Siam Reap and the Temples of Angkor has been my favorite part of the trip so far! It will be very difficult to put into words just how incredible the last few days have been. It was as if someone thought, "What are all the things that make Rashmi and Leslie happy?" and then put all those things together in this one amazing place.
Angkor Archaeological Park is a collection of over 40 different temple ruins set 24 square kilometers of verdant Cambodian countryside. Each temple ruin can stand on its own as a unique and awe-inspiring sight, so it was quite overwhelming to be surrounded by so much historical and natural beauty! Because the landscape is very flat, and the temples are all so close to eachother, Leslie and I were able to explore the park on bicycles, our favorite mode of transportation.
The first temple we visited was Angkor Wat, a world wonder, and the most famous of all the temples. Angkor Wat is a massive, three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. It surrounded by a moat and exterior wall measuring 1300 by 1500 meters, and the temple itself is 1 square kilometer. We arrived at the entrance after a short burst of rain and were welcomed by a double rainbow arched over the the entire Angkor Wat!
Angkor Archaeological Park is a collection of over 40 different temple ruins set 24 square kilometers of verdant Cambodian countryside. Each temple ruin can stand on its own as a unique and awe-inspiring sight, so it was quite overwhelming to be surrounded by so much historical and natural beauty! Because the landscape is very flat, and the temples are all so close to eachother, Leslie and I were able to explore the park on bicycles, our favorite mode of transportation.
The first temple we visited was Angkor Wat, a world wonder, and the most famous of all the temples. Angkor Wat is a massive, three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. It surrounded by a moat and exterior wall measuring 1300 by 1500 meters, and the temple itself is 1 square kilometer. We arrived at the entrance after a short burst of rain and were welcomed by a double rainbow arched over the the entire Angkor Wat!
Not only is Angkor Wat an architectural phenomenon, it is also a work of art - a rare preservation of the detailed and religous carvings unique to that era. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs from Hindu mythology and historical battels, and 2000 distincively-rendered apsara (mythical celestial dancer) carvings. Some of the engravings are so well preserved, it is hard to believe that they were created in the 12th century. We spent a couple hours wandering around the limestone hallways, admiring the detail and expansiveness of the artwork. We left Angkor Wat just as the sun was setting behind its towers, a sight just as breath taking as when we entered.
Sunset on Angkor Wat
We spent the next day exploring Angkor Thom, a 3 square kilometer, walled and moated city and the last capital of the Angkorian empire. Angkor Thom holds 12 different temple ruins set in a park of forest, meadows and streams. The only way I can describe it is magical. I felt as if I had walked into a fairytale! The following pictures will hopefully help convey the magnificence of this ancient city:
Face towers of the Bayon temple
Close up of the Face Towers of the Bayon
Rashmi exploring one of the more hidden temples
Terrace of the Elephants
A side gate to the Royal Palace
The third day we biked a twenty kilometer loop, exploring some of the temples that are a little more spread out. The bike ride was really pleasant because we were able to see a lot of the Cambodian woodland and the wind in our hair made the tropical humidity a lot more bearable. The following are pictures of some of our favorite spots:
Trees bursting over the ruins of Preah Khan
The overgrown temple of Ta Som
Posing for a prom picture at Pre Rup
Temple Mountain of Pre Rup
Rashmi engaged in a life-sized game of Jenga at Banteay Kdei
Fine example of bas-relief carvings at Banteay Kdei
On our last day we were a little templed out, so after stopping at a few ruins that we were unable to fit in the day before, we changed it up by hiking the trail on top of the wall that surrounds Angkor Thom. I had accidentally stumbled up on this trail two days before when I had gotten myself completely disoriented and found myself at the west gate of the city wall. There was a trail leading up to the top of the wall, and when I climbed up I was greeted with a quaint little path framed by trees, flowers and butterflies. It looked so inviting, I knew that I had to come back and show Leslie. So that last day we circumnavigated the 12 km permimeter of Angkor Thom.
The hike was really beautiful - we had great views of the surrounding country side with rolling hills, rice paddies, grazing cows, and the tree-lined banks of the moat. Each corner of the wall had a small, overgrown temple which provided a shady and peaceful place to take a short break and soak in the scenery. But what made it even more special was that we did not encounter a single tourist on the whole hike - they were all too busy running from temple to temple to take the time to explore the surrounding area.
Inviting trail along Angkor Thom's city walls
Nature 1, Humans 0
Sun Worshipping on a corner of Angkor Thom's walls
The evenings in Siam Reap were also enjoyable. We found a really nice place to stay called MotherHome Guesthouse. For $9 per night we got a very comfortable, well-furnished room with all the luxuries of a hotel in the US. The price also included free breakfast, free bicycles, free internet, and free drinking water! The first night Leslie and I tried our first (and my last) roasted cricket, a common Cambodian snack. Another night we watched a traditional Cambodian dance show. We also ate a lot of delicious Khmer food and fresh mangoes from the market.
Snacking on a cricket...Tasty!
A traditional apsara dance
Yay I'm glad you two enjoyed Angkor Wat and Siam Reap! The temples are so amazing. Did you see the giant's footprint and sprinkle yourself with lucky water from the temple well? It's a humongous footprint in the grass... legend has it that a giant made that footprint many years ago. And the lucky water is for good luck.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with the apsaras in Cambodia and I even took a picture dressed as one :)
If you can and have time, go visit a small mountain. You'll probably need a native to point it out to you, but there are temples on top of the mountains/hills. There are small villages on the bottom of these mountains(with little Khmer kids who'll follow you around wanting money--watch out, they're sneaky) but if you climb the hundreds of stairs leading up to the temple, you'll be rewarded because they're amazing. They're like hidden jewels in the mountain and they're so remote.
Oh, and try the lotus root stir-fry.. it was one of my favorite dishes there. They look like long, skinny white roots. They don't have fresh lotus-root in America so I miss it.
Anyways, have a great time traveling! Miss you!