The Cities and Temples of Ancient Angkor (part 2)

Ok, my last post was getting a little long and I needed a break, so I took a mt. bike ride and went and had a late lunch. Back to the temples...

Day 2 - Ta Prohm (click for pictures)
Feeling inspired by my first days visit to Angkor, I decide that for my second day I would rent a mt. bike and ride out to the temples on my own. Initially I planned to ride out there early enough so that I would be able to catch another sunrise, this time from another temple's perspective. But after that first full day of exploring the temples in the hot Cambodian sun, my legs were tired and I just couldn't see getting up at 4 am again. Lucky for me it was raining that morning, so I decided I would ride down in the early afternoon and stay through sunset instead. Back to sleep I went.
I awoke several hours later and prepared for my ride out to the temples. My intentions were to visit the temple of Ta Prohm and maybe a few of the other nearby minor temples, then try to catch the sunset at the Bayon. The weather that day, however, couldn't make up its mind and just as I was heading out of Siem Reap it started to downpour. I stopped and waited it out at a restaurant, and soon it was sunny again. Although now the roads were a soupy mess and the humidity just increased dramatically. One thing about Siem Reap - it's either dusty or muddy, depending on whether its sunny or rainy. I continued my ride, but by the time I reached the outskirts of Angkor I seriously considered abandoning the ride all together and turning around. The tank... I mean bike, I was riding weighed a ton, gears didn't shift properly, had a broken pedal, and I was drenched in sweat. Not sure what made me think that riding 20+ km's in mid-day sun of 35 degree (celcius) weather was a good idea. Anyway, I pressed on, but abandoned any thoughts of visiting any temples other than Ta Prohm that day. Eventually, I arrived at Ta Prohm, tired and sweaty, and just in time for another downpour. I waited this one out at one of the many vendor stalls that are outside all of the major temples, bought a large bottle of water, and sat down to cool off. Spent the next hour waiting for the rain to stop and being accosted relentlessly by little children trying to sell me everything from bracelets and wooden flutes, to tee-shirts, post cards and books about the temples. The children are amusing though, once you get past the constant harassment for your dollar, and will amaze you with their knowledge of the country you come from.
Finally, the rain stopped and I was able to visit the temple I most looked forward to. There's something very magical and mystical about Ta Prohm. The Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient (French School of the Far East), who's efforts are largely responsible for Angkor being visitable today, chose this temple to be left in its "natural state" as an example of how most of Angkor looked on its discovery in the 19th century. This involved a huge amount of work, to prevent further collapse, and enough clearing of vegetation to allow access. Ta Prohm has been maintained in this condition of apparent neglect ever since.
The trees, growing intertwined among the ruins, are largely responsible for the mystical atmosphere of Ta Prohm. These trees, the larger silk-cotton tree and the smaller strangler-fig, initially take hold in a crevice somewhere in the superstructure of the temple, usually where a bird has deposited a seed, then extends roots downwards towards the earth. In the process, the roots work their way between the masonry and stone, eventually growing thicker and gradually wedging open the blocks of stone. Over time, the tree becomes a support structure for the temple , but when it dies, or is felled by a storm, the loosened stones collapse as well. Sadly, these trees - now the support structures for large portions of the temples, will eventually become the cause for their destruction.
I spent the rest of the afternoon, up until around sunset, at Ta Prohm, then proceeded with the long ride back to Siem Reap. The weather that day made the chances of a decent sunset next to zero, but at this point I didn't care. Exhausted and over-heated, I was just glad to have made it back.