Siem Reap ’14 pt 6: Ta Prohm & Banteay Kdei

Remember this movie? Or this scene?

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Yes, that is Lara Croft, from Tomb Raider. And no, we didn’t get to see Lara Croft when we did our own version of “tomb-raiding”, but we did see that tree. Or what’s left of it.

First things first, though. Hello, I’m back from Puerto Princesa, Palawan! It’s been a fun five-day trip, and I’m thankful for having been given the opportunity to once again enjoy the sun, sea, sky, and sand. I’ll be posting about that trip in the future; meanwhile, I’ll have to clear backlogs out of the way first.

Now, let’s get back to the actual tomb-raiding.

After getting out of the great city of Angkor Thom, we proceeded to other temples. On the way, we stopped by the Chau Say Tevoda, a compact temple made in the style of Angkor Wat.

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We then moved further on and passed by Ta Keo, a state temple with a “mountain temple construction”. When we went there, it was under restoration, so the place was not really open for visitors’ explorations. You can see scaffolding where the work is being done. We just took photos in front.

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A few minutes later, we arrived at Ta Prohm or, for cinephiles out there, the “tomb raider temple”.

Ta Prohm, of course, does not literally mean that. It is often referred to as “the jungle temple”. It is known for its many hidden corners and the strangler figs and silk-cotton trees entwined – and intertwined – among the ruins.  The bigger trees are silk-cotton trees, while the smaller ones are strangler figs. In my opinion, they are a huge factor that adds to the “romantic” and serene atmosphere of the place.

We entered from the East, and it was quite a walk through the outer enclosures toward the center, where the temple is located. In the past, this whole area was a city. Today, it’s a densely forested area.

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We then arrived at this large, raised cross-shaped terrace made of limestone, leading across a moat.

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Strangler figs.
Strangler figs.

If you love exploring, you’ll definitely have a blast picking your way through this place. It’s in a ruined state and, from what I’ve read, it is “UNINTENTIONALLY UNRESTORED”. And I think that’s where part of its beauty lies.

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I did say the place has many hidden corners, right? Imagine playing hide-and-seek in this place! And the carvings on the walls are also something to look at.

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Dancing apsaras.
Dancing apsaras.
Giant trees.
Giant trees.

We finally rounded the corner and got to the famous tree (roots) in the Tomb Raider stills.

Unfortunately, the tree is kinda… dead. Still, it is pretty impressive.

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My friend Lorie.
My friend Lorie.
A tourist sketching the tree.
A tourist sketching the tree.

After a bit of wandering around, we proceeded to the West gate to exit, and proceed to our second to the last stop, Banteay Kdei.

Banteay Kdei (pronounced by Awesome-Tuktuk-Driver Sarat at “banteyk dey”) is considered to be a smaller version of Ta Prohm.

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Pic by Lorie
Devatas on the outer walls.
Devatas on the outer walls.

The place also has a number of “blind windows”. Can you spot one below?

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Here’s a closer look. Hint: it has 5 balusters.

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Here’s a glimpse of columns on the second gallery.

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Devatas and apsaras all over the place.

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It’s like a maze, so easy to get confused. Good thing it’s smaller.

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On the exit are guardian lions, what else. 🙂

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As impressed as I am with the scale of the more popular temples (Ta Prohm, for example), I thoroughly enjoyed going through the smaller temples even more, probably because there was less crowd. At this point, Lorie and I also noticed our companions starting to feel templed out. Haha! And we still have another temple to visit for the day, which is back to Angkor Wat.

See ya then!

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