27th November - In Siep Reap   Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     

 
 
 
 

Siem Reap: Pre Rup at dawn, Ta Prohm
then Angkor Thom and the Bayon
Monday 27th November 2017
 

The first of two very full days in and around Siem Reap, starting at 5:15 a.m!
It was to be an unforgettable couple of days, but we'll let the pictures do (most of) the talking.
 
Dawn at Pre Rup
 
 
 
 
Pre Rup, meaning "Turning the Body", was built by King Rajendravarman around 906 A.D.
 
 
 
The Royal Bathing Lake - made for the King.
 
 
Next, we went to Ta Prohm.
 
 
 
Ta Prohm is one of the few temples where the trees have not been cleared.
 
Courtesans of the Sky, Ta Prohm.
 
 
 
 
Ta Prohm will be recognised by anyone who saw "Tomb Raider"...allegedly.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After visiting Ta Prohm, we returned to the hotel for a late breakfast and a bit of a rest. A couple of hours later, we were off again to visit Angkor Thom (meaning "large city").
 
The Hindu saints guarding the entrance to Angkor Thom.
 
Angkor Thom was the capital city and the centre of King Jayavarman VII's vast empire. The huge walled complex was the world's largest city in the 12th century and is estimated to have had around a million inhabitants. The moat around it is 3 kilometers long on each side.
 
The devils riding a snake.
 
The south entrance to Angkor Thom with the king's head.
 
 
Erewan, the three-headed elephant, on whom Indra rides and protects the city.
 
 
How they built Angkor Thom.
 
The Bayon temple, at the centre of Angkor Thom.
 
Bayon temple
 
Lion protecting Bayon temple
 
 
Bas relief, Bayon. Going to war.
 
A tiny fraction of the bas relief, Bayon
 
Turtle bites man. Man scolds woman.
 
War on the river.
 
Terraces, Bayon
 
Three heads, Bayon
 
 
Siesta time for a tuk tuk driver (not ours... we were in an air-conditioned car!)
 
Bauphoun temple, Angkor Thom.
 
Geoff gets to the first of three levels
 
Terrace on the first level
 
View from the top of Baphoun
 
Geoff stayed at the second level especially to photograph Bruce at the top...
 
...from where there was a great view - hi Geoff!
 
Baphoun
 
"Touch and die". Safe to touch, the leaves collapse and fake death to avoid being eaten.
 
Phimeanakas temple, the oldest in Angkor Thom, built in the 11th Century.
 
Our brilliant guide, Buntha.
 
Elephant terrace, Angkor Thom
 
By mid-afternoon, we were back at the hotel. Bruce decided to relax and enjoy a couple of glasses of ice-cold fresh mango juice! Geoff, on the other hand was on a mission to shop and went off by himself to the Old Market.
 
After last night's excellent meal at the hotel, we did the same tonight. It was every bit as good, but we kind of felt we had exhausted their menu. Tomorrow, being our last full day, we decided we might try somewhere else and tried to make a booking. The first restaurant on our recommended list was fully booked, but we did manage to get a booking elsewhere. We hoped we had made the right choice. We were also looking forward to our sightseeing tomorrow, a visit to the world famous Angkor Wat!
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble