We arrived in Cambodia after dark so were very happy to find out our hotel had kindly sent a Tuk Tuk driver to pick us up. Mr. Net was waiting for us with a sign with our name on it. That was the first time we ever had someone greet us with a sign... lol...
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| Mr. Net waiting for us outside one of the many temples we visited... |
Net became our best friend while we were in Siem Reap. He drove us everywhere we needed to go. A whole day with him cost less than $20 including a generous tip We also bought him lunch every day which I don't think happened very often... He seemed to really appreciate that little gesture.
We stayed in a very nice hotel called Po Residence. No matter what the staff were doing, whenever we walked by they stood up and gave us a kind greeting... It was a little unnerving at first, but we came to realize that is just the way they do things here...
Our two days here were mostly spent exploring a few of the many ancient temples around the area. They are said to be some of the oldest in the world and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We visited many different temples built in different centuries. Each had it own distinct style. The first stop for us was likely the first stop for almost everyone who comes to this part of the world. From a distance we could see the peaks of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious monuments in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation.
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| The "Library" located outside the temple area so anyone (educated enough) could use it without entering the actual temple. |
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| The temples were built with lava rock and faced (covered) with finely decorated sandstone |
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| Buddhist monks are still active in the temple today.... |
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| To preserve the fragile stonework, many of the staircases are overbuilt with wooden stairs. Still a tricky climb! |
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| These "snake" walls protect the temple. |
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| The heads of many statues have been removed over the years. Most recently Pol Pot, the maniacal leader of Cambodia from 1975-79 destroyed untold numbers of priceless relics. |
In many of the temple areas there is major restoration work going on... It is like building a huge 3D puzzle without any picture or instructions... This is ongoing work that will go on for years.
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| Angkor Thom is most famous for the many smiling faces carved into the buildings and monuments. |
Ta Phron may be the best known temple as this was where Angelina Jolie filmed many scenes from the movie Tomb Raider... built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found with trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings
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| JUST WOW! |
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| A perfect place for a wedding magazine shoot! |
Preah Khan temple was Shelley’s favorite. The jungle is trying to reclaim it and huge live trees are growing on, over and through it. Even so you can still see some of the original red color and the designs of the carvings are extremely intricate.
By now you must get the idea of just how many of these temples there are... We saw about 10 of the 30 open temple sites that ranged from the 8th to the 14th century... If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, this place is a must see and to do it right you need at least 3 days and lots of cold water!
Fantastic post!
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