The Angkor area around Siam Reap was the centre of the Khmer dynasty from the 9th to the 16th century. Its height was between 1100 and 1300AD. Several temples and city areas existed, each covering many sq. kms. The dynasty originated in Java (Indonesia) and occupied much of indochina in the years of its supremacy. Originally hindu, disputes arose between hindus and buddhists which led to internal conflicts and an effort by leaders to win over or at least accomodate the other. In the 14th and 15th centuries the Thais began to enter the scene and that ultimately led to the downfall of the Khmer Angkor dynasty.

Our day started with a tour of Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world. It is a Hindu temple covering a large area. Built between 1113 and 1150, the temple is protected both by a significant wall and a moat with only one bridge leading to the wall. The temple was largely deserted after about 1500 and the jungle took over. Much of the temple lay in ruins until the French began to restore it in the early 20th century. The restoration was only partially completed and some of the restoration done with concrete, which has not stood up well. Germany is now doing further restoration. Nevertheless, it is restored to the point that you have a good representation of the magnitude of the complex.

After lunch we visited the nearby city of Angkor Thom, which around 1200 had a population of 60,000. The main temple in the centre of Anghor Thom is Bayon, a Buddhist temple. It too was deserted after 1500 and the jungle also took over. However, the soil, forest and moss did a much better job of covering the temple. When it was identified as an archaeological site in the late 19th century, it appeared as a "giant termite mound". Restoration work was easier. After the forest, moss and soil was removed, the original structure was in better shape than Angkor Wat, although many pillars had collapsed. Nevertheless, restoration has been more successful. The Japanese are now leading further restoration work. Their are 54 pillars, each of which contain 4 heads of a smiling Buddha, 1 pointing in each of the four directions. You really need to look at the photos in the album to get a sense of the magnitude of the site.