World Cambodia Angkor

Not lost, but still wandering... Anthony and Erica on the road to Mandalay 2006

Tomb Raider! 8 Dec 2006

Movie Clips - Playback Requirements - Problems?

So up early and out on the bike to try and beat the crowds at my favourite place of all here, Ta Prohm. Survived the town traffic both ends of the day and rode many, many miles. My legs ache! Ta Prohm was the only place I gave a lot of time to today, some four hours or so, as well as visiting many other smaller places in the afternoon. Ta Prohm is famous for being used in the Tomb Raider film, and indeed, there was a downright scrum of Koreans all wanting their picture taken where Angelina Jolie stood...though unfortunately none of them looked like her. Ta Prohm looks so good because the jungle hasn't all been cleared off it, rather it has been encouraged to grow (selectively). When the crowds have gone round the corner, it is a hugely atmospheric place and looks great, with these huge tree roots mixed in with the ruins. I love it.

Nearby, there was apparently a much smaller place called Ta Nei that promised to be like Ta Prohm without the crowds, so I headed off down the jungle paths on my bike with my compass, and did actually manage to find it eventually. Not very photogenic for various reasons, but very atmospheric and not another soul in sight! However, I did take a wrong turning coming back, but worked it out in the end, otherwise I'd probably still be there now, riding round and round the jungle in the dark with my tiny maglite and wondering whether the mines had been cleared from this bit or not.