TRAVERSE 62
First entering the south gate , you are consumed by the scale , the eightmetre-high walls hiding everything from the outside world , the many intricate carvings that tell of kings , gods , and daily life . Temples , palaces , and residences all standing proud fighting back the elements and the encroaching foliage . The greenery has won that battle in many areas adding to the aura of mystery , grotesque natural shapes conquering the form and precision of manmade structures . The natural destruction beautiful in its own right .
Three kilometres by three kilometres , precisely , surrounded by
a moat , hand dug and for no other reason than aesthetics . To this day , it ’ s still an awe-inspiring thing of beauty .
North , South , East , and West are marked by gates which in turn have roads that lead inward and meet near the centre of the complex , the Prasat Bayon . Perhaps modelled on the king himself , four giant faces of the Buddha look down serenely . Further faces were added at a later date on the gateway entrances , scholars are still to understand what it all means .
Water is abundant in this part of Cambodia , Angkor Thom is just a stones throw from the banks of the
TRAVERSE 62