Day Two at Siem Reap: Angkor Archaeological Park (continued)

Finally, a continuation on the Cambodia trip (:

After our visit to Bayon, the state temple of Jayavarman VII during the late 12th to 13th centuries, we headed to the nearby Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King.

Similar to Bayon, the Elephant Terrace was built during the reign of Jayavarman VII.



Three hundred metres long, the terrace is decorated with elephants (yes, you guessed it), multi-headed horses, naga balustrades and garudas.

Elephants



and garudas



The terrace seems to be crumbling though, sadly.

However, it should be noted that both the Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King have 'hidden' walls (if I remember correctly) which have better preserved carvings.

When you visit the Terrace of the Leper King, do not just climb to the top to visit the copy (the original is in the National Museum)



but go into the hidden reliefs by walking into a thin sort of trench.



It sometimes gets flooded though, so the whole short distance is not walkable.



Next stop was Bapuon. The temples are all very close together in the enclosure of Angkor Thom.

Built in the middle of the 11th century, the causeway towards the entrance in the east is supported by short pillars.



We did not visit the temple though, for it was under renovation.



Instead, we got a bit lost walking towards Phimeanakas...

But were pointed the right way by a cripple selling paintings in the middle of nowhere.



Don't ask me why its slanting (:



This mini pyramid is crumbled on the top, and VERY small. Meaning you climb up very steep steps, for not really much of a view either on the pyramid, or of the surrounding areas. Not recommended.

Next post will have the famous Ta Prohm temple!

A Bad Haircut and Its Remedy

Today I went for a haircut.

And I learnt several lessons.

Firstly, never EVER leave your hair stylist to decide your haircut. Its safer to opt for a trim, you adventurous people.

For he might just be harbouring fantasies of punk rock star haircuts, or worse, mullet cuts with bangs and super layered sides. That's what I ended up with. Hair that makes me look like a 1950s rock star.

Secondly, never EVER go for a haircut with your mother, whose idea of an ideal hairstyle is very far from that of a modern female.

She kept encouraging the hair stylist to do things he should NEVER do. Such as layer and layer until the hair at the top of your head is a few cm in length. And it stands up by itself. Even after being coated in goo for the hair. This means she leaves the salon with better hair than you do.

Thirdly, if you are short sighted, please bring along your spectacles. The chair is often some distance from the mirror, and if your sight limits to a range of one metre, your hair is basically a blur. This means you can't pick out things such as hair so short it stands up by itself, cos not all your hair is standing up.

Last but not least, wear proper clothes. When you are dressed up nicely, people take you more seriously than in a running tee and shorts.

But its okay, don't go home and let those tears roll down for your lost hair. If you don't already have a hat, hair clay, and hair spray, go buy two out of the three.

A hat hides everything, but you can't wear a hat everyday. Or at least, the same hat. Therefore, a cheaper alternative is buying hair clay, sweeping those hideous rounded bangs to the side, and flattening mullet sides, and then spraying to make your style stick.

Needless to say, I am no longer an adventurous person when it comes to hair. And I think from now on, I'm either sticking to a boring short cut, or any long style.