Siem Reap Temple Tour, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (Think Big Faces, Fallen Columns and Gnarly Tree Roots)

Lest you think we only went to see Angkor Wat, we also managed to see Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm on the same day!  But first, a very important and much needed coconut break.
We bid farewell to Angkor Wat by exiting through the entrance and crossing the peaceful moat that surrounds the temple.



Then we went to Angkor Thom.  This temple is known for its four Buddha faces on every column.

 

And just for kicks:

Ta Prohm was probably my favorite temple of all, however, sadly by this point my camera died and I did not have my back up battery, so I only have the fun group pictures that we snapped at the site.

Who says yoga doesn't come in handy everywhere?

Call it dehydration, call it temple touring fatigue... but at this point we were really hamming it up.

 Vaudeville act...

 Ta Prohm was really amazing.  Seeing the trees that had grown into the temple over hundreds of years was such an amazing experience.  I was surprised at how much I was affected by the sight of the intact parts next to the crumbled, completely shattered bits.

The whole temple was such a poignant reminder of the power and strength of nature and time and the insignificant dust motes that our lives are in contrast.  But at the same time, some parts of Ta Prohm have survived the millenia intact, which inspires respect for the ingenuity and creativity of human beings, and the wonders that never cease with our feats of architecture and engineering.