TK: today was the day that we saw the world heritage site that is the temples of Angkor. Our first stop was the jewel in the crown, Angkor Wat itself. The profile of the central building appears on the national flag, that is how much it means to the Cambodians. It is a temple built in the 12th century in the height of the Khmer empire. It is a hindu representation of mount meru, the abode of the ancient gods. We crossed a huge hand dug moat and went through the outer gates from earth to the middle world. Our tour guide was also our local guide on this occasion, as she grew up here. We then climbed up the steps into the central building and up more steps into the centre. The complex is awe inspiring, made entirely from sandstone, which was quarried further up the stung river, carried down on bamboo rafts and dragged to the site by elephants, the logistics are mind boggling. We then went to Angkor thom, which seemed to be everyone's favourite. The centrepiece is the bayon which has 54 towers with sculpted grinning faces. The place is a maze with all sorts of hidden surprises and amazing carvings. After three hours we were all pretty hot, tired and thirsty and stopped for lunch. Then we visited benteay srei, which is one of the oldest and built in pink sandstone. it is nicknamed the ladies temple as it has such intricate carvings that they think they were made by women. Also the doorways were a bit lower! After we got back, we had a Khmer massage which for me was the best yet, even if the masseuse had a grin on her face anytime she got near my groin! All in all a pretty amazing day.