Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Time:       20:09:00

Framed at the wall in our living room, I took it for granted, not knowing what it is or where it was...

  

Until an opportune time came, we travelled and had the chance visit and see the Angkor Wat, City of Temples, located at Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The entrance at the South Gate to the temples was grand. Giant statues line both sides of the causeway leading to an arch gate where carved bodhisattva?s faces were found on top.

The Temples

The sight of Bayon Temple was astounding. It has fifty-four towers with enormous faces carved into huge blocks of stone, shaped as a pyramid. Figures of meditating ascetics and dancing devatas were sculpted on the doorways and walls of the sanctuary.

The Terrace of Elephants is a long strech of wall with carved figures of an elephant parade.

I was most excited about seeing the Ta Prohm temple because a scene from the movie Tomb Raider (starred by Angelina Jolie) was shot from there. The temple was at the midst of a forest and massive roots of banyan trees crawled over its roofs and walls.

The Angkor Wat was indeed magnificent. The pathway to the main temple was rather long with stone-carved snakes in every meter. The temple was converted to Buddhist from Hindu and was now a sacred place of worship. Buddha images and monks were seen all over the place. It has five towers and one can go inside and explore the place. The inside walls were intricately sculpted with scenes from the epics of Mahabharata and the history of the Angkor empire. It has  remnants of a bathing pool previously used for cleansing before worship. Hot-air balloons are also available for tourists who wants to see the top view of the temple. The over-all scenery was just breath-taking.

Part of our itinerary was to try some Cambodian dishes. We found Star Rise Restaurant, a local diner serving both Khmer and Western food.

The Local Dishes

Lukluk - fish, pork, chicken or beef dish cooked in coconut milk and spices

Amok - fish, pork, chicken or beef dish cooked in curry

Most Cambodian dishes are served with vegetables and rice.

How to get there: via Mekong Express Bus from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Accommodation: Mom?s Guesthouse at Wat Bo, Siem Reap

Angkor Wat Tour: hire Van, via Tuktuk or via Elephant Ride