From Ho Chi Minh City it was on directly to Siem Reap in Cambodia, the site of a certain complex of temples that have put Cambodia on so many people's itineraries since things with the Khmer Rouge have calmed down in the last ten years. Siem Reap is now a bustling, prosperous (and English-speaking) town surrounded by the typically Cambodian landscape of flat, lush greenery interspersed with tall, proud palm trees; it has forever won my heart. It has also, apparently, won the heart of several Hollywood stars and other moguls, and $1000-a-night hotels have mushroomed in this "new Bali."
These images are from the unforgettable temples we visited on the first day of our Angkor weekend.
The main temple, the early 12th-century Angkor Wat with its largely Hindu carvings features, among all else, the most beautiful celestial dancers (apsaras) and their fantastic haircuts. Much of the temple's non-decorative sculptural elements are made to resemble woodwork, such as the delicately carved stone door seen in the second picture from the top.
Bayon, the late 12th-early 13th-century temple built by the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, has intricate mythological and everyday scenes. However, what it is most famous for is its more than 200 faces of the meditating Buddha (supposed to look just like the king himself) that stare out at you, stern, compassionate, kind, or frightful, wherever you turn. It was a truly awesome experience, especially when the eerily smiling faces began to sink into the dusk at sunset.
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