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Around the World 2010
Expedition Daily Journal

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Thomson Airlines Boeing 757 Explorer One (G-OOBF)
Siem Reap, Cambodia and Angkor Wat
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

    I awoke this morning the first time at about 1:30 am. Much like the last several nights, I don’t remember dreaming – not just the dreams, but even having dreamed. I decided to read for a little while and after about an hour I was ready to go back to sleep. When I woke the second time at about 5:30 am, I felt more refreshed and realized that I had dreamed. I think this second sleep was important and good for me.

    The hotel set up a private breakfast buffet for our group in the Restaurant Le Grand. They set up an excellent and vast feast. Immediately following breakfast, we departed to the Angkor Wat temple complex – along with thousands of other visitors. On the short drive to the complex, we were able to observe the large number of new modern resort hotels under construction or recently completed. It is clear that Cambodia is banking on tourism as a major industry and source of income to rebuild their nation follow its many trials over the last several hundred years.

    Mixed with all these new buildings are the simple open huts and sheds that act as stores, workshops, markets, and restaurants for the local population. The streets are very busy with a mixture of bicycles, motorbikes, and lots and lots of mini- and full-sized tour buses.

    The Angkor Wat complex of temples is impressive. It is important to note that a lot of the statues that were originally in the temples have been moved to museums for protection. Many of the temples, statues, and wall carvings have been damaged or stolen over the years. In some cases, these objects have been copied and the duplicates placed on the site. I think this is an on-going project, but is very expensive and a hardship for the government in light of all the other needs of the population.

    The temple complex is an active tourist as well as religious stop for many, many people. At this particular time, there are a lot of Asians from Korea, Japan, China, and many other locations visiting the temples. Add to that the thousands of Europeans, Australians, and Americans and you can just images the thousands and thousands of people swarming over the temple grounds.

    A tour guide accompanies almost every group. It is clear that there is organization of the tour guides. They all wear the same uniform with a descriptive arm patch, and are all well versed in the description of the temples and grounds. It is fascinating to slither your way through the narrow passages of the temples while your hear the tour guide voices in so many languages all talking at once.

    I was originally planning to take an optional trip to another temple in the afternoon, but after lunch, I elected to stay at the hotel, recover from the heat and humidity, and catch up with my journals and finish backing up my images.

Rick Hunter
rickhunterimages.com
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The Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Wall carvings in the temples at Angkor Wat.
A monk returning from lunch to the temple complex.
The monkeys consider the temple complex as their own domain.
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