Angkor Temples

Sensory and information overload! Angkor Wat is 1 km square, Angkor Thom is 3 km square, and there are over 50 temples in the area! So much to see and only 3 days - we decided to hire a guide and driver. Our guide, Siya, seemed to know exactly where to take us, and he also was able to take us to all the right spots at the right time of day to avoid the tour bus crowds. He told all sorts of stories about the temples and life in Cambodia, and we felt that it really enriched the day.

Our first stop was Angkor Wat. It is over about a thousand years old, and there are tons and tons of intricate carvings in the stone. Some are of battle scenes, but many just seem to be tributes to Hindu Gods, mainly Vishnu.

The girls liked the hundreds of dancing girl carvings that seemed to be everywhere. Apparently the King liked his girls! Each one is different and has a different hair style.

Next we went to Angkor Thom. It used to be a royal city, and our main stop within it was the Bayon, a temple that is famous for its many smiling faces carved into the stone. We thought the name was particularly nice because we have a nephew of the same name! Same of the smiles on these faces were really beautiful.

After lunch we headed to Ta Prohm, which is a temple famous for the trees that have taken over many of the structures. These trees start on the roof of these buildings and they feed off the moss. Their roots grow to be quite enormous and eventually they completely surround the building.

We also visted a few lesser ruins and some magnificent terraces. I think by the time we returned to the hotel, the girls were completely exhausted and we were pretty tired too. Tomorrow we plan to do only a half day of temples and see a bit of Siem Reap in the afternoon.

CM