Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Angkor Wat (Siem Reap), Cambodia

After Phnom Penh, I went to go see the temples in Siem Reap. Below is Angkor Thom.



This place was really amazing - it looked like a full on movie set, elephants and all



I was sweating like crazy: it's really humid in these forests



This was the first temple I got to see, and it was incredible - the detail as I got closer was pretty inspiring



Once you get inside of these you start to quickly get a feel for how big they are, I suddenly felt like I was in a maze



Faces of the Buddha were carved into the stones every way you turned



Caught this scene as I was passing through a corridor



Many of the tombs have been standing on these grounds since the beginning of the 12 century



Those who come for worship leave small gifts and incense for the Buddha



The temple Ta Prohm had this amazing jungle overgrowth, yet the structure remained intact



The roots of these massive fig trees found their home on the roofs of Ta Prohm



More maze like features spanning the inside of a given temple



Down there in the distance is the Mekong - if you've ever seen Apocolypse Now, that's the river



Stopped off at Phnom Bakheng to watch the sun set with the monks



Caught this fiery sunset from the roof of the aforementioned temple



Got up at the crack of dawn one morning to catch Angkor Wat at sunrise



It was really amazing to see the sun come up over this thing. I'd seen the pictures, but much like the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal, the pics just don't do it justice.



I stood in awe all morning of this massive three-tiered pyramid and its five towers



Just as the sun was coming up.....



Side view of the wat from the inside (left-wing)



The river surrounding all four corner of Angkor Wat



The detail of the carvings in these temples is astonishing. Below is a depiction of good versus evil.



Coming back down through the jungles of Siem Reap



As I usually feel, it's always bitter-sweet to leave these amazing places. Bye for now Cambodia.