Angkor Wat

This is the second main reason why I am happy that I still have the second card left, rather than the first one. Angkor Wat is the amazing temple that is near Siem Riep and about 240 km away from the capital Phnom Penh (I go through so much pain every time I have to type this city. Why on earth do they randomly insert 'h's in that name?! It took me a while until I got it right the first time...). It was built in the 12th century and is a national symbol (not to mention a huge tourist magnet). It is so important its silhouette appears on the national flag:

 

(source: Wikipedia (who would have guessed?))

I had  some great shots from the fron but they were on the first card so the only pic I have left from the outside of the temple is this one:

You get the idea of which famous building I am talking about, right? Here are some pictures of the inside of the temple-complex:

Here is the proud owner of this humble site.

Inside the temple there were some very interesting buddhist altars and statues like the one above. 

Angkor Wat is even bigger that what it looks from the outside. I wonder what the monks did in all those spaces (especially in these patios that were everywhere)?

There were so may great espalnades in between. They probably played soccer on this one (I heard that's what buddhist monks usually do...).

On the right you can see the way that leads from the entrance to the temple itself. This path is flanked by two small ponds with palms.

And last but not least a Buddha-statue. Don't be fooled by my breath-taking phoptography skills. The place was more than overcrowded. You were free to walk around where you wanted to but most people followed defined routes or guides so my friend Isa and I tried to see corners, that were not so full (that's why it appears as if we were the only ones there on most of the pics...).  Good night!