Morning visit at Angkor Thom

She said a prayer and gave us bracelets

This morning an excursion to two of the ancient temple cities of Siem Reap: Angkor Thom and Ta Prom. These are combo temples: Hinduism followed by Buddhism. Unknown to the west for centuries until a French naturalist discovered the ruins hidden under layers of jungle overgrowth. But according to our guide, the inhabitants of course were always aware of the ruins. These structures are redolent with what they once were. Moss and grime covered. Crumbling foundations. Sandstone carvings of dancing apsaras. To walk around the site -- you and the hundreds of other visitors -- is to want to imagine the 54 towers and carvings without the layers of time. Before the looting and degredation due to war.

Ta Prom (not pictured) is a smaller site. Here the forest has literally wrapped its roots around the walls. Apparently Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider was filmed among the trees and artifices, according to guide Sim, who, like all our guides, was touched by war. His father, mother and 2 sisters were killed by the Khmer Rouge, accused of working for the CIA.  Cambodia is only just surfacing from decades of conflict. The Khmer Rouge (think Killing fields and re-education camps) were routed by the Vietnamese in 1979. The monster Pol Pot died in the 1998 so history is still fresh here.
The temple sites today reminded us of some we saw in India but with a Buddhist flare. Orange-robed monks roam the grounds. And there are a bunch of huge Buddha statues and pagodas still being used for worship and prayer. Tomorrow we'll visit Angkor Wat. Tons of photos taken already, and to be taken, with Steve in his element! Indeed everyone is snapping away -- on ipads, iphones, digital cameras, go-pros, you name it and someone is taking a picture. Millions of people visit the Angkor temples every year…think of how many images are floating around the world!  So we join the stream.