Bayon, Preah Khan, and Ta Prohm

After departing from Angkor Wat we headed north to Bayon, known for the hundreds of faces carved into the towers, walls and columns.

Bayon was incredible. I can't imagine how beautiful it looked when it was first constructed.
The faces all look serene, with a hint of a smile on their lips; to us this was a perfect representation of the Khmer people. We hadn't met a single person here that didn't smile at us or make us feel welcomed.

Since it was quite rainy the rooms inside the temple were a bit dark and wet, but we had fun exploring and trying to find hidden sneaky ways all the same!

Next up was Preah Khan. This temple was on the big loop of the Angkor site.
Usually people do the small loop (all the more popular temples) the first day, and the big loop (the less well known temples) the second day. We did both in one day since we didn't have much time here.

Preah Khan was a bit of a shock for us.
Compared to the other two temples we've seen this one was in a complete state of ruin.
The complex architectural designs so well pronounced at Angkor Wat was barely discernible here.

Be aware of men (from young boys to older men) chatting you up to explain the history of a certain statue or wall you're look at. They'll keep showing you around for 5-10 minutes and then ask for a "donation".
Just forcefully but graciously tell them you know all about it already and you're not interested in a guide.
Money here goes a looooong way and you're better off just hiring a real guide.

Needless to say after being pestered a few times and going around in circles looking at fallen ruins we wanted to move on.

So last but not least we headed to Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider temple!

This temple was in the best shape with construction going on all around to revamp the place to all of its former glory. I'd love to go back when it's done to see what it looked it when it was first built.
Seeing nature take over what human hands had built was breath taking.
This is one of the best examples of the coexistence of jungle and concrete so beautifully intertwined I believe I will ever see.

Without further ado, I give you, Ta Prohm!

 

This was our big Bucketlist tick for the year and we couldn't be happier. This place is historical and magical.
We did no research on it before going but picked up bits of history on it here and there.
I highly recommend a trip.
Reconstruction is going on but most of the temples are open to tourists.
If you're anywhere near S.E. Asia and you miss this, shame on you.

Also notice how most of these picture have no other people in them? Rainy season!!
At time it felt like it was just us here so rainy season in my view is the way to go.

More from Cambodia soon.
xxxx