Cambodia

March 11, 2014

Better late than never!  I have sooooo many photos from our 3 days in Angkor Wat and 10 days in Cambodia, it was hard just picking a few, but here are the best (well . . . spread out over two posts).  We decided to bus out there together with our friends, the Musik family, from Bangkok as you can see below.

 

Siem Reap was incredibly touristy and tons of fun with lots to do from yoga to drinking.

We explored Siem Reap the first day after our 9 hour bus journey, but headed to Angkor Wat just for sunset photos.

This is the library at the main temple of Angkor Wat - one of the hundreds of temples that actually make up this archeological UNESCO park.

The sunset proved to be just as spectacular as promised.

Our first full day of exploring - notice we are the only ones here - our 5:30 am early start paid off.

This is the same temple complex as the one above - Prerup Temple - built in 961 AD as a Hindu Temple.

Banteaysrei Temple, or Women Temple, known for having the best preserved reliefs thanks to the hard, red sandstone -  built in 967 AD.

A blooming lotus flower - I thought it was aptly named as I am off to a yoga studio of the same name.

Still at Banteaysrei Temple.

The reliefs were almost as good as new in some areas.

It’s sad how many museums and nonprofits there are in this area due to left land mines and the continuing damage they cause.

Aki Ra, the man who started this museum, was a boy solider who planted land mines and is now spending the rest of his adult life undoing what he was forced to do as a child.  He was named one of CNN’s heroes.

All the temples were decorated with aspara dancers - a type of dancing that one can still see in Cambodia.

Omar in front of Ta Som Temple.  It was built in the middle of a reservoir that no longer exists - boat in only.

The moat that surrounds Neak Pean Temple.  

Neak Pean Temple - another boat in only temple.  This temple is surrounded by 4 pools of healing water that correspond to your element: earth, water, fire, and air.  

My favorite temples were the one with trees overtaking them.  This was at Preah Khan temple - built in 1191 AD.

The only demon with a head left on the walkway over the moat that led into Preah Khan.  The demons are holding a snakes body.