Angkor

Cambodia's pride and joy, Angkor is an incredible site and amazing evidence of an ancient culture's sophistication and determination. Over the span of over 500 years and 25 Kings, Angkor temples were built and embellished, with excruciating detail at every point. Through the years, they have gone through wars and environmental elements, leaving behind only remnants of what used to be. Even still, when visiting, your jaw is left open to the size and beauty of these ancient relicts.

We took two days to visit the temples, and didn't see them all. Nor did we study any one of them with detail, they are just too massive to take in all at once. We started Day 1 with the Roluous Group, the oldest and most removed from the rest of the group. We first went to Lolei, and though small it was still so impressive, little did we know what we were actually getting into


Our next stop was Bakong, built in the late 9th century, it was a capital to one of the kings, Jayavarman III, son of the self proclaimed 'world emperor', Jayavarman II.


And last of the Roluous Group, Preah Ko



From here it was a whirlwind trip of temples, each filled with a new and exciting twist. Most kings worshiped the Hindu gods, and dedicated the temples to Vishnu and Shiva, though evidence of indigenous Khmer gods, and one king's feverish attempt at building temples for Buddha is evident everywhere.

So, starting with the rest of out journey, we moved to Angkor, with the South Gateof Angkor Thom



Inside Angkor Thom was my favorite temple, Bayon




With faces all over the place



Visit monks in Tep Pranam




Relish in the size of Baphuon



Climb up Phimeanakas & The Royal Palace



Bask in delight at the Elephant Terrace



Get lost around the Lepur King Terrace



Talk with monks at the Suor Prat Towers






Have a miniscule tour guide at Ta Keo






Briefly visit Thommanon...



And Chao Say Tevoda...






To catch the sunset at Phnom Bakheng






And that was just day one! We woke up early the next day to catch the infamous sunrise at Angkor



Angkor Wat is arguably the most famous of the temples. It was built in the early 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II, and was a complete city within it's walls, behind a moat. Just one of those buildings, like the Eiffle Tower or the Colosseum, that demands your attention



We then moved and did the perimeter structures around Angkor, starting with half restored ancient Buddhist university Preah Khan



To the unusual Neak Pean



And around Ta Som



Another one of my favorites, East Mebon



Partially because of the elephants guarding the outside



The colossal Pre Rup



And finishing our touring at one of the most interesting, least conserved temple, Ta Prohm






After that, we were exhausted. I can safely say though, that Angkor is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is an amazing feat to see these structures standing in all their beauty. Even Ta Prohm, which is crumbling as crews work diligently to reconstruct, is absolutely stunning. To visit there is an honor, and it was two days I will never forget