Angkor Wat, Cambodia

I don't know what to tell you guys. Just get here as fast as you can so you can see it for yourself. Angkor Wat and the surrounding area is beautiful and majestic and for some reason you can just walk all up in it. I don't think they should be letting us do that so get here quick before they figure it out. 

We arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia, yesterday and headed to Angkor Wat in the late afternoon. It was hot but worth it to traipse all over this magnificent sight. Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage sight and rightfully so. It is fantastically preserved for being around since the 12th century. It was likely a funeral temple for King Suryavarman II and it includes many Hindu elements. The entire temple is stone with elaborate carvings and tiered towers. 

I could actually just post hundreds of pictures but I figure the average reader doesn't want to scroll for days. If I have grossly underestimated your interest level, check out my google+ photos for the full "Kelly takes too many pictures and even deleted half of them" experience.  

Today we declared "Elephant Day" so we put on our matching Thai elephant pants (also hugely popular with the Cambodian street vendors and many other tourists), boarded a tuk-tuk, and went to find the elephants. 

We ended up at Bayon Temple, a temple in the Angkor Thom complex next to Angkor Wat, where you can ride an elephant around the temple. 

The ride was immensely worth it. Our elephant was super friendly, our driver serenaded us with hits played on a leaf, and we had great views of the temple. We also are now the stars of many other tourists' home videos. 

After riding, we went into the temple itself. The temple is known for the faces which appear on 52 towers around the temple. There is one face for each cardinal direction on each tower. The faces are said to be of King Jayavarman VII who had the temple built in the late 1100's. The faces are smiling, friendly, and welcoming. 

Following Bayon we went by another temple, the Elephant Terrace, and through the main gate to Angkor Thom. 

Our last temple of the day was Ta Prohm and it is my favorite by far. Ta Prohm answers the question "what if we built a really cool temple but just let all the trees grow in and around it?" A few parts have been restored but there are still large sections with stones in piles on the ground, waiting to be reset. Enormous trees are everywhere and their roots are creeping over walls, over floors, over everything. The effect is magically creepy. 

I think I can safely say that this is the most amazing place I have ever been. I am fascinated to know how long it will be in this condition with relatively few tourists, a low admission entrance, and free range to basically climb over and touch everything. I'll say again that you need to get here soon before they put up ramps and scaffolding and limit your access. 

Tomorrow we explore other sections and I can't wait!