Touring the Temples of Angkor - Closing the Loop on a 15 Year Quest

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December 29th 2012

Published: January 26th 2013

29 Dec: Touring Angkor, Day One (note: There are a number of photos (111) associated with this entry. Believe me when I say this is just a fraction of the photos taken that day – e.g. you’re getting off easy, and getting only the highlights. Most have commentary immediately below the image, which will give a bit of an explanation of what you are looking at). I'll make a seperate post with ... Read Full Entry

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Donavin Wick

Call 2 Adventure

I wish I had discovered this blog years ago. I did the mass email update for my previous adventures (United States and Europe) and now have no online documentation to share with fellow travelers. To the chagrin of some friends and family wanderlust has struck again. I managed to stay focused for nearly a year and a half in a job related to my college education, however the desire to travel has grown strong again and can no longer be suppressed. I have secured a 12 month Visa for New Zealand and hope to document this adventure for posterity, or at least the life of the TravelBlog. Enj... full info

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Back on the road to the next site.

Ta Som: Vendors out ready to pounce on new blood.

Ta Som: West Gopura with face tower

Ta Som: Temple Approach

Ta Som: Devatas

Ta Som: East Gopura with tree growing on face tower

as the day was getting hot, humid and long I ran through the complex to the tourist highlight for this site - the tree growing from the east tower.

Ta Som: East face tower closeup

I know, good portrait photos shouldn't have a tree sprouting from a persons head... in this case I think the faux pas is ok.

Ta Som: Tower taken over by the tree

Ta Som: Tree vs tower

Ta Som: Tree vs Tower closeup

Ta Som: Tower Faces

I just loved how these faces seem to be pushing through the stone from behind... almost as if the stone was alive.

Ta Som: Anyone seen my feet?

Ta Som: Central Tower looking up

Again, it looks like the stones could come toppling in.

Ta Som: Devata

On the road again

No idea what this is for. Rice?

Neak Pean: Path over the baray of Preah Khan

You need to take this modern raised path to get to the centre of the manmade lake to the island that contains a small monument Neak Pean and its healing ponds.

Neak Pean: The path continues

Neak Pean: On the island looking at the sanctuary tower

Neak Pean: Pools and Central sanctuary tower

I was disappointed to find the site was closed and this was as close as I could get.

Neak Pean: Cleaning staff taking a break

Preah Khan: Eastern Entrance

Preah Khan temple complex was so large (800m across) that my driver dropped me at the east entrance and met me at the west entrance. The temple complex also included a Buddhist university which would have housed over 1,000 teachers. In addition the 56 hectares comples would have contained a considerable city - all of which has disappeared into the mysts of time as only temples were allowed to be built of stone.

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Touring the Temples of Angkor - Closing the Loop on a 15 Year Quest

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