Siem Reap - Ancient Temples
Our morning started at 8:00 where we met Sam in the lobby. Sam was our Cambodian tour guide. Jared found him online and booked him for two days of our three days in Siem Reap. He found and hired a driver and was in front of the hotel with a smile. We jumped in the van and headed over to the Temple Ticket office to buy a one day pass for $37 which would get us into all of the Ancient Temples in Siem Reap. (Cambodia uses US dollars but don’t even think about using bills with a small tear in them — they won’t accept it. That happened several times over the next couple of days) Our Temple tickets had our picture on it and everything. Doug joked that it was our ‘Temple Recommend.’
Ta Prohm Temple
Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Whom it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mayayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region.
North Gate of Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom (litterally “Great City”) was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman Vll. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. Angkor Thom is an almost square city surrounded by 8 meter high walls a little over 12 kilometers long with five impressive gopura gates providing access to the city.
The carvings below were the top of a massive wall around the city of Angkor Thom. Thousands and thousands of hidden buddha’s lined these walls. Cool to see them up close.
Bayon Temple
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman Vll, the Bayon stands at the center of the Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom. Following his death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple has two sets of base-reliefs, which present a combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes.
I love all the square doorways and intricate story-telling carvings. It was SO fun to walk around and take pictures.
The nose to nose picture was our tour guide’s idea. : )
South Gate to Angkor Thom
Sam took us to a great lunch place right in Angkor. Funny that it would have the Chef from Ratatouille on the sign. I assume that means there are rats in the kitchen. ; )
I ordered vegetable fried rice and Chris ordered a Cambodian dish called Chicken Amok which was similar to a Thai green curry and came in a hollowed out coconut. He liked it a lot — but of course he is easy to please. (The Cambodians use American dollars but for anything less than $1 US Dollar they have Cambodian currency instead of coins.)
Angkor Wat
Sitting outside the gate and bridgeway to Angkor Was where Sam was explaining some history before we went in. I was interested in the kids nearby selling things in their baskets - nuts maybe -but who were distracted at something in the water. We learned from our tour guide, Sam, that most children go to school either in the morning or the afternoon and then sell things when they are not in school.
We waited in line to receive special passes to walk up the steep stairs to the top floor.
This one below is not in focus — darn it — but I liked it anyway. It was a great day but by 4:00 we were so hot and so done. Like Disneyland in August kind of hot. 94° and 70% humidity. We had skirts on and hair up for most of the day to try to keep cool. Every time we got into the van Sam handed us ice cold water bottles and chilled yellow wash clothes which we used mostly around our necks. Boy those were heavenly. (And of course this is ‘winter weather’. Summer weather is 12° Celsius warmer!) So Sam, even though my picture isn’t in focus, you made up for it with the cold towels.
Went we got home we went to the Marriott’s pool and ordered food — I had the same goat cheese salad I had ordered the night before. Nice to relax in the shade.
Sam picked us up two hours later for our night at the Cambodian Circus downtown which was entertaining. We didn’t know exactly what to expect but the circus ring was small and most of the acts were balancing, juggling and acrobatics. Impressive stuff. I loved that they handed each of us a fan as we walked in so we’d stay cool. 🎪