Carry Me to Angkor Wat

I never get tired of visiting Angkor Wat, the 1200 year old temple ruins near Siem Reap, Cambodia. This is my 7th visit there and still, the charm and beauty of these temples always give me the greatest awe.

For the photographer, Angkor Wat in the morning and evening presents stupendous opportunities to play with lightning and shadows especially inside the temples. I had fun taking portraits of my friends and was thrilled with the results.

What a pleasure it was that I had the use of my micro foldie, the Carry Me. While my friends were dropped off at the usual temples, I could go for a little wander thanks to my folding wheels.

I have always wanted to cross the magnificent gate of Angkor Thom by bicycle again, and the last time I did this was in 2006 on a Brompton during a charity race. This time, I caught it on video and felt very satisfied.

It was nice to know that the little CM was actually faster than the elephant "tourist bus". The kids in my group could not wait to get their butts on the CM saddle. They took joy rides aplenty which brought relief to us adults, as they were starting to get all templed out. Bored kids can mean big trouble! The CM also drew many admirers and questions from curious folks.

Even a group of Buddhist monks on vacation could not resist the allure of the CM which resulted in a most fitting picture.

So it looks like the only 2 non-polluting ways to travel around the magnificent Angkor Wat is either the elephant or the bike. The former costs a small piece of trunk and leg literally (US$15 for a short ride), while the latter is free.

I know which I prefer.

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Interesting Cambodia cuisine I sampled...

Small ones

Bigger ones. Spiders anyone? Some say tastes like soft shell crabs.

Fried frog legs, would you believe its like chicken?