Today I used up my third and last stamp to see the Angkor Temples. I really wanted to see the temples on bike this time, so I hired a bike from a corner shop for a few dollars and was on my way. The road to the temples is really easy to follow and there were many other tourists like me on bikes around the town. Phnom Bakheng, one of the most popular places to see the sunset from, was my destination, but I still had time on the way to take a few snapshots.

First I rode past Angkor Wat (about 5:30pm)

Over the bridge and through the gates;

Past Bayon;

And my last photo opportunity of “Terrace of the Elephants”. There were a few monkeys playing around at this time of the evening which were fun to watch.

And finally onto Phnom Bakheng.

It was quite a walk up the hill, and I’m sure not everyone could make it. At the top of the hill, some girls were refused entry into the temple for their clothing. They were wearing short shorts and tank tops. One tried putting a scarf around her shoulders, but was still refused entry. There were no drinks or refreshments up the top of the mountain so make sure you bring your own.

This was the view I had of Angkor Wat from here.

There was quite a mixed bunch of people waiting to see the sunset.

And all of a sudden it occurred to me that if I waited to see the sun set, there wouldn’t be any light for me to ride home..  OOPSY! What a dumb afterthought.. better get down the mountain quickly..

People waiting to catch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng.

People waiting to catch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng.

But still took these photos of distant temples silhouetted between trees on the way down, and the last photo of Angkor Wat as I rode past and its surrounding moat. My camera says these were taken at 8:30pm

And of course, I got lost on the way home..

I have no idea how I did it, but I did. I guess places look really different in the dark. I just kept stopping and asking people where Pub Street was – Siem Reap. I’m pretty sure they knew where I belonged without having to spell it out. Well, I found myself in some pretty rough back streets, where the roads were in such bad condition. My bike was bouncing everywhere. I passed some back street markets (oh, so this is where the locals shop) and stopped at a dingy internet cafe to ask the guys inside.. You can imagine my relief to see the shiny neon lights of Pub Street finally!! I couldn’t wait to drop my bike off, and I was just in time too as the guy was closing up shop. Yayy、I could get my deposit back..

Lucky the stress was nothing that a foot massage, a tasty dish of Amok and some happy Brownies couldn’t fix.. all for under $10. This country is great!