Cambodia: Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm, nicknames the 'Tomb Raider Temple' was hands down, my favorite temple. The crumbling towers, the walls being overtaken by huge roots, the vine covered stones and the pure jungle look of this temple was mesmerizing.  I felt like I was an adventurer archeologist in a movie as we walked around, in and through this temple.

Some parts of the temple were off limits, such as the area were there was massive amounts of stones piled high and covered in moss.  The tour guides were constantly yelling at people to get off the rocks.  This particular temple is being preserved as-is.

Other then supporting the structure to make sure it doesn't fall, the rest of it is amazingly overgrown by trees and roots.  We went at a time the there weren't very many tourists, so it truly felt like we were the first to find this hidden jungle temple.

We walked along the outer wall for a while before we walked through a walkway to a courtyard.  This particular building was not safe to walk in, and to preserve the integrity of the structure, I am assuming.  It was gorgeous! Every turn we made and every new corner we came around was my new favorite view.  It just kept getting better and better.

We made our way through a small archway deeper into the temple.  The trees were especially loud and proud here.  They had overtaken, buried, destroyed and crushed so much of the temple.  It was almost mystical, a feeling like you had shrunk and were looking at the world a way an ant would.

I think the reason this was my favorite temple is because other then the ropes to rope off unsafe territory, the temple was open to wander and explore.  We could walk up to these hundreds of years old crocodile trees and brush them with our hands and hear them whisper about the sights they have seen and the history they have witnessed.

I loved walking inside the temple.  We could look up and see tree roots as they were creating their way in through the stones.  It just shows that no matter what man makes, God always has the power and will to move even mountains and stones.  The roof above us was parted, as if through time it has been slowly pulled apart.  It was scary and beautiful all at the same time.  My favorite part was how Monster found a perfect racing rock in the middle of the ground, and decided he would race his cars right there in the middle of a temple surrounded by jungle.  He stayed and raced his cars and let me explore the rooms around us.  It was perfect.

All the walls, buildings, archways and walkways lead to the huge popular crocodile tree and its roots that strangle the opening to the most eastward pavilion entrance.  This is the reason the temple is nicknamed the Tomb Raider Temple.  This spot makes an appearance is the movie Tomb Raider.  I totally understand why a director would want this tree in a scene of a movie.  It was so gigantic and crazy beautiful, that it's honestly one of those, 'you have to see it to believe it'.

It was so great to share this experience with the Fillmores.  I am so glad we came to Cambodia at the same time and made it work to go on the tour together.  It was wonderful having friends to share this with.