Day 7

May 16 Tuesday

Entering Angkor Wat

Today we got to go to Angkor Wat and visited a few temples. It was a quick drive from our hotel to the temples. Right when we got off the bus, we could feel the heat. The temperature was around 93 ℉ but felt like 109 ℉. It was hot and humid, but it was very much worth it. We also made use of water, shade, and the slight breeze to stay cool. There are certain temples that have a dress code where your shoulders and knees need to be covered. 

Walking to Angkor Wat

We started at the Angkor Wat Temple which means “City of Temples” and is the largest temple complex in the world.    It was built around 1,100 AD by Hindus, but then was later taken over by the Buddhists close to 1,200 AD.  All the temples were re-discovered by a French explorer in in the 1860s. When the Khmer moved their capital to Phnom Penh the complex fell to ruins. The temples were built with limestone and used to be the color white. Statues and shrines filled the temples. 

Inside Angkor Wat

There were many areas that were closed off unless you took your shoes off. Here, you could pray to the different gods. The walls were also filled with endless carvings, some sharing stories. Down one hallway, the carving represented the story of heaven and hell and what was in between. 

A Long Story mural

Stairs to Angkor Wat

There were 5 gates leading into Angkor Wat, and the center one was the King’s entrance. To get up to it, there were very steep stairs that were the original stairs. Lucky for us, there were some slightly less steep stairs around the back that we could access to get up top. In the center of the temple was a brown stone, which was also called the center of the universe. 

 

 

 

Bunyan trees interwoven with temple walls

Bunyan trees interwoven with temple walls

After visiting Angkor Wat, we ventured to the next temple: Ta Prohm. On our way we saw many monkeys. The next temple had many trees growing alongside and in the temple. There were some places where the bunyan trees were interwoven with the temple walls.  As you approach it from afar, you could see one big tree on top. In this temple, one of our guides asked if we needed to recharge our energy. He directed us to a room in the temple where you would lean against the wall and bang on your chest. Many of us tried it and it echoed very loudly throughout the temple. Something else interesting about this temple is that they had carvings of dinosaurs. You may have seen it in one of the Lora Croft -Tomb Raider movies. 

Monks

After leaving this temple, we went to lunch. For lunch, we had spring rolls, fish soup, pork caramel, and chicken. This meal was very delicious, and different than the Vietnamese meals we enjoyed. The fish soup was very good and had a spice that many of us enjoyed. 

Can you see the faces?

 After lunch, and cooling off, we went to one other temple. The temple was called Angkor Tom meaning Great City. Something different about this temple was that there were large faces carved in at many peaks of the temple. On each of the 4 sides of a column were individual faces.  All of these temples were incredible. It is very interesting to think about how it was built, how everything was carved, and the time put into building it. The history behind the temple was very intriguing to learn about, and leaves many of us wanting to learn more. We returned to the hotel in mid-afternoon and enjoyed some down-time at the pool and/or in our airconditioned rooms before leaving for the Apsara Dinner and Cultural Dance show.  Those pictures will be up on tomorrow’s blog.

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