then a huge wall, followed by a 300 meter long causeway leading to the main temple, which consists of five enormous towers shaped like lotus buds. Apologies for the over use of adjectives relating to it’s size, but the vast scale on which this place is built is truly stunning to behold. I can put my hand on my heart and say this is the most awesome Man made thing I have ever witnessed in my life! Once you’ve got over the sheer size of the place (which you never truly do), the next thing that hits you it the exquisite detail that is carved into ever square inch! The artistry which went into the construction is mind blowing. The Khmer civilisation that built these places were obviously one of the truly great peoples to have existed on this planet! Inside the inner walls there are stone carvings which depict religious scenes and great battles which are like looking at a classic oil painting, only carved out of stone!! Once into the central area, there are great stone steps like the ones I mentioned

earlier, but this time there were a lot of them, climbing a total of 11 meters! Now I’m normally not too bad with heights, but I got half way up and looked back down for Hel to take a picture, and as I continued up, I felt a real sense of vertigo - I was almost shaking when I got to the top, and was clinging on to anything I could find to steady myself - which wasn’t much with all the smooth sandstone!! Eleven meters doesn’t soundly much, but it was the steepness which gets you. Looking back down the steps is a little scary - My little Sis would have had no chance!! Luckily once we’d had a look around the top, we discovered that one of the sets of steps had a handrail, and they’d squared the edge of them off with concrete to make it easier. I would normally have though that was bad, but in this case it was very welcome!!

We ventured outside the main walls, and walked through the jungle next