We began the last day of our Cambodian tour with a visit to Ta Prohm which was used as a filming location for "Tomb Raider". Trees and vegetation began growing between the temple's stones after it was abandoned sometime in the 16th century.
When I look at the ceiling stones in these pictures now, I feel feel like it was probably not smart to walk under them.
In the early 20th century, when restoration work on the Angkor Temples began, special thought was given to what to do about Ta Prohm because people were so impressed with the picturesque way the jungle has partially enveloped it. Although a lot of work was done to stabilize the ruins, the decision was made to leave it untouched as much as possible.
Ta Prohm was the temple I was most looking forward to seeing, but in the end I was actually most impressed by Banteay Srei which is also known as the "Citadel of Women". Ly called it "The Lady Temple". Built in the 10th Century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, it is the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch.
Unlike the other temples we visited, it was built mainly of red sandstone which is a good medium for carving.
I also admired the statues.
There are 72 temples in Angkor Complex so visiting four may not seem like much, but when Ly told us it was time to return to the resort, no one protested. Dealing with the heat and humidity was definitely a challenge, but we were constantly being told that the next month - April - would be much hotter.
That night we enjoyed a lovely dinner which had been set up by a catering company in a rice field. The days of the tour had gone by so quickly. I felt like I was just getting to know the other tour members. It was sad that it was already time to say good-bye, but four members of the group would be joining us on the tour through Vietnam.
