Angkor Wat, Siem Reap Cambodia

Our first two days in Cambodia we spent exploring the temples of Angkor. I'd heard of Ankor Wat and thought that it was a single temple. In fact, the Angkor park includes dozens of temples built from the 8th through the 12th centuries AD. We were mesmerized and each time we thought we'd seen it all and could not be more amazed, there would be something new and wonderful that we didn't expect.

We started day one at Angkor Thom which is a complex of several temples.

The entry bridge into the complex was guarded by many large statues.

These deity figures, though now missing pieces, hold a strong presence as they stand guard on the bridge. In their hands, they are holding the body of a holy naga, which is a cobra. Usually in Thailand this cobra has seven heads and is seen shielding the Buddha. In Cambodia, the snake was usually seen independent from the Buddha and Shiva figures. Here it seems take it's place to ward off evil from entering the temple grounds.

Bayon temple - panoramic

Bayon Temple - closer up with the giant faces visible.

This is Bayon temple - the main temple of the Angkor Thom complex. It was the first temple we visited and though the hoards of tourists (particularly Asian ones clad in neon outfits and sporting large umbrellas and state of the art camera) took away from the majesty of some of the main passages through the temple, we all managed to explore further and find beautiful corners un"inhabited". While walking through the bowels of this temple, I could really feel the energy and spirit of peoples past. I could only imagine all the lives that had passed through this temple in one way or another. Some parts were well preserved, others saw the effects of war, nature and thieves.

a carving from a pillar at Bayon temple

The other temples of the Thom complex include Baphuon temple which is currently under restoration and whose pieces are spread out for acres. Restoration was started some time in the first half of the 20th century. The temple was taken apart and pieces were numbered. A map was drawn to help reassemble. However, under the Khmer Rouge, the map was destroyed - in attempt to eradicate the preservation of history and culture. Thus, the process of restoring this temple has become extremely difficult.

Baphuon temple - under construction - notice crane in background

Next was Phimeanakas temple. This one was a tall tower (with slightly scary steps). On each corner was carved a being which seemed to be sheep-like, but we weren't sure. Here I am near the top of the temple.

After a slow and careful climb down from Phimeanakas temple, we headed to the terrace of the leper king. Story has it that a past king of the Khmer kingdom died of leprosy. This terrace was designed in memory to him. At first we were confused by the statue. Because the face had a mustache, it didn't seem to be a Buddha - later we learned it was most likely a statue of the king.

a view of the terrace and statue of the king from the back

(for a front view, click on the link above)

Next to this terrace was the terrace of the elephants. This one was really a lot of fun. We took turns posing between the elephant trunks that came out from the wall. Here is Andrew, Natalie, myself and Kirk (a fellow American traveler who joined our group while visiting Siem Reap) in between the trunks of the elephants. (The elephants are holding lotus flowers in their trunks.)

Natalie, Andrew, Emily and Kirk between the elephant trunks

side view of the elephants

The last part of the Angkor Thom complex was a wall near the terrace of the elephants. It was carved on both sides and the details were amazingly preserved. Here is a glimpse of a small portion of the wall:

After lunch and a short rest, we headed to the most famous temple: Angkor Wat. The largest, by far, of any of the temples we saw, Angkor Wat was truly amazing.

Emily in front of the most famous temple in Cambodia - Angkor Wat

We spent a couple of hours exploring this temple. Red paint was still visible in some of the hallways and the carvings were incredible. Several new Buddhist shrines had been set up within the walls, but the temple had served both Hindu and Buddhist purposes in the past. We climbed to the top of the temple (Natalie and Andrew needing a little coaxing) and had a great time up there until it was time to go down. They stairs were uneven, crumbling and narrow. But, we found one staircase with a rail and held on for dear life as we inched our way down! It was a great adventure.

Here is a closer picture of the three main towers of the temple:

Day one was a great success. More exploring tomorrow!