Just when we were getting overwhelmed by the artistry and majesty of Bayon and Angkor Wat, we come to Ta Prohm an ancient monument that the guide books describe as the best temple-jungle experience... a sacred site overrun by the forest. It is so hard to compare Ta Prohm with the other Cambodian sacred places as each one of them has a magic of its own.
To witness a sacred place held in the mighty grip of giant strangler fig trees is a very unearthly earthly experience. A feeling that pictures cannot begin to show.
While at Bayon, Angkor Wat and the other mighty cities we have visited on our trip, you get a feeling of man’s astonishing achievements. But to see such a majestic metropolitan and its monuments enfolded and entwined by the jungle makes you reflect far deeper on what is really important in life. If empires dissolve and people like Napoleon, Alexander, Caesar, Charlemane, Atilla, Tamerlane or Suryavarman II disappear what will endure of our politicians and their petty plots, projects and plans?
Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26080359@N08/sets/72157623713368125/
I think this is one of my favourite temples...
ReplyDelete