Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat

Today were the temples of Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat.  Ta Prohm was the site of the Tomb Raider film with Angelina Jolie.  She helped make the area famous.  The Red Piano in Siem Reap serves a drink called the "Tomb Raider." 

Restoration in progress

Inner temple

Ta Prohm is currently being restored in cooperation with the Indian government.  Like Beng Mealea, Banyan and Strangler trees have taken over the temple toppling much of the construction.  The restoration process begins with excavation trying identify and recycle the building stones.  Standing structures that are at risk of coming down are disassembled and numbered.  Footings are leveled and then reassembled using original and recycled stones to rebuild.

Ta Prohm was built after Angkor Wat (as were many temples we have seen) using lower quality quarry stone.  This is one reason that many of these temples have not lasted.  The incredibly aggressive jungle flora is the other.  Several pictures show how Banyan and Stranglers have taken over the area.  One picture was taken of Pat and I through a hole in the roots of a banyan.

Looking through the Banyan tree

Looks like some thing from a sci-fi movie

Angkor Wat is a very different story.  This place is immense!  Known as the largest religious site in the world, the construction is estimated at 3 billion (right..billion) tons of stone.  The temple was constructed during the period of 1113 - 1150 using several hundred thousand workers.  Consider that during this King's reign ( sorry, can't pronounce or spell) hundreds of simultaneous temple projects were commissioned and constructed during that time.  Likely not much unemployment in that era!

Notice the bullet holes on the columns

Another common construction theme is that all temples were generally surrounded by a moat.   Many are not as functional today but Angkor Wat has a fully functional moat.  Pictures included show many of the towers and a couple of views from the third level.  One of the last pictures shows entry columns pockmarked with machine gun fire dung the Cambodian civil war in 1970. 

As we complete our stay in Siem Reap, we want to thank and recommend both the Pavillon -Orient hotel and our guide during the last three days, Mr. Sov Sathik.  Should you visit here, make sure you book with both! ( write us for contact info...)

Today we are traveling by road to Phnom Penh enjoying in a view of village life still common in Cambodia...tomorrow, we go to the Grand Palace....more to follow!