Siem Reap is a city of about 200,000 people in the northwest of Cambodia.
Cambodia is about the size of Missouri.
Flying in we see this part of the country is flat with tropical vegetation.
Cambodia is about the size of Missouri.
Flying in we see this part of the country is flat with tropical vegetation.
Tour guides are waiting to pick up clients at the airport.
The streets are busy with cars, motorcycles and pedestrians.
After walking the streets nothing soothes like a 30-minute foot massage for $3. Shirley also got a manicure for $5.
For lunch we thought about a Cambodian BBQ...
But settled for some spring rolls and Thai rice noodles.
Those little red peppers are as hot as they are red!
That evening we went to a dinner show with cultural dancing.
The next morning we headed out to see the main sites of the area, the temples.
The first one we visited was the famous Angkor Wat.
Built in the early 12th century it is the largest Hindu Temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world.
The complex encompasses over 200 acres.
The complex is adorned with intricate decorative elements and carvings in bas-relief.
The temple was once filled with thousands of statues, most of which are long gone or severely damaged as a result of many years of conflict and war in Cambodia.
Built out of sandstone, the ravages of time, weathering and use are apparent.
Built in the early 12th century it is the largest Hindu Temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world.
The complex encompasses over 200 acres.
The complex is adorned with intricate decorative elements and carvings in bas-relief.
The temple was once filled with thousands of statues, most of which are long gone or severely damaged as a result of many years of conflict and war in Cambodia.
Built out of sandstone, the ravages of time, weathering and use are apparent.
The next site we visited was Angkor Thom.
Also built in the 12th century Angkor Thom was once a city of up to 150,000 residents.
The gates to the city complex are lined with large stone figures.
Our tour guide pointed out that many of the heads now are "original copies"
Angkor Thom contains the temple Bayon.
Bayon is noted for it's intricate carvings depicting everyday life.
But mostly for it's smiling Buddha faces.
If you are going to be a tourist, you might as well go all out and be a total touron.
We also visited the Terrace of the Elephants
And saw a real one walking by.
Another temple, made familiar by the Angelina Jolie movie "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider" is Ta Prohm.
It has sustained much damage from trees and their roots.
Some preventative measures have been taken, but nature is a mighty force.
Someday the entire structure is likely to look like this.
We ended the day atop another temple site with other tourists waiting for the sun to set.
Next stop, after connecting flight through Bangkok, is Yangon, Myanmar.
Also built in the 12th century Angkor Thom was once a city of up to 150,000 residents.
The gates to the city complex are lined with large stone figures.
Our tour guide pointed out that many of the heads now are "original copies"
Angkor Thom contains the temple Bayon.
Bayon is noted for it's intricate carvings depicting everyday life.
But mostly for it's smiling Buddha faces.
If you are going to be a tourist, you might as well go all out and be a total touron.
We also visited the Terrace of the Elephants
And saw a real one walking by.
Another temple, made familiar by the Angelina Jolie movie "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider" is Ta Prohm.
It has sustained much damage from trees and their roots.
Some preventative measures have been taken, but nature is a mighty force.
Someday the entire structure is likely to look like this.
We ended the day atop another temple site with other tourists waiting for the sun to set.
Next stop, after connecting flight through Bangkok, is Yangon, Myanmar.
