Photos: India

just_lav — Mon, 25 May 2015 20:51:00 GMT

The lost civilization of Angkor

just_lav — Thu, 21 May 2015 23:50:36 GMT

Angkor Wat or "Capital Temple" as it is known is situated in the northern area of Siam Reap. Captivated by its history and architecture, i did plan a trip to Angkor Wat back in 2010. I hired a car and a guide to explain about the history of the Buddhist and Hindu ancient civilization. The Khmer influence proofed to be rather intriguing as we drove into the 200 hectare compound. I remember my guide informing me that there are about 100 "Wat's" or temples within the compound that do not include the main temple that was going through restoration.

As the car drove by smaller "Wat's" , I could not fight my desire to climb into the smaller temple's and have a peek inside. I got out of my car and speed climbing upwards, using all fours, into a "Wat". The structure was very sturdy and strong. It did not take me long to climb.

There was a problem though. Once i reached the top, the steepness of the stairs really did scare me. I knew scaling down would be a problem though i did not think about it immediately. I wandered into the small temple. There were no Buddhist or Hindu statues or sculptures. This was rather disappointingly expected. From the entrance of the Wat, i would see along a few hectares of land and even more Wat's , including the main temple. I got over my fear of the climbing down by just using my hands and feet and descending the temple. The same way i proceed up, i proceeded down.

The main temple is connected by a large bridge structure to the outer compound. While i was walking on it, my guide informed me that the best time to visit the main temple was in the evening as skyline of the main temple is really beautiful. I did notice that there were many professional photographers that had their equipment set up to shoot the famous UN Heritage site.

The sculptures of the Apsaras or the celestial dances are incredibly detail and visitors are not permitted to touch them. I did spend a few hours in the main temple ground walking along looking at the precise architecture . Between the hours of 4.00pm to 630pm is the best time to experience the lost civilization of Angkor, a land that is not necessarily lost but just kept and preserved for years to come.

What to expect, when you're travelling.

Photos: India

The lost civilization of Angkor