103 miles, 8 more tuk-tuk rides, 16 temple ruins visited, 1 awe-struck moment watching a million bats fly from their nests, 1 visit to a Khmer Rouge site, 4 traditional food artisans visited, 1 circus performance, 1 foot massage, 2 rest days, 5,000 pictures taken that can never convey the entire experience, $368.41 UNDER budget.
This week covered both our last day in Battambang and our first five days in Siem Reap. Our last evening/day in Battambang, was pretty cool ~ lots of food and a visit to a “mountain top” with a temple complex used by the Khmer Rouge. The temple is no longer active as it was deconsecrated by Khmer Rouge executions, but caves in the vicinity are full of beautiful tributes to victims and Buddha statues.
These caves and others nearby are also home to a large colony of bats that takes flight around sunset every evening. They fly out en masse in the direction of Tonle Sap, a large, freshwater lake not far from Battambang. How can bats be cool? We don’t know for sure…..but watching them was definitely cool.
The highlight for many people visiting Cambodia is the city of Siem Reap and the massive temple complex collectively known as Angkor Wat. We tromped around exploring the nooks and crannies of ruin after ruin, took picture after picture of trees and stones and bas relief carvings that somehow are all unique and we came away generally astonished at the variety and complexity of the temple sites throughout this amazing place. A visit to this place is a once in a lifetime experience.
Next week ~ more of Angkor Wat then on to Vietnam!
Leave a Reply