Friday, March 11, 2016

Seeing more of the World: Part IV Siem Reap,Cambodia

Siem Reap

This is probably the most popular destination in all of Cambodia because of its proximity to Angkor Wat and the Angkor Archaeological Park. We've all seen the images of strangling vines wrapped around these ancient structures. Both Indiana Jones' Temple of Doom and Laura Croft's Tomb Raider were filmed here. There are more than a 1000 Temples of Angkor built between the 9th and 13th Centuries covering an area twice as big as Manhattan. Can you imagine the astonishment of the Portuguese missionaries hacking their way through the jungle and stumbling upon these towers? 






As spectacular as the exteriors of these temples are, I was captivated by the intricate reliefs throughout in interiors. Story-telling at its finest!

































Of all the amazing temples we saw, I think Towers of Bayon with all the faces of Buddha was my favorite.



Because of the popularity of Siem Reap, the city has become quite a party place for foreigners. It comes to life in the evening with clubs, loud music, and street dancing. Mike and I could only handle a couple of drinks before seeking a less crazy place than Pub Street. 

Image result for pub street siem reap

We found there was another place of interest  near Siem Reap beyond the street scene and Angkor. We took a boat trip out into Tonie Sap Lake to see the floating villages complete with stores, churches and floating homes.








Stay tuned for our next stop--Vietnam.



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