Wow. Ancient temples from an era when Angkor was the centre of the universe sustaining a population greater than London had at the time. It brought back vision of Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Inca and even Roman architecture. We first visited Angkor Thom, a huge ancient city built in the 12th century of enormous magnitude complete with moat, palaces and temples. It definitely seems like a sacred place even after its conversion from Hindu into Buddhism and then looting by centuries of battles and defeats. Anything left in 1975 was sold to the highest bidders (Thai and Chinese) by the Khmer Rouge to buy weapons. Some of the pieces have been returned and now have been secured in the two national museums.
Next stop was the Jungle Temple (Ta Prohm), having been left to Mother Nature for 500 years, you can see the destruction from the gum trees. Equally though you can spot the grandeur of the original buildings. The bridges, fortified walls and sky-scraping temples have fallen victim to the ancient trees. This is where much of Tomb Raiders was filmed. It seems like a natural set for such an action adventure.
As we pulled into Angkor Wat, we couldn’t help but dedicate the visit to Bettina, our friend who so looks forward to one day visiting herself. We so wish that you were here with us, Bettina! It really does feel like a Wonder of the World as you admire the complexity of the towers, the architecture and the bas-relief. Nowhere else in the world do you find this quality of stonework (perfect razor’s edge cut into every stone), delivered on a scale never before seen from 60km away by 700 bamboo rafts, using 8000 skilled artisans and 350,000 labourers over 30 years. And it was built twice! As one walks around, it is easy to see why it has survived earthquakes, floods, wars, bombings and even gunbattles (you can see rifle bullets and their pockmarks throughout the Wat from the Khamer Rouge’s last stand).
After a day of temple-touring we took advantage of our hotel’s stunning pool. Joe and the boys played endless games of ping-pong and pool. I napped and swam. For dinner we went to a restaurant called the Red Piano. Angelina Jolie frequented the restaurant while filming ‘Tomb Raiders’ and has a drink named after her there. The Khmer curry, spaghetti (for Brendan) and sandwiches went down very well after having expended so much energy at the pool. After a quick visit to the local market we all piled into bed to watch ‘Quantum of Solace’. With he accompanying chips and root beer it was a touch of home!
Next stop was the Jungle Temple (Ta Prohm), having been left to Mother Nature for 500 years, you can see the destruction from the gum trees. Equally though you can spot the grandeur of the original buildings. The bridges, fortified walls and sky-scraping temples have fallen victim to the ancient trees. This is where much of Tomb Raiders was filmed. It seems like a natural set for such an action adventure.
As we pulled into Angkor Wat, we couldn’t help but dedicate the visit to Bettina, our friend who so looks forward to one day visiting herself. We so wish that you were here with us, Bettina! It really does feel like a Wonder of the World as you admire the complexity of the towers, the architecture and the bas-relief. Nowhere else in the world do you find this quality of stonework (perfect razor’s edge cut into every stone), delivered on a scale never before seen from 60km away by 700 bamboo rafts, using 8000 skilled artisans and 350,000 labourers over 30 years. And it was built twice! As one walks around, it is easy to see why it has survived earthquakes, floods, wars, bombings and even gunbattles (you can see rifle bullets and their pockmarks throughout the Wat from the Khamer Rouge’s last stand).
After a day of temple-touring we took advantage of our hotel’s stunning pool. Joe and the boys played endless games of ping-pong and pool. I napped and swam. For dinner we went to a restaurant called the Red Piano. Angelina Jolie frequented the restaurant while filming ‘Tomb Raiders’ and has a drink named after her there. The Khmer curry, spaghetti (for Brendan) and sandwiches went down very well after having expended so much energy at the pool. After a quick visit to the local market we all piled into bed to watch ‘Quantum of Solace’. With he accompanying chips and root beer it was a touch of home!
We are looking forward to Angkor! Where are you staying? Make sure you send all recommendations our way!! We have 5 days there and I know it will be very busy! How is the weather? Scott xo
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