Approaching Angkor Wat from the west
Today we began our 3 day tour of the area, and we hit the ground running with a visit to Angkor Wat to kick us off. Our guide, Sopheap, and our driver, Pasit (sp?), took excellent care of us, ensuring we certainly got the most out of our time, and that John had some excellent vantage points for photographs.
I know that Angkor Wat is an UNESCO site, and seems to be on everyone’s ‘bucket list’, but I was still not prepared for the majesty and scale and sheer beauty of the ancient temple. How did the people of this time create such an astonishingly, aesthetically pleasing, highly artful, detailed and creative series of structures? It completely took my breath away, and I am so happy that I have had the privilege of seeing it.
From there we went to Ta Prohm, famously known as the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ – even the guides call it ‘Tomb Raider’! The way that nature has ‘taken back’ these human made constructions is awe-inspiring…and very beautiful to look at! The tourists all line up to have their picture taken at the base of the most famous tree, just like any other famous site (apparently easily recognisable from the film – I have yet to see it!). It looks as though these muscly hunks of flora are slowly strangling the stone structures, and they have gone limp in the ogre’s grip. It was a welcome relief to be wandering the ruins in the shade of these trees – a brief respite from the heat of the day.
If we thought that Angkor Wat was large, it has nothing on Angkor Thom, which was built a century later and is 3 square kilometres. Our focus of this tour was The Bayon – the state-temple at the centre of the gigantic walled city, dominated by large faces on many sides of the 37 towers (apparently over 200 faces in all – the purpose of which, no one is certain). This was a very impressive temple! According to the guide books it is possible to approach the gates on elephant (as with a few other attractions), but we didn’t see any such action – we must’ve missed their short operating hours.
Phnom Bakheng is the first monument to be built in the Angkor area and was dedicated in 907 at the heart of the first kingdom of Cambodia. It was the perfect vantage point for watching the sunset in Siem Reap, and we did a fast walk climb to the top of the small mountain, much to the amazement of our guide, Sopheap. He seemed a little disappointed that there were clouds obscuring the sun as it dipped below the horizon, but John was having a fabulous time. There is now apparently a limit of 300 people allowed at the top of the hill at any one time, but there appeared to be many more than that there at sunset.
Dinner was at the restaurant AHA in The Passage with new friends made on our Jahan cruise. This restaurant is funky and new and exciting to visit. We didn’t stray from the tapas options, because there were far too many that enticed us! (The vegetarian trio was particularly exciting, and not just for us, but for the meat eaters in the party.) There was a decent selection of wines and we spent a lovely couple of hours with our friends, excellent service and food that we could not fault. It was a shame there were not more people there (although it was a Sunday night).
Tour guide information:
Sopheap Brem – Angkor Sopheap Guide Service, Email: sophiapprem@yahoo.com or brensopheap168@gmail.com
Click on any image below to view as a gallery
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- Connection
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- Watching the tourists
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- Angkor Wat, afternoon with lovely blue sky
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- Our guide, Sopheap – always smiling!
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- Angkor spires at dusk
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- Three sisters
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- One of the many beautiful faces on the 37 towers of The Bayon
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- Moss or mold? Not sure, but very pretty
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- Stones stacked, waiting to find their way home again
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- Warrior face
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- Atop Phnom Bakheng at twilight
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- The Bayon, North Gate
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- Naga tug-o-war balustrade at the approach the Angkor Thom
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- Central stupa at Ta Prohm
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- Dinosaur carving?…What the…?
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- Nature dominating the human- made
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- Many, many tree roots
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- Archway at Ta Prohm
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- Nature reclaiming it all
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- Peaceful and shady – no sign of the tourists gathered just out of shot
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- Traditional dancers entertaining the crowd while they wait
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- Ta Prohm
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- The photographers with the cinematic nets!
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- A brief moment alone
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- The view from the top – shame about the green tarp
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- The line to climb to the very top of Angkor Wat
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- Excellent bust
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- Monks resting the shade
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- Buddhist layman giving out ‘good fortunes’ at Angkor Wat
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- Cheeky monkey
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- Tethered helium balloon with a great vantage point
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- Nic in the north library
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- Angkor Wat reflection in the north pool
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- The north library at Angkor Wat
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- Shrine within Angkor Wat
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- Angkor has everything…even pony rides for the kids!
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- Bas relief carvings, two girls
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- Tourists and monks, both making their own various pilgrimages
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- Approaching Angkor Wat from the west
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- Angkor Wat bas relief…and the columns beyond
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- Almost looks like a green screen shot…but it’s not!
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- Monk in contemplation
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- Tomb Raider – wide shot
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- Bayon face
I did sunset in the tethered balloon in 2006, everyone loved it, except me who spent most of the time hyperventilating on the floor with my camera over the edge of the basket taking blurry photos 😉