Cambodia: the Angkor complex @ Siem Reap Part 1

We traveled from Phnom Phen to Siem Reap and found accommodation, the Yellow Guesthouse.

The Angkor complex, famous for its largest Temple (Wat), is actually a park with many Temples and other ruins.

In the first two days, we visited the main Angkor temple multiple times, as well as looking at most of the surrounding temples. This post is our first morning at Angkor.

This is the taxi that we hired for showing us around the complex. His trailer has both city and temple complex maps mounted on the front for easy discussion of where to go.

We got 3 day passes valid for the whole complex. This is the first part of the complex that we got close to.



It was a main gate, lined with statues.

The area that the complex resides is mainly open wood forest and moats. The locals are free to visit anywhere in the complex.

Some tourists take the more relaxed tour on an elephant.

We got to our first stop for the day, and our taxi driver parked up and waited while we explored.

Our first stop was to Bayon temple.

Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century, it is an amazing sight.

The temples are still sacred, and so Buddha is still adorned with cloth and incense burned.

The temple has lots of these towers with faces.

A close up on a well preserved face.

The temple has lots of amazing carving.

Some carvings are very deep relief.

Toolman looking like a goon.

Most of the site was accessable, with lots of interesting stairs and corridors.

Princess exploring a corridor.

Toolman with the pillars.

Parts of the Temple looked like the end-game of Jenga.

Some of the walls are just a neat way to stack the pieces - they are not in the correct configuration.

A close up of that wall.

Carving is on so much of the stone, even the unused pieces.

Its like the worlds hardest jigsaw, but archeoligists are restoring as much as possible.

Another moat outside the Temple.

Her is a nice picture of Princess inspecting a young girls trinkets for sale.

We headed next door to the Baphuon Temple.

This 11th century Temple was build on sand, and has lots of unstable and collapsed parts.

There is active restoration on this site, and much is inacessable.

Princess surveys the rock sorting.

Each stone is ID tagged.

Toolman at the Terrace of Elephants.

The terrace has carvings all along it.

The elephants are backed up by these monkey-bird monsters.

We wandered on to its neighbor, the Phimeanakas - the Celestial Temple.

The Temple is guarded by Lion-like gargoyles.

Those stairs are very steep, the warning sign isn't joking.

Toolman poses at the bottom...

.. and the top!

Temple has lots of windows looking out.

A nice view over the area.

Toolman climbed right to the top.

Rock on!

Continued exploring the area.

Engraved walls are everywhere.

This is the entrance outside Preah Palilay.

Princess gives it Jazz hands.

This Temple is known for its steep chimney-shaped tower.

Toolman shows the scale of the trees!

We also went past Preah Pithu, a group of 5 temples.

This temple had intricate carvings insode the room at the top.

Princess leads the way to the next site.

Prasat Sour Prat is the name for the 12 towers here that oppose the Terrace of the Elephants.

Their exact purpose is unclear, but may have been used during parades down the terrace.

Some of the towers are badly damaged.

Princess made freinds with this Horse.

We came back past Bayon temple where our driver was parked up, and headed onward.

This is another entry gate behind us, with more statues lining the road.

The motorbike dutifully towed us around.

The waterways were very beautiful.

The purpose of the moats is disputed. Some claim irrigation, but there is little evidence for it, and many suggest its was for its asthetic.

We wandered through this temple.

Buddha was well adorned inside.

The little girl was selling postcards outside our next site visit, Ta Prohm.

This site had the macguyver solution applied until a tidier one is found.

Although poorly aligned, the original carvings must have looked spectacular.

More stop-gaps for a collapsing ceiling.

The pile of rocks behind the bars are from the roof.

Stay out of that one!

We are near the center with the temple on the right.

The trees have really got a hold around here.

Look at that tree consume the wall!

This temple is besieged wth growth, the big ones are silk-cotton trees.

Princess demonstrates the scale of this tree.

Another Jenga pile.

It must be hard for archieologists to reassemble.

The vines are also claiming their pieces.

Amazing how long these trees have had to worktheir way in.

That looks mostly standing.

these roots are the hight of that wall.

Another ceiling that failed.

This tree has grown over the building, which is over 2 stories high.

Another tree eating a wall.

Some areas were getting active restoration and repair, which must be hard, slow work.

Our next stop was at Ta Keo. The Temple has 5 levels, each filled with sand and soil. The lowermost level is approx 80mx60m.

We headed on in the first gate to be confronted with this steep staircase.

On the first level is a lower courtyard.

We kept on going; 3 sets shown above.

Princess resting at the top.

This top Temple is 22 meters above ground level.

Inside is a shrine for Shiva, with Buddha as his right-hand-man. The whole Temple was dedicated to Shiva.

The toursits make their way down carefully.

The site is not as decorated as others. Legend has it that the site was struck by lightning, which was taken as a bad omen so the sites work and refinement ceased.

We headed back down throught the series of gates and stairs.

Hold on Princess!

In the next post, we'll visit the main Temple; Angkor Wat.