The city of Angkor is so huge that there is no way I could explore each and every corner of it in a single day. I was now in the final leg of this tour and the most awaited one. After cycling our way out of the Angkor Thom complex and again back into the jungle that seemed to have got more dense, extremely humid with a few harmless animals around (not gonna name them here), we reached our final destination for the day – Ta Prohm.
This temple is what I would call as the actual ruins. Yes, this place is incredibly beautiful and provides plenty of amazing photo opportunities. But I felt an entire side to this place as I meandered across the temple ruins. Huge trees that have their roots making their own way on the stones, walls and terraces of the temple provides an ethereal and mystic aura to this place.
As I looked around the ruined walls, dark corridors and smaller temples that were restricted to the public, I couldn’t help but feel that all those heaps of fallen stones and even the smaller temples that were sealed shut by larger stones, hold some secrets of their own. Secrets that have been sheltered for ages from the outside world and have never been uncovered. Or maybe I’ve been watching too much of X-Files lately.
Everything about this place – the surrounding of the dense forest, the moss-covered boulders of stones, the fallen walls, the closed doors and the century-old gigantic trees – gave me a realization that there are places in this world that could tell us a million untold stories and at the same time they will always be shrouded with unfathomable mystery.
Essential Info:
- Do not at any time attempt to climb on to the heaps of fallen stones. I have witnessed somebody trying to do that and ending up with a broken leg.
- As many other ardent fans of this place would say “Take your time to explore. Do not be in a hurry”.
- Beware of muddy/slippery grounds – they can be deceivingly dangerous. Paul from my group almost went head on to the rocky pathway after slipping on those grounds.
- Keep the Angkor pass handy as it will be checked here before entry.