Angkor Thom, Cambodia

Angkor Thom was known as the "Great City", the most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire.  It was established by King Jayavarman ll in the late 12th century.  Angkor Thom comprises a group of temples walled and surrounded by moat.  Five Gopuras serves as the entrance, North, South, East, West Gates and the Victory Gopura. Temples inside the walls of the city are Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King, Prah Palilay, Tep Pranam, and Prasat Suor Prat.

Angkor is a Khmer term meaning "city". It comes from the Sanskrit nagara.

Thom is a Khmer term meaning "large". (Angkor Thom means "large city".)

Gopura is a Sanskrit term meaning "entrance pavilion" or "gateway".

Victory Gopura of Angkor Thom

Bayon is the Temple of Stone Faces, looking at far they seem like stone mountains.  This is another favorite temple by visitors.  Anyone will be amazed when they get closer to the Bayon.

Take a look at those magnificent mountain-peaks transformed into beaming stone faces.

Side by side bayons

A closer look

Face to face with the bayon

Smiling bayon

Peek-a-boo!

Pond of Angkor Thom Royal Palace

As most of the buildings within the Royal Palace complex are for non-religious purposes, they are constructed mainly of wood, which is perishable.  The religious structures and ponds are still visible reminders of the grandeur of ancient times.

*** Wall Reliefs ***

APSARA: Khmer classical dancers use movements and gestures to tell a story much like a mime. Many people consider their style vague or abstract. Dancers do not speak or sing; they dance with a slight smile and are never supposed to open their mouths (though a few dramas have brief speaking parts).

Apsara Dancers

Women selling fruits and playing with a child

Cockfight

*** Ruins around Angkor Thom ***

Terrace of the Elephants

Terrace of the Elephants is located in the Royal Square of Angkor Thom, built at the end of the 12th century, dedicated to Buddhist and replica to Bayon style of art.

Leper King Terrace

This terrace refers to a statue of the Leper King that is on the platform of the terrace.

King Leper Statue Terrace wall

Prasat Suor Prat

Prasat is a Khmer term meaning "tower". It comes from the Sanskrit Prasada.  A legend named them Temple of Dancers.

Prasat Suor Prat is located the beginning of the road leading to the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom.

There are legends behind the Prasat Suor Prat. Ropes anchored each of the twelve towers for the acrobats performing at festivals while the King watched the performances of the dancers from one of the towers.  Another is that towers used in settling disputes between men.  It was just difficult to put all the twelve temples in one frame.

Tep Pranam 

Tep Pranam means "The adoring god". The Buddha seated on a "calling the earth to witness" pose.

Elephant Rides 

Baphoun

Baphuon represents a mountain called Mt. Meru also Sumeru "Great Meru" a sacred mountain in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.   It is undergoing its restoration.

Phimeanakas, The Gold Tower

Phimeanakas According to legend there was a gold tower (Phimeanakas ) inside the royal palace of Angkor the Great where a serpent-spirit with nine heads lived.  The spirit appeared to the Khmer king disguised as a woman and the king had to sleep with her every night in the tower before he joined his wives and concubines in another part of the palace.  If the king missed even one night it was believed he would die.  In this way, the royal lineage of the Khmer was perpetuated.

Transport services assembly

 

The Artist

Thanks to you Mr.Chinese for stepping back right on this moment of our timed picture taking, thumbs-up to you :-D

Thanks to the photographer for this very nice "solo" shot.

Month of May is dry to wet season in Cambodia and obviously it was hot hot hot when I went there this year.  Thanks to the tuktuk driver who brought his own cooler box for storing our water.  Drink lots and lots of water for keeping hydrated in the summer.  Relax to recharge the body after the long dehydrating and tiring walk.

 Doze off in a hammock

A magazine while resting

Have a Khmer fried rice and some mango shake

References: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.asiaexplorers.com/cambodia/bayon.htm; 
http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/angkor/phimeanaskas.asp

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Eraser

"I was reading and felt as if it was mine

felt hidden pain as if it was just yesterday

when is over really over?

hope a day this tears will run dry

smile was once as bright as the sun

voice that once sweet that runs through my ears

on those eyes where I rested my dreams

all to be thrown and drift away the memories and pain

to the wilderness of the sea

.... if remembering causes only the pain.

 just need an eraser."

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Angkor Wat, Cambodia

             Angkor Wat , The 7th World Heritage

May 21, 2010  

My phone alarmed at 04:30a.m, our meeting time set at 05:30 am as we wanted to catch the sunrise.                    

I was surprised to see Barang, our Tuktuk driver when I opened the door to see who was knocking at that so early.   He wants to make sure that Sachiko and I  are awake and ready for the day tour after coming to the guesthouse late last night.  Of course,  I am ready!                    

Five-thirty in the morning we are on the road.   Some scenes while on our way to get our Gate Pass to the Angkor.  Dollar bill is widely accepted in Siem Reap and received Riels (Cambodian money) change if smaller than a $1.  

A 9yr old boy making a living at this early in the morning

 The Sunrise

Finally, we reached the place where to purchase ticket. There are people who are in groups waiting outside. A day pass to Angkor cost $20, and 2 & 3 days cost $40, the ticket has the photo of the guest.  I just purchased a day visit and here is my pass.

A $20 day pass

Angkor Wat, The City of Temple

The Sunrise 

Devata

Devata

Bas Relief Galleries

The Churning of the Sea of Milk

Damons pulling the snake

Churning of the Sea of Milk . The most magnificent Angkor Wat relief of them all.It shows 92 gods and 88 demons fighting for the elixir of immortality and a snake caught up in the middle. The gods hold the tail, the demons hold the head, while the snake coils itself around Mt. Mandala. Each time the gods and demons pull from their sides, the mountain turns and the ocean churns.According to one of the stories, the demons and gods were actually working together in creating the elixir. Once the elixir was created, the gods tricked the demons and took the elixir for themselves.Not giving up, one of the demons managed to sneak into the god's residence and drink the elixir before Wishnu beheaded him. Because of the immortal elixir, the demon survived, but possessing only his head. - Holiday in Angkor Wat.

Battle of Kurukshetra Gallery

The Battle of Kurukshetra is a bas-relief at Angkor Wat depicting the Hindu epic from the Mahabharata. Famously depicted on the walls at Angkor Wat, the bas-relief describes the struggle of two rival clans, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, which culminated in the Battle of Kurukshetra in northern India. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, the king will usually be the biggest person on the art. Asia Explorers Travel Guide.

Got swarmed by children selling water, postcards, souvenir items, books and hats as we got outside the temple.  You have to bargain 50% of the asked price. A book was initialy priced at $12 in which I got $11 for two.

Ancient Angkor, book guide by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques

Took some rest while having breakfast at a restaurant outside the Angkor. The girl who waits on us sold 5 flutes to me.  I got them for $3, for my niece and nephews. I wanted to buy more but she has only those.  Noticeably, the youngsters who are selling items can speak different languages depending on the nationality of their buyers.

It such a beautiful sounds to hear my local language uttered by them. "Ate kamusta ka? Ate bili na. Salamat". (Sister (elder) how are you? Sister buy. Thank you).

Up Next: Angkor Thom and more

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