On the first full day in Angkor, the day that I rented the bicycle, I went to see Ta Prohm (full photos
here), which is a temple that has not been fully restored like many of the others, but rather has been reclaimed by the forest. Many people call it the "Tomb Raider" temple, because parts of that movie were filmed here; Angelina Jolie's character entered a doorway in one of the trees, and entered some sort of magical world, i.e. movie set. I think it's kind of sad that this temple is now considered cool because of this action movie, and not because of its history and architectural prowess, but that's just me.
These trees are enormous. And still very much alive, and still growing. As I was walking around the temple, I started imagining a dialogue of sorts:
Temple: (booming voice) I am a symbol of the greatness of King Jayavarman VII, the living evidence of his power and his devotion to the Gods!!!
Trees: Yeah, well, I'm thirsty. Shove over. (Grows directly over walls)
It's just evidence that nature wins. And it was incredibly beautiful, the kind of thing that makes people feel very small. In a good way.
UH-mazing.
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