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Leaving the swarm at Angkor Wat, we make tracks for Ta Prohm, the temple made famous in pop culture by Angelina Jolie. It’s almost deserted – all hail the guide who “gets it”! Slow, methodical restoration works are occuring here, and given the way the banyan tree roots have taken over the sandstone structures, I suspect it is a project that doesn’t cease. Of all the temples, I expected this one to be overrated and overhyped. I am pleasantly surprised by its actual beauty. Tree roots snake over walls and towers, slowly swallowing the temple but clamping bricks together at the same time. There is a careful balance to be achieved; removing the roots and rebuilding the temple would remove its undiscovered and wild character, but they must ensure the integrity of the building. Boardwalks direct our way through the temple for the most part, Devid pointing out the best places and snapping touristy shots of us against the walls and roots.
Onward to Pre Rup and East Mebon, made of red brick instead of pale sandstone. Pre Rup is topped by small temples, pockmarked by small holes. Not just one or two, but covered in these small holes set about three inches apart. Devid explains that in the time of the Khmer empire, when this temple was at its peak, these holes would have contained precious gems. The entire facade of the temples perched atop this man made mountain would have glittered in the sun, like a queen’s jewelry box. My mind boggles. We climb many sets of steep steps to take in the surrounding view. The 10,000 steps a day goal will be breeze here, although I curse not having a heartrate monitor for the times I am hauling myself up the side of the pyramid.
Onward again to Neak Pean, a small Buddhist in the middle of a man-made lake, on a man-made island. We walk along a thin wooden board walk, trying not to knock on-comers into the baray. We stop to taste a roasted nut from a Cambodian eucalypt, which surprising tastes like popcorn. Promise to stop on the way back to buy some. Neak Pean, a Hindu temple like no other in the Angkor park. A stupa rises from an island in the middle of a deep pond, black and baking in the sun. The pool looks fit to boil, its black waters resting in the dark stone. Tourists file in, snap a pic and go again. Devid explains this would have been a place of bathing and healing, as the Khmers believed the waters had medicinal properties. Compared to other temples around, this does not feature the same collapsing and ruined look. We buy a bag of the eucalypt nuts on the way back down the boardwalk.
Arrive at Ta Som, which I initially mistake for the Bayon. Four serene faces peer out of a tower, like the Bayon but this is smaller and set further into the jungle. Grateful here for the shade, but good lord this place could do with a breeze. The stifling humidity combats the cooling effects of the shade. Ta Som itself is also charmingly overrun by strangler figs, with some parts covered in a green moss. We pick our way through the rampant roots which are both holding up the wall and trying to tear it down. We’re still ahead of the tourist crowd, and mostly have the place to ourselves. Devid explains the finer points of Angkor infrastructure and architecture. East, west, north, south. My brain is struggling to process the fact that these were built hundreds of years ago, without any of the modern technology or machinery we have today. I struggle even more to comprehend the scale of the place and how artisans carved such beautiful deities into the sandstone blocks.
Another stop, our last for the day, as the heat has built to an intolerable level. Preah Khan. My head is still swimming with facts and figures cheerfully relayed by Devid, but I am still blown away at the sheer physical size and beauty of these mammoth constructions. Preah Khan’s wide entry walkway is lined with carved figures holding a naga, a snake. Doorways and walls feature intricate carvings that I spend a lot of time trying to photograph. Much of the temple complex has crumbled, and great piles of sandstone lay in the grass. The way in which they were lost to the jungle, recovered and are carefully being maintained is remarkable. The pieces that have fallen are laid out on the grass and carefully numbered so they be identified. Each one a piece of an enormous jigsaw puzzle that no one is really quite sure how it goes together.
By the time we finish, I am once again ravenous and we retreat back to the city of Siem Reap for a cooling swim and some lunch. Arrangements made to be collected at 8am in a day’s time for our haul to the border. Devid just about explodes with excitement at the mention of going to Preah Vihear.
Things to note:
- I can’t emphasize enough the benefits of doing the temples in a “reverse” order. Visit the other temples in the Angkor park while the majority of the tour groups are packing out Angkor Wat.
- Make sure camera batteries are charged! Don’t make the rookie mistake we did and forget to check. Whoopsies!
- Light, cool clothing is a must. Cover your knees and shoulders. Take a hat, and use sunscreen. Take it from my pale skinned self, the mornings are cooler but you’ll still roast if you’re not careful!
- Comfortable walking shoes. Yes. All the yes. We walked close to 14 kilometers while visiting the temples, so I was super grateful for my sneakers.
How did I end up here? Let me hook you up with the first entry. And while you’re there, check out my word vomit on sunrise at Angkor Wat (Day 2, Part 1).
