Today I had the pleasure of visiting Ta Prohm and Angkor Thum.

Angkor Thum is the ruins of the ancient capital city of the Khmer empire and contains the Bayon temple and the Baphuan temple as well as many, many more. The complex sits on a 9 km squared walled site with beautiful gated entrances over another vast moate.

The Bayon temple is at the heart of the complex and was the state temple

Look at this beautiful smilling stone ! Wouldnt it make you happy just looking at it…

but the Baphaun is equally impressive.

I had some job climbing this in the midday sun.

Ta Prohm is adjacent to Anxhor Thom  and is beautifully synthesized by the forest into an arboreal idyll. Gorgeous.

There is something deeply joyful about Ta Prohm. The trees growing around and out of these gorgeous ruins has a deeply soothing, joyfull impact on the mind. They strike the unconscious as a deep and potent symbol of impermanence and transformation. Perhaps we are reminded the future will be beautiful in any case, whatever happens.

I had some phone troubles today too ! My data ran out at the temples and I had to navigate the old fashioned way – often asking for directions ! Signage was pretty bad and I’d left my physical guide books at home.

Notwithstanding this cycling around the temples is really very pleasant and the streets are quite enjoyable to cycle on. It is chaos, but everyone is very mannerly on the road. There is no aggresive driving and everyone weaves around each other taking good care.

Tomorrow Ive hired a tuk tuk to go see some of the further temples. And hoping to catch an early sunrise at ankwar wat also.

Alan Coakley is a Travel Director with Trafalgar Tours.