Temples of Angkor

The Temples of Angkor are about 10-20 miles outside of Siem Reip. These are the most beautiful ruins I have ever seen. Many of the temples have been reconstructed, and you can roam freely throughout the stone hallways and dark rooms.

The first temple we visited was Angkor Wat. This is the famous one that you see in pictures. We got there before sunrise, and Nick and I went straight from the main entrance to the large complex in back. The buildings were empty except for a couple Cambodian men lighting incense at statues of Buddha tucked away in dark corners. The complex is open to climb and explore, and it was a cool experience to explore ancient stone ruins alone in the dark.

We also visited a temple that has not been touched or reconstructed at all. Huge trees grow on top of the complex with fascinating root structures that have penetrated walls and entangle large sections of the temple.

The thing that was really interesting to me was the mixture of Hindu and Buddhist influence. When the first temples were built, the area that is now Cambodia was predominately Hindu. They were built with beautiful statues and carvings of Hindu gods. Later on the area shifted to become predominately Buddhist, as it is today. The emperors that came to power modified the temples with statues of Buddha, but in many cases left the Hindu influence. It is fascinating to see such a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism in the same structures. The ancient Khmers must have been very tolerant people. I find it hard to believe that any Catholics or Christians would ever tolerate Hindu carvings on their buildings.

The temples of Angkor are fascinating, and there are so many in the area that you can explore for a week without visiting the same one twice.