Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Cambodia

We have been blown away by Cambodia. From the moment we arrived, we were bewitched by the charm of the Cambodian people and the pride they have in their country. On the way to visit the magnificent temples, we learned about the history of this part of the world as well as the life story of our young guide. He was so very proud to have this job and told us how he left his little fishing village to live with an uncle and complete his education to become a tour guide. It's very important for these people to learn good conversational English in order to advance in their professions.

Our first stop was Angkor Thom, the “Great Walled City” and capital of Angkor, which was built by Angkor’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII. At its peak, the city was said to contain maybe 50,000 residents. Its crowning glory, the enigmatic heads of the Bayon, took 21 years to build. To complete them, Jayavarman took thousands of peasant from the rice fields, thereby unintentionally signaling the beginning of the kingdom’s end. Rice yields decreased, and without resources to support it, the empire began a gradual decline.

The spectacular Angkor Wat was our next stop. In temperatures close to 100 degrees, we toured this spectacular temple. Built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city, this temple is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist.

The last temple of the day was at Ta Prohm. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.