The site of the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park located in Siem Reap stretches for about 400 square kilometers (or 154 sq miles), including forested areas, and contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Angkor Wat, a temple within the former Angkor capital, is perhaps the most well-known site at the park. It has been on my bucket list for decades. The Angkor Archaeological Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is, undoubtedly, among the most significant archaeological sites in all of Southeast Asia. We spent the entire morning and afternoon exploring three of the temple complexes within these former capital ruins: Angkor Wat, the equally-impressive Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom and the mind-blowing Ta Prohm Temple just to the east of Angkor Thom. 'Wow' would be a fitting word to describe these sites. It was an amazing experience to walk through these centuries-old temples, which have been undergoing restoration work for years. The architecture and layout of these Khmer capitals underscores a high level of social order, steeped in cultural, religious and symbolic values. In addition to scores of temples, the Angkor Archaeological Park has the remains of hydraulic structures such as dykes, reservoirs and canals, communication routes, and incredible monuments, all of it a testament to an impressive ancient urban planning scheme that denotes an exceptional civilization. There are inhabited villages within the park's boundaries and some of the locals are direct descendants of the Khmers who lived in these ancient capitals. So, as our local guide repeatedly pointed out, this archaeological area was never actually abandoned -- as some earlier historians have claimed -- because there have been people living here since the fall of the Khmer Empire. I have to thank fellow tour member Fatima and our guide Ray, who were kind enough to forward me their pictures from the site after I discovered that my 35mm camera had been stolen from my hotel room on our last day in Siem Reap. Luckily, I had also taken quite a few photographs with my cellphone. The last pictures on this page were from our farewell dinner the following evening.
(Incredible photos coming soon!)