Siem Reap, Angkor wat, second day (48km)

DSCF3674

Second day visiting Angkor park. Today I’ve done the small tour but cycled even more than 2 days ago because I run out of battery and had to came back “home” during lunch time. That second visit was good but hey, this place is huge.

Map.

DSCF3527

This morning, I’m on my way to Ta Prohm. Along the way I cycle through nice rice fields. The sun is up, I cross my fingers for no rain today.

DSCF3529

Ta Prohm (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម, pronunciation: prasat taprohm) is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara (wikipedia).

DSCF3530

Ta Prohm is famous for its huge trees growing on the temple’s walls.

DSCF3532

Wider view.

DSCF3538

Unfortunately, the temple being renovated it’s difficult to avoid that big crane in the middle of the view.

DSCF3543

I like the colours of this one, green, azur, brown, yellow…

DSCF3545

Some perspective.

DSCF3546

Black and white.

DSCF3553

Look at the supports!

DSCF3558

Ta Prohm is a real maze. I’m kind of lost.

DSCF3559

Quite hard to take pictures here.

DSCF3563

The tree is literally eating the wall.

DSCF3564

Obviously, that’s not the right way.

DSCF3570

What about there?

DSCF3579

!!

DSCF3582

I’m out!

DSCF3586

Ouch! broken…

DSCF3591

Hey, I think I’ve found the main entrance :-)

DSCF3596

Yes, that’s the one.

DSCF3598

Front view.

DSCF3601

Skylight.

DSCF3604

I’m going out to make sure I didn’t miss any thing but my bicycle is parked on the opposite side.

DSCF3610

Green!

DSCF3614

Back towards the entrance. I feel I missed something…

DSCF3620

Is it the one? not sure.

DSCF3627

That’s still impressive.

DSCF3649

Nice pattern :-)

DSCF3653

I like the style of the ceiling.

DSCF3658

Spying on Apsara.

DSCF3662

Grrr!

DSCF3665

Back to the beginning. Let’s visit the next site.

DSCF3674

I’m not really sure if that wall is leaning of not.

DSCF3676

There is more habitations around here.

DSCF3678

Most of the time, when possible, I cycle along those walls, in the quiet nature.

DSCF3683

Hey!

DSCF3684

I might get lot finally… ;-)


DSCF3698

Hey no I’ve found Ta KeoTa Keo (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាកែវ) is a temple-mountain, in Angkor (Cambodia), possibly the first to be built entirely of sandstone by Khmers.

DSCF3688

They are doing a very hard work on this one. The workers teams have dismounted more than 10.000 blocks and replaced them.

DSCF3690

A Khmer family praying.

DSCF3692

The view from the top of Ta Keo.

DSCF3695

Another side.

DSCF3700

That’s it for this one. I’m on the saddle again.


DSCF3703
Chau Say Tevoda (Khmer: ប្រាសាទចៅសាយទេវតា) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located just east of Angkor Thom, directly south of Thommanon across the Victory Way (it pre-dates the former and post-dates the latter). Built in the mid-12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Watperiod. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, and with unique types of female sculptures of devatas enshrined in it (wikipedia source).
DSCF3711

Thommanon (Khmer: ប្រាសាទធម្មនន្ទ) is one of a pair of Hindu temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II (from 1113–1150) at Angkor, Cambodia. This small and elegant temple is located east of the Gate of Victory of Angkor Thom and north of Chau Say Tevoda. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1992 titled Angkor. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu (wikipedia source).

DSCF3712

Victoria Gate is one of the five gates around “The Bayon” temple.

DSCF3715

Closer look.

DSCF3718

Cycling towards “The Bayon” temple now.

DSCF3829

North Khleang.

DSCF3721

Preah Palilay (Khmer: ប្រាសាទព្រះប៉ាលីឡៃ) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, 400 m north-west of Phimeanakas (wikipedia source).

DSCF3724

Walking around…

DSCF3727 DSCF3734

Trees grow anywhere.

DSCF3736

Second view angle.

DSCF3739

The top of the temple.

DSCF3742

I’m now walking to the back of the park.

DSCF3743

Nice one :-)


Ooups! no more battery. I must go back to charge.

DSCF3746

I’m going back to the Guesthouse to charge my battery and have lunch. That’s Charles de Gaulle avenue again with elephants.


DSCF3747

About an hour later I’m back front of Angkor wat.

DSCF3758

Anf finally back where I left this morning.

DSCF3759

I keep on walking through the back of the park.

DSCF3760

Phimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស, Prasat Phimean Akas, ‘celestial temple’) or Vimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទវិមានអាកាស, Prasat Vimean Akas) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman (from 941-968), then completed by Suryavarman I in the shape of a three tier pyramid as a Hindu temple. On top of the pyramid there was a tower, while on the edge of top platform there are galleries. Phimeanakas is located inside the walled enclosure of the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom north of Baphuon.

DSCF3761

We cannot go up there.

DSCF3762

Keep on moving.


DSCF3763
The Terrace of the Elephants (Khmer: ព្រះលានជល់ដំរី) is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom, a ruined temple complex in Cambodia. The terrace was used by Angkor’s king Jayavarman VII as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army. It was attached to the palace of Phimeanakas (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស), of which only a few ruins remain. Most of the original structure was made of organic material and has long since disappeared. Most of what remains are the foundation platforms of the complex. The terrace is named for the carvings of elephants on its eastern face (wikipedia source).

DSCF3764

The Baphuon (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបាពួន) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. It is the archetype of the Baphuon style (wikipedia source).

DSCF3766

Front view.


DSCF3771
The Bayon (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat Bayon) is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences (wikipedia source).
DSCF3773

Some more apsara dancers.

DSCF3774

The innards of Bayon.

DSCF3777

Up to the top.

DSCF3778

One of the many stone faces.

DSCF3779

It’s quite hard to find the right perspective here (especially without sunlight).

DSCF3781

I keep turning around and it looks the same haha.

DSCF3802

Closer look from outside.

DSCF3784

“The Bayon”.

DSCF3805

Different point of view.


DSCF3814
Gate of the Dead. This door is parallel to the “Victory Gate”.

DSCF3817

Victoria Gate again.

DSCF3823

Closer look.


DSCF3835

Phnom Bakheng (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu and Buddhist temple in the form of a temple mountain. Dedicated to Shiva, it was built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman(889-910). Located atop a hill, it is nowadays a popular tourist spot for sunset views of the much bigger temple Angkor Wat, which lies amid the jungle about 1.5 km to the southeast. The large number of visitors makes Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor. Since 2004, World Monuments Fund has been working to conserve the temple in partnership with APSARA.

DSCF3838

This is the last temple of the day. I have enough.

DSCF3841

They are doing a big job on this one (eastern view).

DSCF3844

Western view.

DSCF3847

View from the top (towards east).

DSCF3850

Most of the visitors come here to see the sunset but I’m not sure we are going to see anything special today.

DSCF3851

Other view.

DSCF3854

This side hasn’t restored yet.


DSCF3857

Angkor Wat front entrance, last look.

DSCF3860

That’s it for today.

DSCF3863

Angkor Wat is a huge place to visit. I still have a day to go but I’m not sure I will use it. See ya!