take it slow…haha.  I love lonely planet , I’m the biggest fans. Back to the temple, it is very old and almost falling apart. Each temple has its own unique characteristic, no two are the same they are different in their own way. They all are magnificent, amazing… I love it all, this is the best part of our trip so far and we will never ever forget it.

We were so tired, we got home around 12ish said thank you to Tuk Tuk guy and paid $12 (the price for tuktuk to Angkor Wat is around $12-$20 (Shea good at bargaining hahah ), I took a long shower and fell asleep right away, Shea slept for about 3 hrs… we woke up and hungry, we didn’t have proper lunch to tire to think about lunch. We had dinner at about 7.30ish in this nice restaurant at Bar street. I had grill squid (yumyum I love squid) with grill potatoes and corn and Shea had grill chicken etc. the food goes with rice, free salad, chicken soup. It was delicious. Right after we finished eating the band started to play it was just perfect. Our dinner cost $13 (so cheap!!). then we tried the local massage, we had tried Vietnamese massage but Shea didn’t like but, mine wasn’t ok. Cambodian massage for $5, it’s different than any massage we had before, usually we have massage with oil all over your body with relaxation music, makes u want to sleep but this massage is without oil, i was ready and took off my clothes but this girl gave me a big clothe and long pants oh then I got it, massage with no oil… ahh I shouldn’t  wear than loose t-shirt, it might be from previous customer and I don’t think they wash it everyday, ouch yak!!. The massage was Ok, but Shea liked it. I’m glad he did. 

I have the best birthday present ever in my life, ANGKOR WAT, this trip, people I met, new things I see. It wouldn’t be this great without SHEA, thank you so much baby u are the best. I luv u