Angkor Wat -- the day we've been waiting for (May 28)

We awoke early today to be on the road to Angkor Wat by 7:00 am to beat the heat and the crowds.  We succeeded in both, but mostly at beating the crowds.

We stopped first right outside of Siem Reap so that the rest of the group could get their passes for the Angkor Wat complex (some of us had done that the day before when we went to Banteray Srey).  These magic cards included a picture and were punched or viewed at every location in the huge complex of Khmer structures.

Harold's ticket, front and back

This temple is the largest religious monument in the world, and the entire complex is 402 acres.  Angkor Wat is the largest, but there are several smaller temples in the 402 acres, including Banteray Srei which we visited yesterday.

We got to Angkor Wat and our guide, Rath, started the walk through with us, and he explained every aspect of the site thoroughly.  We must have spent 2-3 hours there, and as we were leaving masses of people were lining up ready to enter.  Whew!

The site was built in the 12th century and was originally constructed as a Hindu temple to the god Vishnu.  It was designed to represent Mt. Meru, the home of the Hindu gods.  Towards the end of the 12th century, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple, but the Hindu Ramayana and Mahabharata wall carvings remain.

Laterite was used as the strong structural base and was then covered with sandstone which was  carved in bas-relief EVERYWHERE.  The building was done by the people of Khmer who would come (voluntarily it was said) for two-week week (more or less) stints and work on the structure and then would go back home.  The entire complex was completed in 37 years -- amazing!  It was "rediscovered" in the mid-1900s by Europeans and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.

Here are some of the pictorial highlights:

These were the stairs to ascend WAY UP HIGH to see the entire grounds.

This stone is a softer version than the pinkish stone at Banteay Srei, but nonetheless, the carvings were still intricate and in good condition.

a view from the top

visiting monks were very happy to be photographed

several Buddhas in nooks and crannies so that people could worship

Julie was almost convinced she ought to stay and become a member of the dance troupe.

Remi, one of our group members, stepped aside to get a private blessing from a monk

The ceiling was probably covered with this kind of engraved wood. 

Lots of elephants roaming around to give rides to people

After we left Angkor Wat, we went to Angkor Thom, fun for Harold and me because this temple consists of MANY four-sided heads of Brahma or the Buddha or the rule, Jayavarman VII, and yesterday we bought a mask depicting the four-headed figure.  Lots of scholarly interpretation about whether or not J VII used his own face as the model for the divine figure (rulers were considered divine).

Julie going head-to-head or rather nose-to-nose with Brahma

"our" Brahma now up on our wall

We then had lunch, rested a bit, and then went back to another temple -- the jungle temple of Ta Prohm.  The archeologists found, once they started their work, that many of the huge trees were embedded in the structural elements of the building so that they could not remove all of the trees/branches/roots.  The result, combined with the loud din of thousands (or so it seemed) birds created an eerie effect that made the temple fun to visit, despite the fact that we were all hot and drained.  It was worth the visit, especially since (or maybe in spite of the fact) that  the site has been made more famous because it was where Angelina Jolie filmed the movie "Tomb Raiders," which I guess we will now have to watch.

The archeology of this location was being done by a group from India

lots of left-over pieces lying around waiting to be placed 

Then we stopped on the far side of the moat at Angkor Wat (beautiful view) and had a "good-by" party.  Our wonderful guide Rath brought local red wine, local red whiskey, cobra jerky, water buffalo jerky, roasted frog legs, and stuff roasted frogs.  Yes, we ate them all!

the view of Angkor Wat from our place along the wall of the moat/river

cobra jerky, water buffalo jerky (top), roasted frog legs (right)

stuffed roasted frog, in case you couldn't guess

Last stop -- Elyse and I went to the night market.  I bought a new travel suitcase and a couple more t-shirts for Quinn and Julian, and then it was back to the hotel for a drink and a good night's sleep.