Angkor Wat (Short Circuit)

Angkor Wat is considered one of the largest Hindu/Buddhist temples in the world and it was the center of the Khmer Empire.  I'm sure you've seen a lot of pictures or at least heard about it.  However, pictures, even mine, do it no justice.  It is a marvel and feat, especially considering the time in which it was built (12th century).  It was one of the most expensive attractions we went to see, paying $40 for a 3 day pass.  However, you can't travel that far and not so see it.  So, here are a few of my photos from Angkor Wat and some of the surrounding temples in the area.  

(If you blow up this picture, you can see a bridge crossing the water/moat)

(Here is a picture from the same bridge in the picture above, with the outside wall of the Angkor Wat complex.)

 (A fresco/art in the walls of the temple)

(Here you can see the main temple in the background.  This is after passing through the outside gate.)

(Unfortunately, since we were there during the slow season, there was quite a bit of construction going on.  Not only at this temple, but at a lot of them.)

 (The inner sanctum, with each hallway pointing in a cardinal direction and each direction having some representation)

(Again, to give you a perspective on size, here were the steep steps we had to climb to get up to the inner sanctuary/area of worship.)

(Again, notice the detail, for a temple built in the 1100s, this is pretty amazing, at least in my opinion)

(Here you are looking back out towards the outer gate.  This is to give you an idea of the height and the advantage point of those inside the temple.)

(This was at the end of one of the hallways emanating from the center sanctum.  I can't quite remember what this specific statue stood for.)

  

 (A few more Buddhist statues)

(An entirely different area of the complex.  This one was special for the stone heads that lined both sides of the street.) 

(A few elephants going for a walk)

(Not quite lined up but close enough.  Notice again how small the people are in these pictures...)

(Faces in the rock)

(A few more structures)

(I'm not 100% but I believe this is where Tomb Raider, or at least a few scenes from it were shot)

 (A few elephants with their trunks hanging down at the Tomb of the Elephant King)

 (Here is a picture of a wall and I know it's hard to make out what is on the wall)

 (Here's a better close up of the same wall.  Just to give you an idea of the detail, time, and resources that went in to making that wall.)

(Since the complex was abandoned for hundreds of years, vegetation started to take over at a few of the structures.)

(This whole thing is in the middle of nowhere and it took us half a day to get through the short circuit.  You can also ride a bicycle, but after walking and riding, it would have been a very long day.  So, we paid $15 for a tuk tuk for the day.)

(Then again, this might have been the Tomb Raider place, I'm not quite sure...)

(A few protectors)

(Me and some of the vegetation)

 (The area is still used for worship by some and by others it is exploited to make money.  I guess that's the same anywhere you go in the world.)

(They must have had some big feet back in the day)

 (Gate/Entrance to one of the temples)

 (Somebody's house or living shelter on the grounds)

(A few kids hanging out)

Gangwondo

I achieved my goal for the month - I am now able to solve a Rubik's cube. We had a lot of time on the bus since it was a holiday weekend. We played a game of Scrabble, Monopoly, and Spenser was able to teach me the final few steps in the Rubik's cube. This was the first one I solved, by accident, I admit, but I now can do it on my own. Don't get me wrong, it's no 5 seconds like the world record, but I can do it.

As for the trip, we arrived in Gangwondo in the afternoon, went to the beach for a little, saw mirror lake, ate some homemade tofu, saw the houses of the woman on the 50,000 won bill as well as her son's, who is on the 5,000 won bill, met Ellen's family (including Honey), went and got coffee with them, ate a delicious meal, ate a second delicious meal, came back and played some Wii and relaxed. On Sunday, we ate breakfast, went to another water side temple, and got to hang out on the beach for a bit. We had to come back for work on Monday while most other people had it off for Independence Day. All in all it was a fantastic weekend!

(First one, by accident, but still the first one)


(Sculpture at the beach)


(Myself, Katrina, Amy, and Spenser)


(Katrina at mirror lake)


(Katrina eating tofu)


(Jump shot for the trip)


(Black bamboo, my first time seeing it)


(More temple shots)


(A nice artsy shot by Katrina)


(Possible kim-chi pots, I'm not sure)


(Guy on the Korean 5 dollar bill - 5,000 won)


(Woman on the Korean 50 dollar bill - 50,000 won)


(Spenser hanging with honey and Katrina)


(Honey and Katrina)


(Me being a kid and trying ti fill up a broken squirt gun I found on the beach so I could squirt someone with it.)


(Fireworks on the beach at night)


(Myself, Katrina, and Honey)


(Touching the Fat Buddha at the waterside temple)


(Giant statues)


(Amy, Ellen, and myself)


(Sweet dragon motif on the side of the building)


(Hanging on the rocks)


(Katrina refreshing herself)


(If you look in the bottom right, you can barely see Katrina. Hopefully, that gives you an idea of just how large the statues are.)


(Katrina again)


(Sweet gold statue with 108 gold hands)


(Found some more of the Buddha action figures at this temple)


(A sweet cave like structure)


(Inside the main sanctuary of the cave)


(A wall shot)


(A ceiling shot in the cave)


(Last day, hanging on the beach, Ellen with her life jacket on)


(A shot of Spenser and I)