I'm back

Back in the Bakan after a few years break

I paid my first visit for a few years to the Bakan, or the top level of Angkor Wat to you and me, when I was in Siem Reap last week. I'll post some pictures from my visit later but in the meantime, here I am modeling the pass each person is given on their entry to the Bakan, as well as the conditions on the back of the pass. You are limited to a 30-minute wander around the top level, though the Apsara guards will move you along if you stay too long in one place. 100 people are allowed on the top level at any one time and they strictly monitor this. In addition, anyone wearing shorts above the knee will not be allowed to climb the steep steps to the top, and they don't open the top level on Buddha Days, which occur haphazardly on various days each month. There is no additional entry cost. Depending on the time of day, you could find yourself waiting in the queue, under the blazing hot sun, or as I did, arrive just at the right time, wait for five minutes in the shade before gaining entry. It's pot luck. If they've done any renovation, I couldn't see it except providing a wooden walkway which takes you around the upper level, and the wooden steps up and down, which my friend Now proudly announced was the handiwork of her father. More later.

The Bakan regulations, on the rear of the pass. Of course I had pass No. 001.