The romanticism of travelling

I happened upon this view by chance, it was the far side of the Ta Som temple. I was feeling fully saturated by all the temples after two days of visiting them from dawn till dusk, but I saw people going out, so I followed them. I'm very happy I did, because this is the image I had in my mind of Angkor before I came to visit it. When you don't believe it can get even more beautiful, it just does.

The image I didn't have in my mind, and what I didn't take a photo of either, but is certainly a part of Angkor, is the four other tourists (two white, two Asian) next to me taking the same photo at the same time, the little Cambodian girl trying to sell me postcards and fridge magnets speaking fluent and very decent English, a whole wall of shops selling pants, t-shirts and refreshments, with women who speak little English but have a special chant which goes "wha do you wan, laidie?" and "one dolla' ladieee" - that goes off like a siren as soon as you approach them.

One has to be patient to take the pictures that preserve the romanticism of the adventure. But there is always a gap in the flow of the high season visitors, and that's when you take a picture. And looking back the images you will feel like you were the first and only one to have laid eyes upon this miracle, and thus create the journey that corresponds with the journey you had in your mind.