Up at crack of dawn to visit the Temples knowing it will be quite a long day.
The Temples were built as Palaces for the Gods and not as places of worship and were constructed by on behalf of different Rulers from the 7th to 13th centuries. Sometimes existing temples were added to rather then rebuilt and over the centuries different architectural styles were adopted although we found this pretty difficult to see at times. Generally they are built from huge blocks of sandstone and each block is carved with a portion of a scene that is being depicted which may be an elephant or serpent etc.
This is part of the most well known temple ” Angkor Wat”
There are lots of different levels the nearer you get to the centre and the main towers. In effect they form a pyramidal effect with steep stone stairways to each level.
The towers are built of carved blocks and are are basically square but the very clever tapering gives an almost rounded effect. The very top of the towers tend to be open to the sky.
Wooden stairways over the existing to protect them but these were pretty formidable especially coming down.
Although the concept of the design was Hinduism , Buddhism is now the dominant Cambodian religion.
Carvings and bas- relief absolutely everywhere. Quite incredible.
Lunch stop after a very long and hot morning having visited three different temples the last two being within the vast moated ancient city of Angkor Thom which is about 3km square.
This temple is called Bayon within Angkor Thom and used to be the highest but the central ” pyramid ” collapsed and is gradually being restored.
Most of the temples were left to be ravaged by the jungle which caused major collapses of the structures and they became ruins. Some , especially Angkor Wat , were still being used for religious ceremony. In the 1800’s the French took on some of the restoration but when the site became a World Heritage site in 1992 restoration has been overseen by the French and Japanese.
Some of the sites have been partially untouched to show how the large jungle tree root systems can devour everything.
Amazing tree roots at the Ta Prohm temple.
This is where a lot of the Indiana Jones movies have been filmed.
Just after this visit ended the heavens opened and we made a quick retreat back to our waiting tuk tuk and went back to hotel for a well deserved swim ( with complimentary tea)
At the appointed hour of 6 pm Me and Er went for our hour long full body massage and very nice is was .
