Angkor Temples of Cambodia
Trip Start
Nov 05, 2008
1
6
Trip End
Jan 19, 2012
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Saturday, November 8, 2008
In size alone, no single temple is as large as one of the great pyramids. Still, with over a thousand temples ranging across an area of 3,000 square kilometers, archeologists believe that Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city in the world, and hold Angkor Wat, the main temple, to be the world's largest single religious monument.
We spent most of yesterday and all of today exploring a number of the sites. Some have been restored, and some, like my favorites Ta Prohm and Preah Kahn, have been left to the jungle. Roaming through these 1000-year-old ruins provides fertile ground for the imagination and excited curiosity about the accomplished builders who had dominated most of Southeast Asia off and on for a period of 600 years.
After reviewing the area yesterday with the cruise group, our guide Nara, met us this morning and helped us map out a walk. We decided to start with Ta Prohm and Preah Kahn, then wander through the crown jewel, Angkor Wat, which has been restored and is nothing short of magnificent. The skill of the architects in creating such a huge masterpiece is astounding. The bas relief carving that ornaments almost every visible surface sheds light on the beliefs and lifestyle of this accomplished race, yet adds to the mysticism as well, with figures and portrayals of myths far from our own realm of familiarity.
After Angkor Wat, we’ll head back to Siem Reap for lunch during the heat of the day. Mid-afternoon, we’ll return to the archeological site and tour Angkor Thom, the Royal City. We’ll explore more examples of intriguing ruins, covered in places with vines and moss, an otherworldly combination of gray stone and green growth. We’ll finish with a jaunt through the jungle to the southwest corner of the city, where we’ll walk the last one to two kilometers atop the ancient city wall looking out over the placid reflections of the massive moat.
Cambodia has been a delightful surprise, and wandering through the temples of Angkor will provide an unforgettable capstone to our Walking Adventure in Vietnam and Cambodia!
