Temples of Angkor

I think any attempt to describe the temples of Angkor will be futile, for photos certainly do not capture them, and I simply cannot put them into words, at least not after a single morning there. Nevertheless, accepting the inevitable futility of my effort, below are some pictures and captions, that will hopefully provide at least a glimpse of my first experience at the temples.

Accompanied by friends Sofi and Steve (not their real names, which you nor I can pronounce correctly), riding in a tuk-tuk on the way to the temples. Along the way, S & S teach me the versatility of a silk scarf. Requiring a nickname of my own, Steve now calls me "Yei", meaning "grandmother".



Near the entrance to Ta Prohm temple, which was perhaps my favorite. A kind elder Khmer gentleman showed us around the temple grounds, directing us to little secret nooks and stone carvings that most visitors probably miss.



One of the countless kid vendors who hang out around the temples, hawking t-shirts, bracelets, scarves, sarongs, etc. to the international stream of tourists. They are incredibly witty and clever merchants, and speak bits and pieces of probably a dozen languages. I heard 8-year olds switch from Khmer to English to Japanese to Spanish to Chinese to French in a matter of minutes. This particular girl, upon learning I was from the United States, rattled off in a single breath, all 50 states AND capitals, in no particular order, starting with Montpelier Vermont and ending with Raleigh North Carolina. Another girl, who was tired of me politely rejecting the above-mentioned wares, asked what I DID want to buy. When I said "nothing", she said that "nothing" would cost me 10 bucks.



I haven't a clue to who this deity might be, but I liked how the carving was fractured.



Unfortunately most of my photos from Bayon temple, my other favorite, were very washed out--very difficult to capture the intricacy of the faces and facades.



A profile of one of the many serene faces of Bayon.



Khmer girl in a red scarf. Wandering through Bayon temple, one comes upon a great many doors and windows, many of them opening to the smiling Buddhas. The light coming through the openings has an incredible effect inside the dark hallways.



A horse, with the main and largest temple, Angkor Wat in the background.