Angkor

We finished our tour with a ride into the ancient city to visit three major complexes. The first, and most famous, was Angkor Wat, which, aside from the tourists, was as beautiful as it’s known to be. Our guide, who was a uniformed official, explained that it was built on volcanic rock for stability, but adorned with sandstone to allow the intricate carvings of three-headed elephants and Apsara dancers. The restoration work funded by Japan and Germany integrates well with the original stone, though it will need a few years of moss to disappear. The hour wait to get to the top of the main temple was too long for all but the most avid temple enthusiasts, but the view over the treetops did provide a certain tranquility.

Writing 2 days later, Angkor Thom has already faded in my memory. It was built later than Wat, but without the volcanic foundations, so it has slipped further into ruin. Here I asked our guide about the colours used in the heyday, but unlike Mayan culture, the Angkor people left the stone in its natural state.

The final ruin, whose name I will need to look up, was my favourite, and not just because a busty Lara Croft once ran through its corridors. Strangler Figs and other strong trees had taken up residence, perched on top of buildings and draping their roots down walls into the earth below. Cicadas let out a constant high pitched squeal, in contrast to the rhythmic tenor of their Australian cousins. The jungle gave this site a sense of age the previous two only hinted at.

To finish the day, we returned to Angkor, where the late afternoon light turned walls and towers yellow. We could see why people make an effort to visit at dawn and dusk.

We handed the bikes back with some sadness, but mostly with a feeling of immense accomplishment. We’ve cycled about 500km in eight days through oppressive heat and some fantastic scenery, but I think it will be the 10,000 hellos I will remember most.