We factored in a  ‘slow day’ where we caught up on some school work and spent an afternoon riding bikes into town for dinner and back before tackling the temples again the next day.  This time we left relatively early at 7.30am and had organised a guide to come with us in the tuk tuk as we were going to include the big one – Angkor Wat Temple.

First though we stopped at Sras Srang a swimming pool built in the 10^th century for the Kings two thousand concubines. This man-made lake measures 800x400metres, and these days it is still used for Royal Ceremonies and also by the locals for swimming and annual boat races.

Directly opposite Sras Srang lies the East gate to Banteay Kdei which was built in the 12^th century, however the construction techniques used on this temple are generally considered inferior to other temples which has resulted in greater deterioration. Banteay Kdei was used as a zoo during the early part of the 20^th century until the beginning of the civil war.  As the Americans had a policy of not bombing religious sites, communist soldiers sort shelter within the temple grounds and subsequently killed and ate the animals, much to Phoebe’s disgust.

Ta Phrom, a low styled temple also known as the ‘jungle temple’, was next. This temple has been made famous as the setting for the Lara Croft – Tomb Raider movie.  Restoration work on the temple (sponsorship courtesy of India and Germany, and using local Cambodians as labour) was going on in the centre section, and the progress was very evident with the odd new stone piece inserted amongst original stonework.  Even with the restoration work in progress and other tourists present, the trees and roots emanating from the crumbling ruins of Ta Phrom gives it a special feeling.

By this time it was lunchtime and we requested a meal break, which consisted of our own packed lunch today (crusty baguettes courtesy of the French influence here) instead of the usual Asian fare. But before we left guess what we discovered?! The original ancient Angry Birds themselves!

We made Angkor Wat our finale for the day.  Entering the 12^th century temple aross the 300m long stone causeway, we were confronted with the imposing west gate. The gate consists of five entrances; the centre for the king, the two smaller gates to either side used for everyone else, and the outer two gates used for the transport – elephants. We could clearly see bullet holes from the civil war still very evident in the gatehouse stonework.

Inside the temple grounds and along a second causeway with libraries and ponds either side leading up to the main temple. Decorating the lower floor were intricate carvings, some of which still have original colours visible on the walls. The next level of the temple included open air baths/swimming pools used by monks and royalty to clean themselves before going to the next level to pray. The centre tower was used by the king to pray and talk with the gods and his ancestors. There were some incredibly steep steps leading to the top tower. Children under 12, pregnant women, and people with heart conditions were forbidden to climb for safety reasons. Hats had to be removed and legs covered before proceeding. Sally and the girls waited while I made the trek to the top.  This level gave good views of the surrounding countryside and the fresh breeze was a welcomed relief.

The favourite of all the temples for us was definitely the first one – Bayon.  There were statues, carvings and bas-reliefs on nearly all the temples but each one was unique in its own way; as the well-known Asian saying goes they were same same, but different.

The afternoon was very still, warm and humid and the girls begged us to find somewhere with a swimming pool. So we briefly stopped back at the guesthouse to grab our togs and headed out again to spend the rest of the afternoon at a resort (I use the term loosely) where we could enjoy the pool, so long as we purchased a meal and drink.  Our eating habits have gradually changed and we are now tending to have a light snack or fruit for lunch and our main meal mid to late afternoon. Our trip to the pool proved to be well worth it as we were soon ready for our early dinner. The grown-ups had the chance to cool off and flick through the papers and books on offer while the girls had a whale of a time playing for a few hours in and around the pool.

All in all, a good day and we concluded our visits to the temples feeling that we had seen all that we came to see and more. We had one more day left on our three-day temple ticket, but mine had turned to pulp after leaving it in the pocket of my shorts when swimming in the pool. However, I’m not sure the girls could have done another day – I think they were pretty much templed out!