We caved for a tuk-tuk the second day, to efficiently visit a few outlying temples of Angkor. Our first stop was Ta Phrom, covered in massive roots either grasping the crumbling blocks and holding them together, or slowly prying stones apart at the cracks. The surrounding jungle was reclaiming its territory, lending a certain spookiness to the place.
We next wandered through Preah Khan, an expansive structure with room after adjoining room, forming a long tunnel with various arms and outlying buildings, their carved stone walls tinted green and red from the jungle moisture. Unlike Angkor Wat, Preah Khan was very quiet, save for a constant, low buzz from the thick trees. Looking into the dense forest from its edge made completely plausible the presence of sizeable structures out there in the thick of it, yet undiscovered.
After a late lunch and brief rest in the shade, we rode out to Phrom Bakheng to climb up the hill (without elephant assistance) in time to see the sunset. This was the place to be, given the crowd; we got to see Angkor Wat in the distance, but only a bit of reddish sun before the sky clouded over. 
We hiked back down the hill in the hazy dusk, toward dinner and a dip in the pool. And that was Cambodia. We left the next morning in a purple propeller plane bound for Ho Chi Minh City.
No comments:
Post a Comment