Lara Croft temple and Me

It's a rainy day and I love big beds where I can roll around and dream. But alas, responsibilities calls. So from rainy day to hot, dusty day, so be it. 

Back to Cambodia, where I visited a few months back. I was so looking forward to visit the temple where Lara Croft did her thing. It makes movie come alive for me. Sadly, Ta Prohm failed to mean expectations. Not for the lack of jungle overgrowth and massive fig and silk-cotton trees growing from its towers and corridors but from the number of wooden walkways and disrepair. Ta Prohm is falling apart. 

We walked past broken walls, climbed over fallen arches, strolled through ruins - just a slight resemblance to its glory past. Ta Prohm was constructed as a Buddhist temple in mid 12th to early 13th Century C.E. and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting control of 3000 villages, thousand of support staffs and vast stores of gold and jewels. 

I love the massive, gorgeous trees, their roots so deeply entwined with the walls that it seems they are telling me that they are here to stay. No fallen walls, no ruins, are making them go away. Standing strong and tall, its feels like Mother Nature is declaring that she is stronger than any man made structure. 

Thankfully I spotted several section that was closed for repair and restoration works. Hopefully, Ta Prohm will still be around many years down the road and that future generation can enjoy its beauty. Ta Prohm is indeed unique and superior as compare to its fellow temples. It's a must visit and so worth it. 

And to prove that I was there, here's an obligatory shot of me standing where the fame tree roots are. Although I gotta say that even though the wooden platform helps to protect over-excited tourists from ruining  it, it really does spoil my picture. 

Here's one with less platform, edited for Instagram :)

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@theestherchew

Now, book a flight, go visit Siam Reap, Cambodia before the temples are gone!

:)

*photos taken with my Kodak Z812 and iPad mini