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03/13/2004
Depart from London Heathrow with Thai Airways. Because of the strike in the catering company could be delivered food in Copenhagen. So the big DC 10 aircraft with 400 passengers had to Stockholm to get loaded food. Score: 2 hour delay. It could have been big problems for us. But we could tolerate a delay in Bangkok in 2 hours.
14/03/2004
We arrived in Bangkok at. 09.00. It should have been at. 07.00. Depart to Siem Reap at. 13.00. Arrival at. 14.00. Everything according to plan. Large turnout at Siem Reap airport. Sambath with his family had traveled 10 hours by bus from Phnom-Penh.
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outward journey: we were to see the sunrise at Banteay Srei. It was a very difficult upturn, when it was still dark. Unfortunately it was cloudy, so we saw the first sun after breakfast. After breakfast we went to Angkor Thom, which consists of several temples and the royal dwelling. The best known is the Bayon, the most visited Angkor Wat. After Bayon was said: Where is it impressive! To walk in the corridors is like reading a book. Everything was carved into reliefs, there are many miles reliefs. There are several diviners and Buddhist monks who serve us. Before we went to Angkor Thom, we drove through the city gate with the large avenue of statues. I think that there are over 50 on both sides of the bridge. All statues holding a snake, which initially is high and distended. After Bayon, we visited the Royal Palace, again a large area. Itself Kong Housing is a little dilapidated. We saw also the place where the king with his court so elephant fights. Our guide Saphy told much about the place. The time is now 10.00. We would like to see Angkor Wat before lunch. I must also say that my 3 Cambodian friends were with the whole trip. They were at the hotel at. 5:00 in the morning. Angkor Wat is the largest of all temples. Area slightly larger than the Chinese royal town. It's been more rocks to Angkor Wat than the largest Egyptian pyramid Khefren. Construction took more than 30 years. Angkor Wat is consecrated to Vishnu. There is an unusually beautiful avenue of approx. 300 meters and 12 meters wide at the temple. On both left and right side there is a library. When one reaches the temple, one sees the long corridors with beautiful reliefs. There are more than 1000 meters around the entire Angkor's history is depicted. Most of the reliefs are wars against Siam, now Thailand, Vietnam and India. Angkor Wat is in many floors. There are over 2000 aprara, the celestial dancers. One is struck by the grandeur that is Angkor Wat. It is estimated that 1000 years ago lived here more than 1 million. humans. In Paris there lived 20,000 at the same time. Now's the time was 12.30 and all will have lunch. Sambath chose a nice lunch for me. After lunch we visited Ta Prohm. When the French in the 1800s took Angkor, it was decided to let those big trees stand at the middle Temple, and just clearing the low vegetation.
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is on 60 acres. Ta Prohm is a dream to get into if you have an Indiana Jones in the stomach. Very impressive. We left shortly after Angkor pm. 15.00. Again took half of blind massage and rest rested for that we were going out to eat. We visited a restaurant with Cambodian dance. It was expensive but good.
16/03/2004
last day in Siem Reap in Cambodia. After breakfast at. 8.15 we drive out to a pagoda, built in memory of those 2 million. Who was killed under Pol Pot from 1975-1979. This area is called Killing Fields. After viewing pagoda /temple, we drove out to the big lake, Tanle Sap. There are approx. 20 km. It takes approx. 1 hour, the road is incredibly bad. The road we drive on flooded from June to October. Tanle Sap lake is approx. 150 km * 75 km. People living from fishing. During the rainy season becomes the lake 4 times as large. We had a wonderful trip. On the way out to the lake we saw large lotus fields. We had rented two boats that sailed us around the house boat end. We saw schools, churches and temples, and so many grocery stores. We visited a fishing museum. I had only just come up from our boat before I was recognized. We had a wonderful lunch. It was the last meal we had with our Cambodian friends. Cl. 17.00 we went to the airport, said goodbye to Sambath, Rantha and Sarun. Our flight delayed 1 1 / 2 hour, so we come late to Saigon. We need to be accommodated at Bong Son hotel in Saigon.