Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Phrom

Today we would be exploring the classic, or most commonly visited temples around Siem Reap. We got up early as our guide was taking us to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise, should the clouds clear. The clouds did not clear, however it still impressed with its grand scale and unbelievable attention to detail.








The windows actually allowed for a nice breeze.


This place was huge and there was a lot of exploring to do, it was a hard tradeoff between running around to check out every nook and cranny and getting the history and background from our guide.


Riley with iPad in hand looking over the grounds in awe, perhaps thinking “This place is amazing, I should try and sketch this when I get back” or maybe “Why can’t I beat the boss level on Call of Duty: Strike Team”


Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, originally Hindu and then subsequently becoming Buddhist.












The steps are very steep, you used to be able to go anywhere you want at any time. However a few years ago a French lady took a tumble and died, now the top level is only open from 7am to 7pm and they only allow 100 people up at a time.


While waiting for it to open we saw two people climbing down the stairs and our guide started clapping saying “Chinese, Chinese”. I asked him how they got up there and he said they were Chinese. I was not sure if they could not read the signs because it was in a different language, or that they generally lacked the ability to comprehend the pictures, or that they just simply did not respect the boundaries of this great temple. Our guide said it was the last one, and he was right. We saw time and time again Chinese ignoring and disrespecting, climbing over and pushing aside gates, so that they could go where they wanted. We, like all other non-Chinese, waited for our turn to go to the top once it opened.



It was still early and this Buddha was under the covers sleeping, we were careful not to wake him.


You have to be careful about what you touch because the oil from your fingers can affect the stone. Can you guess what most people touch in this picture? I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with ripple.


Riley figured it out.


More statues, but these ones were awake.




Many of the heads are missing, stolen years ago, so Riley did his best to give you an idea of what they would have looked like before they lost their head.


The top level of Angkor Wat is the only place we were required to wear long pants and of course no hats, well that is unless you are Chinese.


We then headed back down.




This area was once filled with water, a kind of reflecting pool. Riley deep in thought “I wish I brought my paints so I could capture this on canvas” or perhaps “How am I going to get enough gold to buy the M4 assault rifle in Call of Duty: Strike Team”.


The temple also contained a few monkeys.




As well as a few monks.


We then headed back to the hotel for breakfast. The staff greeted us having learned our names and we sat down. Riley gave the orange colored juice a second chance and could not quite get it to his lips, which was probably for the best. I enjoyed some fried rice and mini-hotdogs while Kim discovered that while the dragon fruit is interesting in appearance it’s actually quite bland. We then met our guide to visit Angkor Thom, the capital city of the Khmer empire. It’s about the size of New York’s five boroughs and we would be entering via the South gate.




I think he is giving us a reluctant approval, ok you can enter. Or maybe he just ate a bad piece of white fish.


The carvings here are incredibly detailed and our guide walked us through them.




We first checked out Bayon, known for its massive stone faces.






This place was amazing and it brought you back in time. You can explore endless hallways and corridors, getting lost both physically and mentally, going where you want, and you don’t even have to be Chinese.








Riley then got in to a staring contest with this statue, the statue won.


OK, let me take this statue to school… the statue won.


Riley picked out his room, and I can’t blame him, I would love to live here. The vibe it projects invokes your imagination and you start to become part of it.


Riley thought this would be a great place for paintball, but unfortunately I looked high and low and could not find anyone to rent guns from.






This staring contest has been going on for ages without a winner.






Riley climbed up to the old library.


Then after hearing what it was he climbed back down.


Our next stop within Angkor Thom was Baphuon and Riley just made the cutoff. Because of the steep steps they do not allow anyone under 12 to enter.


It started to rain which gave this place a whole new character and deepened its mystery. The rainy season was just starting so we took a big chance in visiting the area during this time of year, however we were incredible lucky as 98% of the time the weather was perfect.




This guy kind of looked like our driver and I wondered if he was preparing our lunch.






Riley, after finding the lost amulet of the Khmer people in the catacombs below places it on the alter of Suryavarman and waits for him to rise from the dead.






Our next stop was Phimeanakas.






And finally the Terrace of the Elephants where the king once sat with his people and watched a kind of circus for entertainment.


We left Angkor Thom and traveled to where I was most looking forward to, Ta Phrom. This is probably Cambodia’s most iconic image and if you have seen the movie Tomb Raider you will probably recognize it. It has been left for nature to consume.






I could definitely live here, even in present day, just have to kick out all the tourists and get someone to put up signs written in Chinese telling them to keep out, assuming they can read. A fully automatic M4 assault rifle might also provide some fun entertainment.











It’s hard to get an idea of how big the trees and their roots are, so here is Riley to give you some perspective.


Here you can go where you want, assuming the passage is not blocked by collapsed stone.


Can you find the hidden face?












This place even brings out the monks for photograph opportunities.








Here is something interesting, if you look at the second circle from the bottom it appears to be a dinosaur, specifically a stegosaurus. So maybe they had them as pets or something, they definitely needed some kind of strong animal to move these huge stone blocks.


Honeycombs.


More exploring to do.










A few more monks, Riley asked if we could take one home with us.




We then headed back to the hotel and cooled off in the pool before heading to Pub Street again for dinner. While at the pool we spotted what I guess could be called a very masculine woman who was with a nice young Cambodian man, possibly a rental. This kind of thing is not uncommon in Southeast Asia and I taught Riley how to look for their Adam’s apple to tell if there is a disturbance in the force. It was very hot and muggy today with a little rain and I thoroughly sweated through everything I was wearing, so we all turned in some clothes to be washed by the hotel before turning in for the night.

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