Cambodia - Angkor Wat - bas relief carvings

One of the neat things about Angkor Wat is all the carvings in relief that line most of its walls.  The outside of the inner wall (which the plebs were allowed to access back in the day) are full of scenes from the Ramayana, though they wear clothes that look more Angkor than Indian.  Note the focus on soldiers giving each other the boot (or being eaten by animals, or attacked by elephants, or marching to the tune of the same drummer) - it is such scenes upon which ancient empires are built.  Much happier are the carvings of fish and crocodiles, or of the famous dancing women (Apsaras) that are everywhere in the temple but especially in the inner court.  There was also an elephant with eyes like something out of a mascara commercial - not sure what that was about.

The last pics are of some of the jungle surrounding the complex - as you look at the pictures imagine heat, humidity, and jungle noises - very atmospheric.

Cambodia - Angkor Wat - the structure

Once you're in the Angkor Wat complex proper, there are lots of hallways, doorways, windows, towers, steps, and stairs.  You can no longer climb the inner tower stairs - too many people got injured (and died) climbing them so they closed them off.  You can still see the rest of the complex, though, which was great fun.  

It was interesting to see that, like the Romans, the Angkors built a lot of the structure with rough stone without much work done on it, then covered it with higher grade stone that had been well cut and polished.  Why bother spending too much time on the part no one is likely to ever see?

Note the royal bathing pool - nice touch for a hot climate! 

Cambodia - Angkor Wat - the approach

Angkor Wat is huge.  It's both a huge temple complex, and it's on a huge piece of land.  It's so huge that the moat around it looks like a river.  It's so huge that the outer wall around it takes a bit to walk to from the outside of the moat, and that after you get through the outer gate the inner gate takes a while to walk to as well.  Yet, despite how huge the temple itself is, it's on so much land that it ironically looks smaller than it really is.  Strange!

There are two reflecting pools between the outer wall and the inner wall.  Since it was the dry season when we visited, only one pool was partly filled (we're guessing they filled it by hand, since the other pool was completely dry).  These pools give the famous reflections of the temple when the light is good.  Nice design touch!