Day 2 of Cambuni would start at an unseemly hour of 4.45am. The riders were heading off early to catch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. As the bleary eyed unicyclists arrived, they were amazed at the scale of the temple complex, built 900yrs ago at the height of the Khmer empire.
We walked over to the ponds at the front from the temple to watch the temple reflecting off the water as the fiery sun rose from behind the towers of Angkor Wat.
After spending a couple of hours exploring the temple, we rode out to the the Angkor Thom city wall. There is a trail which follows the 8m high wall as it flanks the moat. Taller riders had to duck under the many low hanging branches but it was a fun ride and we made it round with our heads intact.
Tourist and locals alike were taking photos of us as we cycled the temple circuit. Our next stop was the Bayon temple, at the heart of Angkor Thom city. This temple is well known for it’s many carved faces on the towers, looking out in every direction.
After getting back on the bikes and unicycles our next stop would be the final temple for the day, Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is like something out Indiana Jones, with the jungle reclaiming many parts of the structure. Huge tree roots wrapped around the walls, pushing down the giant blocks of stone. We climbed through the ruins, marvelling at how quickly mother nature takes over once civilisation has moved on.
After lunch we had a fast but very hot dusty ride back to the hotel. The sun was baring down hard on the riders so we were glad to make it back to the hotel just in time for happy hour. There is nothing quite like sipping cocktails by the pool after a good day’s ride.
In the evening, many of the riders went to ‘Phare’, a famous Cambodian circus with incredible acrobats. It is well worth going to if you are in Siem Reap.
