Day 249: The Temples of Angkor (Part 2)

AOur next day of temple exploring began at Ta Prohm, one of the temples I was most looking forward to. The temple is also known as the Jungle Temple, or, as our guide insisted on constantly mentioning the "Tomb Raider Temple" due to its use in the Tomb Raider film. I got a bit irritated by him repeatedly saying tourists came to the temple because of its film, since I, at least, had known about for a long time and didn't even know it was associated with the movie. Perhaps the reason some people call it the Tomb Raider Temple isn't because that's where they know if it from, but because that's the name that at least some of the guides seem to insist on using?

Exasperation with the guide aside, the temple was crowded but lovely. Unlike the other temples, Ta Prohm was left largely in the state it was rediscovered, with trees growing over and through it where the jungle had begun to take over. The organic beauty of the nature mixed and part of the temple makes the entire place seem much more alive.

The final two temples visited were older and made of brick instead of stone. I'm not positive on which temples they were, but I think East Mebon and Pre Rup. These temples had a much more open, spacious feel to them, only heightened by the fact that they weren't so choked with other tourists.

In the evening we drove out to the river near Tonle Sap, the largest lake in southeast Asia. We got on a boat and road through the adjacent mangrove forests while snacking on grilled snakes. Eventually we got to village of Kompong Phluk which is built over the river on stilts. The town has a very cool atmosphere, with everybody moving around in boats, floating cages of pigs, and elaborate latticework of bamboo and wood beneath all the buildings.

We finally made it to the lake and floated on it for awhile, waiting for sunset. Unfortunately it was too cloudy, and we couldn't see the sun at all, so it was a bit of a waste. This is also the point where the driver discovered the light on the boat wasn't working, so we rushed back down the river, trying to beat out the fading light. We got back without hitting anything, although it was almost completely dark by the time we did, and returned back to the hotel for our last night in Siem Reap.