Spoiled

14.01.2014

Angkor Wat is the region's most famous temple, and in fact, many people think that all the temples of the area are collectively known as Angkor Wat. It's actually the largest temple around, and is more than impressive - however, it's a victim of how unique and amazing Ta Prohm and Bayon are. It's a bit like having a porterhouse and a rib eye, and then following it up with some awesome chicken wings - no matter how good those wings are, they could never live up to the steaks!

Perhaps if we had visited Angkor Wat first, it would've made more of an impression with us - while grand in scale, it seemed more majestic from afar, but up close it lacked the intimate experience offered by both Ta Prohm and Bayon. It seems odd to say, but it felt as if we got to know them in a personal way, connecting with them on a level that didn't quite seem possible with Angkor Wat.

The temples of Angkor truly spoil the traveler, because even after finding Ta Prohm completely unique and enthralling, we still managed to find something we enjoyed more, at Bayon. The ruins of Ta Prohm were memorable because they were so wonderfully jungly, but the curious smiling faces of Bayon were even more unforgettable. We're fortunate to have visited both, as they offer contrasting experiences; one is all about Mother Nature reclaiming what man had once built, and the other is all about man's achievements, and his unfathomable creativity.

Yesterday, our first impressions of Cambodia were pretty awesome, and after a rewarding day of touring the temples of Ankgor, that opinion hasn't changed - if anything, our feelings have grown even stronger. The problem we now face is that our first two days here may have been too good - hopefully the next three days in Cambodia can live up to the impossible standard set by the first two!

Bayon