Angkor

The World Heritage site covers a vast acreage and there are hundreds of temples in various states of preservation and decay. Archaeological teams from many countries are working on the restorations, which will take tens, maybe hundreds, of years. It is impressive because of its vastness but also because of its intricacy. Wall carvings which looked like Egyptian ones. Wall carvings with battle narratives like the Assyrian ones in the British Museum.

TSH managed to stay on the paths. Under orders from Diva, who has heard of the unexploded land mines which are said to be still present around the site.

The temples are located in forest and some of the trees are growing straight through some of the temples. When the group was getting tired and hot and wanted to go back to the hotel, all agreed that they weren’t leaving until they’d seen ‘the temple with the tree’. Well, there are several of them and all were photographed, especially by TSH. There seems to be a connection with Angelina Jolie and Tomb Raiders. TSH thought he’d seen it but then admitted he meant ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.

The museum contains many artefacts from historic sites in Cambodia. Perhaps the most impressive gallery was ‘the room of 1000 buddhas’. All shapes and sizes. Metal and wood. Different positions.

The Silversea group is small, only about 12, and all except TSH and Diva are from the USA. At lunch time, there was a lot of interest in an upturned glass, resting on a small plate, with a flower and a clear liquid inside it. TSH immediately realised that this was an accident waiting to happen and warned the people down his end of the table that it was to be left alone. But during the course of an excellent buffet lunch, not one but two people upended a glass to see what would happen. Well, water all over the table is what happened. Mortification on the part of the meddlers and amused tolerance from the waiting staff.

Monkeys, hens, cows, horses and many large  butterflies were seen and parrots or owls heard.