Angkor Thom Temple
Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Angkorean Empire lasted from the 9th to the 15th century.
The empire was ruled by a series of god-kings who commissioned a number of fantastic phallic shaped temples.
The kings had extensive canals dug, which held water during the dry seasons. This water and the fish and water of the nearby Tonlé Sap (the "Great Lake") helped to proved three rice crops a year and sufficient resources to support all the construction.
The area was abandoned to the jungle because of attacks and incursions by the nearby Thai people.
The French naturalist Mahout rediscoved the area in 1860 and the French colonized Cambodia from 1863 to 1954..
You buy a three day pass for $40 to visit all the temples you can handle. The pass has your picture and is checked at each site you visit.
The U.S. dollar is widely used within Cambodia. We're packing to fly to Hanoi today. We'll have one full day there before flying back to the real world