Ta Phrom

In and around Siem Reap are dozens of other temple complexes, built by different kings over a period of a few hundred years. None of the other complexes are as well preserved as Angkor Wat, nor are any nearly as big as Angkor Wat. In fact, we saw about 10 different temples over the course of two days — so many that the temples started to blend together (Which one had the 200 faces of buddha? Which one had the ladies?). However, each complex is beautiful, well worth a look. But, I’ll just pick a few to talk about ...

So, the first stop after leaving Angkor Wat, was Ta Phrom, which everyone refers to as the Tomb Raider Temple. Why? Because this is where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. (I’ve never seen the movie, but every guide tells people exactly where it was filmed, and suggests that you take pictures in X or Y spot. It is actually a bit annoying, as it creates huge lines in one place and “people jams.”).

The temple itself was undoubtedly beautiful in its time, albeit much smaller than Angkor Wat. However, the remarkable part about the temple is that it has been taken over (destroyed?) by the incursion of the jungle. In this part of Cambodia, one of the primary trees in the forest is called a “spoon tree.” Apparently, this is a very soft wood, and the “softness” of the wood somehow allows the tree to grow in such a way that the small branches insinuate themselves between they blocks of the temple. Over time, the branches grow and expand, pushing the stones apart. Now, almost 1000 years later, there are actual trees growing in, on, and around the temple. Not only has this destroyed parts of the temple, but it is now impossible to cut the branches out without damaging the structural integrity of remaining parts of the temple. So, the branches and trees must stay, while those parts of the temple which have not been affected by the growth remains.

The juxtaposition of nature’s structures and man’s creations is fantastical.Read more