Ta Prohm, Preah Kean, Preah Neak Poan - First of December

I have been having problems uploading photos to blogger but it seems so has most of the planet.
Yesterday so that means Tuesday we walked next door spoke to a tuk-tuk driver and he said $6 to Ta Prohm, $6 return as we went out there Mr Veasna suggested the grand tour but as we are trying to save Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom for our last day we decided to go see a couple of templesthat were a bit off the beaten track.

Ta Prohm is the Lara Croft Tomb Raider temple where the trees are enveloping the carved rock of the temple, amazing to be here and one has to wonder why it took until the Lara Croft game spinoff movie before this was used as a film set.  I realise the recent history of the country, and have found other temples have been used also for films. 

After an hour or so we were convinced to see Preah Kean - sword temple.  This has been a subject of some restoration in the past and many parts were closed to access, but that didnt stop me having more of an explore for secluded corners of this very large temple approximately 700 by 800m.  It was suggested that this temple was the temporary living quarters of Jayavarman VII while he waited for the enormous Angkor Thom to be completed.  Walking around it was easy to see that with a plentiful water supply the temple would have been lusciously cool and refreshing with a sophisticated water supply system to the ponds throughout the complex.

Time was ticking by and it was getting hotter, clothes were drenched in sweat and we were out of water, the next temple was a water temple Preah Neak Soan.  Situated insided a water reservoir/baray on an island.  A half kilometre walk along a wooden causeway to a fenced off view of five pools with some statues. The water was not potable.

I was non-plussed by the temple but the lake and surrounds were nice. I was also hungry. And thirsty.

So rather than add a couple more temples to our tour Mr Veasna took us to a tourist restaurant for some fine chow - ginger pork and basil chicken and a few beers - which are nice when they are cold, and these were.

Back to the hotel for recovery from the intense heat.