Temples of Angkor

Why go to Angkor??  Well, there are no greater concentration of architectural riches anywhere on earth.  There are dozens of temple ruins in the Siem Reap area, many of the most significant within the Angkor Archaeological Park, just north of the city, others further afield.

The temples vary in importance, interest, and condition and are spread over a large area kilometers apart.  You can choose from the world's largest religious building, Angkor Wat, or one of the world's weirdest building, Banyon, or the riotous jungle of Ta Prohm.

The hundreds of temples surviving today are the sacred skeleton reamains of the vast political, religious, and social center of the ancient Khmer empire.  It is one of the most impressive ancient sites on earth, the eighth wonder of the world.  The city of Angkor boasted a population of one million people at one time.

The first glimpse of these ruins is absolutely staggering!!  From what I read, the genius, the epic proportions, and the detail, can only be matched by a few select spots on earth such as Machu Picchu or Petra.  Our visit to this magnificent, ancient place left me breathless as I tried to imagine what life must have been like during the age of Angkor!

                                         We hired this tuk-tuk to drive us to the park that was
                                          about 6 KM from Siem Reap.  Our driver's nickname
                                          was Lucky.

                                         Hoss is standing on Angkor Wat's original road.  The slabs
                                          on the right have been repaired.

                                          The fabulous ruins of Angkor Wat!!

 

                                         The ruins of the wild and weird Banyon.

                                         

                                          All the ruins walls are heavily detailed!

                                          Hoss is demonstrating how the blocks were moved.

                                          The ruins of Baphuon.  These ruins have been recently
                                          opened after a troubled restoration.  Work was halted due
                                          to the war.

                                          The ruins of Ta Prohm! 

                                          Monkeys on the side of the road at the ruins.  Scary teeth!!