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Published: December 20th 2010
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Our guide Pani
Explaining rice crop cultivation as we walked by this field Monday, December 13th
This morning we set out for a tour of the Temples of Angkor. Our first stop was a visit to Ta Prohm, an awesome temple monument that looks more or less like the Angkor monuments did when they were first discovered by European explorers in the middle of the 19th century. The jungles had totally engulfed all of the Angkor area making the region lost for many centuries and generations. This temple was built in 1186 by Jayavarman VII. Its walls are still covered by century-old trees, moss, vines and plants. It serves as a reminder to all of the power of the jungle. A Sanskrit inscription in stone tells us that it took 79,365 people to maintain the temple including 18 high priests, 2,740 officials, 2,202 assistants, and 615 dancers.
As the heat and humidity rose, we made our way to Angkor Wat, the largest temple structure in the world. Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat 190m wide. The central tower on the third level is surrounded by smaller towers on the second level. Most of our group climbed the steep steps to make it to the third level. What an incredible view
from the top!
Ankor Wat is an architectural masterpiece with much of it intact today. Suryavarman II started building Angkor Wat in 1113-1140; however, it is believed he died before the temple was completed. During his reign, he unified Cambodia and extended the Khmer influence across much of Southest Asia. Suryavarman, a Hindu, was devoted to and dedicated this temple to the god Vishnu.
The sandstone blocks used to build Angkor Wat were quarried more than 30 miles away and floated down the river on rafts. No mortar or support structure was used to construct this temple. This temple is an expression of Khmer art at the high point of its civilization. It is totally breathtaking and a must see for your bucket list!
Wild monkeys hang out around the grounds. We enjoyed watching their antics - especially when they stole and ate bananas. None of us got too close though - these monkeys mean business.
After lunch we visited Angkor Thom. It served as the religious and administrative center of this great city as well as the residence of the king, his family, officials, military officers and priests. We entered by the South gate of
Angkor Thom. There are five gates to this fortified city that once had a population of about 1 million people. The South gate is flanked by a row of 54 stone statues of gods on the left and 54 stone statues of demons on the right. A total of 108 mythical beings guard the gate to the city. The gods and demons hold the snake-like body of a naga on their knees. At the beginning of the walkway the naga spreads its nine heads in the shape of a fan. We saw this statue many times throughout Ankor Thom.
This evening, I opted for a massage with therapeutic oils. Sheer bliss. My masseuse, Navy, told me I looked like the King’s grandmother as a have a broad face with high cheekbones. She also pointed to my ear lobes and told me I would have a long life of 100 years and would be very prosperous (I have large earlobes like the Buddha). I used to hate my earlobes, but now I think differently of them…
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Cathy Lynch
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Miss you
Hi! I loved the picture of Marlese's err should we say booty!! That was a cute picture. Looks like you both are having a wonderful time. Are you ready to come home yet? We look forward to seeing all your pictures and hearing the fun stories about your adventures. Love and miss you, Cathy, Rachel & Rhonda