Grand Circuit of Angkor

Visiting temples in Siam Reap apparantly is a good way of doing sport. Climbing up and down the steep stairs of the temple, good exercise for your tigh :-)

Picture on the left might explain the effort required :-)

Luckily not many temples require that ... hehehehe






Below is Preah Khan temple. Preah Khan is a buddhist temple built by King Jayawarman VII. It was surrounded by budha's carvings but all those carvings were removed by the next king as the next king is a Hindu king.

Preah Khan is halfly restored and some even will be retained as ruin to show how it was then it was found.

Then I visited Neak Pean (below left), also built by King Jayawarman VII. It was believed that the water can cure ilness. Today, there are persons doing praying in the middle of the temple (do not know how they reach there, swimming I guess). According to the temple guard, the lady praying to thank the god as the god has cured her sister. So in Siam Reap ... people still have a strong beliefs on offerring gods and asking wealth, health, etc.

Above on the right is Ta Som temple. That girl is the daugher of a lady that work for government to clean up the temple. They regularly sweep the temple floor and clean up the falling leaves. It helps to preserve the temple.

Then next temple is East Mebon. It's a temple in East Baray (water reservoir, but no more water there).

Then below ... Banteay Srei, is a Cambodian temple dedicated to god Shiva. This temple is beautifully carved but was only rediscovered in 19's due to a foreign traveller stole 4 deva statues and got caught.