FOUR DAYS IN CAMBODIA

Amanda and I have just returned home from a short holiday in Cambodia. Wow ... what an awesome place! 

After Ironman Malaysia we were both looking forward to a little bit of R&R so we decided to take a few days off training and do something a different. We had both always wanted to go to Cambodia so we took a short 2 hour flight to Siem Reap which would be our base for the next few days. 

Once we landed in Siem Reap it was clear we were in for an adventure. Driving into town for the first time was pure madness with cars, trucks, motorbikes and cyclists seemingly traveling in all directions through major intersections without a care in the world. This place was "alive" and there was lots going on. 

Amanda still had an upset stomach that she picked up in Malaysia and she decided she wanted to spend the afternoon in the hotel room to make sure she was going to be better the following day. Luckily Amanda's sister Sarah had joined us on the trip and I still had a buddy to explore the city with for the afternoon. In the evening we headed to Phnom Krom which was a solid 20 minute climb to a hilltop temple that overlooked the area including the major attraction of Angkor Wat. The temple was packed with tourists that had gathered to watch the sunset. It was a great way to end our first day in Cambodia and just sit there and take in the beauty of the architecture and do some people watching.

Day two and Amanda was back in action and good to go. After breakfast we were  greeted by our taxi driver Lee who took us straight to the big daddy off them all, Angkor Wat. We spent the morning wondering around this massive temple, taking photos, watching buddhist ceremonies and learning about the history of the ancient Khmer empire.

One of the many grand entrances at Angkor Wat

Inside the Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas, Angkor Wat

Our next stop was the close by Angkor Thom where we explored the tight corridors and many flights of steep stairs of Bayon. There are 216 massive stone faces in the Bayon temple giving it a very powerful feel.

Entering Ankgor Thom

The enormous stone faces at Bayon, Angkor Thom

The following day we headed to the place I was eagerly anticipating, Ta Prohm. This temple was swallowed by the jungle after it was built in the late 1100's and now over 900 years later the temple and jungle have become one. It was amazing to see how the huge strangler fig trees had taken hold of the temple and had fused together. We wandered around for a few hours taking some awesome photos and learning about this amazing place. Ta Prohm is commonly recognized as the temple that was used in the opening scenes of the movie Tomb Raider. 

Amanda exploring Ta Prohm (the temple of the jungle)

In the afternoon we braved what like to be a huge storm and we went to Tonle Sap Lake to se the floating Village. Luckily the storm never really eventuated and we took our two hour boat ride out into the biggest lake in South East Asia to see how the people lived and survived living on the Lake. It was interesting to see how hundreds of boats had been tied together or to huge angkors and bobbed up and down with the movement of the lake. As we cruised home the sun broke through the clouds for an awesome sunset and an end to a great day of exploring.

The floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake

On our last day we spent some time exploring the markets in the city of Siem Reap, eating delicious local foods and even getting a soothing Cambodian massage. In the afternoon we went and visited a Landmine Museum which had been set up to educate people about the massive problem Cambodia faces. We learnt that there are still somewhere between 3-6 million Landmines in the Cambodian countryside. No other country in the world comes close in Landmine fatalities and injuries and it was shocking to read the history and the stories. We were all really moved after leaving the exhibit.

We took a visit to the Land Mine Museum

It was a very moving experience

Out of the city life was hard, a real eye opener!

To finish the trip on a good note we returned to Angkor Wat to watch our last sunset. The temple came alive with colour as the sun dropped and the reflections spread across the pond mirroring the impressive sight. 

Sarah and Amanda enjoy the view at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat reflections at sunset

Our trip to Cambodia although short was a truly amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. The people of Cambodia are such a beautiful race and their kindness and generosity considering their hardship is something I will always remember. The temples lived up to my expectations and more and hopefully one day I can return to spend more time in this amazing part of the world.