I'm going to say it. I will be judged, but I'm going to say it.
I didn't like Angkor Wat.
It's pretty, and an impressive architectural achievement when you consider how old it is (the temples were built between 802 and 1220 AD), but I wasn't blown away by it, rendered speechless, whatever.
The more I've travelled, the more I've got to know myself; what I like and what I don't, what I think is worth my time and what I know I won't regret if I don't see. I'm not sure whether it's stubbornness; a refusal to follow the crowd, but I've realised that I'm wired to look past the main attraction and get off the beaten track. Rooting for the underdog, as it were. And often for good reason - there are several temples in Siem Reap which stand in Angkor Wat's shadow when they actually, in my opinion, have more to offer.
One of the things I didn't like about Angkor Wat is that it is very obviously in the process of renovation. It detracts from the authenticity when there's scaffolding & wooden stairs for less able visitors, and when structures have been altered dramatically from their original state for preservation's sake.
Of course, the temples are incredibly touristy, and I was expecting crowds of people. That's fine, but the market stalls and pushy salespeople - including kids probably no more than 5 years old - were not. Obviously the locals want to capitalise on the world's largest religious structure, but fighting off persistent vendors who follow you up the path and deliberately get in your way so you have to stop somewhat cheapens the experience.
Right, enough moaning. Ta Prohm was a real eye-opener; the kind of place where the odd 'woah' escapes your lips quite by accident. The Water Temple was just beautiful. There are pictures of both below :)
Ta Prohm
Enormous trees growing out of & on top of ancient temples in an unbelievable fashion are the reason people flock to Ta Prohm. It's such an astonishing, otherworldly sight that it has, for the most part, been left in its natural state - another reason I prefer it over Angkor Wat. In fact, and I quote, Ta Prohm has "promoted more writers to descriptive excess than any other feature of Angkor". You might recognise it from Tomb Raider, and what's interesting - and backs up my point - is that while visual liberties were taken with many other Angkorian temples, the film was faithful to the appearance of Ta Prohm.
So how do trees grow on the temples in this way? The plants takes hold in a crevice of the structure where a bird has deposited the seed and extends its roots downwards to the ground. In this way, and especially as the roots thicken, the trees provide support for the temples. However, as they work their way through, they gradually wedge open the blocks. When they eventually die or are felled by a storm, the loosened blocks collapse, making the trees agents of destruction as well as (for a time) support mechanisms.
The Water Temple
I visited the Water Temple just before Ta Som, Ta Prohm's little sister and my final stop - was a bit 'templed out' by that point, especially after Chiang Mai, and wandering around in 34 degree heat and suffocating humidity is exhausting! While the actual temple lacks the size and grandeur of Angkor Wat and Bayon, the journey along the floating boardwalk makes it absolutely worth a stop-off. Being smaller and 'less significant' than other temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park, the Water Temple is far less crowded which is definitely a plus.
There's also a tree with a hanging branch you can sit on to eat lunch and watch the world go by - or catch nature in action. I saw a tiny little snake attempting to chase down an equally minuscule brown frog, which eventually managed to hop its way to safety. It's amazing how camouflaged it was; once it reached a comfortable distance away from its pursuer (no more than a metre) and came to a halt, there was no way the snake was finding it again. It tried, it really did, but the frog bore an impressive resemblance to a small stone or a brown leaf. And now I think I've spent more time talking about that than the temple...standard! Pics below (none of animals I promise).
Side note: Beware of fellow backpack-wearing tourists who suddenly whip round without warning! The water was nice to look at, but I might not have been so keen if I'd ended up in it.
Snaps from Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Som
That's all, folks! Next stop, Melbourne :) Blog might be temporarily shelved while I work out a game plan and get settled into my new life Down Under. So excited! Currently the plan involves watching Game of Thrones after a six week ban, drinking lots of goon (boxed wine), chilling on the beach, planning a trip up to Sydney and apartment hunting! Might have to start earning some dollar soon too #hellorealworld. It's going to be weird - and tough - sliding back into a 9-5 routine (not fishing for sympathy as it know I won't get it!!) but I'm planning to travel up the east coast in June so that makes things a bit easier. Did I mention I'm excited?!
