Bridge of Certain Death

Kiev has beautiful parks that are full of opportunities to play, eat, explore, and relax.  One park in particular also features a suspension bridge that for me is the cheapest adrenaline rush in town.  It hovers roughly a million feet above the road and is lined with rotting wooden planks that are hardly worthy to support a small dog, much less a throng of overweight tourists and citizens.  As I heroically risk my life to cross the bridge, those same tourists and citizens linger casually on the precarious passage snapping photos and, I’m sure, preparing to shove innocent pedestrians over the low rusty metal railing to the street far below.

At least that’s the narrative that runs through my wild imagination as I shuffle nervously across the bridge.  Strangely, it’s not actually called the Bridge of Certain Death but rather Lover’s Bridge.  And lovers who visit the bridge demonstrate their commitment by affixing a padlock or a ribbon to the bridge railing.  The local authorities routinely snip and remove these signs of devotion, but I trust that the love endures.

Here are some photos of the ‘cheap thrill’ bridge in question:

The bridge as seen from the street below

From directly underneath--notice how the sunlight easily penetrates the spaces between the boards

Working up my nerve to make the perilous journey

If you look closely, you can see ribbons and padlocks affixed to the bridge

Angkor Wat

We gathered in the hotel lobby at 4:30 on a recent Sunday morning.  A dozen of us shuffled through the doors and climbed into tuk-tuks for the 20 minute ride to the most prominent ancient Buddhist temple, and the largest religious monument, on this planet.  The pre-dawn departure allowed us to reach Angkor Wat well before sunrise and look across the reflection pond as the sun slowly revealed itself and the great temple in the process.  Clouds on the horizon prevented a dramatic sunrise, but camera shutters fluttered nonetheless.

After sunrise, several of us continued exploring the vast grounds beyond Angkor Wat, known as Angkor Thom, enjoying more temples, terraces, and statues.  Bayon, the best preserved temple in Angkor Thom, features carved faces on the many towers.

The bridge on the way to Angkor Thom

Bayon

Bayon - if you look closely you can see the faces on each side of the tower

Angkor Thom once boasted a population 1,000,000 strong, and the rulers would proudly look over its marching military forces from the elephant terrace.

Elephant terrace in Angkor Thom

The unanimous favorite temple was Ta Prohm, which is quite literally being swallowed by huge trees, which give the entire site a fanciful vibe.

Ta Prohm and its ambitious trees