Siem Reap is the city near the Temples of Angkor, what most people consider to be the 8th Wonder of the World. There is no greater concentration of of architectural riches in the world. There are still 100s of temples surviving, but they is only a skeleton of the vast political, religious, and social center of the Khmer empire. Angkor had a population of over 1 million while London was only at 50,000. I was blessed to have a travel companion. Sinead, who was on my outback tour in Australia, happened to be in Bangkok at the same time I was. When I said I was going to Angkor Wat for a few days she decided to join me!
I didn’t realize they were going to put my picture on my ticket. I thought they were just doing it for their records. I could have smiled had I known…
Our tuk-tuk driver is enjoying his break.
This pool at my hostel felt so amazing after a long, hot day walking around at the temples.
We went to a traditional dancing show.
Angkor Wat (meaning Temple City) is only matched by other spots such as Machu Picchu and Petra. Out of the all the temples in the Temples of Angkor, Angkor Wat is the only one that has been used continuously as a major religious center since its construction in the 12th century. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the deities in Hindu mythology. Within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometers (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the center of the temple stands a set of five towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west, but scholars are divided as to the significance of this. My pictures don’t do justice to this amazing temple. It’s massive and the intricate carvings are absolutely stunning. I found it difficult to get the scope of the building in a picture. The overhead view is a Google image that I stole.
There are over 800 meters/2,600 feet of these reliefs.
Angkor Thom (Great City) is a complex of temples that combined add up to be greater than Angkor Wat. Right away, the visitor is impressed by the statues lining the causeway. They are 54 gods and 54 demons engaged in an eternal tug-of-war.
Bayon was my favorite temple. It’s located in the complex of Angkor Thom and contains 54 towers with a total of 216 faces.
Baphuon temple is called the “world’s largest jigsaw puzzle.” The French were in the process of restoring it and they had taken it apart piece by piece. They kept meticulous records, but when the Khmer Rouge came, the French archaeologists were forced out and the records were lost.
Phimeanakas Temple
The 350 m/1.150 ft long Elephant Terrace was decorated with parading elephants at both ends and used as a giant viewing stand for public ceremonies. It also served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall. It’s awesome to imagine the Khmer empire at its height here with infantry, cavalry, horse drawn chariots, and elephants parading around this central square.
Ta Prohm is a major attraction due to the way the jungle has incorporated itself into the temple. It was also featured in the movie Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie. Actually many people call this temple Tomb Raider instead of its real name Ta Prohm.
Banteay Srei means “city of women.” Although it’s small, this temple is one of the jewels of Khmer art due to the outstanding quality of its sculpted decor, carved on red sandstone. It was a place of worship, but it was also a pilgrimage site with the duty to provide hospitality.
Siem Reap also has a landmine museum. Landmines or antipersonnel mines were first used on a wide scale in WWII. Many people estimate that there are up to 3-6 million mines left in Cambodia. Globally, it is estimated that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 new casualties caused by landmines each year. This breaks down to 1,500/month and 40/day. Most of the causalities are civilians and most live in countries that are now at peace.
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