Angkor What!?

12-15.1.2012

Goes without saying that one of the world wonders deserve a post of their own, loaded with photos. Seriously, everyone should go while it’s too late. Already packed with Japanese tourists, I found it hard to snap a photo without someone snappin theirs in mine.

Angkor Wat was build around 1200 century and is now operated by a Japanese touring company, renovated by Indians and populated by myriad of us tourists. Enjoy 😉

Bang. The main shot of the main temple.

This time I was on my own because Antti had already been here two years ago and the tickets are quite expensive. 20$ for a day was still well worth it.

The area is huge! At least 20km by square and there was another area about 35km north. I heard that you would need at least three days to scope the whole thing and you would be in a hurry.

I decided to take my time and not even try to see everything. I just spent one day, circling around the most popular temple areas including Angor Wat (above), Bayon (below) and Ta Bhrom (way below with all the roots). Of course I also visited the temple that Tomb Raider was filmed in, Angkor Thom (just scroll down) ^^

Bayon

Sorry I already forgot where all these pictures are taken from 🙂 You should go and check them out by yourself anyway!

Toilets are over there btw.

Just impossible to make a shot without pesky tourists… Hmm. Or is it?

Abracadabra, tourists begone! (thanks PSTouch for iPad)

The amount of detail everywhere in the temples was ashtonishing!

The circular holes you see everywhere, are left by archeologists, who collected samples to determine the age and other interesting facts about the temples.

Some of the statuettes and structures were refurbished and you could clearly tell the difference between real and fake. I would have preferred the old, broken ones. I guess they won’t last forever, what would.

Those faces could be intimidating if walking here alone in the night…

There were times I felt like Indiana Jones on an exloration 😛

The detail on the HUGE faces in Bayon was unreal!

Other times I felt like I was right there with Lara, raiding tombs…

Ok. Found two candidates for new Lara Croft. Please tell me which one you prefer 🙂

As I was walking that long bridge there, I couldn’t help but wonder, how was the life here in the glory days? Must have been amazing. Even now the water, the trees and the temples create an atmosphere I just can’t find words to describe with.

One of these days it’s gonna fall…

Ta Bhrom temple. Man. The pictures just won’t do justice. It is like a movie. Trees hundreds of years old have completely taken over the temple, decaying it bit by bit. My absolute favourite!

Mr. Destruction

Can you hear the distant sound of a switch flipping? (kuuluuko kaukainen vivun ääni)

The temple of Tomb Raider! (yes, I renamed it)

Blood on the walls?

The architecture and workmanship is simply amazing. These piles of rocks are still standing after 800 years!

After a full days walking in the temples, up and down countless stairs, I decided to rest couple of days… Don’t want to wear myself out 😉

Considered to get an “apina” haircut 😀 (apina = monkey in Finnish)

Oh, wow, the colours!

Next two-three days, it was eating, sleeping and fish massage, as per usual 🙂 In case you have never tried this, it is a special kind of fish that just LOVES dead skin! So, in 20 minutes they will clean your feet of excess debris. Just what I needed after good 20km walk…