Siem Reap, Cambodia
I’ve seen many iconic images of overgrown roots spreading over dilapidated temples in photographs and movies like Tomb Raider over the years. So when I finally got to see it with my own eyes, I was beyond excited. So excited, in fact that I jumped over a step leading into the temple, tripped and came tumbling down, camera and all. I got a nasty bruise, a few scrapes, and hundreds of pictures to remember this place by.
Ta Prohm is one of the many Angkor temples that was abandoned and reclaimed by nature when the Empire fell in the 17th century. When it was rediscovered later, this popular temple was left untouched by archaeologists, leaving it in it’s natural state. Massive silk-cotton trees grew tall over the broken down buildings, their large canopy blocking out the sun and the rest of the world. The gigantic gnarly roots twist over the grounds reaching through walls and windows, intertwining and becoming one with the temple. The weight of nature sits heavily on the man-made building causing it to bow down from the burden over centuries ago.
As you walk through the rubble and climb over trees, you can’t help but feel like one of the early explorers. This strange, haunted place indelibly made an impression that will forever be etched into my mind.
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life after 9to5 