Temple Run in Siem Reap

I had been planning to go to Cambodia for the longest time because of Angkor Wat. However, the kuripot in me won't  spend more than ten grand on a plane ticket (unless paid by my parents). This year, we were able to get relatively cheap tickets via Cebu Pacific's numerous midnight promos (it sometimes pays to be a night-owl).


As many of the tourists would most likely go to Angkor Wat first, our tour guide decided to bring us to the Angkor Thom complex. Angkor Thom is the last capital city of Khmer empire and used to house priests, military and officials of the palace. The Angkor Thom has five monumental gates; 4 in each side and 1 called as the "ghost" gate.

The South Gate is the  best restored and the nearest to Angkor Wat. Thus,this is the most popular among the 4 monumental gateways. The bridge leading up to the South Gate (and the 3 other gates) is flanked with 54 gods on the left and 54 demons on the right. Our guide told us the story of the statues but I forgot about it. Bad memory. Sorry.



The nearest temple to the South Gate is the Bayon Temple which is said to be in the exact center of the Angkor Thom complex. The Bayon Temple is one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist Temples in the Angkor Complex. 

Northwest of the Bayon temple is Baphuon temple which was a sandstone monument originally dedicated to Shiva (you know, the Hindu god). In the 15th century, it was converted to a Buddhist temple. In the West side of the second level, one will see an image of a reclining Buddha (at this point, I'm getting a bit tired so no picture of the Buddha).






Remember Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider movie? A part of the movie was shot in Ta Prohm (or was it the whole movie? I can't remember). Unlike the other temples in the whole Angkor complex, Ta Prohm was pretty much taken over by nature. As it was neglected for a time, trees started growing inside, on top of and around the temple which resulted to stone walls breaking. Currently, the Government of India is assisting in restoring the temple.




After exploring the Angkor Thom complex and eating our Khmer lunch, we headed to the famous Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a 162 hectares temple complex found in the Angkor Archaelogical Park. It was originally built as a Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire but was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th Century. The temple was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1992. 








Inside the Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat are other structures that either served as schools, libraries or monasteries. They may not be as massive as the other temples but they are equally as magnificent




At the end of the tour, our feet may have been covered with dust, our clothes sweaty and our hair smelly but it was all worth it. To the next adventure!







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