There is a lot to describe when visiting a touristy destination like Angkor Wat, Siem Reap during the weekend. However, exploring the historical temples alone is not much fun without having interaction with the people you encounter.
So this weekend was the big trip–Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. We are talking about the filet mignon, the Hermes Kelly bag, the Drakkar Noir of Cambodian tourist attractions, a small town surrounded by Khmer Empire temples built between the 8th and 13th centuries… But there was no time for my vanity! First, we went to see Angkor Thom, the capital of the Khmer Empire built by Javayarman VII in the 12th century–another previous capital is sort of adjacent and partly underneath. The main thing to see here is the Bayon temple, the last temple built in the complex. It is famous for the many faces of Javayarman that adorn the towers, and panels of relief pictures of everyday life in the Khmer empire. I really enjoyed this one. While we were there we also saw Baphuon, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of Elephants… We stopped for lunch and then saw Angkor Wat, which is what people think of when they think of Angkor. It was built as a Hindu temple, but remained a pilgrimage site for Buddhists long after most other Angkor sites had disappeared into the jungle. It is magnificent, has a lot of dancing girls carved in it and in the back yard jungle I saw a monkey. Two thumbs up.
