On yer bike.

I did something profoundly stupid today and rather then getting a tuktuk to take me to the monument zone I decided that I could easily bike it.
So I rented a bike and off I went. OK it seemed a bit further then what I remembered from last time but the road is level and the traffic not too bad.
By the time I got to the entrance of Angkor Wat I was both sore and thirsty so I was glad to park the bike, buy an exorbitantly priced bottle of water from one of the roaming vendors and do some exploration on foot.
The complex is magnificent and well worth spending a few hours to look at the murals that are literally hundreds of meters long as well as the buildings that are magnificent in their own right.
Then back on the bike and on my way to Angkor Tom. This time however the pain in my bum and creaking of the knees came back pretty much straight away. Luckily there are plenty of reasons to stop along the way, admire the scenery or a small temple and get a rest.
Angkor Tom is the site where one of the ruling kings had Buddha images carved out of the stone work that make up the temple and apparently there are over 250 of them.
I have always found this place quite eerie in spite of all the tourists. The enormous heads staring out over the jungle are more something out of an Indiana Jones movie then something you expect to see for real. Never mind I am happy enough to appear on a photo with one of them. By the time I have finished looking around this place it's nearing the end of the afternoon and I am back on my bike and peddling towards Siem Reap. Now I could tell you I just cycled back to town but the truth is I stopped five times to give my knees a rest. Don't think I'll be going very far tomorrow.