The front of Ta Prohm
The next stop on our tour was Ta Prohm, a temple that is famous for its appearance in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Savun explained that the temple was closed to the public for several hours everyday during the filming, and that the Cambodians were really excited about Angelina Jolie's visit to their country.
The temple is in pretty bad shape, so the Cambodian government is working with UNESCO to rebuild the world heritage site. Along with years of battles and pillaging that have destroyed the temple, the natural wildlife is also causing it to crumble. There are many large trees in the area that Savun described as being "soft trees." The trees are hollow with HUGE roots. These trees have grown around and within the temple, and their roots have pushed stones out of place, causing walls to collapse. Because the trees have grown into the temples, they are now part of the structure and cannot be removed without damaging the temple even further.
The temple is in pretty bad shape, so the Cambodian government is working with UNESCO to rebuild the world heritage site. Along with years of battles and pillaging that have destroyed the temple, the natural wildlife is also causing it to crumble. There are many large trees in the area that Savun described as being "soft trees." The trees are hollow with HUGE roots. These trees have grown around and within the temple, and their roots have pushed stones out of place, causing walls to collapse. Because the trees have grown into the temples, they are now part of the structure and cannot be removed without damaging the temple even further.
 Labeled stones laid out at the entrance |  Huge tree and huge roots that have destroyed the temple |  Stones that have fallen out of place |
Carvings on Ta Prohm
In order to rebuild the temple, archaeologists have carefully labeled each fallen stone with a number to create a sort of puzzle guide to help them reassemble them in the correct order. Archaeologists then move the stones out of the way so that they have clear paths within the temple. We saw many of the labeled stones at the entrance of the temple.
Since Ta Prohm is in far worse shape than Angkor Wat, the artwork wasn't as apparent. However, there were some columns that still had clear, intricate carvings intact. I found the carving pictured to the left to be quite interesting... doesn't it look like a dinosaur at the top? I wonder how the artists at the time knew about dinosaurs...
The visit to Ta Prohm made me want to watch Tomb Raider again. I'm curious to see if the temple looks drastically different in the movie compared to what it looks like in real life. As we left Ta Prohm, we stopped to donate money to a group of land mine victims. Each of them had been disabled in some way, but still managed to play an instrument despite their handicaps. It was a humbling and impressive sight.
Since Ta Prohm is in far worse shape than Angkor Wat, the artwork wasn't as apparent. However, there were some columns that still had clear, intricate carvings intact. I found the carving pictured to the left to be quite interesting... doesn't it look like a dinosaur at the top? I wonder how the artists at the time knew about dinosaurs...
The visit to Ta Prohm made me want to watch Tomb Raider again. I'm curious to see if the temple looks drastically different in the movie compared to what it looks like in real life. As we left Ta Prohm, we stopped to donate money to a group of land mine victims. Each of them had been disabled in some way, but still managed to play an instrument despite their handicaps. It was a humbling and impressive sight.
 Construction in the middle of Ta Prohm |  Joe and I posing at the back entrance of the temple |  Land mine victim band |
Lunch at Kolab Angkor Restaurant
After Ta Prohm, Savun took us to a Cambodian restaurant called Kolab Angkor Restaurant where Joe and I had a chance to sample the local cuisine. The restaurant was quite charming, despite the fact that it was a simple building with no air conditioning along the side of a dirt path. Although the main dining room had clearly been built nicely for tourists, the restaurant appeared to have a side room for locals. I'm guessing that the restaurant has "local prices" for locals and higher prices for tourists. Still, the prices on our menu were extremely cheap! Many countries in Southeast Asia have establishments, such as museums, that charge locals a cheaper rate since they cannot afford tourist prices.
For about $20 (they use US dollars in Cambodia), we had a delicious feast! I tried stir-fried chicken with mushrooms. Joe had beef amok, which is beef and vegetables in a green curry sauce that is cooked and served in a coconut. It is a favorite dish among locals, although Savun told us most people prefer fish amok. We also split a plate of fries. It was a great meal and energized us for an afternoon of exploring more temples!
For about $20 (they use US dollars in Cambodia), we had a delicious feast! I tried stir-fried chicken with mushrooms. Joe had beef amok, which is beef and vegetables in a green curry sauce that is cooked and served in a coconut. It is a favorite dish among locals, although Savun told us most people prefer fish amok. We also split a plate of fries. It was a great meal and energized us for an afternoon of exploring more temples!
 Stir-fried chicken with mushrooms |  Beef amok |  Posing in front of the restaurant |
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