Zip-off pants, FTW. Again.

The  orange t-shirt, brown zip-off pants and offending bare legs.

The top level of Angkor Wat is still used as a temple and as such, there are guidelines you must adhere to before climbing the 50+ stairs (at a 40 degree incline) to get to the top temple. Women with uncovered legs and shoulders are not allowed up. It was 98 degrees and 95% humidity....clearly I was wearing shorts the day we visited the temple. But because of my aforementioned affinity for looking down on things from up high, we returned to Angkor Wat the next day (sans guide, with appropriate attire) for additional exploring. 

The view from the top

The view from the top

After contemplating several options for "appropriate attire" for the temple, including taking a scarf I bought in the city market and tying it sarong style around my waist, I opted for my hiking pants. Also known as my zip-off pants. These bad boys were once the object of my ridicule, but have more than once earned my love and praise. Peru, for example. Mountains of western Washington. And now, Cambodia. I donned my brown zip-off pants (sans legs) and an orange t-shirt and headed off the day. When we arrived at the stairs to the top of the ruins, I promptly zipped on some pant legs, got clearance to pass and viewed the top of the structure. It was awesome. I descended, removed said legs and went on about my way. There was no way I was wearing more clothes than absolutely necessary: it was 104 degrees Fahrenheit that day. I know this because the refrigerated truck vendor guy who sold us some bottle water read us the temperature off his meat thermometer. It was SO HOT he was reading air temperature on a MEAT THERMOMETER.

Once again, my zip-off pants have proven to be worth their weight in gold.

Me in the top of Angkor Wat