White-chan in Siem Reap - Temples Marathon all the way to Preah Khan!

Day 2: Angkor Wat Sunrise - Banteay Srei - Banteay Kdei - Neak Pean - Ta Som - East Mebon - Preah Khan - Phrom Bakheng Sunset



Preah Khan was built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. And like the nearby Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, so again we see giant trees eating up the temple buildings.

Preah Khan was built after King Jayavarman VII's victory over the invading Chams in 1191. Not sure if that is why the name "Preah Khan" means "Holy Sword", or because there was really some Holy Sword stored somewhere in the temple. But one thing for sure, this temple was dedicated to the King's father.

















There are lots of pretty bas reliefs in Preah Khan that are still pretty much intact. While some of them might already be discolored, all of them look so fine and delicate! White-chan especially like the bas relief of Buddha under the Bodhi tree on one wall that is filled with green algae! But it is so not obvious that if you walk a bit faster, sure miss it one!

White-chan in Siem Reap - Temples Marathon from Banteay Kdei to East Mebon

Day 2: Angkor Wat Sunrise - Banteay Srei - Banteay Kdei - Neak Pean - Ta Som - East Mebon - Preah Khan - Phrom Bakheng Sunset

Banteay Kdei is a Buddhist temple built during the reign of Jayavarman VII, and it is in the Bayon architectural style, similar in plan to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, but less complex and smaller.

And Banteay Kdei is also the start of our Temples Marathon of the day...









Neak Pean is built on a man-made island, also during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. Some historians believe that Neak Pean represents Anavatapta, a mythical lake in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure all illness. So Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes, as it is one of the many hospitals that Jayavarman VII built.

This temple's design is based on the ancient Hindu belief of balance. Four connected pools represent Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. The ancients believed that if you bath in these pools you will be able to achieve balance in the elements and so will be cured of disease. But now if you jump in, I think you double confirm will get very sick.

Before we arrive at Neak Pean, we were expecting this:


Courtesy of Miguel Vicente Martínez Juan

But because we went during dry season, what we saw was this:



Ta Som is also built by King Jayavarman VII, and like Ta Phrom, is also conquered by many giant trees.













The East Mebon is a 10th Century temple built during the reign of King Rajendravarman. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king.

The sculpture at the East Mebon is varied and exceptional, including two-meter-high free-standing stone elephants at corners of the first and second tiers. And after all these years, one or two of these elephants are still looking good lor!

East Mebon stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. At the top of a tower, we have to imagine this East Mebon used to be surrounded by water, and people have to visit the temple by boat. Imagine how grand and majestic then!









And the Temple Marathon continues...

White-chan in Siem Reap - The pink temple

Day 2: Angkor Wat Sunrise - Banteay Srei - Banteay Kdei - Neak Pean - Ta Som - East Mebon - Preah Khan - Phrom Bakheng Sunset

Banteay Srei is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and is a distance away from the main temple area. So this also means you need to pay your tuk-tuk or car driver extra to bring you to this legendary pink temple. Banteay Srei is pink because it was built largely of red sandstone, but of course don't expect Hello Kitty pink lah! But I must say the carvings there are really good lor! Very fine and detailed! Solid sia!

White-chan in Siem Reap - Tomb Raiding Ta Phrom

Day 1: Bayon - Baphuon - Leper King Terrace - Elephant Terrace - Ta Phrom - Ang Kor Wat

Ah yes... some scenes in the trailer familiar right? Yap, the Tomb Raider did come to Siem Reap to film part of the story, Angelina Jolie did kick and jump around in the Angkor temples in the days and eat and drink in Pub Street in the nights. One temple especially made famous and even up to the extent that it is known as the "Tomb Raider temple" is Ta Phrom.

The Ta Phrom is characterised by the gigantic silk-cotton trees and strangler vines over-running the old temple roofs and walls. Siem Reap has decided to leave the temple as it is - slowly been eaten up by the trees - not to remember how it looked like in the Tomb Raider film, but because they want people to see what nature can do to a building if they just leave it alone in the jungle.



















King Jayavarman VII constructed Ta Phrom in honor of his mother and Preah Khan for his father. When his mother passed away, he buried her in one of the chambers and decorated the walls with diamonds! Rich lor! But of course after all these years, what we see are just holes lah, where got diamonds left for us! But wait! Isn't that a Christmas tree?!?

White-chan in Siem Reap - Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Day 2: Angkor Wat Sunrise - Banteay Srei - Banteay Kdei - Neak Pean - Ta Som - East Mebon - Preah Khan - Phrom Bakheng Sunset



Yes, I know the sun will still rise without us watching over it, but no trip to Angkor Wat is complete without a sunrise trip, even thought it means we have to leave our guest house at 5am with an empty stomach!

When we reached Angkor Wat, it was already swamped with tourists, not to mention that everyone was overcrowding in front of the lake in front of Angkor Wat! THE place to take picture of Angkor Wat and its reflection! Here's where the Cambodians know how to do business. They actually placed mats over the edges of the lake so if you want to get the front row seats, you need to pay USD1 per person!

Ok lor, since we're there for the sunrise, it's better to pay USD1 for the front row place than to risk taking crappy photos with stupid tourists suddenly standing up in front of the sunrise right?

And then after we paid for the premium spot, I started setting up my tripod. And almost immediately, some stupid ang mor behind shouted that I'm blocking him! I shouted back (yes, chao ang mor, I CAN understand and speak English!) that I was still setting up and no it will not block him because that tripod will be placed in front of ME! DUH! But even when we started taking pictures, I could still hear him grumbling to his friends about how we were blocking him. Walauz! Then PAY for the spot lah! Sometimes these ang mors seem to forget that South East Asia is no longer anybody's colony and they are no longer our masters! URGHHHH