The heart and soul of Cambodia

The first weekend we were in Cambodia we headed north to Siem Reap with the main purpose to visit the Temples of Angkor. There are about 19 temples (or wats) in the area - spread out over some considerable distance. The temples are a source of inspiration and national pride and they are a point of pilgrimage for all Khmers, and a huge tourist magnet - who come in their thousands to see this Wonder of the World!
The temples are in various states of disrepair, some being allowed to be consumed by the jungle around them, others are being restored through international agreements with other countries ie America, Germany and Japan.
We started our sight seeing at 4.30am to climb to the top of the highest temple (Phnom Bakheng) for sunrise, scrabbling up a large rock face in the dark hanging on to roots and trees was not an experience we will forget! but nothing prepared us for the magnificence of these structures. Built between 9th and 14th Century, they are feats of construction and reflections of mans commitment to their gods.
I could bore you with details of each temple we saw but I think some of the photos would be of more interest ....
Phnom Bakheng Temple




Breakfast of mangos at a sacrificial table!
Bayon- this temple has over 50 towers with 216 huge (approx 12ft high)smiling carved faces



Spring cleaning at Bayon!
Angkor Wat - the most famous of the temples at Angkor and the largest


We are not sure why these beautifully carved women have particularly shiny body parts - one can only guess!



Monks are a very common sight at the temples. The different shades of orange robes denote how long you have been a monk.