Angkor Wat and the Temples of Angkor

Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious building, built by the Khmer empire around 1100. It was amazing, impressive, mouth-dropping, etc, etc. Truly, it was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. Around Angkor Wat, there are dozens of temples and buildings, which are now in a state of semi-ruin. As Cambodia is fairly new to tourism, these temples are seen "as is"...not many signs or restoration. As we went from place to place, we continued to encounter new temples and buildings built over several acres of land, centuries old. Hopefully, these pictures give some perspective, although it's always hard to put into words or pictures something as massive as this.

At one time, Cambodia was an incredibly powerful nation in SE Asia, ruling over parts of Vietnam and Thailand. Throughout it's history, there has been so much war and bloodshed, with the more recent Khmer Rouge insurgent group killing 3 million Cambodians from 1975-1979. In fact, just this week, the UN is finally holding a trial for some of the last remaining Khmer Rouge leaders. This country is now in a state of hope, as it opens itself up to the rest of the world and is working on slowly rebuilding it's infrastructure. The temples and buildings are a testament to the empire that it once was. Here I am, outside of Angkor Wat, ready to tour.

stopping by the South Gate of Angkor Thom
This incredibly detailed engraving was on every pillar in Angkor Wat...it's Hindu, which is a variation on the Buddhist temples I've seen in Asia.
an arial view of Angkor Wat
We took this hot air balloon ride (on a fixed line) overlooking Angkor Wat and the surrounding areas...we debated on the 15$ pricetag, until we compared that to how much something like this would cost in the States!
leaving Angkor Thom (a group of palaces, temples, pools, and various religious buildings)

inside Angkor Wat

biking up to Angkor Thom
backside of Angkor Wat
posing on the elephant trunk...me, Christine, and Sara

Bayon temple...notice the faces on the tops of the towers

Sara took this artistic shot of me overlooking the gardens at Angkor Wat
At Ta Prohm: at this place, the jungle seemed to be overtaking the temple. It's also where a scene from Tomb Raider was filmed, making it semi-famous (although I'm glad to not have seen that movie.)
series of stone guards outside of Angkor Thom

This young Cambodian girl walked up behind us at Angkor Wat, gently grabbed my hand, and then motioned for us to take a picture with her. I'm fairly certain that she's not used to seeing white people, let alone blond haired people. (I get my picture taken by other tourists and local people in most places I visit, and Cambodia was no exception).
overtaking tree at Ta Prohm



the eerie faces of Bayon temple...looking out in every direction