Visiting Temples in Cambodia

Banteay Srey Temple

After a lovely buffet breakfast in the hotel, we leave for our visits to the temples in the area. The first temple is Banteay Srey, known as the Citadel of Women. The temple is an hour’s drive from the resort. Although a small temple, it has the most intricate and delicate carvings in the Angkor area. The temple looks almost pink, made of an especially hard sandstone - different from the sandstone at Angkor Wat. Pictures will be available when I can upload them - as the ship’s internet connection is too slow and unreliable.  As we leave the temple, we are entertained by local musicians, all of whom have lost limbs to land mines. It will be another 10 years before all the landmines have been removed. The horror of the time of Pol Pot is described by our guide, who lost his Grandparents during that regime. As a result, Cambodia has an especially young population.

Local Musicians - casualties of land mines

We drive an hour to visit Angkor Wat, The temple is massive, surrounded by a moat (now again filled with water), that is 1.3 by 1.5 Kilometers. We cross the causeway to enter the first courtyard. Like other temples in the area, this site has been carefully cleaned and reconstructed by archeologists (French in this case). After the site was abandoned 1,000 years ago, it became overgrown, and inhabited by bats. Bat guano more than a meter deep had to be cleaned away to reveal the stone of the temple. This is a Hindu temple, with massive wall carvings documenting the struggle between Vishnu and the Demon King. The courtyards and towers cover the entire area, one climbs high and higher to reach the central tower and inner chamber.  Hinduism and Buddhism coexist in the temple - when the next king became a Buddhist, the cross-shaped hall near the central court had a thousand Buddha images added to the ceiling.  The last tower is quite steep - Jean waits below as Sumner scales the last steps. The views are spectacular in all directions. Although the temperature is now 97 degrees, there is a breeze, and the central tower is open on all sides to a cooling breeze. We have lunch in the Tara Angkor Hotel - before continuing our day of temples.

The Entry Gate to Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat and its Moat

Jean waits in the shade

Central Towers of Angkor Wat

View from Tower to the Main Gate

We visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom through the South Gate. The city has a large moat - and on the bridge into the city are 54 gods on one side, facing 54 demons on the other side of the bridge. Nine is a number with mystical properties so 54 is important (5+4=9). As it turns out, 54+54 = 108, and 1+8=9. How lucky and blessed can you be? Inside this ancient city wall are more temples (as well as families of monkeys).  We visit the Elephant Terrace, from which the Cambodian King blesses the rice harvest each year. At Bayon temple the towers have giant faces for Buddha, one of the most recognizable images of Khmer art and architecture. Finally we visit Ta Phrom, with its giant, tree-overgrown walls. This site was also used as the location for scenes in the movie Tomb Raider.

Gods at the Gates

Angkor Thom South Gate

Bayon Temple

Sumner Eyes the Buddha

Elephant Terrace

Sumner at Ta Phrom

Tree at Ta Phrom

Jean at Ta Phrom

Hotel Lobby

Evening Show at Hotel

Cast after the show

 We return hot, happy, and exhausted to the Sokah Ankgor resort - everyone needs a shower or bath. (Yes the bathrooms have tubs and large, separate showers). At 7:00 PM, there is an elaborate buffet setup for us by the pool. We are entertained by dancers performing traditional Cambodian dances.

 In the morning we will return to the airport to fly to Bangkok.