Phumĭ Spéan Ângkôr

The second temple we visited is best known because Tomb Raider was filmed there. On the way there we learned that all the green spaces in between the various Temples would have been where common folk lived in wooden structures. The main temple is apparently in the shape of a lotus, but I didn't see that personally. To be honest I wasn't really paying too close of attention, just following the quick moving guide and trying not to fall behind too much. This temple is incredibly complicated and I definitely almost got lost a few times.. Too busy taking photos and observing things!

This temple is less "touched" than the others, it's been allowed to remain a bit overgrown and there are trees and other plants growing out from between rocks where you wouldn't even think they could survive. It's a pretty neat temple! Definitely my favourite of the three we saw today, but of course my favourite places always seem to be ones that don't photograph all that well. Places you have to see for yourself I guess ;) I just can only imagine what these Temples must have looked like back in the day when they were still covered with gold and gems. One room we saw had a bunch of holes in the walls that apparently would have once housed gems like sapphires. The light in there would have been incredible! I wonder if anyone has ever done a virtual reconstruction. I'd love to see it.

We stopped for lunch after this temple at a nearby restaurant and I tried a traditional Cambodian dish of Beef Lok Lak which was amazing. It was beef cooked with green peppers and onions in a semi sweet sauce, then you mixed into it a spicy, sour black pepper sauce and ate with rice. So delicious! One of the best things I've eaten to be honest. I hear that Cambodia is famous for it's black pepper, I'll probably have to bring some home. I also had a fresh lime juice for lunch that was pleasantly sour ;)Read more