Details Of Siem Reap, Part Two

More stuff to see around Siem Reap.

Down at the car wash. Clever design, the car goes in at an incline for drainage.

Temple stand. Artisan's workshop and demonstration area.

More kids, this time posing.

Night in the city.

Ahh, right, that airport greeting. They also see you on your way out.

Details Of Siem Reap, Part One

Temple fatigue sets in. Time to wander the town, see what else is going on.

Airport greeting. Make a mental note for future reference.

Coffee cafe. There are several joints like this one around town, laid out so all seats face the same way, toward a big bank of TVs. Think sports bar, not necessarily showing sports. A plastic flower still life.

Kids, doing what kids do.

Gas, sold in old liquor bottles. Which proof is more? Debatable. Drying fish and shoes.

Dress shop. Be bold.

Siem Reap Portraits

Wandering around town, finding some fine folks willing to pose.

Dy Proeung, master builder of miniature versions of the area's temples.

At the car wash, blue collar (washer) and white collar (boss).

Furniture reupholsterer.

Woman of the house. Sculptor.

Mother and child.

Shopping At Siem Reap's Phsar Leu Thom Thmey

Nothing like wandering through a town's big, central market to liven the senses. Food, clothing, toiletries, jewelry, supplies, it's all available at Phsar Leu Thom Thmey.

The fish preppers.

Women rule the place, (wo)manning most of the stalls, no matter what the specialty. The butcher, the vegetable seller.

Grande dame.

Lasi? seller. Advertising area.

Hidden home goods seller.

Around Other Siem Reap Temples

The big boys of Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm get most of the attention in Siem Reap, justifiably so. They're blockbusters. There are still plenty of smaller delights to see, with the bonus of fewer crowds and random, amusing details.

Preah Neak Pogan, a little jewel, perfectly set within a serene water surround.

Heading up for sunset at Pre Rup. 

Fashion shoot! These days, you don't just stand in front of a famous place and have your picture taken. Now, you get swanked out, find a suitable location and pose it up, complete with posse ready to critique the shoot.

Temple fowl.

Monks also need help sometimes. Temple guard.

Plastic flowers.

Tussling At Ta Prohm

After Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm is probably the most popular temple to visit in Siem Reap. It's frequently referred to as the "Tomb Raider" temple, ever since Angelina Jolie showed up to rock some skimpy explorer shorts awhile ago. A king builds it, a starlet lays claim to it, whether she meant to or not.

It's easy to see why the temple made the movie cut. It oozes exotic jungle mood, mainly since the decision was made only to partially restore the temple. It's a bit of an illusion, to think that you're looking at a temple the way it was discovered in the early 20th century. In fact, most elements have been rebuilt or at least cleared. A smattering of crumbling walls and giant trees go a long way to convincing the public they can be Indiana Jones for an hour.

 The crowds are ready for the romp.

The atmospheric interior, exotic and refined at the same time.

Cathedral trees.

The trees are a nice touch, all alive, slithering over the heavy rock.

Occasionally there's an uninterrupted view, when the crowd is corralled a bit.

Around Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is the biggest temple complex at Angkor and trekking through every section takes the better part of a day. What are some highlights?

Heading in from Angkor Wat, rows of gods and demons flank the road.

One of many gates in the complex. Elephants, can't go wrong with that theme, grand on a grand scale.

Baphuon, taken apart during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Plans were lost, many stones still scattered around. The highlight of Baphuon is around the back. A giant, reclining Buddha awaits, slyly swallowed up within a larger wall. Squint and you can see the relaxed head.

The cute pyramid called Phimeanakas.

Angkor Thom details, praying and small ruins.

Front view of Baphuon.