Angkor Thom - Ta Prohm Temple

Trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surrounding have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region.

Angkor Thom- The Terrace of Elephants

The Terrace of the Elephants Khmer is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom, a ruined temple complex. The terrace was used by Angkor's king Jayavarman VII as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army.

It was on the way to Bayon from Angkor Wat.  We only got few minutes to snapped few pictures.

Angkor Thom - Bayon

Bayon is lesser known then Angkor Wat, thus, my surprised, excitement with joy when I had first glimpse of it from far away.

The whole complex were consists of towers with huge faces.  One tower has four faces facing north, south, east and west.  The faces were seamed all looked identical. 

Once you entered the temple compound, you are up close  with these gigantic faces.  Aside from the usual photography, our local guide is an experienced photographer who had instructed us how to be photographed so that our nose will be face to face with the nose of the face on the tower.  Some of the photos also showing two giant faces who have their nose to nose with each other.  I was impressed.

At the base of the temple, you will see stone carvings again on the walls that tell stories.  Lions and cobras were again set in front of the entrances.

Angkor Wat - Inside of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was built symmetrically like a fortress. Out most liner of walls was far away from the temple, it kept the temple within with a lake in front of it at one side. You can enter the temple from east or west. We entered from the west side which has no lake in front but a campus like lawn area where it was huge piece of land you can see locals and tourists walking around; bloom over the sky… Once you enter the temple, you can see carvings up close everywhere on the outside of the wall that built the temple. Notice those carvings on top of each door are especially complicated. Once you enter the temple, the tour guy will take you to those huge walls down in the Corridors that was filled with carvings which gives detailed records of stories after stories and stories…. Walk around the corridors, some corridors are filled with Buddha sculptures, some of them without heads since they were built long long time ago. Some where there, you can see a monk giving blessing to people who pay him a small fee. If you want to go farther into the temple (center of the temple and get close to the towers), you are required to wait in line to a single entrance which is a door above a set of stair approximately 30 – 40 feet high. You will wait in a long line under blazing sun and heart with humidity till you reach the bottom of that stairs where you will receive a badge from tourist from other half side of the stair who just came down. Once it was your turn, you will then claim up on the right side of the stairs to reach the entrance door. Once you got on top, you get to enter the corridors that connects to all towers and it goes all around. From there, you can have the opportunity to see the towers up close and then walking around and look outside through the window and get a glimpse of the temple (section of it) below you from above. In the body of each tower lays a Buddha. A gate separates the Buddha from outside people. You can knee outside the gate to face the Buddha and have your prayer. Interestingly, there are many statues of lions set in front of each door of the temple and each of them has perfectly shaped butt that is more beautiful than Kim Kardashian’s butt. However, they do not have tail. I forgot the story why they lost their tail. Also noticeably as popular as those lions at the front the door, there are also sculptures of cobras, which are just exotic and beautiful.

</

a>