Siem Reap Cambodia 9.18

I didn't know what to expect in Angkor Wat....lots of Buddist temples I heard.  I didn't realize these were ancient temples from the 1100s.  Like being in the Rome ruins but with stone temples.  We visited the iconic Angkor Wat (Laura Croft Tomb raider was filmed here) + added on a trip to Beng Melea (Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom filed here).  This is going to sound ridiculous but I didn't know these places really existed.  I thought they were just in the movies.

We learned alot about Cambodian history.  Most Americans know of the movie, "The Killing Fields" which told the horros of the Khmer Rouge.  I didn't know anything else about the country.

Thailand invaded and occupied Cambodia from the end of the 15th centruy to the beginning of the 16th century.  The city we were in, Siem Reap, literally means destroy Thailand.

The French occupied Cambodia from 1863-Nov 1953

Civil War from 1970-1998

HOTEL
Golden Temple Residence
Sok San Road, Steung Thmei, Siem Reap, Cambodia
www.goldentempleresidence.com

Arrived Thursday nite to welcome snacks including these great spicy peanuts

Beautifully flower decorated bed

Good morning, time for breakfast

Day 1 

Ta-Prohm

We met our guide Moon and driver and headed to the jungle-overgrown temple:  Ta-Prohm.  These temples date back to the 1100s.  Ta-Prohm was deserted during one of the wars or occupations and not maintained by anyone.  During these years, Spung trees grew wildly over, around, and within the stone temple buildings so that the trees and temples are now one.  People now debate, should the trees be removed to save the temples, or should the temples be removed to save the trees?

What's amazing is that you can still walk right into the temples

Guide Moon showing us the ruins

Look how the roots have overtaken the building

Lots of tourists in the heat

Tons of beautiful carving detail

We were there in the off season, rainy season but luckily weren't rained on!  Only during the rainy season does the beautiful green moss grow on the buildings

Can you see the haze & humidity?

Roots taller than us

Isn't this amazing?

 The above happened in about one hour.  Who knew we were about to be treated to other historic and cultural experiences.  All in day one.  I really like this.  What's the word?  Fascinating?  Like being thrown back in time.