How Al proposed to me in Ta Prom, Cambodia

If you liked the last gorgeous holiday tune, I'm sure you'll like this yummy holiday tune as well.

Oh wow!  Yesterday I had the nicest time reading your marriage well wishes. I made myself a hot choccy and read all of your lovely comments in one go.  We're really touched that so many of you wish us well. Thank you so much!  I must say, he's extra happy at being called good-looking, gorgeous, a model etc..

It's really nice that some of you have even been to the same temple - it is a magical place isn't it?

OK so I'll post a little about the holiday over the next couple of posts, but this one will be about the proposal. It will help me remember it and I may show it to the little ones that we may have one day.  It happened a few days into the holiday on the 22nd September.  Al had been planning to pop the question even before he left to do his work in clinics back in July.  He bought the ring in Thailand and he was in cahoots with the owner of The Villa Guest House where we stayed in Siem Reap, Cambodia (where Ta Prom temple is situated).  The kind owner and lovely staff all knew about Al's proposal plans and they all helped Al to make it a big beautiful surprise.

On the morning Al proposed we got up super early to go and see the sunrise at the main Cambodian temple Angkor Wat.  Accompanying us was the delightful Mr Lim, our charming, funny and knowledgeable guide (yep, he was in on Al's plans too)...

Here's Mr Lim, an all round lovely chap who knew his stuff and who has a great SOH, just ahead of me - whilst I'm having a little boogie.

Even at the crack of dawn at Angkor Wat, the tourists were already out in force, still it was nonetheless stunningly beautiful - I'll get a flickr set sorted out v soon.

The sun just beginning to rise at one of the entrances to Angkor Wat.

After seeing the Sunrise at Angkor Mr Lim said that he was going to take us to see another temple that (at this early hour) would be completely deserted.  He said that with no one else at this temple you'll feel like an explorer and to cap it off parts of Tomb Raider were filmed there!

As we approached the Ta Prom temple, the atmosphere felt different from the previous busy temple, it was serene, ancient and otherworldly. Mr Lim was right, we had the place to ourselves.  The morning light was magical, the grass almost too green and the water buffalo grazing by the moat outside made for a magical setting. 

The Ta Prom temple was incredible. Save for some walkways and some scaffolding (for safety) nature has been left do her thing and she was - in grand style. There were vines, roots and trees growing in, around and out of the beautiful ruins.  There was also moss covering some of the façades adding to the ancient feel of the place. 

The temple has been made safe for visitors, but it's been left in it's natural overgrown state as much as possible...

...for instance, this huge tree is actually growing right out of this ruin, the root system inside the ruin is incredible...

...don'tcha think?

Whilst we were walking around the temple agog at the beauty of the place.  We came to the walls of an inner courtyard.  Mr Lim told us that men and women had their own separate entrances to this courtyard so he would have to guide us to our appropriate gateways.  I thought that it was lovely that after all this time folks still observed this little custom.

The 'female' gateway to the courtyard.

Mr Lim led Al off to the gate for males and some moments later Mr Lim returned to lead me to the gate for the females.  On the way to the female gate Mr Lim told me that Ta Prom temple was quite grand because the Prince had it built in honour of his mother.  Apparently the temple was built in peaceful times and the Prince was loved by his people so much so that a beautiful statue of the Prince was placed inside the courtyard in his honour.  

So as Mr Lim and I arrived at the female gate at the courtyard gate Mr Lim said to me "here is your Prince" and there was Al in the middle of the courtyard, looking yummy standing in the centre of a circle or orchids, lilies and candles.  I turned around to see Mr Lim had vanished.  So I approached Al, he handed me traditional garland of heady smelling jasmine flowers, he said some very beautiful things, asked me to marry him, I burst into tears and he slipped the ring on my finger.  Forever more I will associate the smell of jasmine with that beautiful morning. After Al and I hugged the life out of each other Mr Lim re-appeared and he is the chap who took the pics of Al & I together. :)

Mr Lim's lovely wife had turned up much earlier to arrange these pretty flowers and candles (at Al's request) on the ground so we had a cute little flower circle to get engaged in. 

The courtyard in which Al proposed (you can just see the flower circle in the background).

Aww!

Of course, there was no statue of Prince to be found anywhere in the courtyard.  Al had cleverly cooked up the whole story of the male and female gates and the statue of the Prince so Mr Lim could convincingly split Al and I up so Al could get into position.  I believed every word!

My description of this ethereal place is pretty lame (it's the most wonderful temple I have ever visited) so I hope these photos do a better job.