April 4: Day 1 of Touring The Temples of Angkor Wat.

Hooray! My first day touring the temples! I think I will put a gate like this in front of my future home - a big stone carving of my face can greet the world! (Okay, maybe not...) Um, okay, Icabod - what happened to all the heads here? Are they in their? A stone house full of stone heads? What kind of temple is this? Call me Nicki Minaj cuz I'm starting to get creeped out! Ok ok. This temple is Preah Khan. It was built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. Anywhere there is a Buddha, you will find a scene like this. Khmers still come here to pray and give offerings. Supposedly, all Khmers make a pilgrimage to the temples once in their lifetime. It's amazing to me how an historic site as huge as this is largely unknown by much of the world. The apsara dancers are everywhere in these temples and honor feminine beauty. This temple once had over 100,000 officials and servants. The suggestive doorway carvings. They were really into fertility, if you know what I mean. This is at the temple of Neak Pean. The center is a large pool that fed four surrounding pools of water. Today, the four pools of mostly empty with a bit of stagnant water. Of course, I was here at the end of dry season. It might look a bit nicer in July. We have arrived at the temple of Ta Som. "Yeah, I could build this - just give me some stones and bricks, no big..." Ah, who am I kidding? But talk about a Fathers' Day gift - this temple was built as a shrine for the king's dad. This looks like something out of the Hobbit! Yay! I found me a tree house to call home! Who's that chick? (Check out those roots - these trees are wild!) Some more apsaras - the sandstone nymphs. Welcome to East Mebon. It's in the middle of what used to be a giant reservoir (but is now dry). Da da daaahhhh, we go up. Watch out for the lions! This temple was built in the 10th century and dedicated to Shiva. Dumbo is guarding each of the corners. Who wants to ride an elephant? Don't fall in that pit! Yikes! As your tour guide, I'd like to invite you to peruse Banteay Samre. There are some serious stone carvings over all the doors. It makes me wonder what buildings from our generation will still be around in 3800AD. Um, yeah... uh - what's going on here? Those guys remind me of the door knockers in Labyrynth. Oh, David Bowie. Our tour now takes us to Pre Rup. Nature reclaiming - hello little flower! Roar! The lion is checking out the great view from up there. It's kind of eerie looking, but then - it's believed that funerals were performed up here. Gotta go! Our last temple for today - this is Banteay Kdei. That actually reminds me a little of the Taj Mahal. It's a Buddha party! Woot woot! Dude - those are just feet you're praying to. Sorry, but who sliced him in half? "Giggity-giggity!" (They look like jokers, eh?) "Yabada babada ying-a-ling-ding!" Goofy dancing needs goofy singing, right? Now she's got a serious dance going on there. Yikes, that was a very long day! So much walking. I think that deserves a beer, don't you? Cheers. Extra Stout? Say whaaaaa???? Hells yeah! Seriously people, I've been in Asia for more than a year - the only beer you can usually find is very bad pilsnor. This is mad exciting! And tomorrow, we do it again. But tomorrow, we will actually see Angkor Wait!